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A61047 An epitome of Mr. John Speed's theatre of the empire of Great Britain And of his prospect of the most famous parts of the world. In this new edition are added, the despciptions of His Majesties dominions abroad, viz. New England, New York, 226 Carolina, Florida, 251 Virginia, Maryland, 212 Jamaica, 232 Barbados, 239 as also the empire of the great Mogol, with the rest of the East-Indies, 255 the empire of Russia, 266 with their respective descriptions. Speed, John, 1552?-1629. 1676 (1676) Wing S4879; ESTC R221688 361,302 665

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martyred Kings Ethelbright and Ethelred and of Saint Ive the Persian Bishop by humble piety at first and pious charity ascended such a pitch of worldly fortune that it transformed their Founder religious povert● into their ruine the attribute of Ramsey the rich for having made themselves Lords of 387 Hides of Land whereof 200 in this Shire so much as at an ea●ie and under rent was at the Suppression valued at 1983 l. 15 s. 3 d. q. but by account of this time annually amounts to 7000 l. they then begin to affect popular command and first enclosing that large circuit of Land and Water for in it lyeth the Mile-square Meere of Ramsey as a peculiar Seigniory to them called the Baleu● or Bandy bounded as the Shire from Ely and from Norman-Crosse with the hundred Meere by Soveraign Grant they enjoyed regal liberty And then aspiring a step further to place in Parliament made Bro●ghton the head of their Barony annexing to it in this Shire four Knights Fees Thus in great glory it stood above 400 years until Henry the Eight amongst many other once bright Lamps of Learning and Religion in this State though then obscured with those blemishes to wealth and ease concomitant dissolved the house although Iohn Warboys then Abbot and his 60 black Monks there maintained were of the first that under their hands and conventual Seal protes●ed Quod Romanus Pontifex non habet majorem aliquam Iurisdictionem collatam sibi à Deo in Regno Ang●iae quam quiuis alius externus Episcopus A Cell to this rich Monastery was S. Iv●s Priory built in that place of Slep by Earl Ad●lmus in the reign of the last Edmund where the incorrupted body of S. Ive there once an Hermit in a Vi●ion revealed was by Ed●othus taken up in his Robes Episcopal and dedicated in the presence of Siward Earl of this County and that Lady of renowned piety Ethel●leda to the sacred memory of this Persian Bishop Not far from this is Somersham the gift of the Saxon Earl Brithnothus to the Church of Ely before his own fatal expedition against the Danes It is the head of those five Towns of which the Soke is composed and was an house to the See of Ely well beautified by Iohn Stanley their Bishop but now by exchange is annexed to the Crown As these so all the rest of this hundred was the Churches land except Rippon Regis ancient Demaine To which Saple reserved Forrest adjoyned and the greater Stivecley given by the last David Earl of Huntington in Fee to his three Servants Sentlice Lakervile and Camoys 8 NORMANSCROS the next Hundred taketh name of a Cross above Stilion the place where in former ages this Division mustered their people whence Wapentake is derived it had in it two Religious houses the eldest in the confines of Newton and Chesterton neer the River of Avon now Nene founded by the first Abbesse Keneburga the Daughter of Penda and Wife of Elfred King of Northumber land West side a Trench where Ermin-street-way crossed over the River by a Stone-bridge whose ruines are now drowned whence the Roman Town there seated on both sides took the name Durobrivae as Trajectus Fluminis But this Nunnery as raised was also ruined by the Danes before the Conquest The other a Monastery of Cistercian black Monks erected in ho●●u● of the Virgin Mary by the second Simon Earl of Huntington at Soltry Iudeth the Land of a Lady of that name wife of Earl Waltheof daughter of Lambert Earl of Leins Neece to the Conquerour by hi● sister her Mother and Grand-mother to this Founder Malcome and William Kings of Scots Earls of Huntington and Heirs of this Lady strengthened by several Charters this pious work Many chief of that Line as the last Earl David brother to King William as Isabel the wife of Robert de Brus his daughters Heir and most of the second branch her progeny making here their Burials This house now level with the ground maintained besides the Abbot six Monks and 22 Hindes and was at the Suppression valued at 199 l. 11 s. 8 d. The Founders and Patrons of this Monastery were the Lords of the next place Conni●gton first the seat of Turkillus Earl of the East Angles that invited Swayne from Denmarke to invade this Land and who first squared out the unbounded marishes of this part to the bordering Towns his rule of proportion allowing to euery parish tantum de Marisco quantum de ●icc● terra in breadth in which none ●ine licentia Domini might vel fodere vel falcare but leaving most to inter-common by vicinage This Dane exiled when the rest of his Countreymen were by Edward Confessor his land here was given to Earl waltheof by whose eldest heir Matild● married to David King of Scots it went along in that Male Line until by death issuless of Iohn Earl of Chester and Huntington it fell in partage to his sister Isabel de Brus one of his Heirs from whose second Son Bernard the Family of Cotton by Lineal succession holdeth this Land whereto Glatton the adjoyning Parish is now by bounty of a second branch annexed It was in this Shire the head of the honour of Bolleine on which Connington Walimsford Sibson Stibington and Vescyes Mannor in Chesterton attended part of it is the fresh Sea Wittlemere four mile in breadth over which when Emma and her Children the issue of Canutus sayled with some peril her Husband in prevention of the like from Bottesey in a straight course to the opposite firme land lined with his Attendant Swords that passage which since hath born the name of Sword● Delph Kings or Canutus dyke This Seignory was granted by the Conquerour to Eustace Earl of Bollei● Brother to Lambert Earl of Leins and Father to Godfrey King of Ierusalem reverting it was given to Richard Earl of Cornwall who granted out of it the two Meeres Vbbe Meere and Brich Meere in Fee-Farme to the Church of Ramsey Then after sundry changes it came to Iohn of Gaunt in exchange of the Earldom of richmond and so by descent fell again to the Crown VVashingley not far off from the ancient Lord of that name by Drw● and Otter came to the Princes that now pos●esseth it In Chesterton from VVadsheafe by Den●yes there is to the Sevils an ancient name in this Shire a Mannor descended The rest from Aegidius de Merk who gave there much to Royston Priory passed by Amundevil to Gloucester and so to Vescey by exchange In Elton the house rich in a beauteous Chappel from Denham to Sapcotes and Satl●re Beaumes from that sirname near the time of the Conquest by ●outh to Cornwallis descended as Bottle-bridge by Gimels Drayton Lovet unto Sherley the now Lord. 9 LETUNESTANHUNDRED have that name from Leighton a Town in the midst of it given by Earl VViltheof to the Church of Lincolne which after shared it into two Prebendaries One the Parsonage impropriate which still remaineth the other the Lordships
princely Houses inheritable to the English Crown are ●eated in this Shire which are Enfield Hanworth White-hall S. Iames and Hampton-Court a City rather in shew than the Palace of a Prince and for stately Port and gorgeous building not inferiour to any in Europe At Thistleworth once stood the Palace of King Richard of the Romans Earl of Cornwall which the Londoners in a tumultuous broile burned to the ground many other stately Houses of our English Nobility Knights and Centlemen as also of the Worshipful Citizens of London are in this Shire so sumptuously built and pleasantly seated as the like in the like circuit are no where else to be found Near unto Thamesis entrance into this County is kept the remembrance of Caesars entrance over Thamesis by the name of Coway-stakes stuck fast in the bottom to impeach his designs and further at Stanes a Maire-stone once stood for a mark of Iurisdiction that London had so far upon Thame●is 7 Which City is more ancient than any true Record beareth fabuled from Brute Troynovant from Lud Ludstone But by more credible Writers Tacitus Ptolomy and Antonine Londinium by Ammianus Marcellinus for her successive prosperity August● the great title that can be given to any by Britains Londayn by Strangers Londra and by us London This City doth shew as the Cedars among other Trees being the seat of the British Kings the Chamber of the English the model of the Land and the Mart of the World for thither are brought the silk of Asia the Spices from Africa the Balms from Grecia and the riches of both the Indies East and West no City standing so long in fame nor any for divine and politick government may with her be compared Her walls were first set by great Constantine the first Christian Emperour at the suit of his Mother Queen Helen reared with rough Stone and British Brick three English miles in compass thorow which are now made seven most fair gates besides three other passages for entrance Along the Thame●is this wall at first ranged and with two gates opened● the one Doure-gate now Dowgate and the other Billingsgate a receptacle for Ships In the midst of this wall was set a mile-mark as the like was in Rome from whence were measured their stations for carriage or otherwise the same as yet standeth and hath been long known by the name of London Stone Upon the East of this City the Church of S. Peters is thought to be the Cathedral of Restitut●● the Christians Bishops See who lived in the reign of great Constantine but since St. Pauls in the West part from the Temple of Diana assumed that dignity whose greatness doth exceed any other at this day and spires so high that twice it hath been consumed by lightning from heaven Besides this Cathedral God is honoured in one hundred twenty one Churches more in this City that is ninety six within the walls sixteen without but within the Liberties and nine more in her Suburbs and in Fitz Stephens time thirteen Convents of relgious Orders It is divided into 26 Wards governed by so many grave Aldermen a Lord Major and two Sheriffs the yearly choice whereof was granted them by Patent from King Iohn in whose time also a Bridge of stone was made over Thames upon nineteen Arches for length breadth beauty and building the like again not found in the World 8 This London as it were disdaining bondage hath set her self on each side far without the walls and hath le●t her West gate in the midst from whence with continual buildings still affecting greatness she hath continued her streets unto a Kings Palace and joyned a second City to her self famous for the Seat and Sepulchre of our Kings and for the Gates of Iustice that termly there are opened only once a Bishops See whose title died with the man No walls are set about this City and those of London are left to shew rather what it was than what it is Whose Citizens as the Lacedemonians did do impute their strength in their men and not in their walls how strong soever Or else for their multitude cannot be circulated but as another Ierusalem is inhabited without walls as Zachary said The wealth of this City as Isa once speak of Nilus grows from the Revenues and Harvest of her South bounding Thames whose trafique for merchandizing is like that of Tyrus whereof Ezekiel speaks and stands in abundance of Silver Iron Tinn and Lead c. And for London her channel is navigable straitned along with meadowing borders until she taketh her full liberty in the German Seas Upon this Thamesis the Ships of Tharsis seem to ride and the Navy that rightly is termed the Lady of the Sea spreads her sail Whence twice with lucky success hath been accomplished the compassing of the universal Globe This River C●nutus laying siege against London sought by digging to divert and before him the Danes had done great harmes in the City yet was their State recovered by King Elfred and the River kept her old course notwithstanding that cost In the times of the Normans some civil broyles have been attempted in this City as in the days of King Iohn whereinto his Barons entred and the Tower yielded unto Lewis And again Wa● Tyle● herein committed outragio●s cruelties but was worthily struck down by the Major and stain in Smithfield This Cities graduation for Latitude is the degree 51 45 minutes and in Longitude 20 degrees 29 minutes 9 In this County at Barnet upon Easter-day a bloudy battel was fought betwixt Henry the sixt and Edward the fourth wherein was slain one Marquess one Earl three Lords and with them ten thousand Englishmen 10 The division of this Shire is into seven hundreds wherein are seated two Cities four Market-Towns and seventy three Parish Churches besides them in London where in the Church of Gray-●ry●rs now called Christ-Chu●ch three Queens lye interred which were Queen Margaret the D. of Phil. the hardy King of France second wife to King Edward the first the second was Queen Isabel wife to King Edward the second and D. to Philip the fair King of France and the third was Queen Ioan their daughter married to David King of Scotland ESSEX COUNTY ESSEX CHAPTER XV. ESSEX by the Normans Excessa and by the vulgar Essex is a County large in compass very populous and nothing inferiour to the best of the Land 2 The Form thereof is somewhat circular excepting the East part which shooteth her self with many Promontories into the Sea and from Horsey Island to Haidon in the West the broadest part of the Shire are they by measure forty miles and the length from East Ham upon Thamesis in the South to Sturmere upon the River Stow in the North are thirty five miles the whole in circumference one hundred forty six miles 3 It lyeth bounded upon the North with Suffolk and Cambridge-Shires upon the West with Hertford and Middlesex upon the South by Thamesis is parted from
seperated from Norfolk by the Rivers of the lesser Ouse and Waveney whose heads meet almost in the midst of her Verge and that very neer together the one taking course East and the other full West upon which part Cambridge-shire doth wholly confront The So●th side is severed by Stoure from Essex and the East together washed with the German Seas 2 The Air is good sweet and delectable and in some parts of some of our best Phy●icians held to be the best in the Land the soyl is rich fruitful and with all things well replenished in a word nothing wanting for pleasure or profit 3 The Form thereof is somewhat Cressant shooting up narrower in the North and spreading wider towards the South whose broadest part is about twenty miles but from East to West much more for from Easton point the furthest of this Shire yea of all Britain into the Sea unto great Ouse River her Western bounder are forty five miles and the whole in Circumference about one hundred and forty six miles 4 Anti●ntly this part of the Island was possessed by the Iceni who as it seemeth by Tacitus joyned in Amity with the Romans a mighty people saith he and never shaken with wars before the reign of Claudius but then by Ostorius very vanquished though not without great slaughter of the Romans and in a battle against them M. Ostorius the son of the General won great honour in sa●ing of a Roman Citizens life so ready were they to give and receive Honours to themselves but sleightly to pass over and to smother far greater exploits of the Britains which notwithstanding long in these parts they could not do for the wrongs of the Icenians growing intollerable who by the Roman Souldiers were put out of their rightful possessions their Princes accounted no better than Slaves and their Queen whipped in most ignominious manner under Bod●a they wrought their revenge as in the History Christ assisting shall be further related Next to these Icenians were the Saxons that got their footing into these parts and of them this with Norfolk Cambridge-shire and the Isle of Ely was made their East-Angles Kingdom though as it seemeth ever in subjection either to the Mercians or to the Kings of Kent whose off-spring ending in S. Edmund the Martyr after the Danes had laid it most desolate Edward the Elder subdued it unto his West-Saxons Monarchy and that likewise ending in King Edward the Confessor many Noble Normans got their possessions in these parts whose off-spring are plenteously replenished in this Shire to this day 5 The Commodities of this Shire are many and great Whereof the chiefest consisteth in Corn Cattle Cloth Pasturage Woods Sea-fish and Fowl and as Abba Floriensis hath depainted this County is of a green and passing fresh hue pleasantly replenished with Orchards Gardens and Groves thus he described it above six hundred years since and now we find as he hath said to which we may add their gain from the Pail whose Cheeses are traded not only throughout England but into Germany France and Spain and are highly commended by Pantaleon the Physitian both for colour and taste 6 And had Ipswi●h the onely eye of this Shire been as fortunate in her Sirname as she is blessed with commerce and buildings she might worthily have born the title of a City neither ranked in the lowest row whose trade circuit and seat doth equal most places of the Land besides It seemeth this Town hath been walled about both by a Rampire of Earth mounted along her North and West parts and places of entrance where Gates have stood which no doubt by the Danes were cast down in the year of Iesus Christ ●991 when they sacked with spoyl all these Sea coasts and again in the year one thousand laid the streets desolate and the houses on heaps yet afterwards recovering both breath and beauty her buildings from Stoke-Church in the South to Saint Margarets in the North now contain 1900 paces and from S. Helens in the East to S. Matthews Church in the West are no less than 2120 full of streets plenteously inhabited wherein are twelve Parish-Churches seated besides them suppressed such were Christ-Church S. Georges S. Iames the White the Black and Gray-Fryers The Site of this Town is removed from the Equator unto the degree 52 25 minutes and by Mercators observation from the first West-points 22 degrees 9 minutes and is yearly governed by two Bayliffs and ten Port-men all wearing Scarlet with twenty four of t●eir Common-Councel in Purple a Recorder a Town-Clerk five Serjeants whereof one is for the Admiralty a Beadle and Common Cryer all in blew with the Towns Arms on their sleeves The other eye of this Shire is S. Edmundsbury By Abbo the Royal-Town wherein at the day-break of the Saxons conversion Sigebert King of the East-Angles sounded a Christian Church and upon the occasion of King Edmunds burial who at Hoxon was shot to death hath been ever since called S. Edmundsbury where was built to his honour one of the fairest Monasteries in the world begun by King Canute much affrighted with the seeming appearance of that Martyrs Ghost who to expiate the sacrilegious impiety of his Father Suenus enriched the place with many endowments and offered up his own Crown upon the Holy Martyrs Tomb. For the beauty and buildings of this Abby and Town let Leyland for me declare The Sun saith he hath not seen a City more finely seated so delicately upon the easie ascent of an hill with a River running on the East side nor a more stately Abby either for revenues or incomperable magnificence in whose prospect appeareth rather a City than a Monastery so many Gates for entrance and some of them brass so many Towers and a most glorious Church upon which attend three others standing all in the same Church-yard all of them passing fine and of a curious workmanship Whose ruines lie in the dust lamenting their fall moving the beholders to pity their case Near unto this Town a great battle was fought by Robert Bossu Earl of Leicester against his Soveraign King Henry the second but was worthily overcome by Richard Lucy the Kings high Iustice himself and wife taken with many Flemings and Englishmen slain 7 Other places worthy of remembrance this County affords such is Exning in the West formerly famous for the birth of S. Audr●y daughter to King Anna one of the three names of the Shires division Renlisham in the East where Redwald the First Christian in this Kingdom held his Court and Hadley in her South where Guthrum the Dane whom Elfred baptized was buried And things of stranger note are the limits of the East-Angles Territories running along New-market-Heath vulgarly called the Devils-ditch the like fable is formerly told by Nubrigensis that at Wulpes in the heart of this Shire two green boyes of Satyres kind arose out of the ground from the Antipodes believe it if you will and Ralfe Coggeshall in the Monuments of
was resumed by Henry the eight and now by the Heir of Darcy matched to the Lord Clifton is become the seat of the Barony This Hundred had in it no house of Religion but Stolney a Priory of seven black Cannons of the order of S. Augustine founded by the Bigrames and at the Suppression valued at 62 l. 12 s. 3 d. ob It stood within the reach of the great Mannor Kimbolton once an Hundred which was the Land of Earl Harold the Usurper after by grant it came with the Chase of Swinesheved to Fitz-Peter from whom by Mag●avil to Bohum who in time of the tumul●uous Barons built there a Forcelet and so to Staffard by whose attainture forfeited it was given by Henry the eight to the Family of Wingfield that now possesseth it At Bugden the See of Lincoln hath a seat and was Lord of Spaldwick and the Soke given in compensation from the Church of Ely when rent from them it was by the first Henry made a Bishoprick until of late that Church gave up their interest in Spaldwick to the Crown Brampton was given by King Iohn at Mirabel to Earl David and by Ada his youngest Daughter fell to Hastings Earl of Pembroke and now is reverted to the King To the same Earl David by gift of the former King came Alcumesbury and by the bounty of Iohn Scot his son to Segrave and so the Lord Barkley the late possessor To Serlo de Quincy Earl of Winchester was Keston by Henry the second given by whose Heir general ●errars it came to the late Earl of Essex and by exchange to the Crown 10 TOULESLANDHUNDRED taketh name likewise of a Town therein situate in the out Angle of this to the memory of S. Neotus a Monk of Glastenbury but the supposed son to Ethelwolfe King of the VVest-Saxons whose body from Neostock in Cornwall was transferred to Ar●alphesbury then of Arnulphus a holy man now Enesbury named Earl Alrick and Ethelsteda turned the Palace of Earl Elfred into a Monastery of black Monks which was razed by the Danes but out of the ashes of this Roisia wife to Richard the son of Earl Gilbert to God our Lady de Becco and S. Neot as a Cell to the Abbey of Becco in Normandy erected up of black Monks in the year 1113 the late Priory of S. Nedes suppressed by Henry the eight and valued at 256 l. 15 d. q. At Southo the Land of Eustachius the Sheriff Lovetote made the seat of that Seigniory on which in this Shire 13 Knights Fees and a half depended but from his line by gift of Verdon and Ves●y drowned were these in the honour of Gloucester Near to this at Cretingsbury dwelt Sir Adam de Cretings famous in Edward the thirds wars of France whose Heir General Wauto● doth now possess it Staunton given by the first VVilliam to Gilbert de Gaunt after the death issueless of De Rupes escheated to the King who gave it to Iohn his ●ister Queen of Scots She on the Abbey of Tarant bestowed part the rest reverting being given to Segrave descended to the Barons of Berkly Godmanchester or Gormanchester so named of that Dane to whom Aelfred at his conversion granted some regiment in these parts was the old Land of the Crown now the Inhabitants in Fee farme by grant of King Iohn pro Sexies viginti libris pondere numero It is flat seated by as fruitful and flowry Meadows as any this Kingdom yieldeth and is the most spacious of any one Parish in fertile tillage oft having waited on their Soveraign Lords with ninescore Ploughs in a rural pompe Some from the name Gunicester which this often beareth in record suppose it the City where Machutus placed his Bishops Chair But for certain it was the Roman Town Durosipont of the Bridges named so many hundred years until the light of our Britain story overshone it forgotten Thus as this City so the old Families have been here with time outworn few onely of the many former now remaining whose sirnames before the reign of the last Henry were in this Shire of any eminency But Non indignemur mortalia Nomina solvi Cernimus exemplis Oppida posse mori Let 's not repine that Men and Names do die Since stone-built Cities dead and ruin'd lie This Description I received from a right worthy and learned Friend RVTLANDE SHIRE RUTLAND-SHIRE CHAPTER XXIX RUTLAND-SHIRE the least of any County in this Realm is circulated upon the North with Lincoln-shire upon the East and South with the River VVeland is parted from Northampton-shire and the West is altogether held in with Leicester-shire 2 The Form thereof is round and no larger in compass than a light horse man can easily ride about in a day upon which occasion some will have the Shire named of one Rut that so rode But others from the redness of the Soyl will have it called Rutland and so the old English-Saxo●s called it for that Roet and Rut is in their Tongue Red with us and may very well give the name of this Province seeing the earth doth stain the wool of her Sheep into a reddish colour Neither is it strange that the stain of the Soyl gives names unto places and that very many for have we not in Che-shire the Red Rock in Lanca-shire the Red Bank and in Wales Rutland Castl● To speak nothing of that famous Red Sea which shooteth into the Land betwivt Egypt and Arabia which gave back her waters for the Israelites to pass on foot all of them named from the colour of the Soile 3 The longest part of this Shire is from Caldecot in the South upon the River Ey unto Thistleton a small Village seated in the North not fully twelve miles and from Timwell East-ward to Wissenden in the West her broadest extent is hardly nine the whole circumference about forty miles 4 The Air is good both for health and delight subject to neither extremity of heat nor cold nor is greatly troubled with foggy mists The Soil is rich and for Corn and tillage gives place unto none Woods there are plenty and many of them imparked Hills feeding heards of Neat and flocks of Sheep Vallies besprinkled with many sweet springs Grain in abundance and Pastures not wanting in a word all things ministred to the content of life with a liberal heart and open hand Only this is objected that the Circuit is not great 5 The draught whereof that I may acknowledge my duty and his right I received at the hands of the right Honourable Iohn Lord Harrington Baron of Exton done by himself in his younger years Near unto his house Burley standeth Okam a fair Market-Town which Lordship the said Baron enjoyeth with a Royalty somewhat extraordinary which is this If any Noble by birth come within the precinct of the said Lordship he shall forfeit as an homage a shooe from the horse whereon he rideth unless he redeem it at a price with money In witness whereof there are
Country as it is thus on the one side freed by the natural resistance of the Sea from the force of Invasions so is it strengthened on the other by many Castles and fortified places that take away the opportunity of making Roads and Incursions in the Country And as it was with the first that felt the fury of the Saxons cruelty so was it the last and longest that was subdued under the W●st-Saxons Monarchy 9 In this Province our noble Arthur who died laden with many Trophies of honour is reported by Ninius to have put the Saxons to flight in a memorable Battel near Duglasse a little Brook not far from the Town of Wiggin But the attemps of War as they are several so they are uncertain for they made not Duke Wade happy in his success but returned him an unfortunate enterpriser in the Battel which he gave to Ardulph King of Northumberland at Billango in the year 798. So were the events uncertain in the Civil Wars of York and Lancaster for by them was bred and brought forth that bloody division and fatal strife of the Noble Ho●ses that with variable success to both Parties for many years together molested the peace and quiet of the Land and defiled the earth with blood in such violent manner that it exceeded the horror of those Civil Wars in Rome that were betwixt Marius and Scylla Pompey and Caesar Octavius and Antony or that of the two renowned Houses Valoys and Burbon that a long time troubled the State of France for in the division of these two Princely Families there were thirteen Fields fought and three Kings of England one Prince of Wales twelve Dukes one Marquess eighteen Earls one Vicount and three and twenty Barons besides Knights and Gentlemen lost their lives in the same Yet at last by the happy Marriage of Henry the Seventh King of England next Heir to the House of Lancaster with Elizabeth daughter and Heir to Edward the Fourth of the House of York the white and red Roses were conjoyned in the happy uniting of those two divided Families from whence our thrice renowned Soveraign Lord King Iames by fair sequence and succession doth worthily enjoy the D●adem by the benefit of whose happy government this County Palatine of Lancaster is prosperou● in her Name and Greatness 10 I find the remembrance of four Religious Houses that have been founded within this County and since suppressed both fair for Structure and Building and rich for seat and Situation namely Burstogh VVhalleia Holland and Penwortham It is divided into six Hundreds besides Fourness Felles and Lancasters Liberties that lie in the North part It is beautified with fifteen Market-Towns both fair for situation and building and famous for the concourse of people for buying and selling It hath twenty six Parishes besides Chappels in which they duly frequent to Divine Service and those populous as in no part of the Land more York SHIRE YORK-SHIRE CHAPTER XXXVIII AS the courses and confluents of great Rivers are for the most part fresh in memory though their heads and fountains lie commonly unknown so the latter knowledg of great Regions are not traduced to oblivion though perhaps their first originals be obscure by reason of Antiquity and the many revolutions of times and ages In the delineation therefore of this great Province of York-shire I will not insist upon the narration of matters near unto us but succinctly run over such as are more remote yet neither so sparingly as I may seem to diminish from the dignity of so worthy a Country nor so prodigally as to spend time in superfluous praising of that which never any as yet dispraised And although perhaps it may seem a labour unnecessary to make relation of ancient remembrances either of the Name or Nature of this Nation especially looking into the difference of Time it self which in every age bringeth forth divers effects and the dispositions of men that for the most part take less pleasure in them than in divulging the occurrents of their own times yet I hold it not unfit to begin there from whence the first certain direction is given to proceed for even of these ancient things there may be good use made either by imitation or way of comparison as neither the reperition nor the repetition thereof shall be accounted impertinent 2 You shall therefore understand That the County of York was in the Saxon-tongue called Ebona ycyne and now commonly York-shire far greater and more numerous in the Circuit of her miles than any Shire of England She is much bound to the singular love and motherly care of Nature in placing her under so temperate a clime that in every measure she is indifferently fruitful If one part of her be stone and a sandy barren ground another is fertile and richly adorned with Corn-fields If you here find it naked and destitute of Woods you shall see it there shadowed with Forrests full of Trees that have very thick bodies sending forth many fruitful and profitable branches If one place of it be Moorish miry and unpleasant another makes a free tender of delight and presents it self to the Eye full of beauty and contentive variety 3 The Bishoprick of Durham fronts her on the North-side and is separated by a continued course of the River Tees The German-Sea lyeth sore upon her East-side beating the shores with her boisterous Waves and Billows The West part is bounded with Lancashire and Westmerland The South-side hath Cheshire and Darby-shire friendly Neighbours unto her with the which she is first inclosed then with Nottingham and with Lincoln-shires after divided with that famous Arm of the Sea Humber Into which all the Rivers that water this Country empty themselves and pay their ordinary Tributes as into the common receptacle and store-house of Neptune for all the watry Pensions of this Province 4 This whole Shire being of it self so spacious for the more easie and better ordering of her Civil Government is divided into three parts which according to three quarters of the World are called The West-Riding The East-Riding and The North-Riding West-Riding is for a good space compassed with the River Ouse with the bounds of Lancashire and with the South limits of the Shire and beareth towards the West and South East-Riding bends it self to the Ocean with the which and with the River Derwent she is inclosed and looks into that part where the Sun rising and shewing forth his Beams makes the World both glad and glorious in his brightness North-Riding extends it self Northward hemmed in as it were with the River Tees and Derwent and a long race of the River Ouse The length of this Shire extended from Horthill in the South to the mouth of Tees in the North are neer unto seventy miles the breadth from Flambrough-head to Horn-Castle upon the River Lu● is fourscore miles the whole Circumference is three hundred and eight miles 5 The Soil of this County for the generality is reasonable fertile