Selected quad for the lemma: england_n
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A41559
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Geography anatomiz'd, or, The compleat geographical grammar being a short and exact analysis of the whole body of modern geography after a new and curious method / collected from the best authors and illustrated with divers maps by Pat. Gordon ...
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Gordon, Patrick, fl. 1700.
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1699
(1699)
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Wing G1288; ESTC R15742
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267,427
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492
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is to take charge of all the King's Revenue kept in the Exchequer as also to check all Officers imploi'd in collecting the same and such like This Office is frequently executed by several Persons conjunctly in Commission term'd Lords of the Treasury as at present 4. The Lord President of the Council whose Office is to attend upon the King and Summons the Council to propose business at Council-Table and Report the several Transactions of the Board 5. The Lord Privy-Seal whose Office is to pass all Charters and Grants of the King and Pardons sign'd by the King before they come to the Great Seal of England as also divers other Matters of smaller moment which do not pass the Great Seal But this Seal is never to be affixt to any Grant without good warrant under the King's Privy-Signet nor even with such Warrant if the thing granted be against Law or Custom until the King be first acquinted therewith 6. The Lord Great Chamberlain of England whose Office is to bring the King's Shirt Coif and Wearing Cloaths on the Coronation-day to put on the King's Apparel that Morning to carry at the Coronation the Coif Gloves and Linnen which are to be us'd by the King on that Occasion likeways the Sword and Scabard as also the Gold to be offer'd by the King together with the Robe Royal and Crown to Undress and Attire the King with his Royal Robes to serve the King that Day with Water for to wash his Hands before and after Dinner 7. The Lord High Constable of England an Officer whose Power is so great that 't was thought inconvenient to lodge the same in any Subject since the Year 1521. and is now conferr'd on some of the chiefest Peers pro re nata as upon occasion of Coronations or Solemn Tryals by Combat 8. The Earl Marshal of England whose Office is to take cognizance of all Matters of War and Arms to determine Contracts concerning Deeds of Arms out of the Realm upon Land and Matters touching Wars within the Realm which the Common Law cannot determine 9. The Lord High admiral of England whose Trust and Honour is so great that this Office hath been usually given either to some of the King 's younger Sons near Kinsmen or one of the chiefest Peers of the Realm To him is committed the Management of all Maritime Affairs the Government of the King's Navy a decisive Power in all Causes Maritime as well Civil as Criminal He also Commissionates Vice-Admirals Reer-Admirals Sea-Captains c. and enjoys a number of Priviledges too many here to be mention'd This Office is commonly executed by several Persons conjunctly in Commission term'd Lords of the Admiralty as at present After the Officers of the Crown we might here subjoin the various Courts of Judicatory establisht in this Kingdom especially the High Court of Parliament which is Supreme to all others and to whom all last Appeals are made I might here likeways mention all the Subordinate Courts of this Realm particularly that of the King's-Bâ—nch the Court of Common Pleas the High Court of Chancery the Exchequer and the Court of the Dutchy of Lancaster c. as also the Ecclesiastical Courts in Subordination to the Archbishop of Canterbury as the Court of Arches the Court of Audience the Prerogative Court the Court of Faculties and that of Peculiars But to declare the Nature and Constitution the ample Privileges and manner of Procedure in each of them would far exceed the narrow Bounds of an Abstract I shall not therefore descend to particulars only adding to this Paragraph that besides these various Courts above-mention'd the King consulting the ease and welfare of the Subject Administers Justice by his Itinerate Judges and that in their yearly Circuits through the Kingdom and for the better governing of and keeping the King's Peace in particular Counties Hundreds Cities Burroughs and Villiages of this Realm Counties have their respective Lord Lieutenants Sheriffs and Justices of the Peace Hundreds their Bailiffs High-Constables and Petty-Constables Cities their Mayor Aldermen Sheriffs c. Burroughs and Towns incorporate have either a Mayor or two Bailiffs or a Portrive who in Power are the same with Mayor and Sheriffs and during their Offices are Justices of the Peace within their own Liberties And lastly Villiages are in Subjection to the Lord of the Mannor under whom is the Constable or Headborough to keep the Peace apprehend Offenders and bring them before the Justice Of such an admirable Constitution is the English Government that no Nation whatsoever can justly pretend to such a Model and no People in the World may live more happy if they please so that it may be justly affirm'd of them what the Poet saith in another Case only with change of Persons O fortunatos nimium sua si bona norint Anglicanos The Ensigns Imperial of the Monarch of Great Britain are in the first place Azure Three Flower-de-Luces Or the Royal Arms of France quartered with the Imperial Ensings of England which are Gules Three Lyons passant Gardant in Pale Or. In the second place within a double tressure Counter flowr'd de lys Or a Lyon Rampant Gules for the Royal Arms of Scotland In the third place Azure and Irish Harp Or string'd Argent for the Royal Ensigns of Ireland In the fourth place as in the first These Ensigns Armoral are quartered after a new manner since the late Revolution the English Arms being put before the French and the whole charg'd with an Escutcheon of the House of Nassau which is Azure Semi-billets a Lyon Rampant Or Languid and Armed Gules all within the Garter the chief Ensign of that most Noble Order above the same an Helmet answerable to King William's Sovereign Jurisdiction upon the same a rich Mantle of Cloath of Gold doubled Ermin adorn'd with an Imperial Crown and surmounted for a Crest by a Lyon passant Gardent Or Crowned as the former and an Unicorn Argent Gorged with a Crown thereto a Chain affixt passing between his Forelegs and reflex'd over his Back Or both standing upon a Compartment plac'd underneath and in the Table of that Compartment is express'd the King of England's Motto which is Dieu mon Droit but of late Jâ— Maintiendray The Inhabitants of this Country are for the most part of the true Reform'd Religion publickly profess'd and carefully taught in its choicest Purity In Reforming of which they were not so hurri'd by popular Fury and Faction as in other Nations but proceeded in a more Prudent Regular and Christian Method resolving to separate no farther from the Church of Rome than she had separated from the Truth embracing that excellent Advice of the Prophet Jer. 6. 16. Stand ye in the ways and see and ask for the old paths where is the good way and walk therein So that the Reform'd Church of England is a true Mean or middle Way betwixt those two Extreams of Supperstition and Phanaticism both equally to be avoided The Doctrine of
several Rivulets and those affording many excellent Fish especially Tortoise The length of the Days and Nights in Jamaica is the same as in the middle Provinces of New Spain they both lying under the same Parallels of Latitude The chief Commodities of this Island are Cocao Sugar Indico Cotton Tobacco Hides Copper Piemento or Jamaica-Pepper Tortoise-Shells Wood for Dyers and several sorts of Drugs c. This Island is furnish'd with some Springs of Mineral-Waters particularly two whereof one is Sulphurous and the other Salt but both approved of for the common Distempers of the place 2 In divers Parts of Jamaica grows that Fruit call'd the Machinel Apple which is very beautiful to the Eye of a pleasant Smell and Taste yet Mortal if eaten whence some term it the Eve-Apple 3 Here are many Shiningflies a king of Cantharides appearing of a green Colour in the Day-time but shining in the Night with such a Lustre that one may see to Read by their light 4. Of all Creatures belonging to this Island the most remarkable is the Allegator that destructive Animal commonly harbouring in or near to Rivers and large Land-Ponds Although he be a very big Creature and about ten fifteen or twenty Foot in length yet he 's hatcht of an Egg not larger than that of a Turkey His Back being full of hard Scales is impenetrable whereupon 't is a difficult matter to kill him unless he receive a Wound in the Eye or Belly He is an Amphibious Animal and to enable him either to Walk upon dry Ground or Swim in the Water Nature hath furnisht him both with Feet and Fins In moving on the Land he 's very swift providing his Course be streight forward but extremely slow in turning and therefore easily avoided Lastly In Jamaica are produc'd some rare Plants much regarded by the Inquisitive Botanist But for a particular Account of them and all others found both in this and several of the Caribbee Islands I refer the Reader to a curious Catalogue publish'd some Years ago by that great Promoter of Natural Knowledge the Ingenious Dr. Sloane Archbishopricks Bishopricks Universities None The Inhabitants of this Island being English are much the same in Manners with those in the Kingdom of England only with this difference that the generality of 'em is somewhat more vitiously enclin'd a thing too common in most of our Western Plantations This Island being intirely inhabited by English they retain and still use their own Native Language Jamaica is wholly subject to the Crown of England and rul'd by a particular Governor sent thither by His Majesty the King of Great Britain The Laws by which they 're govern'd are as near as can be to those of England Here they have several Courts of Judicatory for hearing and determining of all Causes between Man and Man and for the better Assistance of the Governor he is furnisht with his Council to consult with when occasion requires The Inhabitants of this Island are of the same Religion with that publickly posess'd and by Law establisht in England excepting the Negroe-Slaves who both here and in other Islands of the English Plantations are still kept in woful Ignorance which is undoubtedly a grievous Scandal to our Holy Profession in general and an abominable Shame to their respective Masters in particular But let such Masters know that the time is coming when the now despised Souls of those toiling Slaves will certainly be requir'd at their Hands §. 5. Hispaniola THIS Island discover'd by Columbus Anno 1492. is term'd by the Spaniards Espaniola by the French Espagnole by the Italians Germans and English Hispaniola so call'd by the first Planters therein viz. the Spaniards as a Diminutive of their own Country The Air of this Island is much inferior to that in Jamaica being much infested with morning Heats which would be intollerable were they not allayed by some cooling Breezes in the Afternoon The opposite Place of the Globe to Hispaniola is that part of the East-Indian Ocean lying between 120 and 130 Degrees of Longitude with 17 and 21 Degrees of South Latitude This Island is bless'd with an extraordinary rich and fertil Soil The Trees and Meadows in it are still so green that we may truly say it enjoys a continual Spring Herbs and Fruits are said to ripen in eighteen Days and so rich and fruitful is the Native Turf that of several Grain the common Increase is an hundred-fold Here is abundance of Palm-Trees of a prodigious height and bigness in whose Body an Incision being made near the Root from thence doth flow a Liquor usually call'd Palm-Wine which being kept for some time fermenteth and becomes very strong These Trees are also term'd Cabbage-Trees because their Tops resemble European Cabbage and is commonly us'd as such by the Spaniards Here is also great plenty of Sugar-Canes and some rich Mines of Gold The length of the Days and Nights in Hispaniola is the same as in the middle Provinces of New Spain they both lying under the same Parallels of Latitude The chief Commodities of this Island are Cattle Hides Cassia Sugar Ginger Cocheneel Guiacum c. In this Island is some store of Genipa-Trees whose Fruit about the bigness of a Man's two Fists being press'd before thorow Ripe affords a Juice as black as Ink and fit to write with all did it not disappear intirely in nine or ten Days 2. Here grows another Tree call'd Mananilla or Dwarf Apple-Tree whose Fruit is of so venemous a quality that if any Person eat thereof he 's instantly seiz'd with an unquenchable Thirst and dies raving Mad in a short time 3. Of the many Insects belonging to this Island the Glow-worm term'd by the Spaniards Cochinillas is most remarkable and that chiefly for two little Specks on its Head which by Night give so much Light that if a Person lay three or four of those Creatures together he may see to read the smallest Print 4 In Hispaniola are Spiders about the bigness of an ordinary Hens Egg having Legs as long as Sea-Crabs of a middle size They are hairy all over and have four black Teeth like Rabbets and commonly bite very sharply but are not venemous 5 Most remarkable of all Creatures in this Island is the Cayman commonly reckon'd the Crocodile of Hispaniola which being an Animal of a prodigious bigness is much noted for his rare subtilty in catching his Prey for lying upon a River-side he so gathereth his Body together that in form he resembles exactly the large Trunk of an old Tree In which Posture he continues till Cattle or other Creatures come to the River to drink when to their great surprize he suddenly springs up and assaults them And to enhaunce the Wonder this strange Creature is said to use yet a more strange Stratagem to effect his end for Travellers generally affirm of him That before he lays himself as aforesaid upon the River-side he