Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
kingdom_n	king_n	rest_n	time_n	1,849	5	3.3429	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A69727	Chorea gigantum, or, The most famous antiquity of Great-Britan [sic], vulgarly called Stone-Heng, standing on Salisbury Plain, restored to the Danes by Walter Charleton ...	Charleton, Walter, 1619-1707.; Howard, Robert, Sir, 1626-1698.; Dryden, John, 1631-1700.	1663 (1663)	Wing C3666; ESTC R13338	53,474	82

the vastness of strength and skill in Engines required to the transportation and elevation of stones of such prodigious weight are sufficient Arguments to the contrary considering these things I say why may I not conjecture that the Danes and onely the Danes were the Authors of Stone-heng Sure I am of thus much that this Opinion of mine if it be erroneous is yet highly plausible having this advantage over the others concerning the same obscure subject that it is not so easily to be refuted Nor is it arrogancy in me to affirm that if I have been deceived in entertaining this conceipt in the place of Truth it was because I found it in the livery and colours of Truth However I expect you should consider it is no dishonor to even the best Marks-man not to hit the white when he is forced to shoot in the dark Which consideration being alone sufficient to secure my wel-intended endeavours from too severe and disingenious censure in case it shall hereafter be discovered that I have been mistaken in the Main thing sought after namely the Authors of our Antiquity I doubt not but your Candor will extend it also to the favourable construction of my suppositions concerning the Circumstances In the strength of this confidence therefore I adventure to acquaint you moreover with my conjecture concerning the TIME when Stone-heng was first set up which I take to be in the beginning of the reign of that Excellent Prince Alfred or Alured who as he was the first annointed King of this Island so was he the first Learned King and most munificent Patron to Scholars that ever swaied the Scepter of Britain For all our Chronicles agreeingly deliver that He was scarcely seated in his throne when there came over greater swarms of Danes than ever before to infest his dominions and that after many unfortunate battails with them he was reduced to that extremity that leaving his large Monarchy to the rage and rapine of those insulting Pagans he fled for safety of his life into the Marishes of Sommersetshire where for two years he lay concealed in a poor disguise susteining himself by fishing and fowling Among other adventures that befell this glorious person in this dark Eclipse it is not unworthy remembrance that on a time as he was sitting in the chimney corner in the cottage of a Cow-heard who had entertained him into his service and busied in trimming his bow and arrows a Cake of dough lying to be baked on the hearth before him chanced to be burned which the goodwife imputing to his neglect in great fury cast away his bow and arrows and sharply checking him said Thoufellow dost thou see the bread burn before thy face and wilt not turn it and yet thou art glad to eat it be sore it be half baked Shortly after this learning policy from adversity and deriving courage from necessity he ventured in the habit of a common Minstrel to enter into the Danes Camp in Wiltshire and probably not far from the place where Stone-heng stands and having viewed the manner of their encamping and observed their security he returned back to several of his Lords retreated into the Island called Edlingsey invironed with two Rivers Thane and Parret in Somersetshire and acquainting them in how careless and open a posture he found the Enemy recollected the scatter'd remains of his forces and with these surprising the Danes and putting them first into a panick terror and then to flight gave them so considerable a defeat that they immediately submitted to a Treaty and deliver'd Hostages for performance of conditions Now considering the extreme low ebb of Fortune to which this excellent King was at that time brought and the high flood of prosperity that in the mean while had advanced the Danes over all parts of his Dominions insomuch that nothing seemed wanting to complete their conquest but only to find out the few Defendants who remained in obscurity and withall reflecting upon the former mentioned Custome of that ambitious and martial Nation to erect Courts Royal of huge stones according to the manner described for the Election of their Kings in all Countries where the happy success of their Armes had given them a title to Soveraignty I am apt to believe that having then over-run the whole Kingdom except only Somersetshire and encamping their main Army in Wiltshire for neer upon two years together and setting up their rest in a confidence to perpetuate their newly acquired power they imployed themselves during that time of leasure and jollity in erecting Stone-heng as a place wherein to elect and inaugurate their supreme Commander King of England the weakness of the distressed Alfred affording them a fit opportunity and that country yielding them fit materials for so great and stupedious a work Nor is it improbable that the great supinity and disorder in which the Royal Spie found them when the magique of his Fiddle had charmed them into an imperception of the majesty of his person and procured him a free welcome into their Camp might be occasioned by the jubile they celebrated after they had finished that laborious task and therein newly crowned their King after a triumphal manner such as at once corresponded with the fashion of their Ancestors and expressed the profuseness of their publick joy For many of our Historians relate that the Danish Army was at that time let loose to luxury and revelling and that the unknown Musician was brought to play before their King Gormund in his tent during a long and magnificent feast But perhaps I may be thought too bold in daring from such slender passages and circumstantial hints thus precisely to guess at the Age of this Antiquity concerning whose Original neither History nor Tradition hath left any glimpse of light whereby the inquisitive might be guided through the darksome vale of Uncertainty to the delightfull mansion of Truth Leaving every man therefore to the liberty of his own thoughts touching this particular as also whatever else hath been said of the Monument it self and its original Designation I here put a period to this Discourse wherein though I have adventured to contend with Oblivion I had no design to usurp upon the Judgment of others 〈◊〉

light arms and victuals answerable for such an Expedition in Wales valiantly went round about through all Wales so as that he left few or none alive And for a perpetual memory of this Victory you may find very many great stones in that country erected after the antique manner upon hillocks in those places wherein He had been Conqueror with these words engraven Hic fuit Victor Haraldus Here was Harald Canqueror Now these being sufficient instances of Danique Triumphal Monuments it remains onely that we search after some of their Loca Comitialia or Places designed for the Election and Inauguration of their Kings In which not onely their Noble-men and Grandees but also the Commons being upon summons assembled from all parts of the Nation used to consult and vote about matters of State of greatest importance more especially upon the death of the Prince and in that case to give their Suffrages for the next in blood or power to succeed him This business as being of most concernment to the Publick was performed with pomp and solemnity answerable the manner and Ceremonies whereof are concisely set down by Saxo Grammaticus thus Lecturi Regem veteres affixis humo saxis insistere suffragiaque promere consueverunt subjectorum lapidum firmitate facti constantiam ominaturi Our Fore-fathers being to elect their King used to stand upon stones pitch'd upright in the ground and to give their suffrages by the firmness of the stones upon which they stood tacitly declaring the firmness of their act and as by a good Omen foreshewing the durability of his government And Ol. Wormius more fully describing the manner both of the open Senate-House and of the Election it self saith Reperiuntur in his oris loca quaedam in quibus Reges olim solemni creabantur pompa quae cincta adhuc grandibus saxis utplurimum duodecim conspiciuntur in medio grandiore quodam prominente cui omnium suffragiis-electum Regem imponebant magnoque applausu excipiebant Hic comitia celebrabant de regni negotiis consultabant Regem vero designaturi Electores saxis insistebant forum cingentibus decreti firmitudinem pronunciantes in this Country are beheld certain Courts of Parliament in which heretofore Kings were elected with solemn state which are surrounded with mighty stones for the most part twelve in number and one other stone exceeding the rest in eminency set in the middle upon which as upon a Regal Throne they seated the new elected King by the general suffrage of the assembly and inaugurated him with great applause and loud acclamations Here they held their great Councils and consulted about affairs of the Kingdome But when they met together to nominate their King the Electors stood upright upon the stones environing the Court and giving their voyces thereby confirmed their choice This rudely-magnificent Custome of Electing the supreme Magistrate in such open circles of huge stones and after such a manner as it was of highest Antiquity so was it likewise of greatest Duration among the Danes For Bernhardus Malincrot in libr. de Archicancellariis p. 158. through a long series or descent of their Kings brings it down to the time of the Emperor Charls the fourth who publishing that so renowned golden Bull de Electione Imperatorum gave occasion to the abrogation of it Yea so sacred were these Courts and in such high esteem and veneration were they held for many hundreds of years together that even in time of publick peace and tranquillity the Candidate King was de jure obliged there to receive his solemn Inauguration and assume the Ensigns of Royalty as if the Place and Ceremonies were essential parts of his right to soveraignty and the votes of his Electors much more valid and authentique for being pronounced in that Forum And if it hapned that the King fell in some forein expedition by the hand of the Enemy or by a less glorious death there ensued an Inter-regnum till such time as his surviving Army had in some convenient plain brought together a multitude of the largest stones they could possibly find and set them both for the interrment of his Corps and the election of his Successor and this as well because they reputed an Election in such a place a good addition of Title as because many great and irreparable incommodities might redound to the Republique during that pause or respite of Government in case the new election were deferred until they had returned into their own Country and assembled the best part of the Nation in some one of their ancient Kings-benches as they may be properly enough termed considering their dignity and use To authorise this which otherwise might be thought somewhat romantique I am provided of a text out of a very grave and faithfull writer of that Nation Suaningius which is well worthy my recital and your special consideration being that which gave me the first hint for my conjecture touching the End or purpose for which Stone-heng was built The text is this Locum publicae Regiae electionis postquam incolis convenientem ad quem nulla obstante itineris difficultate omnes qui erant vocati venire possent elegissent saxa grandia singulari opera atque studio conquiri atque in eundum locum quem electioni Regiae destinarant comportari curarunt Neque enim tum quemadmodum hodie destinata electioni Regum certa erant loca sed pro arbitrio sententiaque eorum qui autoritate potentia alios antecellebant eligebantur Huc comportata saxa conscendentes hi quibus eligendi jus commendatum erat circumstante populo suffragia ex iis ferebant and may be thus Englished When for the publick election of the King they had made choice of a place convenient to which all that were summoned might with the least difficulty of travail repair they took care that stones of extraordinary greatness should be with singular labour and diligence sought forth and brought together in the same place which they had appointed for the Royal Election For there were not then as now a dayes certain appointed places for that affair but such were chosen at the pleasure and judgment of those who excelled others in authority and power Upon the stones brought hither those to whom the right of electing was delegated mounting up delivered their suffrages the people standing round about below The same in every particular is confirmed by the learned Stephanus Stephanius in his Commentaries upon the first Book of Saxo Grammaticus his History of Denmark whither I remit the unsatisfied As for Examples of this noblest and most magnificent sort of Monuments Olaus Wormius hath furnished us with Three very conspicuous ones one in Seland neer Leire called Kongstolon or Kings throne another in Schoneland not far from Lundie in which homage was annually paid to King Olaus and Christianus the first was with royal solemnity inaugurated and invested with regal ornaments a third neer Viburg in the Cimbric territory in which common tradition will