with Robert Vere Duke of Ireland maintained by King Rich. 2. against them with 5000. men slew Sir Tho. Molineux Constable of Chester and put the said D. to such strait that in swimming Thames â—e had almost lost his life 1387. r. Rich. 2.11 40 At Otterborne under the leading of Wil. Dowglas 1100. English men were slaine and 30000. put to flight Lord Henry and Ralph Percies sonnes to the Earle of Northumberland were taken prisoners notwithstanding the said L. Hen. had manfully slain that valiant Captaine Wil. Dowglas at the first encounter An. 1388. Rich. 2.12 41 At Flint castle K. Ric. 2. was by the falsenesse of Henry Percie Earl of Northumb. delivered into the hands of Henry D. of Lancaster and thence conveyed as prisoner to London committed to the Tower and shortly deposed thence sent to Loeds castle in Kent lastly to Pomfreit and there murdered Feb. 13. 1430. * At Circester the conspirators against K. Henry 4. were discomfited the Dukes of Excâ—ster and Surrey the Earles of Salisburie Glocester and Huntington Sr. Thomas Blunt and Barnard Brocas knights were there taken and in sundry places beheaded 1400. Ian. 15. reg 2. 42 At Hallidowne hill againe another great and bloudy battell was fought Sep. 14. against the Scots by K. H. 4. wherin the said Scots were beaten down and slain and besides the losse of many thousand common Souldiers fourescore Earls Lords and Knights of account were also then slain An. 1402. reg 3. 43 At Pelale in Wales 110. Englishmen were slain by Owne Glendoure and Edmund Mortimer Earl of March taken prisoner reg H. 43. 1402. 44 At Shrewsbury a bloudy battell was fought against K. Henry 4. by the Percies Henry and Thomas wherein Henry L. Percie surnamed Hotspur was slaine in the place called Old field and Lord Thomas Earle of Worcester taken and beheaded there was slaine on both sides 6600. An. 1403. 45 The French coming to aide Owen Glendoure besieged Carmarden and spoiled it An. 1405. reg H. 4.6 46 At Bramhamâ—moore Henry Percie Earle of Northumberland with Thomas L. Bordolfe and many â—â—e in taking armes against K. Henry 4. were slain by Thomas Rockley Sheriffe of York shire 1408. reg 9. 47 On Black-heath twice Iack Cade naming himselfe Iohn Mortimer captain of the Kentish rebels camped against King H. 6. reg 28. An. 1450. 48 At Sennock the Kings power was overcome by Iack Cade and the two Staffords brethren slain by those rebels but from Southwarke they were diâ—â—ersâ—d and Cade slaine lurking in a garden by Alexander Eden Gâ—â—◠〈◊〉 of Kent 1450. 49 At Dâ—â—â—forth upon Broâ—s 〈◊〉 Richard Duke of Yorke incomped himselfe with an army of 10000. men against King Henry 6. reg 30. An. 1452. 50 Saint Albons first Battell fought May 23. against King Hen. 6. by Richard Duke of Yorke wherein on the Kings side were slaine Edmund Duke of Sommerset Henry Earle of Northumberland Humfrey Earle of Stafford Iohn L. Clifford with many Knights of valour and 5000. men on their parties sides the King himselfe was wounded with an arrow and but onely 600. of the Dukes men slaine An. 1445. reg 33. 51 Blore-heath field fought on September 23. by Richard Earle of Salisbury against K. Henry 6. the Lord Audley being Generall for the King where the said Lord was slaine with many Knights of Cheshire on his part and with them 2400. persons lost their lives An. 1459. reg 38. 52 At Northampton the Earles of March and Warwick fought against K. Henry 6. in the quarrel of Richard Duke of York Wherein the King himselfe was taken and conveyed to London Humfrey Duke of Buckingham Iohn Talbot Earle of Shrewesburie the Lords Beamont and Egremont were there slain 1459. Iune 10. reg 38. 53 Wakefield Battell fought December 10. 1461. by Queen Margaret in defence of King Henry 6. her husbands title wherein the said Duke was slaine with young Edmund Earle of Rutland his sonne the two bastards Mortimers Knights and 220â— more there Thomas Nevill Earle of Salisbury was taken prisoner and after beheaded at Pomfreit An. reg 39. 54 At Mortimers crosse Edward Earle of March in revenge of the death of Richard Duke of Yorke his Father obtained a great victory againts the Earles of Pembroks and Wiltshire in the quarell of Q. Margaret and there flew 3800. Englishmen Feb. 2. being the day of Maries Purification in this battel Owen Teuther was taken and beheaded An. 1461. reg H. 6.39 55 Saint Albâ—â—s last battell fought by Queen Margaret against the Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolkâ— the Earles of Warwick and Arundel that kept by force K. Henry her husband with whom by constraine be held and fought and lost the field there were slaine of Enlishmen 1916. persons Feb. 17. being Shreve-tuesday 1416. 56 Towton-field a most deadly and mortall Battell fought on Palme-sunday March 29. wherein were slain of Englishmen 35091. or as other have 36776. persons amoÌ„gst whom these Nobles died Earls Northumberland Shrewesbury and Devonshire Lords Clifford Beamont Nevill Willoughby Wels Roâ—s Seales Grey Dacres Fitz-bugh Mollens Bechingam Knights the two Bastards of Excester Percie Heyron Clifton Hayms two Crakenthorps two Throlopes Haril Ormond Mollin Pigot Norbohew and Burton with many more Knights and others not named K. H. 6. with succh as escaped fled into Scotland leaving E. 4. victor 1461. 57 Hexam battell fought May 15. against King Henry 6. under the conduct of Iohn Nevill L. Mountacute wherein Henry Duke of Somerset with the L. Rooes Mollens and Hungerford were taken K. Henry flying into Lancashire remained there in wants and secret a years and more and whence by deceit he was taken and convaied to the Tower of London 1464. reg E. 4.4 58 Edgcoot-field fought upon Daâ—es-more Iuly 26. by the Northren Lords their Captaines being Sir Iohn Coniers and Robbin of Ridsdale against K. E. 4. under the leading of Wil. Herbert Earle of Pembrooke who together with his brother Ric. was taken as also Ric. Woodvile L. Rivers brother to the Q. with Iohn his sonne and all foure beheaded 5000. of their boast being slaine with most of the Wolch-men 1469. reg E. 4.9 * At Wolney King Edward 4. gathering his boast to recover his losse was taken prisoner by his brother George Duke of Clarence and Ric. the stout Earle of Warwick and convayed to Middleham Castle in York-shire whence shortly be escaped to London 1469. ** At Stamford the Lincoln-shire-men under the conduct of Sir Rob. Willes Knight instigated by Ric. Earle of Warwick against King Edw. 4. were overcome and 1100. of them slain the rest in flight so cast away their furniture that to this day the battell is called Losecote-field 1470. Edward 4.10 59 Barnes-field fought April 14. being Easter-day by the Earls of Warwicke Oxford and Marques Mountacute against K. Ed. 4. who led Henry 6. prisoner to the field wish him In this battell were slain Ric. Earle of Warwicke and Marques Mountocute his brother On K. Edwards part were slaine
blacke Channons of the Order of S. Augustine founded by thâ— Bigrames and at the Suppression valued at 62. l. 12. s. 3. d. ob It stood within the reach of the great Mannor Kimbolton once an Hundred which was the land of Earle Harold the Usurper after by Graunt it came with the Chase of Swinesheved to Fitz-Peter from whom by Magnavil to Bobum who in time of the tumultuous Barons built there a â—orcelet and so to Stafford by whose attainture forfeited it was given by Henry the eight to the Familie of Wingfield that now possesseth it At Bugden the See of Lincolne hath a seat and was Lord of Spaldwick and the Soke given in compensation from the Church of Ely when rent from them it was by the first Henry made a Bishopricke untill of late that Church gave up their interest in Spaldwicke to the Crowne Brampton was given by King Iohn at Mirabel to Earle David and by Ada his youngest Daughter fell to Hastings Earle of Pembroke and now is reverted to the King To the same Earle David by gift of the former King came Alcumesbury and by the bountie of Iohn Scot his sonne to Segrave and so to the Lord Barkley the late possessor To Serlo de Quiney Earle of Winchester was Keston by Henry the second given by whose Heire generall Ferrars it came to the late Earle of Essex and by exchange to the Crowne 10 TOULESLAND HUNDRED taketh name likewise of a Town therein situate In the out Angle of this to the memory of S. Neotus a Monke of Glastenbury but the supposed sonne to Ethelwolfe K. of the West-Saxons whose body from Neostâ—ck in Cornwall was transferred to Arnulphesbury then of Arnulphus a holy man now Eynesbury named Earle Alrick and Ethelâ—â—eda turned the Palace of Earle Elfred into a Monastery of blacke Monks which was razed by the Danes but out of the ashes of this Râ—isia wife to Richard the sonne of Earle Gilbert to God our Lady de Becco and S. Nâ—oâ— as a Cell to the Abbey of Becco in Normandy erected up of blacke Monks in the yeare 1113. the late Priory of S. Neâ—es suppressed by Henry the eight and valued at 256. l. 15. d. q. At Soâ—tho the Land of Eustachius the Sheriffe Lovetote made the seat of that Seignory on which in this Shire 13. Knights Fees and a halfe dependeâ— But from his line by gift of Veâ—don and Vesey drowned were these in the honour of Gloucester Near to this at Cretingsbury dwelt Sir Adam de Cretings famous in Edward the thirds warres of France whose Heire Generall Waâ—ton doth now possesse it Staunton given by the first William to Gilbert de Gaunt after the death issuelesse of De Rupes escheated to the King who gave it to Ioan his sister Queene of Scots She on the Abbey of Tarent bestowed paâ—t the rest reverting being given to Segraâ—e descended to the Barons of Berkly Godmâ—nchester or Gormonchester so named of that Daâ—e to whom Aelfred at his Conversion granted some regiment in these parts was the old land of the Crowne now the Inhabitants in â—ee-farme by grant of King Iohn pro Sexies viginti libris pondere numero It is flat seated by as fruitfull and flowrie Meadowes as any this Kingdome yeeldeth and is the most spacious of any one Parish in fertile tillage oft having waâ—ted on the Soveraigne Lords with ninescore Ploughes in a rurall pompe Some from the name Gunicester which this often beareth in record suppose it the Citie where Machutus placed his Bishops Chaire But for certaine it was that Roâ—ane Town Durosiâ—oâ—â— of the Bridges named so many hundred yeares untill the light of our Britaine Story overshone it forgotten Thus as this Citiâ— so the old â—amilies have been here with time outworne few onely of the many former now remaining whose Surnames before the raigne of the last Henry were in this Shire of any eminency But Non indignemur mortalia Nomina solvi Cernimus exemplis Oppida posse mori Let 's not repine that Men and Names doe dye Since Stone-built Cities dead and ruin'd lye This Description I received from a right worthy and learned Friend ¶ An Alphabeticall Table of all the Tovvnes Rivers and memorable places mentioned in Huntington-shire THE HUNDREDS NOrman-Crosse Hurstingston Leightenstone Tosland A Abbottesley Tosl Agden mill Leigh Alerton Norm Alkmundbury wood Hurst Alkmundbury Leigh S. Andrews Chappell Norm B Barham Leigh Beggers bush Tosl Bigen Hurst Billingbrooke Norm Birtholme Lodge Leigh Bithorne Leigh Bluntsham hurst Botsey hurst Botulph Bridge Norm Brampton leigh Brinton leigh Brik-Mere Norm Broughton wood hurst Broughton hurst Bruc-Castle Norm Buckworth leigh Buckworth grove leigh Buckworth Beacon leigh Bugden Tosl Bury Hurst C Calâ—ot Norm Calfo wood leigh Canutus Dike or Sword Dyke Norm Great Catworth Leigh Little Catworth Leigh Catworth mili leigh The Chase hurst Chesterton Norm Colne hurst Conington Norm Conquest Loode Norm Copinford leigh Covington leigh Cretingesbery Tosl D Dantree Norm Denton Norm Denton and Calton â—enne Norm Diddington Tosl Durosiponte Tosl E Easton leigh Ellington leigh Elton Norm Elton-Parke Norm Elton-Mill Norm Erith hurst Ermin-streete Norm Everton Tosl Eynesbury Tosl F Farset Norm Farset Kings delâ—e Norm Fenton hurst Folkesworth Norm G Gramsey hurst Great Gidding leigh Little Gidding leigh Steeple Gidding leigh Glatton Norm Glatton Fenne Norm Godmanchester Tosl Great Grandsden Tosl Grasham leigh H Haddon Beacon Norm Haddon Norm Haddon Mill Norm Hamerton leigh Hamerton Mill leigh Haleweston Tosl Heathmangrove hurst Hemingford Abbey Tosl Hemingford Grey Tosl Herford hurst Highney Norm Highney-lodge Norm Hilton Tosl Hinchingbrooke hurst Holm-lood Norm Holy well hurst Holy well Fen hurst Horsey Bridge Norm Houghton hurst HVNTINGTON hurst I S. IVES hurst S. Ives street hurst K Keston leigh KIMBALTON leigh L Leighton Leigh Leighton Mill leigh Luddington Leigh Lutton Norm M Molesworth leigh Monkeswood hurst Morborn Norm The Moore Tosl Myddloâ— Tosl N Nedingworth hurst Neen flu Norm S. NEOT Tosl New-dike Norm New-parke leigh O Offord Cluny Tosl Offord Dacy Tosl Ogerston Norm Overton Longvill Norm Overton Watervill Norm Ould Hurst hurst P Papworth Agnes Tosl Little Paxton Tosl Great Paxton Tosl Pertenhall leigh Pidley hurst Pirry leigh Pits water Norm Portmed Tosl R Ramsey hurst Ramsey Meere hurst Ramsey Fenne hurst Ramsey Moore Norm Little Reveley hurst Great Reveley hurst Ripton Abbots hurst Ripton Parke Hurst Kings Ripton hurst Rowey hurst Romerstreeme lood Norm S Salom-wood leigh Saltrey-Mill Norm Saltrey Abâ—ey Norm Saltrey Grange Norm Saltrey Judith Norm Saltrey Moynes Norm Saltrey Beumes Norm Saply Parke hurst Sibthorpe leigh Small dike Norm Somersham fenne hurst Somersham parke hurst South-hoo Tosl Spaldwick-mill leigh Spaldwick leigh Fenny Stanton Tosl Stibinton Norm Stilton Norm Stilton Fen Norm Stilton mill Norm Stongate hole leigh Stonly leigh Stonly Priory leigh Great Stoughton Tosl Stow leigh Stranground Norm Little Stukeley hurst Great Stukeley hurst Swineshead leigh T Terwerth Tâ—â—l Thurning leigh Toseland
Earle of Motgomery 115.5 Herâ—rd-shire how bounded 49.1 Tâ—e climate of what tempâ—rature 49.2 Huâ—dreds and townes thâ—rein 50 Herefâ—rd Citie and Bishopricâ—e 49.5 Thâ— circuit and graduation thâ—reof ibid. Thâ—â—ivill Magistracy thereof ibid. Herbeâ—t Losinga B. of Norwiâ— what Churches and Monasteries he built 35.8 Herefordshire how bounded 39.1 The forme and dimension of it ibid. The ayre soyle and commodities 39.3 The ancient Inhabitants 39.4 Hâ—â—dreds and Townes â—erein 40 Herâ—rd towne 39.6 The â—â—aduation thereof 49.8 Hibâ—ia whence it tooke man 138.12 Hidosland what it signifieth 3.3 57.3 Higâ—andmen naturall Scots 11.4 See Heghlandmen Hillâ—ie Isle 9â— 8 Sainâ— Hilda his miracle 81.6 Himinbrooke Nuunery 57.6 Histricall Tome of this Vorke 1.1 Hobies Irish in Leinster 141.5 Ho Island See Lindisferne Ho well See Winifrids well Ho crosse in Tipperary within Mounster 139.11 Hoâ—nd a third part of Lincâ—n-shire 63.10 Hlanders fishing by license â—on the North-East coasts England 81.3 Hâ—ry Holland his high desent and calamitie 19.8 Hâ— Castle in Bromfield 100 12 Horse Muscles full of good earle 132.15 Horse-shooe in the Shire-Hall at Oakâ—ham 59.7 â—orsa slaine in battell 7.11 At Horsted his Monument ibid. â—orton See Halifax â—ospitall at Leicester with a Collegiate Church built 61.6 Charles Howard defeated the the Spanish Armada at Sea 19.4 Hubblestone in Devon-shire whence it tooke name 19.7 Humber as arme of the Sea 79.3 Hundreds what they are 3.4 Huntingâ—on-shire how it is bounded 57.1 How â—ivided 57.3 What manner of Iurisdiction therein at first 57.4 Hundreds townes and memorable places therein 58 10 Huntingdon town why so named and how seated 57.5 Their Common-seale ibid. Their Priory of Black-Canon ibid. The Castle ibid. The River there sometime Navigable 57.6 Hurles in Cornewall what they be 21.9 I Iamesâ—he â—he fourth King of Scots slain 89 10. Iames 5. King of Scots dyeth for griefe of heart 87.5 Iceni â—hat people and where seated 33.4 35.3 Icat or black Amber 81.6 Iersey Island how seated 94 The form and dimension of it 94.2 The ayre and soyle 94.3.4 Stockings there made 94.4 The originall and language of the Inhabitants 94.5 The Commodities 94.6 How governed 94.7 An Island floating 132.15 Ilchester in Somerset-shire 23.10 Kingdome of the Islands divided 92.17 Iohannes de sacro Bosco borne at Halifax 77.8 King Iohn his Monument and Portraiture 51.5 Saint Iohns Tombe in Scotland 132.6 Iona i. Columkil 132.18 Iosephus of Exceter or Iscanus his praise 19.6 Ipswich commended 33.6 The dimension and site of Ipswich ibid. How governed ibid. Ireland how divided into Provinces and Countries 135 What names it hath 137 1 The name whence derived 137.2 The most Westerne Island 137.2 Why called the holy Island 137.3 Thought to bee Ogygia in Plutarch 137.3 Called also Scotia ibid. The third Island for bignesse in the known world 137.4 When and how it received Christianitie 135.22 Christianity there much decayed 139.8 Ireland of what forme it is 137.4 How bounded ibid. The aire and temperature 137.5 The soile 137.6 The Commodities 137.7 The ancient and originall Inhabitants 137.8 By whom divided into five Provinces 138.12 Called little Britaine ibid. Irish-mens Cottages in Anglesey 125 The manners customes of the Irish in old time 138.14 The manner of Baptizing 138.15 Their Children how nurced ibid. Their fantasticall conceits 138.16 Addicted much to Witchcraft ibid. Their Idolatry ibid. Their attire 138.18 They forsake their wives at their pleasure 145.8 Their manner of Warre 138.19 Their mourning for the dead 138.20 Irish BB. Consecrated by the Arch-Bishop of Canterburie 145.8 Isca Silurum i. Caer-lion 107.4 Ithancester See St Peters upon the wall ibid. S. Ivo a Persian Bishop 15.7 S. Ivoes Priory a Cell to Ramsey Abbey ibid. K Katherine Dowager of Spainâ— where interred 55.7 Keyes of the Isle of Man 91.5 Kendale or Candale whence it taketh name 85.4 Kendale Towne 85.7 How governed ibid. Graduation of it ibid. Kendale Earles 85.7 Kent how it is bounded 7.1 The length breadth and circumference of it ibid. The forme site and position of it 7.2.3 The soile and Commodities 7.4 Rivers navigable therein 7 5 Kent unconquered 7.7 Receiveth Christianitie first in this Isle ibid. Troubled with civill dissentions 7.10 How governed 7.11 Made a Kingdome ibid. Made an Earledome ibid. Earles thereof with the Armes of their severall families ibid. How divided into Hundreds and Parishes 7.8 Kesteven a third part of Lincolne-shire 63.10 Kildare adorned with an Episcopall See 141.8 Kilkenny a faire Burrough-town in Leinster 141.8 Kimbolton Mannour 58.9 Kings-delfe See Swords-delfe Kingstone upon Hull 81 4 When built ibid. How governed ibid. The graduation of it ibid. Kirkstall Monastery 77.7 Kirkstall battell 78.10 Knights-fees how many in England in William the Conquerours dayes 4.10 Knocktoe battell 143.7 L Henry Lacy Earle of Lincolne his onely sonne drowned in a Well 119.7 Lactorodum See Stonystratford Laford i. Lord what it importeth 47 Lagetium See Casterford Lagman King of Man 92.4 He taketh the badge of the Crosse of Ierusalem 92.4 In his journey dieth ibid. His crueltie to his brother Harold 92.4 Lambeth commended 11.7 Lampe burning many ages 78.11 Llanbadarn vaur an Episcopall See 113.7 Lancaster Countie Palatine 7â— 1 How confined ibid. The forme and dimension of it 75.2 The soile and commodities thereof 75.4 Hundreds and Townes therein 76 By whom anciently inhabited 75.5 Lancaster Towne 75.6 The position of it ibid. How governed ibid. Lancaster House and Yorke conjoyned 75.9 Lancastrians put to flight 78.10 Llandaff city how sited 105.5 An Episcopall See ibid. Llandevi breve why so called 113.7 Langley in Hertford-shire 39.6 Lath what it is 4.6 Lawes i. great stones 89.13 Lawes of three sorts in England 4.8 5.3 Law-troubles none in the Isle of Man 91.5 Lawes ought to bee written and certaine 5.3 Law-land men 2.12 Lavatrae See Levatre Saint Laurence Island 1.2 Lead-Mines in Darby-shire 67.5 Lead-blacke in Cumberland 87.4 Leet whence it tooke name 4.6 Legeolium See Casterford Leicester-shire how bounded 61.1 The Commodities and aire thereof 61.2 3 What Religious Houses therein 61.8 Hundreds and Townes therein 62 By whom inhabited in old time 61.4 Leicester Citie or Towne the Center of the Shire 61.5 The position of it ibid. What names it had beside 61.1 An Episcopall See ibid. Built long before Christs Nativitie ibid. Well traded and as well walled in times past ibid. The graduation thereof 61 5 Destruction thereof 61.6 Leinster Province in Ireland how called 141.1 How bounded ibid. The forme and dimension thereof 141.2 The ayre soyle and Commodities 141.3 5 By whom inhabited in old time 141.4 Religious Houses therein 141.14 Irish therein mischievous one to another 141.2 Countries and Townes therein 142 Lonn or Linn an ancient Borrough 35.6 Made a Corporation ibid. Lenn Episcopi 35.6 Lenn Regis ibid. Laeth what it is 4.6 Lettustan Hundred in Huntingdon-shire 58.9 Le-trim Countie plentifull of grasse 143.4 Levatrae See Bowes Lewes Battell in Sussex 9.7 Llewellin Prince of Wales where slaine and beheaded
Crosse of Saint George the Royall Ensign of England and a Rose the Kings badge as his faithfull Souldier receiving his pay dayly for himselfe and followers according to their degrees and estates Neither were the atchievements of Land services crowned with more plumes of Victories in the Helmets of the English then were their Sea services defensive and offensive both at home and abroad Their Navie Royall rightly teâ—rmed the Lady of the Seas and their Sea-Captaines farre out-stripping Vlysses in their Travailes and Descriptions for twise in our time hath the Sea opened her passage through the Straights of Magellan for Drake in his Pellican and Candish in his Desire to passe into the South World and to incirculate the Globe of the whole Earth whereby themselves and Souldiers all English have in those great deepes seen the wonderfull workes of the LORD But upon this subject I could willingly insist were it not that the argument of this present Description intends rather to speake of the Domestick and Civill warres of England then of the forraine and farre-fetched victories that have adorned and attended the Trophies of the English From the prosecution of the former and promulgation of the latter how unwillingly my Penne is drawne the roughnesse of the style and the slender performance of the whole doth manifestly shew They being for the most part civill Battailes fought betweene meere English-men of one and the same Nation wherein the parties victorers besides the losse of their owne side procured on the other the fall and ruine of them that were all of his owne Countrey many of them of his owne acquaintance and alliance and most of them perhaps his owne friends in any other cause then that in which he contended for But from this generall argument to proceed to some particulars it shall not be amisse to make some division of them according to their severall qualities of the severall quarrels in them which are found to be divers and of three severall natures Whereof the first were the invasions attempted by forraine Princes and enemies against the Kings and people of this Realme The second were meere Rebellions of Subjects against their annointed Princes And the third dissentious factions betwixt Princes of the bloud Royall of these three all these effusions of bloud have consisted And to begin with the first battell in this plot which was the first beginning of government of this state as it yet continueth Such was the attempt of William Duke of Normandy against King Harold the sonne of Earle Goodwin who prevailed so against him in fight at Battaile in Sussex a place so called by this event as the said Duke was afterward King of this Land and brought the whole Nation under his obedience as it hath beene continued to his posteritie ever since Such was the arrivall of Lewes son and heire to Philip King of France against Iohn King of England who being carried by his owne ambition accompanied with French Forces and assisted by the rebellious Barons of this Realme after variable fortune of fight in severall skirmishes battels and assaults was forced in the end without all honour or hope to prevaile to make a very shamefull retreate into his owne Countrey Such was also the entry made by Iames the fourth King of Scots against King Henry the eight of famous memory his brother in law and sworne allie at that time absent in the wars of France who contrary to his oath and alliance formerly made entred the North frontiers of England with a mightie Armie had the same discomfited and overthrowne and was himselfe slain in the field by the English forces under the leading of the Earle of Surrey at that time Lieutenant generall for King Henry And especially such was the late enterprise remaining fresh in memory of Philip late King of Spaine against our dread Soveraigne Lady now raigning in the yeare of our Lord 1588. attempting by his invincible Navie as he thought and so termed under the conduct of the Duke of Medina Celi which with great pride and crueltie extended against us arrived on our coasts to Englands invasion and subversion had yet neverthelesse here in the narrow Seas the one part of his Fleete discomfited taken and drowned and the other part forced to their great shame in poore estate to make a fearefull and miserable â—light about the coast of Ireland homeward so that of 158. great ships furnished for war came to their own coast of Spaine but few and those so torne and beaten by the English Cannons that it was thought they were unserviceable for ever and eleven of their ensignes or banners of Idolatry prepared for triumph and pride in Conquest were contrariwise to their shame and dishonour shewed at Pauls-Crosse and in other places of this Realme to Gods glory our joy and their endlesse infamy The INVASIONS OF ENGLAND And IRELAND With al their Ciuill Wars Since the Conquest The second sort of quarrels in these warres were meere rebellions of subjects against their annointed Princes and Governours and of these some have beene private and some generall Of the first kind for private occasions was that of Thomas Earle of Lancaster against King Edward the second his cosin-germane upon mislike of the Spencers greatly favoured by the King and as much envied of him who having his forces defeated at Borrow-bridge was there taken prisoner and after beheaded at Pomfret Of the same kind was that of Henry Lord Piercie surnamed Hot-spurre and Thomas Piercie Earle of Worcester his Vncle against King Henry the fourth at Shrewesburie where the said Lord Henry was slaine and the other taken prisoner and after beheaded in the same Towne So was that of Michael Ioseph the Black-smith in Cornewall and his company against King Henry the seventh for a Subsidie granted in Parliament to the same King who gathered a head of Rebellion so strong that at Black-heath neare London they abode battell against their Soveraigne but were there taken and afterward drawne headed and quartered at Tiburne Also such was that of Robert Ket the Tanner of Windham in Norfolk against King Edward the sixt pretended against inclosures and liberty to the weale publike was at Norwich taken in the field and afterward hanged on the top of the Castle of the same Towne And lastly so was that of Sir Thomas Wiat and the Kentish-men against Queene Mary for the bringing in of Philip of Spaine they being cut off at S. Iames and himselfe yeelded at the Court. Of the latter sort of Rebellions being generall were those of the Barons against K. Iohn and King Henry the third his sonne in their severall Raignes Against the father in bringing in of forraine powers and working a resignation of the Crown and Diadem to the great blemish of their King and Kingdome And against the sonne so prosecuted their attempts that their warres to this day are called and knowne by the name of the Barons-warres which had so lamentable consequence as that after the overthrow and
the Lord Cromwell Say and Mountjoy the slaughter in all amounted to 10000. saith Hall 1471. Edw. 4.11 60 At Towkefoury King Ed. 4. obtained the diadem in subduing H. 6. under the leading of Prince E. who was there slaine and Q Margaret taken prisoner there died likewise Tho. Courtney E. of Devonshire Ioh. Sommerset Marq. Dorset and the Lord Wenlake of Knights Hamden Whitting Vans Harvy Deluys Filding Leukenor Lirmouth Vrman Seamer Roos and Henry Edm. D. of Sommerset was there taken and beheaded with Iohn Bough Lord Prior of S. Iohns May 4. 1471. E. 4.11 61 Bosworth-field fought upon Redmore Aug. 22 1458. and 3. of Ric. 3. where himselfe was slain with Iohn D. of Norfolke Wa. L. Ferres Richard Ratcliffe and Rob. Brakenbury Knights and 4000. more of his company on the Earle of Richmonds part only 10. persons the chiefe where of was Wil. Brandon Knight his Standard-bearer Earle Henry was there crowned in the field and the union of Lancaster with Yorke effected whose civill dissentions had cost more English bloud then twice had done the winning of France 62 Stoke-field Iun. 16. 1487. was fought to arrest Lambert a counterfeit Warwick against King Henry 7. where 4000. with the naked Irish were slain and with them died De la Pole Earle of Lincolne Francis L. Lovel Tho. Gerardine Chancellour of Ireland Martin Swart and Sir Tho. Broughton Knights generall against the King Lambert was there taken and made a turn-spit Hen. 7.2 63 At Cockeledge â—â—r Yorke the Commons rose and slew Henry Earle of Northumberland for a tax collected by him granted in Parliament their Captain named Iohn a Cumber was hanged at Yorke 1489. H. 7.4 64 Excest besieged by Perkin Werbeck a counterfeit naming himselfe Ric. Duke of York before murdered in the Tower of London after he had in dammaged the North and Northâ—â—berl was from this City expulsed to Bewdley Sanctuary and lastly executed as Tiburn 1497. reg H. 7.13 65 This same City was again besieged by the rebels of Devon-shire aâ—d Cornwall the 3. of E. 6. under the leading of Hum. Arundel Holmes Winslow and Bury but was rescued by Iohn L. Russel with the Lord Grey and 4000. of them slain 1549. 66 On Black-heath again was fought a sore battell by Thomas Flaâ—â—ock gent. Michael Ioseph Blackesmith and Iam. Twichet L. Andley with the Cornish rebels where 2000. of them were slaine by Giles L. Daubeney generall for the King and 1500. taken prisoners Iune 22. 1497. H. 7. 67 Flodden-field the 9. of September and 5. of King Henry 8. was fought against the Scots by L. Tho. Howard Earl of Surrey lieutenant generall for the King where Iames 4. King of Scots with 3. Bishops 2. Lord Abbots 12. Earles 17. Lords and 8000. souldiers were slaine and the dead body of K. Iames wrapped in Loâ—dâ— was brought to shine in Surrey and there cast into a corner not long since remaining and seen 68 At Solommosse 15000. Scots under the leading of the L. Maxwell by Thou bastard Dacres and Iack Musgrave were valiantly vanquished and 21. of their Nobilitie whereof eight were Earles brought as prisoners to London and 200. mere of great account besides 800. common souldiers slaine and taken for very griefe whereof K. Iames fell sick and shortly after died 1542. H. 8.32 69 Muscleborrow-field fought September 10. 1546 by Edward D. of Sommerset L. Protector and Iohn Dudley Earle of Warw. against the Scots where 14000. were slaine 1500. taken prisoners onely 60. English then slaine E. 6.1 70 At Norwich in a commotion led by Rob. Ket Tanner of Wind 〈◊〉 Wil. Lord Marquesse of Northampton was put to flight and the Lord Sheffield slain the Citie fired and many outrages done 1549. E. 6.3 71 At Mount Surrey the Rebels with their leader Rob. Ket were by Iohn Dunley E. of Warwick overcome and forced to yeeld 5000. of them being slain and Ket taken and hanged on the Castle of Norwich or as some have upon the Oke of reformation Aug. 27. 1549. E. 6.3 72 Sir Tho. Wist with his company of Kentishmen driven to march from Southworke to Kingstone and thence to S. Iames yeelded himselfe at Temple-bar with the losse onely of 40. persons on both parts Feb. 7. 1554. Mary 1. 73 At Tadcaster Thomas Piercie Earle of Northumberland and Charles Nevil E. of Westmerland in thier commotions tooke 200. footmen repairing toward York for the defence of the City against those rebels 1596. Eliz. 12. 74 Durhaâ—â— taken by the rebels of the North under the leading of Piercy and Nevil Earles which had gathered 7000. and surprised Barnards Castle were by the Earle of Sussex Lieutenant generall for the Queens forced into Scotland and many of their Associates worthily put to death 1569. And lastly which God grant may be the last Thomas late Earle of Northumberland was beheaded in Yorke Aug. 20. 1572. Eliz. 14. THE BRITISH ILANDS PROPOSED IN ONE VIEVV IN THE ENGLISH MAP WITH A GENERALL DESCRIPTION OF GREAT BRITAINE UNDER THE ROMANES CHAPTER 1. THE State of every Kingdome well managed by prudent Government seemes to me to represent a humane Body guided by the soveraignty of the reasonable Soule the Countrey and Land it selfe representing the one the Actions and State affaires the other Sith therefore the excellencies of the whole are but unperfectly laid open where either of these parts is defective our intendment is to take a view as well of the outward body and Lineaments of the now-flourishing British Monarchy the Ilands Kingdomes and Provinces thereof in actuall possession for with others no lesse justly claimed in the Continent we meddle not which shall be the content of our first or Chorographicall Tome containing the foure first Bookes of this our Theater as also of its successive government and vitall actions of State which shall be our second or Historicall Tome containing the five last Bookes And here first we will by example of the best Anatomists propose to the view the whole body Monarchy intire as farre as conveniently we could comprise it and after will dissect and lay open the particular Members Veines and Ioynts I meane the Shires Rivers Cities and Townes with such things as shall occure most worthy our regard and most behovefull for our use 2 The Iland of Great Britaine which with her adjoyning Iles is here first presented containeth the Kingdomes of England and Scotland and is of many accounted the greatest Island in the World though Iustus Lipsius gives that praise to Cuba in America as the Orientall Navigators do unto Sumatra taken for Ptolomees Taprobana or to Madagascar the Island of S. Laurence both which are neere unto or under the Equinoctiall Line In which we will not contend as pleasing our selves with her other praises greater then her Greatnes yet with this honour also that is was without question the greatest Island of the Romane World and for any thing yet certainly knowne of all the rest Concerning whose
O Obery Kings ODIHAM Odi Okehanger Alton Okeley Kings Okeley North Chut Okeley church Chu Okeley-hall Chut Oldaltesford Bunt Oldstoake Budle Oosham Ports Otterborne Budle Overton Overt Ovington Fawley Ower Redbridge Owselbury Faw Oxenborne Ester Oxenborne Mean P Patow Beacons Mic. Paltons Redbr. Pamber Hold. Pamber Barton Parkhouse New Parlicu Christch Parsonage Kings Parke New Pecke Mean Pennyngton Ring Penton Grafton And. Penton Mewson And. Persint Kingston PETERS FEILD Finc Pettleworth Thorn Pilley New Pitt Budle Platford Ando Polhampton Overt Polsgrave Ports Popham Michel Porchester Ports PORTSMOUTH Ports Portsey Ports Posbrooke Tich Preshoe Mean Preston Candaver Barm Preston Christch Preve parke Basing Prevet Fawley Priorsdeane Barton Q Qualey Ando Quidhampton Over R Rames Head Tich Ramesdeane Ester Raydon New Redbridge Redbr. Redman Ando RINGWOOD Ri. Riplington Ester Rockeborne Fordin Rochcourt Tich Ropley Sut. Rotherweek Odih. Rowner Tich Rumburge Redbr. RUMSEY King RUMSEY Redb Rye Odiham S Sandford Kings Sasbury Tich Saveston Ando Scotney Barton Selborne New Selborne Selbor Setchfield Fording Shalden Odiham Shamblehurst Mans. Sharprickes Christc Shatsham Mans. Sheete Finch Shelborne Selb Shephoue Crund. West Sherborne Chut Sherborne S. Johns Basing Sherfield Odiham Sherfield Thorne Shipton Thorne Shiadfield Walth Sidmanton Kings Sidford Mans. Silchester Hold. Sinckles Walth Skewers Basing Slackstead Michel Snodington Thorne Soak Fawley Soak Winton Buntes Somborne Somb. Somborne Somb. Somerford Christch Soplv Christch SOUTHAMPTON Wa. Southam Fording Southbrooke Tich Southbrooke Mich. SOUTHCAST Po. Southroppe Odiham Southweeke Portes Southwood Bosmer Sparkford Budles Sparshote Budles Stanbridge Kings Stannog Tich Stanswood New Stapley Odiham Steepe Ester Stephenton Basing Stoake Eving Stobridgton Tich STOCK-BRIDGE King Stone Râ—dbr Stoneham North Mans. Stoneham South Mans. Stratton East Mich. Stratton West Mich. Stratfieldsey Hold. Streate Christch Stunnog Tich Suberton Meane Sunburne little Kings Sunburne upper Kings Sutton Sut. Sutton Crund. Sutton Barton Swampton Eving Swanthrope Crund. Swanmore Walth Swanwick Tich Swarwotton Bunt Swaye Christch T Tachbury Redbr. Tadley Overâ— Taddiford Christch Tangley Past. Temple Selborn Terstwood Redbr. Tertio Deane Faw Thornay Thruxston Ando Tichborne Fawl Tichfield house Tich Tichfeild Tich Tisted East Selb Tisted West Sutt Tockington Wher Toothill Mans. Totton Redbr. Truxton without Ando Tuddiford Christâ— Turnworth Basing Turges Hold. Tuston Hor. Twyford Fawley Tydworth Ando Tymsbury Kings Tytherley West Thorn Tytherley East Thorn V The Vine Basing Upham Walth Upton gray Barm Upton Past. Votherfeild Alton W Wablington Bosmer Wade Bosmer Walhampton Christ. Wallington Ports Wallop upper Thorn Wallop nether Thorn Wallop middle Thorn Walsworth Ports Walton North Overt Warborne New Warde Râ—dbr Warmansashe Tich Warnborrow North Odi Warnborrow South Bart. Warnford Mean Weeke Eving Weeke Budles Weild Fawley Wâ—â—hill Ando Wellow West Thorn Wemerling Port. Westbery Mean Westcoat Alton Weston Patrickes Odi Weston Barm Weston Carbets Barm Weston Finch Weston Michel Westover Christch Wherwell Wher WHIT-CHURCH Evin Whitsbury Ford. Wickham Tich Widleigh Ports Wigley Thorne Wimston Redbr. Winchfeild Odiham Winckton Christch Winhall Fawley Wintney Odiham Winton Christch Winton Ring WINCHESTER Winstade Basing Wisherborne Chut Witham Andover Wolles King Wonston Budles Woodcott Past. Woodgaston Basing Woodhaye East Eving Woodmancor Bunt Woolferton King Woolston Mans. Wortham East Alton Wartham West Alton Worthe Castle Tich Worting Chut Wotton Chut Wymering Ports Wyke Basing Y Yabington Fawley Yatley Crund. Yatton East Wher Yatton West Wher THE DESCRIPTION OF THE VVIGHT ILAND WIGHT Iland was in times past named by the Romanes Vecta Vectis and Vectesis by the Britains Guyth by the English Saxons Wuit-lanð and Wicþ-AEa for an Iland they termed AEa and in these dayes usually called by us The Isle of Wight It belongeth to the County of Southampton and lyeth out in length over against the midst of it South-ward It is encompassed round with the British Seas and severed from the Maine-land that it may seeme to have been conjoyned to it and thereof it is thought the British name Guyth hath been given unto it which betokeneth separation even as Sicily being broken off and cut from Italy got the name from Secando which signifieth cutting 2 The forme of this Isle is long and in the middest farre more wide then at either end from Binbridge I le in the East to Hurst Castle in the West it stretcheth out in length 20. miles and in breadth from Newport Haven Northward to Chale-bay Southward twelve miles The whole in circumference is about sixtie miles 3 The aire is commended both for health and delight whereof the first is witnessed by the long continuance of the Inhabitants in the state of their bodies before they be decayed and the other for quantity gives place to no neighbouring Country 4 The ground to say nothing of the Sea which is exceeding full of Fish consisteth of soyle very fruitfull yet the husbandmans labour deserves to be thankefully remembred by whose paines and industry it doth not onely supply it selfe but affords Corn to be carried forth to others The land is plenteously stored with Cattle and Graine and breeds every where store of Conies Hares Partridges and Phesants pleasant for meadow pasturage and Parkes so that nothing is wanting that may suffice man The middest yeelds plentie of pasture and forrage for Sheepe whose wooll the Clothiers esteeme the best next unto that of Leinster and Cotteswold If you cast your eyes towards the North it is all over garnished with Meadows Pastures and Woods If towards the South side it lyeth in a manner wholly bedecked with Corne-fields enclosed where at each end the Sea doth so incroch it self that it maketh almost two Ilands besides namely Freshwater Isle which looketh to the West and Binbridge Isle answering it to the East 5 The Commodities of the whole chiefly consist of Cattle Sea-fowle Fish and Corne whereof it hath sufficient Woods are not here very plentifull for that it is onely stored with one little forest yet the Country of Hantshire for vicinitie of Site is a friendly neighbour in that behalfe so as it were being tyed together in affinitie they are alwayes ready and propense to adde to each others wants and defects by a mutuall supply 6 The ancient Inhabitants of this Iland were the Belgae spoken of in the several Provinces of Sommerset-shire Wilt-shire and Hant-shire Such as did then possesse it were called Lords of the I le of Wight till it fell into the Kings hands by Roger Sonne to William Fitz-Osburne slaine in the warre of Flanders that was driven into exile And Henry the first King of England gave it unto Richard Ridvers with the fee or Inheritance of the Town of Christ-Church where as in all other places he built certaine Fortresses 7 The principall Market-Towne in the Isle is Newport called in times past Medena and Novus Burgus de Meden that is the new Burgh of Meden whereof the whole Countrey is divided into East Meden and West Meden A Towne well seated and
that rightly is termed the Lady of the Sea spreds her saile Whence twice with luckie successe hath beene accomplished the compassing of the vniuersall Globe This Riuer Canutus laying siege against London sought by digging to diuert before him the Danes had done great harmes in the Citie yet was their State recouered by K. Elfred and the Riuer kept her old course notwithstanding that cost In the times of the Normans some ciuill broiles haue bin attempted in this City as in the dayes of K. Iohn whereinto his Barons entred and the Tower yeelded vnto Lewis And againe Wat Tiler herein coÌ„mitted outragious cruelties but was worthily struck down by the Maior slain in Smithfield This Cities graduation for Latitude is the degree 51 45. min. and in Longitude 20. degrees 39. minutes 9 In this County at Bâ—rnet vpon Easter day a bloudy battell was fought betwixt Henry 6. and Edward 4. wherein were slaine one Marques one Earle three Lords with them ten thousand English-men 10 The diuision of this Shire is into seuen Hundreds wherein are seated two Cities foure Market Townes seuenty three Parish-Churches besides them in London where in the Church of Gray-Fryers now called Christ-Church three Queenes lie interred which were Queene Margaret the D. of Philip the hardy King of France second wife to King Edward the first the second was Queene Isabel wife to King Edward the second and D. to Philip the faire King of France and the third was Queene Ioan their daughter maried to Dauid King of Scotland MIDLE-SEX described WITH THE MOST FAMOUS Cities of LONDON and WESTMINSTER HVNDREDS in MIDDLESEX 1 Edmonton 2 Gore 3 Fynnesbury and Wenlaxebarn 4 Osulston 5 Elthorne 6 Istleworth 7 Spelthorne A Acton West Fynnesbury Acton East Fynnesbury Alperton Gâ—re Ascott Elthorne Ashâ—forde Spelthorne Astleham Spelthorne B Baber bridge Spelthorne Fryarne Barnet Fynnesbury Bedfonte West Spelthorne Bedfonte East Spelthorne Bednall Greene Osulston Belsyfe Fynnesbury Bishops hall Osulston Blackwall Osulston Boston Elthorne Braineforde little Elthorne BRAINEFORD West Eltho Breakspeares Elthorne Brent Flu. Brentstore Gore Broken borowes Elthorne Bromesley Osulst. Brompton Fynnesb. Browswell Fynnesb. Burmfeild Edmont Burystreete Edmont C Canons Gore Canbury Fynnesb. Chalcot Fynnesb. Charlton Spelthorn Chelsey Fynnesb. Cheswicke Fynnesb. Childes hill Fynnesbury Clapton Osulston Clarkenwell Osulst. Colham Elthorne Colne Flu. Cony hatch Fynnesb. Coppermill Istleworth Coptehall Osulst. Cowley Elthorne Craneford Elthorne Craneford bridge Elthorne Cruch end Fynnesbury D Daleston hill Fynnesbury Dalis Gore Daneershill Edmont Deane wood Fynnesb. Dogges Isle Osulst. Dormans well Elthorne Dorsey sars Edmont Drayton West Elthorne Driuershill Gore Ducoates Edmont Durance Edmont Durhams Edmont E East end Fynnesb. EDGWARE Gore Edmonton Edmont Edmondstreete Edmont Elynge Fynnesb. Enfeild Edmont Enfeild chase Edmont Eueney farme Spelthor F Feltham Spelthor Feltham hill Spelthor Fincheley Fynnesb. The Fold Edmont Fryain Maner Fynnesb. Fryth Gore Fulham Fynnesbury G Greene hill Gore Greeneford Elthor. Greenestret Edmont Gunnetsbury Fynnes S. Gyles Fynnesb. H Hackney Osulst. Hadley Edmont Halwayes Fynnesb. Hamersinyth Finnesb Hampton Spelthorn Hampton Court Spelthorn Hampsteed Fynnesb. Hamsworth Elthor. Hanford Spelthor Hanworth Spelthorn Hangerwood Fynnesb. Hanwell Elthorn Harefeild Elthorn Harleston greene Fynnesb. Harlington Elthorn Harmondesworth Elthor. Harrow hill Gore Heayes Elthorn Hellingdon little Elthor. Hendon Gore Hendon house Gore Heston Istle Highwood Gore Highgate Fynnesb. Hillingdon little Elthor. Hillingdon great Elthor. Hockesdon Osulst. Hollick Fynnesb. Holly well streete Osulst. Hornesey Fynnesb. The Hospitall Fynnesb. Hunslow Istle Hyde Parke Fynnesb. I S. Iames Fynnesb. Ickenham Elthoâ—n I le of dogges Osulst. Islington Fynnesb. Istleworth Istle K S. Katherins Lon. Lib. Kensingeton Fynnesb. Kenton Gore Kenton Spelthor Kentishtowne Fynnesb. Kickesend Edmont Kingsland Osulst. Kingesbury Gore Kingston wike Spelt Knightsbridge Fynnesb. Kylborne Fynnesb. L Lalâ—ham Spelthorne Littleton Spelthorne Lodge hill Fynnesb. LONDON Ludgraues Edmont Lymehouse Osulst. M Mâ—rybone Fynnesb. Mendon house Gore Merestrete Osulst. Milhill Gore Morehall Elthorn Morehatche Edmont Muckings Edmont Muswell hill Fynnesb. Myle end Osulst. Myms south Edmont N Northhall Lodge Elthorn Nefedon Fynnesb. Newhouse Spelth. Newington Stoke Fynnesb. Newington Fynnes Newington greene Fynnesb. Norcote Eâ—thorne Northall Elthorne North end Fynnesb. Norton folgate Osuâ—st Norwood Elthorne O Oldeford Osuâ—st Osterley Elthorne P Padingwick Fynnesb. Padington Fynnesb. Pancras Fynnesb. Parsons greene Fynnesb. Perrinale Elthorne Pinnes Edmont Ponders end Edmont Popler Osulst. Potters barr Edmont Preston Gore Pynner Gore R Rateclyffe Osulst. Rimslippe Elthorn Roxoey Gore S Safforne hill Fynnesb. Sauthold Elthorn Shackerwell Osulst. Shepperton Spelth. Shorditch Osulst. Southmyns Edmont STANES Spelth. Stanmore great Gore Stanmore little Gore Stanner great Gore Stanschurch Spelth. Stanwell Spelth. Stepney Osulst. Strande Elthor. Stratford bow Osulst. Sudbury Gore Sunbury Spelthor Swaleys Elthorne Syon Elthorne Sypson Elthorne T Tottenham Edmont Tottenham streete Edmont Tottenham high-crosse Edmont Totten Court Fynnesb. Tuddington Spelth. Turnham greene Elthor. Twickenham Istle Twickenham Parke Istle Twyford East Fynnes Twyford West Gore V VXBRIDGE Elthor. Vxenden Gore W Wadhad greene Fynnesb. Waltham crosse Edmont Wapping Osulst. Weald Gore Wemley hill Gore Westborne Fynnesb. WESTMINSTER Westminster Citie Whetstone Fynnesb. Wewrsley Elthorn Whitton Istle Whitwebb Edmont Willesdon Fynnesb. Winchmorhill Edmont Woodhall Gore Worton Istle Wyerhill Edmont ESSEX by the Saxons written East-seaxa and East-sexscife by the Normans Exsessa and by the vulgar Essex is a Countie large in compasse very populous and nothing inferiour to the best of the Land 2 The forme thereof is somewhat circular excepting the East part which shooterh her self with many Promontories into the Sea and from Horsey Island to Haidon in the West the broadest part of the shire are by measure forty miles and the length from East-Ham upon Thamisis in the South to Surmere upon the River Stow in the North are thirtie miles the whole in circumference one hundred fortie six miles 3 It lyeth bounded upon the North with Suffolke and Cambridge-shires upon the West with Hertford and Middlesex upon the South by Thamisis is parted from Kent and the East side thereof is altogether washed with the German Sea 4 The aire is temperate and pleasant only towards the waters somwhat aguish the soil is rich and fruitfull though in some places sandy barren yet so that it never frustrates the Husbandmans hopes or fils not the hands of her Harvest-Labourers but in some part so fertile that after three yeers glebe of Saffron the land for 18. more will yeeld plenty of Barley without either dung or other fatning earth 5 Her ancient Inhabitants known to the Romans were by Caesar called the Trinobantes of whom in the former Chapter we have spoken and in our History shall speak more at large But this name perishing with the age of the Empire the Saxons presently framed a new and with Hertford and Middlesex made it their East-Saxons Kingdom untill that Egbert brought this and the whole into an entire and
favour of the Conquerour disseised Aluric and his heires forfeited it to the Crowne but since it hath passed by annuall election and hath united to it the Countie of Cambridge 5 Having thus farre spoken of the Shire in generall next in observation falleth the Shire-Town Huntingdon Hundandun or the Hunters Downe North seated upon a rising banke over the rich meadowed River Owse interpreted by some Authors the Downe of Hunters to which their now common Sâ—ale a Hunter seemeth to allude Great and populous was this in the fore-going age the following having here buried of fifteene all but three besides the Mother-Church S. Maries in their own graves At the raigne of the Conquerour it was ranged into foure â—eilings or Wards and in them 256. Burgenses or Housholds It answered at all assesments for 50 Hides the fourth part of Hurstingston Hundred in which it standeth The annuall rent was then 30. l. of which 25 of three Minters there kept the King had two parts the Earle the third the power of Coynage then and before not being so privatively in the King but Borowes Bishops and Earles enjoyed it on the one side stamping the face and stile of their Soveraigne in acknowledgement of subordinacie in that part of absolute power and on the reverse their own name to warrant their integritie in that infinite trust 6 The Castle supposed by some the work of the elder Edward but seeming by the Book of Domesday to be built by the Conquerour is now known but by the ruines It was the seat of Walthcof the Great Saxon Earle as of his succeeding heires untill to end the question of right between Sentlice and the King of Scots Henry the second laid it as you see yet doth it remaine the head of that honour on which in other Shires many Knights Fees and sixteene in this attended Here David Earle of this and Anguise father of Isabel de Bâ—â—s founded the Hospitall of S. Iohn Baptist and Lovetote here upon the Fee of Eustace the Vicount built to the honour of the blessed Virgin the Priory of Blacke Channons valued at the Suppression 232. l. 7. s. ob Here at the North end was a house of Fryers and without the Town at Hinchingbrooke a Cloister of Nunnes valued at 19. l. 9. s. 2. d. founded by the first William in place of S. Pandonia at Elâ—esley by him suppressed where neer the end of the last Henry the family of the Cromwels began their Seat To this Shire-Town and benefit of the neighbour Countries this River was navigable untill the power of Grey a minion of the time stopt that passage and with it all redresse either by Law or Parliament By Charter of King Iohn this Town hath a peculiar Cotoner profit by Toll and Custome Recorder Town-Clerkes and two Bayliffes elected annually for government as at Parliament two Burgesses for advise and assent and is Lord of it selfe in Fee-Faâ—me 7 The rest of the Hundred wherein this Shire-Town lyeth is the East part of the County and of Hurst a Parish in the center of it named HURSTINGSTON it was the Fee-farme of Ramsey Abbey which on a point of fâ—rtile land thrust out into the Fennes is therein situate founded in the yeare 969. to God our Lady and S. Benedict by Earle Aylwin of the Royall bloud replenished with Monks from Westbury by Oswold of Yorke and dedicated by Dunstan of Canterburie Arch-bishops By Abbat Reginald 1114. this Church was reedified by Magnavill Earle of Essex not long after spoyled and by Henry the third first of all the Norman Princes visited when wasted with the Sicilian warres Regalis mensae Hospitalitas ita abbreciata fuit ut cum Abbatibus Clericis viris satis humilibus hospitia quaesivit prandia This Monastery the shrine of two martyred Kings Ethelbright and Ethelreâ— and of Saint Ivo the Persian Bishop by humble pietie at first and pious charitie ascended such a pitch of worldly fortune that it transformed their Founder religious povertie into their ruine the attribute of Ramsey the rich for having made themselves Lords of 387 Hides of land whereof 200 in this Shire so much as at an easie and under rent was at the Suppression valued at 1903. l. 15. s. 3. d. q. but by account of this time annually amounts to 7000. l. they then began to affect popular command and first inclosing that large circuit of land and water for in it lyeth the Mile-square Meere of Ramsey as a peculiar Seignory to them called the Baâ—cuc or Bandy bounded as the Shire from Ely and from Norman-Crosse with the Hundred Meere by Soveraigne Graunt they enjoyed regall libertie And then aspiring a step further to a place in Parliament made Broughton the head of their Baronie annexing to it in this Shire foure Knights Fees Thus in great glory it stood above 400 yeares untill Henry the eight amongst many other once bright Lamps of Learning and Religion in this State though then obscured with those blemishes to wealth and case concomitant dissolved the house although Iohn Warboys then Abbot his 60 black Monks there maintained were of the first that under their hands and conventuall Seale protested Quod Romanus Pontiâ—ex non habet majorem aliquam Iurisdictionem collatam sibi a Deo in Regno Angliae quam quivis aliâ—s externus Episcopus A Cell to this rich Monastery was S. Iâ—oes Priory built in that place of Slep by Earle Adelmus in the raign of the last Edmund where the incorrupted body of S. Ivo there once an Hermit in a vision revealed was by Ednothus taken up in his Robes Episcopall and dedicated in the presence of Siward Earle of this Countie and that Lady of renowned pietie Ethelsleda to the sacred memory of this Persian Bishop Not farre from this is Somersham the gift of the Saxon Earle Brithnothus to the Church of Ely before his own fatall expedition against the Danes It is the head of those five Towns of which the Soke is composed and was an house to the See of Ely well beautified by Iohn Stanley their Bishop but now by exchange is annexed to the Crown As these so all the rest of this Hundred was the Churches land except Rippon Regis ancient Demaine To which Saple reserved Forrest adjoyned and the greater Stiveâ—ly given by the last David Earle of Huntingdon in Fee to his three Servants Sâ—mliâ—e Lakervile and Camoys HUNTINGTON BOTH SHIRE AND SHIRE TOWNE WITH THE ANCIENT CITIE ELY DESCRIBED 9 LETTUNESTAN HUNDRED hath that name from Leighton a Town in the middest of it given by Earle Waltheof to the Church of Lincolne which after shared it into two Prebendaries One the Parsonage impropriate which still remaineth the other the Lordships was resumed by Henry the eight and now by the Heire of Darâ—y matched to the Lord Clifton is become the seat of his Barony This Hundred had in it no house of Religion but Stonley a Priory of seven
Tosl Trundle Meere Norm V Ugmere Cote Norm Ugmere Norm Upton leigh Upwood hurst Upwood mill hurst W Wabridge forest leigh Walton Norm Walton mill hurst Walton wood Norm Warbois hurst VVarbois Fen hurst VVarbois wood hurst VVaresley Tosl VVashingle Norm VVatâ—r Newton Norm VValmesford Norm VVenington hurst VVeston-grove leigh VVeston-mill leigh VVeston old leigh VVitlesmere Norm VVislow hurst VVinteringham Tosl VVinwick leigh VVitton hurst VVoodhurst hurst VVoodston Norm VVoolly Lieh Y YAXLEY Norm Yelling Tosl RVTLAND-SHIRE the least of any Countie in this Realme is circulated upon the North with Lincolne-shire upon the East and South by the River Weland is parted from Northampton-shire and the West is altogether held in with Leicester-shire 2 The forme thereof is round and no larger in compasse then a light horseman can easily ride about in a day upon which occasion some will have the Shire named of one Rut that so rode But others from the rednesse of the soyle will have it called Rutland and so the old English-Saxons called it for that Roâ—t and Rut is in their tongue Red with us and may very well give the name to this Province seeing the earth doth staine the wooll of her sheepe into a reddish colour Neither is it strange that the staine of the soyle gives names unto places and that very many for have we not in Chesse-shire the Red Rocke in Lancashire the Red Banke and in Wales Rutland Castle To speake nothing of that famous Red Sea which shooteth into the Land betwixt Aegypt and Arabia which gave backe her waters for the Israelites to passe on foot all of them named from the colour of the soyle 3 The longest part of this Shire is from Caldecot in the South upon the River Ey unto Thistleton a small Village seated in the North not fully twelve miles and from Timwell East-ward to Wissenden in the West her broadest extent is hardly nine the whole circumference about fortie miles 4 The ayre is good both for health and delight subject to neither extremitie of heat nor cold nor is greatly troubled with foggie mists The Soyle is rich and for Corn and tillage gives place unto none Woods there are plenty and many of them imparked hills feeding heards of Neate and flockes of sheepe vallies besprinkled with many sweet Springs Grain in abundance and Pastures not wanting in a word all things ministred to the content of life with a liberall heart and open hand Onely this is objected that the circuit is not great 5 The draught whereof that I may acknowledge my dutie and his right I received at the hands of the right Honourable Iohn Lord Harrington Baron of Exton done by himselfe in his younger yeers Neere unto his house Burley standeth Okham a faire Market-towne which Lordship the said Baron enjoyeth with a Royaltie somewhat extraordinary which is this If any Noble by birth come within the precinct of the same Lordship he shall forfeit as an homage a shooe from the Horse whereon he rideth unlesse he redeeme it at a price with money In witnesse whereof there are many Horse-shooes nayled upon the Shire-Hall doore some of large size and ancient fashion others new and of our present Nobility whose names are thereupon stamped as followeth Henry Hastings Roger Rutland Edward L. Russell Earle of Bedford Ralphe L. Ewer of Parram Henry L. Bertley Henry L. Mordant William L. Compton Edward L. Dudley Henry L. Winsor George Earle of Cumberland Philip Earle of Montgomery L. Willoughby P. L. Wharton The Lord Shandois Besides many others without names That such homage was his due the said Lord himselfe told me and at that instant a suit depended in Law against the Earle of Lincolne who refused to forfeit the penaltie or to pay his fine 6 Her ancient Inhabitants knowne to the Romanes and mentioned in Ptolomie were the Coritani and by him branched thorow Leicester Lincolne Nottingham Darby-shire and this who with the Icenians were subdued by P. Ostorius under the yoke of Claudius the Romane Emperour and at their departure by Conquest the Saxons made it a Province unto their Mercian Kingdome whose fortunes likewise coming to a full period the Normans annexed it under their Crowne 7 This Countie King Edward Confessor bequeathed by his Testament unto Queen Eadgith his wife and after her decease unto his Monastery at Westminster which William the Conquerour cancelled and made voyd bestowing the Lands upon others the Tithes and the Church unto those Monkes That the Ferrers here first seated besides the credit of Writers the Horse-shooe whose badge then it was doth witnesse where in the Castle and now the Shire-hall right over the Seat of the Judge a Horse-shooe of iron curiously wrought containing five foote and a halfe in length and the bredth thereto proportionably is fixed The Castle hath bin strong but now is decayed the Church faire and the Town spacious whose degree of Longitude is 19.46 scruples and the North-poles elevation in Latitude 53 degrees and 7. minutes 8 Let it not seeme offensive that I to fill up this little Shire have inserted the seate of a Towne not sited in this County for besides the conveniency of place the circuit and beauty but especially it being for a time an Vniversitie did move much yea and the first in this Iland if Iohn Hardings Authour faile him not that will have Bladud to bring from Athens certaine Philosophers whom here he seated and made publike profession of the Liberall Sciences where as he saith a great number of Scholars studied the Arts and so continued an Vniversity unto the coming of Augustine at which time the Bishop of Rome interdicted it for certaine Heresies sprung up among the Britaines and Saxons But most true it is that in the reign of King Edward the third upon debate falling betwixt the Southerne and Northerne Students at Oxford many Schoole-men with-drew themselves hither and awhile professed and named a Colledge according to one in Oxford Brasen-nose which retaineth that name unto this day This was so great a skarre unto the other that when they were recalled by proclamation to Oxford it was provided by Oath that no Student in Oxford should publikely professe or reade the Arts at Stanford to the prejudice of Oxford 9 As this Shire is the least in circuit so is it with the fewest Market-towns replenished having onely two And from Societies that fed upon the labours of others was this Land the freest for besides Râ—hall where Tibba the Falconers Goddesse was worshipped for a Saint when Superstition had well-neere put Gods true honour out of place I finde very few neither with more Castles strengthned then that at Okham whose ruines shew that a Castle hath beene there Divided it is into five Hundreds and therein are planted fortie eight Parish Churches as in the Table following shall appeare RUTLANDSHIRE With OUKHAM and STANFORD her
skill to measure the whole earth A garden plot might suffice and so for a time it did It was planted in Eden But where that was I may not peremptorily determine nor indeed dare I be so curious in the search The hidden things belong to the Lord the revealed to us Deut. 29. God himselfe in the beginning set a Cherubin and the blade of a sword shaken to keepe the re-entry from our first Parents and we may affirme hath concealed it ever since Yet to satisfie in some measure such as are more inquisitive I will touch at the severall conjectures which have passed upon the place of this earthy Paradise Rog. Higden Monk of Chester and with him Ioh. Trevisa set it in the field of Damascus and many other probably enough have thought it was in the land of Canaan For that in divers places it is noted with attributes proper to the garden of Eden She was seated in the midst of Nations Ezek. 5. It was a Land of Wheat Barley and Vines Figtrees and Pomegranates a Land of Olives and Hony a land whose stones were iron and out of whose hils might be digged brasse Deut. 8. She was pleasant above all Lands Ezek. 20. Yet Franciscus Iunius D. Willet Sr. Walt. Raleigh and others make it a part of Mesopotamia North-west from Babylon about the degree of 78. in Longitude of Latitude 35. where stil the Rivers meet mentioned in Genesis And where Ptolemy hath the Audanites a corrupt name as is supposed from Eden Certainly it was about the middle of the earth and abounded by a peculiar blessing of God with all kinds serviceable for the use of man 8 But Adam soone lost his possession by his disobedience and was cast out on the East side of the Garden where he placed himselfe Moses makes no more particular Relation Cain is specified to have gone out of the presence of the Lord into the Land of Nod and there built him a Citie and named it after his sonnes name Henoch this was the first Citie and was seated some thinke about Mount Libanus As the place so the time when it was founded is uncertaine but the common conjecture gives it to be about two or three hundred years after the Creation when the world was replenished as well it might be within that compasse if we compare it to our knowne Stories Abraham in 215. years had 600. thousand of his owne stocke in the blessed line besides women and children And in this number we omit his other seed of whom came twelve Princes Questionlesse after this proportion the people multiplied in the beginning and so for 1656. yeares forward and that must needs fill a large portion of the earth most likely those parts of Asia that lye neerest to their first seat For they wandred no farther then necessitie of roome compelled them 9 But now as man so the sinne of man was growne to a height For this the wrath of God fell upon them in a Flood that destroyed the whole earth saving eight persons Noah and his family who were commanded into an Arke built by Gods owne direction and is held to have been the pattern for all Ships to all posteritie 10 When the anger of the Lord was ceased and the waters abated after 150. dayes float the Arke rested upon the Mountaines of Ararat in Armenia They are supposed by most to be the same which Ptolemy calleth Montes Cordios about the degree 75. Longitude and in Latitude 39 Master Cartwright a Tayailor of our owne Nation reports himselfe an eye-witnesse of many ancient and ruinous foundations there which the Inhabitants have beleeved through all ages to be the work of those first people that for a long time durst not adventure into the lower Countries for feare of another Flood A NEW AND ACCVâ—â—â—â— MAP OF THE WORLD Drawne according to the truest Descriptions latest Discoueries best Obseruations that haue beene made by English or Strangers 1626. 12 There when their number increased and they forced still to seeke new Colonies they were ambitious to leave a name behind them for posteritie and therefore adventured upon a building whose top should reach heaven and so indeed it did for it fetcht from thence Gods second vengeance He confounded their speech that they no longer understood one the other Thus they were broke off from their impious attempt and scattered upon all the earth about an hundred years after the Flood into seventy two severall Nations as some have punctually numbred them 13 Whether Noah himselfe were present or to what place he removed it is uncertaine He had yet two hundred and fiftie yeares to live and thought to have had his habitation in Phaenicia North-ward from Palestine about the degree of 66. and 33. 14 His sonnes Sem Ham and Iapheth possest their severall Provinces of the world From Iapheth came the Isles of the Gentiles of which we are a part to him Europe is by most allotted Sem not guiltie questionlesse of that proud enterprise rested himselfe in the land of Canaan which he knew as it was revealed to Abraham should be given to his posteritie Yet part of his issue the sonnes of Iocktan were divided and lived remote toward the East To him was Asia But Cham by his fathers curse for discovering his nakednesse roaved to the utmost parts of the earth and peopled with his progeny especially those Countries which are most toucht in Histories for Barbarisme and Idolatrie As indeed how could it otherwise be since himselfe had lost his father that should instruct him and therefore could deliver no precepts to his children but left every one to his owne inventions And those that at the confusion spred where ever they came this diversitie of Customes and Religions that possesse the world at this day To him was Africa 15 America too doubtlesse had her portion in the division though not so soone or so immediate but seemed rather of later times to have received her people from the bordering parts of Asia and those are thought by most to have beene first inhabited by Iocktan and his thirteene sonnes the issue of Sem. It is said in the text they possessed the East part from Mesha to Sephar Iosephus takes the first for a Countrey and the second for a Mountaine in India in so much as that he strictly bounds out their possession from the River Cephew to Ieria which is now called the East or Portugall Indies Indeed many of those Easterne Regions are noted to beare the name as yet of Iocktans sonnes The Shabeans sound as if they had Sheba to their father And from Havilah is a Countrey in Ieria From Saphira Iosephus derives Ophir both of especiall fame for their plentie of Gold But it is Doctor Willets opinion that Ophir was rather the same Region in the West Indies which is now called Peru. To say truth we have little certaine of the first Inhabitants which were seated in America or the parts of Asia neere about her whether
their measure of times as we from the Germanes in length of miles else we must commit a foule errour to look beyond the Flood for their originall since that time it is not yet above three thousand nine hundred twenty and surely I thinke they were not exempted from the generall deluge no more then from the sinnes of the whole earth 3 But if this conjecture of different account be not approved the solecisme must rest for me upon their owne ignorant vain-glory which in their stories transport them beyond probability upon hope perhaps that no other Nation could controwle them for in those first ages they had little converse unlesse with men more barbarous then themselves such as could not deliver their acts to posteritie and therefore being left wholly to their owne relations good reason they thought they had to doe themselves what honour they might though ignorance of the main truth makes them oft times to trespasse upon Chronologie and forge stories so unlikely that the whole may be justly suspected 4 Their first King they name Vitei and report him to have reigned an hundred yeares his successours went on without breach or conquest to their two hundred fourtie second Prince but were then for a while cut off by the Tartarians This change was foretold to Farfar the last China King of the first race and the Prophecy laid it upon one which should have an hundred eyes and so had Chisanbaan the Invader if you will allow his name to make up the miracle For the very word in their language signifies no other then an hundred eyes A poore cousenage of the Devill but served the turne first to dazle them with a strange Prophecy and then to keepe up his credit in the performance with the simple idolaters After nine Tartarian Princes it was againe recovered to the state in which it now stands by the prowesse of one Gombne their 251. King 5 This briefe account of their beginning and progresse is more then I can warrant for undoubted truth The most part was past ere they were a people knowne to the Europeans for Ptolemy himselfe scarce reached so far toward the East or if it be the same with his Sinarum Regio which yet some doubt yet it seemes he knew little more of it then the bare name we must be content to passe over many ages untoucht and break abruptly into our owne times and stories which doe afford us more certaintie by the relation of later travailors some of our owne Nation 6 It is now a vast Empire which containes in latitude almost fortie degrees from the Tropike of Cancer to the fifty three towards the Pole Artike and thirty in Longitude from the degree one hundred thirty to one hundred sixty the bounds on the West is Indostan India intra Gangem on the East Mare Cin on the North the Empire of the great Chane severed from the Chinoyse by high mountaines continued with a wall of a thousand miles in length built by Tzanitzon their 117. King and on the South the Kingdome or Chan chin chinae part of the other India intra Gangem 17 The ayre here is temperate and the ground fruitfull the mountaines and wilde fields breed incredible numbers of Cattell and the Woods wilde Boares Foxes Hares Conies and other usefull beasts which gives us flesh for our food and skinnes for our cloathing The tilled ground returnes againe plenty of Corne Wheate and Barley their higher Poulse and their lower Rice in great abundance their gardens pleasant set with all sorts of flowers which may delight either the eye or sent no clodde almost of earth there but hath its wealth for what yeelds not fruite is inricht with Mines of Gold and Silver Their chiefe River is Polysango both it and the rest give fish in great abundance and water-fowle enough almost to feed a whole Nation Maginus reports it that tenne or twelve thousand wilde-ducks have beene commonly spent in one day in the Citie Canton besides their owne profit they advantage them much in their course of traffique to convey their Merchandize into severall parts of the Empire to meete with their chapmen from all quarters Their principall Commodities are Silkes and Sugars yet besides these they send forth Wooll Cotton Olives Metals Rheubarbe Honey Purslaine dishes Camphire Ginger Pepper c. Muske Salt great store whose Custome in onely one Towne of Canton amounts to the yearely value of 18000. Crownes To this happinesse of soyle may be added the thrift and great industrie of the Inhabitants who hold it a foule disgrace to be accounted idle and therefore make the most of what they have so that without doubt as they are infinitely populous so they are proportionably rich beyond any other Nation of the world 8 The Chinoyse is described with a broad face of a duskie colour crooked nose small and black eyes and very thinne beard but long haire on the head if any be deformed for so they take it with a better feature they are as like to breake a jeast upon his handsome comely visage as a scoffer would upon their ill fashioned countenance The better sort are cloathed in long silke garments the ordinary people in linen for they have not yet the art well to weave wollen Their women deck their heads with gold and precious jewels seldome shew themselves abroad without great attendance of servants the KINGDOME OF CHINA newly augmented by I.S. 1626 10 Their fashions in private houses are not much unlike to those of Europe at boord they sit in chaires and upon formes not loll on the floore as most of the Asiaticks doe they touch not their meate with the hand but use the Silver-forke or else some stick of Ivory or Ebonie not much unlike it they eate thrice in one day but sparingly enough when they travaile over the Plaines they use a kinde of Coach yet not drawne with horses or other beast but driven by the winde under sayle as a Barke on the Sea which the people are as perfect to guide which way they please as the Mariner is to direct his course unto any coast whither he is bound as they sayle upon land as if it were sea so they dwell as frequent upon the sea as if it were land for they have an incredible number of ships and boates which are in many places ranked like streets upon the waters and filled with Inhabitants such as are here borne live traffique marry and die Mr. Purchas reports that upon one River from Nanquin to Paquin they are thus ordered for 300. leagues No marvaile then if their number exceed any part proportionably of the whole earth since their land is not sufficient but is forced to borrow roome out of the Sea for their habitation yet are they all governed by one Monarch whom they call the Lord of the world and sonne to the Sunne For they are a proud Nation and admit not equall comparison with any other earthlings but cast it as a Proverbe
lesse to lay the least stone in so beautifull a Building neither can I for my heedlesse presumption alledge any excuse unlesse it be this that the zeale of my Countries glory so transported my senses as I knew not what I undertooke untill I saw the charges thereof by others bestowed to amount so high as I held it a conscience to frustrate their designements wherein albeit it may be objected that I have put my Sickle into other mens Corne and have laid my Building upon other mens Foundations as indeed who can doe otherwise especially in a subject of this nature seeing that the wisest of Kings witnesseth that there is nothing new under the Sunne yet let this in part suffice for my defence that in the worke of the Tabernacle there was more metals used then the orient Gold and more work-men imployed then Aholiab aud Bezaleel neither did all the Israelites offer to that most glorious Work Gold Silver Onix-stones Purple Scarlet and fine Linnen but some of them Brasse Wood Goats-haire Rams fels and Badgers skins as necessary implements in their severall Services If then with the poore Widdow I cast in my mite and by mine own travell adde somewhat more then hath been already divulged let me crave thy acceptance where I have done right and thine assistance to correct where I misse which I trust may as well be hoped as requested thy love with mine being alike obliged unto this our native Land Whos 's beautie and benefits not afarre off as Moses saw Canaan from Pisgah but by mine own travels through every Province of England and VVales mine eyes have beheld and whose Climate Temperature Plentie and Pleasures make it to be as the very Eden of Europe pardon me I pray if affection passe limits for the store of Corn in the Champian and of Pasturage in the lower Grounds presseth the Cart under the sheaves to the Barne and filleth the Coffers of their possessors Neither are the faces of the Mountaines and Hils onely spread over with infinite Herds and sorts of Cattell but their intrals also are in continuall travell and continually delivered of their rich Progenies of Copper Lead and Iron Marble Crystall Jet Alabaster yea the most wonder-working Loadstone to say nothing either of Cannol and Sea coale as rich for profit and as needfull for use or of the goodly Quarries of choisest stone as necessary for strength as estimable for beautie Her Seas and Rivers so stored with Fish and her Fels and Fens so replenished with wild Fowle that they even present themselves for ready prey to their takers briefly every soile is so enriched with plentie and pleasures as the Inhabitants thinke there is no other Paradise in the earth but where themselves dwell The true plot of the whole Land and that againe into parts in severall Cards are here described as likewise the Cities and Shire-townes are inserted whereof some have been performed by others without Scale annexed the rest by mine own travels and unto them for distinctions sake the Scale of Paces accounted according to the Geometricall measure five foot to a pace I have set but in this imployment I am somewhat to excuse my selfe from wrongs conceived done unto more beautifull and richer Corporatious which in this survey are in silence over-passed and places of lesse note and frequency described For satisfaction whereof good Reader understand my purpose according to the Title prefixed which in this Iland besides other things is to shew the situation of every Citie and Shire-towne onely So that without injury to all I could not insert some though oftentimes it grieved me much to leave such beautifull places untouched which notwithstanding being well knowne so to be giveth no little glory to the Land in generall so to be replenished with store and choise as hardly can be judged which may be omitted The Shires divisions into Lathes Hundreds Wapentakes and Cantreds according to their ratable and accustomed manner I have separated and under the same Title that the record beareth in their due places distinguished wherein by the help of the Tables annexed any Citie Towne Burrough Hamlet or place of note may readily be found and whereby safely may be affirmed that there is not any one Kingdome in the world so exactly described as is this our Iland of Great Britaine that only excepted which Josua conquered and into Tribes divided The Armes of such Princes and Nobles as have had the dignities and borne the titles either of Dukes Marquesses or Earles in the same Province Citie or place and finally the Battels fought either by the forrain or home-bred Conspirators I have also added Where we from under our own Vines without feare may behold the prints of endured miseries sealed with the bloud of those times to the losse of their lives and liberties our selves as in the raigne of Augustus when the Temple of Ianus stood shut and Mars his hands bound with chains of Brasse as Virgil speaketh heare not the sound of the Alarum in our Gates nor the clattering of Armour in our Campes whose Swords are now turned into Mattockes and Speares into Sithes as Micah sheweth the peaceable times under Christ. In shewing these things I have chiefly sought to give satisfaction to all without offenoe to any whereof if I faile yet this to my selfe have I gained that whilst I set all my thoughts and cogitations hereon I had small regard to the bewitching pleasures and vaine enticements of this wicked world neither had I leisure to be led by an ambitious desire to raise my station above the levell of my equals or with base flattery to follow and fill the eares of Fortunes Deputies the raines of these intents checking the bit of affection into another way And applying my selfe wholly to the frame of this most goodly Building have as a poore Labourer carried the carved stones and polished Pillars from the hands of the more skilfull Architects to be set in their fit places which here I offer upon the Altar of Love to my Countrey and wherein I have held it no sacriledge to rob others of their richest Iewels to adorn this my most beautifull Nurse whose VVombe was my conception whose Breasts were my nourishment whose Bosome my Cradle and Lad I doubt not shall be my bed of sweet rest till CHRIST by his Trumpet raise me thence 1 Chron. 28.8 Therefore in the sight of the Congregation of the Lord and in the audience of our God let us keepe and â—â—cke for all the Commandements of the Lord our God that we may possesse this good Land and leave it for an inheritance for our Children after us for ever Thine in Christ Iesus JOHN SPEED Al'honneur de l'autheur et son oeuure LE trespuissant ouurier de la ronde machine Pour son chief d' oeuure teint cest ' Isle separee Et quoy que des plus grands thresors du
Northampton endammaged and the Countrey adjoyning spoyled through the civil dissention of the three brethren William Robert and Henry sons to the Conq. H. 1. An. 7. 1106. 8 Powes land invaded by King Henry 1. and resisted so by the Welch being strooke with an arrow on the breast that it had almost cost him his life An. reg 21. 1121. 9 At Cardigan a sore battell was fought in Octob. 1136. whereinmany thousands were slaine and men by women led away captives reg Steph. 1. 10 Bristow taken by Robert Earle of Glocester in the defence of his sister Maud the Empresse against K. Stephen reg 3. 1138. 11 David K. of Scots invading Northumberland made his spoyle as far as Alverton in Yorkeshire where being encountred by Thurstan Archbishop of Yorke William Earle of Albemarle Wa. Espeke Wil. Peverel and the two Lacies Aug. 22. was with his sonne Henry put to flight and ten thousand Scots slain 1139. Sep. 4. 12 Nottingham taken and burned by Rob. bastard Earle of Glocester in defence of his sister Maud the Empresse 1140. Steph. 5. 13 At Lincolne by Ranulph Earle of Chester and Rob. Earle of Glocester K. Stephen was taken prisoner had to Glocest. thence to Bristow and there laid in irons Feb. 2. 1141. reg 5. 14 From Winchester Maud the Empresse her Armies both of Scots and English dispersed overcome fled to Lutegarshall to Vies and thence to Glocester laid in a horse-litter fained to be her dead corps and her brother Rob. taken prisoner reg Step. 6. 1141. 15 From Oxford Maud the Empresse with five persons â—â—e apparelled in white sheets to deceive the Kings Scout-watch fled through the snow and so escaped that besieged Town An. 1142. Steph. 7. 16 At Edmundsbury Robert Earle of Leicester with Petronill his Countesse were taken prisoners and 20000. taken and slain by Richard Lucie L. chiefe Iustice and Humfrey dâ— Bohun high Constable of England Octob. 17. 1173. H. 2.19 17 At Aluwick W. King of Scots was taken prisoner by Rob. Scotvile Randulph Mandevile Barnard Bailiol W. Vescy Capt his army containing 80000. fighting men Iuly 7. 1174. he was sent to London and by K. Henry carried into Normandy imprisoned at Roan and ransomed at 4000. pounds 18 At Lincolne all the English Barons with 400. Knights that took part with Lewes were overthrown and taken May 19. 1217. and first of H. 3. 19 At Montgomery Llewellen Prince of Wales through the practise of a traiterous Monk overcame and slew many of the Kings power An. 1231. reg H. 3.15 20 At Chesterfield a conflict was done wherein Robert Ferrers Earle of Darby was taken and many slain An. H. 3.41 1256. 21 Northampton surprised by King Henry 3. agâ—inst his rebellious Barons April 4 1263. reg 48. 22 At Lewes May 12. 1264. King H. 3. by his unfaithfull Barons with his brother Richard King of Alman and his son Prince Edward were taken prisoners There were slain about 4500. by Simon Montfort Gil. Clare Earlâ— of Leicest Glocest. reg H. 3.48 23 At Evesham the 5. of Aug. 1265. a sore battell was fought wherein K. H. 3. prevailed against the Barons through their owne dissentions and most of them slain as Sim. Monfort Earl of Leicest and 17. Lords and Knights besides Humfrey Bohun and with him tenne men of great account taken prisoners and slaughter of all the Welch-men An. reg 48. 24 Berwick won and 25000. Scottish slain An. E. 1.24 1296. 25 At Bluith Leolin the last Prince that bare rule of the Britains coming from Snowdown by Rog. Strangb was slaine and his head crowned with Ivie set upon the Tower of London Edward 1.10 An. 1282. 26 At Mitton 3000. Yorkeshire men were slaine encountring with the Scots invading their Countrey called the white battell for that it consisted most of Clergieâ—men An. 1318. reg E. 2.12 27 Vnto Preston in Andernesse Rob. Bruse King of Scots invaded England burned the same Towne and haried the Countrey before him reg E. 2.14 An. 1322. 28 Borrowbridge battell fought betwixt E. 2. and his Barons Mar. 16. 1322. under the leading of Andr. Hercley Earle of Carlile where Tho. Earle of Lanc. was taken and with him 65. Lords and Knights Hum. Bohun being thrust into the fundament through a bridge was slaine An. reg 14. 29 At Blackamore the Scots following the English army took prisoners the Earle of Richm. and the French Ambassadour the King himselfe hardly escaped An. reg E. 2.15 1323. 30 At Glamorgan K. E. 2. by his unnaturall and cruell wife was taken November 16. 1326. and conveyed to Monmouth to Ledbery to Kenilworth to Corffe to Bristow thence to Barkley Castle and there lamentably murdered Septem 21. 31 At Stannop park the Scots intrenched themselves and against the English made rimes of disgrace as followeth An. Edw. 3.2 1328. Long beards heartlesse painted hoods witlesse Gay coates gracelesse make England thriftlesse 32 At Halidow-hill a great battell fought against the Scots wherein were slaine 8. Earles 1300. horse-men and common souldiers 35000. and their chiefe Champion Turnbul overcome by Rob. Venall Knight of Norfolke An. E. 3.7 1333. 33 Southampton sackt by Genoway Pirates under the leading of the King of Sicils son yet the Townes-men slâ—w 300. of them and their Captaine brained by a husbandmans club An. 1338. E. 3.12 34 Carleil Penreth and many Towns else burnt by the Scots under Wil. Dowglas yet lastly are overcome by the manhood and policy of Tho. Lucy Rob. Ogle the B. of that sea An. reg E. 3.19 1345. 35 At Nevils Crosse David Bruse King of Scots invading England with 60000. souldiers was taken prisoner by Io. Copland Esquire and conveyed to London with many of his Nobility besides many noble men slain in the field under the leading of Wil. Yong. Archb. of Yorke vicegerent the Lords Mowbray Percie and Nevill Q. Phillip in her owne person present encouraging her people to fight reg E. 3.20 1346. 36 The insurrection of the commons under the leading of Iack Straw Wat. Tiler and others after many rebellious acts done in Kent and Essex from Black-â—eath Mile-end and Smith-field were dispersed where the said Wat. Tiler was worthily slain by Wil. Walworth Maior of Lond. on Saturday Iun. 15. reg Rich. 2.4 An. 1381. 37 At North-Walsham the rebellious commons by the instigation of Io. Wraw who had gathered 50000. in Suffolke and under the leading of Iohn Litisar of Norwich Dyer calling himselfe King of the Commons were by Henry Spencer Bishop of that City overcome and their rusticall King drawn hanged and beheaded who had by violence carried with him the Lord Seales the Lord Morley Stephen Hales and Robert Sale Knights to serve at his Table and take his assayes Rich. 2.4 1381. 38 Neare Hatfield the rebellious commons of Essex were overcome and 500. of them slaine by Thomas Woodstock Duke of Glocest. An. 1382. Ric. 2.5 39 At Radcot-Bridge Tho. Duke of Glocester the Earls of Arundel Warwick Darby and Nottingham encountring
King Harold further aggravated by a Law That if any Welshman were found with any weapon on this side that Ditch he should forthwith have his right hand cut off The second partition was of King Athelstans device who finding that the Britains did still inhabit those other Western parts from the Lands end of Cornwall even unto Excester in Devonshire he not onely thrust them out of that Citie fortifying the same with vast trenches and a strong wall of squared stone to prevent their attempts but further ordered that they should containe themselves within the River Tamar whence that Promontory came to be named Corn-wall of the shape thereof like a Horne which they call Corn and of the Inhabitants which the Saxons called ƿealsh signifying Strangers 3 The like may be said of the particular Kingdomes that they attained not to those their certaine bounds the Kingly Titles but by degrees the whole Saxons State being anciently divided not into Shires but into sundry small Regions and those againe into Hides a Hide being foure yeard land or as others thinke as much as a Plow can till in one yeere as by an ancien Fragment preserved divulged by two most judicious Antiquaries may be seene wherein all the land lying on this side Humber is thus parted HIDES Myrcna containeth 30000. hides Woken setna 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 Fast-Gyrwa 600. hides East-Wixna 300. hides West-Wixna 6000. hides Spalda 600. hides Wigesta 900. hides Heresinna 1200. hides Sweordora 300. hides Eyfla 300. hides Wicca 300. hides Wight-gora 600. hides Noxgaga 5000. Hides Oht-gaga 2000. hides Hwynca 7000. hides Ciltern-setna 4000. hides Hendrica 3000. hides Vnecung-ga 1200. hides Aroseatna 600. hides Fearfinga 3000. hides Belmiga 600. hides Witherigga 600. hides East-Willa 600. hides West-Willa 600. hides East-Angle 30000. hides East-Sexena 7000. hides Cant-Warena 15000. hides Suth-Sexena 7000. hides West-Sexena 100000. hides 4 But when that seven-fold Heptarchie was brought to a Monarchy and the Kings from Pagans to be Christian professors Elfred that mirrour of Kings for the setling of his Kingdome and subjects under a due and certain course of Iustice and Government did first distribute his Kingdome into severall Countries called Shires of the Saxon word Scyre to cut or divide and into other under-governments of which let us heare Malmesburie By occasion saith he and example of the barbarous he meaneth the Danes the natural Inhabitants also were addicted to robberies so that none could passe in safetie without weapons for defence Elfred therefore ordained Centuries which they terme Hundreds and Decimes which they call Tythings that so every Englishman living under law should be within some Hundred and Tything And if a man were accused of any transgression he should forthwith bring in some of that same Hundred Tything And is a man were accused of any transgression he should forthwith bring in some of that same Hundred Tything that would be pledges for his appearance to answer the Law and he that could not finde such a suretie should abide the severitie thereof But in case any man standing thus accused either before or after such suretiship did flie then all that Hundred and Tything incurred a mulct imposed by the King c. By this device he brought peace into the Country so as in the very high wayes he commanded Bracelets of Gold to be hanged up to mocke the greedy passengers whiles none was found so hardy as to take them away 5 This Custome King Elfred might borow from the use he saw in military Government where the Generals direction found easiest successe by help of under-rulers Centurions and Decurions or hee might have it from the Germanes who kept Courts of Iustice in every Territory having a hundred men out of the People as Assistants to performe their Law-dayes By which his Partition and industrious care Peace and true dealing so flourished that a Wayfaring man losing in his journey any summe of money might a moneth after returne to the place and have it againe BRITAIN AS IT WAS DEVIDED in the tyme of the Englishe Saxons especially during their Heptarchy 7 So that hereby we see both the Saxons distributing of this Country in their highest glory and also the government thereof from the King whom they called their Conning either of his skill or power to the lowest in the land Other intermediate Governours throughout the Land next unto the Kings Counsellors where it seemeth those which the Saxons callen then Eal Sepmen though a name now more humbled and the Danes Eorles the chiefe Magistrates in Cities the Port gerefan Portgreves and Burghƿaren Burgesses For touching the name of laford whence we contract Lord it may seeme rather a name of honour and reverence then of civill authoritie so likewise Þein a stile for men of the better ranke as under-Þein a note of service and Ceorle or Churle of their Yeomanly condition who were also called gemen the Yeomanry 8 Since that first most politique distribution of K. Elfred the number of the said Shires have found some change for what their number was An. 1016. in the reign of King Ethelred Malmesbury sheweth The Danes saith he at this time when there were reckoned in England thirty-two Shires invaded no lesse then sixteene of them yea and afterwards also there were no more in number at that time the Land received a new threefold distribution according to the three sorts of Lawes by which it was governed that is West-Saxons Law Danish and Mercian First to the West-Saxon Law were the Counties of Kent Sussex Suthrie Berkshire Hantshire Wiltshire Sommersetshire Dorcetshire and Devonshire nine in number To the Danish lawes were obedient fifteene other Yorkshire Darbyshire Nottinghamshire Leicestershire Lincolneshire Northamptonshire Bedfordshire Buckinghamshire Hertfordshire Essex Middlesex Norfolke Suffolke Cambridgeshire and Huntingtonshire The Mercian Lawes ruled the eight Counties remaining which were Gloucestershire Worcestershire Herefordshire Warwickshire Oxfordshire Chesseshire Shropshire and Staffordshire 9 But when William the Conquerour had got the English Diademe upon his head and taxed the Kingdome with a generall survey we finde in that publike record of the Domes-day Bocke thirty foure named besides those of Durham Lācashire Northumberland Westmorland and Cumberland the three last lay exposed to the Scots and the other two freed from taxe to maintaine the Borders which five Counties being added to the other their number ariseth to thirty-nine and the thirteene Shires of Wales added to both make fiftie two Counties as we have at this day 10 But the Author of Polychronicon upon what warrant I know not reckons thirty sixe Shires and an halfe at the Conquerours survey wherein saith he were found fiftie two thousand and fourescore Townes fortie five thousand and two Parish-Churches seventie five thousand Knights-Fees whereof
themselves to Iulius Caesar and whose chiefe City was Vindonum Caer Segonte now Silcestâ—r and upon the South by the Belgae and Regni who were subdued by Plantius and Vespasian the Romans where Titus rescuing his father straitly besieged by the Britaines as Dio and Forcatulus doe report was grasped about with an Adder but no hurt to his person and therefore taken for a signe of good luck Their chiefe Town was Rincewood as yet sounding the name and more within Land inhabited the Manures as Beda calles them whose Hundreds also to this day give a relish of their names 7 Neere Ringwood and the place once YTENE from God and peoples service to Beast and luxury thirty-six Parish-Churches were converted and pulled downe by the Conquerour and thirty miles of circuite inforrested for his Game of Hunting wherein his sonnes Richard and Rufus with Henry the second sonne to Duke Robert his first felt by hasty death the hand of Iustice and Revenge for in the same Forrest Richard by a blasting of a pestilent aire Rufus by a shot taken for a Beast and Henry as Absalom hanged by a bough came to their untimely ends At so deare a rate the pleasures of dogs and harbour for beasts were bought in the blood of these Princes 8 The generall commodities gotten in this Shire are Woolles Clothes and Iron whereof great store is therein wrought from the Mines and thence transported into all parts of this Realme and their Clothes and Karsies carried into many forraine Countries to that Counties great benefit and Englands great praise 9 The Trade thereof with other provisions for the whole are vented thorow eighteene Market-Townes in this Shire whereof Winchester the Britaines Caer Gwent the Romans Venta Belgarum and the Saxons Windaneasder is chiefe ancient enough by our British Historians as built by King Rudhudibras nine hundred yeares before the Nativity of Christ and famous in the Romans times for the weavings and embroderies therein wrought to the peculiar uses of their Emperours owne persons In the Saxons times after two Calamities of consuming fire her walles were raised and the Citie made the Royall Seat of their West-Saxons Kings and the Metropolitan of their Bishops See wherein Egbert and Elfred their most famous Monarches were crowned and Henry the third the Normans longest raigner first tooke breath And here King Aethelstane erected six houses for his Mint but the Danish desolation over-running all this Citie felt their fury in the dayes of King Ethelbright and in the Normans time twice was defaced by the mis-fortune of fire which they againe repaired and graced with the trust of keeping the publique Records of the Realme In the civill Warres of Maud and Stephen this City was sore sacked but againe receiving breath was by King Edward the third appointed the place for Mart of Wooll and Cloth The Cathedrall Church built by Kenwolf King of the West-Saxons that had beene Amphibalus Saint Peters Swythins and now holy Trinitie is the Sanctuary for the ashes of many English Kings for herein great Egbert Anno 836. with his sonne King Ethelwolfe 857. Here Elfred Oxfords Founder 901. with his Queene Elswith 904. Here the first Edmund before the Conquest 924. with his sonnes Elfred and Elsward Here Edred 955. and Edwy 956. both Kings of England Here Emmâ— 1052. with her Danish Lord Canute 1035. and his sonne Hardicanute 1042. And here lastly the Normans Richard and Rufus 1100. were interred their bones by Bishop Fox were gathered and shrined in little guilt coffers fixed upon a wall in the Quire where still they remaine carefully preserved This Cities situation is fruitfull and pleasant in a valley under hils having her River on the East and Castle on the West the circuit of whose walls are well-neare two English miles containing one thousand eight hundred and eighty paces thorow which openeth six gates for entrance and therein are seven Churches for divine service besides the Minster and those decayed such as Callendos Ruell Chappell Saint Maries Abbey and the Fryers without in the Suburbs and Soâ—ke in the East is Saint Peters and in the North Hyde Church and Monastery whose ruines remaining shew the beauty that formâ—tly it bare The Graduation of this City by the Mathematicks is placed for Latitude in the degree 51 10 minutes and for Longitude 19 3 minutes 10 More South is South-hampton a Towne populous rich and beautifull from whom the whole Shire deriveth her name most strongly walled about with square stone containing in circuit one thousand and two hundred paces having seven Gates for entrance and twenty-nine Towers for defence two very stately Keyes for Ships arrivage and five faire Churches for Gods Divine Service besides an Hospitall called Gods house wherein the unfortunate Richard Earle of Cambridge beheaded for treason lyeth interred On the West of this Towne is mounted a most beautifull Castle in forme Circular and wall within wall the foundation upon a hill so topped that it cannot be ascended but by staires carrying a goodly prospect both by Land and Sea and in the East without the walles a goodly Church sometimes stood called Saint Maries which was pulled downe for that it gave the French direction of course who with fire had greatly endangered the Towne In stead thereof is now newly erected a small and unfinished Chappell In this place saith learned Cambden stood the ancient Clausentium or Fort of the Romans whose circuit on that side extended it selfe to the Sea This suffered many depredations by the Saxon Pirats and in Anno 980. was by the Danes almost quite overthrowne In King Edward the thirds time it was fired by the French under the conduct of the King of Sicils sonne whom a countrey-man encountred and strucke downe with his Club. Hee crying Rancon that is Ransoms but hee neither understanding his language nor the law that Armes doth allow laid on more soundly saying I know thee a Frankon and therefore shalt thou dye And in Richard the seconds time it was somewhat removed and built in the place where now it standeth In this Clausentium Canute to evict his flatterers made triall of his Deity commanding the Seas to keepe backe from his seat but being not obeyed he acknowledged God to be the only Supreme Governour and in a religious devotion gave up his Crown to the Rood at Winchester More ancient was Silcester built by Constantius great Constantines sonne whose monument say they was seene in that City and where another Constantine put on the purple Roabe against Honorius as both Ninius and Gervase of Canterbury doe witnesse Herein by onr Historians record the warlike Arthur was crowned Whose greatnesse for circuit contained no lesse then fourscore acres of ground and the walles of great height yet standing two miles in compasse about This City by the Danish Rovers suffered such wrack that her mounted tops were never since seene and her Hulke the
the South with Dorset and Hamp-shire and upon the West is confronted against partly by Gloucester and the rest by Somerset-shires 2 The forme thereof is both long and broad for from Inglesham upon Thamesis in the North to Burgat Damarum in the South are thirtie-nine miles the broadest part is from Buttermer Eastward to the Shire-stones in the West being twenty-nine the whole in circumference is one hundred thirty-nine miles 3 For aire it is seated in a temperate Climate both sweet pleasant and wholesome and for soyle saith Iohn of Sarisbury is exceeding fertile and plentifull yea and that with variety 4 The Northerne part which they call North-Wilt-shire riseth up into delectable hils attired with large woods and watered with cleare Rivers whereof Isis is one which soone becometh the most famous in the Land The South part is more even yeelding abundantly grasse and corne and is made the more fruitfull by the Rivers Wily Adder and Avon The midst of this County is most plaine and thereby is knowne and commonly called Salesbury-Plaines and lie so levell indeed that it doth limit the Horizon for hardly can a man see from the one side to the other These Plaines grase an infinite number of sheepe whose fleeces and flesh bring in an yearely revenew to their owners 5 Anciently this County was possessed by the Belgae who are seated by Ptolemy in Hamp-shire Somerset-shire and in this Tract and they as it seemeth by Caesar were of the Belgae in Gaul These as some hold were subdued by Vespasian Lieutenant of the second Legion under Claudius when the foundations of his future greatnesse were in these parts first laid by his many victories over the Britaines And herein surely the Romans seated for besides Yanesburie Trench by tradition held to be his in many other Forts in this Shire the Tract of their footing hath beene left and the stamped Coines of their Emperours found an apparent testimonie of their abode 6 After them the West-Saxons made it a part of their Kingdome whose border was Avon as witnesseth Athelward though the Mercians many times encroched upon them whereby many great battles as Malmsbury tels us betwixt them were fought when in the young yeares of their Heptarchie each sought to enlarge his by the lessening of the next but growne unto more ripenesse they assigned their limits by a great and long ditch crossing thorow the middest of these Plaines which for the wonder therof is supposed by the vulgar to be the worke of the Devil and is called of all Wansdike undoubtedly of Woden the Saxons Ancestor and great reputed God where a little village yet standeth and retaineth to name Wodens-burg At this place in Anno 590. Ceaulin the West-Saxon received such a foyle of the Britaines and his Country-men that he was forced to forsake his Kingdome and to end his dayes in exile becomming a pitifull spectacle even unto his enemies And in this place Ina the West-Saxon joyned Battle with Ceolred the Merciā whence both of them departed with equall losse The like was at Bradford by Kenilwach and Cuthred at Wilton betwixt Egbert and Beornwolfe at Edindon where K. Elfred was vanquisher of the Danes and at Wilton where the Danes wonne the day against him With as bloudy sucesse though not happening by sword was the issue of the Synod assembled at Calne a small Towne in this Countie in the yeare of Christ Jesus 977. where being hotly debating for the single life and against the marriages of the Clergie what wanted by the Word to prove their divorce was supplyed by a Stratagem and that very bloudy for suddenly the main timber brake and downe fell the floore with the Nobles and Prelates the Gentlemen and Commons whereby a great number were hurt and many more slain onely Dunstan the President and mouth for the Monks escaped untouched the Joist whereon his chaire stood remaining most firme which confirmed the sentence of their separations whom God had conjoyned and became the fall and snare of much incontinencie in both sexes 7 The chiefest Citie of this Shire is Salesbury removed from a higher but a far more convenient place whose want of water was not so great in the mother as is supplied and replenished in the daughter every street almost having a River running thorow her middest and for sumptuous and delicate buildings is inferiour to none The Cathedrall a most rich magnificent Church was begun by Richard Poore Bishop and with fourty yeares continuance was raised to her perfect beauty wherein are as many windowes as there are dayes in the yeare as many cast pillars of marble as there are houres in the yeare and as many gates for entrance as there are moneths in the yeare Neither doth this Citie retaine true honour to her selfe but imparteth hers and receiveth honour from others who are entituled Earles of Salesbury whereof eight noble Families have been dignified since the Normans Conquest and now is enjoyed by that most wise and loyall Counsellor Robert Cecill Lord high Treasurer of England and the worthy Patron of the place whereof my selfe am a member This Cities situation is in the degree of Latitude 51.10 minntes and from the first West point observed by Mercator 18. degrees and 31. minutes of Longitude 8 Over this old Salesbury sheweth it selfe where Kenrik overcame the Britains and where Canutus the Dane did great dammge by fire This formerly had been the seat of the Romans as likewise was Lecham as by their Coines digged up is apparant so were Brokenbridge and Cosham the Courts of the Saxon Kings But Fortune long since hath turned her face from all these as lately she did from many ancient and religious foundations planted in this Province whereof Malmesbury was the most famous I will not with Monmouth avouch the foundation thereof unto Mulmutius but by true records from Maidulph a Scot a man of great learning that therein built a Cell and led an Hermits life whereof Beda calleth it the Citie of Maidulph and we by contraction Malmsbury Adelme his disciple and successour built here a faire Monasterie which Athelstan the Monarch richly endowed and left his body after death there to rest Neither hath any graced this more then William her Monk in recording to posterities the Chronicles of our Land concerning both the Church and Common-weale wherein himselfe and wrote those Histories 9 Ambresbury for repute did second this built by Alfritha King Edgar his wife to expiate the sinne of murder which she committed upon young Edward her sonne in Law that hers might be King In this place Queene Eleanor widow to King Henry the third renounced all royall pompe and devoted her selfe unto God in the habit of a Nunne Other places erected for piety were at Salesburie Lacock Stanlege Wilton Ivichurch Farnleg Bradstocke Briopune and Bromhore These
were by famine and sword wasted to 560. at which time the Earle escaping by Ship his Wise upn composition yeelded the Castle and followed In William Rufus time it was growne famous for Merchandize and concourse of people so that Herbert then translating the Bishopricke from Thetford thither made each of them an ornament to other In variety of times it felt much variety of fortune By fire in Anâ—o 1508. By extreame plagues whereof one in An. 1348. was so outrage us as 57104. are reported to have dyed thereof between the Calends of January and of July By misery of warre as sackâ—d and spoyled by the Earle of Flaunders and Hugh Bigod Anno 1174. In yeelding to Lewis the French against their naturall Lord King Iohn Anno 1216 By the disinherited Barons Anno 1266. By tumult and insurrection between the Citizens and Church-men once about the yeare 1265. which if Henry the third had not come in prison to appease the City was in hazard to be ruined The second time in Anno 1446. for which the Major was deposed and their Liberties for a while seised In Edward the sixths time by Ketts rebellion whose fury chiefly raged against this City Since this it hath flourished with the blessings of Peace Plentie Wealth and Honour so that Alexander Nevil doubteth not to preferre it above all the Cities of England except London It is situate upon the River Hierus in a pleasant valley but on rising ground having on the Last the Hilles and Heath called Mussold for Moss-would as I take it In the seventeeth yeare of King Stephen it was new founded and made a Corporation In Edward the firsts time closed with a faire Wall saving on a part that the River defendeth First governed by foure Bayliffes then by Henry the fourth in Anno 1403. erected into a Majoralty and County the limits whereof now extend to Eaton-bridge At this present it hath about thirty Parishes but in ancient time had many more 6 Lenn having been an ancient Borrough under the government of a Bayliffe or Reve called Praetositus was by King Iohn in the sixt yeare of his Reigne made Liber Burgus and besides the gift of his memorable â—up which to this day honoureth this Corporation endowed with divers faire Liberties King Henry the third in the seventeenth yeare of his Reigne in recompence of their service against the out-lawed Barons in the Isle of Ely enlarged their Charter and granted them further to choose a Major Loco Praepositi unto whom King Henry the eight in the sixteenth yeare of his Reigne added twelve Aldermen a Recorder and other Officers and the bearing of a Sword before the Major But the Towne comming after to the same King he in the nine and twentieth yeare of his Reigne changed the name from Lenn Episcopi to Lenn Regis 7 Yarmouth is the Key of the Coast named and seated by the mouth of the River Yere Begun in the time of the Danes and by small accessions growing populous made a Corporation under two Bayliffes by King Henry the third and by his Charter about the fifteenth yeare of his Reigne walled It is an ancient member of the Cinque Ports very well built and fortified having only one Church but faire and large founded by Bishop Herbert in William Rufus dayes It maintaineth a Peere against the Sea at the yearely charge of five hundred pound or thereabout yet hath it no possessions as other Corporations but like the children of Aeolus and Thetis Maria 4. ventos as an Inquisitour findeth Anno 10. Henry third There is yearely in September the worthiest Herring-fishing in Europe which draweth great concourse of people and maketh the Towne much the richer all the yeare but very unsavoury for the time The Inhabitants are so courteous as they have long held a custome to feast all persons of worth repairing to their Towne 8 The Bishoprik of Norwich had first her seat at Dunwich in Suffolke and was there begun by Foelix who converted this County and the East-Angles to the Faith Being brought out of Burgundy by Sigebert the first Christian King of the East-Angles he landed at Baâ—ingley by Lenn and there builded the first Church of these Countries which in his memory is at this day called by his Name The second he built at Sharnbourn then of wood and therefore called Stock-Chappell After Foelix and three of his Successours this Bishoprick was divided into two Sets the one with eleven Bishops in sucession continuing at Dunwich the other with twelve at Elmham in Northfolke Then united againe in the time of King Edwyn the entire See for twelve other Bishops remained at Elmham and in the Conquerours time was by his Chaplaine Arfustus being the thirteenth translated to Thetford from thence by Herbert his next successour save one bought of William Rufus for nineteene hundred pounds and brought to Norwich This Herbert surnamed Losinga a Norman builded the Cathedrall Church there and endowed it with large possessions Not far from thence hee also builded another Church to S. Leonard a third at Elmham a fourth at Lenn S. Margarets a very faire one and the fifth at Yarmouth before mentioned By the Cathedrall Church he builded a Palace for the Bishops and founded the Priory there now converted to Deane and Chapter and another Priory at Thetford Since his time the Bishops See hath immoveably remained at Norwich but the ancient Possessions are severed from it and in lieu thereof the Abbey and Lands of S. Benedict of Holme annexed to it The Commodities of this County I have contained in these foure Verses Ingenio populi cultu Norfolcia clara est Hinc fluviis illinc Insula clausa mari Quaratis vellus frumenta cuniculus agnus Lac scatet pisces pabula mella crocus This Description of Northfolke I received from the Right Worshipfull Sir HENRY SPELMAN Knight NORFOLK WITH THE A COVNTIE ARMES OF SVCH FLORISHING NOBLE FAMILES POPVLOVS AS HAVE BORNE DESCRIBED THE TITLES AND DEVIDED THEROF WITH THE ARMES OF SVCH NOBLE FAMILES AS HAVE BORNE THE TITLES THEROF HVNDREDâ— in Northfolke 1. SMethdon 2. Brothercrosse 3. North-Grenchoe 4. Hâ—lse 5. North Erpingham 6. Tunstad 7. Happing 8. West-Flegg 9. Blowseâ—ld 10. Tavarham 11. south-Erpingham 12. Eynsford 13. Gallowe 14. Frâ—cbridge 15. Laundiche 16. Mitsorde 17. Forchoce 18. Humbleyarde 19. Heustead 20. Lod. 21. Claveâ—â—ng 22. Earsham 23. Depwarde 24. Dysse 25. Gyltcrosse 26. Shorpham 27. Waylond 28. South-Grenchoe 29. Walsham 30. Claâ—kelosse 31. Grymshooc A Accle Blow Aileswythorpe Frâ—cb Alby Southerpe Albuâ—rough Norther Alburghe Earsh Aldeby clav Alderford Eyns Alpington clav Althorpe Gal. Anmer Frâ—cb Antingham Norther Appleton Frâ—cb Armingale Henst. Ashby Flâ—g Ashby clav Ashill Wayl Ashmonhangle Tuns Ashwelthorp Depw. Aslacton Depw. Attlebridge Tavâ—r Attleburgh sâ—rop AYLâ—SHAM S. Er. Aylmerton Norther B Baconsthorp southe Bagthorpe Gal. Banham Gyl Baningham souther Barford Forc Barmer Gal. Barney Norther Barneham Forc Barningham Northwood N E
bordering Neighbour Newely described ¶ An Alphabeticall Table of all the Tovvnes Rivers and memorable places mentioned in Rutland-shire HVNDREDS in Rutland-shire 1. EAst Hund. 2. Allstoe Hund. 3. Okeham Sook 4. Martinsley Hund. 5. Wrangedyke Hund. A Ashgate Oke Ashwell Allst. Austhorpe All. Austhorpe grove All. Ayston Mart. B Barinsdale All. Barlythorp Oke Baroughdon hey Wrang Baroughdon VVrang Barrowe All. The Beacon hill Wrang Beamont Mart. Beehill Wrang Belmesthorp East Belton Oke Bittewell Oke S. Butulphe East Bayal-wood East Bradgate VVrang Braunstun Oke Brokemell wood East Brock Oke Burley All. Burley wood All. Bysbrooke Wrang C Caldecote VVrang Casterton little East Casterton bridge East The Vale of Catmouse Oke Catmouse mill Oke Chatter Flu. Clipsham Oke Coldlees Oke Cottesmore All. Cottesmore wood All. Creston Marâ— Crosse mill East D Deepedale Martin E Eastwood East Edgeton Oke Ediweston Mart. Ediweston wood Mart. Eleshare VVrang Empingham East Empingham wood East Exton All. Ezeden East F Fauldall wood East Fregthorp VVrang Frithwood East Five mile Crosse East G Geeson Wrang Glaiston VVrang Greetham All. Greetham wood All. Guash Flu. Gunthorpe Mart. H Hamleyton Mart. Hamleyton wood Mart. Hardwicke East Hermitage Oke Horne East Horne mill East I Ingthorpe East Iostors bridge East K Kelstone VVrang Kelthorpe VVrang Ketton East Kilpisham East Kings Road VVrang The Kings Lodge Oke L Lamley Lodge Oke Langham Oke Leefeld forest Oke Lee Lodge Oke Littlehall wood All. Lovedall All. North Luffenham VVrang South Luffenham VVrang Lyddington VVrang Lyddington parke VVrang Lynden Mart. M Manton Mart. Market overton All. Martinsthorpe Mart. Morecott Wrang Muley hill Oke N Newbottle VVrang Normanton Mart. O OKEHAM Oke Osburnall wood East P Pickworth East Preston Mart. Prisley hill VVrang Pylton VVrang R Rankesborow hils Oke Redgate VVrang Ridlington Mart. Ridlingtonparke Mart. Rullers stone East Rushpitt wood All. Ryall East S Snewton VVrang Seyton VVrang Stirwood Oke Stoâ—edrye VVrang Stretton All. Stretton wood All. T Tarringley wood All. Thisselton All. Tholthorpe East Thorpe VVrang Turne course wood East Tyckencote East Tyghe All. Tymwell East Tyxover VVrang V VPPINGHAM Mart. Vppingham parke Mart. W Wadeland Flu. Wadley Oke Weand Flu. Wâ—â—ton All. Westland wood All. Weston fees Oke Wâ—issenden All. Wâ—itwell All. Wâ—cheley heath East Wâ—nge Mart. The Wispe Oke Wolfoky wood All. Woodhead wood East LEICESTER-SHIRE lying bordred upon the North with Nottingham-shire upon the East with Lincoln and Rutland upon the South with North-hampton-shire and upon the West with Watling-street-way is parted from Warwick-shire the rest being bounded with the confines of Darby is a Countrey Champion abounding in corn but spary of woods especially in the South and East parts which are supplyed with Pit-coales plenteously gotten in the North of this Province and with abundance of Cattell bred in the hills beyond the River Wreack which is nothing so well inhabited as the rest 2 The aire is gentle mild and temperate and giveth appetite both to labour and rest wholsome it is and draweth mans life to a long age and that much without sicknesse at Carleton onely some defect of pronuntiation appeareth in their speech 3 The Soile thus consisting the commodities are raised accordingly of corn cattle and coals and in the rockes neere Bever are sometimes found the Astroites the Star-like precious Stone 4 The ancient people that inhabited this Countie were the Coritant who were spread further into other Shires but after that the Romanes had left the land to it self this with many more fell to be under the possession and government of the Mercians and their Kings from whom the English enjoyeth it at this day 5 In Circular wise almost the compasse of this Shire is drawn indifferently spacious but not very thick of Inclosures being from East to West in the broadest part not fully 30. miles from North to South but 24. the whole circumference about 196. miles whose principall Citie is set as the Center almost in the midst from whom the Pole is elevated 53. degrees and 4. minutes in Latitude and for Longitude 19. degrees 22. minutes 6 From this Towne the Shire hath the name though the name of her selfe is diversly written as Legecestria Leegora Legte-ceste by Ninius Caer-Lerion by Matthew of Westminster if we doe not mistake him Wirall and now lastly Leicester ancient enough if King Leir was her builder eight hundred forty and four years before the birth of our Saviour wherein he placed a Flamine to serve in the Temple of Ianus by himselfe there erected and where hee was buried if Geffrey ap Arthur say true but now certain it is that Ethelred the Mercian Monarch made it an Episcopall Sea in the yeare of Christ Iesus 680. wherein Sexwulph of his Election became the first Bishop which shortly after was thence translated and therewith the beauty of the Towne began to decay upon whose desolations that erectifying Lady Edalfled cast her eies of compassion and both rectified the buildings and compassed it about with a strong wall where in short time the Cities trade so increased that Matth. Paris in his lesser Story reporteth as followeth Legecester saith he is a right wealthy City and notably defended and had the wall a sure foundation were inferiour to no City whatsoever But this pride of prosperity long lasted not under the Normans for it was sore oppressed with a world of calamities when Robert Bossu the Crouch-back Earl of that Province rebelled against his Soveraigne Lord King Henry the second whereof hear the same Author Paris speake Through the obstinate stubbornes of Earle Robert saith he the noble City Leicester was besieged and throwne down by K. Henry and the wal that seemed indissoluble was utterly razed even to the ground The peeces of whose fragments so fallen downe remained in his daies like to hard rocks through the strength of the Morter cementing whole lumps together and at the Kings command the City was set on fire and burnt the Castle razed and a heavy imposition laid upon the Citizens who with great sums of money bought their own Banishments but were so used in their departure that for extreme feare many of them took Sanctuary both at S. Edmunds and S. Albanes In repentance of these mischiefes the author thereof Earle Robert built the Monastery of S. Mary de Pratis wherein himselfe became a Canon Regular and for fifteen yeeres continuance in sad laments served God in continuall prayers With the like devotion Henry the first Duke of Lancaster built an Hospitall for an hundred and ten poor people with a collegiate Church a Deane twelve Canons Prebendaries as many Vicars sufficiently provided for with revenewes wherein himselfe lieth buried and it was the greatest ornament of that Citie untill the hand of King Henry the eight lay over heavy upon the like foundations and laid their aspired tops at his own feet The fortunes of another Crouch-back K. Richard the Vsurper were no lesse remarkable in this Citie
fairest possessions do imitate the people of Lancashire both in their honest cariage good hous-keeping Howbeit the common sort of people both in their language and manners come nighest unto the Irish although they somwhat relish and savour of the qualities of the Norwegians 7 Things not worthy to be buried in the grave of oblivion are that this Iland in the midst thereof riseth up with hills standing very thicke amongst which the highest is called Sceafull from which upon a cleare and faire day a man may easily see three Kingdoms at once that is England Scotland Ireland This I le prohibits the customary manner of begging from doore to doore detesting the disorders as well Civill as Ecclesiasticall of neighbour-Nations And last not least that deservs to be committed to memory is that the womeÌ„ of this Countrey wheresoever they go out of their doors gird themselves about with the winding-sheet that they purpose to be buryed in to shew themselves mindefull of their mortalitie and such of them as are at any time condemned to die are sowed within a sack and flung from a rock into the sea 8 The whole I le is divided into two parts South and North whereof the one resembleth the Scotish in speech the other the Irish. It is defended by two Castles and hath seventeen Parishes five Market-Townes and many Villages ¶ A Table of the Townes Villages Castles Rivers and Havens within the I le of Man Alphabetically gathered A Kirk Andrew The point of Aire B Baladoul Balalough Kirk Balalough Balicaken Balisaly Abbey Balisaly Town Friry Bewmakan Kirk Bridge Kirk Brodon C Caltregh The Calfe of Man Castle Town Bay Kirk Christ. Kirk Christ. Chappell Clanmoy flu Cobbe Borne Corte Cranston D Dauby point Dauby Town Douglas point DOUGLAS towne Douglas haven E Egnes F Fleshik G Glan-Brow Glan-Cam I Kirk Jarman Jeorby point Saint Johns Chappell K Saint Katherins Chappel Kirk Kerbrey L The point Lang-nouse Laxi-Bay Laxi-point LAXI TOWNE Kirk Lennon Loughe M Kirk Magh haul Kirk Magh-hauls head Malarlough Kirk Mali. Kirk Migh-hil Kirk Migh-hill flu Saint Migh-hills Island Min-hugh Kirk Mortown The Mull-hills N Neb flu The Nunnery O Kirk Onkon P Kirk Patriark Kirk Patriark of the Peel PEEL-Town Peel-Castle Polt Bash. Port Earn Portell Morrey Portwick R Ramsey RAMSEY Town Ramsey haven RUSHIN Castle S Scarthlat Shellack point Snafeld Solbe mouth Solbe flu Spalork The Stack Kirk Stanton V Vark W Watch-hill The white Water Black Water Whetston THE ISLE OF MAN Exactly desribed and into several Parishshes diuided with euery Towne Village Baye Creke and Riuer therein conteyned The bordringe Coasts wherewith it is circulated in their Situations self and by the Compase accordiÌ„gly shewed with their true distance from euery place vnto this Island by a seuerall scale obserued IT is here very pertinent to the purpose to insert a small History of this Iland that the atchievemeÌ„ts heretofore had may not be utterly buried although they are waxen very old almost torn from remeÌ„brance by the teeth of Time It is confessed by all that the Britains held this Iland as they did all Britain But when the Nations from the North over flâ—wed these South parts like violent tempests it became subiect to the Scots Afterwards the Norwegians who did most hurt from the Northern sea by their manifold robberies made this Iland and the Heâ—rides to be their haunt and erected Lords and petty Kings in the same as is expressed in this Chronicle Written as is reported by the Monkes of the Abbey of Russin A Chronicle of the Kings of MAN ANno Dom 1â—65 Edward of blessed memory King of England departed this life and Harald the sonne of Godwyn succeeded him in the Kingdome against whom Harald Harfager King of Norway came into the field and fought a battle at Stainford bridge but the English obtaining the victory put them all to fâ—ight Out of which chase Godred surnamed Crovan the son of Harald the Black of Iseland came unto Godred the sonne of Syrric who reigned then in Man and honourably received him 2 The same yeer William the Bastard conquered Enggland and Godred the sonne of Syrric died his sonne Fingall succeeding him 3 An. 1066. Godred Crovan assembled a great Fleet and came to Man and fought with the people of the Land but received the worst and was overcome The second time renewing his forces and his Fleet he sayled into Man joyned battell with the Manksmen but was vanquished as before and driven out of the field Howbeit what he could not at first bring to passe with power in those two severall Onsets he afterward effected by policie For the third time gathering a great multitude together he arrived by night in the haven called Ramsey and hid three hundred men in a Wood which stood upon the hanging hollow brow of an hill called Sceafull The Sun being risen the Manksmen put their people in order of battle and with a violent charge encountred with Godred The sight was hot for a time and stood in a doubtfull suspense till those three hundred men starting out of the Ambush behinde their backs began to foyl the Manksmen put them to the worst and forced them to flie Who seeing themselves thus discomfited and finding no place of refuge left them to escape with pitifull lamentation submitted themselves unto Godred and besought him not to put to the sword such poore remainder of them as was left alive Godred having compassion on their calamities for he had been nursed for a time and brought up among them founded a retreat and prohibited his host any longer pursuit He being thus possessed of the I le of Man dyed in the Iland that is called Ile when he had reigned sixteen yeers He left behinde him three sonnes Lagman Harald and Olave 4 Lagman the eldest taking upon him the Kingdome reigned seven yeares His brother Harald rebelled against him a great while but at length was taken prisoner by Lagman who caused his members of generation to be cut off and his eyes to be put out of his head which crueltie this Lagman afterwards repenting gave over the Kingdom of his own accord and wearing the badge of the Lords Crosse took a journey to Ierusalem in which he died 5 An. 1075. all the Lords and Nobles of the Ilands hearing of the death of Lagman dispatched Ambassadours to Murecard Oâ—brien King of Ireland and requested that he would send some worthy and industrious man of the Blood Royall to be their King till Olave the son of Godred came to full age The King yeelding to their request sent one Dopnald the son of Tade and charged him to govern the Kingdome which by right belonged to another with lenitie and gentlenesse But after he was come to the Crowne forgetting or not weighing the charge that his Lord and Master had given him swayed his place with great tyrannie committing many outrages and cruelties and so
originall of Ireland from the Hebrewes as if Irin should be as much as Iurin that is the Iewes land which opinion I hold no better then those that would have it from the Winter-like stormes although upon every winde the ayre is cold there 3 Festus Avienus in that little book which he intituled Orae maritimae calleth Ireland Sacram Insulam that is the holy Iland to which opinion the people are soone drawne by reason of the many Saints that the Iland is said to produce and the blessed soyle that affords no venemous creatures to retaine life It is thought that Plutarch meant Ireland by his Ogygia for her great antiquitie and of latter times by Isidore and Bede it was called Scotia of those Scots that inhabited it and that thence the name of Scotland together with the Scots themselves came into Britaine 4 For largenesse and circuit in times past this Iland challenged the third place in ranke of all the Iles of the then knowne world for thus have Geographers left us that the Indian Taproban for greatnesse was the first the I le of Britaine the next and this of Ireland the third and for that cause doth Ptolemy call it the little Britaine But howsoever Strabo hath extended the breadth as broad as the length and others have formed it in shape like an egge yet latter dimensions have found it far otherwise twice longer then broad and may be compared to the forelegge of a Beare if the Simile breed no offence Whose East side hath on it that tempestuous Sea that cutteth her channell betwixt England and this Ireland the West is washed with the westerne Ocean the North with the Deucaledonian and the South with the Verginian Sea 5 The ayre of this Iland is delectable and wholesome though neither so cleare nor subtile as is ours of England which as Mela saith is nothing favourable for the ripening of Corne but so gratefull to the ground that it causeth grasse to grow abundantly not onely fresh and long but withall very sweet for all Cattle and in winter is more subject to winde then snow and that I may use the words of Giraldus It is of all Countries most temperate neither forcing the Inhabitants to seek shade from the frying heat of Cancer nor the chilling cold of Capricorn to drive them to the fire but at all seasons most milde betwixt a sufferable cold and gentle warme heat 6 The soyle saith Cambreusis is uneven wooddy wilde waterish and boggie so full of Loghs and Meeres that great ponds of water are found upon the high Mountaines These indeed make the places somewhat dangerous unto all new commers by breeding of rheums dysenteries and fluxes whose usuall remedie is Vskebah a wholesome Aqua vitae that drieth more and enflameth lesse then many other hot confections 7 The commodities of this Kingdome chiefly consist in Cattle whose feed is so sweet and so ranke that they will soone graze to a surfeit if they may be suffered to feed as they will Their sheepe are many but beare not the best wooll which twice are shorne within one yeare Of these they make Mantles Caddowes and Coverlets vented from thence into forraine Countries Their Hobbies likewise are of great esteeme and are answerable to the Iennets of Spaine Bees there are in such abundance that hony is found in holes of old trees and in reâ—ts of the rocks No annoyance of hurtfull Snake or venemous creatures and to speake all in a word nothing wanting for profit or pleasure for so much doth Giraldus affirme in saying that Nature had cast into this Westerne Kingdome of Zephyrus a more gracious eye then was ordinary 8 Touching the originall peopling of this faire Iland if you will beleeve their records they make Antiquitie it selfe but young unto themselves affirming the damsell Caesarea and niece unto Noah to have found it out before the Floud and that three hundred yeares after when Iaphets posteritie tooke into these West-parts of the world one Bartholanus of his Progeny a Scythian by birth encouraged by the late successe of Nimrod who now had intruded upon the Monarchy of Syria wandred so farre West that Fortune at last cast him and his people upon the coast of Ireland There he setled with his three sonnes Languinna Salanus and Ruthurgus who searching through every creeke and corner of the land left their owne names by three notable places Languini Stragrus and Mount Salanga which the revolution of times hath since called by other names as S. Domincke-hill Ruthurgi and Stagnum Vnder the government of these three sonnes and their off-spring this Land was kept about three hundred yeares at which time there arrived also in Ireland a Giant-like kinde of people of Nimrods race who in bodily shape exceeded the proportion of usuall men using their strength to winne soveraignties and to oppresse with rapine and violence These growing to numbers accounted it necessary to prevent dominion lest the curse of slavery prophecied by Noah should light upon them to prevent the which they set up a King of their owne then quarrels bred daily either parties purposing to hold their interest by their swords against whom lastly a battle was fought and an infinite company of Giants slaine when also died most of those of the posteritie of Iapheth leaving them of Cham Lords of the Iland 9 Whereupon Nemethus a Scythian with his foure sonnes arrived in Ireland and by strong hand seated themselves among these Giants where for two hundred and sixty yeares they kept but then no longer able to hold out against them they left their standings and departed the Land 10 Soone after the five sonnes of Dela descended from the said Nemethus came into these coasts and with manly prowesse drove these miscreants out of Ireland whereby the seede of Cham was utterly expelled and these of Iapheth divided the Land into five parts whereof they became themselves Kings but falling at variance gave advantage unto others among whom the Britaines set in a foote THE KINGDOME OF IRLAND Devided into severall Provinces and theÌ„ againe devided into Counties Newly described 12 These by the direction sufferance and assistance of Gurguntius King of the Britaines after that Ireland had beene very much dispeopled by a contagious Pestilence seated themselves and from the eldest Hibernus called the Island Hibernia as some are of opinion these divided the whole into five Provinces famously known by the names of Mounster Leinster Connaught Vlster and Meath in their midst and from these the present Irish repute themselves to come Yet surely as I make no question but that this Island became inhabited even of old time when mankind againe over-spread the face of the earth so doubt I not but that our Britains passed thereinto themselves such infinite number of words in the Irish language yet in use such ancient
Henry the seaventh 101.7 His tomb ibid. Saint Edmunds bury how named in the Saxons time 33.6 Saint Edmunds-Bury Abbey and Towne praised ibid. King Edward the second first of the English Race Prince of Wales 123.6 Murdered by the meanes of Isabel his wife 47.7 Enterred in Glocest. Church where his Monument remaineth ibid. Einesbury alias Arnulphsbury 58.10 Elden hole 67.8 Eleanor wife to King Edward the first commended 63.7 Eleanor widow to King Henry the third becommeth a Nunne 25.9 Elfred or Alfred the first that divided his Kingdomes into Shires 3 4. 5 His noble care in restoring the Vniversitie of Oxford 45 7 Elie 37.5 Ella King of Northumberland slaine 78.9 Elmet 78.10 Elmham a Bishops See 35.8 Emerill stone found in Garnsey 94.6 England on this side Humber how divided into Hides 3.3 Little England beyond Wales 101.4 England shared into Principalities by whom and to what purpose 57.30 Enis-Kelling a strong Fort in Vlster 145.9 Eorles i. Earles 4.7 11 Erdini people in Ireland 145 5 Erminstreet 37.7 Essex why so named 31.1 The forme and dimension 1.2 How bounded ibid. 3 The aire and soile 31.4 The ancient Inhabitants 31.5 What commodities it yeeldeth 31.6 What religious houses therein 31.9 Hundreds and townes therein 32 Excester Citie whence it named that name 19 6 It was a Dukedom Marquisate and Earledome 19 8 The description thereof 19 6 Her magnificent Cathedrall Church by whom built ibid. The Bishops See ibid. It withstood the Saxons 465 yeares ibid. How valiant against all her Sieges ibid. VVhat losses it hath felt ibid. Resisted William Conquerour till the walles fell downe ibid. How loyall to King Edward the sixt ibid. The Climate thereof ibid. How governed ibid. The birth-place of the matchlesse Poet Iosephus Isanus ibid. Exchequer Court first erected 5.3 Exmore Monuments in Devon-shire 19.7 F Falmouth Haven commended 21.7 Farne Isle how bounded 93 The form aire soile and commodities ibid. Feldon or Felden a part of Warwick-shire 53.3 Finborow a Citie where now the Chamber in the Forrest 73.7 Fingall King of Man 9.2 Rich. Fitz-Ralph against Mendicant Friers 145.9 Flamins and Arch-Flamins 6.5 Their places converted into Bishops Sees ibid. Flavia Caesariensis a part of Britaine why so called 2.15 How limited 2.16 Fleg a part of Norfolke 35.1 Flemins inhabiting Rosse in Wales 101.4 Flint-shire how bounded and of what form 121.1 The dimension ibid. 2 The aire and Climate 121 3. 4 The commodities 121.5 The ancient Inhabitants 121.6 Hundreds and Townes there 122 Flint castle by whom founded and finished 121.7 The graduation thereof ibid. Flodden-field 89 10 Foelix Bishop of Dunwich 35.8 A Font of solide brasse 39.5 Forrest both name and thing whence it came 57.2 Forrest justice 57. â— Forresters office ibid. Fotheriaghay Castle and Collegiate Church 55.8 Fouldage in Norfolke what it is 35.2 Fountain ebbing and slowing 85.9 Fountaines Abbey 77.7 Freshwater Isle 15.14 Friburgi 57.4 G Gallena See Wallingford Galloglasses what they are 138.19 Galloway County how commodious 143.4 Galway the third City in Ireland and an Episcopall See 143.6 Gangani a people in Ireland 143.5 Gaothel with his wife Scota come into Ireland 137 11 Garnsay Island how it is situate 94.1 The dimension thereof ibid. The forme of it 942. Sometime called Sarnia 94.1 The government originall and language of the Inhabitants 94 5 8 Market-Townes Castles and Parishes therein 94 8 No Toade Snake or venomous creature there 94.3 Order of the Garter 27.8 Gateshed 89.8 Pierce Gaveston beheaded 53.4 Gessrey ap Arthur of Monmouth why so called 107.4 Geese where they sail as they slie 81.6 Saint Germane confuteth the Pelagian Heresie 77.7 Hâ— sinâ—ieth at Oxford 45.7 Giants teeth and bones digged up 31.8 Giants dance translated out of Leinster to Salisbury Plaine by Merlin 141.14 Gildas the old Britaine Student in Oxford 45.7 Gilling Monastery 79.5 Gisburg Abbey 81.8 Glamorgan-shire how limited 100.19 109.1 What Cantreves and Commots it hath 100 19 The forme and measure of iâ— 105.2 The aire and soile thereof 105.3 The Commodities it standeth upon 10â— 3 Castles and religious houses in it 105.8 Hundreds Townes and memorable places therein 106 Glastenbury Abbey first begunne by Ioseph of Arimathea 23.9 Glocester-shire how it is bounded 47.1 The dimension of it 47.2 The forme aire and soile 47.3 The commodities thereof 47.3 5 By whom in ancient time inhabited 47.4 Hundreds and Towns therein 48 Glocester Citie how called in old time 47.6 A Cathedrall See 47.7 The graduation of it ibid That Dukedome fatall ever to her Dukes 47 11 Godiva Earle Leofrikes wife released Coventry of Tributes by riding naked thorow it 53.5 Godmanchester or Gormanchester 107.4 Godred the sonne of Syrricke King of Man 92.1 His death 92.2 Godred Crovan warreth upon the Manksmen 92.3 Conquereth the Isle of Man and is King 92.3 Buried in Ila an Island ibid. Godred sonne of Olave King of Man 92.7 King of Dublin 92.7 He vanquished and slew Osibeley 92.7 Hee tyrannizeth in Man ibid. Put to slight by Summerled 92.7 King of the Isles also 92.9 His death buriall and issue ibid. Godred Don sonne of Reginald King of the Islands slaine 92.10 Goodwin Sands dangerous shelves 7.6 Gog-Magog 21.1 Gog-Magog hilles 37.7 Grantbridge 37.4 Grantcester an ancient Citie 37.4 Arthur Baron Grey suppresseth Desmonds Rebellion 139.9 Gromebridge in Sussex 9.8 Grounds in the Irish Sea what they be 141.7 Grounds made fruitfull with burning ashes 119 4 Guartiger Maur 111.5 Gwent a part of South-Wales now Monmouth-shire how confined 100.20 How it is divided into Cantreves and Commots ibid. Guith i. the Isle of Wight 15.7 Guy of Warwicke beheadeth Piers of Gaveston 53.4 Guy-Cliffe 53.7 Guorong the Lieutenant of Kent 7.11 H Hadrians Wall limiting the Romane Province in England 6.9 Hadriaâ— 4. Pope where borne and his death 36.6 Hales Monastery 47.11 Blood of Hales ibid. Halifaâ— a great Parish why so called 77.8 Halifas Law ibid. Haly-werke folke 83.6 Hant-shire how bordered upon 13.1 The dimension thereof 13 2 The aire and soil thereof 13.3 4 What Havens Creekes and Casâ—les it hath 13.5 By what people inhabited in old time 13.6 What commodities it yeeldeth 13.8 What Religious Houses Hundreds and Townes therein 13.11 Hardy-Canute his death 11.6 Lord â—ohn Harrington Baron of Exton 59.5 His draught of Rutland-shiâ—â— ibid. Harbâ—h a great towne in Merioâ—th-shire 99.10 Harbâ—h towne castle 117.6 The position thereof 117.7 Harod Godwins sonne King of England vanquisheth Harold Harfager King of Norway 92.1 Harold Olaves sonne King of Man drowned in a tempest 92.12 Havering how it tooke name 31.9 Hawadâ—n Castle 121.7 Heglâ—andmen 2.12 Heil Saxon Idol 17.6 Helbâ—ks 79.3 Hellâ—ettles 83.7 Helâ—et of gold digged up in Liâ—oln-shire 63.6 Henâ—st beheaded 78.10 Henâ— Prince of Wales Duke of â—ornwall Englands great hoâ— 21.6 Henâ— Prince of Scotland haâ—y escapeth death at the sieâ— of Ludlow 71.6 Heâ— the 4. Emperour of Amaine buried in Saint Wâ—burgs Church at Chesteâ— 73.7 Phil Herbert first
reigned three yeers till all the princes of the Ilands agreeing together rose up against him and made him flie into Ireland 6 An. Do. 1111. Olave the son of Godred Crovan aforesaid began his reigne and reigned fourtie yeers a peaceable Prince He took to wife Affrica the daughter of Fergus of Galway of whom he begat Godred By his Concubines he had Raignald Lagman and Harald besides many daughters whereof one was married to Summerled Prince of Herergaidel who caused the ruine of the Kings of the Ilands On her he begat four sons Dungal Raignald Engus and Olave 7 An. Dom. 1144. Godred the son of Olave was created King of Man and reâ—gned thirty yeers In the third yeer of his reign the people of Dublin sent for him and made him their King Which Mure-card King of Ireland maligning raised war and sent Osibeley his half brother by the mothers side with 3000. men at Armes to Dublin who by Godred and the Dublinians was slaine and the rest all put to flight These atchievemeÌ„ts made Godred returned to Man and began to use tyranny turning the Noblemen out of their inheritances Whereupon one called Thorfin Otters sonne being mightier then the rest came to Summerled and made Dulgal Summerleds son king of the Ilands whereof Godred having intelligence prepared a Navie of 80. Ships to meet Summerled And in the yeer 1156 there was a battle fought at Sea on Twelfth day at night many slain on both sides But the next day they grew to a pacification and divided the Kingdome of the Ilands among themselves This was the cause of the overthrow of the Kingdom of the Iles. 8 An. 1158. Summerled came to Man with a Fleet of fiftie three sayle put Godred to flight and wasted the land Godred upon this crossed over to Norway for aide against Summerled But Summerled in the mean time arriving at Rhinfrin and having gathered together a fleet of a 160. ships coveting to subdue all Scotland by the just judgement of God was vanquished by a few and both himself and his son slain with an infinite number of people 9 The fourth day after Raignald began to reigne but Godred coming upon him out of Norway with a great multitude of armed men took his brother Raignald and bereft him both of his eyes and genitall members On the fourth Ides of November An. Dom. 1187. Godred King of the Ilands died and his body was translated to the I le of Ely He left behinde him three sons Raignald Olave and Yuar He ordained in his life time that Olave should succeed him because he onely was born legitimate But the people of Man seeing him to be scarce ten yeers old sent for Raignald and made him their King This caused great division and many turbulent attempts between the two Brethren for the space of thirty eight yeers which had no end till at a place called Tniguaâ—â—a there was a battle struck between them wherein Olave had the victory and Raignald was slaine The Monkes of Russin translated his body unto the Abbey of S. Mary de Fournes and there interred it in a place which himself had chosen for that purpose 10 An. 1230. Olave and Godred Don who was Raignalds sonne with the Norwegians came to Man and divided the Kingdom among themselves Olave held Man and Godred being gone unto the Ilands was slaine in the I le Lodhus So Olave obtained the Kingdome of the Iles. He dyed the twelfth Calends of Iune An. 1237. in S. Patricks Iland and was buryed in the Abbey of Russin 11 Harrold his sonne succeeded him being foureteene yeers of age and reigned twelve yeers In the yeer 1239. he went unto the King of Norway who after two yeares confirmed unto him his heyres and successours under his Seal all the Ilands which his Predecessours had possessed 12 An. Do. 1242. Harrold returned out of Norway and being by the inhabitants honourably received had peace with the Kings of England and of Scotland The same yeer he was sent for by the King of Norway and married his daughter In the yeer 1249. as he returned homeward with his wife he was drowned in a tempest neer unto the coasts of Radland 13 An. Dom. 1249. Raignald the sonne of Olave and brother to Harrold began his reign and on the thirtieth day thereof was slaine by one Yuar a Knight in a meadow neer unto the holy Trinity Church and lyeth buried in the Church of S. Mary of Russin 14 In the yeer 1252. Magnus the son of Olave came to Man and was made King The next yeer following he went to the King of Norway and stayed there a yeer 15 In the yeer 1265. Magnus Olaves son King of Man and of the Ilands departed this life at the Castle of Russin and was buryed in the Church of S. Mary of Russin 16 In the yeer 1266. the Kingdome of the Ilands was translated by reason of Alexander King of Scots who had gotten into his hands the western Ilands and brought the I le of Man under his dominion as one of that number 17 An. 1340. William Montacute Earl of Salisbury wrested it from the Scotish by strong hand and force of Armes and in the yeer 1393. as Thomas Walsingham saith he sold Man and the Crown thereof unto William Scroope for a great summe of money But he being beheaded for high Treason and his goods confiscate it came into the hands of Henry the fourth King of England who granted this Iland unto Henry Percy Earl of Northumberland But Henry Percy entring into open rebellion the fift yeer following the king sent Sir Iohn Stanley William Stanley to seize the I le and Castle of Man the inheritance whereof he granted afterwards to Sir Iohn Stanley his heirs by Letters patents with the Patronage of the Bishopricke c. So that his heires and successours who were honoured with the Title of Earles of Darby were commonly called Kings of Man HOLY ILAND THis Iland is called Lindisfarne by the River Lied that is opposite unto it on the Coast of Northumberland Beda tearmeth it a Demy Iland The Britaines name it Inis Medicante for that it twice every day suffereth an extraordinary inundation and over-flowng of the Ocean in manner of an Iland which twice likewise makes it continent to the Land and returning unto her watry habitation laies the Shoare bare again as before It is called in English Holy-Iland for that in ancient times many Monks have been accustomed to retire themselves thither and to make it their receptacle for solitude having on the West and South Northumberland and more South-Eastward the Iland Farne 2 The form of it is long and narrow the West side narrower then the East and are both conjoyned by a very small spang of Land that is left unto Conies The South is much broader then the rest It is from East to West about two thousand two hundred and fiftie pases and from North to South twelve hundred and