Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
england_n duke_n king_n robert_n 4,240 5 8.8192 4 true
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A12718 England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland described and abridged with ye historic relation of things worthy memory from a farr larger voulume done by Iohn Speed.; Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine. Abridgements Speed, John, 1552?-1629.; Keere, Pieter van den, ca. 1571-ca. 1624, engraver.; Camden, William, 1551-1623. Britannia. 1627 (1627) STC 23035; ESTC S103213 178,357 376

There are 3 snippets containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

of Cornwall whereunto resorted great concourse of people for deuotion and adoration thereof But when the Sunne-shine of the Gospell had pierced thorow such clouds of darkenesse it was perceiued apparantly to be onely hony clarified and coloured with Saffron as was openly shewed at Pauls Crosse by the Bishop of Rochester the twentie-fourth of Februarie and yeare of Christ 1538. And Alesbury for the holinesse of S. Edith was much frequented who hauing this Towne allotted for her Dowrie bad the world and her husband fa●ewell in taking vpon her the veile of deuotion and in that fruitfull age of Saints became greatly renowned euen as farre as to the working of miracles These all in the stormes and rage of the time suffred such shipwracke that from those turmoiled Seas their merchandise light in the right of such Lords as made them their owne for wreacks indeed OXFORD-SHIRE CHAPTER XXI OXFORD-SHIRE receiueth her name from that famous Vniuersitie and most beautifull Citie Oxford and this of the Foord of Oxen say our English-Saxons though Leiland vpon a ground of coniecture will haue it Ousford from the Riuer Ouse by the Latines called Isis which giueth name likewise to the adioyning Iland Ousney The North point of this Shire is bordered vpon by the Counties of Warwicke and Northampton the East with Buckingham the West by Glocester-shire and the South altogether is parted from Bark-shire by Thamisis the Prince of British Riuers 2 The blessings both of the sweet-breathing heauens and the fruitfull site of this Counties soile are so happie and fortunate that hardly can besaid whether exceeds The aire milde temperate and delicate the Land fertile pleasant and bounteous in a word both Heauen and Earth accorded to make the Inhabitants healthfull and happie The hils loaden with woods and Cattle the vallies burthened with Corne and Pasturage by reason of many fresh springing Riuers which sportingly there-thorow make their passage whereof England Char●●ll 〈◊〉 and Isis are chiefe which two last making their Bed of Marriage 〈…〉 together in one channell and name 3 The length of this Shire is from Cleydon in the North-west vnto 〈◊〉 in her South-East neere vnto Thamisis and amounteth almost to fortie miles the broadest part is in her westerne Borders which extending from the said Cleydon in the North vnto Faring●●● 〈…〉 the Riuer Isis in the South are scarcely twentie sixe and thence growing narrower 〈…〉 in Circumference about one hundred and thirtie miles 4 The ancient Inhabitants knowne to the Romans were the Dobuni part whereof possessed further Westernly into Glocester-shire and nearer Eastward betwixt the bowing of Thamises were seated the Ancalites who sent their submission vnto Iulius Caesar when report was made that the Trinobantes had put themselues vnder his protection whereof followed the Britaines seruitude vnder the proud yoke of the all-coueting Romans yet afterwards this Counties people being very puissant as Tacitus termes them and vnshaken by warres withstood Ostorius Scapula the Roman Lieutenant choosing rather to yeeld their liues in battle then their persons to subiection Of latter times it was possessed by the Mercian Saxons as part of their Kingdome though sometimes both the West-Saxons and the Northumbrians had the dispose of some part thereof for Beda affirmeth that K. Oswold gaue the then-flourishing Citie D●rchester vnto Berinus the West-Saxons Apostle to be his Episcopall See whence the good Bishop comming to Oxford and preaching before Wulpherus the Mercian King in whose Court Athelwold the South-Saxons heathenish King was then present he with all his Nobles were conuerted to the faith of Christ and there baptized whereby Berinus became the Apostle also of the South Saxons 5 Otherplaces of memorable note either for actions therein happening or for their owne famous esteeme are the R●ll-rich-stones standing neere vnto Enisham in the South of this Shire a monument of huge stones set round in compasse in manner of the Stonch●nge of which fabulous tradition hath reported forsooth that they were metamorphised from men but in truth were there erected vpon some great victory obtained either by or against Rollo the Dane who in the yeare 876. entred England and in this Shire fought two Battles one neere vnto Hoch-Norton and a second at the Scier-Stane 6 Rod●os likewise remaineth as a monument of Oxfords high-stiled Barle but vnfortunate Prince Robert de Vere who besides the Earledome was created by King Richard the second Marquesse of Dublin and Duke of Ireland but at that Bridge discomfited in fight by the Nobles and forced to swimme the Riuer where began the downefall of his high mounted fortunes forbeing driuen forth of his Country lastly died in exile and distressed estate But more happie is this Countie in producing farre more glorious Princes as King Edward the Confessor who in Islip was borne Edward the victorious blacke Prince in Woodstocke and in Oxford that warlike Coeur de Lion King Richard the first the sonne of King Henry the second first tooke breath 7 Which Citie is and long hath beene the glorious seat of the Muses the British Athens and learnings well-spring from whose buing fountaine the wholesome waters of all good literature streaming plenteously haue made fruitfull all other parts of this Realme and gained glory amongst all Nations abroad Antiquitie auoucheth that this place was consecrated vnto the sacred Sciences in the time of the old Britaines and that from Greeke-lad a Towne in Wilt-shire the Academie was translated vnto Oxford as vnto a Plant-plot both more pleasing and fruitfull whereto accordeth the ancient Burlaus and Necham this latter also alledging Merlin But when the beautie of the Land lay vnder the Saxons prophane feete it sustained a part of those common calamities hauing little reserued to vphold its former glory saue onely the famous monument of S. Frideswids Virgin Conquest no other Schoole then left standing besides her Monasterie yet those great blasts together with other Danish stormes being well blowne ouer King Elfred that learned and religious Monarch recalled the exiled Muses to their sacred place and built there three goodly Colledges for the studies of Diuinitie Philosophie and other Arts of humanitie sending thither his owne sonne Ethelward and drew thither the yong Nobles from all parts of his Kingdome The first reader thereof was his supposed brother Neote a man of great learning by whose direction King Elfred was altogether guided in this his goodly foundation At which time also Asserius Meneuensis a writer of those times affaires read the Grammar and Rhetoricke and affirmeth that long before them G●●das Melkin Ninius Kentigern S. German and others spent there their liues in learned studies From which time that it continued a Seed plot of learning till the Norman Conquest ●ugul●us recordeth who himselfe then liued No maruell then if Matthew Paris calleth Oxford the second Schoole of Christendome and the very chiefe Pillar of the Catholike Church And in the Councell holden at Vienna it was ordained that in Paris Oxford Bononia and Salamanca
West hath not obstinately ceased from time to time to flash and mangle it and with his fell irruptions and boysterous Tides to de●oure it Another thing there is not vnworthy to be recommended to memory that in this Shire not far from Fournesse Fell●s the greatest standing water in all England called Winander-Mere lieth stretched out for the space of ten miles of wonderfull depth and all paued with stone in the bottome and along the Sea-side in many places may be seene heapes of sand vpon which the people powre water vntill it recouer a 〈◊〉 humour which they afterwards boile with Turffes till it become white salt 8 This Country as it is thus on the one side freed by the naturall resistance of the Sea from the force of Inuasions so is it strengthned on the other by many Castles and fortified places that take away the opportunitie of making Roades and Incursions in the Country And as it was with the first that felt the fury of the Saxons crueltie so was it the last and longest that was subdued vnder the West-Saxons Monarchie 9 In this Prouince our noble Arthur who died laden with many trophics of honour is reported by Ninius to haue put the Saxons to flight in a memorable battle neere Duglasse a little Brooke not farre from the Towne of Wiggin But the attempts of warre as they are seuerall so they are vncertaine for they made not Duke Wade happy in his successe but returned him an vnfortunate vnterpriser in the Battle which he gaue to Arduiph King of Northumberland at Billangho in the yeare 798 So were the euents vncertaine in the Ciuill Warres of Yorke and Lancaster for by them was bred and brought forth that bloudy diuision and fatall strife of the Noble Houses that with variable successe to both parties for many yeares together molested the peace and quiet of the Land and defiled the earth with bloud in such violent manner that it exceeded the horrour of those Ciuill Warres in Rome that were betwixt Mariu● and Scylla Pompey and Caesar Octauius and Antony or that of the two renowned Houses Valoys and Eurbon that a long time troubled the State of France for in the diuision of these two Princely Families there were thirteene Fields sought and three Kings of England one Prince of Wales twelue Dukes one Marques eighteene Earles one Vicount and three and twentie Barons besides Knights and Gentlemen lost their liues in the same Yet at last by the happy marriage of Henry the seauenth King of England next heire to the House of Lancaster with Elizabeth daughter and heire to Edward the Fourth of the House of Yorke the white and red Roses were conioyned in the happy vniting of those two diuided Families from whence our thrice renowned Soueraigne Lord King Iames by faire sequence and succession doth worthily enioy the Di●deme by the benefit of whose happy gouernment this Countie Palatine of Lancaster is prosperous in her Name and Greatnesse YORKE-SHIRE CHAPTER XXXVIII AS the courses and confluents of great Riuers are for the most part fresh in memory though their heads and fountaines lie commonly vnknowne so the latter knowledge of great Regions are not traduced to obliuion though perhaps their first originals be obscure by reason of Antiquitie and the many reuolutions of times and ages In the delineation therefore of this great Prouince of Yorkshire I will not insist vpon the narration of matters neere vnto vs but succinctly run ouer such as are more remote yet neither so sparingly as I may seeme to diminish from the dignitie of so worthy a Country nor so prodigally as to spend time in the superfluous praising of that which neuer any as yet dispraised And although perhaps it may seeme a labour vnnecessary to make relation of ancient remembrances either of the Name or Nature of this Nation especially looking into the difference of Time it selfe which in euery age bringeth forth diuerse effects and the dispositions of men that for the most part take lesse pleasure in them then in divulging the occurrents of their owne times yet I hold it not vnfit to begin there from whence the first certaine direction is giuen to proceede for euen of these ancient things there may be good vse made eitherby imitation or way of comparison as neither the repetition nor the repetition thereof shall be accounted impertinent 2 You shall therefore vnderstand That the Countie of Yorke was in the Saxon tongue called Ebona-yeyne and now commonly Yorkeshire farre greater and more numerous in the Circuit of her miles then any Shire of England Shee is much bound to the singular loue and motherly ca●● of Nature in placing her vnder so temperate a clime that in euery measure she is 〈…〉 If one part of her be stony and a sandy barren ground another is fertile and richly adorned with Corne-fields If you here finde it naked and destitute of Woods you shall see it there shadowed with Forrests full of trees that haue very thicke 〈◊〉 sending forth many fruitfull and profitable branches If one place of it be Moorish Mirie and vnpleasant another makes a free tender of delight and presents it selfe to the eye full of beautie and contentiue varietie 3 The Bishopricke of Durham fronts her on the North-side and is seperated by a continued course of the Riuer Tees The Germaine Sea lieth sore vpon her Bast side beating the shores with her boisterous waues and billowes The West part is bounded with Lancashire and Westmerland The South-side hath Cheshire and Darbishire friendly Neighbours vnto her with the which she is first inclosed then with Nottingham and with Lincolne-shires after diuided with that famous Arme of the Sea Humber Into which all the Riuers that water this Country emptie themselues and pay their ordinary Tributes as into the common receptacle and store-house of Neptune for all the watery Pensions of this Prouince 4 This whole Shire being of it selfe so spatious for the more easie and better ordering of her ciuill gouernment is diuided 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 Riuer 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 selfe to the Ocean with the which and with the Riuer Derment she is inclosed and lookes into that part where the Sunne rising and shewing forth his beames makes the world both glad and glorious in his brightnesse North-Riding extends it selfe Northward 〈◊〉 in as it were with the Riuer Tees and Derwent and a long race of the Riuer Ouse The length of this Shire extended from Ha●thill in the South to the mouth of Tees in the North are neere vnto seauentie miles the breadth from Flambrough-head to Horn-castle vpon the Riuer 〈◊〉 is fourescore miles the whole Circumference is three hundred and eight miles 5 The Soile of this County for the
for the whole Empire giuing to those Captaines that serued here many Ensignes of great honor yea Claudius gaue Plantius the first Prefect of that Prouince the right hand as he accompanyed him in his Triumph and his owne Triumph of Britaine was set out with such magnificence that the Prouinces brought in golden Crownes of great waight the Gouernours commanded to attend and the very Capt●ines permitted to be present at the same A Nauall Coronet was fixed vpon apinnacle of his Pallace Arches and Trophees were raysed in Rome and himselfe on his aged knees mounted the staires into the Capitoll supported by his two sonnes in Law so great a ioy conceiued he in himselfe for the Conquest of some small portion of Britaine ENGLANDS GENERALL DESCRIPTION CHAPTER II. THE Saxons glory now neere to expire by his appointment who holdeth both times and Kingdomes in his all ordering hand their owne Swords being the Instruments and the Danes the maules that beat their beautifull Diadem into pieces the Normans a stirring Nation neyther expected nor much feared vnder the leading of William their Duke and encouragement of the Romane Bishop an vsuall promoter here of broken titles made hither sodainly into England who in one onely battell with the title of his sword and slaughter or Herold set the Emperiall Crowne thereof vpon his owne head which no sooner was done but the English went downe and the Normans lording it became Owners of those Cities which themselues neuer built possessed those Vineyards which they neuer planted dranke of those Wells which they neuer had digged and inhabitted those houses filled with riches for which they neuer had laboured for they found it to be as the land whereupon the Lord set his eye euen from the beginning to the end of the yeare not onely drinking water of the raine of heauen but hauing also riuers of waters and fountaines in her valleyes and without all scarsitie whose stones are yron and out of whose mountaines is digged brasse This made them more resolute at first to settle themselues in this fairest and fruitfullest part of the Iland the Conquerour vsing all policie both Martiall and Ciuill to plant his posteritie here for euer How he found the Land gouerned we shewed in the Heptarchy but his restlesse thoughts were not contented with conquering the Nation and their Land vnlesse he also ouercame their very Customes Lawes and Language 2 Touching the distribution of the Kingdome whereas other Kings before him made vse of it chiefly for the good of the people and better ministring of Iustice he made vse of it to know the wealth of his Subiects and to enrich his Coffers for he caused a description to be made of all England how much land euery one of his Barons possessed how many Knights fees how many Plow lands how many in villenage how many head of beasts yea how much money euery man from the greatest to the least did possesse and what rents might be made of entry mans possession the Booke of which inquisition yet in the Exchequer was called Domesday for the generalitie of that Iudgement on all the Land Whereunto we may adde his other distribution of this Land worse then any former when thrusting the English out of their possessions he distributed their inheritances to his Souldiers yet so that all should be held of the King as of the onely true Lord and possessor 3 For the Lawes by which he meant to gouerne he held one excellent rule and purpose which was that a People ought to be ruled by Lawes written and certaine for otherwise new Iudges would still bring new Iudgements and therefore he caused twelue to be chosen out of euery Countie which should on their oath without inclining one way or other neither adding nor detracting open vnto him all their ancient Lawes and Customes By whose relation vnderstanding that three sorts of Lawes formerly were in the Land Merchenlage West Saxonlage Danelage he had preferred these last himselfe and people being anciently deriued from those Northerne people had not all the Barons bewayling to the King how grieuous it was for a Land to be iudged by those Lawes which they vnderstood not altered his resolute purpose yet in bringing in the strange formes of Norman Processe and pleading in the French tongue which continued till Edward the thirds time that grieuance was but slenderly preuented So likewise did he much alter the old Courts of Iustice where these Lawes should be ministred but whereas the ancient Kings of England according to Moses his example sate in person in the seate of Iustice to right the greater affayres of their Subiects as William La●bert sheweth in King Alfred Edgar Canutus c. and proues out of the Kings Oath out of Bracton Britaine Saxon Lawes c. King William not onely continued this but besides erected some other Courts of Iustice as the Exchequer and certaine Courts and Sessions to be held foure times euery yeare appointing both Iudges some to heare causes others to whom appeales should be made but none from them and also Prefects to looke to good orders Those last Polydor calleth Iustices of Peace but their institution seemes to be farre later and no lesse is his errour on the other side in saying the Conquerour first instituted Sheriffes and the tryall by twelue men which were both ancienter 4 And because the Conquerour for honour of Bishops caused them to remoue from small obscure places to Cities of more renowne we haue therefore reserued to this last place that diuision of this Kingdome which is according to Iurisdiction Episcopall Formerly in the yeare of saluation 636 Honorius the fift Archbishop of Canterbury first diuided England into Parishes which at this day are contained vnder their seuerall Dio●●sans and these againe vnder their two Metropolitanes Canterbury and Yorke in manner following CANTERBVRIE Bishoprickes Counties Parishes Canterbury Kent 257. Rochester 98. London Essex 623. Middlesex Hertford-shire part Lincolne Lincoln-shire 1255. Leicester-shire Huntington Bedford-shire Buckingham-shire Hertford-shire part Chichester Hertford-shire 250. Suffex Winchester Hant-shire 362. Surrey Wight Isle Gernesey Isle Iersey Isle Salisbury Wilt-shire 248. Bark-shire Exester 〈◊〉 shire 604. Cornewall Bath and Wells Sommerset-shire 388. Gloucester Gloucester-shire 267. Worcester Worcester-shire 241. Lichfield and Couentry Warwicke-shire 557. Warwicke-shire part Stafford-shire Derby-shire Shrop-shire part Hereford Shrop-shire part 313. Hereford-shire Ely Cambridge-shire 141. Ely Isle Norwich Norfolke 1121. Suffolke Oxford Oxford-shire 195. Peterborow Northamton 293. Rutland-shire Bristow Dorset-shire 236. Glamorgan Landaffe Monmouth-shire 177. Brecknock-shire Radnor-shire S. Dauid Pembroke-shire 308. Caermarden Bangor Caernaruon-shire 107. Anglesey Isle Merioneth-shire Denbigh-shire S. Asaph Denbigh-shire part 121. Flint shire part YORKE Yorke Yorke-shire 581. Nottingham-shire Chester Ches●●re 256. Richmond-shire Cumberland part ●anca-shire Flint part Carlile Cumberland part 93. Westmorland Durham Durham 135. Northumberland Sodor Man Iland 17. Totall Bishoprickes 27. Parishes 9285. 5 To speake nothing of these twentie-eight Flamins the Priests of Idolatry and the