William Vescy fled into France and would not fight Then the King of England gave all the Seigniories and Lordships which were the Lord William Vescies unto Sir John Fitz-Thomas to wit Kildare Rathemgan and many others The same yeere Gilbert Clare Earle of Glocester returned out of Ireland into England likewise Richard Earle of Ulster soon after the feast of S. Nicholas was taâ—en prisoner by Sir John Fitz-Thomas and kept in ward within the Castle of Ley unto the feast of Saint Gregorie the Pope whose enlargement was then made by the counsell of the Lord the King in a Parliament at Kilkenny for the taking of whom the foresaid Sir Iohn Fitz-Thomas gave all his lands to wit Slygah with the pertenances which he had in Connaght Item the Castle of Kildare was won Kildare and the country round about it is spoiled by the English and Irish. Caluagh burnt all the Rolls and Tallies of the said Earle Great dearth and pestilence there was throughout Ireland this yeere and the two next ensuing Item Lord William Odyngzele is made Justice of Ireland MCCXCV Edward King of England built the Castle de Bello-Marisco that is Beaumaris in Venedocia which is called mother of Cambria and of the common sort Anglesey entring unto the said Anglesey straight after Easter and subduing the Venodotes that is the able men of Anglesey under his dominion and soone after this time namely after the feast of St. Margaret Madock at that time the elect Prince of Wales submitting himselfe to the Kings grace and favour was brought by Iohn Haverings to London and there shut up prisoner in the towre expecting the Kings grace and benevolence This yeere died Lord William Odingzele Justice of Ireland the morrow after S. Mary of Aegypt whom succeeded Sir Thomas Fitz-Maurice in the Justiceship Item about the same time the Irish of Leinster wasted Leinster burning New-castle with other townes Item Thomas Torbevile a traitor of the King and the realm being convicted was drawne through the middest of London lying along prostrate guarded with foure tormentors disguised under vizzards taunting and reviling him and thus in the end was hanged upon a jibbet in chaines so as his carcase might not be committed to sepulture but kites carrion crowes and ravens celebrated his funerals This Thomas was one of them which at the siege of the Castle of Rions were taken prisoners and brought to Paris Who spake unto the Peeres of France and said that he would betray the King of England into their hands and leaving there his two sonnes for hostages returned from the parts beyond-sea joining himself unto the King of England and his counsell relating unto them all how craftily he escaped out of prison and when hee had gotten intelligence of the Kings designement and the ordering of the kingdome hee put all in writing and directed the same unto the Provost of Paris For which being in the end convicted he received the sentence of judgement aforesaid Item about the same time the Scots having broken the bond of peace which they had covenanted with the Lord Edward King of England made a new league with the King of France and conspiring together rose up in armes against their owne soveraigne Lord and King Iohn Balliol and enclosed him within the inland parts of Scotland in a castle environed and fensed round about with mountaines They elected unto themselves after the manner of France twelve Peeres to wit foure Bishops foure Earles and foure Lords of the Nobilitie by whose will and direction all the affaires of the kingdome should be managed And this was done in despite and to disgrace the King of England for that against the will and consent of the Scots the said John was by the King of England set over them to be their Soveraigne Item the King of England brought an armie againe toward Scotland in Lent following to represse the rash arrogancie and presumption of the Scots against their owne father and King Item Sir Iohn Wogan was made Justice of Ireland and the Lord Thomas Fitz-Maurice gave place unto him Item the said John Wogan Justice of Ireland made peace and truce to last for two yeeres betweene the Earle of Ulster and Iohn Fitz-Thomas and the Geraldines Item in these dayes about the feast of Christ his Nativitie Gilbert Clare Earle of Glocester finished this life Item the King of England sendeth his brother Edmund with an armie into Gascoigne MCCXCVI The Lord Edward King of England the third day before the Calends of Aprill to wit upon Friday that fell out then to be in Easter weeke wonne Berwicke wherein were slaine about 7000. Scots and of the English one onely Knight to wit Sir Richard Cornwall with seven footmen and no more Item shortly after namely upon the fourth of May he entred the Castle of Dunbar and tooke prisoners of the enemies about fortie men alive who all submitted themselves to the Kings grace and mercie having before defeated the whole armie of the Scots that is to say slaine seven hundred men of armes neither were there slaine of the English men in that service as well of horsemen as of footmen but ... footmen onely Item upon the day of Saint John before Port-Latin no small number of Welshmen even about fifteene thousand by commandement of the King went into Scotland to invade and conquer it And the same time the great Lords of Ireland to wit Iohn Wogan Justice of Ireland Richard Bourk Earle of Ulster Theobald Butler and Iohn Fitz-Thomas with others came to aide and sailed over sea into Scotland The King of England also entertaining them upon the third day before the Ides of May to wit on Whitsunday made a great and solemne feast in the Castle of Rokesburgh to them and other Knights of England Item upon the next Wednesday before the feast of Saint Barnabe the Apostle hee entred the towne of Edeâ—burgh and wonne the Castle before the feast of Saint John Baptist and shortly after even in the same summer were all the Castles within the compasse of Scotland rendred up into his hands Item the same Lord John Balliol King of Scotland came though unwilling upon the Sunday next after the feast of the translation of Saint Thomas the Archbishop to the King of England with Earles Bishops and a great number of Knights beside and submitted themselves unto the Kings grace and will saving life and limbe and the Lord John Balliol resigned up all his right of Scotland into the King of England his hand whom the Lord the King sent toward the parts about London under safe conduct Item Edmund the King of Englands brother died in Gascoigne MCCXCVII Lord Edward King of England sailed over into Flanders with a power of armed men against the King of France for the warre that was raised betweene them where after great expences and much altercation a certaine forme of peace was concluded betweene them with this condition that they should submit themselves unto the ordinance of
bee made from without the towne of Batiboght unto the Causey of the Mil-poole of Clontarf whereas before time the passengers that way were much endangered But after he had defraied great charges thereabout by reason of a mightie inundation and floud the bridge with the arches fell downe Also Master John Leeks Achbishop of Dublin in the feast of St. Laurence ended this mortall life Then in a schisme and division of sides were elected for to bee Archbishop of Dublin Master Walter Thornbury the Kings Chancellor in Ireland and Master Alexander Bicknore Treasurer of Ireland but Walter Thornbury was drowned and many others to wit about one hundred fiftie and sixe took the sea and the night following were all drowned At the time of the foresaid Walters death Alexander Bicknore expected at home the Popes favour The same Alexander was made Archbishop of Dublin Item the Lord Miles Verdon espoused the daughter of the Lord Richard Excester Item the same yeere the Lord Robert Brus overthrew the Castle of Man and vanquished the Lord Donegan O-Dowill on S. Barnabes day And the Lord John Burck heire unto Richard Earle of Ulster died at Galwey on the feast of St. Marcellus and Marcellianus Also the Lord Edmund Botiller dubbed thirtie Knights in Dublin Castle on Sunday and St. Michaels day MCCCXIV The Knights Hospitallers had the lands given unto them of the Templars in Ireland Item Sir John Parice is slaine at Pount Also Lord Theobald Verdon came Lord Justice of Ireland on Saint Sylvesters day Item Sir Gefferey Genevile a Frier died the twelfth day before the Calends of November and was buried in his owne order of the Friers Preachers of Trym who was Lord also of the libertie of Meth. More in the same yeere and upon S. Matthew the Apostles day Loghseudy was burnt and on the friday following the Lord Edmund Botiller received his Commission to be Lord Justice of Ireland MCCCXV On St. John Baptists day the Earle of Glocester had his deaths wound given him and died when many others as it were without number were slaine in Scotland and more taken prisoners by the Scots For which cause the Scots became bold and carried their heads aloft and gat good land and tributes out of Northumberland Item shortly after this came the Scots and besieged the towne of Carlile where James Douglas was squized to death by misfortune of a certaine wall falling upon him The same yeere the Scots not contented with their owne land arrived in the North part of Ireland at Clondonne with sixe thousand fighting men and expert warriours to wit Edward Brus whole brother to Robert King of Scots and with him the Earl of Morreff John Meneteth John Steward the Lord John Cambel Thomas Randolfe Fergus Andressan John Bosco and John Bisset who seized Ulster into their hands and drave the Lord Thomas Mandevile and other liege men out of their owne possessions The Scots entred Ireland first on St. Augustines day that was the Englishmens Apostle in the moneth of May neere unto Crag-fergus in Ulster betweene whom and the English the first conflict was neere unto Banne in which the Earle of Ulster was put to flight there were taken prisoners William Burk John Stanton and many others and the Scots having slaine a number of the English prevailed and had the day The second conflict was at Kintys in Meth wherein Roger Mortimer with his followers was put to flight The third conflict was at Sketheris hard by Arstoll the morrow after the conversion of S. Paul wherein the Englishmen were chaced and the Scots had the better hand And the foresaid Edward Brus soone after the feast of Philip and Jacob caused himselfe to be crowned King of Ireland and they tooke Greene Castle and left their men there whom the Dublinians quickly after expelled and recovered the said Castle to the Kings behoof and finding Sir Robert Coulragh the Keeper of the Castle there brought him with them to Dublin who being imprisoned and put to short diet ended his dayes Item upon Peter and Paul the Apostles day came the Scots before Dundalk and won the towne spoiled and burnt it killing as many as made resistance and a great part of Urgale was burnt by the Scots The Church of the blessed Virgin Mary in Atterith being full of men women and little children was burnt by the Scots and Irish. In the same yeere the Lord Edmund Botiller Justice of Ireland about the feast of S. Mary Maudlen assembled together a mightie power out of Mounster Leinster and other parts and the Earle of Ulster on the contrarie side as it were comming from the parts of Connaght with an infinite army met all together about Dundalk and consulted among themselves to kill the Scots but how it is not knowne the Scots fled otherwise as hope was they had been taken prisoners Which done the Earle of Ulster with the foresaid Justice and other great Lords tooke in hand after they had slaine the Scots to bring the Lord Edward le Brus quicke or dead to Dublin which Earle followed them in chase as far as to the water of Branne and afterwards the said Earle retired backe toward Coyners which the said Brus perceiving warily passed over the said water and followed him whom with some other of the Earles side hee put to flight having wounded George Roch and slaine others namely Sir John Stanton and Roger de sancto Bosco that is Holy-wood likewise on the part of Brus many were slaine and the Lord Wiliam Burk was taken prisoner the tenth day of the moneth of September and the Earle was defeated neere unto Coyners and then the Irish of Connaght and Meth rose up in armes against the King and against the Earle of Ulster and burnt the Castle of Atholon and of Raudon and many other Castles in the said war of Coyners The Baron of Donell bare himselfe there right valiantly but he lost much goods there and the said Scots manfully chased them as far as to Cragfergus and there on the Earls side they fled and some entred the Castle and valiantly kept it and afterwards came mariners from the havens and Port townes of England and on a night surprised the Scots and slew fortie of them and had away their tents and many things else And the morrow after the exaltation of the holy Crosse the Earle of Morreff passed the seas into Scotland and took the Lord William Brus with him seeking for more warlike and armed men with foure Pirats ships full of the goods of Ireland whereof one was sunke all which time the said Brus laid siege to the Castle of Cragfergus At the same time Cathill Roge razed three Castles of the Earles of Ulster in Connaught and many townes in the same Connaught he burnt and sacked And at the same time the said mariners went to the said Castle and the Lords there skirmished and in the meane time slew many Scots at which time Richard Lan de O-ferivill was by a certaine Irishman
brought letters to the Lord Roger Mortimer that he should addresse himselfe to repaire unto the King who did so and substituted the Lord William Archbishop of Cashil Custos of Ireland who at one and the same time was Lord Justice of Ireland Lord Chancellour and Archbishop And afterward at the three weekes end after Easter there came newes to Dublin that the Lord Richard Clare was slaine and with him foure Knights namely Sir Henry Capell Sir Thomas Naas Sir James Cannon and Sir John Caunton also Adam Apilgard with 80. other men by O-Brene and Mac-Carthy on the feast of Saint Gordian and Epimachus And it was reported that the said Lord Richard his body was in despightfull malice cut into small pieces but his reliques were enterred in Limerick among the Friers Minors Item on sunday in Mense Paschae that is a moneth after Easter Iohn Lacy was led forth of the castle of Dublin and brought to Trim for to be arraigned and to heare and receive his judgment there who was adjudged to be strait dieted and so he died in prison Item the sunday before the Lords Ascension Lord Roger Mortimer sailed over into England but paied nothing for his victuals that he had taken up in Dublin and elsewhere which amounted to the value of one thousand pounds Also the same yeere about the feast of S. Iohn Baptist the great grace and mercy of God was shewed in that wheat which before was sold for 15. shillings was now not worth above seven shillings and oates were bought for five shillings great plentie there was of wine salt and fish and that in such sort that about St. Iames day there was new bread to be had of new corne a thing that never or seldome had been seen afore in Ireland and this was a signe of Gods tender mercy and all through the praier of the poore and other faithfull folke Item the Sunday after the feast of Saint Michael newes came to Dublin that Lord Alexander Bykenore then the Kings Justice in Ireland and Archbishop of Dublin was arrived at Yoghall On S. Denis day he came to Dublin and with great procession and honourable pompe of the religious persons and of others as well of the Clergy as the Laity he was received Item on Saturday falling out to be the feast of Pope Calixtus a field was fought betweene the Scots and English of Ireland two leagues from the towne of Dundalk to which battell came of the Scots part the Lord Edward Brus who named himselfe King of Ireland the Lord Philip Mowbray the Lord Walter Soules the Lord Alan Stewart with his three brethren also Sir Walter Lacy Sir Robert and Sir Aumar Lacy John Kermerdyne and Walter White and about 3000. others Against whom came into the field of the English side the Lord John Bermingham Sir Richard Tuit Sir Miles Verdon Sir Hugh Tripton Sir Herbert Sutton Sir Iohn Cusack Sir Edward and Sir William Bermingham and the Primate of Armagh who assoiled them all Sir Walter Larpulk and certain came from Tredagh to the number of twenty well appointed and choice souldiers whom John Maupas accompanied and so they joined the said battell The English were the first that entred with great vigour upon the front and vaward where the said John Maupas manfully and with much honour in this conflict slew the Lord Edward Brus which John also was found slaine upon the body of the said Edward and all the Scots in manner were killed up even to the number of two thousand or thereabout whereby few of the Scots escaped beside the Lord Philip Mowbray who also was wounded to death and Sir Hugh Lacy Sir Walter Lacy with some few others that were with them made shift hardly to save themselves This fortuned between Dundalk and Faghird Now the head of the foresaid Edward the said Lord John Bermingham brought unto the said Lord King of England upon whom the King bestowed at the same time the Earledome of Louth to him and to his heires males and the Barony of Aterith And one quarter with the hands and heart of the foresaid Edward were carried to Dublin and the other quarters divided and sent to other places MCCCXIX The Lord Roger Mortimer returned out of England and is eftsoones made Lord Justice of Ireland The same yeere at the feast of All-Saints came a Bull from the Pope to excommunicate Robert Brus King of Scotland at every Masse Also the towne of Athisell and a great part of the country was burnt by the Lord John Fitz-Thomas whole brother of the Lord Moris Fitz-Thomas In this yeere the foresaid Iohn Bermingham was created Earle of Louth Also the Stone bridge of Kil-Coleyn was built by Master Moris Iacke Canon of the Cathedrall Church of Kildare MCCCXX In the time of Pope John the 22. and of the Lord Edward sonne to King Edward which Edward after the comming of Saint Austin into England was the 25. King also under Alexander Bicknore then Archbishop of Dublin beganne the Universitie of the said Citie of Dublin The first that proceeded Master in the same Universitie was Frier William Hardite of the order of preaching Friers which William under the said Archbishop solemnly commenced Doctor in Divinity The second Master that proceeded in the same faculty was Frier Henry Cogry of the order of the Friers Minors the third Master that went forth was William Rodyard Dean of the Cathedrall Church of Saint Patricke in Dublin who solemnly commenced Doctor in the Canon law And this William was made the first Chancellour of the said University The fourth Master in sacred Theologie or Divinity that went out was Frier Edmund Kermerdin Item Roger Mortimer Lord Justice of Ireland returned into England leaving in his place the Lord Thomas Fitz-John then Earle of Kildare Item the Lord Edmund Botiller entred into England and so came to Saint James Also the bridge of the towne of Leghelyn was built by Master Moris Iack Canon of the Cathedrall Church of Kildare MCCCXXI A very great overthrow with much slaughter of the O-Conghors was given at Balibogan the ninth day of May by the men of Leinster and of Meth. Item the Lord Edmund Botiller died in London and lieth buried at Balygaveran in Ireland Also Iohn Bermingham Earle of Louth is made Lord Justice in Ireland Likewise Iohn Wogan departed this life MCCCXXII Andrew Bermingham and Nicolas de La-Lond Knight and many others are slaine by O-Nalan on St. Michaels day MCCCXXIII A truce is taken betweene the King of England and Robert Brus King of Scotland for 14. yeeres Also Iohn Darcie came chiefe Justice of Ireland Item John the first begotten sonne of the Lord Thomas Fitz-Iohn Earle of Kildare in the ninth yeere of his age ended this life MCCCXXIV Nicolas Genevile sonne and heire to the Lord Simon Genevile departed out of this world and was buried in the Church of the Friers Preachers of Trym Item there hapned a great wind on twelfe day at night Item a generall murrain
the Earledome of Oxford hath flourished a long time in the Family of Vere which derive their descent from the Earles of Guines and that surname from Vere a towne in Zeland They received the beginning of their greatnesse and honour here in England from King Henry the First who advanced Aubrey de Vere for his singular wisedome with sundry favours and benefits as namely with the Chamberlainship of England and Portgreveship of the City of London To his son Aubrey Henry the Second before hee was established King and when hee used onely this stile Henry Sonne to King Henries daughter right heire of England and Normandie restored first the Chamberlan-shippe which hee had lost in the civill broiles and then offered unto him which of the Titles he himselfe would choose of these foure Earledomes Dorset Wilshire Barkshire and Oxfordshire that he might divert him from Stephen then usurping the Kingdome and assure him to himselfe And in the end both Maude the Empresse and Henry also her son being now come to the Crowne by their severall Charters created him Earle of Oxford Among those that descended from him not to recount every one in their course and order these were they that purchased greatest fame and honour Robert de Vere who being in very high favour with King Richard the second was honoured with these new and strange dignities not heard of before namely Marquesse of Dublin and Duke of Ireland of which as one said he left nothing at all to himselfe but to his Tombe titles and to the world matter of talke For shortly after through the spitefull envy of the Nobles as much against the King as against him he was dispoiled of his estate and ended his dayes miserably in exile Iohn the First of that name so trusty and true to the House of Lancaster that both Hee and his Sonne and Heire Aubrey lost their heads therefore together in the First yeere of King Edward the Fourth Iohn his second Sonne a right skilfull and expert Martiall man neverthelesse was most firme and faithfull to the said House of Lancaster fought in sundry battells against King Edward the Fourth defended and made good for a while Saint Michaels Mount and was an especiall assistant unto Henry the Seaventh in attaining to the Kingdome Another Iohn likewise in the reigne of Henry the Eighth a Man in all parts of his life so sincere so religious and so full of goodnesse that hee gained the surname of the Good Earle Hee was great Grandfather of Henry that is now Earle and the Eighteenth of this race in Lineall discent and also Grandfather of Sir Francis and Sir Horatio Vere brethren who by their singular knowledge in Military affaires and exploits most valiantly and fortunately atchieved in the Low-Countries have added exceeding much honour and glory to themselves and to the ancient Nobility of their Family This Countie containeth Parish Churches 280. CATTIEUCHLANI VPon the DOBUNI Eastward there confined the people which Ptolomee calleth according to the diversity of copies CATTIEUCHLANI CATTIDUDANI CATHICLUDANI and Dio CATTUELLANI Which of these might bee the truest name I can not easily say Yet give me leave I pray you in this place to cast forth my conjecture although it is an abortive concerning this point I have beene of opinion that these were in old time called CASSII that of this Cassii their Prince was named Cassivellaunus or Cassibelinus for so wee finde it diversely written Also that of Cassivellaunus name this very people were by the Grecians termed Cattuellani Cathuellani and Cattieuchlani For among the Nations of Britaine Caesar reckoneth the CASSII who that they were seated in these parts it is most certaine and of whose name a prety portion of this Tract is at this day called Caishow And seeing that Cassivellaunus ruled this Country as it appeareth by Caesar and in the said name of his this denomination of CASSII doth most plainly bewray it selfe it may seeme probable enough that Cassivellaunus was so named as one would say The Prince of the Cassii And unlesse it were so why should Dio name this Cassivellaunus Suellan for Vellan and Ninnius the Britan call him not Cassibellinus but Bellinus as though that Bellinus were the proper name either of the Man or of his Dignity Neither let it seeme strange that Princes in old time tooke names of their owne Nations The Catti in Germanie had their Cattimarus the Teutons their Teutomarus and Teutobochus the Daci their Decebalus and the Goths their Gottiso And what should let but that our Cassii might have their Cassibelinus Considering that Belinus hath beene an usuall name in this Island and some have thought that Cunobelinus who reigned amongst the Iceni was so called as one would say the Belinus of the Iceni From this Cassivellaunus therefore if the Greeke writers have not wrested these names Cattuellani and Cattieuchlani c. I confesse that in this matter mine eye-sight fayleth mee altogether and I see plainely nothing But whence this people should come to bee named CASSII I know not unlesse happily it were of their Martiall prowesse For Servius Honoratus writeth that the ancient Gaules who spake the same language that Britans did called hardy and valiant men Gessos Whence Ninnius interpreteth Cethilou a Brittish word The seede of Warriours Now that these excelled in Warlike prowesse it is manifest for before Caesars comming they had warred continually with their Neighbours they had reduced part of the DOBUNI under their subjection the Britans had chosen their Prince Generall over all their forces in the Warre against Caesar and they had enlarged their Empire and name farre abroad every way For all those generally were knowne by the name of CASSII or CATTIEUCHLANI who now take up three Shires or Counties to wit Buckingham-shire Bedford-shire and Hertford-shire Of whom I am now to speake in order and that briefely because I have not much to say of any of them BUCKINGHAÌ„ Comitatus in quo olim insederunt CATTIEUCHLANI BVCKINGHAM-SHIRE WHereas Buckingham-shire is given to bring forth Beech trees plentifully which the English-Saxons in elder times called Bucken it may seeme conjecturally that Buckingham the chiefe Towne and so the whole shire tooke the name from Beech trees For there is a Country in Germany bearing Beech trees named Buchonia and with us a towne in Norfolke called Buckenham fruitfull of Beech as I have beene enformed This shire carrying but a small bredth runneth forth in length from the Tamis North-ward On the South-side it looketh into Barke-shire severed from it by the river Tamis on the West Oxford-shire from the North it hath Northhampton-shire and from the East first Bedford-shire then Hertford-shire and afterward Middle-sex The Country generally is of a rich plentifull soile and passing full of Inhabitants who chiefly employ themselves in graizing of cattell It is divided into two parts whereof the one bending into the South and East and rising into hills they call Chilterne in the English-Saxon
Penbroke by vertue of King Edward the Third his Brieffe The Copie whereof I thinke good to set downe heere that wee may see what was the right by heires generall in these honorary Titles Rex omnibus ad quos c. salutem The King to all unto whom c. Greeting Know yee that the good presage of circumspection and vertue which wee have conceived by the towardly youth and happy beginnings of our most welbeloved cozin Laurence Hastings induce us worthily to countenance him with our especiall grace and favour in those things which concerne the due preservation and maintenance of his honour Whereas therefore the inheritance of Aimar of Valence sometime Earle of Penbroke as hee was stiled deceased long since without heire begotten of his body hath beene devolved unto his sisters proportionably to be divided among them and their heires because we know for certaine that the foresaid Laurence who succeedeth the said Aimar in part of the inheritance is descended from the elder sister of Aimar aforesaid and so by the avouching of the learned with whom wee consulted about this matter the prerogative both of name and honour is due unto him We deeme it just and due that the same Laurence claiming his Title from the elder sister assume and have the name of Earle of Penbroke which the said Aimar had whiles he lived Which verily we as much as lyeth in us confirme ratifie and also approve unto him willing and granting that the said Laurence have and hold the prerogative and honour of Earle Palatine in those lands which hee holdeth of the said Aimars inheritance so fully and after the same manner as the same Aimar had and held them at the time of his death In witnesse the King at Mont-Martin the thirteenth day of October and in the thirteenth of our Raigne After Laurence succeeded his sonne John who being taken prisoner by the Spaniards in a battaile at sea and in the end ransomed died in France in the yeere 1375. After him followed his sonne John who in a running at Tilt at Woodstocke was slaine by Sir Iohn Saint Iohn casually in the yeere 1391. And it was observed that for five generations together in this Family I know not by what destiny the father never saw his sonne Now for default of his issue there fell very many possessions and faire revenewes into the Kings hands as our Lawyers use to speake and the Castle of Penbroke was granted unto Francis At-Court a Courtier in especiall great favour who thereupon was commonly called Lord of Pembroke Not long after Humfrey sonne to King Henry the Fourth before he was Duke of Glocester received this title of his brother King Henry the Fifth and before his death King Henry the Sixth granted the same in reversion a thing not before heard of to William de la Pole Earle of Suffolke after whose downefall the said King when hee had enabled Edmund of Hadham and Iasper of Hatfield the sonnes of Queene Katharin his mother to bee his lawfull halfe brethren created Iasper Earle of Penbroke and Edmund Earle of Richmond with preheminence to take place above all Earles For Kings have absolute authority in dispensing honours But King Edward the Fourth depriving Iasper of all his honours by attaindour and forfeiture gave the Title of Pembroke to Sir William Herbert for his good service against Iasper in Wales but hee shortly after lost his life at the battaile of Banbury Then succeeded his sonne bearing the same name whom King Edward the Fourth when hee had recovered the Kingdome invested in the Earledome of Huntingdon and bestowed the Title of Penbroke being surrendred upon his eldest sonne and heire Edward Prince of Wales A long time after King Henry the Eighth invested Anne Bollen to whom he was affianced Marchionesse of Pembroke with a mantle and Coronet in regard both of her Nobility and also her vertues for so runne the words of the Patent At length king Edward the Sixth adorned Sir William Herbert Lord of Caerdiffe with the Title of Earle of Penbroke after whom succeeded his sonne Henry who was Lord President of Wales under Queene Elizabeth And now his sonne William richly accomplished with all laudable endowments of body and minde enjoyeth the same Title This Family of the Herberts in these parts of Wales is honourable and of great antiquity As lineally propagated from Henry Fitz Herbert Chamberlaine to king Henry the First who married the said kings Paramor the mother of Reginald Earle of Cornwall as I was first enformed by Robert Glover a man passing skilfull in the study of Genealogies by whose untimely death that knowledge hath sustained a great losse There are in this Shire Parishes 145. CARDIGAN-SHIRE FRom Saint Davids Promontory the shore being driven backe aslope Eastward letteth in the Sea within a vast and crooked Bay upon which lyeth the third Region of the Dimetae in English called CARDIGAN-SHIRE in British Sire Aber-Tivi by old Latine Writers Ceretica if any man thinke of King Caratacus this may seeme a conjecture proceeding out of his owne braine and not grounded upon any certaine authority and yet wee reade that the worthy Caratacus so worthily renowned was the Soveraigne Ruler in these parts A plaine and champion Country it is Westward where it lyeth to the Sea as also on the South side where the River Tivie separateth it from Caermarden-shire But in the East and North sides which bound upon Brechnock and Montgomery-shires there is a continued range or ridge of hils that shoot along yeelding goodly pasture ground under which there be spread sundry large Pooles That in ancient times this Shire as the rest also of Wales was not planted and garnished with Cities but with little cottages it may bee gathered by that speech of their Prince Caratacus who being taken Prisoner when he had throughly viewed the glorious magnificence of Rome What meane you saith he when yee have these and such like stately buildings of your owne to covet our small cottages Howbeit the places heere of most Antiquity let us breifly view over The River Tivie which Ptolomee calleth TUEROBIUS but corruptly in stead of Dwr-Tivius that is The River Tivie issueth out of the Poole Lin-Tivy beneath the hils whereof I spake before first cumbred as it were with stones in the way and rumbling with a great noise without any chanell and so passeth through a very stony tract neere unto which at Rosse the Mountainers keepe the greatest Faire for cattaile in all those parts untill it come to Strat-fleur a Monastery long since of the Cluniack Monkes compassed about with hilles From thence being received within a chanell it runneth downe by Tregaron and Lhan-Devi-brevi built and so named in memoriall of David Bishop of Menevia where he in a frequent Synode refuted the Pelagian Heresie springing up againe in Britaine both by the holy Scriptures and also by a miracle while the earth whereon he stood as he preached arose
the same so prone is mans nature to entertain the worst that one would not beleeve in how short a time some English among them degenerate and grow out of kinde A PRAEFACE TO THE ANNALES OF IRELAND THus far forward was the Printers presse a going when the Honourable Lord William Howard of Naworth for the love that he beareth unto the studies of Antiquity willingly imparted unto me the Manuscript Annales of Ireland from the yeere of our Salvation MCLII unto the yeere MCCCLXX Which I thought good to publish considering that after Giraldus Cambrensis there is nothing to my knowledge extant better in this kind and because so noble and worthy a person whose they were by right in private before permitted so much Unto whom the very same thankes in manner are duly to bee yeelded for bringing them to light that were to be given unto the authour himselfe who first recorded them in writing And albeit they are penned in a stile somewhat rude and barrain as those times required yet much matter is therein contained that may illustrate the Irish Historie and would have given good light unto mee if they had not come to my hands so late Take them here therefore truly and faithfully exemplified even as I found them with all their imperfections and faults and if you have any better impart them with semblable courtesie unto us if not make use of these with us untill some one come forth and shew himselfe that will helpe us to a fuller Chronicle and happilie continue the same in length even unto our daies with more elegancie of phrase which verily would be no painfull work to be performed THE ANNALES OF IRELAND ANno Domini MCLXII Gregorie the first Archbishop of Dublin a man praise worthy every way slept in the Lord after whom succeeded holy Laurence O-Thothil who was Abbat of St. Kemnus de Glindelagh Thomas is made Archbishop of Canterburie MCLXVI Rothericke O-Conghir Prince of Connaght was made King and Monarch of Ireland MCLXVII Died Maud the Empresse The same yeere Almaricke King of Jerusalem tooke Babylon And in the same yeere Dermoc Mac-Murrogh Prince of Leinster whiles O-Rorke King of Meth was in a certaine expedition carried away his wife who was willing enough to be ravished For her selfe made meanes to be taken as a prey as we find in Cambrensis MCLXVIII Donate King of Uriel founder of Mellifont Monasterie departed in Christ. In the same yeere Robert Fitz-Stephen neither unmindfull of his promise nor a breaker of his faith came into Ireland with thirtie Knights MCLXIX Earle Richard of Stroghul sent before him into Ireland a certaine young Gentleman of his owne family named Remund with ten Knights about the Calends of May. The same yeere the said Earle Richard accompanied with two hundred Knights or thereabout and others to the number as one would say of a thousand arrived on the even of S. Bartholmew the Apostle Which Richard verily was the sonne of Gilbert Earle of Stroghul that is Chippestow sometime Strogull This Richard also was the sonne of Isabell Aunt by the mothers side of K. Malcome and William King of Scotland and of David the Earle a Gentleman of good hope and the morrow after the same Apostles day they tooke the said Citie and there Eva Dermots daughter was lawfully joined in marriage unto Earle Richard and her father gave her MCLXXI S. Thomas Becket Archbishop of Canterburie was slaine In the same yeere the Citie of Dublin was by the Earle and his companie taken And the same yeere was founded the Abbey de Castro Dei that is of Gods Castle MCLXXI Dermot Mac-Morrogh full of dayes was taken out of this world at Fernys about the Calends of May. MCLXXII The courageous King Henrie with 500. Knights arrived at Waterford and among other things gave Meth unto Sir Hugh Lacie The same yeere was founded the Abbey de Fonte vivo MCLXXIV Gelasius Archbishop of Armagh the first Primate of Ireland an holy man aged and full of daies rested in Christ. This Gelasius is said to bee the first Archbishop that wore the first pale but others before him were in name onely called Archbishops and Primates for the reverend regard and honour of St. Patricke as being the Apostle of that nation whose See was from the beginning had of all men in so great reverence that not onely Bishops and Priests and those of the Cleargie but Kings and Princes universally were subject to the Bishop thereof in all obedience After whom succeeded in the Archbishopricke Gilbert a Prelate of good memorie MCLXXV William King of Scotland was taken prisoner at Alnewicke MCLXXVI Bertram Verdon founded the Abbey of Crokisdenne MCLXXVII Earle Richard about the Calends of May died at Dublin and was buried in the Church of the holy Trinitie at Dublin The same yeere Vivian a Priest Cardinall entituled of S. Stephan in Mount Caelius came as Legat of the Apostolicall See into Ireland sent from Pope Alexander MCLXXVIII The ninth day before the Calends of December the Abbey de Samaria was founded The same yeere was founded Rose Vale that is Rosseglasse MCLXXIX Miles Cogan and Ralph the sonne of Fitz-Stephen his daughters husband were slaine betweene Waterford and Lismore c. as we read in Cambrensis The same yeere Hervie Mont-Marish entred the Monasterie of Saint Trinitie in Canterburie who founded the Monasterie of Saint Marie de Portu that is Of Donbroth MCLXXX The Abbey of the Quire of Benet was founded The same yeere was founded the Abbey of Geripount The same yeere Laurence Archbishop of Dublin upon the 18. day before the Calends of December happily slept in the Lord within the Church of Saint Marie of Aux After whom succeeded John Cumin an Englishman borne in England at Evesham chosen with good agreement and accord by the Cleargie of Dublin the King by his industry procuring the same and confirmed by the Pope which John afterwards founded the Church of Saint Patricke in Dublin MCLXXXIII The order of the Templars and Hospitallers is confirmed The same yeere is founded the Abbey de Lege Dei that is Gods Law MCLXXXV John the Kings sonne Lord of Ireland by his fathers gift came into Ireland in the 12. yeere of his age in the thirteenth yeere after his fathers comming after the comming of Fitz-Stephen the fifteenth in the 14. yeere from the comming of Earle Richard and in the same fifteenth yeere returned MCLXXXVI The order of the Cartusians and of the Grandians is confirmed In the same yeere Hugh Lacie was killed at Dervath treacherously by an Irishman because the foresaid Hugh would build a castle there and as he was teaching of an Irishman how to labour with an iron toole to wit a Pykax when Hugh bowed himselfe forward he stroke him to the ground with both hands and as he held down his head the said Irishman with an axe chopt off Hugh Lacie his head and there was an end of the conquest In the same yeere Christian Bishop of
Sampford archbishop of Dublin In the same yeer the King of Hungary forsaking the Christian faith became an Apostata and when hee had called fraudulently as it were to a Parliament the mightier potentates of his land Miramomelius a puissant Saracene came upon them with 20000. souldiers carrying away with him the King with all the Christians there assembled on the even of Saint John Baptists day as the Christians therefore journied the weather that was cleere and faire turned to be cloudie and suddenly a tempest of haile killed many thousands of the Infidels together The Christians returned to their owne homes and the Apostata King alone went with the Saracenes The Hungarians therefore crowning his sonne King continued in the Catholike faith MCCLXXXIX Tripolis a famous citie was laied even with the ground not without much effusion of Christian blood and that by the Soldan of Babylon who commanded the images of the Saints to bee drawne and dragged at horses tailes in contempt of the name of Christ through the citie newly destroyed MCCXC Inclyta Stirps Regis Sponsis datur ordine legis In lawfull guise by hand and ring Espoused is the Kings off-spring The Lord Gilbert Clare tooke to wife the Ladie Joan a daughter of the Lord King Edward in the Abbey or Covent Church of Westminster and the marriage was solemnely celebrated in the Moneth of May and John the Duke of Brabant his sonne married Margaret the said Kings daughter also in the Church aforesaid in the moneth of July The same yeere the Lord William Vescie was made Justice of Ireland entring upon the office on Saint Martins day Item O Molaghelin King of Meth is slaine MCCXCI Gilbert Clare the sonne of Gilbert and of the Ladie Joan of Acres was borne the 11. day of May in the morning betimes Item there was an armie led into Ulster against O-Hanlon and other Princes hindering the peace by Richard Earle of Ulster and William Vescie Justice of Ireland Item the Ladie Eleanor sometime Queene of England and mother of King Edward died in the feast of St. Iohn Baptist who in the religious habite which she desired led a laudable life for the space of foure yeeres eleven moneths and sixe dayes within the Abbey of Ambresby where she was a professed Nun. Item there resounded certaine rumours in the eares of the Lord Pope Martin on the even of St. Mary Maudlen as touching the Citie Acon in the holy land which was the only refuge of the Christians namely that it was besieged by Milkador the Soldan of Babylon an infinite number of his souldiers and that it had been most fiercely assaulted about fortie daies to wit from the eighth day before the Ides of April unto the fifteene Calends of July At length the wall was plucked down by the Saracens that assaulted it and an infinite number of them entred the Citie many Christians being slaine and some for feare drowned in the sea The Patriarch also with his traine perished in the sea The King of Cypres and Otes Grandison with their companies pitifully escaped by a ship Item granted there was unto the Lord Edward King of England by the Lord Pope Martin the tenth part of all the profits of Ecclesiasticall benefices for seven yeeres in Ireland toward the reliefe of the holy land Item the eldest sonne of the Earle of Clare was borne MCCXCII Edward King of England eftsoones entred Scotland and was elected King of Scotland Lord John Balliol of Galwey obtained the whole kingdome of Scotland in right of inheritance and did homage unto the Lord Edward King of England at New-castle upon Tine on S. Stephens day Florentius Earle of Holland Robert Brus Earle of Carrick John Hastings John Comyn Patrick Dunbar John Vescie Nicolas Soules and William Roos who all of them in that kingdome submitted themselves to the judgement of the Lord King Edward Item a fifteene of all secular mens goods in Ireland was granted unto the soveraign Lord King of England the same to be collected at the feast of S. Michael Item Sir Peter Genevile Knight died Item Rice ap Meredyke was brought to York and there at horses tailes drawne c. MCCXCIII A generall and open war there was at sea against the Normans Item no small number of the Normans by fight at sea was slain by the Barons of the Ports of England and other their co-adjutors between Easter and Whitsuntide For which cause there arose war between England and France whereupon Philip King of France directed his letters of credence unto the King of England that he should make personall appearance at his Parliament to answer unto Questions which the same King would propose unto him whose mandate in this behalf being not fulfilled straightwaies the King of France declaring by the counsell of the French the King of England to be outlawed condemned him Item Gilbert Clare Earle of Glocester entred with his wife into Ireland about the feast of S. Luke MCCXCIV William Montefort in the Kings counsell holden at Westminster before the King died sodainly which William was the Dean of S. Pauls in London in whose mouth the Prelates Bishops and Cleargy putting their words which he was to utter and doubting how much the King affected and desired to have of every one of them and willing by him to be certified in whom also the King reposed most trust being returned to the King and making hast before the King to deliver expresly a speech that he had conceived became speechlesse on a sodain and fell downe to the ground and was carried forth by the Kings servants in their armes in piteous manner In regard of which sight that thus happened men strucken with feare gave out these speeches Surely this man hath beene the Agent and Procurator that the Tenths of Ecclesiasticall benefices should bee paied to the King and another author and procurer of a scrutinie made into the fold and flocke of Christ as also of a contribution granted afterward to the King crying against William Item the Citie of Burdeaux with the land of Gascoigne adjoining was occupied or held by the ministers of the King of France conditionally but unjustly and perfidiously detained by the King of France for which cause John Archbishop of Dublin and certaine other Lords of the Nobilitie were sent into Almaine to the King thereof and after they had their dispatch and answer in Tordran the Lord Archbishop being returned into England ended his life upon S. Leodegaries day The bones of which John Sampford were enterred in the Church of Saint Patrick in Dublin the tenth day before the Calends of March. The same yeere there arose debate betweene Lord William Vescy Lord Justice of Ireland for the time being and the Lord John Fitz-Thomas and the said Lord Williliam Vescy crossed the seas into England left Sir William Hay in his stead Justice of Ireland but when both of them were come before the King to fight a combat under an Appeal for treason the foresaid
seas into England out of Ireland the Earle of Ulster Roger Mortimer and Sir Iohn Fitz-Thomas Item Sir Theohald Verdon died MCCCX. King Edward and Sir Piers Gaveston tooke their journey toward Scotland to fight against Robert Bruâ— Item in the said yeere great dearth there was of corn in Ireland an eranc of wheat was sold for 20. shillings and above Also the Bakers of Dublin for their false waight of bread suffered a new kinde of torment which was never seen there before for that on S. Sampson the Bishops day they were drawne upon hurdles through the streets of the Citie at horse-tailes More in the Abbey of S. Thomas Martyr at Dublin died Sir Neile Bruin Knight Escheator to the Lord the King in Ireland whose bodie was committed to the earth at the Friers minors with so great a pompe of tapers and waxe lights as the like was never seene before in Ireland The same yeere a Parliament was holden at Kildare where Sir Arnold Pover was acquit for the death of the Lord Bonevile because he had done this deed in his owne defence Likewise on S. Patricks day by assent of the Chapter M. Alexander Bickenore was elected Archbishop of Dublin Item the Lord Roger Mortimer returned into Ireland within the Octaves of the Nativitie of the blessed Virgin Marie Also the same yeere the Lord Henrie Lacie Earle of Lincolne died MCCCXI In Thomond at Bonnorathie there was a wonderfull and miraculous discomfiture given by the Lord Richard Clare unto the side of the Earle of Ulster Which Lord Richard aforesaid tooke prisoner in the field the Lord William Burke and John the sonne of the Lord Walter Lacie and many others In which battaile verily there were slaine a great number as well of the English as the Irish the 13. day before the Galends of June Item Taslagard and Rathcante were invaded by the robbers to wit the O-Brines and O-Tothiles the morrow after the Nativitie of S. John Baptist. Whereupon soon after in Autumne there was a great armie assembled in Leinster to make head and fight against the said robbers lurking in Glindelory and in other places full of woods Also a Parliament was holden at London in August betweene the King and the Barons to treat about the State of the kingdome and of the Kings houshold according to the ordinance of sixe Bishops sixe Earles and sixe Barons as they might best provide for the good of the Realme Item on the second day before the Ides of November the Lord Richard Clare slew sixe hundred of Galegalaghes More on all-All-Saints day next going before Piers Gaveston was banished the Realme of England by the Earles and Barons and many good Statutes necessarie for the commonwealth were by the same Lords made Which Piers abjured the Realme of England about the Feast of all-All-Saints and entred into Flanders foure moneths after the said Piers returned presently upon the Epiphanie and by stealth entred into England keeping close unto the Kings side so that the Barons could not easily come neere unto him And hee went with the King to Yorke making his abode there in the Lent whereupon the Bishops Earles and Barons of England came to London for to treat about the State of the kingdome for feare lest by occasion of Piers his returne the Common wealth should bee troubled with commotions Item Sir John Cogan Sir Walter Faunt and Sir John Fitz-Rerie Knights died and were buried in the Church of the Friers Preachers at Dublin Item John Mac-Goghedan is slaine by O-molmoy Item William Roch died at Dublin with the shot of an arrow by an Irish mountainer Item Sir Eustace Power Knight died Item in the Vigill of Saint Peters Chaire began a riot in Urgaly by Robert Verdon Item Donat O-Brene is traiterously slaine by his owne men in Tothomon MCCCXII Sir Peter or Piers Gaveston entred the castle of Scardeburgh resisting the Barons But soone after the Calends of June hee yeelded himselfe unto Sir Aumare Valence who had besieged him yet upon certaine conditions named before hand who brought him toward London But by the way he was taken prisoner at Dedington by the Earle of Warwicke and brought to Warwicke whereupon after counsell taken by the Earles and Barons he lost his head the thirteenth day before the Calends of July whose bodie lieth buried in the coventuall Church of the Friers Preachers at Langley Item John Wogan Lord Justice of Ireland led forth an armie to bridle the malice of Robert Verdon and his abettors which was miserably defeated the sixth day before the Ides of July in which fight were slain Nicolas Avenel Patrick Roch and many others For this fact the said Robert Verdon and many of his complices yeelded themselves unto the Kings prison at Dublin in expectance of favour and pardon Also on Thursday the morrow after Saint Lucie Virgin in the sixth yeere of King Edward the Moone was wonderfully seene of divers colours on which day determined it was that the order of Templars should be abolished for ever More in Ireland Lord Edmund Botiller was made the Lievtenant of Lord John Wogan Justice of Ireland which Edmund in the Lent following besieged the O-Brynnes in Glindelorie and compelled them to yeeld yea and brought them almost to confusion unlesse they had returned the sooner unto the peace of the Lord the King Item the same yeere on the morrow after Saint Dominickes day Lord Maurice Fitz-Thomas espoused Katherin daughter of the Earle of Ulster at Green-castle And Thomas Fitz-Iohn espoused another daughter of the same Earle the morrow after the Assumption in the same place Also the Sunday after the feast of the exaltation of the holy Crosse the daughter of the Earle of Glocester wife to the Lord Iohn Burke was delivered of a sonne MCCCXIII Frier Roland Joce Primate of Ardmach arrived at the Iland of Houth the morrow after the annuntiation of the blessed Virgin Marie and rising in the night by stealth tooke up his Crosier and advanced it as farre as to the Priorie of Grace Dieu whom there encountred certaine of the Archbishop of Dublins servants debasing and putting downe that Crosier and the Primate himselfe of Ardmagh they chaced with disgrace and confusion out of Leinster Item a Parliament was holden at London wherein little or nothing was done as touching Peace from which Parliament the King departed and tooke his journey into France at the mandate of the King of France and the King of England with many of his Nobles tooke the badge of the Crosse. Also the Lord John Fitz-Thomas knighted Nicolas Fitz-Maurice and Robert Clonhull at Adare in Mounster More on the last day of May Robert Brus sent certaine Gallies to the parts of Ulster with his rovers to make spoile whom the men of Ulster resisted and manfully chased away It is said that the same Robert arrived with the licence of the Earle to take truce Item in the same summer Master John Decer a Citizen of Dublin caused a necessarie bridge to
the said Earle having an oath tendered unto him swore upon the Sacrament that hee would never worke or procure by himselfe or by any of his friends and followers harme or grievance upon the occasion of his apprehension unto the Citizens of Dublin but that which himselfe might by order of law obtaine or get against the offenders or transgressours in that behalfe and thereupon hee had time and day untill the feast of the Nativitie of S. John Baptist at which day he came not Also in the same yeere Corne and other victuals were exceeding deere A Cranok of wheat was sold for three and twenty shillings and wine for eight denires and the whole land in maner was wasted by the Scots and Ulster-men yea many house-holders and such as had sustained and relieved a number of folk were driven to begge and a number were famished So great also was the death and dearth together that the poore were pined with famine and many died At the same time came messengers to Dublin out of England with grants of pardon which they had at their will and pleasure but before their comming the foresaid Earle was delivered And at the feast of Pentecost Mortimer the Lord chiefe Justice took his journy towards Tredagh and from thence to Trim and sent his letters for the Lacies to repaire unto him who contemptuously refused to come And afterwards Sir Hugh Crofts Knight was sent unto the Lacies to treat about a peace who by them was slain the more the pity And after that Mortimer L. Justice assembled his army against the Lacies who seized upon their goods cattell and treasure and brought them to finall destruction slew many of their men and chased them into the parts of Connaght And it was said that Sir Walter Lacie went forth as farre as to Ulster to seeke Brus. Item in the towne of St. Cinere in Flanders about the feast of Pentecost the Lord Aumar Valence and his sonne were taken prisoners and conveied into Almaini And the same yeere on Munday after the feast of the nativitie of S. John Baptist the Potentates of Ireland assembled themselves to the Parliament at Dublin and there was the Earle of Ulster enlarged who tooke his oath and found mainprisers or sureties to answer the writs of law and to pursue the Kings enemies both Irish and Scots Item upon the day of the Saints Pnocesse and Martinian Sir Iohn Atly encountred at sea Thomas Dover a right strong thiefe and took him and about forty of his men well armed he slew and his head he brought with him to Dublin Also upon the day of the translation of S. Thomas Sir Nicholas Bolscot came out of England with newes that two Cardinals were come from the Court of Rome into England to treat concerning a peace and they brought a Bull to excommunicate all the troublers of the peace of the Lord the King of England Likewise the Thursday next before the feast of St. Margaret Hugh and Walter Lacie were proclaimed seducers and felons to the King because they had advanced their banner against the peace of the Lord King of England More on the sunday following the Lord Roger Mortimer Justice of Ireland took his journey to Tredagh with all his souldiers At the same time the Ulster-men raised a bootie neere unto Tredagh and the men of Tredagh went out and fetched the bootie backe againe where was slaine Miles Cogan with his brother and sixe other great Lords of Ulster were taken prisoners and brought to the castle of Dublin And afterwards Mortimer the Lord Justice assembled his army against O-Fervill and commanded the Mal-passe to be cut downe and destroied all his houses and afterwards the said O-Fervil rendred himselfe to the peace and put in hostages Also the Lord Roger Mortimer Justice tooke his journey toward Clony and made an inquisition or inquest as touching Sir Iohn Blound to wit White of Rathregan which inquest accused the said Iohn whereupon he was of necessity to fine for two hundred marks and afterward on sunday after the feast of the nativity of blessed Marie the said Mortimer with a great power marched against the Irish of O-Mayl and came to Glinsely where many were slaine both of Irish and English but the Irish went away with the worst and soone after came O-brynn and rendred himselfe to the peace of the King And Roger Mortimer with his company came to the castle of Dublin And upon the day of Simon and Jude the Apostles the Archbales had peace by mainprise of the Earle of Kildare And at the feast of Saint Hilary following there was a Parliament holden at Lincolne about a treaty of peace betweene the Lord King of England and the Earle of Lancaster and between the Scots and the Scots continued in peace and by reason of that Parliament the Archbishop of Dublin and the Earle of Ulster staied in England by the Kings commandement And about the feast of the Epiphany there came newes to Dublin that Sir Hugh Canon the Kings Justice in his bench was slaine by Andrew Bermingham between Naas and Castle-Martin Item at the feast of the purification of the blessed Virgin Mary there came the Popes Buls so that Alexander de Bicknor was confirmed and consecrated Archbishop of Dublin and those Buls were read and published in the Church of the holy Trinity And at the same time was read another Bull that the Lord Pope ordained peace between the Lord King of England and the Lord Robert Brus King of Scotland for two yeeres to which time the said Brus refused to condescend and agree These things passed about the feast of St. Valentine Item the sunday following came the Lord Roger Mortimer to Dublin and dubbed Iohn Mortimer Knight with foure of his fellowes and the same day Mortimer kept a great feast in the castle of Dublin Item at the same time a great slaughter was made of Irishmen in Conaght through a quarrell betweene two Lords of Princes there and slaine there were of both sides about foure thousand men and afterwards there was taken great revenge upon the men of Ulster who in the time that the Scots spoiled and preaded in Ireland had done much harme and eate flesh in Lent not of necessity therefore much tribulation came upon them insomuch that they did eat one another so that often thousand there remained about 300. and no more who escaped in maner all for to be punished And here appeared the vengeance of God Item it was reported of a truth that some of the foresaid evill doers were so hunger-starved that in Church-yards they tooke the bodies out of their graves and in their skuls boiled the flesh and fed thereupon yea and women did eat their owne children for starke hunger MCCCXVIII In the Quindene of Easter newes out of England arrived in Ireland that the towne of Berwicke was betraied and taken by the Scots and afterwards in the same yeere Master Walter Islep the Kings Treasurer in Ireland landed and
Cornwall MCCCCXIII The seventh of October there landed in Ireland at Cloncarfe Iohn Stanley the Kings Lievtenant in Ireland who died the sixth of January in Atterith The same yeere after the death of Iohn Stanley Lord Lievtenant Thomas Crauley Archbishop of Dublin was chosen on the eleventh day of February Lord Justice of Ireland A Parliament eftsoons began at Dublin the morrow after Saint Matthias the Apostles day and lasted fifteene daies during which time the Irish fell to burning in divers places as they had done often in Parliament times wherefore a tallage was demanded but not granted MCCCCXIIII The English slew of the Irish the O-Mordries and O-Dempsies neer to Kilka even whiles the Justice of Ireland Thomas Crauley Archbishop of Dublin went in Procession at Tristeldermot praying with his Clerks and his servants with their countrimen overthrew of the Irish an hundred Upon the feast day of Saint Gordian and Saint Epimachus a foile or discomfiture was given to the English of Meth and there was slaine Thomas Maurevord Baron of Scrin and taken prisoners there were Christopher Fleming Iohn Dardis and many others slaine by O-Conghir and the Irish. In the vigill of Saint Martin arrived the Lord Iohn Talbot Lord Furnivall as Lievtenant of Ireland at Dalkay MCCCCXV In the moneth of November died Robert Talbot a Nobleman who walled the Suburbs of Kilkenny Item after the feast of All-Saints died Frier Patricke Baret Bishop of Ferne and a Canon of Kenlis where he was buried MCCCCXVI On the feast day of Gervasse and Prothasius the Lord Furnivall had a sonne borne at Finglas About this time the reverend Lord Stephen Fleming Archbishop of Armagh departed this life unto whom succeeded Iohn Suanig And at the same time the Lord Bishop of Ardachard Frier Adam Lyns of the order of preaching Friers Item on Saint Laurence day died Thomas Talbot Lord of Furnivall lately borne at Finglas is interred in the quire of the preaching Friers Church of Dublin within the Covent of the said Preachers A Parliament was holden at Dublin in the time whereof the Irish fell upon the English and slew many of them among whom Thomas Balimore of Baliquelan was slaine This Parliament lasted in that place sixe weekes and then was removed to Trym the eleventh day of May and there it continued eleven daies and granted there was unto the Lievtenant a subsidy of foure hundred Markes MCCCCXVII On the Eve of Philip and Iacob Apostles Thomas Crauley Archbishop of Dublin passed over into England and died at Farindon he was buried in the New Colledge at Oxford a liberall man he had beene and an almes-giver a great Clerke a Doctor in Divinity and excellent Preacher a builder of the places wherein he dwelt beautifull sumptuous of sanguine complexion and tall of stature so that in his time it might well be said unto him Faire art thou and of a goodly presence above the sons of men grace is seated all over thy lips for the eloquence of thy tongue Fourescore yeeres old he was and for the space almost of twenty yeeres he governed the Church of Dublin peaceably MCCCCXVIII The feast of the Annuntiation of our Lady fell out to be on good Friday and straight after Easter the Lord Deputy spoiled the tenants of Henry Crus and Henry Bethat Item at Slane on the day of S. John and S. Paul were arrested the Earle of Kildare Sir Christopher Preston and Sir John Bedleu and committed to ward within the castle of Trym because they were desirous to common with the Prior of Kylmainon The fourth of August died Sir Matthew Husee Baron of Galtrim who lieth buried at the Preaching Friers in Trim. MCCCCXIX The eleventh of May Edmund Brel sometime Maior of Dublin departed this life and was buried at the Friers preachers of the same Citie A Counsell royall was holden at Naas and there a subsidie of 300. Markes was granted to the Lord Lievtenant At the same time died Sir Iohn Loundres On the fifth day of the week falling out to be Maunday Thursday O-Thoill tooke 400. kine that belonged to Balimore so breaking the peace against his oath The fourth of May Mac-Morghe chiefe Captaine of his owne Sept and of all the Irish in Leinster was taken prisoner And the same day Hugh Cokesey was made knight The last day of May the Lievtenant the Archbishop of Dublin and the Maior together rased the castle of Kenini The morrow after the feast of Processus and Martinian the Lord William Burgh and other of the English slew 500. of the Irish and tooke O-Kelly prisoner On the feast of Mary Magdalen the Lievtenant John Talbot passed over into England leaving for his Deputy the Archbishop of Dublin carrying with him the curses of divers for that he paid a little or nothing for his victuals and was indebted unto many About the feast of Saint Laurence divers there were that died in Normandy and by name Frier Thomas Botiller Prior of Kilmainon with many others After whom succeeded in the Priory Frier John Fitz-Henry The Archbishop being Deputy fell upon the Scohies and slew of the Irish thirty neere unto Rodiston Item upon the Ides of February died Frier John Fitz-Henry Prior of Kylmainon whom succeeded Frier William Fitz-Thomas elected and confirmed the morrow after S. Valentines day Also the morrow after the feast of Saint Peter in Cathedra the Lord Iohn Talbot Lord of Furnivall yeelded the place into the hands of the Lord Richard Talbot Archbishop of Dublin who afterward was chosen Lord Justice of Ireland MCCCCXX Upon the fourth day of Aprill the Lord Iames Butler Earle of Ormond arrived at Waterford Lievtenant of Ireland and quickely caused a combat to bee fought between two of his cousins of whom the one died in the field and the other was carried forth of the place sore hurt and lamed unto Kilkenny On St. Georges feast day the same Lievtenant held a Counsell at Dublin and summoned a Parliament there And in the meane while he raised great booties from O-Raly Mac-Mahon and Mac-Guyr And the eighth day of June began a Parliament at Dublin and there were granted unto the Lievtenant 700. Markes and that Parliament continued for 16. dayes and the same was prorogued unto the munday after St. Andrewes day also in the foresaid Parliament were cast up the debts of the Lord Iohn Talbot late Lievtenant which arose to a great summe Also the morrow after St. Michaels day died Michaell Bodley On the Vigill of Saint Francis there departed this life Frier Nicholas Talbot Abbot of St. Thomas the Martyr in Dublin After whom succeeded Frier John Whiting The morrow after the Apostles Simon and Iudes day was the castle of Colnolin taken by Thomas Fitz-Geffery Also in the Vigill of S. Katherine Virgin Botiller the sonne and heire of the Earle of Ormund was borne Item on munday after the feast of S. Andrew the Apostle the said Parliament began at Dublin and continued 13. daies and granted there was to the
souldiers saluted Emperor a valiant man vertuous worthy of the title of Augustus but that against his allegiance he had by way of tyranny usurpation attained to the place Who at the first couragiously vanquished the Picts Scots that used to make many inrodes into the Province afterwards with all the flower and strength well neere of British forces arrived in the mouth of Rhene and procured unto himselfe the whole puissance of the German armies ordained the Royall seat of the Empire to be at Triers whereupon stiled he was by the name of Trevericus Imperator spreading as Gildas saith his wings the one as far as to Spaine the other into Italy with the terror only of his name levied tributes and pensions for souldiers pay of the most fell and savage nations in Germanie Against whom Gratianus having led an armie after five daies skirmishing being forsaken of his owne souldiers and put to flight sent Saint Ambrose Embassadour to treat for peace which he obtained indeed but the same full of treacherous guile For Maximus suborned and sent under-hand one Andragathius riding in a close litter or carroch with a rumour spread abroad that therein rode the wife of Gratian. Unto which when Gratian was come for love of his wife and had opened the said litter forth leapes Andragathius with his companie and slew him outright in the place Whose body for to demand was Ambrose sent a second time howbeit not admitted because he refused to communicate with those Bishops that sided with Maximus Who being lifted up and proud of those things hapning to his mind appointed his sonne Victor to be Caesar dealt cruelly with Gratians Captaines and setled the State in France Theodosius Augustus who governed in the East at the requests or mandates rather of his Embassadours acknowledged him Emperour and exhibited his Image unto the Alexandrines for to be seene in publike place And now having by violence and extortion entred upon the estates of all men with the utter undoing of the common-wealth hee fulfilled his owne greedie avarice Hee made the defence of Catholike Religion his pretences to colour his tyrannie Priscillian and certaine of his Sectaries convict of hereticall and false doctrine in the Synode or Councell of Burdeaux and appealing unto him hee condemned to death although Martin that most holy Bishop of Tourain or Tours most humbly besought to forbeare shedding the bloud of those poore wretches avouching that it was sufficient to deprive such as were judged heretikes and put them out of their Churches by the definitive sentence of Bishops and that it was a strange and unexampled hainous deed that a secular Judge should determine causes of the Church And these were the first that being executed by the civill sword left a foule and dangerous president to posteritie After this he entred Italie with so great terrour that Ualentinian together with his mother were glad to flie unto Theodosius the cities of Italie received him and did him all the honour that might be but the Bononians above the rest among whom this Inscription is yet to be seene DD. NN. MAG C. MAXIMO ET FL. UICTORI PIIS FELICIBVS SEMPER AVGVSTIS B. R. NATIS To our Great Lords C. Maximus Fl Victor Pious Happie Alwaies Augusti borne for the good of the Common-wealth Meane while Nannius and Quintinus Masters in militarie skill unto whom Maximus had committed the infancie of his sonne and the custodie of Gaule gave the Frankners who annoied Gaule with their incursions a mightie great overthrow and forced them to give hostages and deliver into their hands the Authors of the warre As for Valentinian he earnestly besought Theodosius to succour him dispoiled of his Empire by a Tyrant from whom for a good while he could have none other answer but this That no marvel it is if a seditious servant became superiour to that Lord who casteth off the true Lord indeed For Valentinian was corrupted with Arianisme Howbeit wearied at length with his importunate praiers he setteth forward in warlike manner against Maximus who in the same time abode in Aquileia very secure fearlesse For he had before-hand fortified the streits between the mountains with garrisons and the havens with shipping so that with great alacritie and much confidence at the first hee welcomed Theodosius with one battel before Syscia in Pannonia afterwards most valiantly received him with another under the leading of his brother Marcellus but in both of them he sped so badly that he withdrew himselfe secretly into Aquileia where by his owne souldiers as he dealt money among them taken he was and devested of his Imperiall ornaments brought before Theodosius who immediatly delivered him into the hangmans hand to be executed after that he had now worne the purple roabe five yeares Whereupon Ausonius writeth thus in praise of Aquileia Non erat iste locus meritò tamen aucta recenti Nona inter claras Aquileia cieberis urbes Itala ad Illyricos objecta colonia montes Moenibus portu celeberrima sed magis illud Eminet extremo quòd te sub tempore legit Solverat exacto cui justa piacula lustro Maximus armigeri quondam sub nomine lixae Foelix qui tanti spectatrix laeta Triumphi Punîsti Ansonio Rutupinum Marte Latronem This was no place of name but since that fresh desert gave grace Thou Aquileia of cities faire shalt be the ninth in place A Colonie Italian gainst hils Illyrian set For strong wals and commodious haven right well renown'd but yet This passeth all the rest that he his choice of thee did make Against his latter daies who did revengement justly take Of Maximus a base campe-Squire that sometimes knowne to be Had now usurped five yeares past and ruled with tyrannie Right happy thou of Triumph such that had'st the joyfull sight Killing this Robber Rhutupine by maine Italian might Andragathus whose state was now most desperate cast himselfe from shipboard headlong into the Sea Victor the sonne of Maximus was in France defeated taken prisoner and slaine But those Britans who tooke part with Maximus as some writers doe record forcibly invaded Armorica in France and there planted themselves Now Theodosius presently after his victorie entred Rome with his Sonne Honorius in triumph and published an Edict to this effect No man so hardy as to challenge or claime that honour which the bold Tyrant had granted but that such presumption should bee condemned and reduced to the former estate And Valentinian in these words All judgements and awards whatsoever that Maximus the most wicked and detestable Tyrant that ever was hath given forth to be promulged and enacted we reverse and condemne But Saint Ambrose in his funerall Sermon of Theodosius crieth out in these termes That Eugenius and Maximus by their wofull example doe testifie in hell what a heavie thing it is to beare armes against
and that was the East part of Scotland the names of most places doe savour of a British originall as for example Morria Marnia for that they be countries adjoyning to the sea comming of the British word Mor that is Sea Aberden Aberlothnet Aberdore Aberneith that is the mouth of Den of Lothnet of Dore and Neith from the British word Aber which signifieth the mouth of a river Strathbolgi Strathdee Strathearn that is The Dale or Vale of Bolgi Dee and Earne comming of Strath which in the British tongue betokeneth a Valley Yea and the chiefe seat of the Picts doth acknowledge no other original than a British I meane Edenburgh which Ptolomy calleth Castrum alatum that is the winged Castle For Aden in British is a Wing Neither will I by way of proofe take hold of this argument that some of the British pettie Kings were called Baidij which is as much in the Britan language as I have often said as Depainted Out of these premises verily we may without any absurditie conclude That the Picts Language and the British differed not and therefore the nations were not divers howsoever Beda speaketh of the Picts and Britans tongues as if they were distinct one from the other in which place hee may bee thought to have meant their sundrie Dialects Neither is there cause why any man should marvell that the Picts wrought so much mischiefe and gave so many overthrowes unto their country-men the Britans considering that wee see at this day in Ireland those which are within the English pale have none so deadly foes unto them as their owne countrey-men the wilde Irish For like as we read in Paulus Diaconus the Gothes Hypogothes Gepidians and Vandals varying their names onely and speaking one and the selfe-same language encountered often times one another in open field with Banner displayed even so did the Picts and Britans especially when these Britans were become the Roman allies These were the reasons such as they be that tooke hold of mee and induced mee in a manner to thinke the Picts a remnant of the Britans but perhaps the authoritie of Beda weigheth downe all this and therefore if ye thinke so good let the tradition of so reverend a man grounded upon the relation of others prevaile and take place before these conjectures These Picts Ammianus Marcellinus divideth into Dicalidonians and Vecturiones I would rather read Deucalidonians and doe thinke they were planted about the Westerne coasts of Scotland where the Deucalidonian Sea breaketh in And albeit I have beeene of opinion that these were so called as if a man would say Blacke Caledonians for Dee in the British tongue signifieth Blacke like as the Irish now adaies terme the Scots of that tract Duf Allibawn that is Blacke Scots and so the Britans called the rovers and pirats which out of these parts did much scath at sea Yllu du that is the blacke armie yet now mee thinkes we may guesse for guesses are free that they tooke that name from their scituation For Debeu Caledonij betokeneth the Caledonians dwelling on the right hand that is Westward like as the other Picts who kept on the left hand that is Eastward which Ninnius calleth the left side were named Vecturiones by a word haply drawne from Chwithic which in the British tongue signifieth Left and these some thinke are corruptly called in Ptolome◠Vernicones And an old Saxon fragment seemeth to give them the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for so they terme an enemie-nation to the Britans whereas the ancient Angles or English called the Picts themselves Pehits and Peohtas And hereupon it is that wee read everie where in Whitkindus Pehiti for Picti The manners of these ancient and barbarous Britans who afterwards came to bee named Picts I have heretofore described out of Dio and Herodian It remaineth now that I goe on with my webbe and weave thus much to it namely that in the declining state of the Empire when the Romans somewhat unadvisedly and without good forecast enrolled cohorts of the Barbarians certaine of these Picts when all was in quietnesse and peace were taken into the militarie service of the Romans by Honorius and therefore termed Honoriaci who under that Tyrant Constantine elected in hope of so fortunate a name having set open the fortified entries of the Pyraenean hils let Barbarians into Spaine In the end when first by themselves and afterwards combining with the Scots their confederats they had afflicted the Roman Province they began though late it were to waxe civill Those of the South were by Ninias or Ninianus the Britan a most holy man converted to Christ in the yeare of Grace foure hundred and thirtie But they of the North who were secluded from the Southerne by a continuall ridge of high craggie mountaines by Columbanus a Scot of Ireland a Monke likewise of passing great holinesse in the yeare 565. who taught them whence soever hee learned it to celebrate the feast of Easter betweeee the fourteenth day of the Moone in March unto the twentieth but alwaies upon the Lords day as also to use another manner of tonsure or shaving their heads than the Romans did to wit representing the imperfect forme of a Coronet About these ceremonies hard hold there was and eager disputation for a long time in this Island untill that Naitanus a King of the Picts brought his owne subjects with much adoe unto the Roman observance In which age very many Picts with great devotion as the daies were then frequented the Chappels and Shrines of Saints at Rome and among others he that is mentioned in the Antiquities of Saint Peters Church there in these words ASTERIVS COMES PICTORVM ET SYRA CVM SVIS VOTVM SOLVERE that is Asterius a Count or Earle of the Picts and Syra with their family performed their vowes At length by the Scots that infested them out of Ireland they were made to stoop and after so daunted as that about the yeare of our Lord 740. being vanquished in a most bloudy battell they were either utterly extinct or else by little and little quite passed into their Scottish name and nation Which very same thing chanced to the most puissant Nation of the Gaules who being subdued of the Frankes by little and little were turned into their name and called with them Franci that is French Whereas the Panegyrick author giveth some inkling that Britaine before Caesars time used to skirmish with their enemies the Picts and Irish halfe naked men hee seemeth to speake after the manner of the time wherein hee lived but surely in those daies there were none knowne in Britaine by the name of Picts Also whereas Sidonius Apollinaris in his Panegyrick to his wives Father poetically powred out these verses Victricia Caesar Signa Caledonios transvexit ad usque Britannos Fuderit quanquam Scotum cum Saxone Pictum In traine of Conquest Caesar still his ensignes even as farre As Britaine
Honnyton a Towne not unknowne to those that travell into these parts and was given by Isabell heire to Earles of Devonshire to King Edward the First when her issue failed and doth import his name to certaine places Among which these are of greatest note above Honnyton Mohuns Ottery the possession in times past of the Mohuns from whom by right of marriage it came to the Carews beneath Honyton Saint Maries Otterey so called of Saint Maries Colledge which Iohn Grandison Bishop of Excester founded who drew the whole estates of all the Clergie men in his Diocesse to himselfe For he perswaded them in their Wils to give up and make over all that they had unto his hands as who would bestow the same to godly uses in endowing Churches and in building of Hospitals and Colledges therewith which verily he by report performed accordingly very devoutly From the mouth of this Otterey the shore runneth Eastward with many winding reaches and turning creekes by Budley Sidmouth and Seaton famous Ports in times past but now the havens there are so choked up with sand brought in with the reciprocall course of the tides and heaped up against them that they have almost utterly lost all that benefit As for Seaton I would ghesse it to bee that MORIDVNVM which Antoninus speaketh of and is placed betweene DVRNOVARIA and ISCA if the booke be not faultie and called in Peutegerius table by a name cut short RIDVNVM considering both the distance and the signification of the name For Moridunum in the British tongue is the very same that Seaton in English to wit A Towne upon an hill by the Sea Hereto adjoyneth Wiscomb a Towne memorable in this respect that in it there dwelt William Lord Bonevill whose heire Cecilie by her mariage brought the titles of Lord Bonevill and Harington with a goodly inheritance in these parts unto Thomas Grey Marquesse Dorset Under these Townes the River Ax dischargeth it selfe at a very small channell after it hath passed downe by Ford where Adelize daughter to Baldwine of Okchampton founded an Abbey for Cistercian Monkes 1140. and by Axanminster a Towne renowned in the ancient Histories onely for their Tombes of the Saxon Princes who were slaine in that bloudy battell at Brunaburg and translated hither and scituate it is in the very frontire and limit of this Province Neere unto which Reginald Mohun of Dunster unto whom the Mannour of Axminster in right of inheritance fell by the Fourth daughter of William de Briewr built the Abbey of Newenham in the yere of Grace 1246. Hence the East-bound runneth crookedly north-westward by villages of no fame toward Severn side along w ch now let us take our way From Cornwall the first shore in this shire that stretcheth out it selfe in length to the Severn Sea is by Ptolomee called THE PROMONTORIE OF HERCVLES and retaineth still some little remnant of that name being called at this day Hertypoinct and hath in it two pretty townes Herton and Hertlond famous in old time for the reliques of that holy man Saint Nectan In honour of whom there was erected heere a little Monasterie by Githa Earle Goodwins wife who had this Nectan in especiall reverence for that she was perswaded that for his merits her husband had escaped the danger of shipwracke in a violent and raging tempest Howbeit afterwards the Dinants who also are named Dinhams that came out of Bretagne in France whose demeans as in â—ee it was were counted the founders thereof and from them descended Baron Dinham Lord high Treasurer of England under K. Henry the Seventh by whose sisters and heires the inheritance was divided between Lord Zouch Bourchier Fitz-warin Carew and Arundell The name of this Promontorie hath given credit to a very formall tale That Hercules forsooth came into Britaine and vanquished here I wot not what Giants But if it be true as Mythologers affirme that there was never any Hercules but that by him the power of humane wisedome is understtod whereby wee overcome pride lust envie and such like monsters or if according to the Gentiles divinitie by Hercules they meane the Sunne and by those twelve Labours endured and performed by Hercules the twelve signes of the Zodiack which the Sunne in his yearely course passeth through what it is they say let them looke to it themselves But for mine owne part I willingly believe that there was an Hercules nay I could be content to grant with Varro that there were of them fortie and three all whose acts were ascribed to that Hercules who was the sonne of Alcmena yet can I not perswade my selfe that ever Hercules came hither unlesse haply hee sailed over the Ocean in that Cup which God Nerius had given him whereof Athenaeus maketh mention But you will say that Franciscus Philelphus in his Epistles and Lilius Giraldus in his Hercules averre no lesse Pardon mee I pray you these latter writers may well moove mee but they are not able to remoove mee considering that Diodorus Siculus who went on with the Greekish historie in order even from the most remote and first records of all Antiquitie in plaine termes affirmeth that neither Hercules nor Father Bacchus went ever into Britaine I am therefore verily perswaded that the name of Hercules even to this place came either through the vanitie of Greekes or from the superstitious Religion of Britaines For as these beeing a most warlike Nation themselves had valiant men in marvellous admiration and as highly esteemed of such as vanquished Monsters so the Greekes againe whatsoever was any where stately and magnificent that they referred to the glory of Hercules and because hee had beene a great traveller such as travelled were wont to offer sacrifice unto him and to him likewise consecrate the places where they first arrived Hereof came Hercules-rocke in Campania Hercules Hauen in Liguria Hercules Grove in Germanie hence likewise the Promontories of Hercules in Mauritania Galatia and Britaine As the shore giveth backe againe from this Promontorie of Hercules the two Rivers Towridge and Taw which are the onely Rivers in this north part of the Countie discharge themselves into the sea at one mouth Towridge springing not farre from Henry poinct above said runneth South-Eastward and taking into him the river Ock whereof Ock-hampton a little market towne tooke the name where Baldwine the Vicount had his Castle in William the Conquerour time as appeareth out of Domesday booke from whom it descended to the Courtneys suddenly turning his channell maketh way Northward insulating in a manner Potheridge the Mansion of the Familie surnamed Monke Happily for that some one of them being a professed Monke by dispensation to continue his house returned to temporall state as that Noble house in France surnamed Archevesque that is Archbishop tooke that name to continue the memorie that one of the Progenitours of an Archbishop returned by dispensation to be a
elsewhere is called Cangton But of these matters let the reader be judge my selfe as I said doth no more but conjecture whiles I seeke to trace out these their footsteps and hope to find them out some where-else Among these hils standeth Chuton which was the habitation if I take not my markes amisse of William Bonvill whom King Henrie the Sixth called by his writ of Summons to the Parliament by the name William de Bonvill and Chuton among other Barons of the Realme made him Knight of the Garter and richly matched his sonne in marriage with the sole daughter of Lord Harington But when he unthankefull man that he was in the heate of civill warre revolted and tooke part with the house of Yorke as if vengeance had pursued him hard at heeles that onely sonne of his he saw taken from him by untimely death and his nephew by the same sonne Baron of Harington slaine at the battell of Wakefield and immediately after that his old age might want no kind of miserie whiles he waited still and long looked for better daies was himselfe taken prisoner in the second battell of Saint Albans and having now run through his full time by course of nature lost his head leaving behind him for his heire his Grand-childs daughter Cecilie a Damsel of tender yeares who afterwards with a great inheritance was wedded to Thomas Greie Marquesse Dorset But his bloud after his death was by authoritie of Parliament restored Under Mendip hills northward there is a little village called Congersburie so named of one Congar a man of singular holinesse Capgrave hath written that hee was the Emperours sonne of Constantinople who lived there an Eremite also Harpetre a Castle by right of inheritance fell to the Gornaies and from them descended to the Ab-Adams who as I have read restored it to the Gornaies again Southward not farre from the foresaid hole where Mendip slopeth downe with a stony descent a little citie with an Episcopall See is scituate beneath at the hill foot sometime called as saith Leland but whence he had it I wot not Theodorodunum now Welles so named of the Springs or Wels which boile and walme up there like as Susa in Persia Croia in Dalmatia and Pagase in Macedonia were named of the like fountaines in their countrey speech whereupon this also in Latin is called Fontanensis Ecclesia as one would say Fountain-Church Fot multitude of Inhabitants for faire and stately buildings it may well and truely chalenge the preheminence of all this Province A goodly Church it hath and a Colledge founded by King Ina in honour of Saint Andrew and soone after endowed by Princes and great men with rich livings and revenewes among whom King Kinewolph by name in the yeare of our Lord 766. granted unto it very many places lying thereabout For in a Charter of his wee reade thus I Kinewolph King of the West-Saxons for the love of God and that which is not openly to be spoken for some vexation of our enemies those of the Cornish Nation with the consent of my Bishops and Nobles will most humbly give and consecrate some parcell of Land to Saint Andrew the Apostle and servant of God that is to say as much as commeth to Eleven Hides neere to the River called Welwe for the augmentation of that Monasterie which standeth neere the great fountaine that they call Wiclea This Charter have I set downe both for the antiquitie and because some have supposed that the place tooke name of this River verily neere the Church there is a Spring called Saint Andrewes Well the fairest deepest and most plentifull that I have seene by and by making a swift Brooke The Church it selfe all throughout is very beautifull but the Frontispiece thereof in the West end is a most excellent and goodly piece of worke indeede for it ariseth up still from the foot to the top all of imagerie in curious and antike wise wrought of stone carved and embowed right artificially and the Cloisters adjoyning very faire and spacious A gorgeous pallace of the Bishops built in manner of a Castle fortified with walles and a moate standeth hard by Southward and on the other side faire houses of the Prebendaries For Seven and Twenty Prebends with nineteene other petty Prebends beside a Deane a Chaunter a Chancellour and three Archdeacons belong to this Church In the time of K. Edward the elder a Bishops See was here placed For when the Pope had suspended him because the Ecclesiasticall discipline and jurisdiction in these westerne parts of the Realme began openly to decay then he knowing himselfe to be a maintainer and Nurse-father of the Church ordained three new Bishopricks to wit of Cridie Cornwall and this of Welles where hee made Eadulph the first Bishop But many yeares after when Giso sate Bishop there Harold Earle of the West-Saxons and of Kent who gaped so greedily for the goods of the Church so disquieted and vexed him that hee went within a little off quite abolishing the dignitie thereof But King William the Conquerour after hee had overthrowne Harold stretched out his helping hand to the succour of banished Giso and reliefe of his afflicted Church At what time as witnesseth Doomesday booke the Bishop held the whole towne in his owne hands which paid tribute after the proportion of fiftie Hides Afterwards in the raigne of Henry the First Iohannes de Villula of Tours in France being now elected Bishop translated his See to Bathe since which time the two Sees growing into one the Bishop beareth the title of both so that hee is called The Bishop of Bathe and Welles Whereupon the Monkes of Bathe and Canons of Welles entred into a great quarrell and skuffled as it were each with the other about the choosing of their Bishops Meane while Savanaricus Bishop of Bathe being also Abbat of Glastenbury translated the See of Glastenbury and was called Bishop thereof but when hee died this title died with him and the Monkes and Canons aforesaid were at length brought to accord by that Robert who divided the Patrimonie of Welles Church into Prebends instituting a Deane Sub-deane c. Joceline also the Bishop about the same time repaired the Church with new buildings and within remembrance of our Grand-fathers Raulph of Shrewsburie so some call him built a very fine Colledge for the Vicars and singing-men fast by the North side of the Church and walled in the Bishops Palace But this rich Church was dispoiled of many faire possessions in the time of King Edward the Sixth when England felt all miseries which happen under a Child-King As ye goe from the Palace to the market-place of the towne Thomas Beckington the Bishop built a most beautifull gate who also adjoyned thereto passing faire houses all of uniforme height neere the Market-place in the middest whereof is to be seene a Market-place supported with seven Columnes or pillar without arched
for all England right happy For it brought forth to us Queene Elizabeth a most gracious and excellent Prince worthy of superlative praise for her most wise and politique government of the Common-wealth and for her heroicke vertues farre above that sexe But when the said Thomas Bullen overcome with the griefe and sorrow that hee tooke for the infortunate fall and death of his children he ended his daies without issue this title lay still untill that King Edward the Sixth conferred it upon William Powlet Lord Saint Iohn whom soone after hee made Marquesse of Winchester and Lord Treasurer of England in whose family it remaineth at this day This Countie containeth in it Parishes 304. HANTSHIRE NExt to Wilshire is that Country which sometimes the Saxons called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is now commonly named Hantshire of which one part that beareth farther within the land belonged no doubt to the Belgae the other which lieth upon the sea appertained without question to the Regni an ancient people of Britaine On the West it hath Dorsetshire and Wilshire on the South the Ocean to bound it on the East it joyneth to Sussex and Surrie and on the North it bordereth upon Barkshire A small province it is fruitfull in corne furnished in some places with pleasant woods standing thicke and well growne rich in plenteous pasture and for all commodities of sea most wealthy and happie It is thought that it was with the first brought under subjection to the Romans For our Histories report that Vespasian subdued it and very probable reasons there are inducing us to beleeve the same For Dio witnesseth that Plautius and Vespasian when they were sent by the Emperour Claudius against the Britaines did give the attempt upon this Island with an armie divided into three parts least if they should have ventured to land in one place onely they might have beene driven backe from the shore Suetonius also writeth that in this expedition Vespasian fought thirtie battailes with the enemie and subdued the Isle of Wight which lieth against this country and two other right puissant nations with it For which his victories as also for passing over the Ocean so safely Valerius Flaccus speaketh unto Vespasian himselfe as one more fortunate than Iulius Caesar in this manner Tuque O Pelagi cui major aperti Fama Caledonius post quam tua Carbasa vexit Oceanus Fhrigios prius indignatus Iülos And thou for Seas discoverie whose fame did more appeare Since that thy ships with sailes full spred in Northren Ocean were Which skorn'd before of Phrygian line the Julii to beare And of the very same Vespasian Appolonius Collatius Novariensis the Poet versified thus Ille quidem nuper faelici Marte Britannos Fuderat He verily of late by happy flight Had won the field and Britains put to flight But how in this war Titus delivered Vespasian his father when he was very streightly besieged by the Britans and how at the same time likewise an adder grasped him about and yet never hurt him which he tooke as a lucky foretoken of his Empire you may learne out of Dio and Forcatulus I for my part to come to my purpose beginning at the West side of this province will make my perambulation along the sea-coast and the rivers that runne into the Ocean and after that survey the more in-land parts thereof HAMSHIRE OLIM PARS BELGARVM A long the East banke of this river in this Shire King William of Normandie pulled downe all the townes villages houses and Churches farre and neere cast out the poore Inhabitants and when he had so done brought all within thirty miles compasse or there about into a forrest and harbour for wild beasts which the Englishmen in those daies termed Ytene and we now call New forrest Of which Act of his Gwalter Maps who lived immediately after wrote thus The Conquerour tooke away land both from God and men to dedicate the same unto wild beasts and Dogs-game in which space he threw downe sixe and thirtie-Mother-Churches and drave all the people thereto belonging quite away And this did he either that the Normans might have safer and more secure arrivall in England for it lieth over against Normandie in case after that all his wars were thought ended any new dangerous tempest should arise in this Island against him or for the pleasure which he tooke in hunting or else to scrape and rape money to himselfe by what meanes soever he could For being better affected and more favourable to beasts than to men he imposed verie heavie fines and penalties yea and other more grievous punishments upon those that should meddle with his game But Gods just judgement not long after followed this so unreasonable and cruell act of the King For Richard his second sonne and William Rufus King of England another sonne of his perished both in this Forrest William by chance shot through with an arrow by Walter Tirell the other blasted with a pestilent aire Henrie likewise his Grand-child by Robert his eldest sonne whiles hee hotely pursued his game in this Chase was hanged amongst the boughes and so died that wee may learne thereby How even childrens children beare the punishment of their Fathers sonnes There goe commonly abroad certaine verses that Iohn White Bishop of Winchester made of this Forrest Which although they falsly make William Rufus to have ordained the same yet because they are well liked of many I am likewise well content heere to set them downe Templa adimit Divis fora civibus arva colonis Rufus instituit Beaulensi in rure forestam Rex cervum insequitur Regem vindicta Tirellus Non bene provisum transfixit acumine ferri From God and Saint King Rus did Churches take From Citizens town-court and mercate place From Farmer lands New forrest for to make In Beaulew tract where whiles the King in chase Pursues the Hart just vengeance comes apace And King pursues Tirrell him seeing not Unawares him slew with dint of arrow shot He calleth it Beauley tract for that King Iohn built hard by a pretty Monasterie for the pleasant scituation called Beaulieu which continued ever unto our Fathers memorie of great fame as being an unviolated sanctuarie and a safe refuge for all that fled to it in so much that in times past our people heere thought it unlawfull and an hainous offence by force to take from thence any persons whatsoever were they thought never so wicked murtherers or traitours so that our Ancestors when they erected such Sanctuaries or Temples as they terme them of Mercie every where throughout England seemed rather to have proposed unto themselves Romulus to imitate than Moses who commanded that wilfull murtherers should bee plucked from the Altar and put to death and for them onely appointed Sanctuarie who by meere chance had killed any man But least the sea coast for so long a tract as that forrest is heere should lie without defence all open
and exposed to the enemie King Henrie the Eighth began to strengthen it with forts for in that foreland or promontorie shooting farre into the sea From whence we have the shortest cut into the Isle of Wight hee built Hurst Castle which commandeth sea ward every way And more toward the East hee set up also another fortresse or blockhouse they name it Calshot Castle for Caldshore to defend the entrie of Southhampton Haven as more inwardly on the other are the two Castles of S. Andrew and Netly For heere the shores retiring as it were themselves a great way backe into the land and the Isle of Wight also butting full upon it doe make a very good harbour which Ptolomee calleth The mouth of the river Trisanton as I take it for Traith Anton that is Anton Bay For Ninnius an old writer giveth it almost the same name when he termeth it Trahannon mouth As for the river running into it at this day is called Test it was in the foregoing age as wee reade in the Saints lives named Terstan and in old time Ant or Anton as the townes standing upon it namely Ant port Andover and Hanton in some sort doe testifie So farre am I of pardon me from thinking that it tooke the name of one Hamon a Roman a name not used among Romans who should be there slaine And yet Geffrey of Monmouth telleth such a tale and a Poet likewise his follower who pretily maketh these verses of Hamon Ruit huc illucque ruentem Occupat Arviragus ejusque in margine ripae Amputat ense caput nomen tenet inde perempti Hammonis Portus longumque tenebit in aevum Whiles Hamon rusheth here and there within the thickest ranke Arviragus encountreth him and on the rivers banke With sword in hand strikes of his head the place of him thus slaine Thence forth is named Hamons-Haven and long shall so remaine But upon this Haven standeth South-hanpton a little Citie neeere unto which on the North-east there flourished in old time another of that name which may seeme to be Antonine his CLAVSENTVM by the distance of it as well on the one side from Ringwood as from Venta on the other And as Trisanton in the British language signifieth the Bay of Anton so Glausentum in the same tongue is as much as the Haven of Entum For I have heard that Claudh among the Britans is that which the Graecians call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a forced Haven made by digging and casting up the earth Now that this place was called Hanton and Henton no man needs to doubt seeing in that booke wherein King William the first made a survey of all England this whole shire is expressely named Hanscyre and in some places Hentscyre and the very towne it selfe for the South scituation of it Southâ—hanton What manner of towne that Clausentum was it is hard to say but seated it was in that place where the field is which now they call S. Maries and reached even to the Haven and may seeme also to have taken up the other banke or strand of the river For a little above at Bittern over against it Francis Mills a right honest gentleman there dwelling shewed unto me the rubbish old broken walls and trenches of an ancient castle which carrieth halfe a mile in compasse and at every tide is compassed for three parts of it with water a great breadth The Romane Emperors ancient coines now and then there digged up doe so evidently prove the antiquity thereof that if it were not the Castle of old Clausentum you would judge it to be one of those forts or fences which the Romans planted upon the South coast of the Ocean to represse as Gildas writeth the piracies and depredations of the Saxons When all became wasted by the Danish warres old Hanton also was left as a prey in the yeere of our Lord 980. to be sacked and rifled by them and King William the Conqueror in his time had in it but fourescore men and no more in his demaine But above 200. yeeres since when Edward the Third King of England and Philip Valois bustled for the very Kingdome of France it was fired by the French and burnt to the gound Out of the ashes whereof presently sprung the towne which now is to be seene but situate in a more commodious place betweene two rivers for number of houses and those faire built much renowned for rich Inhabitants concourse of merchants wealthy fenced round about with a double ditch strong wals and turrets standing thicke betweene and for defence of the Haven a right strong Castle it hath of square stone upon a Mount cast up to a great height built by King Richard the Second And afterward King Henrie the Sixt granted to the Major Balives and Burgesses that it should be a Countie by it selfe with other liberties Memorable is that of the most puissant Canutus King of England and of Denmarke by which he in this place repressed a flatterer who bare the King in hand that all things in the Realme were at his will and command He commanded saith Henrie of Huntingdon that his chaire should be set on the shore when the sea began to flow And then in the presence of many said he to the sea as it flowed Thou art part of my Dominion and the ground on which I sit is mine neither was there ever any that durst disobey my commandement and went away free and unpunished Wherefore I charge thee that thou come not upon my land neither that thou wet the clothes or body of thy Lord. But the sea according to his usuall course flowing still without any reverence of his person wet his feet Then he retiring backe said Let all the Inhabitants of the world know that vaine and frivolous is the power of Kings and that none is worthy the name of King but hee to whose command the heaven earth and sea by bond of an evelasting law are subject and obedient and never after that time set hee the crowne upon his head c. Of those two rivers betweene which this South anton standeth that in the West now called Test and in times past Anton as I suppose springing out of the forrest of Chate goeth first to Andover which in the Saxon language is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The passage or Ferry over And where in the yeare of our salvation 893. Aetheldred King of England when the Danes harried and spoiled his Kingdome on every side to the end that hee might at length refresh and cherish his weakened and wearied countries with sure and quiet peace inserted into his owne familie by way of adoption Aulaf the Dane which not withstanding soone after tooke small or none effect For this great honour done to the barbabrous Dane could not reclaime and stay his minde from rapine and spoyling still From thence it runneth downe and receiveth from the East a brooke passing by Bullingdon in whose parish is a
sitten since Wina whom the said Kenelwalch ordained the first Bishop there Many Bishops some renowned for their wealth and honourable port and some for holinesse of life But among other Saint Swithin continueth yet of greatest fame not so much for his sanctitie as for the raine which usually falleth about the Feast of his translation in Iuly by reason the Sunne then Cosmically with Praesepe and Aselli noted by ancient writers to be rainie constellations and not for his weeping or other weeping Saints Margaret the Virgine and Mary Magdalen whose feasts are shortly after as some superstitiously-credulous have believed This by the way pardon me I pray you for I digresse licentiously Thus Bishops of Winchester have beene anciently by a certaine peculiar prerogative that they have Chancellours to the Archbishop of Canterbury and for long time now Prelates to the order of the Garter and they have from time to time to their great cost reedified the Church and by name Edington and Walkelin but Wickham especially who built all the West part thereof downe from the quire after a new kind of worke I assure you most sumptuously In the midst of which building is to be seene his owne tombe of decent modestie betweene two pillars And these Bishops have ever and anon consecrated it to new Patrons and Saints as to Saint Amphibalus Saint Peter Saint Swithin and last of all to the holy Trinitie by which name it is knowne at this day The English Saxons also had this Church in great honour for the sepulture of certaine Saints and Kings there whose bones Richard Fox the Bishop gathered and shrining them in certaine little gilded coffers placed them orderly with their severall Inscriptions in the top of that wall which encloseth the upper part of the quire and they called it in times past 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The old Minster for difference from another more lately built which was named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The new Minster which Elfred founded and for the building of houses of office belonging to the same purchase of the Bishop a plot of ground and for every foot of it paid him downe a marke after the publike weight This monasterie as also that other the older was built for married Priests who afterwards upon I know not what miracle of a Crosse that spoke and disliked their marriage were thrust out by Dunstane Archbishop of Canterbury and Monkes put in their place The walls of these two monasteries stood so neere and close together that the voices of those that sung in the one troubled the chaunting of the other whereupon there arose grudge and heart-burning betweene these Monkes which afterwards brake out into open enmities By occasion whereof and because at this new monasterie there gathered and stood much water which from the Westerne gate came downe thither along the current of the streets and cast forth from it an unwholsome aire the Minster Church two hundred yeares after the first foundation of it was removed into the Suburbs of the citie on the North part which they call Hide Where by the permission of King Henry the First the Monks built a most stately and beautifull monasterie which a few yeares after by the craftie practice of Henrie de Blois Bishoppe of Winchester as the private historie of this place witnesseth was pitiously burnt In which fire that Crosse also was consumed which Canutus the Dane gave and upon which as old writings beare record he bestowed as much as his owne yeares revenewes of all England came unto The monasterie neverthelesse was raised up againe and grew by little and little to wonderfull greatnesse as the very ruines thereof even at this day doe shew untill that generall subversion and finall period of our monasteries For then was this monasterie demolished and into that other of the holy Trinitie which is the Cathedrall Church when the monkes were thrust out were brought in their stead a Deane twelve Prebendaries and there placed At the East side of this Cathedrall Church standeth the Bishops palace called Wolvesey a right goodly thing and sumptuous which being towred and compassed almost round with the streame of a prety river reacheth even to the Citie walls and in the South-suburbes just over against it beholdeth a faire Colledge which William Wickham Bishop of this See the greatest father and Patron of all Englishmen of good literature and whose praise for ever to the worlds end will continue built for a Schoole and thereto dedicated it out of which both for Church and Common-wealth there riseth a most plentiful increase of right learned men For in this Colledge one warden ten fellowes two Schoole-masters and threescore and ten schollers with divers others are plentifully maintained There have beene also in this Citie other faire and goodly buildings for very many were here consecrated to religion which I list not now to recount since time and avarice hath made an end of them Onely that Nunnery or monasterie of vailed Virgins which Elfwida the wife of King Elfred founded I will not overpasse seeing it was a most famous thing as the remainder of it now doth shew and for that out of it King Henrie the First tooke to wife Mawde the daughter of Malcolne King of Scots by whom the Royall bloud of the ancient Kings of England became united to the Normans and he therefore wonne much love of the English nation For neiphew shee was in the second degree of descent unto Edmund Iron-side by his sonne Edward the Banished A woman as adorned with all other vertues meet for a Queene so especially inflamed with an incredible love of true pietie and godlinesse Whereupon was this Tetrastich made in her commendation Prospera non laetam fecêre nec asperae tristem Aspera risus ei prospera terror erant Non decor effecit fragilem non sceptra superbam Sola potens humilis sola pudica decens No prosp'rous state did make her glad Nor adverse chances made her sad If fortune frown'd she then did smile If fortune frown'd she feard the while If beauty tempted she yet said nay No pride she tooke in scepters sway Shee onely high her selfe debas'd A lady onely faire and chast Concerning Sir Guy of Warwick of whom there goe so many prety tales who in single fight overcame here that Danish giant and Golias Colbrand and of Waltheof Earle of Huntingdon that was here beheaded where afterwards stood Saint Giles chappell as also of that excellent Hospital of Saint Crosse there adjoyning founded by Henry of Blois bother to King Stephen and Bishop of this City and augmented by Henry Beauford Cardinall I need not to speake seeing every man may read of them in the common Chronicles As touching the Earles of Winchester to say nothing of Clyto the Saxon whom the Normans deprived of his ancient honour King Iohn created Saier Quincy Earle of Winchester who used for his armes a military belt
name of Sir Iohn Lisle of the Isle of Wight ATTREBATII AS in France so also in Britaine next adjoyning unto the Belgae are ATTREBATII which name being now altogether out of use the place which they inhabite is commonly called Barkshire For let this stand as granted seeing Cesar writeth the forrainers comming out of Gallia Belgica inhabited the sea coasts of Britaine and retained still the names of their countries that these our ATTREBATII ATTREBATES of Gaule who as Ptolomee recordeth held the maritime part of Gaule lying upon the river Sein and namely that very countrey which after a sort lieth full opposite and over against our Attrebatii It was not therefore without good cause if Cesar wrote that Comius Attrebatensis was of great authority in these countries namely among his owne countrimen and that after hee was by Cesar vanquished he fled hither what time as Frontinus writeth whiles his ships were grounded upon a shelfe he commanded his sailes to be hoised up and so disappointed Cesar who pursued him of his purpose who kenning a-farre-of his full sailes and supposing that with a good gale of forewind he sailed away gave over further pursuit Whence these Attrebatii were so called it resteth doubtfull For whereas some fetch the originall from Attrech which in the old Gauls tongue they would have to signifie a land of Bread I neither approve nor disprove their opinion Sufficient it may be for us to have shewed from whence they came into Britaine as for the derivation of their name let others search into it COMITATUS Bercheriâ— vulgo Barkshyre qui olim sedes ATREBATVM BARKSHIRE THat countrie which we call Barkshire the late Latine writers terme Bercheria and was somtime by the English Saxons named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which name Asserius Menevensis deriveth from a certaine wood called Berroc where grew good store of box others from a naked or bare oake for so much the name Beroke it selfe importeh unto which the Inhabitants in dangers and troublesome times of the commonwealth were wont in old time to resort there to consult about their publike affaires The North part hereof the river Isis which afterwards is called Tamisis that is the Tamis running with a winding channell full of reaches but carrying a very gentle streame doth pleasantly water it and first severeth it from Oxfordshire afterwards from Buckinghamshire The South side where it beareth toward Hantshire the river Kenet cutteth through untill it runnes into the Tamis In the West where it bordereth upon Wiltshire and carrieth the greatest breadth as also in the middle part rich it is of it selfe and full of commodities yeelding corne in plenty especially where it falleth lower to a valley which I wotte not from what shape of a white horse imagined to appeare in a whitish chalky hill they terme The vale of Whitehorse As for the East part that confineth with Surrie it groweth very barraine or at least wise the soile is lesse fertile as standing upon forrests and woods that take up a great ground in length and breadth In the West march thereof neere unto Isis standeth Farendon seated high famous now for a mercate there kept but in times past for a certaine Fort which Robert Earle of Glocester built against King Stephen who notwithstanding wonne it with bloudy assaults and laid it so levell with the ground that now it is not to bee seene But the plot of ground whereon it stood as we finde in the Chronicle of Waverley Abbay King Iohn in the yeere of our Lord 1202. prevented by divine inspiration granted with all the appurtenances to the building of an Abbay for the Cistercians order From hence the river having with a great turning compasse after much wrestling gotten out towards the North passeth a long hard by many villages of small reckoning till at length with a returne and disporting it selfe with winding branches and divisions he commeth to Abbendon a proper towne and populous called at first by the English Saxons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then Abbandune no doubt of the Abbay rather then of one Abben I wote not what Irish Eremite as some have written A place this was as we finde in an old booke of Abbendon upon the plaine of an hill very faire and delectable to see too a little beyond the town which now is called Suniggewelle betweene two most pleasant rivelets which enclosing within them the place it selfe as it were a certaine nooke yeeld a delightsome sight to the beholders and a meete succour to the Inhabitants The very same was in times past called Sheovesham a Citie famous goodly to behold full of riches compassed about with most plentuous fields with greene medowes â—patious pastures and flockes of cattell spinning forth milke abundantly Hâ—ere was the Kings seat hither resorted and assembled the people when soever there was any treaty about the chiefe and highest affaires of the kingdome But so soone as Cissa King of the West Saxons had built the Abbay it beganne by little and little to lay downe the old name and to be called Abbendon and Abbington that is Abbay-towne This Abbay had not long flourished when all of a sodaine in a tempestuous fury of the Danes it was subverted Yet soone after it was reared againe through the bounty of King Edgar and afterwards by the meanes travaile of the Norman Abbats grew by little and little to such magnificence that among all the Abbaies of Britaine for riches and statelinesse it would hardly give place to any Which the very rubble and ruines at this day doe testifie As for the towne albeit along time it had a great stay of the Abbay yet since the yeere of our salvation 1416. in which King Henrie the Fifth built Bridges over the River Isis or Ouse as witnesseth a verse written in a window of Saint Helens Church there and turned the Kings high way hither for to make a shorter passage it beganne to bee frequented and traded so that among all the townes of this shire it goes for the chiefe hath a Major in it and maketh great gaine by that steeped barly sprouting and chitting againe which the Greekes terme Byne and wee Malt sand besides hath a Crosse of singular workemanship in the mids of their mercate place which by report in the reigne of King Henrie the sixth the Brotherhood of Saint Crosse instituted by him did erect As Cissa founded this monasterie for Monkes so Cilla out of an old booke I speake the sister of King Cedwalla built the Nunnerie at Helnestowe neere the Tamis where her selfe was Ladie Abbasse over the Virgins who afterwards were translated to Witham And whiles the warre grew hote betweene Offa and Kinulphe when a Castle was there built the Nunnes retired themselves out of the way For after that Kinulph was overthrowne whatsoever lay under his jurisdiction from the towne of Wallengford in the South part from Ichenildstreete unto Essebury and
gave encrease to another towne of the same name whereof the greater part also being drowned and made even with the sea is no more to bee seene and the commodiousnesse of the haven by reason of bankes and bars of sand cast up at the rivers mouth quite gone whereas in foregoing times it was wont to carrie ships with full saile as farre as to Brember which is a good way from the sea This Brember was a castle sometime of the Breoses For King William the first gave it unto William de Breose from whom those Breoses are descended who were Lords of Gower and Brechnok and from them also both in this County and in Leicestershire are come the Families of the Shirleys Knights But now in stead of a Castle there is nothing but an heape of rubble and ruines A little from this Castle lieth Stening a great mercate and at certaine set daies much frequented which in Aelfrids will unlesse I be deceived is called Steningham in latter times it had a Cell of Black-Monkes wherein was enshrined S. Cudman an obscure Saint and visited by pilgrimes with oblations That ancient place also called PORTVS ADVRNI as it seemeth is scarce three miles from this mouth of the river where when the Saxons first troubled our sea with their piracies the Band called Exploratorum under the Roman Emperours kept their Station but now it should seeme to bee choked and stopped up with huge heapes of beach gathered together For that this was Ederington a pretie village which the said Aelfred granted unto his younger sonne both the name remaining in part and also certaine cottages adjoyning now called Portslade that is The way to the Haven doe after a sort perswade to say nothing how easily they might land heere the shore being so open and plaine And for the same cause our men in the reigne of King Henrie the Eighth did heere especially wait for the Frenchmens gallies all the while they hovered on our coasts and upon the sudden set one or two cottages on fire at Brighthelmsted which our ancestours the Saxons termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very next road or harbour thereunto Some few miles from hence there dischargeth it selfe into the sea a certaine river that hath no name arising out of S. Leonards forrest neere unto Slaugham the habitation of the Coverts who in King Henrie the third his daies flourished in this quarter with the degree of Knight-hood thence by Cackfield to Linfeld where in former ages was a small Nunnery and so by Malling some-time a Manour appurtaining to the Archbishops of Canterburie to Lewis which peradventure hath his name of pastures called by the English Saxons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This for frequencie of people and greatnesse is reputed one of the chiefest townes of the County Seated it is upon a rising almost on every side That it hath beene walled there are no apparant tokens Southward it hath under it as it were a great suburb called South-over another Westward and beyond the river a third Eastward called Cliffe because it is under a chalkie cliffe In the time of the English Saxon government when King Athelstan made a Law that money should not be coyned but in good townes he appointed two minters or coyners for this place In the reigne of King Edward the Confessor it paid sixe pounds and foure shillings de Gablo et Theloneo The King had there one hundred twenty seven Burgars Their custome and manner was this If the King minded to send his souldiers to sea without them of all them whose lands soever they were was collected twenty shillings and all those had they that in their ships kept armour Who selleth an horse within the Burgh giveth to the Provost one penny and the buier another For an oxe or cow one halfe penny in what place so ever he buieth within the Rape He that sheddeth bloud maketh amends for seven shillings Hee that committeth adulterie or a rape for eight shillings and foure pence and the woman as much The King hath the Adulterer The Archbishop the woman when the mint or money is made new every minter giveth twentie shillings Of all these paiments two third parts went to the King and one third part to the Earle William de Warren the first Earle of Surrie built here a large Castle on the highest ground for most part with flint and chalke In the bottom of the towne called Southover he founded to the honour and memory of Saint Pancrace a Priorie and stored it with Cluniach Monkes In regard of the holinesse religion and charitie which he found in the Monasterie of Clugni in Burgundie for these be the words taken out of the very originall instrument of the foundation Whiles going in pilgrimage together with his wife for religion he turned in and lodged there But this is now turned into a dwelling house of the Earle of Dorset Howbeit there remaine still in the towne sixe Churches amongst which not farre from the Castle there standeth one little one all desolate and beset with briers and brambles in the walles whereof are ingraven in arched worke certaine rude verses in an old and over-worne character which implie thus much that one Magnus descended from the bloud roiall of the Danes who imbraced a solitarie life was there buried But behold the verses themselves imperfect though they be and gaping as I may so say with the very yawning joynts of the stones Which peradventure should be thus read Clauditur hic miles Danorum regia proles Magnus nomen ei magnae nota progeniei Deponens Magnum prudentior induit agnum Praepete pro vita fit paruulus Anachorita A noble Knight Sir Magnus hight a name of great of-spring Is shut up here Though borne he were in line of Danish King He wiser man Puts Agnus on and laies downe Magnus quite For swift life this Become he is a little Anchorite About 346. yeeres since this place became famous for the mortall and bloudie battaile betweene K. Henrie the third and the Barons in which the prosperous beginning of the fight on the kings side was the overthrow of the kings forces For whiles prince Edward the kings son breaking by force through certain of the Barons troups carelesly pursued the enemies over far as making sure account of the victory the Barons having reinforced themselves giving a fresh charge so discomfited and put to flight the Kings armie that they constrained the King to accept unequall conditions of peace and to deliver his sonne Prince Edward with others into their hands From Lewis the river as it descendeth so swelleth that the bottom cannot containe it and therefore maketh a large mere and is fed more full with a brooket falling from Laughton a seat of Pelhams a family of especiall respect by Gline that is in the British tongue the vale the habitation of Morleyes whose antiquitie the name doth testifie And afterward albeit it gathereth
PONTIFICE DIRECTVS ET A DEO OPERATIONE MIRACVLORVM SVFFVLTVS ET ETHELBERTHVM REGEM AC GENTEM ILLIVS AB IDOLORVM CVLTV AD FIDEM CHRISTI PERDVXIT ET COMPLETIS IN PACE DIEBVS OFFICII SVI DEFVNCTVS EST SEPTIMO KALENDAS IVNIAS EODEM REGE REGNANTE HERE RESTETH DAN AVGVSTINE THE FIRST ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY VVHO BEING IN TIMES PAST DIRECTED HITHER FROM BLESSED GREGORIE THE BISHOP OF ROME AND THROVGH THE VVORKING OF MIRACLES SVPPORTED BY GOD BOTH BROVGHT KING ETHELBERT AND HIS PEOPLE FROM IDOLATRY TO THE FAITH OF CHRIST AND ALSO AFTER THE DAIES OF HIS FVNCTION ACCOMPLISHED IN PEACE DIED THE SEVENTH DAY BEFORE THE KALENDS OF IVNE IN THE SAME KINGS REIGNE Together with him in the same porch were buried sixe Archbishops next succeeding and in memoriall of these seven namely Austen Laurence Mellitus Iustus Honorius Deus-dedit and Theodosius were these verses such as they are engraven there in marble SEPTEM SVNT ANGLIS PRIMATES ET PROTO PATRES SEPTEM RECTORES SEPTEM COELOQVE TRIONES SEPTEM CISTERNAE VITAE SEPTEMQVE LVCERNAE ET SEPTEM PALMAE REGNI SEPTEMQVE CORONAE SEPTEM SVNT STELLAE QUAS HAEC TENET AREA CELLAE Seven Patriarchs of England Primates seven Seven Rectors and seven Labourers in heaven Seven Cesternes pure of life seven Lamps of light Seven Palmes and of this Realme seven Crownes full bright Seven Starres are heere bestow'd in vault below I may not forget another Church neere unto this built as Bede saith by the Romans and consecrated to Saint Martin wherein before Austens comming Bertha wife to King Ethelbert descended from the bloud Royall of France was wont to frequent divine Christian service Concerning the Castle on the South side of the Citie the Bulwarks whereof now are decaied it maketh no shew of any great antiquity and there is no memorable thing thereof come to my knowledge but only that it was built by the Normans as touching the dignitie of the See of Canterburie which in times past carried a great State I will say nothing but this that as in former ages during the Roman Hierarchie the Archbishops of Canterbury were Primates of all Britaine Legates to the Pope and as Vrbane the second said The Patriarches as it were of another world so when the Popes authoritie was abrogated a decree passed in the Synode Anno 1534. that laying aside the said title they should bee stiled Primates and Metropolitanes of all England Which dignitie the right reverend Father in Christ D. Iohn Whitgift lately held who devoutly consecrated both his whole life to God all his painefull labours to the Church and in the yeare 1604. slept in the Lord a Prelate much missed of all good men After whom succeeded Doctor Richard Bancroft a man of singular courage and counsaile in establishing and supporting the state Ecclesiasticall For the Latitude of Canterbury the Pole Artick is elevated above the Horizon there fifty one degrees and sixteene minutes and the Longitude is reckoned to be foure and twenty degrees and fiftie one minutes Stour by this time having gathered his waters all into one streame runneth beside Hackington where Dame Lora Countesse of Leicester a most honourable Lady in those daies having abandoned all worldly pleasures sequestred her selfe from the world devoutly to serve God wholy Afore which time Baldwin Archbishop of Canterbury began a Church there in the honour of Saint Stephen and Thomas of Canterbury But being inhabited by the Bishop of Rome his authoritie for feare the same might prejudice the Monkes of Canterbury hee gave over the workes Howbeit ever since the name remained and the place is called Saint Stephens of which Sir Roger Manwood Knight L. cheife Baron of the Exchequer a man of exquisite knowledge in our common lawes unto whom for his bounteous liberalitie the poore inhabitants are much beholding was of late time a right great ornament and even so is his sonne at this day Sir Peter Manwood Knight of the Bath whom I cannot but mention when as he is a favourer of vertue and learning From thence Stour passeth by Fordich called the little Burough of Forewich in King William the Conquerours booke a place of note for excellent good trouts and so in former time to Stoure-mouth which it hath now forsaken a mile and more yet left and bequeathed his name to it But now by Stoure-mouth runneth a brooke which issuing our of Saint Eadburghs well at Liming where the daughter to King Ethelbert first of our nation tooke the veile while it seeketh the sea seeth Elham a mercate towne of which I have read nothing but that the Mannour was the inheritance of Iulian Leibourn a Ladie of great honour in her time who was mother of Laurence Hastings first Earle of Penbrooke of that surname and after wife to William Clinton Earle of Huntingdon Then it holdeth his course by divers villages which thereof receive the addition of Bourn as Bishops-bourn Hawles-bourn Patricks-bourn and Beakes-bourn This bourne is that river Stoure as Caesar calleth it as I have observed travailing lately in these parts which Caesar came unto when he had marched by night almost twelve Italian miles from the sea-coast and where hee had the first encounter in his second expedition into Britaine with the Britaines whom he drave into the woods where they had a place fortified both by nature and mens labour with a number of trees hewen downe and plashed to fore-close the entries But yet the Romans forced an entrie drave them out and there about encamped The place of campe as I heare is neare Hâ—rdes a place of ancien Gentlement of that surname descended from Esten grave Herengod and the Fitz-Bernards Belowe Stoure-mouth Stoure dividing his streame taketh two severall waies and leaving that name is called In-lade and Wantsume making the Isle of Tenet on the West and South side for on all other sides it is washed with the maine Sea This Iland Solinus named ATHANATON and in other copies THANATON the Britaines Iuis Ruhin as witnesseth Asserius happily for Rhutupin of Rhutupinae a Citie adjoining The English Saxons called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and we Tenet All the Isle standeth upon a whitish maile full of goodly corne fields and being a right fertile soile carrieth in length eight miles and foure in breadth reckoned in old time to containe 600. Families in stead whereof it is corruptly read in Bede Milliarium Sexcentarum for Familiarum Sexcentarum But whereas Solinus writeth that there is not a snake creeping in this Isle and that the mould or earth carried from hence killeth snakes it is now proved to bee untrue That Etymologie therefore derived 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is from the death of snakes falleth quite to the ground Here the English Saxons landed first here by the permission of Guortigern they first seated themselves here was their place of refuge and here Guortimor the Britaine made a great
The same Poet also in his Poem Parentalia preserved the memory of Flavius Sanctus another President or Governour of Rhutupiae concerning whom thus hee wrote Militiam nullo qui turbine sedulus egit Praeside laetatus quo Rhutupinus ager His martiall service who discharg'd with care without all stirre And Rutupin rejoyce in him who was their governour Ausonius likewise in a lamentable funerall verse setteth forth the praise of Claudius Contentus his Vncle who being overtaken with death left behind him unto strangers a mighty stock of money which hee had put out to usury among the Britaines and encreased by interest and was heere also enterred Et patruos Elegia meos reminiscere cantus Contentum tellus quem Rhutupina tegit My dolefull Muse now call to minde the songs of Vnkle mine Contentus who enterred lies within mould Rhutupine This Rhutupiae flourished also after the comming in of the English Saxons For writers record that it was the Royall Palace of Ethelbert King of Kent and Bede gave it the name of a City But ever since it beganne to decay neither is the name of it read in any place afterward as farre as I know but in Alfred of Beverley who hath put downe in writing that Alcher with a power of Kentish-men at this towne then called Richberge foiled and defeated the Danes encombered with the spoiles they had before gotten Now hath time razed out all the footings and tractes thereof and to teach us that Cities as well as men have their fatall periods it is a verie field at this daie wherein when the corne is come uppe a man may see the draughts of streetes crossing one another For wheresoever the streetes went there the corne is thinne which the common people terme Saint Augustins Crosse. And there remaine onely certaine walles of a Castle of rough flinte and long Britan brickes in forme of a quadrant and the same cemented with lime and a most stiffe binding sand mightily strengthened by tract of time so that the cement is as hard as the stone Over the entrie whereof is fixed a head of a personage engraven in stone some say it was Queene Berthas head but I take it to bee a Romane worke a man would deeme this to have beene the Citadell or keepe of the City it stands on such a height over-looking the low grounds in Tenet which the Ocean by little and little shrinking away hath now left Moreover the plot whereon the Citie stood being now plowed up doth oftentimes discover peeces of Romane coines as well gold as silver evident tokens of the antiquity thereof and a little beneath shee sheweth a daughter of hers which the English Saxons of sand called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and wee Sandwich This beeing one of the Cinque-ports as they terme them is on the North and West side fortified with walles and on other parts fenced with a rampier river and ditch The haven by reason of sand choaking it and a great shippe of burden belonging to Pope Paule the Fourth which was accidentallie sunke in the verie channell thereof is not deepe enough to beare any tall vessells In ancient times it sundrie times felt the furious forces of the Danes afterward King Canutus the Dane when hee had gained the Crowne of England bestowed it upon Christs-Church in Canterburie with the royaltie of the water on each side so farre forth as a shippe beeing a floate a man might cast a Danish hatchet out of the vessell to the banke In the Norman raigne it was reckoned one of the Cinque ports and to finde five shippes In the yeare 1217. Lewis of France of whom wee spake lately burned it King Edward the first for a time placed heere the staple and King Edward the Third by exchange reunited it to the Crowne About which time there flourished heere a familie surnamed De Sandwico which had matched with one of the heires of Creveâ—cur and Dauranches Lord of Folkesto and deserved well of this place In the time of King Henrie the Sixth it was burned by the French In our daies Sir Roger Manwood chiefe Baron of the Exchequer native of this place built and endowed heere a free-schoole and the Netherlanders have bettered the towne by making and trading of Baies and other commodities Beneath Rhutupiae Ptolomee placeth the Promontorie CANTIVM as the utmost cape of this Angle which in some copies is corruptly written NVCANTIVM and ACANTIVM Diodorus as corruptly calleth it CARION and we at this day the Foreland of Kent Now all these shores on every side are of this Rhutupiae by the Poets termed Rhutupina littora Hence it is that Iuvenall satyrically inveighing against Curtius Montanus a dainty and delicious glutton speaking of oysters carried from this shore to Rome hath these verses nulli major fuit usus edendi Tempestate meâ Circaeis nata forent an Lucrinum ad saxum Rhutupinòve aedita fundo Ostrea callebat primo deprendere morsu None in my time had more use of his tooth Whence oisters came where they were bred full well He knew at Circeie cape at Lucrine rock forsooth Or Rhutup coast at first bit he could tell And Lucan the Poet. Aut vaga cùm Thetis Rhutupináque littora fervent Or when unconstant waving sea and British shores doe rage From this fore-land aforesaid the shore runneth on Southward for certaine miles together indented with a continued raunge of many hilles mounting up But when it is come as farre as Sandon that is to say the Downe of Sand and to Deale and Walmer three Neighbour Castles which King Henrie the Eighth within the remembrance of our Fathers built it setleth low and in a flat and open plaine lieth full against the sea At this Deale or Dole as Ninnius calleth it and that truely in mine opinion For our Britains at this day doe so terme a plaine lying low and open upon sea or river the constant report goes that Iulius Caesar did arrive and Ninnius avoucheth as much who in barbarous Latine wrote thus Caesar ad Dole bellum pugnavit that is At Dole Caesar fought a battaile A Table likewise set up in Dover Castle confirmeth the same yea and Caesar himselfe verifieth it who reporteth that he landed upon an open and plaine shore and that the Britaine 's welcommed and received him with a hote and dangerous encounter Whereupon our Countrey man Leland in his Swans song Iactat Dela novas celebris arces Notus Caesareis locus trophaeis Deale famed much vuants of new turrets hie A place well knowne by Caesars victorie For hee give mee leave I pray you to digresse awhile out of my course having as Pomponius Sabinus reporteth out of Seneca wonne all that was to bee gotten by sea and land cast his eie to the Ocean and as if the Romane world would not suffice him bethought him selfe upon another world and with a fleete of a thousand saile for so writeth Athenaeus out of
These lands whilom by violence of breach and ruines great Such change makes time and what is it that long time doth not eate A sunder fell men say where as they both in one did grow The Seas brake in by force and through the mids did overthrow Both townes and grounds And Italy forthwith from Sicily side Did cut and them with in-let streight doth still part and divide Plinie sheweth likewise of Isles that Cyprus was rent from Syria Eubaea from Baeotia Besbicus from Bythinia being parts before of the maine land But none of the old writers was ever able to avouch that Britaine was so severed from the Maine onely those verses of Virgil and Claudian before cited by me in the very first entrance into this worke together with the conjecture of Servius Honoratus doe insinuate so much And yet Dominicus Marius Niger and Master Iohn Twin a right learned man and whosoever he was that wrested these verses made of Scicilia unto Britaine are of this opinion Britannia quondam Gallorum pars una fuit sed pontus aestus Mutavere situm rupit confinia Nereus Victor abscissos interluit aequore montes Some time was Britannie A part of France But swelling tides on hie Have changed the site and Nereus he as Conquerour hath torne The confines quite and runnes betweene the cliffs a sounder worne Considering therefore that in this matter there is no assured ground upon certaine authoritie the learned by laying and comparing the like examples in such narrow Seas as this for searching out of the truth propose these and such like points duly to be weighed and considered First whether the nature of the soyle in both shores be the same which verily is found here to be even so For the shore of either side where the distance betweene is narrowest riseth up with loftie cliffes of the same matter as it were and colour so as they may seeme to have beene riven asunder Secondly How great the breadth is of the sea or streight Certes the streight heere is not much broader than either the streight of Gibraltar or of Scicily to wit twenty foure miles over so as at the first sight one would imagine that these lands were severed by the billowes of the raging counter-seas For that the land sunke downeward by earth-quakes I hardly dare thinke seeing that this our Northen climate of the world is seldome shaken with earth-quakes and those when they happen be never great Thirdly How deepe the streight is As the Streight of Sicilie is sounded in depth 80. paces so this of ours exceedeth not 25. fathom whereas the sea on both sides of it is much deeper Fourthly Of what nature the ground is in the bothoms stony sandy beachy or else oasy and muddy And whether there be beds or shelves of sand lying scattered in the said narrow sea I have learned of Sailers that there lieth but one banke and the same in the very mid-channell which at a low water is scarce 3. fathom deepe But within halfe a league to the South-ward it is 27. fathom deepe and to the North-ward 25. Lastly Whether any place in either of the two shores taketh name in the ancient language of a breach a plucking away division separation or such like as Rhegium which standeth upon the Sicilian Streight is named of the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to breake because in that place by the violent force of waves Sicilie was broken off from Italie But thinking as I doe heereof I can meet with none unlesse one would suppose that Vitsan upon the French shore had the name from Gwith which in the British tongue betokeneth a division or separation They that would have Britaine to have been the very continent of Gaule after that universall deluge argue from the wolves whereof there were many among us in old time like as at this day in Scotland and Ireland How say they could there be any of them in Ilands considering that all beasts and living creatures perished which were not in the Arke unlesse a long time after the earth had beene passable throughout and no Isles at all This question busied Saint Augustine but unto it he answereth thus Wolves and other beasts may bee thought to have swome over the sea unto Ilands yet onely to neere adjoyning Ilands as stags yearely for their reliefe and food swim out of Italy into Cicily But some Isles there be so far remote from maine lands that it is to be thought no beast could swim over If it should bee said men caught them and so brought them over with them it carrieth some credit that this might well have beene for the delight they had in hunting Although it cannot bee denied but by the commandement or permission of God even by the worke of Angels they might have beene transported But if so be they sprung out of the earth according to their first originall when as God said Let the earth bring forth a living soule then it appeareth much more evidently that all kind of living creatures were in the Arke not so much for the encrease and reparation of them as to figure out sundry Nations for the sacrament of the church in case the earth brought forth many creatures in those Ilands whereto they can not passe Thus Philosophizeth he Neither is any man able upon this argument to pronounce any thing more sufficiently and exquisitely For me it may suffice that I have propounded thereof let the Reader throughly waigh and examine it And hee that is able in this point to see deepest what is most true verily I will report him a man right skilfull and deepely quick-sighted On the other side in the Firme-land inhabited the MORINI so called in the ancient Gaules tongue as it were Maritimi sive Maris accolae men dwelling upon the Sea-coast or hard by the sea Their countrey is now termed Conto de Guines and Conte de Bolonois and had in old time two places of very great name to wit GESSORIACVM and ITIVM whence as Caesar hath recorded there was the best and most commodious passing out of Gaule or France into Britain and most Authors thinke it was that towne which now they call Callais But that famous and learned man Hospitalius Chancellour of France a very skilfull Antiquary avoucheth that Callais is no ancient towne but was only a small village such as the French-men terme Burgados untill that Philip Earle of Bolen walled it about not very many yeares before the English won it Neither is it red in any place that men tooke shipping there for Britaine before those times I thinke therefore that Itium is to bee sought some where else that is to say below at Vitsan neere unto Blacknesse which we call Whitsan the word sounding not much unlike to Itium For that all men crossed over out of this Iland thither and embarqued there to saile hither wee observed out of our owne histories in so much
and Caer Vember in the British language and that I wote not what Vortigerns and Memprices built it But what ever it was in the Britans time the English Saxons called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and altogether in the same signification that the Grecians terme their Bosphori and the Germans their Ochen-furt upon Odera to wit of the fourd of Oxen in which sense it is named of our Britans in Wales at this day Rhyd-ychen And yet Leland grounding upon a probable conjecture deriveth the name from the River Ouse called in Latine Isis and supposeth that it hath beene named Ousford considering that the River Eights or Islands which Isis scattereth hereabout bee called Ousney Sage antiquity as wee read in our Chronicles consecrated this Citty even in the British age unto the Muses whom from Greeke-lad which is a small Towne at this day in Wilt-shire they translated hither as unto a more fruitefull Plant-plot For thus writeth Alexander Necham The skill of Civill Law Italy challengeth to it selfe but for Heavenly Writ or Holy Scripture the liberall Sciences also do prove that the Citty of Paris is to bee preferred before all others Moreover according to the Prophesie of Merline Wisedome and Learning flourished at Oxford which in due time was to passe over into the parts of Ireland But when during the English Saxons age next ensuing there was nothing but continuall wasting and rasing of Townes and Citties according to the sway and current of those dayes it sustained in part the common calamity of that time and for a great while was frequented onely for the reliques of Frideswide who for the chastity and integrity of her life was canonized a Saint upon this occasion especially for that by a solemne vow shee had wholly devoted her selfe unto the Service of GOD and Prince Algar whiles he came a wooing unto her was miraculously as writers say stricken blinde This Frideswide as wee reade in William of Malmesbury triumphing for her virginity erected here a Monastery into which when certaine Danes adjudged to die in King Etheldreds time fled for refuge as to a Sanctuary they were all burned with the buildings such was the unsatiable anger of the Englishmen against them But soone after when the King repented this Act the Sanctuary was cleansed the Monastery reedified the old Lands restored new Possessions added and at length the place was given by Roger Bishop of Salisbury unto a Chanon excellently well learned who there presented unto GOD many such Chanons who should live regularly in their Order But leaving these matters let us returne unto the University When the tempestuous Danish stormes were meetely well blowne ouer Aelfred that most devout and Godly King recalled the long banished Muses unto their owne Sacred Chancells and built three Colledges one for Grammarians a second for Philosophers and a third for Divines But this you may more plainely understand out of these words in old Annales of the new Abbey of Winchester In the yeare of Christs Incarnation * 806. and in the second yeare of Saint Grimbald his comming into England was the Vniversity of OXFORD begunne The first Regents in the same and Readers in the Divinity Schoole were Saint Neoth an Abbat and besides a worthy Teacher in Divinity and holy Grimbald a right excellent Professour of the most sweete written Word of Holy Scripture But in Grammar and Rhetoricke the Regent was Asserius a Monke in the skill of Literature passing well learned In Logicke Musicke and Arithmeticke the Reader was John a Monke of the Church of Saint Davids In Geometry and Astronomy reade John a Monke also and Companion of Saint Grimbald a Man of a passing quicke witte and right learned every way At which Lectures was present that most glorious and invincible King Aelfred whose memoriall in every Mans mouth shall bee as sweete as honie But presently after as wee reade in a very good manuscript coppy of the sayd Asserius who at the same time professed learning here There arose a most dangerous and pernicious dissention at Oxford betweene Grimbald and these great Clerkes whom hee brought thither with him on the one side and those old Schoole-men whom hee there found on the other side who upon his comming refused altogether to embrace the Rules Orders and Formes of reading prescribed and begunne by him For three yeares space the variance and discord betweene them was not great howbeit there lurked a secret hatred fostered and festered among them which brake out afterwards in most grievous and bitter manner and was most evident For the appeasing whereof that most Invincible King Aelfred being by a message and complaint from Grimbald certified of that discord went to OXFORD to determine and end this controversie Where also himselfe in Person tooke exceeding great paines in giving Audience to the quarrels and complaints of both sides Now the maine substance of all the contention stood upon this point Those old Schoole-men hotly avouched that before Grimbalds comming to OXFORD Learning generally flourished there although the Schollers and Students were fewer then in number than in former times by reason that the most of them through the cruelty and tyranny of Painims were expelled Moreover they proved and declared and that by the undoubted testimony of old Chronicles that the Orders and Ordinances of that place were made and established by certaine Godly and learned men as namely Gildas of holy memory Melkin Ninnius Kentigern and others who all of them studied and followed their books there untill they were aged persons managing and governing all things there in happy peace and concord also that S. German came to Oxford and abode there halfe a yeare what time as he travelled through Britan with a purpose to preach against the Pelagian heresies who wonderous well allowed of their former Orders and Ordinances This Noble King with incredible and unexampled humility heard both parts most diligently exhorting them in earnest wise enterlacing godly and wholsome admonitions to keepe mutuall society and concord one with another And so the King departed with this minde hoping they would all of both sides obey his counsell and embrace his orders But Grymbald taking this unkindely and to the heart forthwith went his wayes to Winchester Abbay newly founded by Aelfred Shortly after hee caused his owne Tombe to be translated to Winchester wherein he purposed after hee had runne his race in this life that his bones should bee bestowed in an arched Vault made under the Chancell of Saint Peters Church in Oxford Which Church verily the same Grymbald had built from the very foundation out of the ground with stone most curiously wrought and polished Within some years after this new revived felicity there ensued divers disturbances from the Danes and afterward followed one or two calamities For the Danes in the reigne of Etheldred by way of robbery and foule worke and havocke there and streight after Herald surnamed Light foote raged against it with such barbarous
the neighbour Inhabitants in small or no stead untill being brought of late unto his ancient Chanell it is become more commodious for the carriages of all commodities c. Lea is not gone forward farre from Ware when he entertaineth a Riveret named Stort from the East which first runneth downe out of Essex by Bishops Stortford a small Towne fensed sometime with a little Castle set upon a mount cast up of purpose within a prety Island which Castle King William the Conquerour gave unto the Bishops of London and of those Bishops it came to be so called but King John for hatred to Bishop William overthrew it From thence it maketh his way by Sabridgworth a parcell of the Honor of Earle William Mandevile and sometime the possession of Geffrey Say neere Shingle-hall honested by the Owners the Leventhorpes of ancient Gentry So on not farre from Honsdon forfeited by Sir William Oldhall to the Crowne in the time of King Henry the Sixth which gave a Title of Baron Hunsdon to Sir Henry Cary through the favour of Queene Elizabeth unto whom he was Lord Chamberlaine as who verily besides his descent from the royall Family of the Dukes of Somerset was by his mother Mary Bolen cozen german to the said Queene Lea having thus admitted into him this Riveret hasteneth now with a merry glee to the Tamis under Hodesdon a faire through Faire to which H. Bourchier Earle of Essex having a faire house at Base thereby while it stood procured a Mercat and then as it were in gratulatory wise saluteth Theobalds commonly called Tibaulds which our Nestor of Britaine the right honourable Baron Burghley late Lord high Treasurer of England built an house if we respect the workmanship none more faire and elegant if the gardens Orchards and walkes bedight with Groves none more pleasant unto whom especially this River willingly acknowledgeth it selfe beholden for the recovery againe of his ancient Chanell But returne we now to places more within the Country and of greater antiquity From Hertford twelve miles Westward stood VEROLAMIUM a City in times past very much renowned and as greatly frequented Tacitus calleth it VERULAMIUM Ptolomee UROLANIUM and VEROLAMIUM well knowne this is in these dayes neere unto Saint Albans in Caisho Hundred which the CASSII of whom Caesar maketh mention in all probability held and inhabited The Saxons named it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the famous High-way Watlingstreet and also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neither hath it as yet lost that ancient name for commonly they call it Verulam although there remaineth nothing of it to bee seene beside the few remaines of ruined walles the checkered pavements and peeces of Roman Coine other whiles digged up there It was situate upon the gentle descent or side of an hill Eastward fenced about with passing strong wals a double Rampire and deepe Trenches toward the South and Eastward watered with a Brooke which in old time made a great Meere or standing Poole Whereby it was guessed that this was the very same towne of Cassibelaunus fortified with woods and marishes which Caesar wan For there was not to be seene any other Poole or Meere in this Tract to my knowledge In Nero his time it was counted a MUNICIPIUM whence it is that in Ninius his Catalogue of Cities it is named Caer-Municip So that probable it is that this was the very same CAER MUNICIPIUM which Hubert Golizius found in an old Inscription These Municipia were Townes endowed with the right of Romane Citizens and this name came A Muneribus capiendis that is of publique Offices and charges in the Common-wealth and they had for their States and Degrees * Decurions that is Gentlemen and Commons for their publique Councell a Senate and People For their Magistrates and Priests Duum-virj Trium-virj to sit in judgement and minister justice CENSORS AEDILES Quaestors and Flamins But whether this Municipium or towne enfranchised were with suffrages or without a man cannot easily affirme A Municip with suffrages they tearmed that which was capable of honourable Offices like as that other they called without suffrage which was not capable In the Raigne of the same Nero when Bunduica or Boadicia Queene of the Icenes in her deepe love of her Country and conceived bitter hatred against the Romanes raised bloudy and mortall Warre upon them it was rased and destroied by the Britans as Tacitus recordeth Hence it is that Suetonius wrote thus To these mischiefes so great proceeding from the Prince there happened to mend the matter a grievous losse in Britaine wherein two principall Towres of great importance with much slaughter of Romane Citizens and Allies were put to the sacke and spoiled Neverthelesse it flourished againe and became exceeding famous and passing well frequented yea and I have seene old Antiquities of money stamped as it seemeth heere with this inscription TASCIA and on the reverse VER Which that learned searcher of venerable antiquity David Powell Doctour in Divinity interpreteth to be The Tribute of Verulamium For Tasc as he teacheth me in the British or Welsh tongue soundeth as much as Tribute Tascia A Tribute Penny and Tascyd the chiefe Collector of Tribute But loe heere is the very peece of money portraied for you to see which heeretofore also I have exhibited Some would have this money to bee coined before the comming in of the Romans but I beleeve them not For I have alwaies thought them to bee Tribute money which being imposed upon the poll and the lands were yeerely exacted and gathered by the Romans as I have said before For before that the Romans came I can scarce beleeve the Britans coined or stamped any money Yet I remember what Caesar writeth of them And they use saith he brasse money or rings of iron weighed to a certaine poise Where the ancient bookes have Lanceis Ferreis for which the Criticks put in Laminis Ferreis that is plates of iron But let my pen returne againe to the matter proposed for my meaning is not heere to weave the same web still As for Verulam it was famous for nothing so much as for bringing foorth Alban a Citizen of singular holinesse and faith in Christ who when Dioclesian went about by exquisite torments to wipe Christian Religion quite out of the memory of men was the first in Britaine that with invincible constancy and resolution suffred death for Christ his sake Whereupon hee is called our Stephen and the Protomartyr of Britaine yea and Fortunatus Presbyter the Poet wrote thus of him Albanum egregium foecunda Britannia profert Fruitfull Britaine bringeth foorth Alban a Martyr of mickle worth And Hiericus a Frenchman who flourished 700. yeeres agoe of the same Alban and his executioner miraculously stricken blinde made these verses Millia poenarum Christi pro nomine passus Quem tandem rapuit capitis sententia caesi Sed non lictori cessit res tuta superbo Utque caput Sancto
ceciderunt lumina saevo Thousands of torments when he had endur'd for Christ his sake At length he dyed by dome thus given his head away to take The Tortor proudly did the feat but cleere he went not quite That holy Martyr lost his head this cruell wretch his sight In reproch of this Martyr and for the terrour of Christians as wee finde in an old Agon of his the Citizens of Verulam engraved his Martyrdome in a Marble stone and inserted the same in their walles But afterwards when the bloud of Martyrs had conquered Tyrants cruelty the Christians built a Church as Bede saith of wondrous workmanship in memoriall of him and Verulam carried with it so great an opinion of Religion that there in was holden a Synode or Councell in the yeere of the worlds Redemption 429. when as the Pelagian Heresie by meanes of Agricola sonne to the Bishop Severianus had budded forth a fresh into this Island and polluted the British Churches so as that to averre and maintaine the truth they sent for German Bishop of Auxerre and Lupus Bishop of Troies out of France who by refuting this heresie gained unto themselves a reverend account among the Britans but chiefly German who hath thorowout this Island many Churches dedicated to his memory And nere unto the ruined wals of this rased city there remaineth yet a Chappell bearing S. Germans name still although it be put to a prophane use in which place he openly out of the Pulpit preached Gods word as the ancient records of S. Albans church do testifie Which German as Constantius flourishing in that time writeth in his life commanded the Sepulchre of Saint Albane to bee opened and therein bestowed certaine Reliques of Saints that whom one heaven had received should also in one Sepulchre bee together lodged Thus much I note by the way that yee may observe and consider the fashions of that age Not long after the English Saxons wonne it but Uther the Britan firnamed for his serpentine wisedome Pendragon by a sore siege and a long recovered it After whose death it fell againe into their hands For we may easily gather out of Gildas words that the Saxons in his daies were possessed of this City God saith hee hath lighted unto us the most cleere Lamps of holy Saints the Sepulchres of whose bodies and places of their Martyrdome at this day were they not taken away by the woefull disseverance which the barbarous enemy hath wrought amongst us for our many grievous sinnes might kindle no small heat of divine charity in the mindes of the beholders Saint Albane of Verulam I meane c. When Verulam by these warres was utterly decaied Offa the most mighty King of the Mercians built just over against it about the yeere of our Lord 795. in a place which they called Holmehurst a very goodly and large Monastery in memory of Saint Alban or as wee reade in the very Charter thereof Unto our Lord Iesus Christ and S. Alban Martyr whose Reliques Gods grace hath revealed in hope of present prosperity and future happinesse and forthwith with the Monastery there rose a Towne which of him they call Saint Albans This King Offa and the succeeding Kings of England assigned unto it very faire and large possessions and obtained for it at the hands of the Bishops of Rome as ample priviledges which I will relate out of our Florilegus that yee may see the profuse liberality of Princes toward the Church Thus therefore writeth he Offa the most puissant King gave unto Saint Alban the Protomartyr that Towne of his ancient Demesne which standeth almost twenty miles from Verulam and is named Uneslaw with as much round about as the Kings written Deedes at this day doe witnesse that are to bee seene in the foresaid Monastery which Monastery is priviledged with so great liberty that it alone is quite from paying that Apostolicall custome and rent which is called Rom-scot whereas neither King nor Archbishop Bishop Abbat Prior nor any one in the Kingdome is freed from the payment thereof The Abbat also or monke appointed Archdeacon under him hath pontificall Jurisdiction over the Priests and Lay-men of all the possessions belonging to this Church so as he yeeldeth subjection to no Archbishop Bishop or Legate save only to the Pope of Rome This likewise is to be knowne that Offa the Magnificent King granted out of his Kingdome a set rent or imposition called Rom-scot to Saint Peters Vicar the Bishop of Rome and himselfe obtained of the said Bishop of Rome that the Church of Saint Alban the Protomartyr of the English nation might faithfully collect and being so collected reserve to their proper use the same Rom-scot throughout all the Province of Hertford in which the said Church standeth Whence it is that as the Church it selfe hath from the King all royall priviledges so the Abbot of that place for the time being hath all Pontificall ornaments Pope Hadrian also the fourth who was borne hard by Verulam granted this indulgence unto the Abbats of this Monasterie I speake the very words out of the Priviledge that as Saint Alban is distinctly knowne to be the Protomartyr of the English nation so the Abbat of this Monastery should at all times among other Abbats of England in degree of dignitie be reputed first and principall Neither left the Abbats ought undone that might serve either for use or ornament who filled up with earth a mighty large poole under Verulam which I spake of The name whereof yet remaineth still heere in a certaine street of the towne named Fish-poole-streete Neere unto which streete because certaine ankers were in our remembrance digged up divers have verily thought induced thereunto by a corrupt place in Gildas that the river Tamis sometimes had his course and chanell this way But of this Meere or Fish-poole have heere what an old Historian hath written Abbot Alfrike for a great peece of money purchased a large and deepe pond an evill neighbour and hurtfull to Saint Albans Church which was called Fish-poole appertaining to the Kings And the Kings officers and fishers molested the Abbay and burdened the Monkes thereby Out of which poole he the said Abbot in the end drained and derived the water and made it dry ground If I were disposed upon the report of the common people to reckon up what great store of Romane peeces of coine how many cast images of gold and silver how many vessels what a sort of modules or Chapiters of pillars and how many wonderfull things of antique worke have been digged up my words would not carry credit The thing is so incredible Yet take with you some few particulars thereof upon the credite of an ancient Historiographer Ealred the Abbot in the reigne of King Eadgar having searched for the ancient vaults under ground at Verulam overthrew all About the yeere of Christ 960. and stopped up all the waies with passages under ground which were strongly and
artificially arched over head For they were the lurking holes of whores and theeves He levelled with the ground the ditches of the Citie and certaine dens into which malefactours fled as unto places of refuge But the whole tiles and stones which he found fit for building he layed aside Neere unto the banke they did light upon plankes of oke with nailes driven into them cemented with stone-pitch also the tackling and furniture of Ships as anchors halfe eaten with rust and ores of firre A little after he writeth Eadmer his successor went forward with the worke that Ealfred began and his pioners overthrew the foundations of a Pallace in the mids of the old Citie and in the hollow place of a wall as it were in a little closet they hapned upon bookes covered with oken boords and silken strings at them whereof one contained the life of Saint Albane written in the British tongue the rest the ceremonies of the Heathen When they opened the ground deeper they met with old tables of stone with tiles also and pillars likewise with pitchers and pots of earth made by Potters and Turners worke vessels moreover of glasse containing the ashes of the dead c. To conclude out of these remaines of Verulam Eadmer built a new Monasterie to Saint Albane Thus much for the antiquity and dignity of Verulam now haue also with you for an over-deale in the commendation of Verulam an Hexastich of Alexander Necham who 400. yeeres since was there borne Urbs infignis erat Verolamia plus operosae Arti naturae debuit illa minus Pendragon Arthuri patris haec obsessa laborem Septennem sprevit cive superba suo Hic est martyrii roseo decoratus honore Albanus civis inclyta Roma tuus The famous towne whilom cal'd Verolame To Nature ought lesse than to painfull art When Arthurs Syre Pendragon gainst it came With force of Armes to worke her peoples smart His seven yeeres siege did never daunt their heart Heere Alban gain'd the Crowne of Martyrdome Thy Citizen sometime ô noble Rome And in another passage Hic locus aetatis nostrae primordia novit Annos foelices latitiaeque dies Hic locus ingenuus pueriles imbuit annos Artibus nostrae laudis origo fuit Hic locus insignis magnósque creavit alumnos Foelix eximio Martyre gente situ Militat hîc Christo noctéque dieque labori Invigilans sancto religiosa cohors This is the place that knowledge tooke of my Nativity My happy yeeres my daies also of mirth and Jollity This place my childhood trained up in all Arts liberall And laid the ground-worke of my name and skill Poeticall This place great and renowned Clerkes into the world hath sent For Martyr blest for nation for site all excellent A troupe heere of Religious men serve Christ both night and day In holy warfare taking paines duly to watch and pray Verolamium at this day being turned into fields The towne of Saint Albans raised out of the ruins thereof flourisheth a faire towne and a large and the Church of that Monastery remaineth yet for bignesse beauty and antiquity to be had in admiration which when the Monkes were thrust out of it was by the Townes-men redeemed with the sum of 400. pounds of our money that it might not be laid even with the ground and so it became converted into a parish Church and hath in it a very goodly Font of solid brasse wherein the Kings children of Scotland were wont to be Baptized which Font Sir Richard Lea Knight Master of the Pioners brought as a spoile out of the Scottish warres and gave vnto the said Church with this lofty and arrogant inscription CUM LAETHIA OPPIDUM APUD SCOTOS NON IN CELEBRE ET EDINBURGUS PRIMARIA APUD EOS CIVITAS INCENDIO CONFLAGRARENT RICHARDUS LEUS EQUES AURATUS ME FLAMMIS EREPTUM AD ANGLOS PERDUXIT HUJUS EGO TANTI BENEFICII MEMOR NON NISI REGUM LIBEROS LAVARE SOLITUS NUNC MEAM OPERAM ETIAM INFIMIS ANGLORUM LIBENTER CONDIXI LEUS VICTOR SIC VOLUIT VALE ANNO DOMINI M.D.XLIII ET ANNO REGNI HENRICI OCTAVI XXXVI When Leeth a Towne of good account among the Scots and Edinbrough their chiefe Cittie were on fire Sir Richard Lea Knight saved me from burning and brought me into England And I being mindefull of this so great a benefit whereas before I was wont to serve for Baptising of none but Kings Children have now willingly offered my service even to the meanest of the English Nation Lea the victor would have it so Farewell In the yeere of our Lord M. D. XLIII and of the Reigne of King Henrie the Eighth XXXVI But to the matter As antiquitie consecrated this place to be an Altar of Religion so Mars also may seeme to have destined it for the very plot of bloudie battaile For to let other particulars goe by when England under the two houses of Lancaster and Yorke bereft as it were of vitall breath was ready through Ciuill Warre to sinke downe and fall in a sound the chiefe Captaines of both sides joyned battaile twise with reciprocall variety of fortune in the very Towne First Richard Duke of Yorke gave the Lancastrians heere a sore overthrow tooke King Henry the Sixth captive and slew many Honourable personages Foure yeeres after the Lancastrians under the conduct of Queene Margaret wonne heere the field put the house of Yorke to flight and restored the King to his former liberty About this towne that I may let passe the mount or fortification which the common sort useth to call Oister-hils and I take to have been the Campe of Ostorius the famous Lieutenant of Britaine the Abbats in a pious and devout intent erected a little Nunnery at Sopwell and Saint Julians Spittle for Lepres and another named Saint Mary de pree for diseased women neere unto which they had a great Mannour named Gorumbery where Sir Nicholas Bacon Lord Keeper of the Great Seale of England built an house beseeming his place and calling To this adjoyneth Redborn which is by interpretation Red-water and yet the water running thereby from Mergrate sometime a religious house now a seat of the Ferrers out of the house of Groby is no more red than is the Red-sea This Redborne in times past was a place renowned and resorted unto in regard of Amphibalus the Martyrs reliques heere found who instructed Saint Alban in the Christian faith and for Christs sake suffered death under Dioclesian At this day well knowne for that it is seated upon that common and Military high-way which we call Watlingstreet and hath hard by Wenmer called also Womer a brooke that never breaketh out and riseth but it foretelleth dearth and scarcity of corne or else some extremity of dangerous times as the vulgar people doe verily beleeve Nere unto this Redborn I have some reason to thinke that the Station Duro-Co-Brive stood whereof Antonine the Emperor maketh mention although the distance of
places gaine-saith it For as Redborn in our language so Dur-coch in the British is all one in signification with Redwater And verily the truest conjectures that we can make of ancient places are from antique inscriptions from the lying of Journeies every way from the analogie and similitude of their names and from rivers and lakes adjoyning although they answere not just to the exact account of miles betweene place and place considering that the numbers may very soone be corruptly put downe and the waies for shorter passage are as easily altered Certes it cannot otherwise be but that Duro-Co-Brive stood where that Romane Rode-way passeth over this water to wit under Flansted for even there by the high-way side there is a good big spring breaking out of the ground about seuen Italian miles from Verlam for which seuen through the carelesse negligence of the transcribers twelve hath crept in Which brooke presently whiles it is yet but small cutteth the high way crosse and although it carry here no name at all yet beneath S. Albans town it is called Cot which is neere to the name Co. As for that BRIVA which is an adjection to many names of places it signified as I suppose among the old Britans and Gaules a bridge or a passage seeing it is found onely where there are rivers In this Iland there was one or two Durobrivae that is to say if I be not deceived Water passages in Gaules Briva Isarae now Pontoise where in times past they passed over the river Isara Briva-Oderae where they passed over Oderam and Samarobriva for this is the true name where there was passage over the river Some Somewhat above Flamsted sheweth it selfe upon the hill which in the time of King Edward the Confessor Leostane the Abbat of Saint Albans gave unto three knights Turnot Waldefe and Turman for to defend and secure the countrey thereby against theeves But William the Conqueror tooke it from them and gave it to Roger of Todeney or Tony a noble Norman whose possession it was but by a daughter it was transferred at length to the Beauchamps Earles of Warwick From hence I went downe Southward to Hempsted a little mercate towne called Hehan-Hamsted when King Offa gave it unto the monastery of Saint Albans situate among the hills by a riveret side which floweth anon into another that runneth downe by Berkhamsted Where the Nobles of England who devised how they might shake off the new yoake of the Normans assembled themselves together by the perswasion of Fretherike Abbat of Saint Albans and unto whom William the Conqueror repaired as we reade in the life of the same Fretherike fearing least he should loose the Kingdome with shame which he had gotten with the effusion of so much bloud And after much debating of matters in the presence of the Archbishop Laâ—frank the King for the preservation of his peace swore upon all the reliques of Saint Albans Church and by laying hand upon the Holy Gospells unto Abbat Frederick who ministred the oath to observe and keepe inviolably the good and approoved ancient lawes of the kingdome which the holy and devout Kings of England his predecessors and King Edward especially ordained But most of those Peeres and Nobles he forthwith evill entreated turned out of all their possessions and bestowed this Towne upon Robert Earle of Moriton and Cornwall his halfe brother Who fortified the castle heere with a duple trench and rampier In which Richard King of the Romanes and Earle of Cornwall full of honors and yeeres changed this life for a better For default of whose issue and offspring King Edward the Third in the end made over this Castle with the Towne unto Edward his eldest sonne that most warlike Prince whom he created Earle of Cornwall Now that Castle is nothing else but broken walls and a rude heape of stones above which Sir Edward Cary Knight and Master of the Kings Jewell-house descended from the family of the Caryes in Devonshire and the Beauforts Dukes of Somerset built of late a very goodly and most pleasant house In the very Towne it selfe nothing is worth sight save only the schoole which Iohn Incent Deane of Paules in London a native of this place founded More into the South standeth Kings Langley sometime the Kings house in which was borne and thereof tooke name Edmund of Langley King Edward the Third his Sonne and Duke of Yorke where there was a small cell of Friers preachers in which that silly and miserable Prince King Richard the Second after he had been wickedly deprived both of Kingdome and life was first buried and soone after translated to Westminster requited there by way of amends with a brasen tombe for the losse of a Kingdome Just in a maner over against this there is another Langley also which because it belonged to the Abbats of Saint Albanes is called Abbats Langley wherein was borne Nicholas surnamed Break-speare afterwards Bishop of Rome knowne by the name of Pope Hadrian the Fourth who was the first that taught the Norwegians to the Christian Faith and repressed the Citizens of Rome aspiring to their ancient freedome whose stirrop also as hee alighted from his horse Frederik the First Emperor of the Romanes held and whose breath was stopped in the end with a flie that flew into his mouth Somewhat lower I saw Watford and Rickemansworth two mercate townes concerning which I have read nothing of greater antiquity than this that King Offa liberally gave them unto Saint Alban as also Caishobery next unto Watford In which place Sir Richard Morisin Knight a great learned man and who had been used in Embassages to the mightiest Princes under King Henry the Eighth and King Edward the Sixth began to build an house which Sir Charles his Sonne finally finished More into the East the Romanes Military high way went directly from London to Verolam by Hamsted-heath Edgeworth and Ellestre neere unto which at the very same distance where Antonine the Emperour in his Itinerarie placeth SVLLONIACAE to wit twelve miles from London and nine from Verolam there remaine yet the markes of an ancient Station and much rubish or rammell is digged up at an hill which in these dayes they call Brockley-hill But when the Romanes Empire ceassed in this Island as Barbarisme by little and little crept in whiles all partes smoked with the Saxons warre this as every thing else lay a great while relinquished untill that a little before the Normans comming in Leofstane Abbat of Saint Albans restored it For hee as wee finde written in his life Caused the thicke and shady Woods which lie from the edge of Chiltern unto London especially where the Kings high way called Watlingstreete lay to be cut up the rugged places to be levelled Bridges to be built and the uneven waies to be made plaine and safer for passage But about three hundred yeeres since this way was after a sort
and the Monastery Most renowned it is for that Church the Hall of Iustice and the Kings Palace This Church is famous especially by reason of the Inauguration and Sepulture of the Kings of England Sulcard writeth that there stood sometimes a Temple of Apollo in that place and that in the dayes of Antoninus Pius Emperor of Rome it fell downe with an Earth-quake Out of the remaines whereof Sebert King of the East-Saxons erected another to Saint Peter which beeing by the Danes overthrowne Bishoppe Dunstane reedified and granted it to some few Monkes But afterwards King Edward surnamed the Confessour with the tenth penny of all his revenewes built it new for to be his owne sepulture and a Monastery for Benedictine Monkes endowing it with Livings and Lands lying dispersed in diverse parts of England But listen what an Historian faith who then lived The devout King destined unto God that place both for that it was nere unto the famous and wealthy Citty of London and also had a pleasant situation amongst fruitfull fields and greene grounds lying round about it and withall the principall River running hard by bringing in from all parts of the world great variety of Wares and Merchandize of all sorts to the Citty adjoyning But chiefly for the love of the chiefe Apostle whom he reverenced with a speciall and singular affection He made choise to have a place there for his owne Sepulchre and thereupon commanded that of the tenths of all his Rents the worke of a noble edifice should bee gone in hand with such as might beseeme the Prince of the Apostles To the end that he might procure the propitious favour of the Lord after he should finish the course of this transitory Life both in regard of his devout Piety and also of his free oblation of Lands and Ornaments wherewith hee purposed to endow and enrich the same According therefore to the Kings commandement the worke nobly beganne and happily proceeded forward neither the charges already disbursed or to bee disbursed are weighed and regarded so that it may bee presented in the end unto God and Saint Peter worth their acceptation The forme of that ancient building read if you please out of an old Manuscript booke The principall plot or ground-worke of the building supported with most lofty Arches is cast round with a foure square worke and semblable joynts But the compasse of the whole with a double Arch of stone on both sides is enclosed with joynd-worke firmely knit and united together every way Moreover the Crosse of the Church which was to compasse the midde Quire of those that chaunted unto the Lord and with a two-fold supportance that it had on either side to uphold and beare the lofty toppe of the Tower in the midst simply riseth at first with a low and strong Arch then mounteth it higher with many winding Staires artificially ascending with a number of steps But afterward with a single wall it reacheth up to the roofe of Timber well and surely covered with Lead But after an hundred and threescore yeeres King Henry the Third subverted this fabricke of King Edwards and built from the very foundation a new Church of very faire workemanship supported with sundry rowes of Marble pillars and the Rowfe covered over with sheets of Lead a peece of worke that cost fifty yeeres labour in building which Church the Abbots enlarged very much toward the West end and King Henry the Seventh for the buriall of himselfe and his children adjoyned thereto in the East end a Chappell of admirable artificiall elegancy The wonder of the World Leland calleth it for a man would say that all the curious and exquisite worke that can bee devised is there compacted wherein is to bee seene his owne most stately magnificall Monument all of solide and massie Copper This Church when the Monkes were driven thence from time to time was altered to and fro with sundry changes First of all it had a Deane and Prebendaries soone after one Bishop and no more namely T. Thurlebey who having wasted the Church Patrimony surrendred it to the spoile of Courtiers and shortly after were the Monks with their Abbot set in possession againe by Queene Mary and when they also within a while after were by authority of Parliament cast out the most gracious Prince Queene Elizabeth converted it into a Collegiat Church or rather into a Seminary and nurse-garden of the Church appointed twelve Prebendaries there and as many old Soldiers past service for Almes-men fourty Scholers who in their due time are preferred to the Universities and from thence sent foorth into the Church and Common-weale c. Over these she placed D. Bill Deane whose successour was D. Gabriel Goodman a right good man indeede and of singular integrity an especiall Patron of my studies Within this Church are entombed that I may note them also according to their dignity and time wherein they died Sebert the first of that name and first Christian King of the East-Saxons Harold the bastard son of Canutus the Dane King of England S. Edward King and Confessour with his wife Edith Maud wife to King Henry the First the daughter of Malcolme King of Scots King Henry the Third and his son King Edward the First with Aeleonor his wife daughter to Ferdinandâ— the first King of Castile and of Leon. King Edward the Third and Philippa of Henault his wife King Richard the Second and his wife Anne sister to Wenzelaus the Emperor King Henry the Fifth with Catharine his wife daughter to Charles the Sixt king of France Anne wife to king Richard the Third daughter to Richard Nevill Earle of Warwicke king Henry the Seventh with his wife Elizabeth daughter to king Edward the Fourth and his mother Margaret Countesse of Richmond king Edward the Sixth Anne of Cleve the fourth wife of king Henry the Eighth Queene Mary And whom we are not to speake of without praise The Love and Joy of England Queene ELIZABETH of Sacred memory our late Soveraigne and most gratious Lady a Prince matchlesse for her heroicke Vertues Wiâ—edome and Magnanimity above that Sexe rare knowledge and skill in the Tongues is here intombed in a sumptuous and stately Monument which king Iames of a pious minde erected to her memory But alas how litle is that Monument in regard of so Noble and worthy a Lady Who of her selfe is her owne Monument and that right magnificent For how great SHE was RELIGION REFORMED PEACE WELL GROUNDED MONEY REDUCED TO THE TRUE VALUE A NAVY PASSING WELL FURNISHED IN READINES HONOUR AT SEA RESTORED REBELLION EXTINGVISHED ENGLAND FOR THE SPACE OF XLIIII YEERS MOST WISELY GOVERNED ENRICHED AND FORTIFIED SCOTLAND FREED FROM THE FRENCH FRANCE RELIEVED NETHERLANDS SUPPORTED SPAINE AWED IRELAND QUIETED AND THE WHOLE GLOBE OF THE EARTH TWICE SAYLED ROUND ABOUT may with praise and admiraration testifie one day unto all Posterity and succeeding ages Of Dukes and Earles degree there ly here buried Edmund Earle of
were in amity and league founded every one in his owne Kingdome Cities named Caesareae in honour of Augustus What if I should say that CAESAROMAGUS did stand neere unto Brentwood would not a learned Reader laugh at me as one Soothsayer doth when he spieth another Certes no ground I have nor reason to strengthen this my conjecture from the distance thereof seeing the numbers of the miles in Antonine be most corruptly put downe which neverthelesse agree well enough with the distance from COLONIA and CANONIUM Neither can I helpe my selfe with any proofe by the situation of it upon the Roman high-way which in this enclosed country is no where to be seene Neither verily there remaineth heere so much as a shadow or any twinkling shew of the name CAESAROMAGUS unlesse it be and that is but very sclender in the name of an Hundred which of old time was called Ceasford and now Cheasford Hundred Surely as in some ancient Cities the names are a little altered and in others cleane changed so there be againe wherein one syllable or twaine at most bee remaining thus CAESARAUGUSTA in Spaine is now altered to be Saragosa CAESAROMAGUS in France hath lost the name cleane and is called Beavois and CAESAREA in Normandy now Cherburg hath but one syllable left of it But what meane I thus to trifle and to dwell in this point If in this quarter hereby there bee not CAESAROMAGUS let others seeke after it for me It passeth my wit I assure you to finde it out although I have diligently laid for to meet with it with net and toile both of eares and eies Beneath Brentwood I saw South-Okindon where dwelt the Bruins a Family as famous as any one in this Tract out of the two heires female whereof being many times married to sundry husbands Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolke the Tirels Berners Harlestones Heveninghams and others descended And of that house there be males yet remaining in South-hampton-shire Also Thorndon where Sir John Petre Knight raised a goodly faire house who now was by our Soveraigne King James created Baron Petre of Writtle That Thorndon was in times past the dwelling place of a worshipfull Family of Fitzlewis the last of which name if we may beleeve the common report by occasion that the house happened to be set on fire in the time of his wedding feast was pittiously himselfe therein burnt to death Burghsted and more short Bursted that is the place of a Burgh which name our forefathers used to give unto many places that were of greater antiquity This I once supposed to have been CAESAROMAGUS and what ever it was in old time it is at this day but a good country Towne neere unto Byliricay a Mercat towne of very good resort Likewise Ashdowne sometimes Assandun that is as Marian interpreteth it the Mount of Asses where long since a bloudy battaile was fought in which King Edmund sirnamed Ironside had at the beginning a good hand of the Danes and put them to rout but streight waies the fortune of the field turning about he was so defeited that he lost a great number of the English Nobility In memoriall of which battaile we reade that King Canutus the Dane built a Church afterward in that place what time as upon remorse and repentance for the bloud that he had shed hee erected Chappels in what part soever he had fought any field and shed Christian bloud Not farre from these is Ralegh a prety proper towne and it seemeth to be Raganeia in Domesday booke wherein is mention made of a Castle that Suenus heere built in which also we read thus There is one Parke and sixe Arpennes of Vineyard and it yeeldeth twenty Modij of wine if it take well Which I note the rather both for the French word Arpenn and also for the wine made in this Isle This Suenus was a man of great name and of noble birth the sonne of Robert sonne of Wiwarc but father to Robert of Essex whose son was that Sir Robert de Essex who in right of inheritance was the Kings Standard bearer and who for that in a light skirmish against the Welsh hee had not onely cast off his courage but also cast away his Standard being chalenged for treason vanquished in duell or combat and thereof thrust into a Cloystre forfeited a goodly patrimony and livelod which was confiscate to King Henry the Second and helped to fill his Coffers As for the Barony it lay dead from that time a great while in the Kings hands untill Sir Hubert de Burgh obtained it of King John Above this the shores retiring backe by little and little admit two creekes of the Ocean entring within them the one the neighbour inhabitants call Crouch the other Blackwater which in old time was named Pant. In the said Crouch by reason of the waters division there lie scattered foure Islands carrying a pleasant greene hew but by occasion of inundations growne to be morish and fenny among which these two bee of greatest name Wallot and Foulenesse that is The Promontory of Fowles which hath a Church also in it and when the sea is at the lowest ebbe a man may ride over to it Betweene these Creekes lieth Dengy Hundred in ancient times Dauncing passing plentifull in grasse and rich in Cattaile but Sheepe especially where all their doing is in making of Cheese and there shall ye have men take the womens office in hand and milke Ewes whence those huge thicke Cheeses are made that are vented and sould not onely into all parts of England but into forraigne nations also for the rusticall people labourers and handicraftes men to fill their bellies and feed upon The chiefe Towne heereof at this day is Dengy so called as the Inhabitants are perswaded of the Danes who gave name unto the whole Hundred Neere unto which is Tillingham given by Ethelbert the first Christian King of the English-Saxons unto the Church of Saint Paul in London and higher up to the North shore flourished sometimes a City of ancient Record which our forefathers called Ithancestre For Ralph Niger writeth thus out of S. Bede Bishop Chad baptized the East-Saxons neere to Maldon in the City of Ithancestre that stood upon the banke of the River Pant which runneth hard by Maldon in Dengy Province but now is that City drowned in the River Pant. To point out the place precisely I am not able but I nothing doubt that the River called Froshwell at this day was heeretofore named Pant seeing that one of the Springs thereof is called Pantswell and the Monkes of Coggeshall so termed it Doubtlesse this Ithancester was situate upon the utmost Promontory of this Dengy Hundred where in these daies standeth Saint Peters upon the wall For along this shore much a doe have the inhabitants to defend their grounds with forced bankes or walls against the violence of the Ocean ready to inrush upon them And I my selfe am partly of this
of England erected Kings Colledge in the yeere 1441. whereunto he joyned a Chappell which may rightly be counted one of the fairest buildings of the whole world His wife Margaret of Anjou in the yeere 1443. built Queenes Colledge Robert Woodlarke Professor of Divinity in the yeere 1459. S. Katharines Hall Iohn Alcocke Bishop of Ely in the yeere 1497. was the founder of Iesus Colledge Lady Margaret Countesse of Richmond mother to King Henry the Seaventh about the yeere 1506. erected Christs Colledge and S. Iohns enlarged now in goodly manner with new buildings Sir Thomas Audley Lord Chancellour of England in the yeere 1542. built Maudlen Colledge which Sir Christopher Wray Lord chiefe Justice of England hath lately bewtified with new buildings and endowed with great possessions And that most puissant King Henry the Eight in the yeere of our salvation 1546. made Trinity Colledge of three others to wit of S. Michaels House or Colledge which Herveie Stanton in the reigne of Edward the Second built of Kings Hall founded by King Edward the Third and of Fishwicks Hostell Which Colledge that the Students might inhabite more pleasantly is now repaired nay rather new built with that magnificence by the carefull direction of Thomas Nevill Doctor of Divinity Master of the said Colledge and Deane of Canterbury that it is become a Colledge for stately greatnesse for uniforme building and beauty of the roomes scarce inferiour to any other in Christendome and he himselfe may bee accounted in the judgement even of the greatest Philosopher Truly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for bestowing so great cost in publike and not in his owne private uses Also wherein I congratulate our Age and our selves in the behalfe of good learning that honourable and prudent man Sir Walter Mildmay knight one of the Privy Counsell to Queene Elizabeth who founded a new Colledge in the honour of Emanuel and Lady Francis Sidneie Countesse of Sussex in her last will gave a Legacy of 5000. pounds to the building of a Colledge that should be called Sidney-Sussex which is now fully finished I let passe here litle Monasteries and Religious houses because they were of small note unlesse it were Barnewell Abbey which Sir Paine Peverell a worthy and valiant warriour Standard-bearer to Robert Duke of Normandy in the holy War against Infidels translated in the reigne of Henry the first from S. Giles Church where Picot the Sheriffe had ordained secular Priests unto this place and brought into it thirty Monkes for that himselfe at that time was thirty yeeres of Age. The reason of that name Barnewell you may read if it please you out of the private History of that place in these words Sir Payne Peverell obtained of King Henry the First a certaine plot of ground without the Burgh of Cambridge Out of the very midst of that place there sprung up certaine Fountaines very pure and lively which in English they called Barnewell in those daies as one would say the wels of Barnes that is Children For that Boyes and Youthes meeting once a yeare there on the Even of Saint Iohn Baptists Nativity after the English manner exercised themselves in wrestling and other sports and pastimes befitting their age yea and merrily applauded one another with songs and minstralsie Whence it came that for the number of Boyes and Girles running thither and there playing grew to be a custome that on the suddaine a multitude of buyers and sellers repaired thither Neither was Cambridge albeit it was consecrated to the Muses altogether free from the furies of Mars For when the Danes robbed and spoyled up and downe many times they wintered here and in the yeere of Redemption 1010. when Sueno the Dane by most cruell and terrible tyranny bare downe all before him they spared not the honour of the place nor the Muses which we read that Sylla yet did at Athens but pittifully burnt and defaced it all Neverthelesse at the first comming in of the Normans it was sufficiently peopled For thus we read in the Domesday booke of King William the Conquerour The Burrough of Grentbridge is divided into tenne Wards and hath 387. Mansion houses But eighteene houses were destroyed for building of the Castle what time as the said King William the First determined to over-awe the English every where whom lately hee had conquered with Castles as it were with bridles of servitude Afterwards in the Barons warre it sustained great losse by the out-lawed Barons out of the Isle of Ely therefore Henry the Third to represse their outrages caused a deepe ditch to be cast on the East side which is still called Kings ditch Here happily there is a secret expectation of some that I should give mine opinion as touching the antiquity of this University But I will bee no dealer in this case For I meane not to make comparison betweene these two most flourishing Universities of ours to whom I know none equall Howbeit I feare me they have builded Castles in the Ayre and thrust upon us devices of their owne braines who extolling the antiquity thereof farre above any probability of truth have written that this Cantaber of Spaine streight after Rome was built and many yeeres before the Nativity of Christ erected this University True and certaine it is that whensoever it was first ordained it was a seat of learning about the time of King Henry the First For thus wee read in an old Additament of Peter Blessensis unto Ingulph Abbot Ioffred sent ouer to his Manour of Cotenham neere Cambridge Gislebert his fellow Monke and professour of Divinity with three other Monkes who following him into England being throughly furnished with Philosophicall Theoremes and other primitive sciences repaired dayly to Cambridge and having hired a certaine publike Barne made open profession of their sciences and in short space of time drew together a great number of Schollers But in the second yeere after their comming the number of their Scholars grew so great as well from out of the whole Country as the Towne that the biggest house and barne that was or any Church whatsoever sufficed not to receive them all Whereupon sorting themselves apart in severall places and taking the Vniversity of Orleance for their paterne earely in the morning Monke Odo a singular Grammarian and Satyricall Poet read Grammer unto Boyes and those of the younger sort assigned unto him according to the Doctrine of Priscian and of Remigius upon him At one of the clocke Terricus a most witty and subtile Sophister taught the elder sort of young men Aristotles Logicke after the Introductions of Porphyrie and the Comments of Averroes At three of the clocke Monke William read a Lecture in Tullies Rhetoricke and Quintilians Flores But the great Master Gislebert upon every Sunday and Holy-dayes preached GODS Word unto the People And thus out of this little Fountaine which grew to bee a great River wee see how the Citty of GOD now is become enriched and
the CORITANI who beyond the ICENI dwelling further within the Land and spreading themselves very farre through the Mediterranean part of the Island inhabited as farre as to the German Ocean to wit in these Countries which now are commonly called NORTHAMPTON-SHIRE LEICESTER-SHIRE RUTLAND-SHIRE LINCOLN-SHIRE NOTTINGHAM-SHIRE and DERBY-SHIRE With the Etymology of this their name I will not once meddle for feare least putting downe incertainties for certaine and undoubted trueths I may seeme to slip into an errour For although this People were spread farre and wide which GUR-TATI signifieth in the British tongue yet if I would boldly avouch that these were thence called CORITANI should I not play hazard at all aventure Let them for mee guesse more safely who can more happily As for mee I will in the meane time according to my purpose survey as diligently as I may these shires which I have now named each one by it selfe orderly in their severall places NORTHAMTONIAE COMITATVS DESCRIPTIO IN QVO CORITANI OLIM IN SEDERVNT NORTHAMPTON-SHIRE THis County of NORTHAMPTON in the English-Saxon tongue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Northanton-shire commonly called Northampton-shire situate in the very middle and heart as it were of England from the South-West side where it is broadest drawing it selfe narrower by little and little reacheth out in length to the North-East On the East lie Bedford and Huntingdon-shires on the South Buckingham and Oxford-shires Westward Warwickshire and Northward Rutlandshire and Lincoln-shire separated from it by Avon the lesse and Welland two Rivers The East side thereof from Ouse to Dowbridge one of the Romane high waies which they call Watling-streat runneth through The middle and East part the River Nen which by Writers is named also Aufona with his gentle streame parteth in twaine A champian countrey it is exceeding populous and passing well furnished with Noblemens and Gentlemens houses replenished also with Townes and Churches in so much as in some places there are twenty and in others thirty Steeples with Spires or square Towres within view at once The Soile very fertile both for tillage and for pasture yet nothing so well stored with Woods unlesse it bee in the further and hither sides But in every place as elsewhere also in England it is over-spred and as it were beset with Sheepe which according as that Hythodaus merrily said Were wont to bee so gentle and fed with so little but now in our daies as the report goes beginne to bee so ravenous and wilde that they devour men they waste and depopulate fields houses and Towneships On the South border where the River Ouse so often mentioned first springeth in a place rising with an easie ascent and out of which there walme Springs in great plenty standeth Brakley as one would say a place full of Brake or Ferne in old time a famous Mercat Towne and staple as it were for wool which how large and wealthy it was it maketh now demonstration to travailers only by the ruines thereof and by a Major whom it hath for the chiefe Magistrate The Zouches Lords of the place founded a College there from whom it came successively as a possession in marriage right unto the Hollands and the Lovels But when Lord Lovell in King Henry the Seventh his time was attainted the Stanleies became Lords of it by the Kings gift But the College there at this day ruinous belongeth to the Students of Mawdlen College in Oxford who use it for a retyring place Neither came this place to the least name and reputation that it had by occasion of the memory of Saint Rumbald a young Infant who as wee finde written in his life being a Kings sonne so soone as ever he was borne after he had spoken I know not what holy words and professed himselfe to be a Christian was forthwith baptised and so presently dyed and being canonized by the people amongst the Saints had his commemoration kept both here and at Buckingham From hence Northward when we had gone six miles forward and all the way well wooded first we saw Astwell where Sir T. Billing sometime Lord chiefe Justice in the Kings Bench with great state dwelt from whom it descended hereditarily to the Shirleis by the ancient Family of the Lovels then Wedon and Wapiham which the Family of the Pinkeneys held by Barony untill that H. de Pinkney ordained King Edward the First his heire Whom being a right good and excellent Prince many evill men made their heire whereas according to Tacitus a good father maketh no Prince but a bad one his heire Then came we straight waies to TRIPONTIUM which Antonine the Emperour mentioneth though not in due place For I am of opinion that this was the very same which now we call Torcester and to prove it there be some arguments of moment as yet remaining If Trimontium in Thracia had that name of three hils Triturrita in Tuskane of three Towres and Tripolis likewise of three Cities conjoyned in one I have no reason to doubt that this TRIPONTIUM of ours might be so called of three Bridges And heere at this Torcester the Roman Port way which in many places most evidently sheweth it selfe betweene it and Stony stratford is cut through by three speciall Chanels or streames that the little River there divideth it selfe into which in times past like as at this day had of necessity there severall Bridges over them Now if you ask a Britain how he saith in British Three Bridges you shall heare him by and by answer Taer ponte and there be certaine honest men from whom I have received heere peeces of Romane Coine that constantly avouch the true name of this place to be Torcester and think it was so called of Towres Howbeit Marianus nameth it Touecester if the booke be not faulty in whom we read that this towne was so fortified in the yeer of our Redemption 917. that the Danes by no meanes could winne it by assault and that King Edward the elder afterwards compassed it about with a stone Wall yet wee with all our seeking could see no tokens of any such Wall Only there is a Mount remaining cast up with mens hands they call it Berihill now turned into private mens Gardens and planted on every side with Chery trees And very time it selfe hath so conquered and subdued the towne that beholden it is to the situation to the name and old Coines other whiles heere found for that esteeme which it hath of antiquity For no memorable thing there is in it but one onely Church that it hath and the same is a large and faire building wherein D. Sponde sometime the Parson thereof by report a good benefactor to Church and towne both lieth entombed within a tombe of fine and curious workemanship But hard by at Easton-Nesson there is to bee seene a faire and beautifull dwelling house belonging to the Knightly Family of the Farmâ—rs The River that watereth Torcester as it goeth from hence toward Ouse runneth
of the country beganne to make a new chanell at Clowcrosse in the yeere 1599. Neere unto this banke aforesaid we saw Crowland which also is called Croyland a Towne of good note among the Fenne-people the name whereof soundeth as Ingulph the Abbat of this place interpreteth it as much as A raw and muddy Land A place as they write much haunted in times past with I wot not what sprites and fearefull apparitions before that Guthlake a right holy and devout man led there an Eremits life In whose memoriall Aethelbald King of the Mercians founded to the honour of God at his great charges in the yeere of our Salvation 716. an Abbay very famous both for opinion of the religious life of the Monkes and also for their wealth Concerning which take heere if you please these Verses of Foelix a Monke of good antiquity out of the life of Guthlake Nunc exercet ibi se munificentia Regis Et magnum templum magno molimine condit At cum tam mollis tam lubrica tam malè constans Fundamenta palus non ferret saxea palos Praecipit infigi quercino robore caesos Leucarúmque novem spacio rate fertur arena Inque solum mutatur humus suffultáque tali Cella basi multo stat consummata labore His bounty now the King doth there bestow An Abbay faire with much expense to reare But seeing that the waterish Fenne below Those ground-workes laid with stone uneath could beare So quaving soft and moist the Bases were He caused piles made of good heart of oke Pitch't downe to be with maine commanders stroke Then nine leagues off men sand in Barges brought Which once fast ramm'd by painfull workmans hand Of rotten earth good solid ground was wrought On which for aye such workes might firmely stand And thus by this devise of new plantation The Church stands firme and hath a sure foundation If I should exemplifie unto you out of that Monke the Devils of Crowland with their blabber lips fire-spitting mouthes rough and skaly visages beetle heads terrible teeth sharpe chins hoarse throats blacke skinnes crump-shoulders side and gor-bellies burning loines crooked and hawm'd legges long tailed buttockes and ugly mishapes which heeretofore walked and wandered up and downe in these places and very much troubled holy Guthlake and the Monkes you would laugh full merily and I might bee thought a simple sily-one full worthily Howbeit in regard of the admirable situation of this place so farre different from all others in England and considering the Abbay was so famous I am well content to dwell a while in the description of these particulars Amid most deepe Fennes and standing waters in a muddy and miry ground this Crowland lyeth so shut up and divided round about from all entrance that there is no accesse to it unlesse it bee on the North and East side and that by narrow Cawsies Seated it is for all the world if I may resemble great and small things together like unto Venice Three streets it hath and those severed one from another by water courses betweene planted thicke with willowes and raised upon piles or postes pitched and driven downe deepe into the standing waters having over them a triangle Bridge of admirable workmanship under which for to receive the fall of the waters meeting in one confluence the Inhabitants report there was a pit sunke of a mighty depth Now whereas beyond the Bridge in solum mutatur humus as that Monke said that is The mould is chaunged and is become firme and solid ground there stood in times past that famous Abbay and the same verily taking up but a small plot of ground about which all save where the Towne standeth is so rotten and moorish that a man may thrust a pole downe right thirty foote deepe and round about it every way is nothing but a plot of reeds and next unto the Church a place planted with Alders Howbeit the Towne is well enough peopled with Inhabitants who have their Cattaile a great way from the Towne and when they are to milke them they goe in little punts or boats that will carry but two a peece which they call Skerries yet the most gainfull trade they have is by taking fish and catching of water-foule and that is so great that in the moneth of August they will spread a net and at once draw three thousand Mallards and wilde Duckes and such like together and these pooles or watery plots of theirs they use to terme their Corne fields for they see no Corne growing in five miles any way In regard of this their taking of fish and fowle they paid yeerely in times past to the Abbat as now they doe to the King three hundred pounds of our money The private History of this Abbay I list not to relate seeing it is commonly extant and to be seene out of Ingulph now printed and published yet my minde serves me well briefely to record that which Peter of Bloys Vice-chancellour to King Henry the Second reported at large as touching the new building of this Abbay in the yeere of our Redemption 1112. to the end that by this one president wee may learne by what meanes and helpes so mighty so huge and so faire religious houses were raised and built up in those times Ioffrid the Abbat obtained of the Archbishops and Bishops in England An Indulgence for the third part of penance enjoyned for sinnes committed unto every one that helped forward so holy a worke With this Indulgence he sent out Monkes every way and all about to gather money wherewith when hee was now sufficiently furnished to the end that hee might have an happy beginning of this worke from some happy names of lucky presage hee solemnely appointed the day of Saint Perpetua and of Saint Felicity on which he would lay the first foundation At which day there came flocking in great numbers the Nobles the Prelates and Commons of all the Country thereabout After the celebration of Divine Service and Anthems sung in parts Abbat Ioffrid himselfe layed the first Corner stone Eastward then the Noble men and great persons every one in their degree couched their stones and upon the said stones some laid money others their sealed Deeds of lands Advousons of Churches of Tenths of their Sheepe and of the Tithes of their Churches of certaine measures of wheat and of a certaine number of Workemen as Masons and Quarriers whom they would pay The common sort again and towneships for their parts offered with chearefull devotion some money others one daies labour every moneth untill the worke were finished some the building of whole Pillars others of the bases to the said Pillars and others again to make certaine parts of the wals striving a vie who should doe most This done the Abbat after hee had in a solemne speech commended their devout bounty to so holy a worke granted unto every one of them the fraternity of his Abbay and the participation besides of all
Fire to make Salt thereof Neither doubt I that these were knowne unto the Romanes and that form hence was usually paied the Custome for salt called Salarium For there went a notable high way from Middlewich to Northwich raised with gravell to such an height that a man may easily acknowledge that it was a worke of the Romanes seeing that all this Country over gravell is so scarce and from thence at this day it is carryed to private mens uses Matthew Paris writeth that King Henry the Third stopped up these Salt-pits when in hostile manner he wasted this Shire because the Welshmen so tumultuous in those dayes should not have any victuals or provision from thence But when the faire beames of peace beganne once to shine out they were opened againe Nantwich which the River Wever first visiteth is reputed the greatest and fairest built Towne of all this Shire after Chester the Britans call it Hellath wen that is The white Wich or Salt pitte because the whitest salt is there boiled and such as writ in Latine named it Vicus Malbanus haply of one William named Malbedeng and Malbanc unto whom at the Normans Conquest of England it was allotted It hath one onely Salt pitte they call it the Brine pitte about some foureteene foote from the River out of which they convey salt water by troughes of wood into houses adjoyning wherein there stand little barrels pitched fast in the ground which they fill with that water and at the ringing of a bell they beginne to make fire under the leades whereof they have sixe in every house and therein seeth the said water then certaine women they call them Wallers with little wooden rakes fetch up the salt from the bothom and put it in baskets they call them Salt barowes out of which the liquor runneth and the pure salt remaineth The Church and but one they have is passing faire and belonged as I have heard unto to Abbay of Cumbermer from hence Wever holding on his course crooked enough is augmented with a brooke comming out of the East which runneth downe from Crew a place inhabited in old time by a notable family of that name And farther yet from the West side of the River Calveley sheweth it selfe which gave both habitation and name to the worthy Family of the Calveleys out of which in the Raigne of Richard the Second Sir Hugh Calveley Knight was for his Chivalry in France so renowned that there occurred no hardy exploit but his prowesse would goe through it From thence Wever hieth apace by Minshall the house of the Minshuls and by Vale Royall an Abbay founded by King Edward the First in a most pleasant valley where now dwelleth the ancient Familie of the Holcrofts unto Northwich in British called Hellath Du that is The blacke salt pitte where also very neere the brinke of the river Dan there is a most plentifull and deepe Brine-pit with staires made about it by which they that draw water out of it in lether buckets ascend halfe naked into the troughes and powre it thereinto by which it is carried into the which houses about which there stand on every side many stakes and piles of wood Heere Wever receiveth into his Chanell the River Dan whose tract and streame I will now follow This Dan or more truly Daven flowing out of those hilles which on the East side sever Staffordshire from Ches-shire runneth along to CONDATE a towne mentioned by Antonine the Emperour now called corruptly Congleton the middle whereof the little brooke Howty on the East side Daning-schow and Northward Dan it selfe watereth And albeit this Towne for the greatnesse and frequency thereof hath deserved to have a Major and six Aldermen yet hath it but a Chappell and no more and the same made of timber unlesse it bee the quire and a little Towre-steeple which acknowledgeth Astbury about two miles off her mother-Church which verily is a very faire Church the West Porch whereof is equall in height to the very Church as high as it is and hath a spire steeple adjoyning thereto In the Church-yard lie two portraictures of Knights upon Sepulchres in whose Shields are two barres But for that they be without their colours hardly can any man say whether of the Breretons Manwarings or Venables which are the most noble Families in those parts and indeed such Barres doe they beare in their Coates of Armes but in divers colours Then commeth Daven to Davenport commonly Damport which hath adopted into her owne name a notable family and Holmeschappell a Towne well knowne to waifaring men where within the remembrance of our Grandfathers I. Needham built a Bridge Neere unto which at Rudheath there was sometimes a place of refuge and Sanctuary as well for the Inhabitants of this Shire as strangers who had trespassed against the lawes that there they might abide in security for a yeere and a day Then runneth it under Kinderton the old seat of the ancient race of the Venables who ever since the first comming in of the Normans have been of name and reputation here and commonly are called Barons of Kinderton Beneath this Southward the little river Croco runneth also into Dan which flowing out of the Poole called Bagmere passeth by Brereton which as it hath given name to the worshipful ancient and numerous family of the Breretons knights so Sir William Brereton knight hath of late added very much credit and honour to the place by a magnificent and sumptuous house that hee hath there built A wonder it is that I shall tell you and yet no other than I have heard verified upon the credit of many credible persons and commonly beleeved That before any heire of this house of the Breretons dyeth there bee seene in a Poole adjoyning bodies of trees swimming for certaine daies together Like unto that which Leonardus Vairus reporteth from the testimony of Cardinall Granvell namely that neere unto the Abbay of Saint Maurice in Burgundy there is a fish-pond in which are fishes put according to the number of the Monkes of that place And if any one of them happen to bee sicke there is a fish seene also to floate and swimme above the water halfe dead and if the Monke shall dye the said fish a few daies before dieth As touching these matters if they bee true I wrote not what to say for I am no Wisard to interpret such strange wonders But these and such like things are done either by the holy trutelar Angels of men or else by the devils who by Gods permission mightily shew their power in this inferiour world For both the sorts of them being intelligent natures upon a deliberate purpose and to some certaine end and not for nought worke strange things The Angels seeke after and aime at the safety and health of man-kinde the devils contrariwise plot to mischieve vexe or else to delude them But all this may seeme impertinent to our purpose Croke the
to recover the Holy Land That part of this Country which lyeth beyond the Haven and hath onely these two Rivers to water it the Britans doe call Ros making the name answerable to the thing for that it lyeth for the most part all low on a flat and greene plaine This Tract was inhabited by Flemings out of the Low Countries who by the permission of King Henry the First were planted heere when the Ocean by making breaches in the bankes had overwhelmed a great part of the said Low Countries These are distinctly knowne still from the Welsh both by their speech and manners and so neere joyned they are in society of the same language with Englishmen who come nighest of any Nation to the low Dutch Tongue that this their little Country is tearmed by the Britans Little England beyond Wales A Nation this is as saith Giraldus strong and stout and continually enured in warres with the Welsh a Nation most accustomed to seeke gaine by clothing by traffique also and merchandise by sea and land undertaking any paines and perills whatsoever A Nation of very great power and as time and place requireth ready by turnes to take plough in hand and till the ground as ready also to goe into the field and fight it out And that I may adde thus much moreover a Nation most loyally devoted to the Kings of England and as faithfull to Englishmen and which in the time of Giraldus was wonderfull skilfull in Sooth-saying by the Inspection of Beasts inwards whose worke also is heere seene as they are a people passing industrious namely The Flemish High way reaching out a great length The Welshmen have many a time banded all their Forces in one and to recover this country belonging sometimes unto their ancestors have violently set upon these Flemings and overrunne their lands spoiling and wasting where ever they went yet they most courageously have alwayes from time to time defended their estates their name and life Whereupon concerning them and King William Rufus the Historian Malmesbury writeth thus Many a time and often King William Rufus had but small successe against the Welsh men which any man may well mervaile at considering that alwaies otherwise he spread most fortunately in all adventures of Warre But I take it that as the unevennesse of the ground and sharpnesse of the ayre maintained their Rebellion so the same empeached his valour But King Henry who now Reigneth a man of an excellent wit found meanes to frustrate all their devices by placing Flemings in their Country who might be alwaies ready to represse and keepe them in And in the fifth booke King Henry with many a warlike expedition went about to force the Welsh men who ever and anon rose up in Rebellion for to yeeld and submit themselves and resting in the end upon this good and holsome policie for to take downe and abate their swelling pride he brought over thither all the Flemings that dwelt in England For a number of them who in those daies in regard of his Mothâ—rs 〈◊〉 by her Fathers side flocked thither were closely shrowded in England in so much 〈◊〉 they for their multitude seemed burdensome unto the Realme Wherefore he sent them altogether with their substance goods Wives and Children unto Ros a Country in Wales as it were â—â—to a common avoidance thereby both to purge and clense his owne Kingdome and also to quaile and represse the rash boldnesse of his enemies there By the more westward of these two Rivers is Harford West called by the English men in times past Haversord and by the Britans Hulphord a faire Towne and of great resort situate upon an hill side having scarce one even streete but is steepe one way or other which being a Countie by it selfe hath for Magistrates a Major a Sheriffe and two Bailiffs The report goeth that the Earles of Clare fortified it with Rampier and Wall on the North side and we read that Richard Earle of Clare made R. Fitz-Tancred Castellan of this Castle Beyond Ros there shooteth out with a mighty front farre into the West Ocean a great Promontory which Ptolomee called OCTOPITARUM the Britans Pebidiauc and Cantred Devi we Saint Davids land A stony barren and unfruitfull ground as Giraldus saith Neither clad with Woods nor garnished heere and there with Rivers ne yet adorned with Medows lying alwaies open to windes onely and stormes Yet a retyring place for most holy men and a nurserie of them For Calphurnius a Britaine Priest as some I know not how truly have written heere in the vale of Ros begat of his Wife Concha Sister to Saint Martin of Tours Patricke the Apostle of Ireland and Devi a most religious Bishop translated the Archiepiscopall See from Isca Legionum into the most remote and farthest angle heereof even to Menew or Menevia which afterwards the Britans of his name called Twy Dewy that is Devi his house the Saxons Dauy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the English men at this day Saint Davids and was for a long time an Archbishops See But by occasion of a pestilence that contagiously raged in this Country whereby the Pall was translated into little Britaine in France to Dole this Archiepiscopall dignity had an end Yet in the foregoing ages the Welsh men commensed an action heere about against the Archbishop of Canterbury Metropolitane of England and Wales but they were cast in the Law What this Saint Davids was and what maner of thing in times past a man can hardly tell considering it hath beene so often by Pirates rased but now it is a very small and poore Citie and hath nothing at all to make shew of but a faire Church dedicated to Saint Andrew and David which having been many times overthrowne Petre the Bishop in the reigne of King John and his successors erected in that forme which now it sheweth in the vale as they tearme it of Ros under the Towne and hard by it standeth the Bishops Pallace and faire houses of the Chaunter who is next unto the Bishop for there is no Deane heere of the Chauncellor Treasurer and foure Archdeacons who be of the number of the XXII Canons all enclosed round within a strong and seemely wall whereupon they call it the Close This Promontorie thrusteth it selfe so farre Westward that in a cleere Sunshine day a man may from thence see Ireland and from hence is the shortest cut to Ireland and by Plinies measure which he tooke false was from the Silures for he thought that the Silures reached thus farre thirty miles But that this land ran out farther and that the forme of the Promontory hath been changed it may be gathered out of these words of Giraldus What time saith he as King Henry the Second made his abode in Ireland by reason of an extraordinary violence of stormes the sandy shores of this coast were laide bare as farre as to the very hard ground and the face of
CONGAVATA was hereabout in which the second band of the Lergi served in garison for Congavata in the British tongue signifieth The valley by Gavata which now is called short Caud But the very place where this towne stood I cannot precisely point out Betwixt the meeting of these rivers the ancient City Carlile is passing commodiously and pleasantly seated garded on the North side with the chanell of Eden on the East with Peterill on the West with Caud and beside these naturall fenses it is fortified with strong walls of stone with a castle and a citadell as they tearme it In fashion it lyeth somewhat long running out from West to East on the West side is the Castle of a good large compasse which King Richard the third as appeareth by his Armes repaired In the midst almost of the City riseth on high the Cathedrall Church the upper part whereof being the newer is very artificially and curiously wrought yet the nether part is much more ancient But on the East side it is defended with the Citadel that K. Henry the eighth built strongly with sundry bulwarks The Romans and Britans called this city LUGU-VALLUM and LUGU-BALLIUM or LUGU-BALIA the English Saxons Luell as Bede witnesseth Ptolomee as some think LEUCOPIBIA Ninnius Caer Lualid the ridiculous prophesies of the Britans tearmed it The City of Duball we Carlile and Latine writers by a newer name Carleolum For our Historiographers accord with common consent that Luguballia and Carleolum were the same But in searching out the Etymology thereof good God how hath Leland bestirred him being in the end driven to this point that he thought verily Eden was called Lugus and Ballum came from Vallis that is a vale so that Lugu-ballum soundeth as much as the Vale by Lugus But I if so bee I may also hatch a conjecture would rather suppose but without prejudice that the said termination Vallum and Vallia are derived from that most famous military Vallum or Trench that standeth apparent a little from the City For that Picts Wall which was afterwards set upon the Trench or rampire of Severus appeareth somewhat beyond the River Eden which now hath a woodden bridge over it neere unto a little village called Stanwicke and went over the very river just against the Castle where within the chanell of the river mighty stones the remaines thereof are yet extant Also Lugus or Lucus amongst the ancient Celis or Gaules who spake the same language that once the Britans did signifieth a Tower as we may learn by Pomponius Mela. For that which in Antonine is named LUGO-AUGUSTI hee calleth TURRIM AUGUSTI that is The Tower of Augustus so that Luga-Vallum is as much to say as the Tower or Fort by the wall From this originall if the Frenchmen had derived Lugudunum as it were The tower on an hill and Lucotecia for so in old time they called that city which we doâ— Lutetia that is Paris as it were The faire Tower for so those words signifie in the British tongue peradventure they had aimed neerer unto the marke than in fetching the one from Lutum that is Dirt and that other from Lugdus an imagined King That this Carlile flourished in the time of the Romanes divers tokens of antiquity now and then digged up there and the famous mention of it in those dayes doe sufficiently prove After the furious outrages also of the Picts and Scots were allayed it retained some part still of the ancient dignity and was counted a City For in the yeere of Christ 619. Egfrid King of Northumberland passed a gift unto that holy Saint Cuthbert in this forme I have given unto him also the City called Luguballia and â—5 miles round about it at which time also it was walled strong The Citizens saith Bede brought Cuthbert to see the walls of their City and a fountain or Well in it built in times past according to the wonderfull workmanship of the Romanes who at the very same time as saith the book of Durham ordained there a Covent of Nuns with an Abbesse and Schooles Afterwards being defaced and brought to exceeding ruin by the Danes it lay about 200. yeeres buried under his owne ashes untill it began againe to flourish under the government and favour of King William Rufus who repaired it with new edifices built the Castle and placed a Colony there first of Flemmings whom streightwaies upon better advice he removed into Wales but afterwards of Southerne Englishmen Then was there seen as William of Malmesbury writeth A dining chamber after the Roman fashion built of stone arched with vaults so that no spitefull force of tempests nor furious flame of fire could ever shake or hurt it in the forefront whereof was this Inscription MARII VICTORIAE that is â—o the victory of Marius This Marius some will needs have to be Arviragus the Britan others that Marius who being proclaimed Emperour against Gallienus was named to bee of wonderfull strength that as writers report of him He had in his fingers no veines but all sinewes Yet have I learned that another making mention of this stone saith it was not inscribed MARII VICTORIAE but MARTI VICTORI that is To victorious Mars which perhaps may better content some and seeme to come nearer unto the truth Carlile being now better peopled and of greater resort had as they write for Earle or more truly for Lord thereof Ralph Meschines from whom came the Earles of Chester and at the same time being raised by King Henry the first to an Episcopall dignity had Artalph for the first Bishop Which the Monks of Durham have written was prejudiciall to their Church when Ranulph say they Bishop of Durham was banished and the Church had none to defend her certain Bishops laid Carlile and Tividale to their Dioeceses But how the Scotish under the reign of Stephen won this City and King Henry the second recovered it how also King Henry the third committed the castle of Carlile and the County to Robert Vipont how likewise in the yeere 1292. it was burnt together with the Cathedrall Church and the Suburbs and how Robert Briâ— King of Scots in the yeere 1315. land siege unto it in vaine you may finde in the common Chronicles And yet it seemes it would quit my paines to adjoyne here two inscriptions that I saw here the one in Thomas Aglion by his house neere unto the Citadell but made in the worse age DIIS MANIBU SMARCI TROJANI AUGUSTINANI TUM FA CIENDUM CUR A VIT AFEL AMMILLUSIMA CONJUX KARISS Whereunto is adjoined the image of a man of Armes on horsebacke armed at all peeces with a launce in his hand As for the other it standeth in the garden of Thomas Middleton in a very large and faire letter thus LEG VI VIC P. F. G. P. R. F. Which is as I ghesse Legio Sexta Victrix Pia Felix the rest let some other decipher The onely Earle that
in Irish Bala-Mac-Andan that is The towne of Antonies sonne For it tooke both names of the founder Thomas Fitz-Anthonie an Englishman who flourished under King Henry the third whose heires are yet acknowledged the Lords thereof Beneath this towne the river Callan voideth his streame into Neore upon which standeth the third Burrough or incorporate towne of this county bearing the same name Callan Like as Inise-Teog which is the fourth The family of Butlers hath spread and branched farre and wide throughout this County men that with much honour bare a great port and for their worth and vertues were adorned with the titles of Earles of Carick Ormond Wiltshire in England and of Ossorie as is before said and at this day there remaine of their line beside the Earle of Ormond Vicount Thurles and Knight of the Order of Saint George Vicount Montgarret Vicount Tullo the Barons of Dunboyn and of Cahir a goodly race also and progenie of Noble Gentlemen The rest of the Gentry in this Tract that are of better birth and parentage be likewise of English descent as the Graces Walshes Lovells Foresters Shortels Blanch-felds or Blanchevelstons Drilanas Comerfords c. THE COUNTY OF CATERLOGH THe County of CATERLOGH by contraction Carlogh toward the Sunne rising adjoineth to the County of Kilkenny wholly in manner situate betweene the rivers Barrow and Slane of a fertile soile and shaded well with woods hath two townes in it of better note and importance than the rest both standing upon the West banke of Barrow namely Caterlogh which Leonel Duke of Clarence began to wall and Bellingham a most renowned Lord Deputy fortified with a castle Also Leighlin called in Latine Lechlinia where there was an Episcopall Chaire now united to the See of Fernes These townes have both of them their wards or garrisons and Constables over them And whereas the greatest part of this County belonged in right of inheritance unto the Howards Dukes of Norfolke who by the Earles of Warren drew their descent from the eldest daughter of William Mareschall Earle of Penbroch King Henry the eighth by a generall consent of the States of the Realme tooke unto himselfe both from them and also from other Noblemen yea and from Monasteries in England all their lands and possessions in Ireland for that the Lords thereof by neglecting in their absence their owne private estates carelesly brought therewith the publike state into danger as is already shewed From hence Barrow passeth through the Baronie Ydron which by right belonged to the Carews for Sir John Carew an English Knight died seised thereof in the time of King Edward the third and which Peter Carew within our memorie recovered as it were by a writ of remitter after it had been unlawfully usurped and a long time in the occupation of unjust detainers Upon the river Slane appeareth Tullo memorable in this regard that King James hath lately honoured Theobald Butler the Earle of Ormonds brothers sonne with the title of Vicount Tullo The Cavanaghs dwell a great many of them every way hereabouts who being descended from Dovenald a younger sonne as they say the Bastard of Dermot the last King of Leinster are spred and branched out into a very great sept or linage a warlike generation renowned for their good horse-manship and who as yet though they bee exceeding poore beare themselves in spirit answerable to their ancient nobilitie But being at deadly feud amongst themselves for I wot not what man-slaughters which many yeeres agoe they committed one upon another they daily work their owne mischiefe by mutuall wrongs and hurts When as the English had set some of these to oversee and mannage the possessions they had in this part of Ireland about King Edward the seconds time they by little and little usurped the whole country unto themselves and assumed the name of O-Mores and taking into their societie the Toles and Brenes by little and little disseized the English of all the territorie betweene Caterlogh and the Irish sea Among these is the confluence of Neore and Barrow which after they have travailed in a joint streame some few miles from hence in one channell present both their name and their waters unto their eldest sister the Shour which straightwaies is swallowed up at a mouth full of rockes within the gulfe of the Ocean where on the left hand there shooteth out a little promontorie with a narrow necke that sheweth a prettie high tower unto the sailers erected by the merchants of Rosse what time they were in their prosperity for their direction and safer arrivall at the rivers mouth QUEENES COUNTIE ABove Caterlogh toward the North-west there spreadeth out a little country full of woods and bogs named in Irish Lease and QUEENES Countie in English which Queene Mary ordained to be a Countie by Commission given unto Thomas Ratcliffe Earle of Sussex then Lord Deputie who reduced it into the tearmes of civill order and governement whence it is that the chiefe towne thereof is called Mary-Burgh where certaine garrison souldiers with their Seneschall keep ward and have much adoe to defend themselves against the O-Mores who beare themselves as the ancient Lords thereof against Mac-Gilpatric the O-Dempsies and others a mischievous and tumultuous kind of people who daily practise and plot all they can to annoy the English and to shake off the yoke of lawes For to subdue this wilde and hostile part of the countrey at the first entrie of the English thither Meilere was sent For whom Hugh Lacie governour of Ireland erected one Castle at Tahmelio like as a second at Obowy a third likewise upon the river Barrow and a fourth at Norrach But among the rest he fortified Donemaws an ancient Castle standing in the most plentifull part of the territorie which came hereditarily unto the Breoses Lords of Brecknocke by Eua the younger daughter of William Mareschall Earle of Pembroch and what way as Barrow which rising out of Slew Blomey hills Westward runneth solitarie alone amongst the woods he visiteth that ancient RHEBA mentioned by Ptolomee which keeping the name still intire is called at this day Rheban but insteed of a citie it is altogether as one saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is A citie citilesse or The remaines of that which was a citie even a few little cottages with a fortresse Notwithstanding it giveth the title of a Baronet unto that Nobleman Nicholas of Saint Michael the Lord thereof who is commonly called the Baronet of Rheban KINGS COUNTIE LIke as the Queenes Countie aforesaid was so named in honour of Queene Marie so the territorie bordering next unto it Northward divided with Barrow running betweene and called in times past Offalie was in honour of Philip King of Spaine her husband tearmed Kings Countie and the principall towne in it Philips Towne where is placed a Seneschall with a ward and divers Gentlemen of English blood are here planted
namely the Warrens Her-berts Colbies Mores and Leicesters amongst the Irish septs of O-Conor unto whom a great part hereof in old time belonged Mac-Coghlan O-Maily Fox and others stand stoutly in defence of the lands wonne by their ancestors and left unto them Now these naturall Irish inhabitants grumble and complaine that their livings and patrimonies have beene taken from them and no other lands assigned and set out for them to live in Hence it is that taking hold of every occasion to make uprores they put the English dwelling among them to much trouble ever and anon yea and oftentimes in revengefull minds festered and poisoned with hostile hatred they breake out furiously into open and actuall rebellions THE COUNTY OF KILDAR OVer against these all along Eastward affronteth the county of Kildar a most rich and plentifull country concerning the pastures whereof Giraldus Cambrensis useth these verses of Virgill Et quantum longis carpunt armenta diebus Exiguâ tantâ—m gelidus ros nocte reponit And looke how much when daies are long the beasts by grasing eat So much cold dewes make good againe by night when 't is not great The chiefe and head towne of the shire is Kildar much honoured and graced in the first infancy of the Irish Church by reason of Saint Brigid a Virgin right venerable and highly esteemed of for her devotion and virginity I meane not that Brigid which about 240. yeeres agoe erected that order of the sisters or Nunnes of Saint Brigid namely that within one Monastery both Monkes and Maidens should live divided asunder by walls and suffered onely one to see another but another Brigid of greater antiquity by farre as who was a Disciple of Saint Patricke of great fame and renowne throughout Ireland England and Scotland Whose miracles and fire never going out but kept by Nunnes as it were in that secret Sanctuary of Vesta and of the ashes that never encrease are mentioned by writers This Kildar is adorned with an Episcopall See named in the Popes letters in old time Episcopatus Darensis After the entrance of the English into Ireland it was the habitation of Richard Earle of Pembroch then of William Mareschall his sonne in law that married his daughter Earle of Penbroch likewise by whose fourth daughter Sibyll it came to William Ferrars Earle of Derby and by his daughter likewise begotten of her unto William Lord Vescy whose sonne William Vescy Lord chiefe Justice of Ireland standing in termes of disfavour and disgrace with King Edward the First for certain quarrels arising between him and John the sonne of Thomas Fitz-Girald and being bereft of his only sonne lawfully begotten granted and surrendred Kildare and other his lands in Ireland unto the King so that he might enfeoffe his base sonne surnamed De Kildare in his other lands in England And a little while after the said John sonne of Thomas Fitz-Girald whose ancesters descended from Girald Windesor Castellan of Pembroch had with passing great valour performed most painefull service in the conquest of this Iland was by Edward the second King of England endowed with the castle and towne of Kildar together with the title and name of Earle of Kildar These Fitz-Giralds or as they now tearme them the Giraldines are a right noble family and for their exploits highly renowned by whose valour as one said The Englishmen both kept the sea coasts of Wales and also forced and won the walls of Ireland And verily this house of Kildare flourished a long time without taint of honour and name as which never bare armes against their Prince untill that Thomas Fitz-Girald the sonne of Girald Fitz-Girald Earle of Kildare and Lord Deputy of Ireland under King Henry the eighth hearing that his father sent for into England and accused for misgoverning Ireland was put to death upon this light and false rumour unadvisedly and rashly carried away with the heat of youth put himselfe into armes against Prince and countrey solicited the Emperour Charles the fifth to enter and seize upon Ireland wasted the land farre and neere with fire and sword laid siege to Dublin and killed the Archbishop thereof For which outrages shortly after he with five of his unkles were hanged when his father for very sorrow was dead before Howbeit Queene Mary restored the family unto their blood and full estate when shee advanced Girald brother unto the aforesaid Thomas to bee Earle of Kildare and Baron of Offaly He ended this life about the yeere 1558. His eldest son Girald died before his father leaving one onely daughter married to Sir Robert Digby Henry his second sonne succeeded who when he had by his wife L. Francis daughter to Charles Earle of Nottingham only two daughters William the third son succeeded in the Earledome who was drowned in passing into Ireland in the yeere 1599. having no issue And then the title of Earle of Kildare came to Girald Fitz-Girald sonne to Edward their Unkle who was restored to his blood in linage to make title by descent lineall or collaterall from his father and brother and all his ancestours any attaindour or corruption of blood to the contrary notwithstanding There be also in this County these places of better note than the rest Naas a mercate towne Athie upon the river Barrow Mainoth a castle belonging to the Earles of Kildare and a towne unto which King Edward the first in favour of Girald Fitz-Moris granted a mercate and Faire Castle Martin the chiefe seat of the family of Fitz-Eustace which descending from the Poers in the County of Waterford for their valour received the honour of a Parliament-Barons bestowed upon Rowland Fitz-Eustace by King Edward the fourth together with the Manour of Port-lester and the title of Vicount Baltinglas at the hands of King Henry the eighth which dignities with a faire patrimony Rowland Fitz-Eustace seduced by the religious pretext unto rebellion and flying his countrey lost by attaindour under Queene Elizabeth The families here remaining besides the Giraldines that be of higher birth above others fetch their descent also out of England namely the Ougans De-la Hides Ailmers Washes Boisels Whites Suttons c. As for the Giants dance which they talke of that Merlin by art magick translated out of this territorie unto Salisbury plaine as also of that most bloody battell which shall be one day betweene the English and the Irish at Molleaghmast I willingly leave unto the credulous lovers of fabulous antiquity and the vaine beleevers of prophesies For my purpose is not to give fond tales the telling These bee the midland counties of Leinster now are we to goe unto those by the sea side THE COUNTY OF WEISFORD BEneath that mouth at which Barrow Neore and Shoure the sister-like rivers having embraced one another and joyned hands are laid up in the Ocean there sheweth it selfe Eastward in a Promontorie where the shore fetcheth a compasse round the County of Weisford or Wexford In Irish County Reogh where Ptolomee in
it hard by a little Monastery a very narrow vault within the ground much spoken of by reason of I wot not what fearefull walking spirits and dreadfull apparitions or rather some religious horrour which cave as some dreame ridiculously was digged by Ulysses when hee went downe to parley with those in hell The inhabitants terme it in these daies Ellan u ' Frugadory that is The Isle of Purgatory and Saint Patricks Purgatory For some persons devoutly credulous affirme that Patrick the Irishmens Apostle or else some Abbat of the same name obtained by most earnest praier at the hands of God that the punishments and torments which the godlesse are to suffer after this life might here bee presented to the eye that so he might more easily root out the sinnes which stucke so fast to his Countrimen the Irish and withall their heathenish errours But seeing that this place is named in Saint Patricks life Reglis I would deeme it to be the other REGIA that Ptolomee mentioneth and the very situation of it in the Geographer implieth no lesse Besides this Patrickes Purgatory there was another Purgatorie also of Sir Brendan in this Island but since I could not finde out the place take here with you that only which I found namely Nechams Tetrastichon of it Asserit esse locum solennis fama dicatum Brendano quo lux lucida saepe micat Purgandas animas datur hic transire per ignes Ut dignae facie Iudicis esse queant If common fame say true a place of Brendan taking name There is and often times cleere lights doe shine within the same The soules have licence here to passe through Purgatory fire That worthily before that Judge they may at length appeare Where this river Liffer augmented by other waters comming unto it approacheth neerer to the sea it spreadeth out againe into a Lake which Ptolomee called LOGIA and now they usually terme it Logh Foile and Logh Der whereupon Necham hath these verses Logh Der aquis dives Lacus est Ultonia novit Commodus indigenis utilitate placet Logh Der a Lake in waters rich this Ulster knoweth well Commodious and pleasing much those that about it dwell Hard by this there flourished sometime Derry a Monasterie and Episcopall See where in the yeere 1566. Edward Randolph renowned for his long service in the warres spent his life in the behalfe of his countrey to his everlasting fame and gave Shan O-Neal who had then assembled and armed all the power he could possibly against the English such an overthrow as that he could never after recover the losse he then sustained But now of late Sir Henry Docwra knight who in the warres of Ireland quit him so well that with great praise he hath approved his singular valour and martiall skill brought hither first a garison and afterward planted here a Colony to bridle the Earle of Tir-Oens insolent pride and established and settled the same with so good orders that it both standeth in good steed for helpe against the rebells and also traineth the barbarous people to their duties The ROBOGDII placed above LOGIA held all that Northren sea coast of Ireland where O Dogherty an obscure Potentate had great sway Amongst these Robogh a little Episcopall towne retaineth the expresse footings of the old name Robogdii Which should be that promontory ROBOGDIUM unlesse it be Faire Foreland I know not From hence the utmost shores all rockie bend backe againe by the mouth of Swilly Lake which Ptolomee seemeth to call ARGITA Beyond these more Westward were the VENNICNII seated where Mac Rwyn Faid Mac Swyn Netoeth and Mac Swyn Bannigh have great lands and large possessions Among these Ptolomee placeth the river VIDUA which now is called Crodagh and the Promontory VENNICNIUM which they now call Rams-head and the Foreland BORAEUM now S. Helens head Upon the shore as it twineth backe from hence Southerly Calebeg affordeth an Haven and commodious harbour for sailers then appeare the ruins and rubbish of Sligah Castle which Maurice Fitz-Girald Lord Justice of Ireland built about the yeere 1242. when he had made himselfe Lord of this country But Iohn Fitz-Girald the first Earle of Kildare was dispossessed of this castle and a goodly inheritance in this tract fined also in a great sum of money for that hee had raised a civill and dangerous war against the Earle of Ulster Lower yet and not far from the mouth of Logh Earne Donegal that is the towne of the Gallicians of Spaine with an Abby sheweth it selfe whence this county when it was made a county tooke the name There have beene rulers over this territory for these many ages they of the house of O-Donel and those extracted from the same stock that the family of O-Neals neither had they any other title than O-Donel and Lords of Tir-Conell For the getting of which title and that they might be by a certaine election of the people inaugurated with their due complements at a stone beside Kilmacrenan they were at deadly discord and committed outrages one upon another untill that King James not long since by his honourable Letters Patents conferred the honour title and stile of Earle Tir-Conell upon Rory O-Donell the brother of that Hugh the rebell who being fled out of his countrey died in Spaine and this Rory his successour practising new treason against King James his advancer upon the terrour of a guilty conscience fled the realme in the yeere 1607. and died at Rome The ancient inhabitants of this Ulster like as the rest of all Ireland throughout were by one name in times past cleped SCOTI and from hence carried they over with them the name of Scots into the North parts of Britain For as Giraldus writeth about the yeere of salvation foure hundred six sons of Mured King of Ulster seized upon the North parts of Britain whereupon it was by a speciall and peculiar name called SCOTIA And yet it appeareth by the Scottish Annales that this happened long before Also Ferguse the second who re-established the kingdome of Scots in Britain came from hence unto whom Patrick had prophesied by way of divination or Soothsaying in these words Although thou seemest at this day base and contemptible in the eies of thy brethren thou shalt shortly be the Prince and Lord of them all And to avow the credit and authority of this prediction the said writer addeth moreover and saith No long space of time after this Fergus according to the Holy mans prophesie obtained the soveraignty in all that land and his seed reigned for many generations together From his stemme proceeded that most valerous King Edan the sonne of Gabran who subdued Scotland that is called Albanach whose posterity in lineall descent and succession reigneth there still The first Englishman that in the reigne of King Henry the second attempted this countrey was Sir Iohn Curcy who having by force won Downe and Armach
Lismore sometime Legate of Ireland an earnest follower of the vertues which he had seen and heard of his devout father Saint Bernard and Pope Eugenius a venerable man with whom hee was in the Probatorie at Clarevall who also ordained him to be the Legate in Ireland after his obedience performed within the monasterie of Kyrieleyson happily departed to Christ. Jerusalem was taken with the Lords Crosse by the Soldan and the Saracens after many Christians slaine MCLXXXVII Upon the Calends or first day of July was the Abbey of Ynes in Ulster founded MCLXXXIX Henry Fitz-Empresse departed this life after whom succeeded his sonne Richard and is buried in Font-Ebrard In the same yeere was founded the Abbey de Colle victoriae that is of Cnokmoy MCXC. King Richard and King Philip make a voiage into the holy land MCXCI. In the Monasterie of Clarevall the translation of Malachie Bishop of Armagh was honourably celebrated MCXCII The Citie of Dublin was burnt MCXCIII Richard King of England in his return from the holy land was taken prisoner by the Duke of Austrich and he made an end by composition with the Emperour to pay for his ransome one hundred thousand markes and with the Empresse to pay thirtie thousand also with the foresaid Duke 20. thousand markes in regard of an obligation which he had made unto them for Henrie Duke of Saxonie Now hee remained in the Emperours prison a yeere sixe moneths and three daies For whose ransome all the Chalices in manner throughout England were sold. In the same yeere was founded the Abbey de Iugo Dei that is of Gods yoke MCXCIIII The reliques of S. Malachie Bishop of Clareval were brought into Ireland and with all honour that might be received in the Monasterie of Mellifont and the rest of the Monasteries of the Cistertian order MCXCV. Matthew Archbishop of Cassile Legate of Ireland John Archbishop of Dublin carried away the corps of Hugh Lacie the conquerour of Meth from the Irish and solemnely enterred it in the Monasterie of Blessednesse that is Becty But the head of the said Hugh was bestowed in the Monastery of Saint Thomas in Dublin MCXCVIII The order of Friers Preachers began in the parts about Tolouse by Dominicke the second MCXCIX Richard King of England died after whom succeeded John his brother who was Lord of Ireland and Earle of Mortaigne which John slew Arthur the lawfull heire sonne of Geffrey his whole brother And in this manner died Richard When K. Kichard besieged the Castle of Chaluz in little Britaine wounded he was to death with an arrow by one of those in the said Castle named Bertram Gurdon And when he dispaired of his life hee demised the Kingdome of England and all his other lands unto his brother to keep All his Jewels and one fourth part of his Treasure he gave unto his Nephew Otho and another fourth part of his Treasure he gave and commanded to be dealt among his servants and the poore Now when the said Bertram was apprehended and brought before the King the K. demanded of him in these termes what harme have I done thee that thou hast slaine me Unto whom without any manner of feare he answered thus Thou killedst my father and two of my brethren with thine owne hand and me also thou wouldest now have killed Take therefore what revenge so ever thou wilt of me for I passe not so thou maist be slaine that hast wrought so many mischiefes to the world Then the King forgave him his death and commanded that hee should be let goe at libertie and to give him besides one hundred shillings sterling But after the King was dead some of the Kings ministers slayed the said Beâ—â—â—am and hung him up And this King yeelded up his vitall breath the eighth day before the Ides of April which fell out to be the fourth day of the weeke before Palme-Sunday and the eleventh day after he was wounded and buried hee was at Foâ—â— Eâ—â—ard at the feet of his father Touching whose death a certaine versifier saith thus Istiâ— in morte perimit formica leonem Proh dolor in tanto funere mundus obit In this mans death as is well seene the Ant a Lion slaies And in so great a death alas the world doth end her daies The Corps of which King Richard is divided into three parts Whence was this verse made Viscera Carceolum Corpus Fons servat Ebrardi Et Cor Rhothomagum magne Richarde tuum Thy bowels onely Carceol keeps thy Corps Font-Everard And Roan hath keeping of thy heart O puissant Richard When King Richard was departed this life his brother John was girt with the sword of the Duchy of Normandie by the Archbishop of Rhoan the seventh day before the Calends of May next ensuing after the death of the aforesaid King which Archbishop did set upon the head of the said Duke a Circle flower with golden roses in the top round about Also upon the sixth day before the Calends of June hee was anointed and crowned King of England all the Lords and Nobles of England being present within the Church of Saint Peter in Westminster upon the day of the Lords Ascension and afterwards was John King of England called to a Parliament in France by the King of France to answer as touching the death of his Nephew Arthur and because he came not he deprived him of Normandy The same yeere was the Abbey of Commerer founded MCC Cathol Cronerg King of Conaght founder of the Monastery de Colle Victoriae that is of the Hill of Victorie is expelled out of Conaght The same yeere was founded the Monasterie de Voto that is Tynterne by William Marshall Earle Marshall and of Pembroch who was Lord of Leinster to wit of Weisford Ossory Caterlagh and Kildare in regard and right of his wife who espoused the daughter of Richard Earle of Stroghul and of Eve the daughter of Dermot-Mac-Murogh But because the foresaid William Earle Marshall was in exceeding great jeopardie both day and night in the sea he vowed a vow unto our Lord Jesus Christ that if he might be delivered from the tempest and come to land hee would make a Monasterie unto Christ and Marie his mother and so it came to passe when hee was come safe to Weisford he made I say the Monasterie of Tyntern according to his vow and called it the Monasterie De voto that is Of the vow In the same yeere was founded the Monasterie de Flumine Dei that is Of Gods river MCCII. Gathol Cronerg or Crorobdyr King of Conaght was set againe in his kingdome The same yeere is founded the house of Canons or Regular Priests of St. Marie by Sir Meiler Fitz-Henrie MCCIII The Abbey of S. Saviour that is Dowiâ—ky being founded was in this yeere and the next following built MCCIV. There was a field fought betweene John Curcie Earle of Ulster and Hugh Lacie at Doune in which battell many on both sides lost their lives But John Curcie had the upper
with Gylly Cavinelagh Obugill and Mac-Derley King of Oresgael with the principall men of Kineoil Conail And many of the army of the said Justice were drowned as they passed over the water of Fin Northward and among them in the rescuing of a prey there were slaine Atarmanudaboge Sir W. Brit Sherif of Conacth and the young knight his brother And afterward the said army spoiled the country and left the Seigniorie of Kineoil Conail to Rory O-Coner for that time There was another expedition also by the said Justice into Tirconnell and great spoiles made and O-Canamayu was expelled out of Kenoilgain he left the territory of Kenail Conail with Gorry Mac-Donald O-Donnel There was another expedition also by the said Justice into Tireogaine against O-Neale but he gave pledges for the preservation of his countrey There was another expedition by the said Justice in Leinster against the Irishry whom he pitifully outraged and spoiled their land In another expedition also the said Justice destroied Kenoilgain and all Ulster in despite of O-Neale tarrying three nights at Tullaghoge MCCXLIII Hugh Lacy Earle of Ulster died and is buried at Crag-fergous in the covent of the Friers Minours leaving a daughter his heire whom Walter Burk who was Earle of Ulster espoused In the same yeere died Lord Girald Fitz-Moris and Richard Burk MCCXLVI An earthquake over all the West about 9. of the clocke MCCXLVIII Sir John Fitz-Gefferey knight came Lord Justice into Ireland MCCL. Lewis King of France and William Long Espee with many other are taken prisoners by the Saracens In Ireland Maccanewey a sonne of Beliol was slaine in Leys as he well deserved MCCLI. The Lord Henry Lacie was borne Likewise upon Christmas day Alexander King of Scotland a childe eleven yeeres old espoused at Yorke Margaret the King of Englands daughter MCCLV Alan de la Zouch is made Lord Justice and commeth into Ireland MCCLVII The Lord Moris or Maurice Fitz-Gerald deceaseth MCCLIX Stephen Long Espee commeth Lord Justice of Ireland The Greene castle in Ulster is throwne downe Likewise William Dene is made Lord Justice of Ireland MCCLXI The Lord John Fitz-Thomas and the Lord Maurice his son are slaine in Desmund by Mac-Karthy likewise William Dene Lord Justice of Ireland dejected after whom succeeded in the same yeere Sir Richard Capell MCCLXII Richard Clare Earle of Glocester died Item Martin Maundevile left this life the morrow after Saint Bennets day MCCLXIV Maurice Fitz Gerald and Maurice Fitz Maurice took prisoners Rich. Capell the Lord Theobald Botiller and the Lord John Cogan at Tristel-Dermot MCCLXVII David Barrie is made Lord Justice of Ireland MCCLXVIII Comin Maurice Fitz Maurice is drowned Item Lord Robert Ufford is made Lord Justice of Ireland MCCLXIX The castle of Roscomon is founded Richard of Excester is made Lord Justice MCCLXX The Lord James Audeley came Lord Justice into Ireland MCCLXXI Henry the Kings sonne of Almain is slaine in the Court of Rome The same yeere reigned the plague famine and the sword and most in Meth. Item Nicholas de Verdon and his brother John are slain Walter Burk or de Burgo Earle of Ulster died MCCLXXII The Lord James Audeley Justice of Ireland was killed with a fall from his horse in Twomond after whom succeeded Lord Maurice Fitz-Maurice in the office of chiefe Justice MCCLXXIII The Lord Geffrey Genevile returned out of the holy land and is made Justice of Ireland MCCLXXIV Edward the sonne of King Henrie by the hands of Robert Kelwarby a Frier of the order of Preaching Friers and Archbishop of Canterburie upon S. Magnus the Martyrs day in the Church of Westminster was anointed K. of England and crowned in the presence of the Lords and Nobles of all England whose protestation and oath was in this forme I Edward son and heire to King Henrie professe protest and promise before God and his Angels from this time forward to keep without respect the law justice and peace unto the holy Church of God and the people subject unto me so far forth as we can devise by the counsell of our liege and loiall ministers also to exhibite condigne and canonicall honour unto the Bishops of Gods Church to preserve inviolably whatsoever hath bin bestowed by Emperors and Kings upon the Church committed unto them and to yeeld due honour unto Abbats the Lords vessels according to the advise of our lieges c. So help me God and the holy Gospels of the Lord. In the same yeer died the Lord Iohn Verdon likewise the Lord Thomas Clare came into Ireland Item William Fitz-Roger Prior of the Hospitalers with many others are taken prisoners at Glyndelory and more there slaine MCCLXXV The castle of Roscoman is erected againe In the same yeere Moydagh was taken prisoner at Norragh by Sir Walter Faunte MCCLXXVI Robert Ufford is made Lord Justice of Ireland the second time Geffrey Genevile gave place and departed MCCLXXVII O-Brene is slaine MCCLXXVIII The Lord David Barry died Likewise the Lord John Cogan MCCLXXIX The Lord Robert Ufford entred into England and appointed in his roome Frier Robert Fulborne Bishop of Waterford in whose time the money was changed likewise the Round table was holden at Kenilworth by the Lord Roger Mortimer MCCLXXX Robert Ufford returned out of England Lord Justice as before Also the wife of Robert Ufford deceased MCCLXXXI Adam Cusack the younger slew William Barret and many others in Connaght Item Frier Stephen Fulborne is made Justice of Ireland Item the Lord Robert Ufford returned into England MCCLXXXII Moritagh and Arte Mac-Murgh his brother are slaine at Arclowe on the Even of Saint Marie Maudlen Likewise the Lord Roger Mortimer died MCCLXXXIII The citie of Dublin was in part burnt and the Belfray of Saint Trinitie Church in Dublin the third day before the Nones of Januarie MCCLXXXIIII The castle of Ley was taken and burnt by the Potentates or Lords of Offaly the morrow after Saint Barnabe the Apostle his day Alphonsus the Kings sonne twelve yeeres old changed his life MCCLXXXV The Lord Theobald Botiller died the sixth day before the Kalends of October in the castle of Arclowe and was buried there in the covent of the Friers preachers Item Girald Fitz-Maurice was taken prisoner by his own Irish in Offalie and Richard Petit and Saint Doget with many other and a great overthrow was given at Rathode with much slaughter MCCLXXXVI Norragh and Arstoll with other townes were one after another continually burnt by Philip Stanton the 16. day before the Calends of December In these daies Alianor Queen of England mother of King Edward tooke the mantle and the ring at Ambresburie upon the day of Saint Thomas his translation having her dower in the kingdome of England confirmed by the Pope to be possessed for ever Likewise Calwagh is taken prisoner at Kildare The Lord Thomas Clare departed this life MCCLXXXVII Stephen Fulborn Archbishop of Tuam died after whom there succeeded in the office of Lord chiefe Justice for a time John
were torne and tormented at Carlele the rest hanged upon jebbits Item upon St. Patricks day there was taken prisoner in Ireland Mac-Nochi with his two sonnes neere unto New castle by Thomas Sueterby and there Lorran Oboni a most strong thiefe was beheaded MCCCVII The third day preceding the Calends of Aprill was Marcord Ballagh beheaded neere unto Marton by Sir David Caunton a doughtie Knight and soon after was Adam Dan slaine Also a defeature and bloodie slaughter fell upon the English in Connaght by Oscheles on Philip and Iacob the Apostles day Item the preading Brigants of Offaly pulled down the Castle of Cashill and upon the Vigill of the translation of Saint Thomas they burnt the towne of Ly and besieged the Castle but soone after they were removed by Iohn Fitz-Thomas and Edward Botiller Item Edward King of England departed this life after whom succeeded in the kingdome his sonne Edward who most solemnly buried his father at Westminster with great reverence and honour Item the Lord Edward the younger took to wife the Ladie Isabel daughter of the French King in St. Maries Church at Bologne and shortly after they were both crowned in the Church of Westminster Item the Templars in the parts beyond sea being condemned as it was said of a certaine heresie were apprehended and imprisoned by the Popes Mandat In England likewise they were all taken the morrow after the feast of the Epiphany Also in Ireland they were arrested the morrow after the feast of the Purification and laid up in prison MCCCVIII The second day before the Ides of April died Sir Peter or Piers Bermingham a noble vanquisher of the Irish. Item on the fourth day before the Ides of May was burnt the Castle of Kenir and certaine warders in it slaine by William Mac-Balthor and Cnygnismi Othothiles and his abetters More on the sixt day preceding the Ides of June Lord Iohn Wogan Justice of Ireland was defeated with his armie neere Glyndelory where were slaine Iohn called Hogelyn Iohn Northon Iohn Breton with many other Also the sixteenth day going before the Calends of July were burnt Dolovan Tobyr and other townes and villages bordering upon them by the foresaid malefactors Item in England shortly after was holden a great Parliament at London wherein arose a dissension and in manner a mortall conflict betweene the King and the Barons occasioned by Piers Gaveston who was banished out of the kingdome of England the morrow after the feast of Saint John Baptist his Nativitie and he passed over sea into Ireland about the feast of the Saints Quirita and Julita together with his wife and sister the Countesse of Glocester and came to Dublin with great pomp and there made his abode Moreover William Mac-Baltor a strong thiefe and an Incendiarie was condemned and had judgement in the Court of the Lord the King in Dublin before the chiefe Justice Lord John Wogan upon the twelfth day preceding the Calends of September and was drawne at horses tailes unto the gallowes and there hanged according to his deserts Item in the same yeere there was erected a certaine cisterne of marble to receive water from the conduict head in the Citie of Dublin such an one as never was there before by the dispose and providence of Master John Decer then Maior of the Citie of Dublin who of his owne money defraied the charges for the building thereof and the same John a little before the time caused a certaine bridge to be made beyond the river Aven-Liffy neere unto the Priorie of St. Wolstan also the Chappell of Saint Maâ—ie to the Friers Minours and there lieth he buried the Chappell likewise of Saint Marie to the Hospitall of Saint Johns in Dublin c. Item the same John Decer was very beneficiall to the Covent of the Friers Preachers in Dublin to wit in making one Columne of stone in the Church and giving one great broad altar-stone with the ornaments thereto belonging More upon the sixth day of the weeke hee entertained the Friers and tabled them at his owne charges thus say Elders to the younger in regard of charitie More in the Autumne Lord Iohn Wogan sailed over the sea unto the Parliament of England in whose place the Lord William Burke was made Custos of Ireland Item the same yeere in the Vigill of Simon and Jude the Apostles day the Lord Roger Mortimer arrived in Ireland with his wedded wife the right heire of Meth the daughter of the Lord Peter sonne of Sir Gefferie Genevil they entred I say into Ireland and took seisin of Meth Sir Gefferie Genevil yeelding unto them and entring into the order of the Friers Preachers at Trym the morrow after the day of St. Edward the Archbishop Also Dermot Odympoy was slaine at Tully by the servants of Sir Peter or Piers Gaveston More Richard Burgo or Burk Earle of Ulster kept a great feast at Whitsontide in Trym and dubbed Walter Lacie and Hugh Lacie Knights And on the even of the Assumption the Earle of Ulster came against Piers Gaveston Earle of Cornwall at Tradag And at the same time he went backe againe and tooke his passage into Scotland Item in the same yeere Maud the Earle of Ulsters daughter sailed over into England to contract marriage with the Earle of Glocester and soone after within one moneth the Earle and she espoused one the other Also Maurice Caunton slew Richard Talon and the Roches killed the foresaid Maurice Item Sir David Caunton is hanged at Dublin Item Odo the sonne of Catholl O-Conghir slew Odo O-Conghir King of Connaght Item Athi is burnt by the Irish. MCCCIX Piers Gaveston subdued the O-Brynnes Irishmen and re-edified the new Castle of Mackingham and the Castle of Kemny he cut downe and cleansed the Pas betweene Kemny Castle and Glyndelaugh mawgre the Irish and so departed and offered in the Church of Saint Kimny The same yeere Lord Piers Gaveston passed the seas over into England on the Vigil of S. John Baptists Nativitie Item the wife of the Earle of Ulsters sonne daughter unto the Earle of Glocester upon the 15. day of October arrived in Ireland Also on Christmas even the Earle of Ulster returned out of England and landed at the Port of Tradagh More on the feast of the purification of the blessed Virgin Mary Sir John Bonevile neere unto the towne of Arstoll was slain by Sir Arnold Pover and his complices and buried at Athy in the Church of the Friers Preachers Item a Parliament was held at Kilkenny in the Outas of the purification of the blessed Virgin Mary by the Earle of Ulster and John Wogan Lord Justice of Ireland and other Lords wherein was appeased great discord risen betweene certaine Lords of Ireland and many Provisoes in maner of Statutes were ordained commodious and profitable to the land of Ireland if they had been observed Item shortly after that time returned Sir Edmund Botiller out of England who there at London was before Knighted Item there crossed the
slaine Item afterwards upon St. Nicolas day the said Brus departed out of Cragfergus unto whom the Earle of Moreff presented himselfe with 500. men unto the parts about Dundalk they came together and to them many fled and some gave unto them their right hands and from thence they passe on to Nobee where they left many of their men about the feast of S. Andrew the Apostle and Brus himselfe burnt Kenlys in Meth and Grenard Abbey and the said Monastery he rifled and spoiled of all the goods in it Also Finnagh and New-castle he burnt and all that countrey and they kept their Christmas at Loghfudy and then burnt it And after this they marched forward by Totmoy unto Rathymegan and Kildare and the parts about Tristeldermot and Athy and Reban not without losse of their men And then came Brus to Skethy neere Arscoll in Leinster where there encountred him in fight the Lord Edmund Botiller Justice of Ireland and Sir John Fitz-Thomas and Thomas Arnald Power and other Noble-men of Leinster and of Mounster insomuch as one of those Lords with his army was sufficient to vanquish the said Edw. and his forces But there arose a discord among them and so being disordered and in confusion they leave the field unto the said Edward according to that which is written Every kingdome divided in it selfe shal be made desolate There also was slaine a noble esquire and faithfull to the King and the Realme Haymund Grace and with him Sir William Prendregest Knight On the Scots part were slaine Sir Fergus Andressan Sir Walter Morrey and many others whose bodies were buried at Athy in the Covent of the Friers Preachers Afterwards the said Brus in his returne toward Meth burnt the castle de Loy and then the said Scots depart away from Kenlis in Meth against whom the Lord Roger Mortimer came with a great armie well neere 15000. but as it is thought not true and faithfull among themselves but now confederate with the Lord Roger who about three of the clock began to flie and turned their backs and principally the Lacies leaving the Lord Roger alone with a few whom it behoved then to flie toward Dublin and to Sir Walter Cusake at the Castle of Trim leaving with the Scots that countrey and the towne of Kenlis Also at the same time the Irish of the South to wit the O-Tothiles and the O-brynnes burnt all the South-country namely Arclo Newcastle Bree and all the villages adjoining And the O-Morghes fired and wasted part of the Leys in Leinster whom for the most part the Lord Edmund Botiller Justice of Ireland slew whose heads to the number of fourescore were brought to the castle of Dublin Item in the same yeere about the feast of the purification of the blessed Virgin Marie certain Lords of Ireland and the Lord Fitz-Thomas the Lord Richard Clare Lord John Pover and the Lord Arnald Pover for to establish peace greater securitie with the King of England came to Sir John Hothom assigned there by the said King of England which said Lords and Nobles sware to hold with the King of England come life come death and to their power to quiet the countrey and make peace and to kill the Scots For the performance whereof by the leave and helpe of God they gave hostages and so returned which forme if other Nobles of the land of Ireland would not keepe they were generally held for the Kings enemies Item there died Sir John Bisset And the Church of the new towne of Leys with the steeple and belfray was by the Scots burnt The Scots won the Castle of Northburgh in Ulster Also Fidelmic O-Conghir King of Connaght slew Rorke the sonne of Cathol O-Conghir More Sir William Maundevile died and the Bishop of Conere fled to the Castle of Crag-fergus and his Bishoprick was liable to an interdiction and Sir Hugh Antonie is killed in Connaght Item in the same yeere on Saint Valentines day the Scots abode neere Geshil and Offaly and the armie of the English about the parts of Kildare and the Scots endured so great famine that many of them were starved to death and for the same cause they tooke their way closely toward Fowier in Meth. The Sunday following so feeble they were what with hunger and what with travaile that most of them died And afterwards the Nobles came unto the Parliament and did nothing there but as they returned spoiled all the countrey and the Lord Walter Lacie came to Dublin for to cleere himselfe of an imputation touching his credit laied upon him and to tender hostages unto the Lord the King as other Nobles had done and the same time Edward Brus peaceably abode in Ulster Item the O-Tothiles and O-Brynnes the Archibaulds and Harolds conspired and banded together the towne of Wicklo and the whole countrey they laied wast And in the first weeke of Lent the Earle of Moreff sailed over into Scotland and Brus held plees in Ulster and caused many to be hanged Also in the midst of Lent Brus held Plees and slew the Logans and took Sir Alan Fitz-Warin and carried him into Scotland Also in the same yeere Fennyngher O-Conghir slew Cale-Rothe and with him of Galloglaghes and others about three hundred The same yeere in Mid-Lent wheat was sold for 18. shillings and at Easter following for 11. shillings MCCCXVI Lord Thomas Mandevile with many others came from Tredagh to Crag-fergus upon Maunday Thursday and joyned battaile with the Scots put them to flight and slew thirtie of the Scots and afterward on Easter even the said Lord Thomas with his men charged upon the Scots and slew many of them about the Calends and there was slain the said Lord Thomas Maundevile in his own country in defence of his right Item in the parts of Connaght many Irish were slaine by Lord Richard Clare and Lord Richard Bermingham Item on Saturday after the Lords Ascension Donnyger O-Brynne a strong thiefe with twelve of his confederates was slain by Sir William Comyn and his followers keepers of the peace whose heads were carried to Dublin Item the Dundalkers made a rode against O-Hanlan and slew of the Irish about two hundred and Robert Verdon a warlike esquire there lost his life Item at Whitsontide the same yeere Richard Bermingham slew of the Irish in Mounster about three hundred or more and afterwards at the feast of the Nativitie of S. John Baptist came Brus to the Castle of Crag-fergus and commanded the keepers to render up the Castle unto him according to the covenant between them made as he said who answered that they ought indeed so to doe and willed him to send thirtie of his men about him and required that he would grant them within life and limbe who did so but after they had received thirtie Scots into the Castle they shut them up and kept them in prison At the same time the Irish of O-mayl went toward the parts of Tullogh fought a battell whereupon of the Irish
with their fellowes of the Counsell treat upon this point In the same yeere before Lent the Irish of Leinster gathered themselves together and set up a certain King namely Donald the sonne of Arte Mac-Murgh Who being made King determined to set up his banner two miles from Dublin and afterwards to passe through all the lands of Ireland Whose pride and malice God seeing suffered him to fall into the hands of the Lord Henry Traharn who brought him to the Salmons leaps had of him 200. pound for his lives ransome then led him to Dublin to wait there untill the Kings Counsell could provide and take order what to doe with him and after his taking many infortunities lighted upon the Irish of Leinster to wit the Lord John Wellesley took David O-Thothiel prisoner and many of the Irish were slaine The same yeere Adam Duff the sonne of Walter Duff of Leinster and of the kinred of the O-Tothiles was convicted for that against the Catholike faith hee denied the Incarnation of Jesus Christ and held that there could not bee three persons and one God and hee affirmed that the most blessed Virgin Mary mother of our Lord was an harlot hee denied also the resurrection of the dead and avouched that the sacred Scriptures were fables and nothing else and he imputed falsitie upon the sacred Apostolicall See For which and for every of these articles the same Adam Duff was pronounced an hereticke and blasphemer whereupon the same Adam by a decree of the Church was on the Munday after the Outas of Easter the yeere 1328. burnt at Hoggis Greene by Dublin MCCCXXVIII On Tuesday in Easter week Thomas Fitz-John Earle of Kildare and Justice of Ireland died after whom succeeded in the office of Justice Frier Roger Outlaw Prior of Kilmaynok The same yeere David O-Tothil a strong thiefe and enemy to the King a burner of Churches and destroier of people was brought forth of the Castle of Dublin to the Tolstale of the Citie before Nicolas Fastoll and Elias Ashbourne Justices in the Kings bench which Justices gave him his judgement that he should first be drawne at horses tailes through the midst of the Citie unto the gallowes and afterward be hanged upon a jebbit which was done accordingly Item in the same yeere the Lord Moris Fitz-Thomas raised a great army to destroy the Bourkeins and the Poers The same yeere also the Lord William Bourk was knighted at London on Whitsunday and the King gave unto him his Seignory Also in the same yeere Iames Botiller in England espoused the daughter of the Earle of Hereford and was created Earle of Ormund who before was called Earle of Tiperary The same yeere a Parliament was holden at Northampton where many of the Lords and Nobles of England assembled and a peace was renewed betweene Scotland England and Ireland by marriages between them and it was ordained that the Earle of Ulster with many Nobles of England should goe to Barwick upon Tweed to the espousals and assurance making The same yeere after the said espousals and contract made at Barwicke the Lord Robert Brus King of Scotland and the Lord William Burk Earle of Ulster the Earle of Meneteth and many of the Scottish nobility arrived at Cragfergus peaceably and sent unto the Justices of Ireland and to the Counsell that they would come to Green Castle to treat about a peace of Scotland and Ireland Now because the said Justices of Counsell failed to come as the said King desired he took his leave of the Earle of Ulster and returned into his owne country after the feast of the assumption of the blessed Virgin Mary And the Earle of Ulster came to Dublin unto the Parliament and there stayed sixe dayes and made a great feast and after this went into Connaght The same yeere about the feast of Saint Katherin Virgin the Bishop of Osserie certified the Kings Counsell there that Sir Arnald Pover was convicted before him upon divers articles of perverse heresie Whereupon at the suit of the said Bishop the said Sir Arnald by vertue of the Kings writ was arrested and layed up in the Castle of Dublin and a day was given unto the Bishop for to come unto Dublin to follow the foresaid suit and action against the foresaid Lord Arnald who made his excuse that hee could not then come because his enemies lay in wait for his life in the way whereupon the Kings Counsell knew not how to make an end of this businesse and so the Lord Arnald was kept in duresse within the Castle of Dublin untill the Parliament following which was in Mid-lent where all the Nobles of Ireland were present In the same yeere Frier Roger Utlaw Prior of the Hospitall of St. John of Jerusalem in Ireland Lord Justice and Chancellour of Ireland was disfamed by the said Bishop and slandered to bee a favourer of heresie a Counsellour also and a better of the said Lord Arnold in his hereticall naughtinesse And because his person was thus villanously delamed the said Prior went to the Counsell of the King and put up a petition that hee might purge himselfe Whereupon they of the Kings Counsell tooke advice and upon consultation had granted unto him that he might make his purgation And they caused it to be proclaimed for three dayes That if there were any person who would follow suit and give information against the said Frier Roger he might come in and put in his pursuit But no man was found to follow the matter Whereupon at the procurement of Sir Roger the Frier there went out the Kings writ to summon the Elders of Ireland to wit Bishops Abbots Priors and foure Maiors of foure Cities namely Dublin Corke Limerick and Waterford and of Tredagh also the Sheriffes and Seneschals yea and the Knights of the shire with the Free-holders of the countie that were of the better sort for to repaire unto Dublin And there were chosen sixe examiners in the said cause to wit M. William Rodyard Deane of the Cathedrall Church of St. Patrick in Dublin the Abbat of Saint Thomas the Abbat of St. Maries the Prior of holy Trinitie Church in Dublin M. Elias Lawles and M. Peter Willebey These Inquisitours convented those that were cited and they examined every one severally by himselfe which examinats all upon their oathes deposed that he was honest and faithfull a zealous embracer of the faith and readie to die for the faith and in regard of this great solemnity of his purgation the said Frier Roger made a royall feast to all that would come Also the same yeere in Lent died the said L. Arnald Pover in the Castle of Dublin and lay a long time unburied in the house of the preaching Friers MCCCXXIX After the feast of the Annuntiation of the blessed Virgin Mary the Nobles of Ireland came unto the Parliament at Dublin to wit the Earle of Ulster the Lord Thomas Fitz-Moris the Earle of Louth William Bermingham and the rest of the Lords and
the Irish. Item the Lord William Burgh Earle of Ulster led forth an army out of Ulster into Mounster against Briene O-Brene Also the Lady Joan Countesse of Kildare was at Maynoth delivered of William her first sonne that the Lord John Darcy had by her whiles the Lord John abode in England Item Reymund Lawles is slaine treacherously at Wickelow More a Parliament was holden at Kilkenny by Frier Roger Utlaw the Prior of Kylmainon then Lievtenant under the Lord Justice at which were present Alexander Archbishop of Dublin the Lord William Earle of Ulster the Lord James Earle of Ormond the Lord William Bermingham and Walter Burk of Conaght and every of them with a great power set forward to expell Brien O-Brene out of Urkiff neere Cashill Also Walter Burk with his army of Connaght harried the lands of the Lord Moris Fitz-Thomas bringing back with him the booty to Urkiff Item the Lord Earle of Ulster and the Earle of Desmund namely the Lord Moris Fitz-Thomas for this is the first time that I call him Earle are appointed to the safe keeping of the Marshall at Lymeric by Frier Roger Utlaw Justice of Ireland But the Earle of Desmond by a wile escaped out of the custody of the said Marshall and went his way MCCCXXXI The Lord Hugh Lacy with the Kings pardon and peace entred Ireland Also the Earle of Ulster entred England Also there was given an overthrow to the Irish in Okenseley by the English the one and twenty day of April Item the same day on the Vigill of Saint Marke the Evangelist the O-Tothely came to Tanelagh and robbed Alexander Archbishop of Dublin tooke away three hundred sheepe and slew Richard White and other honest men of his company Then ran rumours to Dublin of that depredation and slaughter and Sir Philip Bryt knight and Frier Moris Fitz-Gerald Knight of the order of Knights Hospitalers Hamnud Archdekyn Iohn Chamberlane Robert Tyrell and the two sons of Reginald Bernewall and many others but especially of the retinew of the Lord Archbishop of Dublin were by a traine or ambush slaine by David O-Tothill in Culiagh Also the Lord William Bermingham led forth a great army against the foresaid Irish and did much harme unto them but more would have done had he not beene empeached by the false promises of the Irish. Item those of the English pale at Thurles gave a great overthrow unto Briene O-Brene and slew many of the Irish in the moneth of May. Item at Finnagh in Meth the English of the said pale defeated the Irish upon the eleventh day of June Also when famine encreased much in Ireland the mercy of God so disposed that upon the seven and twenty day of June there came to land a mighty multitude of great sea fishes to wit Thurlhedis such as in many ages past had never beene seene which by the estimation of many men amounted to the number of five hundred and this hapned neere unto Connyng and the water called Dodyz in the haven of Dublin about evening and Anthony Lord Lucy then Justice of Ireland with his owne people and certain citizens of Dublin amongst whom was Philip Cradock killed of the foresaid fishes above 200. and no man was forbidden to carry away the same Justice giving order therefore Item Antony Lord Lucy Justice of Ireland ordained a common Parliament at Dublin in the Utas of Saint Iohn Baptist unto which certaine of the Ancients of the land came not Then the said Justice removed to Kilkenny proroging the said Parliament from the foresaid Octaves unto the feast of Saint Peter ad Vincula Unto which place there repaired the Lord Thomas Fitz-Thomas and many other Nobles of the land who came not in before submitting themselves to the Kings grace and mercy And the King for his part as much as concerned himselfe under a certaine forme of pardon gratiously forgave all the mischiefes committed by the foresaid persons in the land Also the castle of Fernis is taken by the Irish perfidiously and burned in the month of August Item the said Lord Moris Fitz-Thomas of Desmund is taken by order from the counsell at Lymerick by the said Lord Justice the morrow after the assumption of the blessed Virgin Mary and with the Justice brought to the castle of Dublin the seventh day of October Item Henry Mandevile is apprehended in the month of September and led to the castle of Dublin by vertue of a warrant from Simon Fitz-Richard Justice in the Kings Bench. Item Walter Burck who with his two brethren of whole blood are taken in Connaght by the Earle of Ulster in November and conveied by the same Earle unto the castle of North-burg in the month of Februarie Also the Lord William Bermingham with his son Walter Bermingham are attached at Clomell by the said Justice in the moneth of February notwithstanding the Kings charter or pardon given unto them before by the Justice above named and are brought unto the Castle of Dublin the nineteenth day of Aprill Item the Irish of Leinster made spoile of the English and burnt Churches and in the Church of Freineston they burnt about fourescore men and women and a certain Chaplain of the said Church arraied in his sacred vestiments and with the body of our Lord they repelled backe with their javelins when he would have gone forth and burnt him with the rest in the Church These newes came unto the eares of the Lord Pope who sent his Bull or briefe unto the Archbishop of Dublin commanding him to excommunicate the said Irish and all their adherents together with their retinue and followers and to interdict their lands Now the Archbishop fulfilled the commandement of the Lord Pope but the said Irish contemning the said Bull excommunication interdiction and chastisement of the Church and continuing still in their wickednesse drew themselves againe together and invaded all the county of Weis ford as farre as to Carcarne and spoiled the whole country Whom the English made head against to wit Richard White and Richard Fitz Henry with the Burgesses of Weisford and other English slew of the Irish about 400. and many others of them as they fled were drowned in the river which is called Slane MCCCXXXII William Bermingham is put to death and hanged at Dublin by the said Lord Justice the eleventh day of July and Walter his sonne is set free The foresaid Sir William was a noble Knight and among many thousand knights most renowned and excellent for feats of armes Alas the day great pity it was of him for who relating his death can forbeare teares But at length enterred hee was in Dublin among the preaching Friers Also the castle of Bonraty was forced and rased to the very ground by the Irish of Totomon in July Also the castle of Arclo by the said Justice with the citizens of Dublin and the help of the English within the pale was won from the Irish and in the Kings hand on the eighth day of August
death of the said Justice of Ireland the Lord Roger Darcy with the assent of the Kings Ministers and others of the same land is placed in the office of Justice for the time Also the castles of Ley and Kylmehede are taken by the Irish and burnt in the moneth of April Item Lord Iohn Moris commeth chiefe Justice of Ireland the fifteenth day of May. Also the Irish of Ulster gave a great overthrow unto the English of Urgale wherin were slaine three hundred at the least in the moneth of June Also the said Lord Iohn Moris Justice of Ireland is discharged by the King of England from that office of Justiceship and the Lord Walter Bermingham set in the same office by the foresaid King and a little after the foresaid slaughter committed entreth with Commission into Ireland in the month of June Item unto the Lord Moris Fitz-Thomas Earle of Desmond the maintenance of peace for a certain time is granted by the King of England Which being granted upon the Vigill of the exaltation of the holy Crosse hee together with his wife and two sonnes take sea at the haven of Yoghal and crosseth over into England where he followeth the law hard and requireth instantly to have justice for the wrongs done unto him by Raulph Ufford late Lord Justice of Ireland above named Item unto the said Earle by commandement and order from the Lord King of England there are granted from his entrance into England twenty shillings a day and so day by day still is allowed for his expences Also the Lord Walter Bermingham Justice of Ireland and the Lord Moris Fitz-Thomas Earle of Kildare rose up in armes against O-Merda and his complices who burnt the Castle of Ley and Kilmehed and they with their forces valiantly set upon and invade him and his complices spoiling killing and burning in so much as the said O-Morda and his complices although at the first they had manfully and resolutely made resistance there with many thousands of the Irish after many wounds and a great slaughter committed were constrained in the end to yeeld and so they submitted to the Kings grace and mercy and betake themselves full and whole unto the said Earles devotion MCCCXLVII The Earle of Kildare with his Barons and Knights goeth unto the King of England in the moneth of May to aide him lying then at the siege of Caleys Also the towne of Caleys was by the inhabitants upon the fourth day of June rendred up into the King of Englands hands Item Walter Bonevile William Calfe William Welesley and many other noble Gentlemen and valiant Knights as well of England as of Ireland died of the sicknesse in Caleys Also Mac-Murgh to wit Donald Mac-Murgh the sonne of Donald Art Mac-Murgh King of Leinster upon the fifth day of June is treacherously slain by his own people More Moris Fitz-Thomas Earle of Kildare is by the King of England made Knight Also the towne called Monaghan with all the territorie adjoining is by the Irish burnt on the feast day of S. Stephen Martyr Item Dame Joane Fitz-Leoues sometime wife to the Lord Simon Genevile departed this life and is buried in the Covent Church of the Friers Preachers of Trim the second day of Aprill MCCCXLVIII And in the 22. yeere of King Edward the third reigned the first pestilence and most of all in Ireland which had begunne afore in other Countries Item in this yeere Walter Lord Bermingham Lord Justice of Ireland came into England and left Iohn Archer Prior of Kylmainon his Lievtenant in his roome And he returneth againe in the same yeere Justice as before and the King conferred upon the same Walter the Barony of Kenlys which is in Osserie because he led a great army against the Earle of Desmond with Raulfe Ufford as before is said which Barony belonged in times past unto the Lord Eustace Pover who was attainted and hanged at the castle of the Isle MCCCXLIX Lord Walter Bermingham the best Justice of Ireland that ever was gave up his office of Justiceship after whom succeeded the Lord Carew Knight and Baron both MCCCL. And in the 25. yeere of the foresaid King Edward Sir Thomas Rokesby Knight was made Lord Justice of Ireland Item Sir Walter Bermingham Knight Lord Bermingham that right good Justice sometime of Ireland died in the Even of S. Margaret Virgin in England MCCCLI Kenwrick Sherman sometime Maior of the Citie of Dublin died and was buried under the Belfray of the preaching Friers of the same City which Belfray and Steeple himselfe erected and glazed a window at the head of the Quire and caused the roofe of the Church to be made with many more good deeds In the same Covent he departed I say the sixth day of March and at his end he made his Will or Testament amounting to the value of three thousand Marks and bequeathed many good Legacies unto the Priests of the Church both religious and secular that were within twenty miles about the City MCCCLII Sir Robert Savage Knight began in Ulster to build new castles in divers places and upon his owne Manours who while he was a building said unto his sonne and heire Sir Henry Savage let us make strong walls about us lest happily the Irish come and take away our place destroy our kinred and people and so we shall be reproached of all Nations Then answered his sonne where ever there shall be valiant men there is a Castle and Fortresse too according to that saying The sonnes encamped that is to say valiant men are ordained for warre and therefore will I be among such hardy men and so shall I be in a castle and therewith said in his vulgar speech A castle of Bones is better than a castle of Stones Then his father in a fume and chafe gave over his worke and swore an oath that he would never build with stone and morter but keepe a good house and a very great family and retinew of servants about him but he prophesied withall that hereafter his sonnes and posterity should grieve and waile for it which indeed came to passe for the Irish destroyed all that country for default of castles MCCCLV And in the thirty yeere of the same King Sir Thomas Rokesby Knight went out of his office of Justice the sixe and twenty day of July after whom succeeded Moris Fitz-Thomas Earle of Desmund and continued in the office untill his death Item on the day of Saint Pauls conversion the same Lord Moris Fitz-Thomas died Justice of Ireland in the castle of Dublin not without great sorrow of his friends and kinsfolke and no lesse feare and trembling of all other Irish that loved peace First he was buried in the quire of the preaching Friers of Dublin and at last enterred in the Covent Church of the Friers Preachers of Traly This man was a righteous Justicer in that hee stucke not to hang up those of his owne blood for theft and rapine and misdemeanours even as soone as strangers
Bartholomew Verdon James White Stephen Gernon and their complices slew John Dowdal Sheriffe of Louth MCCCCIII In the fourth yeere of King Henry the fourth and in the moneth of May was killed Sir Walter Beterley a valiant Knight then Sheriffe there and with him thirty men In the same yeere about the feast of S. Martin there passed over into England Thomas the Kings sonne leaving Stephen Scroop his Deputy who also himself upon the first day of Lent returned into England and then the Lords of the land chose the Earle of Ormond Lord Justice of Ireland MCCCCIV In the fifth yeere of King Henry died Iohn Cowlton Archbishop of Armagh the fifth of May whom Nicholas Fleming succeeded The same yeere on S. Vitalis day began a Parliament at Dublin before the Earle of Ormond then Lord Justice of Ireland wherein where confirmed the Statutes of Kilkenny and of Dublin also the charter of Ireland In the same yeere Patrick Savage in Ulster was treacherously slaine by Mac-Kilmori and Richard his brother given for an hostage who likewise was murdred in prison after he had payed two hundred Marks MCCCCV In the sixth yeere of King Henry and in the month of May were taken three Scottish Galions or Barkes two at Green-castle and one at Dalkey with the captaine Thomas Mac-Golagh The same yeere the merchants of Tredaght entred Scotland tooke pledges and preies The same yeere Stephen Scroope crossed the seas into England leaving the Earle of Ormond Lord Justice of Ireland And the same yeere in the month of June the Dublinians entred Scotland at Saint Ninians and there behaved themselves manfully then landed they in Wales and did much hurt to the Welshmen there yea and carried away the Shrine of S. Cubie unto the Church of the holy Trinitie in Dublin Also the same yeere on the Vigill of the blessed Virgin died James Botiller Earle of Ormond whiles he was Lord Justice to the griefe of many at Baligauran unto whom there succeeded in the office of Lord Justice Gerald Earle of Kildare MCCCCVI And in the seventh yeere of King Henry on Corpus Christi day the Dublinians with the people of the Countrey about them manfully overcame the Irish and killed some of them they tooke three ensignes and carried away divers of their heads to Dublin The same yeere the Prior of Conall fought valiantly in the plaine of Kildare and vanquished two hundred Irish well armed killing some and putting others to flight there were in the Priors company not above twenty English and thus God regardeth those that repose trust in him In the same yeere after the feast of S. Michael Sir Stephen Scroop Deputy Justice under the Lord Thomas the Kings sonne Lievtenant of Ireland entred into Ireland The same yeere died Pope Innocentius the seventh after whom succeeded Pope Gregory The same yeere beganne a Parliament at Dublin on Saint Hilaries day which ended at Trym in Lent and Meiler Bermingham slew Cathol O-Conghir in the end of February and Sir Gefferey Vaulx a noble Knight in the countie of Carlagh died MCCCCVII A certaine Irishman a most false villaine named Mac-Adam Mac-Gilmori who caused fortie Churches to be destroied one that was never christened and therefore termed Corbi tooke Patricke Savage prisoner and received of him for his ransome two thousand Marks and yet killed him afterwards with his brother Richard The same yeere in the feast of the exaltation of the Holy Crosse Stephen Scroop Deputy under Thomas the Kings sonne Lievtenant of Ireland accompanied with the Earles of Ormond and Desmond and the Prior of Kylmaynon with many out of Meth set forth from Dublin and in hostile manner invaded the land of Mac-Murgh where the Irish had the better of the field in the forepart of the day but afterwards they were manfully by the said Captaines repulsed where O-Nolam with his sonne and others were taken prisoners But hearing then and there that the Burkeins and O-Keroll in the countie of Kilkenny had for two daies together done much mischiefe sodainly the said Captaines rode in all haste with bridle on horse necke unto the towne of Callan and there meeting with the said enemies manfully put them to flight O-Keroll and to the number of eight hundred they killed in the place The same yeere Stephen Scroop sailed over into England and Iames Butler Earle of Ormond was by the country chosen Lord Justice of Ireland MCCCCVIII The said L. Justice held a Parliament at Dublin in which Parliament were confirmed the Statutes of Kilkenny and of Dublin and a Charter granted under the great seale of England against Purveyouris The same yeere the morrow after S. Peters day ad Vincula the Lord Thomas of Lancaster the Kings sonne arrived as Lievtenant of Ireland at Cartingford and in the weeke following came to Dublin and arrested the Earle of Kildare as he came unto him with three of his house and all his goods he lost by the servants of the said Lievtenant and in the castle of Dublin he imprisoned him untill he made paiment of 300. Marks for a fine The same yeere on Saint Marcellus day died the Lord Stephen Scroop at Tristel-Dermot The same yeere the said Thomas of Lancaster was wounded at Kylmainon and hardly escaped death and afterwards caused Proclamation to be made that whosoever by his tenures owed service to the King should appeare at Rosse And after Saint Hilaries feast he held a Parliament at Kilkenny for to have a tallage granted And afterwards upon the third day before the Ides of March he passed over into England leaving the Prior of Kylmainon his Deputy in Ireland In this yeere Hugh Mac-Gilmory was slaine at Cragfergus within the Oratory or Church of the Friers Minors which Church he before had destroyed and broken the glasse windowes thereof for to have the iron barres therein at which his enemies to wit the Savages entred MCCCCIX In the tenth yeere of King Henry and in the month of June Ianico of Artoys with the English slew fourescore of the Irish in Ulster MCCCCX On the thirteenth day of June began a Parliament at Dublin and continued three weeks the Prior of Kylmainon sitting as Lord Justice The same yeere on the tenth day of July the same Justice beganne the castle of Mibracly in O-Feroll and built De la Mare and a great dearth there was of corne In the same yeere the Justice entred the land of O-brin with a thousand and five hundred kernes of whom eight hundred departed unto the Irish and had not the Dublinians beene there there would have beene wailing and many a woe and yet Iohn Derpatrick lost his life there MCCCCXII About the feast of Tiburce and Valerian O-Conghir did much harm to the Irish in Meth and tooke prisoner 160. men The same yeere O-Doles a knight and Thomas Fitz-Moris Sheriffe of Limerik killed one another In the same yeere the ninth of June died Robert Monteyn Bishop of Meth after whom succeeded Edward Dandisey sometime Archdeacon of
of Severn there peep up first of all two small Ilands whereof the one because it lieth flat and with an even ground is by us called Flatholme in the same sense that Planarie is named Italy the other Step-holme because it riseth steep in the British tongue Reoric both of them when the Britans bare rule were tearmed Echni like as in our age Holmes for so the Anglo-Saxons called greene plaines enclosed within water neither were they in ancient times famous for any thing else but for that the Danes lay there at road and for the tomb of one Gualchus a Britan of singular devoutnesse whose Disciple Barruch left his name to the Iland Barry in Wales as an ancient monument of the Church of Landaff witnesseth which Iland in like manner hath given name to a noble house of the Barraies in Ireland This hath lying hard to it the little Iland Silly upon the coast of the ancient Silures of whose name it seemeth to retaine still more than a shadow like as a small town over against it in Glancorgan-shire yet dare I not avouch it to be Silura or Insula Silurum the Iland that Solinus mentioneth seeing there be other Ilands bearing the same name yet farre distant from the Silures From thence we come to Caldey in the British Imis-Pix lying neer unto the shore and to Londey farther within the sea over against Caldey belonging unto Devonshire from the promontory or cape whereof named Hert-nesse it lieth 14. miles Larger this is counted of the twaine howbeit reported to bee not much more than two miles long and one mile broad so encircled with rockes and cliffes round about that there is no avenue unto it but in one or two places A fort or sconce it had the ruines whereof like as of S. Helens Chappell are yet to be seene That it had beene in time past eared with the plough the ridges and furrowes in it doe evidently shew now all the commodity and profit that it yeeldeth doth arise from sea-fowle whereof it hath great store Trees it hath none but stinking Elders which the Stares haunt in such multitudes that uneth for their dung there is any comming unto them But what meane I to stand hereupon considering that Sir Thomas Delamere Knight in reporting how that silly king Edward the second when his froward and unreasonable wife together with the unruly Barons thundred out threats and denounced terrible menaces was minded to withdraw himselfe hither as to a place of refuge hath in old time described it in this wise Londay saith he is an Iland lying in the mouth of Severn two miles long over way full of pleasant pastures it affoordeth Connies in great store doves and stares which Alexander Necham tearmeth Ganimedes birds it hath continually from time to time ready to lay it serveth the inhabitants besides with fresh water walming abundantly out of springs though it selfe be on all sides compassed with the sea One way of entrance it hath into it wherein two men can hardly goe afront together on foot on every part besides the dreadfull rockes bearing out a mighty heighth hinder all ingresse But scarcely doe our Historians make any mention of it save only how William de Marisco a most leud and mischievous rover in the reign of king Henry the third from hence sore infested these coasts in times past and that in King Edward the third his daies it was part of the Lutterels inheritance From thence in the very bent and turning of Pembroch-shire we meet with Gresholme Stockholme and Scalmey in which is plentie of grasse and wild thyme groweth very fresh and pleasant The day was when I thought Scalmey to have been that SILIMNUS which Plinie in old time wrote of but the truth hath now made me change my opinion For that SILIMNUS of Pliny as the affinity of the word implieth seemes to be Ptolomee his LIMNI That this here is the Britans Lymen the word it selfe if I should say nothing sheweth evidently which the Englishmen by a new name have now a daies termed Ramsey This lieth full against the Episcopall Sea of Saint Davids whereunto it belongeth and was in the foregoing ages very famous for the death of one Iustinian a most holy man who after he had withdrawne himselfe hither out of little Britaine in France in that age that brought forth so many Saints and led a long time an Eremits life wholly devoted to the service of God being in the end slaine by a page was registred in the roll of Martyrs In whose life we finde it oftentimes written Lemenâ—ia Insula Which denomination verily together with the British name Limen by which name it is knowne unto the Britains themselves checketh and taxeth his drowsinesse who maketh this Iland lying next above it to be Ptolomees Limnon which the Britains now name Enhly and English Berdsey as one would say the Isle of Birds But that this should be it that Ptolomee calleth EDRI and Plinie ANDROS or ADROS as it is in some place read I durst more boldly ghesse by the signification of the word for Ader in the British tongue signifieth a Bird and in the very same sense the Englishmen afterward called it Berdsey As for Enhly it is a name of a later stampe and came by occasion of a certaine holy and devout man who here lived as an Eremite For this Iland which toward the East mounteth aloft with an high promontory but Westward lieth plaine and is of a fertile mould harboured in old time so many holy men that beside Dubrith and Merlin the Caledonian ancient histories record there were twenty thousand Saints buried here Next unto this lieth MONA that is Anglesey which the Britans also name Mon Tir-Mon and Ynis Dowyll that is A darke or shady Iland the Saxons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereof I have treated already in the page 671. To Mone or Anglesey there adjoine three smaller Ilands Moyl-Rhoniad that is The Isle of Seales upon the North-west which after it had beene with-held by certaine that unjustly seized upon it from the Bishops of Bangor unto whom it belonged Henry Deney Bishop of Bangor as we reade in the history of Canterbury with a fleet manned with souldiers in King Henry the seventh his time recovered Eastward lieth Ynis Ligod that is The Isle of mice and more beneath Prest-home that is The Isle of Priests and nothing saw we in it but the tower steeple of Saint Cyriacs chappell which sheweth it selfe to the beholders afarre off Incredible it is what the neighbours report of the infinite multitude of sea fowle that here doe breed as also what they tell of a causey or banke which went from hence through the sea to the foot of that huge mountaine Pen-Maen-Maur for their use who of devotion went on pilgrimage to visit this place held in times past so holy and religious I passe over Lambey a little Iland opposite unto this toward the coast of Ireland although our Metall-men have to
and reigned thirty yeeres In the third yeere of his reigne the people of Dublin sent for him and created him King of Dublin against whom Mure-card King of Ireland raised war and encamping himselfe before the Citie which is called Coridelis sent his halfe brother by the mothers side Osibeley with three thousand men of armes to Dublin who was by Godred and the Dublinians slaine and all the rest put to flight These exploits atchieved Godred returned to Man began to use tyranny and turned Noblemen out of their inheritances whereof one called Thorsin Oters Son mightier than the rest came to Sumerled and made Dubgall Sumerleds son King of the Ilands subduing unto him many Ilands When Godred had intelligence of these things by one Paul he prepared a navie and setteth forward to meet with Sumerled who was comming with a fleet of 80. saile And in the yeere 1156. there was a battell fought at sea on Twelfe day at night and after many a man slaine on both sides the next day after they grew to a pacification and divided among themselves the kingdome of the Ilands and so it became two severall kingdomes from that very day unto this present time And this was the cause of the overthrow of the kingdome of the Isles since time that Sumerleds son seized upon it MCLVIII Sumerled came to Man with a fleet of 53. saile put Godred to flight wasted the Iland Godred then crossed over to Norway to seek for aid against Sumerled MCLXIV Sumerled gathered together a fleet of 1060. ships and arrived at Rhinfrin coveting to subdue all Scotland But by the just judgement of God hee was vanquished by a few together with his sonne and an infinite number of people there slain The same yeere there was a field fought at Ramsae betweene Reginald brother of Godred and them of Man and by the deceitfull practice of a certaine Earle those of Man were put to flight Then Reginald began to reigne and on the fourth day after came Godred upon him out of Norway with a great multitude of armed men and tooke his brother Reginald whom he bereft both of his eyes and of his genitall members The same yeere died Malcolm King of Scotland and his brother William succeeded him in the kingdome MCLXVI Two Comets or blazing stars appeared before Sun-rising in the Moneth of August the one in the South the other in the North. MCLXXI Richard Earle of Penbrock sailed over into Ireland and subdued Develin with a great part of Ireland MCLXXVI John Curey conquered Ulster and Vivian Legate of the Apostolicke Sea came into Man and caused King Godred to bee lawfully espoused unto his wife Phingola daughter of Mac-Lotlen son to Murkartac King of Ireland to wit the mother of Olave then three yeers old Sylvan the Abbat married them unto whom the very same day Godred gave a piece of land at Miriscoge where he built a Monastery but at length the ground was together with the Monkes granted to the Abbey of Russin Reginald sonne to Eac-Marcat one of the royall blood comming into Man with a great band of men in the Kings absence at the first conflict put to flight certain warders that kept the shore and killed about 30. men Afterwards the Manksmen gathering their forces together the same day slew him and almost all his company MCLXXXIII O-Fogolt was Sheriffe of Man MCLXXXV There fell out to be an Eclipse of the Sun on Saint Philip and Jacobs day MCLXXXVII On the fourth Ides of November died Godred King of the Ilands and the next Summer was his body translated to the Isle of Hy. He left behind him three sonnes Reginald Olave and Tvar In his life he ordained his sonne Olave to be his heire because hee onely was borne in lawfull wedlock But the people of Man seeing that Olave was now scarce ten yeeres old sent for Reginald out of the Iles and set him up for their King MCLXXXVIII Reginald Godreds son began to raigne over the Ilands and Murchard a man of great power throughout all the kingdome of the Iles was slaine MCXCII A battell was fought betweene Reginald and Engus the sonnes of Sumerled but Engus won the victory The same yeere was the Abbey of Russin translated to Dufglas but after foure yeeres the Monks returned to Russin MCCIII Michael Bishop of the Isles died at Fontans after whom succeeded Nicolas MCCIV. Hugh Lacy came with an army into Ulster and gave John Curcy battell tooke him prisoner and conquered Ulster Afterward hee set John at liberty who came to King Reginald and he honourably entertained him because he was his brother in law for John Curcy had taken to wife Affrica Godreds daughter who founded the Abbey of S. Mary de Iugo Domini and was there buried MCCV. John Curcy and Reginald King of the Iles having entred into Ulster with one hundred ships in the haven which is called Stranford slackly besieged the fortresse of Rath but Walter Lacy comming upon them with an army put them to flight after this Curcy never recovered his land MCCX Engus Sumerleds son was with three of his sonnes slaine John King of England at the same time brought a navie of 500. saile to Ireland subdued it who sending a certaine Earle named Fulk unto Man in one fortnight and a day wholly in a manner wasted it and taking hostages returned thence into their country King Reginald and his Nobles were not in Man MCCXVII Nicolas Bishop of the Ilands departed this life and was buried in Ulster within the house of Benchor after whom succeeded Reginald Here I thinke good to write somewhat againe of Olave and Reginald Brethren REginald gave unto his brother Olave the I le called Lodhus which is said to be larger than the rest of the Ilands but slenderly inhabited because it stands much upon mountaines is stony besides and almost all unfit for tillage The inhabitants thereof live for the most part by hunting and fishing Olave therfore went to possesse himselfe of this Iland and dwelt in it leading a poore life And when he saw it would not suffice to maintaine himselfe and his army he came boldly unto his brother Reginald who then made his abode in the Ilands and spake unto him in this maner Brother saith hee my Soveraigne Lord the King thou knowest that the kingdome of the Ilands belonged unto me by inheritance but since the Lord hath elected thee to sway the Scepter thereof I envie thee not nor take it grievously that thou art exalted to that royall dignity Now thus much I heartily beseech thee that thou wouldest provide me some portion of land in the Iles wherein I may live honestly according to mine estate for the Iland Lodhus which thou gavest unto me is not sufficient to sustaine me Reginald his brother after he had given him the hearing said he would take counsell upon the point and the morrow after when Olave was sent for and came in place to parley of the matter Reginald commandeth
Isle Lodhus So obtained Olave the kindgome of the Isles MCCXXXVII On the twelfth Calends of June died Olave the sonne of Godred King of Man in S. Patricks Iland and was buried in the Abbey of Russin He reigned eleven yeeres two by his brothers life and nine after his death Harold his sonne succeeded him being 14. yeeres of age and reigned 12. yeeres In the first yeere of his reigne he made a journey to the Ilands and appointed Loglen his cousin Custos of Man In the Autumne following Harald sent three sonnes of Nell namely Dufgald Thorquill Mormore and his friend Ioseph to Man for to consult about affaires On the 25. day therefore they meet at Tingull and by occasion of a certaine envious quarrell that arose between the sonnes of Nell and Loglen there was a sore fight on both sides wherein were slaine Dufgald Mormore and the foresaid Joseph In the spring ensuing King Harald came to the Isle of Man and Loglen as he fled toward Wales perished by Shipwracke with Godred Olaves sonne his foster child and pupill with 40. others MCCXXXVIII Gospatricke and Gillescrist the sonne of Mac-Kerthac came from the King of Norway into Man who by force kept Harald out of Man and tooke tributes to the Kings behoofe of Norway because he refused to come unto the King of Norwaies Court. MCCXL Gospatric died and is buried in the Abbey of Russin MCCXXXIX Harald went unto the King of Norway who after two yeeres confirmed unto him his heires and successours under his seale all the Ilands which his predecessours had possessed MCCXLII Harald returned out of Norway to Man and being by the inhabitants honourably received had peace with the Kings of England and of Scotland Harald like as his father before him was by the King of England dubbed Knight and after he had been rewarded with many gifts returned home The same yeere he was sent for by the King of Norway and married his daughter And in the yeere 1249. as he returned homeward with his wife and Laurence King elect of Man and many other Nobles and Gentlemen he was drowned in a tempest neere unto the coasts of Radland MCCXLIX Reginald the sonne of Olave and brother to Harald began his reigne the day before the Nones of May and on the thirtieth day thereof was slaine by one Yvar a Knight and his company in a medow neere unto the Holy Trinity Church on the South side and lieth buried in the Church of Saint Mary of Russin At that time Alexander King of Scots rigged and brought together many ships meaning to subdue the Iland and in the I le Kerwaray he died of an ague Harald the sonne of Godred Don usurped the name of King in the Ilands all the Nobles of Harald King Olaves sonne hee banished and placed in their stead all the Princes and Peeres that were fled from the said Harald MCCL. Harald the sonne of Godred Don being by missives sent for went unto the King of Norway who kept him in prison because he had unjustly intruded himselfe into the kingdome The same yeere there arrived at Roghalwaght Magnus the son of Olave and John the sonne of Dugald who named himselfe King but the people of Man taking it to the heart that Magnus was not nominated would not suffer them to land there many of them therefore were cast away and perished by shipwracke MCCLII Magnus the sonne of Olave came to Man and was made King The next yeere he went to the King of Norway and stayed there a yeere MCCLIV Haco King of Norway ordained Magnus Olaves sonne King of the Isles and confirmed the same unto him and his heires and by name unto his brother Harald MCCLVI. Magnus King of Man went into England and was knighted by the King of England MCCLVII The church of S. Maries of Russin was dedicated by Richard of Sodore MCCLX Haco King of Norway came unto the parts of Scotland and without any exploit done turned to the Orkneys where at Kirwas he ended his daies and lyeth enterred at Bergh MCCLXV Magnus Olaves sonne King of Man and of the Ilands departed this life at the Castle of Russin and was buried in the Church of S. Mary de Russin MCCLXVI The kingdome of the Ilands was translated by reason of Alexander King of Scots That which followeth was written in another hand and of a later character MCCLXX The seventh day of October a navy set out by Alexander King of Scots arrived at Roghalwath and the next morrow before sun rising a battaile was fought between the people of Man and the Scots in which were slain of the Manksmen 537. whereupon a certaine versifier played thus upon the number L. decies X. ter penta duo cecidere Mannica gens de te damna futura cave L. Ten times told X. thrice with five beside and twaine Ware future harmes I reed of thy folke Man were slaine MCCCXIII Robert King of Scots besieged the Castle of Russin which Dingawy Dowyll held against him but in the end the King won the castle MCCCXVI On the Ascension day Richard le Mandevile and his brethren with other Potentates of Ireland arrived at Ramaldwath requesting to be furnished with victuals and silver for that they had been robbed by the enemies warring upon them continually Now when the commonality of the country had made answer that they would not give them any they advanced forward against those of Man with two troops or squadrons untill they were come as far as to the side of Warthfell hill in a field wherein John Mandevile remained and there in a fought battell the Irish vanquished the Manksmen spoiled the Iland and rifled the Abbey of Russin and after they had continued in the Iland one whole moneth they returned home with their ships fraught with pillage Thus endeth the Chronicle of the K.K. of Man The Processe or course of the Historie following I will now continue summarily out of other Writers WHen Alexander the third King of Scots had gotten into his hands the Westerne Ilands partly by way of conquest and in part for ready money paid unto the King of Norway hee attempted the I le of Man also as one of that number and through the valiant prowesse of Alexander Stewart brought it under his dominion yea and placed there a petty King or Prince with this condition that hee should be ready alwaies at his command to serve with ten ships in his warres at sea Howbeit Mary the daughter of Reginald King of Man who was become the Liege-man of John King of England entred her suit for the Iland before the King of England but answer was made unto her that shee should demand it of the King of Scots for that he then held it in possession And yet her grand-child John Waldebeof for the said Mary married into the house of Waldebeofe sued for his ancient right in Parliament holden in the 33. yeere of King Edward the first before the K. of England as the superiour