Nations came to be united under one Head So that upon the least Rupture this Town was sure to undergo the first brunts of the War It is large and populous and the Houses well built injoying a good Trade especially for Corn and Salmon Here one may have a good Salmon for 12 pence Lastly Barwick is like Newcastel a County of it self Dignified also with the Title of a Dukedom and that by the late King James in the person of James Fitz-James the present Duke of Barwick his natural Son â—inked with him in his Misfortunes Alnwick so called from the River Alne upon which it is seated about 8 miles from the Sea is an indifferent good Town Once strengthened with a great Castle which is now something ruinous However a noted Place for the Battel fought here between the English and the Scots in the Reign of Henry II where William King of Scots was taken Prisoner Hexam is situate West of Newcastel on the South-side of the River Tine Once a Bishoprick in the Infancy of the Saxon Church the Bishop whereof called Episcopus Hagulstadiensis according to Beda S. Eata the fifth Bishop of Lindisfarne or Holy Island was the first Bishop of this Place Succeeded by nine others till by the fury and rapine of the Danes it discontinued the Jurisdiction of it being added to the See of York But in the Reign of Henry VIII it was taken from that Archbishoprick and by Authority of Parliament united to the County of Northumberland whereby it became annexed to the Bishoprick of Durham Here was a most stately Church said to surpass most Minsters in England before a great part thereof was pulled down by the Scots Morpeth a goodly Town is situate on the River Wensbeck and fortified with a Castle Its Market is esteemed the best in the County for Provisions and living Cattel which from hence are dispersed to divers Parts of the Kingdom The Town of some note besides for giving the Title of Viscount to the Eaâ— of Carlisle Some miles South-west from it near a Town called Belsey on the River Pont stands Ogleâ— Castle formerly belonging to the Barons Ogleâ— and now to the Duke of Newcastle from hence stiled Earl of Ogle As for Weller 't is but a small Town seated on the side of a Hill near the Banks of the River Till which runs Northward into the Twede But its Market is great for Corn and other Provisions Of the Islands along the Sea-Coast of Northumberland Along the Coast of this Country you will find 3 principal Islands as you go from South to North viz. Cocket Farn and Holy Island Cocket is but a small Island lying not far from Wetherington Castle Farne Island something bigger lies North from Cocket 2 miles from Bamburg Castle North-East of which lie six smaller Islands hardly worth the naming Holy Island the biggest of the three and yet of no great extent is not far from Barwick This Island being in shape not unlike a Wedge runs out with a Neck of Land towards Northumberland And this is it which formerly was known by the Name of Lindisfarne in the dawning of Christianity among the Northumbers made a Bishops See by S. Aidan one of the first Apostles of these Parts Selected for that Dignity by that holy Man for the Solitude and Privacy of it which made it thought more fit and proper for Devotion Till at last by the religious Lives of so many pious Bishops Monks and others of the Clergy as did inhabit here it got the Name of Holy Island And here the See continued 353 years that is from the Year 637 to 990 under 22 Bishops hence called Bishops of Lindisfarne From whence the See was removed to Durham the Insolencies of the Danes who then terribly raged on these Coasts compelling these religious Men to forsake their Solitude The Air of this Island is so unhealthfull and the Soil ungratefull that it is but thinly peopled Fish and Fowl is the best Accommodation of it So that here is but one Town with a Church and Castle under which is a good Haven defended by a Block-house In short this County formerly a Part of the Kingdom of Northumberland and its Inhabitants part of the Ottadini as the Romans caded them is now in the Diocese of Durham Out of it are elected besides the two Knights of the Shire six Members of Parliament Viz. 2 by Newcastle 2 by Morpeth and 2 more by Barwick Lastly this County is noted for the Title of Duke and Earl it has given to several noble Personages but with frequent Interruptions As for the Title of Duke I find but one that has injoy'd it till of late viz. John Dudley Earl of Warwick and Lord Admiralâ— Duke of Northumberland beheaded by Queeâ— Mary Put that of Earl has gone through several Changes and different Families Thâ— Piercies are those who have injoy'd it the long est of any and yet not without some Interruption too The first of 'em that had the Title conferred upon him was Henry Piercy Lord Constable who took possession of iâ— Anno 1377. under the Reign of Richard II. Three of his Name and Family injoy'd it after him before John Nevil Lord Montague was advanced to this Honour by King Edward II who after six years resigned it to Henry Piercy that had been dispossessed of it Another Henry Piercy injoy'd it after him who died in the Year 1527. And 24 years after his Death the foresaid John Dudley Earl of Warwick was by Edward VI. created Duke of Northumberland viz. Anno 1551. Six Years after this the Title of Earl returned to the Piercies in the person of Thomas Earl of Northumberland In which Family it has continued ever since till the Year 1670 when Joceline Piercy died at Turin in Italy without Issue male At present we have a Duke of Northumberland his Grace George Fitz-Roy third Son to the Dutchess of Cleveland who in the Year 1674. was created by King Charles II. Baron of Pontefract Viscount Falmouth and Duke of Northumberland Nottinghamshire NOTTINGHAMSHIRE an Inland County is bounded Eastward with Lincolnshire from which it is separated a good way by the River Trent Westward with Derbyshire and some part of Yorkshire Northward with Yorkshire and Southward with Leicestershire It is of an oval Form doubling in length twice its breadth It s Length from North to South is about 40 miles the Breadth from East to West 20. The Whole divided into 8 Wapentakes or Hundreds 168 Parishes and 9 Market-Towns As for the Soil of this County part of it is Clay-Ground part sandy Ground and the rest Woody The South East Part being watered by the Trent and small Rivers that fall into it is the most fruitfull and this is the Clay Part. The Western where the Forest of Shirwood is so famous for Robin-Hood and his Companions is stocked not only with Wood but Pit-Coal well served besides with Game Besides the River Trent here are several small Streams whereby this Country
become bound to bring in an Inventory the Court of Aldermen have power to send him to Newgate there to remain till â—he submit and the Courts at Westminster will not release such Person After the Bond given the Executor must procure 4 Freemen to appraise the Testator's Goods In order to which he must cause them to appear before a Justice of Peace in London and take their Oaths that they shall make a just and true Valuation and Appraisement of the Goods and Chattels of the Deceased according to the best of their Judgements and Skills When the Appraisement is to be made the Common Crier is to have notice of it before-hand being appointed by the Court of Aldermen to see the same be fairly done and to the best advantage of the Orphan And unless the Common Crier or his Deputy be present and the Inventory signed by the Common Crier the Court of Aldermen will not allow thereof The Appraisement being made as aforesaid and signed by the Common Crier and the Appraisers it must be given to the Common Sergeant of the City or one of his Clerks at his Office in Guildhall-Yard he being the only Person intrusted by the Court of Aldermen to take all Inventories and Accounts of Freement Estates If he approves thereof he will cause it to be Ingrossed and a Duplicate of it to be made for the Executor or Administrator And when the same is examined by him and his hand set thereto in testimony thereof the Executor or Administrator must in the Court of Aldermen swear the same Inventory to be a true Inventory of the Goods and Chattels of the Party deceased according to the best of his Knowledge When the Inventory is so exhibited the Executor must become bound in a considerable Penalty either to bring in the Mony that shall appear due to the Orphans by the Inventory or within two Months to give good Security to pay the same into the Chamber of London for the Use of the Orphans when they shall come to Age or be married If the Executor pay the Mony into the Chamber of London the Court of Aldermen usually allow five per Cent Interest for so much Mony of the Testator's Estate as is due to the Orphans by the Custom of London so as the same exceed not 500 l and for Legacy-mony 3 l. 6 s. 8. d. per Cent. But if the Executor shall not think fit to pay the Mony into the Chamber he must become bound with 3 Sureties to the Chamberlain of London for the time being in one or more Recognizances or else by Bond to pay the Mony due to Orphans And in case the Security live within the Liberties of London they must be bound by Bond. Now as to Recognizances the Custom is never to make any touching Orphans of greater Penalty than 400 l. and not for the Payment of above 300. Therefore if the Sum for Example be 900 l. the Security must become bound by 3 Recognizances each for the Payment of 300 l. If a Freeman leaves Lands and Tenements to his Children the Executor must become bound with Sureties to account for the Rents and Profits thereof The Securities must take particular care that â—one of the Orphans marry or be put Apprenâ—ice with their Consents without the Leave of the Court of Aldermen first obtained for that â—urpose And as the Orphan comes to be of the Age of 21 Years or to be married with the Consent of the Court of Aldermen the Securities must take care to bring him to Guildhall with a person to prove his Age. Then the Orphan must acknowledge satisfaction for the Mony due to him or her of the Testator's Estate which must be done in the Court of Aldermen And upon Motion made by Mr. Common Sergeant the Court does order that all Bonds entered into for the Payment of such Orphan's Portion shall be delivered up and cancelled And if the Security became bound by Recognizances the Clerk of the Orphans will cross and discharge such Recognizances The Chamber of London is counted the safest and best Security in or about London 〈◊〉 the Moneys paid therein to the Use of the City or any Orphan being constantly repaid upon Demand without any trouble And when Orphans come to Age or be married with the Consent and Approbation of the Couâ— of Aldermen they may receive their Portion if paid into the Chamber at an hours notice though the Sum be 10000 l. or more Mâ— Chamberlain and his Clerks attending daily 〈◊〉 that purpose The finding or Interest Mony is constantly paid as it becomes due and the Court haâ— always taken great Care that every Orphaâ— shall receive his or her Portion out of the Chamber of London without paying any other or greater Fees than has been paid timâ— out of mind The Custody of Orphans is committed by the Court of Aldermen to such Person or Persons as they think fit And if any Person whatsoever do intermarry with any Orphaâ— without Leave of the said Court such Persoâ— may be fined by that Court according to the quality and portion of the Orphan And unâ—â— less such Person do pay the Fine or give Bonâ— to pay the same in some reasonable Timâ— though he shall have ten times a better Estate 〈◊〉 the Orphan he intermarries yet the Court may commit him to Newgate there to remain â—â—til the Fine be paid But if he settle an Estate upon the Orphan as the Court shall diâ—â—ct and make application to the Court â—â—y Petition to have the Fine remitted they â—ill in probability shew favour to such Perâ—on as they have done in the like Caâ—s The Lord Mayor Aldermen and Commons of the City of London in Common Council â—ave made several good Acts and Orders to preâ—ent Freemens Children from Marrying without the Consent of their Parents and Guardians â—nd to keep them from vicious Courses More â—articularly an Act of Common Council called Judds Law made in the Mayoralty of Sir Andrew Judd Knight in the Fifth year of King â—dward VI. Which Law though unrepealed the Lord Mayor and Aldermen have sometimes for special Reasons thought fit to dispense with in favour of Orphans that have â—ought Relief against the Penalties therein mentioned By the Custom of London a Freemans Wiâ—ow may require a third part of his Personal â—state after his Debts paid and Funeral Charâ—es discharged besides her Widows Chamber â—mished and his Children may require anoâ—er third part thereof The other third part â—f his Estate he may by his last Will give away â—ther to his Wife or any of his Children or â—ny other Person whatsoever But if he die â—thout Issue his Widow may require a Moity â—f his personal Estate after Debts paid together â—ith her Widows Chamber furnished And 〈◊〉 a Freeman make his Will contrary to this Custom and give away more than a third of his Estate from his Wife and Children they may be relieved against such Will by exhibiting their Bill in this Court
England into Counties there is a common way of dividing it but into Two Parts North and South that is all the Counties on the North and South-side of the River Trent Which way is followed by the Justices in Eyre of the Forest and likewise by the Kings at Arms. Another Division there is relating to the publick Administration of Justice by the Itinerant of Judges And that is into Six Circuits of which I shall give a particular Account in my second Part. Lastly for the Church Government England is divided first into two Provinces or Archbishopricks namely Canterbury and York and these two Provinces into 22 Diocesses or Bishopricks these into Archdeaconries Archdeaconries into Rural Deanries and these last into Parishes The Number whereof setting aside the 12 Counties of Wales amounts to near Ten Thousand CHAP. II. The Advantages of ENGLAND from its Situation in opposition to Inland Countries The natural Beauty of it A Description of its principal Rivers OF all the States of Europe there 's none more happy than ENGLAND whether we consider the Advantages of its Situation the Temperateness of its Air the Richness of its Soil the happy temper of its Inhabitants or the Blessed Constitution of its Government especially under their present Majesties As it is in a manner surrounded by the Sea it injoys Two great Advantages the One in Relation to foreign Trade and the Other in point of Security from forein Invasion In relation to forein Trade it lies open to all Parts of the World that are adjacent to the Sea either for the Exportation of home-bred or the Importation of foreign Commodities To which purpose as Nature has fenced its Sea-Coasts from the Irruptions and Inundations of the Sea with high Cliffs so she has furnished it with abundance of safe and capacious Harbours for the security of Ships As for a forein Invasion 't is certain that Islands of any great Importance are by Nature the most defensible Places and the least open to Conquests The Sea that fluid Element which surrounds them is such a Bar to their Enemies Attempts the Winds that govern it so fickle and uncertain the Charges of a Fleet and Land Army so vast the Preparations such as cannot be carried on with that speed and secrecy as for an Invasion by Land and the Difficulty of Landing so great in case of Opposition 'T is true no Continent perhaps was oftener Conquered than ENGLAND first by the Romans then by the Saxons afterwards by the Danes and last of all by the Normans But how was it done always by the help of some discontented or corrupted Party in the Island Thus Bericus a noble but disgusted Britain incouraged Claudius the Roman Emperour to stretch his Empire hither And Vortiger an Usurper of the British Throne called in the Saxons to his help who having got a footing here could not be so easily expelled as brought in In short it may be said England was never and can scarce be Conquered but by England especially since its happy Conjunction with Scotland and the Annexion of Wales As to the late Revolution 't is self evident that the chief Part of the Nation had a hand in it and as it proved we may justly call it not an Invasion as King James affected to do but a wonderful and signal Deliverance To those Two great Advantages of Trade and Security which England does injoy from its Situation near the Sea let us add the Prospect it has from the Sea-Coast of the wonderful Ocean one of the three great Antiquities of the World and the plentiful Variety of Fish and Sea-Fowl c. it affords to this Island But that which raises my Admiration of ENGLAND is the Beauty of it being generally a flat and open Country not overgrown with wild and unwholsom Forests nor dreadful high Mountains What Hills it has are generally very gentle and pleasant and raised as it were to give a charming Prospect to the Eye as its Forests seem only contrived for Variety and the pleasure of Hunting But one Thing there is which adds much to the Beauty of it and that is its excellent Verdure Which by reason of the mildness of the Air even in the Winter-Season exceeds in duration of Time the most fruitful Places of Europe To which add the Concourse of so many Rivers which glide through this Country and strive to make it agreeable and fruitful They are reckoned in all 325 the chief whereof are these following Viz. The Thames The Medway The Severn The Ouse The Trent The Humber The Tees The Tine The Twede The Thames is a Compound of the Thame and Isis two Rivers the first whereof rises in Buckinghamshire the other near Cirencester in Glocestershire both joyning together into one Stream by Dorcester in Oxfordshire where it parts that County from Barkshire From whence taking its course Eastward with many Windings and Turnings it parts Buckinghamshire from Barkshire Middlesex from Surrey and Essex from Kent Where being swelled with the Influx of several lesser Rivers it discharges it self into the Sea watering by the way amongst other Towns Reading and Windsor in Barkshire Kingston and Southwark in Surrey London in Middlesex Barking in Essex and Gravesend in Kent A River the Water whereof is extraordinary wholsom the Stream exceeding gentle and the Tides very commodious for Navigation For the Sea flows gently up this River about 80 Miles almost as far as Kingston being 12 Miles by Land and 20 by Water above London The Medway is a Kentish River not so remarkable for the length of its Course as for the Depth of its Channel and therefore made use of for harbouring the Royal Navy It runs thorough Maidstone Rochester and Chatham a few Miles from whence it empties it self in the Mouth of the Thames This River loses it self under Ground and rises again at Loose not far from Cox-Heath The Severn rises in Montgomeryshire a County of North-Wales From whence it runs through Shropshire Worcestershire and Glocestershire where it does so expatiate it self that the Mouth of it is more like an Arm of the Sea than any part of a River It waters in its course Shrewsbury Worcester and Glocester the chief Towns of the foresaid three Counties and takes in by the way several Rivers of good note two Avons the Temd the Wye and the Vsk The Ouse has its source in the South-Borders of Northamptonshire From whence it runs through the Counties of Bucks Bedford Huntington Cambridge and Norfolk where it discharges it self into the Ocean watering in its Course Buckingham Bedford Huntington Ely and the Sea-Port of Lyn in Norfolk The River that runs through York has also the Name of Ouse being a Compound chiefly of these three Yorkshire Rivers the Swale the Youre and the Warfe And between Norfolk and Suffolk you will find the little Ouse which parting these Two Counties runs at last into the great Ouse The Trent which divides England into Two Parts North and South has its Rise
Escheator and other Officers to the great ease of all the Country in expedition of their Business Out of it are elected besides the two Knights of the Shire but two Members of Parliament and Chester only has the Right of Election CORNWAL the furthest County in the West of England is on all sides surrounded with the Sea except Eastward where the River Tamer parts it from Devonshire It s Length from East to West is about 70. miles and the broadest Part next to Devonshire 40. The Whole divided into nine Hundreds wherein 161 Parishes and 21 Market Towns The Country being for the most part but narrow you cannot expect here Rivers of any long Course The Tamer aforesaid is the most considerable next to which you have the Camel and the Fale Here the Air is pure and subtile but much subject to Winds and stormy Weather and more apt to preserve than to recover Health especially to Strangers The Spring is something backward here which makes the Harvest to be later than in the Eastern Parts but on the other side the Winter does prove milder The Country in general is hilly and rocky the Rocks being crusted over with a shallow Earth The Parts towards the Sea are the most fruitful both in Corn and Pasturage Which happens partly by the industrious manuring the Ground with a fruitful sort of Sand and a Sea-weed called Orewood The middle Parts except the Inclosures about Towns and Villages ly generally waste and open and serve chiefly for Summer Cattel But as to Game both for the Hawk and the Hound here 's great store of it One Thing it excels all other Counties in and that is its Tin Mines the Tin whereof goes beyond any in Europe for fineness Here is also found in some Rocks a sort of precious Stone called the Cornish Diamond shaped and polished by Nature and some of them as big as a Walnut but indeed not so hard as the right Diamond For Fishing of Pilchards this is the Place the Time from July to November When the Sea does so swarm of them that enough can be spared to supply France Spain and Italy with them in great Stores the smoaked one being called Fumados in Italy where they pass for a great Dainty In Mounts Bay is the famous Hill called S. Michael's Mount severed from the main Land by a sandy Plain which at Ebb-water may be passed over on foot A Hill that proudly raises it self to a great eminence the top of it being a small Plain the greatest part on 't taken up by an old Fort. Nigh unto the said Bay is a strong Rock called Main Amber which lieth as it were mounted on others of a smaller size with so equal a Counterpoise that it may be stirred but not moved out of its place And in S. Cleere's Parish there are upon a Plain 6 or 8 Stones such as are upon Salisbury Plain Which like them too will be mistaken in their telling so that when they are told over again they will be found either more oâ— less than before At Boskenna is a Trophy erected 18 Stone placed round and pitched 12 foot from each other with another in the Center far biggeâ— than the rest And in many Places hereaboutâ— are Pieces of Armour both for Horse and Man digged out of the Ground Among Sea-faring Men here are besideâ— the Harbours two Places of chief note â— viz. the Lizard Point and the Lands End The first is the furthest part South-West of the Goon hilly Downs a pretty large Tract 〈◊〉 Ground shooting forth from the main Land into the South Sea The Lands End is the furthest Point Westward of Cornwal and consequently of England Lanceston the County Town bears from London West-South-West and is distant there from 170 miles Viz. from London to Salisbury 70 miles for the particulars of which 〈◊〉 refer you to Wiltshire from thence to Shaftâ— bury 18 to Sherburn 12 more to Axminster 19 to Honiton 7 more thence to Exeter 12. and to Lanceston 32 more This Town is seated on the banks of a small River called Kensey and not far from its falâ— into the Tamer A Town of good Trade anâ— well inhabited whose Market on Saturdayâ— is well frequented and served with Provisions Here are held the Assises for this County The other Market Towns are Saltash Sat. Foway Sat. East-Lowe Sat. Padstow Sat. Grampound Sat. Tregny Sat. Helston Sat. Iiskerd Sat. Bâ—dmin Sat. Stratton Tue. Truro Wedn. Sat. Penrin Wedn. Frid. Sat. S. Ives Wedn. Frid. S. Colomb Thu. Falmouth Thu. Market-Jew Thu. Penzance Thu. Listhiel Frid. S. Germans Frid. Camelford Frid. Falmouth the most-frequented Place in these Parts by Mariners deserves a particular Description First it is called Falmouth from its Situation at the Mouth of the River Fale and that in a fertile Tract of Ground called Roseland which contains several Parishes and feeds great Flocks of Sheep The Haven before it is so safe and so capacious that the Town has thriven of late very much upon it the Creeks being coasted with steep Shores and so large withal that 100 Sail of Ships may safely ride at Anchor Besides it lieth more in the way of Trade to wind-driven Ships than Plimouth in Devonshire And over against it is the Castle called Pendennis erected for the better security of this Coast by King Henry VIII But that which adds much of late to the Reputation of Falmouth is his Majesty's setling of a Sea-Post here for Spain and Portugal whereby all immediate Correspondence with France is interrupted at least during this present War and the Benefit of it cut off from that Kingdom The Groyn a Sea-Port Town of Gallicia in Spain is the Place appointed to receive our Packetâ— there from thence to be distributed through all Places of Correspondence both in Spain and Portugal Lastly this Town is of some note for giving the Title of Viscount to the Duke of Northumberland Further in the County Northward lies Truro a Town of good note seated in the middle oâ— two Streams that run into Falmouth Haven and giving the Title of Baron to the Right Honourable Charles Bodvile Roberts Earl of Radnor Penrin another Town of note lies something nearer but to the Northwest of Falmouth on a Creek of Falmouth Haven Penzance and Market-Jew stand over against one another West and East of Mounts Bay the first a good traded Town the other but inconsiderable Eastward you will find Fouay East and Weâ— Iowe upon the South Sea and on the North or Irish Sea the Havens of Padstow and S. Ives The rest of the Market Towns are up in the Country This County which formerly was part of the ancient Kingdom of the West Saxons and the Inhabitants together with those of Devonshire Known among the old Romans by the Name oâ— Danmonii is now in the Diocese of Exeter Out of it are elected besides the two Knightâ— of the Shire no less than 42 Members to sit iâ— Parliament Viz. two out of
large Town seated upon two Rivers the Skerne and a Rivulet that runs there into it Over the first which falls within 2 miles into the Tees it has a fair Stone-Bridge Not far from hence at Oxenhall are 3 Pits called Hell-Kettles of a wonderful depth supposed to come of an Earthquake that hapned in the Year 1179. 'T is said of Bishop Tunstall of this Diocese that he took a Goose which he markt and put into one of the Pits and the same Goose was found afterwards in the River Tees Bernard Castle is seated in a Bottom on the River Tees and adjoyning to Marwood Park 'T is but an indifferent Town and of chief note for Stockings here made Bishop Aukland is pleasantly seated on the side of a Hill between the Ware over which it has a Bridge and a Rivulet that runs into it This is a neat Town and noted for its good Air. But that which adds much to its Reputation is its stately Castle the Bishops Summer Pallace beautifully repaired by Dr. Cosins the late Bishop of Durham and a fine Chappel raised by the same Bishop from its Ruins Sunderland is a Sea-Town on the Mouth of the River Ware Called Sunderland because by the Working of the Sea it is in a manner pulled from the rest of the Land it being at high Water invironed on all sides with the Sea This is a noted Place for its Sea-Coal Trade but chiefly for giving the Title of Earl first to Emanuel Lord Scrope of Bolton and Lord President of the North created Earl of Sunderland by King Charles I. Anno 1627. Upon whose Death without lawful Issue the Title was bestowed by the same King upon Henry Lord Spencer of Wormleighton in the Year 1643. Who being slain the same Year at the first Newberry Fight the Title fell to Robert his Son and Heir the present Earl of Sunderland Stainthorp or Staindrop ly's but 5 miles East-North-East from Bernard Castle among Parks and on a Rivulet that runs from thence into the Tees And not far from it is another Castle called Raby-Castle which King Canute gave to the Church of Durham with the Lands about it But besides the said Market-Towns here is in the South-East Parts Stockton and Billingham noted for their strong Ale And further Northward Hartlepool that stands upon a Neck of Land shooting forth into the Sea which surrounds it on all sides except Westward On the Mouth of the River Tine you will find Sheals where the New-Castle Coal-Fleet takes its Cargo A little higher stands Jarrow noted for being the Birth place of the Venerable Beda And over against Newcastle Gateshead or Gateside the Receptacle of those numerous Men that work in the Coal-pits Men that rake their mean Subsistence from the very Bowels of the Earth This County was formerly called St. Cuthberts Patrimony from S. Cuthbert the Raiser of Durham whose Episcopal See was removed hither from Lindisfarn or Holy Island on the Coast of Northumberland A Saint for whom several of the Saxon Kings and after them Canute the Dane had so great a Veneration that upon him and his Successors in that See was all the Country between Tees and Tine conferred by Alfred King of England Which his Donation was confirmed and in part increased by his Successors Edward Athelstan and Canute the Dane So fortified it was with Priviledges and Royal Grants that at the coming in of the Norman Conquerour the Bishop was reputed for a Count Palatine and did ingrave upon his Seal an armed Knight holding a naked Sword in one hand and in the other the Bishops Arms. Nay it was once adjudged in Law that the Bishop was to have all Forfeitures and Escheats within the Liberties as the King had without In short the Bishops hereof had the Royalty of Princes having their own Courts of Judicature both for Civil and Criminal Causes and covning their own Coin But these exorbitant Priviledges and Immunities were in part impaired by a Statute under Henry VIII and altogether with the Lands and whole Rights thereof conferred upon the Crown by Act of Parliament in the last Year of the Reign of Edward VI. To conclude when England was divided into seven Kingdoms this County was Part of that of Northumberland And the Inhabitants of it as well as those of most part of the North besides were called Brigantes by the ancient â—omans Out of it are elected besides the two Knights of the Shire but two Members to serve in Parliament for which Durham has the Right of Election Essex ESSEX another Maritime County has for its Bounds Eastward the German Ocean Westward Hartfordshire and Middlesex Northward the County of Suffolk and Southward the County of Kent This is a pretty large County being in Length about 45 miles in Breadth 36. The Whole divided into 20 Hundreds wherein 45 Parishes and 21 Market-Towns The same is abundantly irrigated both with great and small Rivers For besides the Thames which severs it from Kent the Stower from Suffolk and the Lea from Middlesex here is the Coln the Chelmer the Crouch and the Roding with several others in all which are great plenty of Fish Here the Air is very Temperate but down in the Hundreds towards the Sea-side it is very Aguish The Soil for the most part is good and in some Parts so fruitful that according to the Author of Englands Remarqnes after 3 Years Glebe of Saffron the Land for 18 years more will yield plenty of Barley without any Manuring with Dung or the like and then bear Saffron again One Acre of this Ground which is most in the North Part of the County will yield 80 or 100 weight of moist Saffron in a Year which being dried is valued 2. pound sterling It s chief Commodities besides Saffron as aforesaid are Cloths Stuffs Hops and the best of Oysters Colchester the chief Place of it bears from London North-East and is distant from it 43 miles by common Computation Viz. 10 from London to Rumford 5 more to Burntwood 10 from thence to Chelmsford and to Colchester 18 more A Town of great Antiquity and built as some Authors write by Coilus the British Prince 124 years after Christ's Birth But yet more Remarkable for giving birth to â—ucius Helena and Constantine the first Christian King Empress and Emperour in the World Seated it is upon the Rise of a Hill stretching it self from East to West and watered by the River Coln from whence probably it came to be called Colchester And as it is but 6 miles distant from the Sea so its Situation must needs be upon all accounts both pleasant and commodious 'T is a fair and well-built Town fortiâ—â—ed with an old Roman Wall and having six Gates of entrance besides 3 Posterns Towards the East stands an old Castle within the Ruins of a Trench containing about two Acres In short there were in it 14 Parish Churches several of which are now reduced to ruin But it is still a Place of good
afford excellent Fish and wild Fowl in great plenty A noted Place in former time for its wonderfull rich Abbey which continued in its glory till its Dissolution by King Henry VIII This County which formerly was Part of the Kingdom of Mercia and its Inhabitants Part of the Iceni as the Romans called them is now in the Diocese of Lincoln Out of it are elected besides the two Knights of the Shire but two Parliament Men and these out of Huntington Kent KENT in Latin Cantium so called as being seated in a Canton or Corner of the Kingdom is a large rich and pleasant Country â—â—ying between the Thames and the Narrow Seas So that it is invironed on all sides with the Sea except Westward where it borders both upon Surrey and Sussex It contains in Length from East to West 60 Miles in Breadth from North to South 30. The Whole divided into five Lathes called Sutton Aylesford Scray St. Augustine and Shepway Lathes and these into 67 Hundreds wherein 408 Parishes and 30 Market Towns Which is an Argument of its Populousness But the Air is neither so serene nor so healthful here as in other Counties especially near the Sea and Marshes which makes this Country so noted for its Kentish Agues Now that you may know in few words the Nature of this Country both as to its Air and Soil I shall bring in the Remark made upon it which is that there are 3 Ridges of Hills in Kent one called Health without Wealth the second Health and Wealth and the third Wealth without Health Others as to the Soil give this different Character of it The Weald for Wood East Kent for Corn Rumney for Meadow Tenham for an Orchard Shepey and Reculver for Wheat Thanet for Barley and Hedcorn for Capons In general this may be said of Kent that it is a Country very good for Corn and fit for Pasturage according to the several Plots and Parts thereof and wondrous full of fruitful and well-ordered Orchards from whence the City of London is supplied with most sorts of Fruit but chiefly with Pippins and Cherries which are counted the best in England On the Cliffs between Deal and Dover there grows a great store of Samphire The same is well watered with Rivers For besides the Thames that washes its North Parts here is the Medway which in a manner parts it in the middle the Stower that runs by Canterbury the Tun through Tunbridge and the Rother upon which Appledore is seated not to mention the lesser Streams Of all the Counties in England this was the first Kingdom of the Heptarchy and had a particular King to it self which no other County ever had Neither was it conquered by the Normans the Kentish Men yielding upon Articles and having their ancient Franchises and Customs confirmed to 'em by William the Conqueror One of which is the Cavelkind whereby they are not so bound by Copy-hold as in other Parts of England Lands of this nature being equally divided here among the male Children and for want of Males among the Females By the same Law they are at age at 15 years old and they may sell or make over the Land without the consent of the Lord. Also the Son tho of a convicted Father for Felony or Murder succeeds him in such Kind of Lands The Kentish Men besides have this to glory in that they were the first Christians of this Island And this is the only County at this time that has two Cities or Episcopal Sees namely Canterbury and Rochester Canterbury the chief Place of this County is 46 miles East of London Viz. from London to Dartford 12 to Rochester 11 more from thence to Sittingborn 10 and to Canterbury 13 more A City of great Antiquity if it was built as some Authors aver 900 years before Christ 'T is seated on the River Stower noted for breeding the best Trouts in the South East Parts of England and is counted in the Lath of S. Augustine The Buildings of it but mean and the Wall which encompasses it in a decayed condition The greatest Ornament of all is the Cathedral wherein ly interred the Bodies of eight Kings For this City had been the Seat of the Kings of Kent till given by Ethelbert the first Christian King of this Country to Augustine the first Archbishop thereof and his Successors Whereupon the King removed his Seat to Reculver a Town by the Sea-side In this Cathedral is also interred the Body of Thomas Becket once Archbishop hereof that famous Saint so reverenced by the Romanists In this City and its Suburbs are reckoned 14 Parish Churches besides a Meeting-place under the Cathedral for the Walloonâ— that dwell in this City who are very numerous and drive a considerable Trade of the Stuffs they make here It has two Markets a Week Wednesdays and Saturdays the latter of which is the most considerable But to the honour this City has had of being the Regal Seat of the first Kings of Kent and of being to this day the See of the Primate of England let us add the Coronation of King John and Queen Izabel his Wife the Marriages of Henry II. and Edward I and the Interments of Edward the black Prince King Henry the Fourth and Queen Joan his Wife all which was performed in this Place The other Market-Towns are Eltham Mund. Wrotham Tue. Lenham Tue. Westram Wedn. S. Mary Cray Wedn. Goldburst Wedn. Gravesend Wedn. Sat. Feversham Wedn. Sat. Dover Wedn. Sat. Sandwich Wedn. Sat. Wye Thu. Rumney Thu. Lyd Thu. Folkstone Thu. Maidstone Thu. Bromley Thu. Rochester Frid. Tunbridge Frid. Tenderden Frid. Woolwich Frid. Smarden Frid. Malinge Sat. Milton Sat. Cranbrook Sat. Hythe Sat. Ashford Sat. Sevenoke Sat. Dartford Sat. Appledore Among which Rockester requires the preeminence as a Bishops See and the second for Antiquity in all the Island It is seated upon the Medway over which it has a stately Stone-bridge one of the fairest in England It consists most of one principal Street which extends it self a long way the Houses being but ordinary as they are inhabited for the most part but by Trades-men and Inn-keepers Yet besides the Honour it has of being a Bishops See it is dignify'd with the Title of an Earldom in the Person of the Right Honourable Laurence Hyde Earl of Rochester Viscount Hyde c. Which Title was formerly enjoy'd by three Wilmots And before them there was a Viscount of this Place Sir Robert Carr being created Viscount of Rochester Anno 1611. and afterwards Earl of Somerset Adjoyning to this City is Chatham also seated on the Banks of Medway A long Thorough-fare Town well inhabited by Seamen and Shipwrights as being the principal Station of the Royal Navy and having a good Dock and Store-houses for the building and equipping of his Majesties Ships Maidstone is seated also on the Medway but near the head of it This is the Town where the County-Goal Sessions and Assizes are kept being conveniently seated for
that purpose and a Place of good resort Gravesend is seated on a rising Hill on the Banks of the Thames A Town of great Refort for Travellers both by Sea and Land that either come up the Thames to London or go down the River in order to take Shipping well furnished therefore with Inns and other Houses of Entertainment but noted for their exactings Over against it in Essex is Tilbury-Fort that commands this Passage Nearer to London stands Dartford on the River Darent not far from its Influx into the Thames which gives good advantage to the Town in conveying their Goods to London The Town is large and being in Dover Road is therefore well accommodated with Inns and Houses of Entertainment Of chief note for the Rebellion begun here and headed by John Tiler commonly nick-named Jack-straw in the Reign of Richard the second Anno 1381. Woolwich seated on the Thames is remarkable for nothing but its Dock used for the Royal Navy But nearer to London stand Greenwich and Deptford two Towns of better account tho they be no Market-Towns The first is pleasantly seated on the Banks of the Thames a neat and healthful Place well inhabited and frequented by Gentry Adjoyning to which is a Royal House called Queen Elizabeth's Pallace with a Park about it yielding a fair Prospect Besides another Pallace by the Rivers-side first built by Humphrey Duke of Glocester and after him inlarged and beautify'd by several Kings till being fallen to ruin King Charles II. attempted to make it a stately Pile of Building but left it unfinished Adjoyning to Greenwich is Black-Heath noted for the Battels fought here against Rebels under the Reigns of Richard II. Henry VI. and Henry VII Deptford is another large Town divided into the Upper and the Lower seated the nearest to Surrey at the very fall of the Ravensburn a small River into the Thames among rich and low Meadows A Town well inhabited and frequented by Sea-men by reason of its Docks and Store-houses for the Navy Royal. Bromley stands upon the same River graced with the Bishop of Rochester's Seat a Country House by it One of whose late Predecessors I mean Dr. Warner founded here a Colledge for 20 Clergy-mens Widows Where each one hath a fair Apartment and 20 l. a Year Rent-Charge duly paid and for their publick Devotion a Chaplain provided with fair Lodgings and 50 l. a Year Rent-Charge Eltham seated on the South-side of Shootersâ—hill among Woods is a neat Town and well inhabited by Gentry Formerly honoured with â— Royal Pallace but laid aside and gone to decay since Greenwich came to be lookt upon as indeed it is a Place of greater Delight Near Westram on the Darent stands Otford on or near the same River a place of good Antiquity Noted for the Battel sought here betwixt King Edmund surnamed Ironside and Canute the Dane wherein Canute was put to flight with the Loss of 5000 Danes S. Mary Cray is so called from Cray a small but swift River on which it is situate in a Wood-land Country It s Market is very inconsiderable Sevenoke not far distant from thence is a Town of good Resort Here is an Hospital and a Free-School founded by one William Sevenoke Lord Mayor of London Anno 1418. who was a Foundling in this Town and from hence took his Name Tunbridge so called from the River Tun upon which it is seated within few miles of its fall into the Medway is a noted place for its mineral Waters so much resorted unto by the Gentry and drunk in the Summer-Season Known by the Name of Tunbridge-Wells tho' at some distance from thence at a Place called Speldherst Cranbrook is seated at the very head of the River Medway and Lenham at the Spring of the Stower Upon which last River you will find also both Ashford and Wye And upon the Rother Appledore an Island called Oxney-Isle This Island is seated in the South-West Parts of Kent towards Sussex incompassed with the River Rother and a lesser River that runs into it It has but 3 Towns in it Wittrisham Stonae and Ebony all three but inconsiderable North-Eastward near the Isle of Shepey lie Milton and Feversham the first a Place of good account in the Reign of Edward the Confessour but Feversham the best trading Place at this time For it has the Conveniency of a Creek that comes up to it which makes it the chief Port-Town for all this Part of Kent being well frequented by Hoys and such like small Vessels The Town is large and well inhabited and its Markets well served with Provisions But it is counted an Aguish Place Here was erected an Abbey by King Stephen where himself his Queen and Eustace his Son were buried Of late years it has been dignified with the Title of an Earldom in the Person of the Right Honourable Lewis de Duras Earl of Feversham c. And since that it has made a greater Noise in the World on the account of the late King 's landing there Incognito in the first Attempt he made to withdraw himself into France Not far from this Town are Pits of a great depth narrow at the mouth and very broad below with several distinct Rooms in 'em and Pillars of Chalk as it were to support them Whitstable and Reculver are two Sea-Towns few Miles North of Canterbury well frequented by Hoymen and Fishermen Reculver of special note for that Ethelbert the first Christian King of Kent had his Palace and did reside here It s Church remarkable for its lofty spired Steeple which serves for a Sea-Mark I come now to the Cinque-Port Towns that belong to this County Those are called CinqueForts which lying on the Coast of Kent and Sussex had great Priviledges granted them by former Kings the better to enable 'em to seture these Coasts against the Incroachments of France They were at first but five as is â—mply'd by the Word which is originally French But three more were added to 'em which makes up the Number of eight Whereof four are in this County Viz. Dover Sandâ—ich Hythe and Nâ—w Rumney the others in Sussex to wit Rye Winchelsey Seaford and Hastings And of these in their proper place Dover the principal of 'em stands over against Calais in France the Passage by Sea being reckoned but 7 Leagues or 21 Miles over Seated it is in the very South-East Point of Kent in a Bottom among Cliffs from whence one may easily discern the Coast of France Upon one of those Cliffs stands the Castle both to command and defend the Town which some will have to be built by Julius Caesar A Castle of that importance that Philip King of France when Lewis his Son being called in hither by the factious Barons against King John had gotten many Towns and Forts without being able to get the mastery of this slighted all that was taken and said his Son had not one Foot of Land in England if he were not Master of Dover-Castle As to
Bishops See since the Reign of Henry VIII For as it is no plausible Place either for health or pleasure so it stands out of the way for Trade Yet it shews two handsom Streets a large Market-Place and a fair Parish Church besides the Abbey Which last from a Monastery founded by Wolpher the Mercian King is now become a Cathedral And from that Monastery dedicated by him to St. Peter This Town formerly known by the Name of Medanshede came to be called Peterburgh or Peterborough Dignifyâ—d with the Title of an Earldom in the person of Henry Mordant the present Earl of Peterborough devolved to him from his Father John Lord Mordant created Earl of Peterborough by King Charles I. Anno 1627. Oundle is pleasantly seated on the Banks of the Nen over which it has two Bridges A well built and uniform Town beautified with a fair Church a free School and an Alms-house Nigh unto Oundle Northwards and upon the same River stands Fotheringhay-Castle invironed on all sides with pleasant Meadows Noted for that here Mary Queen of Scots was beheaded Thrapston Higham-Ferrers and Wellingborow ly all three upon the Nen the first two on the Eastern the last on the Western Banks and each of them with a Bridge over the River Higham-Ferrers has a Free-School for the Education of Youth and an Alms house for the Relief of poor people and was anciently strengthned with a Castle whose Ruins are yet to be seen Wellingborow pleasantly seated upon the Ascent of a Hill is a large and well inhabited Town injoying a good Trade beautified with a fair Church and having the Convieniency besides of a Free School Not far from Rothwell or Rowel is Naseby which is said to stand on the highest Ground in England near which the Avon and the Nen two considerable Rivers have their Spring-heads A noted Town for the Battel fought here June 14th 1645 where the Kings Forces commanded by Prince Rupert were totally routed by General Fairfax Towcester situate in a Valley and on the Banks of a small River that empty's it self in the Ouse is a Place of good Antiquity Cambden takes it for the ancient Tripontium which took its Name from 3 Bridges the Roman Port-way which in many places between it and Stony-Stratford shews it self being cut through by three Streams or Channels which the Rivulet there divides it self into About the Year 917. it was so strongly fortified as to resist the furious Assaults of the Danes At present 't is but a small Town beautified however with a fine Church Near this Place Eastward is Grafton a Road-Town in this part of Northamptonshire with a fine Park adjoyning to it and a Mannor-house of great Antiquity most part whereof was burnt and pulled down in the long Intestine War Anno 1643. Memorable for the Marriage here consummated betwixt Edward IV. and the Lady Grey the first King oâ— England since the Conquest that married his Subject This was the ancient Seat of the Family de Wideville Earls of Rivers And Richard the last of the male Line dying Anno 1490. did by his Will bequeath it amongst other Lands to Thomas Grey Marquess of Dorset In which Name it continued till Henry VIII with whom it was exchanged for other Lands in Leicestershire and so has ever since continued in the Crown Of late become of more remark for giving the Title of Duke to his Grace Henry Fitz-Roy created Baron of Sudbury Viscount Ipswich and Earl of Euston Anno 1672 and Duke of Grafton five years after Brackley a Town of Note when it was in a manner the Staple Town in the County for Wool is seated near the Spring of the Ouse upon the edge of the County towards Buckinghamshire It contains two Parish-Churches and had formerly a Colledge now made use of for a Free-School Daventry and Kettering are seated each of 'em upon a Rivulet that falls into the Nen. The first a great Road-Town from London to the North-West Counties and from thence hither The last North-East from that is delightfully seated on an Ascent and has a Sessions-House for the Justices of Peace of the County who sometimes assemble here Rockingham a small Town is seated on the Weland A Town of note in former Time for its Castle long since demolished Lastly this County together with Rutland make up the Diocese of Peterborough In the Time of the Saxons it made part of the Kingdom of Mercia and its Inhabitants in the Romans Time part of the Coritani Out of it are chosen besides the two Knights of the Shire seven Members of Parliament Viz. 2 out of Northampton 2 out of Peterborough 2 out of Brackley and 1 out of Higham-Ferrers CHAP. XIII Of Northumberland Nottinghamshire Oxfordshire and Rutland Northumberland NORTHVMBERLAND a Maritime County and the furthest North in England is bounded on the East by the German Ocean on the West by Cumberland and the Cheviot Hills which part it from Scotland Northward by the River Twede which divides it also from Scotland and Southward by the Bishoprick of Durham from which severed in part by the River Tine It s Form is triangular contains in Length from North to South about 40 long Miles and in Breadth from East to West at the broadest 30. The Whole divided into six Wards wherein 460 Parishes and but 6 Market-Towns The Air of this County is sharp and piercing in Winter and sometimes troubled with deep Snows and pinching Frosts sutable to its Climate But yet 't is nothing near so sharp as the People And by my late Experience here wet Weather is not so sensible and searching as it is in Middlesex 'T is possible the warm Breaths that continually come out of its numberless Colepits helps with the Vapours of the Sea to take off the rawness of a cold dampish Air. For the Soil as this County is nearly related to Scotland so it is one of the worst Counties in England being for the most part rough and hilly and hard to be manured Yet in some Parts chiefly towards the Sea it is fertile enough But the greatest Riches of this Country lies in the Bowels of the Earth full of Coal-mines Which supply with Coals not only this Country where that Fewel is always bought at very easy rates but a good Part of England besides and London particularly for whose Use many hundred Sail of Ships have yearly from hence their Loading The Coal-Pits made use of to get up this Treasure are all square commonly 7 or 8 foot in diameter and timbered from top to bottom some 30 some 40 more or less but few above 50 fadoms deep A great Depth for Workmen to go and rake a Livelyhood And yet here is a Legion of such Men bred and born to it that spend most of their Life in this Land of Darkness in continual Danger besides that of the Rope of being crushed below by a Thrust sometimes in Danger of Water and in some places of Fire The Way to go down these
Pits and to come up is by the help of a Rope one end whereof being made into a Loop the Workman gets a Leg and Knee into it as far as the very Hip. Thus hugging the Rope with one Arm his Life wrapt up with it down he goes while the Rope turns about an Engine made for that purpose If the Rope fails as sometimes it does through Carelesness there 's an end of the Man and of the Conveyance By a Thrust is meant the fall of some Earth or great Stones whereby 't is the ill fate of some to be crushed as it is of others to be drowned by a sudden Irruption of Waters from an old Waste or otherwise But some Pits at Sunderland in the Bishoprick of Durham are subject besides to Fire-Damps So they call an Inflammation of the Air in those subterraneous Parts which being more than ordinary affected with sulphurous matter are sometimes apt to catch fire and then all go's to wrack It breaks out like a Thunder-bolt carries all away with it higher than the Pits Mouth and that with a dismal noise as it were with a crack of Thunder In this Case one might compare the inflamed Sulphur to Gun-powder the Coal-pit to a great Gun and what it brings up with it to Bullets it comes up with such a force But when this happens the Workmen foresee it by their Candles burning blue and blazing more than ordinary Whereupon they lay themselves flat upon the Ground and let the Meteor work it self above it But this is too deep a piece of Geography for me to insist upon I leave it therefore to those Men of deep reaches who live upon the Spot in order first to take a View of Newcastle the chief Place of this County Newcastel for distinctions sake called Newcastel upon Tine to difference it from another Town of that Name in Staffordshire bears from London North-by-West and is reckoned to be distant from it 212 miles Viz. 200 from London to Durham for the particulars whereof I refer you to my Description of Durham and 12 more from Durham to Newcastle This Town is seated on the North-Bank of the River Tine about 7 miles from its fall into the Sea Over the River it has a fair Stone-Bridge leading to Gateshead in the Bishoprick of Durham with an Iron-Gate upon it which parts the two Counties It stands high and low part upon a steep Hill and part in the bottom on 't near the River The Streets upon the Ascent are so very steep that they stand like so many Ladders And yet both Men and Horses are so used to 'em that they make little of it either with or without a Load The Houses are most of Stone some Timber and a few Brick-houses In short it is a Place of that extent as to contain four large Parishes with as many Churches The Whole incompassed with a Wall and fortified with a Castle but neglected and going to ruin Built by Robert Son to William the Conquerour from whence this Town formerly called Monk-Chester took the Name of Newcastle Among the other publick Buildings of this Place the Key next to the River the Town-House â—ard by it the Custom-house upon Sandy-Hill and S. Nicholas Church in the midst of the Town are the most Remarkable Ships of good Burden come up to the very Key as â—ar as the Bridge though the Newcastle-â—leet seldom comes higher than Sheales near â—he River's Mouth Under the Town-house which 〈◊〉 no mean Structure is the Exchange or â—eeting Place for Merchants Before this â—ouse in the Market-Place stood lately a â—ew brazen Statue the Image of the late â—ing James on horseback Which soon after is Abdication was suddenly pulled down by â—e Forces then quartered in Town to the â—reat grief of many devout Jacobites in those â—arts who reverently paid to the Image the â—onour they retained for the Original S. Niâ—olas Church stands very lofty on the top of Hill and looks more like a Cathedral than Parish Church with a fair Steeple of curious â—rchitecture But Newcastle do's not glory so much in all â—is as it do's in the great Trade it drives â—oth by Sea and Land for all Commodities â—somuch that one may well call it the Bristol 〈◊〉 the North it being the wealthiest as it is 〈◊〉 most trading Place in the whole Northern â—ract 'T is true nothing has made it thrive so â—uch as the Coal-Trade being surrounded â—s it is with Coal-Mines and blessed with â—e Conveniency of a navigable River for â—e Transportation of so necessary and usefull Commodity For the Carrying on of this Trade they have such Priviledges as might seem to some people exorbitant No Owner of Coals can load his Ship with his own Commodity but it must be done by a Member of a Company they have for that purpose called the Company of Fitters and every Fitter has six pence allowed him for every Newcastle Chaldron that go's out which makes up near upon two of London Measure The Town moreover takes 3 pence a Chaldron as a Duty besides 12 pence a Chaldron to the King paid at the Custom-house To conclude Newcastle is a County of it self that is has the Priviledge of governing it self independently from the rest of the County Of some note besides for giving the Title of Duke to his Grace Henry Cavendish the present Duke of Newcastle Whose Father William Cavendish was created first Earl afterwards Marquess of Newcastle by King Charles the first and in the Year 1664. Duke of Newcastle Earl of Ogle c. by Charles II. It has two Markets a Week viz. on Tuesdays and Saturdays both very considerable for all sorts of Provisions but particularly abounding with Cods and Salmon in their proper Season The other Market-Towns are Barwick Sat. Alnewick Sat. Hexam Tue. Morpeth Wedn. and Weller Thu. Barwick is seated at the mouth of the River Twede over which it has a fair Bridge supported by no less than 14 or 15 Arches But as it stands on the North side of the River by the Bounds of Northumberland it ought rather to be counted in Scotland than England And because it has been in the hands of the English from the Reign of Edward IV therefore in all Acts of Parliament and Royal Proclamations wherein this Town is concerned Barwick upon Twede is always named by it self as a distinct Part of this Realm and of Northumberland by consequence However as it is so near a Neighbour to this County I am unwilling to deviate from the Method of all Geographers whose way is to bring it under this Head as if it were a part of Northumberland In short Barwick by its Situation is a Place of good Strength being almost surrounded with Water what with the Sea and what with the River But it is fortified besides with good Walls and a Castle besides other Fortifications The Occasion of it was its being a Frontire-Town sometimes possessed by the Scots and sometimes by the English before these two
Indignation Your Majesty answered the Lord Mayor calmly may do what you please therein and your City of London will prove still dutifull but she comforts her self with the Thoughts that your Majesty will leave the Thames behind you This River besides is so Kind that it seldom indamages any Part of this City by its Overflowings Here the highest Tides are upon a Land-floud and the Moon at full when sometimes it does swell over its Banks But then Westminster lying low feels alone the effects of it and that seldom further than the Cellars Whereas the Chambers and Upper Rooms at Rome and Paris are sometimes overflowed Rome by the Tiber and Paris by the Seine From this River the City by Water-Engines is in many places supplied with good Water But to serve with Water the North Parts of the City as the Thames does the South Parts it has the Conveniency of an artificial River commonly called the New River which was begun Anno 1608 and finished in five Years time A noble Undertaking of Sir Hugh Middleton who for this great Work deserves his Statue in Brass This River he brought from Amwell and Chadwell two Springs near Ware in Hartfordshire from whence in a turning and winding Course it runs near upon 60 miles before it reaches this City In this Undertaking fitter indeed for a Prince than any Subject there have been six hundred Men at once imployed which was a prodigious Charge The Channel in some Places 30 foot deep in others carried over Valleys 20 foot at least above Ground in open Troughs And over this River are 800 Bridges some of Stone some of Wood and others of Brick This City besides has the Conveniency of several Conduits of Spring-Water so commodiously placed that they serve all the chief Parts of it And it is so situated that in all Parts though on the highest Ground 't is abundantly served with Pump-Water the Pumps in many Places not six foot deep in the Ground For a constant Supply of Provisions besides the fruitfull County of Middlesex in which it stands and that of Surrey on the other side of the River both which are ready at hand to furnish it with their Provisions it is neighboured with many other plentifull Counties out of whose abundance this City lives in great plenty and seldom knows what Scarcity is The Conveyance so easy both by Land and Water that no City in Europe has better Conveniencies So large fair and smooth are the High Ways that lead from all Parts to it and so convenient is the River that almost all the Fewel for firing is brought up that Way to Town The Coals from Newcastle and the Wood from Kent and Essex some of which last comes also down the River from Surrey and Middlesex Lastly as it has the Command of the Sea so there is scarce any Blessing in the Terrestrial Globe but this City has her Share in it Moreover its Distance from the Sea which is about 60 Miles is a great Argument of the Founder's Wisdom For by that Distance as it is not so near as to be annoyed by the unwholsom Vapours of the Sea or to be suddenly surprised by an Enemies Fleet so it is not so far but that by the help of the Tide which comes up every 12 hours Ships of great burden may be brought into her bosom In point of Latitude 't is in 51 Degree 30 Minutes I come now to its full Extent with its Suburbs and Places adjacent It s Length from East to West that is from Lime-house to the further end of Mill-Bank in Westminster is above 7500 Geometrical Paces which comes to seven measured miles and an half at 1000 paces a mile that is about five computed miles or two Parisian Leagues and a half The Breadth indeed is not proportionable the City being built in Length for the Conveniency of the River And yet taking Southwark in on the other side of the River as it is under the Lord Mayor's Jurisdiction and joyned to London by the Bridge this vast City reaches there in Breadth from North to South that is from the further end of White-Chappel Street to St. George's Fields in Southwark near upon 3 miles So that I cannot but conceive that if London were cast as Paris into an orbicular Form the Circumference of it would be much larger than that of Paris So much it is increased in Buildings since the dismal Conflagration in the Year 1666. But whether it is profitable to the Body of the State or not to have so vast a Head may be made a Question And if Dr. Heylin had cause to complain in his time of its being grown then too big for the Kingdom he might with much more reason do it now Great Towns says he in the Body of a State are like the Spleen or Milt in the Body natural The monstrous Growth of which impoverishes all the rest of the Members by drawing to it all the animal and vital Spirits which should give nourishment unto them and in the end cracked or surcharged by its own fulness not only sends unwholsom Fumes and Vapours to the Head and heavy Pangs upon the Heart but draws a Consumption on it self He adds further that the Overgrowth of great Cities is of dangerous consequence not only in regard of Famine such Multitudes of Mouths not being easy to be fed but in respect of the irreparable Danger of Insurrections if once those Multitudes sensible of their own Strength oppressed with Want or otherwise distempered with Faction or Discontent should gather to a head and break out into Action These are all I confess very plausible Arguments But if we consider London as it is in a manner the Head of three Kingdoms at least the Seat of their Monarch I see nothing of Monstrousness in it On the other side London having the Conveniency of the Sea and of a navigable River is so much the less subject to a Famine for that in case of Scarcity at home it may be supply'd from abroad And as in so great a Body there be commonly different Parties led by opposite Interests so there is the less Cause to fear Insurrections because one Party keeps still another in aw Just so Geneva and Hamburg two free Cities do not subsist so much by their own Strength as by the Jealousy of the several States that neighbour upon ' em But the greatest Danger incident to great Cities and omitted by Dr. Heylin is in Case of Contagious Diseases Which the more Matter they find to work upon make so much the greater havock and like a raging Fire get strength by their Motion Witness the Year 1665 when at London there died of the Plague in one day no less than 1200. When all is done I have this to urge in the behalf of great Cities that they are a visible Sign of a flourishing State and such as draws Respect from its Neighbours who look upon it as the Luxuriancy and Result of its Wealth
now the chief Prison where Persons of quality that are charged with Crimes against the Government are kept in Custody Here are also many Dwelling-Houses foâ— the Officers that belong to it either as aâ— Arsenal or a Mint c. And as an Arsenal here is kept the Office of his Majesties Oâ—dinance to be explained in my second Part For the publick Devotion of all the Dwelleâ—â— in the Tower there is within its Walls onâ— Parochial Church called S. Petri ad Vinculâ— infra Turrim being the Kings Donative without Institution and Induction and exempâ— from all Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of the Archbishop The Government of the Tower as it is a Place of great Trust so it has been usually put in the hands of two Persons of great worth the one called Constable and the other Lieutenant of the Tower The Constable has the chief Command and is Lord Lieutenant of the 21 Hamlets belonging to it which ly in several Parishes of large extent Whose Train-bands making two intire Regiments of Foot and above 3000 Men are to attend the Kings Person when commanded but are to march no farther than the King They were sometimes the Gards of the Tower and are bound if occasion be to reinforce the Garrison upon the Constable's Command Who by his Place is to be in the Commission of the Peace for the City of London and the Counties of Middlesex Kent and Surrey And so is the Lieutenant who is subordinate to the Constable for the time being but in his absence commands with the full Power of both His Salary is 200 l. per annum with all the Fees and Perquisites which are very considerable both from the Prisoners that happen to be in the Tower and from the Warders Places which are all at his Disposal Under the Command of the Constable and the Lieutenant of the Tower in his absence are the Gentleman Porter the 24 â—eomen Warders and the Gunners of the Tower The Gentleman Porter who holds his Place by Patent has the Charge of the Gates The Keys whereof he is every night to deliver to the Constable and in his absence to the Lieutenant and to receive them of him the next morning He commands the Warders that are upon duty and claims for his Fee at the entrance of a Prisoner his Upper Garment or else a Composition for the same The Warders are accounted the King's Domestick Servants and sworn accordingly by the Lord High Chamberlain or by the Clerk of the Check Their Duty is to wait at the Gates and by the Lieutenant of the Tower's appointment to attend Prisoners of State which is the most profitable and beneficial part of their Station At the Gates they examine every Stranger that offers to go in and before admittance according to the Rules of Military Discipline those that â—ear Swords must leave 'em in their hands â—ill they go out Ten of them are usually upon the Days Wait and two upon the Watch â—very night The Gunners are to look after the Ordâ—ance mounted on the Batteries and Lines â—nd ready for Service on the shortest Warning One or more of them are upon Duty â—ay and night to wait for Orders For the Liberty of the Tower to which â—as been annexed the old Artillery Garden â—y Spittle-Fields and the little Minories here is an ancient Court of Record held by a Steward every Monday by Prescription for Debts Trespasses c. And in the said Liberty the Gentleman Porter has the same Power and Authority as Sheriffs have within their respective Counties He constitutes Bayliffs thereof to execute all Process and Warrants directed to them by the Steward of the Court and has all Escheats Deodands and Goods of all Felones deâ—se For Ecclesiastical Causes and Probate of Wills the Tower and Liberties thereof have a Royal Jurisdiction From which there is no Appeal but to the King in his Court of Chancery who thereupon issues out a Commission under the Great Seal as in Appeals from the Arches or Prerogative Courts But whether the Tower be in the County that is under the Jurisdiction of Middlesex or in the Liberty of the City 't is undetermined to this day Some will have it to be part of it in Middlesex and part in the Liberty of the City And in the Case of Sir Thomas Overbury's Murder the Judges Opinion was that the Trial must be made in the City the Fact being done in that Part of the Tower held to be in the City Liberties Next to the Tower I come to the Custom House placed between the Tower and thâ— Bridge Which having been destroy'd by the Fire in the Year 1666 was soon afteâ— rebuilt much more commodious uniform anâ— magnificent and the Building cost the Kinâ— 10000 pounds Here are received and managed all the Impositions laid upon Merchandise Imported and Exported from this City Which are so considerable that of all the Customs of England divided into 3 Parts the Port of London pay's two Thirds that is when Trade flourishes about 400000 l. yearly In this Office are imploy'd a great Number of Officers an Account whereof you will find in my Second Part where I speak of the King's Revenues The Bridge of London offers it self in the next place to our Consideration Which considering the constant great Flux and Reflux at that Place was certainly a very difficult and costly piece of Work It consists of 19 Arches at 20 foot distance of each other with a Draw-bridge almost in the middle 'T is about 800 foot long and 30 broad Set out with a fine Row of Houses all along with Shops furnished with most sorts of Commodities So that it looks more like a Street than a Bridge the Street being widened in the late Reign from 12 to 20 foot It was built in the year 1200 in the Reign of King John And so great are the Charges of keeping it in repair that there is a large Revenue in Lands and Houses set apart for that purpose and two Bridge-Masters besides other Officers chosen out of the Liverv-men on Midsummer-Day to look after the same Near this Bridge is the fatal Place where the dreadful Fire afore-mentioned first began In perpetualâ— Memory whereof was erected by virtue of an Act of Parliament that â—aster-piece of Building called the Monument begun Anno 1671 in the Mayoralty of Sir Richard Forde Knight and finished Anno 1677 Sir Thomas Davies being Lord Mayor of London This Pillar not unlike those two ancient white Marble Pillars at Rome erected in honour of the Emperours Trajan and Antonius is all built of Portland Stone as durable almost as Marble and is of the Dorick Order 202 foot high and 15 foot Diameter Within-side is a fair winding Stair-case with Iron rails up to the top where this stately Pile is surrounded with an Iron-Balcony yielding a pleasant Prospect all over the City The Pedestal is 40 foot high and 21 foot Square the Front of it adorned with ingenious Emblems and the North and
Warranto brought in at the latter end of Charles II his Reign and a new Charter granted the City but with several Restrictions of great moment yet that Judgement was Reversed upon their late Application to the Parliament and their ancient Charter Confirmed So that Things run now as they did before that Judgment in their proper Channel For Military Affairs the City of London is a Lieutenancy of it self So that the Power of a Lord Lieutenant is in the Lord Mayor and Aldermen and other principal Members of the City for the Time being Who by a peculiar Commission from His Majesty are authorized to act as his Lieutenants in London for the ordering the City-Militia with the same Power that the Lord Lieutenants have in their respective Counties Now the City-Militia consists of 6 Regiments of Foot making about 90000 men besides the Hamlets of the Tower 2 Regiments and the Regiment of Southwark To which if we add the Militia of Westminster consisting of 2 Regiments called Holborn and Westminster each of 2000 men we find in all eleven Regiments But in case of Necessity the Auxiliaries are raised consisting of Apprentices which make up six Regiments more every Freeman that has two Apprentices finding one for that purpose To supply the City Train-Bands and Auxiliary men with Commanders there is a Nursery of Souldiers called the Artillery Company of above 60 Years standing This Company consists of 600 choice men commanded in chief by the King and under his Majesty by a Leader Who exercises this Company every Tuesday fortnight in the Artillery-Ground a spacious Place near Moorfields inclosed for that purpose with a fair Brick-Wall And the other Tuesday the Exercise is performed by the several Members of the Company who are there trained up to command most of them being Commanders of the Train-Bands They have a Court-Marshal consisting of a President Vice-President Colonel and 24 Members of the Company On the second Tuesday in February is their general Rendezvous every Year when they chuse their Officers Which besides the Leader are two Lieutenants 2 Ensigns 2 Sergeants a Provost Marshal 3 Gentlemen of Arms c. The Church-Government is by the Bishop of London The Parishes whereof for the most part provided with able and eminent Divines under the Title of Rector or Vicar are under his Jurisdiction And for maintaining these Divines with their Families there is in most Parishes a Parsonage or Vicarage-House with a yearly Allowance besides the Perquisites arising from Christenings Marriages and Burials Which Allowance since the Reformation falls much short of what it was in the time of Popery when besides the Tythes of the Tradesmens Gains the Mortuaries Obits c. the Priest tho' in a state of Celibacy had 3 shillings and 5 pence in the pound of the yearly Rent of all the Houses and Shops in his Parish Which afterwards was brought to 2 shillings 9 pence in the pound by an Act of Parliament under the Reign of Henry VIII and that confirmed by a subsequent Act. But since the Reformation this being lookt upon as too large an Allowance it has been so curtailed that 't will be hard to bring back that golden Age. 'T is true under the Reign of Charles II. a Regulation was made by Act of Parliament but it concerned only those Parishes whose Churches had been demolished by the dreadfull Fire And according to the several Extents of Parishes the Parsons thereof by virtue of that Act have a certain yearly Allowance none under 100 Pounds and none above 200 but most between one and two hundred Pounds The same to be raised in lieu of Tythe within the said respective Parishes by rating the Houses and Shops therein proportionably to their respective Rents As to those Parishes all over the City and Suburbs where there is besides the Parson a Lecturer he has his maintenance no otherwise than by a voluntary Contribution from the Parishioners As for the City of Westminster the Dean and Chapter are invested with all mander of Jurisdiction both Civil and Ecclesiastical not only within the City of Westminster but also in other Places of their Jurisdiction as the Precincts of S. Martin le Grand within the Walls of London and some Towns in Essex The Dean in particular has a Commission of Peace within the City and Liberties of Westminster The principal Officer in it called the High Steward of Westminster is usually one of the prime Nobility Under whom there is a Deputy Steward then the Bayliff and the two high Burgesses these chosen every Year Within the Precincts of Westminster but chiefly near the Court the Nobility and Gentry take up for the most part their Quarters But the proper Station of the Lawyers is in their Inns between the City and the Court and that of Merchants and Seamen in and about the East-end of the City Thus you have a short Description of the famous City of London the Metropolis of England the Seat of the British Empire the Epitome and Glory of this Kingdom A City which for Greatness Beauty Conveniencies Plenty of Provisions Commerce Riches and good Government is inferiour to none beyond Sea 'T is a Magazine of all sorts of Commodities necessary or expedient for the Use or Pleasure of Mankind The great Rendez-vous of the Nobility Gentry Courtiers Divines Lawyers Physicians Merchants Seamen of the best Artificers the most refined Wits and the greatest Beauties of the Land For a constant Supply of Provisions here are abundance of Markets the best furnished of any in Christendom but especially Leaden-Hall-Market near the Royal Exchange in the City the greatest Flesh-Market about the City and a great Magazine of Corn. So that there is scarce a great City in Europe where poor People or such as love a frugal Life may live cheaper or the splendid Liver gallanter To get a Livelyhood and raise himself in the World no Place like this by Mechanick or Liberal Arts by Merchandizing Offices Preferments c. For Conveniencies and Delight here all is at hand and scarce any Thing wanting that Money can purchase In point of Society here learned and unlearned high and low rich and poor good and bad may fit themselves any where And this I must needs say to the Praise of London that there is not a Place in Europe of such a vast Confluence of all sorts of People where Murders and Outrages so frequent in great and populous Cities beyond Sea are so seldom heard of Which argues a great deal of Wisdom in the Magistrate that so great a Body should be kept in so good Order William the Conquerour to prevent Disorders and Mischiefs in the Night commanded that in every Town and Village a Bell called Curfew-Bell a Corrupt Word from the French Couvre-feu should be rung every Night at 8 of the Clock and that all people should then put out their Fire and Candle This continued in his Reign and that of his next Successor William Rufus But Henry I. revoked
that Order and Henry III. Anno 1253. commanded Watches to be kept in Cities and Boroughs for the Preservation of Peace and Quietness among his Subjects Therefore there are in the respective Streets of London to this day convenient Stations for the Watchmen who are to examine all Persons walking in unseasonable Hours and to secure till next Day such as are either suspicious or riotous And then they bring them before a Justice of Peace who deals with them according to the Merit of the Cause Thus Murders Robberies Felonies Fires and other Evils are oftentimes prevented which could not be avoided in so great and populous a Place where a great many wicked People ly lurking for Mischief This Duty of Watching is commonly performed by Men hired for that purpose and paid for 't by the Citizens under the Command of a Constable assisted by the Eeadle of the Parish In case of a publick Riot the King usually sends a Party of his Gards to suppress it and if occasion requires part of the Militia is raised But to draw to a Conclusion if we cast our Eyes upon the vast Traffick and Commerce whereby this Place is become so flourishing it will every where afford matter of Admiration The same does plainly appear by the Customs yearly paid for all Merchandise Imported and Exported by the great Wealth of many Citizens by the infinite Number of Shops both in the City and Suburbs for the Retailing Trade and lastly by the incredible Abundance of Apprentices which are here brought up to all manner of Trades The Customs for this City alone tho' very moderate in comparison of most other Places in Europe did lately amount to near 400000 l. a Year The Wealth of the Citizens so vast that some of 'em for great Estates in Mony c. excel some Princes beyond Sea and live accordingly in great state and plenty few so penuriously as most of the Dutch Merchants do The Number of Shops both in the City and Suburbs so great and indeed so far beyond that of any foreiâ— City that it is to Strangers a just Matter of Amazement Proportionable to which is That of the Apprentices reckoned to be at least forty thousand Now this great Trade of the Londoners runs into three several Streams 1. among themselves 2 in the Country and 3 beyond Sea of which in my second Part. Only I shall observe here that the vast Trade of this Place has chiefly occasioned that great Appearance in it of Pictures in the Air a Thing taken particular notice of at the first view by Strangers I mean the Multitude of Signs which hang before the Houses many of them very rich and costly and all together yielding a fine Prospect But on the other side its frequent Dirt in Winter and Dust in Summer are two such Nusances as take off very much from the Glory of it And yet both of them might with ease be Remedied and will I hope in time For in point of Cleanness few Towns are better Seated than London is standing upon an easy Ascent from the River And the Allowance for it from each House-keeper is so considerable that one would think it enough to keep it cleaner than it is But the Truth is there 's a sort of Chymists that can extract Gold out of Dirt. And I conjecture the less Care has been taken to take off that Reproach from so noble a City because of the two great Conveniences it has to go free from the Dirt from one End of it to the other that is by Land in Coaches and by Water in Boats Besides that the principal Streets and most of the New Buildings are paved a good convenient Breadth on each side with smooth hewn Stone for the benefit of Foot-Passengers Which is a great Commodiousness as well as an Ornament I conclude as to Loudon with three notable Conveniencies it has not elsewhere to be found Viz. the New Lights the Peny-Post and the Insurance-Office for Houses in case of Fire The New Lights is so ingenious and usefull an Invention that Mr. Edmund Heming the Inventor deserves an immortal Praise for it He brought it to light about 6 Years ago with a Patent from King Charles II for the Injoyment of the Profits thereof And such is the Reflexion of these Lights tho' at a good distance from each other that few of them serve to light a whole Street in the Night better than ten times the Number of Glass Lanthorns For by the regular Position of one of them before the Front of every tenth House on each side of a broad Street there is such a mutual Reflection that they all seem to be but one great solar Light And so cheap is this Conveniency that for five Shillings down and five Shillings a Year for five Years to be paid at two Quarterly Payments the Inventor obliges himself to light the Front of ones House from Michaelmas to Lady Day every Night from six to twelve beginning the third Night after every Full-Moon and ending the sixth Night after every New Moon which is in all 120 Nights The Peny-Post is such a Contrivance that for one Peny a Letter or Parcel not exceeding one pound Weight or ten pounds in value is presently conveyed from all Parts of the Town and Suburbs to the remotest Places thereof And it has been so far improved since the first settling of it as to reath ten miles about London He that sends pays the Peny â—nd when the Letter or Parcel goes beyond the Bounds of the Weekly Bills of Mortality the Receiver pays another Peny To carry on this usefull Design first there are about the Town four or five hundred Houses to take in Letters and Parcels And to convey them according to their Directions there are about 100 messengers imployed from Morning to Night to call every Hour at the said Houses and take what Letters and Parcels they find there Who carry the same to their respective Offices from whence the Letters and Parcels are dispatched away according to their Directions The Offices are six in Number Viz. The General Office St. Paul's Office The Temple Office Westminster Office Soutwark Office The Hermitage Office The General Office is in Star-Court in Cornhill and has 3 Clerks belonging to it whereas the rest have but two Clerks each The whole Concern is managed in chief by three Persons a Comptroller an Accomptant and a Receiver Every one of the Messengers imployed in the bringing in and carrying out of Letters gives 50 l. Security by Bond to the Office for his Fidelity And for this Contrivance the Publick is indebted to that ingenious Citizen of London Mr. William Dockwrea who settled it some Years since not without much trouble and cost But the late King when Duke of York sued him for the lame as his Right and carried it from the Inventor So that the Benefit of it is now inherent in the Crown The Insurance Office for Houses in case of Fire is also an
Invention worth our taking notice To Insure for example 100 l. upon a Brick-house the Rates are 6 Shillings for one Year 12 for two Years 18 for three Years and double for a Timber-house But if any Insure for four Years there is a Discount allowed for paying down the Mony so that he pays but three Years and a Quarter and proportionably five for seven seven for eleven Years Insurance And as often as the House is Burnt or Demolished by reason of Fire within the Term Insured the Mony Insured on the House is to be paid but if only Damaged then to be Repaired at the Charge of the Office For the security of which Payment the Office has a Fund to the Value of 60000 l. in Ground-Rents of Inheritance which is above 2600 l. per annum to answer Losses and Damages and settled on Twelve Gentlemen Trustees by many of the most eminent Counsel at Law This Ingenious and Usefull Invention was first put into practice about 8 Years since and has deservedly met with good Incouragement insomuch that there are now above 7300 Houses Insured The Office is kept on the Back-side of the Royal-Exchange and at the Rainbow Coffee-house by the Inner-Temple Gate in Fleetstreet Now to put a present stop as far as is possible to any suâ—den Fire there are belonging to the Office a great many stout and lusty Servants in Livery with Badges dwelling in several parts of the City and always to be ready on all Occasions of sudden Fires Who in such Cases do commonly expose themselves to the utmost Hazards and with great Dexterity labour to suppress the Fire There is also another Office of Insuring of Houses called the Friendly Society by a mutual Contribution agreed to by the Trustees That every Member of that Society shall pay yearly at the Office before hand only one shilling four pence for every 100 l. secured upon Timber-houses by way of Praemium By this Office there are likewise a great many Houses secured To conclude the Arms of the City of London are Argent a Cross Gules with the Swerd of St. Paul CHAP. XIX Of OXFORD and CAMBRIDGE FROM the great hurry of Trade in London I come now to the quiet Seats of the Muses the two famous Universities of the Land Oxford and Cambridge Oxford OXFORD or Oxon the principal Place of Oxfordshire which from hence takes its Denomination bears from London West-North-West and is distant therefrom 47 miles thus From London to Vxbridge 15 to Beaconfield 7 more thence to Wickham 5 to Stoken-Church 5 more from thence to Wheatly-Bridge 9 and to Oxford 6 more 'T is finely seated for health for pleasure and plenty at the Influx of the Charwell into the Isis where this divides it self into several Streams wherewith and the Charwell most part of the City is incompassed But for the Conveniency of its Inhabitants here are several Bridges This is so ancient a City as to fetch her Original from the Time of the Britains So large as to contain 13 Parish-Churches besides the Cathedral And so beautifull that whether one looks on the compacted Uniformity of private Houses or the Magnificence of the publick Structures it must be allowed to be a fair and goodly City Besides the Glory of being a most famous University it is honoured with a Bishops See founded by King Henry VIII Anno 1541. and has been dignify'd above 500 years successively with the Title of an Earldom in twenty of the noble Family of the Veres The first that injoyed it was Aubrey de Vere created Earl of Oxford by Henry II. Anno 1155. In whose Line it continues to this day in the person of the Right Honourable Aubrey de Vere the present Earl of Oxford As it is an University this may be said oâ— it in general without immodesty and 〈◊〉 hope without dislike or envy That for thâ— stateliness of the Schools and publick Library the bravery and beauty of particular Coledges all built of fair and polished Stone the liberal Indowments of those Houses and notable Incouragements of Industrâ— and Learning in the Salary of the Professoâ— in most Arts and Sciences it is not to 〈◊〉 parallelled in the Christian World and for thâ— Number of Students and the well ordering of them by good Laws and Ordinances not to be equalled by any but her Sister Cambidge That Oxford has been for many Ages a Place of publick Studies is a Thing past all doubt But it is true withal that there has been a Time of Decay when this City sharing with the rest of the Land in those common Calamities brought by the Saxons and Danes the Muses were dispersed and shifted for themselves Alfred the learned Saron King of England was he that recalled them who having intirely subjected the irksom Danes to his Government made it his business to restore this University and repair the Ruins thereof And the better to invite Students to Oxford he sent thither his Son Ethelward which drâ—â—â— the young Nobles from all Parts to Oxford This came to pass about the latter end of the ninth Century Then Oxford began to flourish again and by degrees to grow to what it is But as now in Leyden and many other forein Universities so anciently in Oxford the Students lived in Citizens Houses having only Meeting Places to hear Lectures and Disputations and that without any distinction of Habit. After that there were divers Houses now called Halls for Students only to live together in Society as now the Inns of Court and of Chancery at London Amongst which some afterwards Indowed by the bounty of divers Patrons of Learning who thought best to settle for ever plentitiful Revenues in Lands and Houses in order to maintain such Students as by merit and worth should from time to time be chosen and to settle large Salaries for Professors to inftruct 'em and for a Head to govern them according to certain Statutes and Ordinances made by the said Patrons or Founders And these are the Colledges whereof the first thus Indowed in Europe were Vniversity Baliol and Merton Colledges In short there are in Oxford 18 of such Indowed Colledges and 7 Halls In which Halls the Students live with the same Discipline as those in the Colledges but upon their own Means except certain Exhibitions or annual Pensions annext to one or two of them The Names of the Colledges and their Founders together with the Time of their Foundation you have in the following Table Colledges Founded by Anno Vniversity King Alfred 872. Baliol Jo. Balâ—ol Knight and Deb. his Wife 1263. Merton Walter de Merton Clerk 1267. Exeter Wa'ter Stapleton Earl of Exeter 1316. Oriel King Edward II. 1324. Queens Robert Eaglesfield Clerk 1340. New Colledge William of Wickham Bishop of Winton 1349. Lincoln Richard Fleming Bishop of London 1427. All Souls Henry Chichley Archbishop of Canterbury 1438. Magdalen William of Wainfleet Bishop of Winchester 1458 â—azen Nose Wil. Smith Bishop of Lincoln and Sir Richard Sutton
absence to do whatever almost the Chancellour might do if he were present He keeps Judicial Courts wholly ruled by the Civil Law which all Members of the University are subject to And by Charter of Henry IV it is left to his Choice whether any Member in the University there inhabiting accused for Felony or High Treason shall be tried by the Laws of the Land or by the Laws and Customs of the University Though now where Life or Limb is concerned the Criminal is left to be tried by the Laws of the Land But in all Suits for Debts Accounts Contracts Injuries c. betwixt the Students he is the proper Judge and has Power to determine such Causes to Imprison to give corporal Punishment to excommunicate to suspend and to banish 'T is the Vice-Chancellor's Business to see that Sermons Lectures Disputations and other Exercises be performed that lewd people Hereticks c. be expelled the University and the Converse with Students that the Proctors and other Officers of the University duly perform their Duty that Courts be duly called and Law-Suits determined without delay In a word that whatever is for the Honour and Benefit of the University or may conduce to the Advancement of good Literature may be carefully obtained Next to the Vice-Chancellor are the two Proctors yearly chosen by turns out of the several Colledges These are to assist in the Government of the University more particularly in the business of Scholastick Exercises and taking Degrees in searching after and punishing all Violaters of Statutes or Priviledges of the University all Night-Walkers c. They have also the Oversight of Weights and Measures that Students may not be wronged Next in order is the Publick Orator Whose Charge is to write Letters according to the Orders of the Convocation or Congregation and at the Reception of any Prince or great Person that comes to see the University to make proper Harangues c. Then there is the Custos Archivorum or Keeper of Records Whose Duty is to collect and keep the Charters Priviledges and Records that concern the University to be always ready to produce them before the chief Officers and to plead the Rights and Priviledges of the University Lastly there is a Register of the Univerfity whose Office is to register all Transactions in Convocations Congregations Delegacies c. Besides the foresaid Officers there are certain publick Servants the chief whereof are the six Beadles and the Verger Three of the first are called Squire Beadles who carry large Maces of Silver gilt and the other three Yeomen Beadles whose Maces are of Silver but ungilt Their Office is always to wait on the Vice-Chancellor in publick doing what belongs to his Place and at his Command to seize any Delinquent and carry him to Prison to summon and publish the Calling of Courts or Convocations to conduct Preachers to Church and Lecturers to School c. But upon Solemnities the Verger appears with a Silver Rod in his hand and walking with the other six before the Vice-Chancellor is to observe his Commands and to wait on Grand Compounders c. I have already mentioned several great Priviledges granted by former Kings to this University That of sending two Burgesses to Parliament they hold from King James I. Another that no Victuals be taken by the King's Purveyors within 5 miles of Oxford unless the King himself comes thither is of a much more ancient Date But one of the most considerable is That granted by Charter of King Edward III whereby the Mayor of Oxford is to obey the Orders of the Vice-Chancellor and be in subjection to him Accordingly the Mayor with the chief Burgesses in Oxford and the High-Sheriff of Oxfordshire besides every Year in a solemn manner take an Oath given by the Vice-Chancellor to observe and conserve the Rights Priviledges and Liberties of the University of Oxford And every Year on the tenth of February being the Day of S. Scholastica a certain Number of the principal Burgesses publickly and solemnly do pay to each Colledge a Peny in token of their Submission to the Orders and Rights of the University Thus you have a short Description of Oxford as a City and an University My next Business is the Description of Cambridge Cambridge CAMBRIDGE the chief Town of Cambridgeshire and that from whence the Country is denominated bears from London North by East and is distant therefrom 44 miles thus From London to Waltham 12 to Ware 8 more thence to Puckeridge 5 to Barkway 7 and to Cambridge 12 more 'T is seated at the Confluence of two Rivers the Cam and the Grant which running from thence Northward in one Channel empty themselves in the Ouse 3 miles above Ely By these Rivers it is separated into two but unequal Parts but they have Communication by a Bridge It is a Place of a large Extent numbering 14 Parishes And according to Doctor Fuller's Observation in his Worthies of England 't is a Town within an University whereas Oxford is an University within a Town For in Cambridge the Colledges are not so surrounded with Streets as in Oxford but for the generality seated in the Skirts of the Town which afford them the better and more delightfull Walks and Gardens about them There are in Oxford as I said before 18 Indowed Colledges and 7 Halls In Cambridge there is but 12 Colledges and 4 Halls 'T is true they are all Indowed and generally so large that the Number of Students is commonly little different from that of Oxford The Names of them and of their Founders together with the Time of their Foundation you have in the following Table Colled Halls Founded by Anno. S. Peter's Colledge Hugh de Balsham Bishop of Ely 1284 Clare-Hall Rich. Badow Chanc. of the University 1326 Pembroke-Hall Mary S. Paul 1343 Gonvile Cajus Edmund de Gonvile and Cajus 1348 Trinity-Had Wil. Bateman Bishop of Norwich 1350 Corpus Christi H. of Monmouth D. of Lancaster 1351 King's Colledge King Henry VI. 1441 Queen's Colledge Margaret Wife to King Henry VI. 1448 Catharine Hall Robert Wood Lord Chancellor of the University 1475 Jesus Colledge John Alcock Chanc. of England 1496 Christs Colled S. John's Coll. Margaret Countess of Richmond 1505 Christs Colled S. John's Coll. Margaret Countess of Richmond 1508 Magdalen Coll. Tho. Audley Chanc. of England 1519 Trinity Colledge King Henry VIII 1546 Emanuel Colledge Sir Walter Mildmay Chancellor of the Exchequer 1582 Sidney and Sussex Francis Sidney Chancellor of Sussex 1598 The Degrees at Cambridge are usually taken as at Oxford except in Law and Physick For at Cambridge six Years after one has taken the Degree of Master of Art one may take the Degree of Batchelor and after five Years more that of Doctor The Batchelors of Arts compleat their Degree in Lent beginning at Ash-Wednesday And the first Tuesday of July is always Dies Comitiorum there called the Commencement wherein the Masters of Arts and the Doctors of all Faculties compleat
is the Fort St. George belonging to the East-India Company where they have a President of all the Factories on that Coast and of the Bay of Bengala As to the Royal African Company King Charles II was pleased by his Letters Patents to grant them a Liberty of Trading all along the Western Coasts of Africk from Cape Vert as far as the Cape of good Hope with prohibition of Trading there to all his other Subjects At Cape-Coast is the Residence of the chief Agent of the Company where they have a strong Place or Fort. I pass by the other Companies though some of them very considerable and the great Trade of the West-Indies generally managed by Merchants not Incorporated Only I shall add that every Company has the Priviledge to govern themselves by setled Acts and Orders under such Governours Deputies Assistants and Agents as they think fit to chuse among themselves And this way has been found to be so profitable and beneficial by Exporting the native Commodities thereof by setting the Poor on Work by building of many brave Ships and by Importing hither of forein Commodities both for Use and Ornament that the Benefit accruing thereby to these Nations cannot be expressed The principal Commodities exported from hence into forein Countries are Woollen Cloths of all sorts broad and narrow the English being now the best Cloth-Workers in the World To which add Sattins Tabies Velvets Plushes and infinite other Manufactures some of which make very good Returns from the foreign Plantations Abundance of Tin Lead Alum Copper Iron Fullers Earth Salt and Sea-Coal of most sorts of Grains but Wheat especially of Skins and Leather of Trane Oyl and Tallow Hops and Beer Saffron and Licorish besides great Plenty of Sea-fish is yearly transported over Sea to forein Conntries From whence the Merchants make good Returns and bring a great deal of Treasure and rich Commodities to the Inriching of themselves the unspeakable benefit of the Nation and the Credit of the English in general Who are as industrious and active as fair Dealers and great Undertakers as any Nation in the World For though the Hollanders perhaps do drive a greater Trade 't is neither for want of Stock nor for want of Industry on the side of the English The Hollanders being squeezed as they are within the narrow Bounds of their Country find little or no Land to purchase with the Returns of their Trade This puts 'em upon a kind of Necessity of improving still their Stock and of sending back those Riches a floating upon the Sea which they cannot fix on the Land Whereas our English Merchants having the Opportunity of Injoying the Fruits of their Industry in a spacious delicate fruitful Country by purchasing Estates for themselves and Families are apt to yield to the Temptation and to exchange the hurry of Trade for the pleasures of a Country-life CHAP. V. Of the English Laws and Religion THE Laws of England are of several Sorts and severally used according to the Subject First there is the Common Law that is the Common Customs of the Nation which have by length of time obtained the force of Laws This is the Summary of the Laws of the Saxons and Danes first reduced into one Body by King Edward the Elder about the Year 900. Which for some time being lost were revived by King Edward the Confessor and by Posterity named his Laws To these William the Conquerour having added some of the good Customs of Normandy he caused them all to be written in his own Norman Dialect which being no where vulgarly used varies no more than the Latine Therefore to this day all Reports Pleadings and Law-Exercises Declarations upon Original Writs and all Records are written in the old Norman But where the Common Law falls short the Statute Law makes it up Which are the Laws made from time to time by King and Parliament The Civil Law which is counted the Law of Nations is peculiarly made use of in all Ecclesiastical Courts in the Court of Admiralty in That of the Earl Marshal in Treaties with forein Princes and lastly in the Two Universities of the Land The Canon-Law otherwise called the Ecclesiastical Laws takes place in Things that meerly relate to Religion This Law comprehends the Canons of many ancient General Councils of many National and Provincial English Synods divers Decrees of the Bishops of Rome and Judgments of ancient Fathers received by the Church of England and incorporated into the Body of the Canon Law By which she did ever proceed in the Exercise of her Jurisdiction and do's still by virtue of an Act in the Reign of Henry VIII so far as the said Canons and Constitutions are not repugnant to the Holy Scripture to the Kings Prerogative or the Laws of this Realm But whereas Temporal Laws inflict Punishment upon the Body these properly concern the Soul of Man And as they differ in several Ends so they differ in several Proceedings The Martial Law reaches none but Souldiers and Mariners and is not to be used but in time of actual War But the late King who ran headlong to Arbitrary Power made nothing of violating this and most other Laws The Forest-Law concerns the Forests and in flicts Punishment on those that trespass upon them By virtue of this Law the Will is reputed for the Fact so that if a Man be taken hunting a Deer he may be Arrested as if he had taken it Lastly there are Municipal Laws commonly called Peculiar or By Laws proper to Corporations These are the Laws which the Magistrates of a Town or City by virtue of the King's Charter have a Power to make for the benefit and advantage of their Corporation Provided always that the same be not repugnant to the Laws of the Land These By-Laws properly bind none but the Inhabitants of the Place unless they be for publick Good or to avoid a publick Inconvenience In which Case they bind Strangers Thus much in general as to the Laws of England The chief Particulars will come in of course when I come to treat of the Government The Religion of England as it is established by Law is the best Reformed Religion and the most agreeable to the primitive Times of Christianity But before I come to shew the Occasion Time and Methods of its Reformation it will not be improper to give a brief historical Account how the Christian Faith came to be planted in this Island to set forth its Progress Decay and Restauration then its Corruption with Rome and at last its Reformation That Christianity was planted here in the Apostles Times long before King Lucius is plainly demonstrated by the Antiquity of the British Churches writ some Years since by Dr. Stillingfleet the present Bishop of Worcester Where he learnedly disproves the Tradition concerning Joseph of Arimathea supposed by many to have been the first Planter of the Gospel here as an Invention of the Monks of Glassenbury to serve their Interests by advancing
Right of Patronage called Patronage Paramount Insomuch that if the mean Patron or the Ordinary or the Metropolitan present not in due time the Right of Presentation comes at at last to the King As for the Bishopricks the King only has the Patronage of them For none can be chosen Bishop but whom he nominates in his Conge d'Estire and a Bishop Elect cannot be Consecrated or take possession of the Revenues of the Bishoprick without the King 's special Writ or Assent In short as the King is the only Sovereign and Supream Head both in Church and State so there lies no Appeal from Him as from some other States and Kingdoms beyond Sea either to the Pope of Rome or to the Emperor But indeed the greatest and safest of the Kings Prerogatives is as the present King wrote in a late Letter to his Council of Scotland to Rule according to Law and with Moderation The Dispensing Power so much contended for in the late Reign by the Court-Party as a Branch of the Kings Prerogative and as vigorously opposed by some true Patriots is â—ow quite out of Doors by the Act of Settlement which makes it plainly Illegal And as to that divine Prerogative which the Kings of England claimed as a Thing de Jure divino I mean the Curing of the King 's Evil only by the King 's laying his hands on the Sick assisted with a short Form of Divine Service it is now laid aside as a Traditional Errour at least a Doctrine not fit to be trusted â—o So that the French King is at this time the only Monarch that pretends to this Miraculous Priviledge Our Historians derived it here from King Edward the Confessour who lived so holy a Life that as they say he received Power from above Intailed to his Royal Successors for ever to cure this stubborn Disease But now 'c is lookt upon as a Doctrine not so fit for Protestants as bigotted Papists to whom no Miracle is amiss I come now to the King's Power with relation to forein Parts Which I shall describe as near as I can first as Defensive secondly as Offensive In the first Sense England if well united is of all the States in Europe the least subject to an Invasion especially since the Conjunction of Scotland The whole Island is naturally so well senced with the Ocean and when Occasion requires so well garded by those moving Castles the King's Ships of War the strongest and best built in the whole World The Kingdom besides is so abundantly furnished with Men and Horses with Provisions and Ammunition and Mony the Sinews of War that nothing but our intestine Divisions can make us a Prey to the greatest Potentates of Europe tho united together As for the King's Power abroad not only our Neighbours but the most remote Places have sufficiently felt it and this at a time when Scotland and Ireland were usually at enmity with Him 'T is true since the Reign of Qâ— Elizabeth what with our Distractions at home and the Weakness or Effeminacy of some of one Kings England has either been Idle or taken up with Intestine Broils Only in Cromwel's Time we humbled the Hollanders scowred the Algerines kept the French and the Pope in aw and took Jamaica from Spain Our greatest Exploits were upon our own selves when being unhappily involved in Civil Wars for several Years together we destroy'd one another with a fatal Courage Then were computed about two hundred thousand Foot and fifty thousand Horse to be in Arms on both sides which had they been imploy'd abroad might have shaken the greatest part of Europe And here I cannot but with an aking heart apply the Words of Lucan Heu quantum potuit Coeli Pelagique parari Hoc quem Civiles fuderunt Sanguine Dextrae In English thus How much both Sea and Land might have been gained By their dear Bloud which Civil Wars have drained Of so martial Spirit the English are and their fear of Death so little that as Dr. Chamberlain has well observed no Neighbourâ—â—ation scarce durst ever abide Battle with â—hem either by Sea or Land upon equal Terms â—nd now we are ingaged in a just War both with Ireland and France under a Prince of â—o great Conduct and Courage incouraged by â—â—s Parliament assisted and faithfully served by the greatest General now in Europe I cannot but hope well from our Armies both by Seu and Land if our provoked God do not fight against us The next Thing that offers it self to our Consideration is the King of England's Court which for State Greatness and good Order besides the constant Concourse of Nobility and Gentry resorting thither when there is no Jealousy between the King and his People is one of the chief Courts of Europe It is as an Author says a Monarchy within a Monarchy consisting of Ecclesiastical Civil and Military Persons the two last under their proper Government To support the Grandure of this Court and the other Charges of the Crown in time of Peace the Kings of England have always had competent Revenues Which never were raised by any of those sordid Ways used in other Countries but consist chiefly in Domains or Lands belonging to the Crown in Customs and Excise Anciently the very Domains of the Crown and Fee-Farm Rents were so considerable that they were almost sufficient to discharge all the ordinary Expences of the Crown without any Tax or Impost upon the Subject Then there was scarce a County in England but the King had in it a Royal Castle a Forest and a Park to Receive and Divert Him in his Royal Progresses A piece of Grandure which no King else could boast of But upon the Restauration of King Charles the Crown Revenues being found much Impaired and the Crown Charges increasing upon the growing Greatness of our Neighbours the French and Dutch the Parliament settled upon the King a Yearly Revenue of Twelve Hundred Thousand Pounds by several Imposts besides the Domains and other Profits arising to the Crown in Tenths and First-Fruits in Reliefs Fines Amerciaments and Confiscations And the whole Revenue improved to that degree that in the late Reign it was judged to amount to near two Millions Which is a Fair Revenue in Time of Peace In Time of War the Parliament supplies the King according to his Occasions by such Taxes to be raised upon the Nation as they think most convenient CHAP. X. Of the Government of England by Regency Also of the Succession to the Crown THere are three Cases wherein the Kingdom of England is not immediately governed by the King but by a Substitute Regent And those are the Kings Minority Absence or Incapacity The King is by Law under Age when he is under twelve Years old And till he has attained to that Age the Kingdom is governed by a Regent Protector or Gardian appointed either by the King his Predecessor or for want of such Appointment by the Three States assembled in the Name of the Infant
Maâ—sties a bold Thing I confess for my Pen to â—â—dertake but such as I can make it it may â—ake us the more sensible of our Happiâ—ess The King is a Prince perhaps the best qualiâ—ed for a Throne He is Great without Pride â—rue to his Word Wise in his Deliberations â—ecret in his Counsels Generous in his Atâ—â—mpts Undaunted in Dangers Valiant withâ—â—t Cruelty Unchanged under all Events He â—ves Justice with Moderation Government â—ithout Tyranny Religion without Persecuâ—â—on and Devotion without Hypocrisy or Suâ—rstition How often has he exposed his Life through â—re and Sword for a sinking Commonwealth â—ll at last he rescued it from the open Violence of one King and the Undermining of another No Temptation could draw him away from 〈◊〉 generous Principle nothing but true Greatneâ— could make him Great To Save us here when we were at the Britâ— of Ruin designed for a Prey to those two Inseparable Monsters Popery and Slavery He hâ—ventured his Life by Sea and Land By Sea 〈◊〉 the worst Season of the Year in the face 〈◊〉 Two great Monarchs his Professed Enemies anâ— upon an Element which at his first setting oâ— seemed to Declare against Him By Land hâ—ving a great Army to oppose many Hardshiâ— to undergo Uncertainties to struggle with tâ—â— Romish consecrated Daggers and Poyson to pâ—vent Undaunted he went through all and without shedding of Blood restored of a suâ—den two languishing Nations France thâ— laughed at the Attempt was amazed at thâ— Success and her superfine Politicks blushed 〈◊〉 the sight of this But that which is admirable is to see a Prinâ— of a Temper so even as neither to be disheaâ—ned with Hardships and Misfortunes nor pâ— up with Success Always the same though â—â—der various Circumstances which is a trâ— Symptom of a great Soul Whereas Mutahiâ—ty is the proper Character of a mean aâ—cowardly Soul sometimes huffing other timâ— sneaking sometimes ready to tear his Sâ—â—jects to pieces at other times fawning upâ—â— them From those great Things His Majesty 〈◊〉 done hitherto one may guess at his next â—â—tempt assoon as Ireland is reduced The Freâ— King's Invasions and Devastations and his hâ—rid Persecution of his Protestant Subjects 〈◊〉 â—hings not to be forgotten Manet alta mente â—â—stum and I am much mistaken if the wild 〈◊〉 at last don't meet with a Hercules Che va â—â—no va sano As for the Queen She is the Glory of her â—ex the fairest and yet the best natured â—incess in the World Humble and affable in â—er Conversation never seen in any Passion â—ways under a peculiar Sweetness of Temper â—loved of her Friends admired by her Eneâ—ies Moderate in her Pleasures full of Zeal 〈◊〉 her Devotions and of Charity towards Peoâ—le in Distress A professed Enemy to Idleâ—ess and as great a Lover of Vertue and Knowâ—dge In a word She is a Princess of many â—â—traordinary Vertues and Excellencies withâ—ut any appearance of Vanity or the least mixâ—â—re of Vice So that we have under this Government â—â—e fairest Prospect imaginable of a suture Hapâ—iness And after several weak and inglorious â—eigns we are like in this with Gods Blesâ—ing if we be not wanting to our selves to â—e once more the Delight of our Friends and 〈◊〉 Terrour to our Enemies CHAP. XIV The Vnreasonableness of the Disaffected Party under Their Majesties Gracious Government UNder our happy Circumstances of 〈◊〉 gentle and easy Government of seeing our Laws and Property Restored wâ— want nothing but Union to compleat our Happiness But instead of it we have Men amongst us that are already sick of it some Churchmen some Dissenters besides the generality of Roman Catholicks These indeed have the most reason to grumble who by losing King James have loâ—â— their greatest Hopes Yet if they do seriously consider what Indulgence they met with when they expected nothing but Vengeance they ought to rest satisfied and blush at their bloody Principles What have they suffered for all their Clamours Threats Insults and Outrages during the Reign of King James Scarce a Man hurt amongst them and but a few Houses pulled down by the Rage of the Mobile incouraged thereto by the Desertioâ— of King James when he left us without anâ— form of Government Ever since they have injoy'd the same Protection with the otheâ— Subjects of this Kingdom whatever has beeâ— maliciously suggested and published beyond Seâ— to the contrary and have been no where at least with Authority hindered in their Devotions So very Indulgent the King has been hitherto to his greatest Enemies But suppose King James had prevailed they would have had indeed Popery Triumphant fine Processions Monks in their proper Habits and our Saviour walking the Streets in a Box. But what 's all this to Property A Belly full of domineering Popery makes many an empty Belly for Slavery always attends it The Church of Rome is an hungry Church and the Princes of her Communion know best how to squeeze their Subjects Whilst they work upon the â—ody she works upon the Soul They pull one way she another and so they divide the Spoil making a Prey of the People every where Therefore if the English Papists understand their true Interest as their Wise Ancestors did they ought to stand for the English Liberty as â—ong as they can have any Indulgence in matter of Religion But besides the Roman Catholicks which are â—â—deed the most excusable in this Case who â—ould have imagined that Protestants should be â—anable of lessening themselves their own Hapâ—iness in this Change And amongst them â—senters disgusted but for what Because 〈◊〉 King has declared Himself particularly for 〈◊〉 Church of England I bear a Love to Disâ—â—ters as Christians and Protestants and Soâ—er People for the generality But they cannot â—pect to be blameless as long as Envy and Reâ—nge two Passions very opposite to Contenâ—ness and Meekness do so far possess some of â—â—em as never to be pleased till they get the â—â—ff in their hands Time was when they desired â—hing more but the Liberty of Serving God in their Way without Molestation This Liberty they got since this Change by Act of Parliament with the ready Concurrence of the Church of England Members and the King's Assent to it but now it won't serve their turn If nothing will please them but to see a Church run down that stood alone at the Gap in the late Reign that so learnedly baffled all the Popish Writers and was therefore by a Roman Decree to be stript of all and destroyed when the Dissenters were much in favour in that Court God forbid they should ever be pleased The King knows who are the best Friends to the Crown and upon whom he may safely rely He loves all his Subjects but perhaps not all alike The Mischief is that some of our Churchmen are also out of Humour or rather out of order One lies sick of a Scruple of Conscience another languishes in love with King James a third is e'en distracted betwixt
and Queen as they were lately settled by King and Parliament differ in several Points from the Settlement made in the Reign of Charles II and Confirmed to the late King James 'T is true the Excise which consists in certain Impositions upon Beer Ale and other Liquors is Settled upon Them for their Lives and the Life of the Survivor of Them But out of it a Yearly Rent of 20000 l. comes to Her Royal Highness the Princess of Denmark and her Issue during Their Majesties Lives and the Survivor of Them The Custom upon Commodities Imported and Exported which was settled upon King Charles II and afterwards his Successor for their respective Lives is now Confined within the Term of four Years to commence on the 24th Day of December 1690. And that great Branch of the Revenue the Hearth-Mony which was for ever Settled in the Crown to the great Grievance of the People is now lopt off by Act of Parliament upon the King 's generous Motion for the Relief of His Subjects As to Their Majesties other Revenues I refer you to the Ninth Chapter Which with the Excise and Custom come to above Twelve hundred thousand Pound a Year that is about 16 Millions of French Livers A Revenue which may serve in Time of Peace to Keep up the Honour of the Crown not to inable any Ambitious or Over-covetous Prince to Invade the Property and Liberty of the Engglish Subjects or under a vain Pretence of his own Glory to disturb the Peace and Quiet of his Neighbours A sad Experience whereof we have seen of late Years by the Practice of that Ambitious Monarch the French King whose exorbitant Incomes have helped him to Crush first his Subjects and then most of his Neighbours But when the Nation is concerned in a forein War and the War grounded upon Equity and Honour the Parliaments of England seldom fail of Supplying the King with Subsidies suitable to the present Occasion by a Land-Tax Poll-Mony and such other Ways as they think most convenient In the mean time as the Custom and Excise are the two principal Branches of Their Majesties Revenues let us see how the same are managed how the Products thereof come into the Exchequer and are there disposed of by such thrifty Methods that all Charges born it costs the King little above 2 Shillings in the Pound For the Managing of the Custom-Revenue there are in the first place at present Seven Commissioners who have the Charge and Oversight of all Their Majesties Customs in all Ports of England Which Customs amount to about 600000 l. a Year whereof the Port of London only pays two Thirds that is about 400000 l. Yearly The said Commissioners sit day by day at the Custom-House London They hold their Places by Patent from the King and have each a Salary of 1000 l. per Annum Under these are a great Number of Officers imployed both at London and in the Out-Ports some of them of considerable quality and ability Such as Collectors Customers Comptrollers Surveyors Registers Searchers Waiters c. whose due Perquisites are so considerable that to some they are more than their respective Salaries First there is A Collector Inwards and for the Act of Navigation 966 13 04 A Collector Outwards 276 00 00 A Customer of the Cloth and petty Customs 277 06 08 Two Customers of the great Customs each 50 00 00 A Comptroller General of the the Accompts 500 00 00 A Comptroller of the Cloth and petty Customs 100 00 00 A Surveyor General 500 00 00 A Surveyor of the Out-Ports 250 00 00 A Register of the Seizures 106 00 00 A Head-Searcher 120 00 00 Nineteen King's Waiters each 52 00 00 Forty Land-Waiters each 80 00 00 There is also a Secretary a Ware-house-Keeper a Surveyor of the Ware-house 7 Land-Surveyors 8 Tide-Surveyors 7 Under-Searchers these at 12 l. per Annum and many more Officers that I pass by for brevities sake Besides several Persons Commissioned to seize Uncustomed Goods either Inward or Outward bound 80 Tide-Waiters whose Fee is each 5 l. a Year and 3 shill a Day besides extraordinary Tide-Waiters allowed no Salary but only 3 shill a Day when Imployed To which add Noon-Tenders Watchmen and abundance of other inferiour Officers The Excise Office is Kept in a stately House in Broad Street where this Revenue is also managed by Seven Commissioners who receive here the whole Product of the Excise all over England and pay it into the Exchequer They have each of them 1000 l. Salary per Annum and are obliged by Oath to take no Fee nor Reward but from the King only Under these is A Register and Secretary 500 00 00 An Auditor who for himself and Clerks is allowed 700 00 00 A Comptroller and his Clerks 1240 00 00 There are other considerable Places belonging to this Office both within Doors and without which are injoyed and officiated by very sufficient Persons Particularly the House-Keeper's Place worth 400 l. per Annum And to collect the Excise-Duty all over the Kingdom a great Number of Men appointed for that purpose whose Salary is 20 shill a Week But 't is Observable that from the foresaid Commissioners there lies an Appeal to five others called the Commissioners of Appeal whose yearly Salary from the King is 200 l. each These and all other Their Majesties Revenues are paid at Westminster into the Exchequer that Ocean of Treasure which receives all those Streams and returns them again to refresh the Kingdom by the constant Payments out of it Whereby is caused a great Circulation of Mony throughout the Land And as there are a great many Officers for Collecting the King's Revenues so there are not a few to Receive and Disburse the same according to His Majesties Order The principal Officer is the Lord Treasurer One of the Great Officers of the Crown Whose Place is sometimes as it is at this present managed by Commissioners appointed by His Majesty The next is the Chancellour of the Exchequer an Officer of great Account and Authority whose Power extends not only in the Exchequer Court but also here in the managing and disposing of the King's Revenue He is Under-Treasurer has the Exchequer-Seal in his Custody and a Superintendency over the Lord Treasurer's Roll. The Places of the Comptroller of the Pipe of the Clerk of the Pleas the Clerk of the Nichils and the two Praisers of the Court besides the Seal thereof are all in his Gift Then there are two Chamberlains who 〈◊〉 in their Custody many ancient Records the Standards of Monies Weights and 〈◊〉 and Doomsday Book otherwise called 〈…〉 Book of the Exchequer First Known by the Name of Rotulus Wintoniae and since named Doomsday Book as containing an exact account of all the Lands of England with the true Value of them and their Owners Names So that when this Book was opened upon any Difference the Cheat appeared and Judgement was given accordingly This Tax-book has been written above
of them and then asks the People if they Know any notable Impediment or Crime in any of them Then follow certain godly Prayers with the Collect and Epistle appointed for this Solemnity After which the Oath of Supremacy is administred to every one of them and the Bishop puts divers godly Questions to them Which being answered they all Kneel and he laying his Hands upon them severally does Ordain them Deacons Then he delivers to every one of them the New Testament and gives them Authority to read the same in the Church Whereupon the Bishop appoints one of them to read the Gospel This done they with the Bishop proceed to the Communion and so are dismissed with the Blessing pronounced by the Bishop The Ordination of Priests is much after the same manner Only the Epistle and Gospel are different and after the Questions and Answers made the Bishop puts up a particular Prayer for them Which being ended he desires the Congregation to recommend them to God secretly in their Prayers for doing of which there is a competent time of general Silence Then follows Veni Creator Spiritus in Meter to be sung And after another Prayer they all Kneeling the Bishop with one or two of the grave Priests there present lays his Hands upon the Head of every one of them severally and so gives them Ordination in a grave set Form of Words different both from that of Bishops and that of Deacons The rest is the same as in the Ordaining of Deacons What the Office of a Parish-Priest is is so well known that I need not insist upon it His Orders he has from the Bishop but the Benefice he holds from the Patron Now we call those Patrons of Churches who by first building of Churches or first indowing them with I ands have obtained for them and their Heirs a Right of Advowson or Patronage Who when the Church is void is to propose a fit Clerk to the Bishop to be by him Canonically Instituted As to the Revenues of the Inferiour Clergy they are as in all Places unequally divided So that some Parsons have a very plentiful some but a competent and others but a small Maintenance some two or three hundred pounds per Annum or more others one hundred or thereabouts and some much short of that Which besides the Glebe-Land is mostly raised by way of Tythes and the Duties paid for Christenings Marriages and Funerals The Plurality of Benefices that is the Priviledge of holding more Livings than one allowed by the Church of England for the Incouragement of worthy and eminent Divines makes room for many Curates So we call those who officiate in those Churches where such as hold Plurality of Livings do not Keep their Residence These Curates are such Clergy-men as they think fit to appoint in their places with such an Allowance as is agreed upon amongst themselves The Condition of Vicars is much the same as that of Curates if not worse These properly officiate in those Livings which are called Impropriations of which there are in England no less than 3845. For above a third part of the best Benefices of England being anciently by the Popes Grant appropriated to Monasteries towards their Maintenance were upon the Dissolution of the Monasteries made Lay-fees Which Benefices ever since have been accordingly provided not with the best Allowances nor with the best of the Clergy Amongst the Priviledges of the Clergy this is one of the principal that all Deans Arch-Deacons Prebendaries Rectors and Vicars may some by themselves others by Proxy or by Representative sit and vote as Commons Spiritual in the Lower House of Convocation No Subsidies or other Tax to the King might formerly be laid upon them without their own Consent first had in Convocation And indeed the Clergy paying to the King the first Fruits that is the first Years Profits of all Spiritual Benefices and yearly the Tenth of all the said Benefices 't was thought but reasonable they should be exempted from all other Taxes Though to give the Laity good Example they have often laid upon themselves Subsidies and other great Taxes The glebe-Glebe-Lands and Spiritual Revenues of Clergy-men being held in pura perpetua Eleemosyna that is as the Law calls it in Frankalmoine are exempted from arraying and Mustering of Men or Horses for the War And as by their Function they are prohibited to wear any Arms therefore they cannot serve personally in War But they serve their Country otherwise by being our Leaders in our Spiritual Warfare Neither can any Clergy-man be compelled to undergo any other Personal Functions or Services in the Common-wealth For if any Man by reason of his Land be liable to be elected to any Servile Office if he takes Orders he is free and there lies a Writ purposely to free him Clergy-Men are not obliged to appear at Sheriffs Turns or Courts-Leet there to take their Oath of Allegiance By Magna Charta no Clergy-man ought to he Fined or Amerced according to his Spiritual Means but according to his Temporal Estate and to the Crime committed The Goods of Clergy-men are discharged by the Common Law of England from Tolls and Customs of Average Pontage Murage and Panage for which they have the King 's Writ to discharge them provided they don 't trade with them All Clergy-men are free from the King's Purveyors Carriages Post c. for which they may demand a Protection from the King with the Clause Nolumus As to the whole Number of the Clergy in England besides the two Archbishops and the twenty four Bishops there are 26 Deans of Cathedral and Collegiate Churches 576 Prebendaries 9653 Rectors and Vicars besides as many more Curates and others in holy Orders In point of Learning and good exemplary Life England I dare say is outdone by no Clergy in the Christian World If amongst the Inferiour Clergy there be some ignorant lewd Livers the dignified Clergy and the Episcopal Colledge are generally Men noted both for their great Piety and deep Learning And the late Scuffle they had with the Romanists in so difficult a Juncture as King James his Reign as it has sufficiently shewn the greatness of their Parts and the Depth of their Learning so it expressed to the World their strong and invincible Zeal for the Protestant Religion and the gross Mistake of Dissenters that lookt upon them as broad-faced Papists Nothing troubles me more than to see some of the Clergy so much infatuated as to indeavour to defeat as far as in them lies the late signal Providence that rescued us so wonderfully from Popery and Slavery I do not reflect upon those who remain quiet under their Scruples of Conscience and are not so far disturbed in their Mind as to disturb the Government But to see some so low-spirited as to fall a hugging their old Enemies the French and admire them as their Tutelar Angels who were but 'tother Day the greatest Object of their Scorn and Contempt this affords
Writs These are in the Gift of the Lord Chief Justice and hold for Life As also The four Exigenters whose Office is to make all Exigents and Proclamations in all Actions where Process of Outlawry does ly Now an Exigent is a Writ so called because it requires the Parties Appearance to answer the Law and lies against a Transgressor of the Law that can't be found nor any of his Goods within the County Whereupon he is Summoned by the Sheriff at five several County Courts and if he appear not he is Outlawed that is excluded from the Protection of the Law Which looks upon him as unworthy of it that acts in contempt of the Law Lastly there are four Criers and a Porter belonging to this Court CHAP. VI. Of the Courts of Exchequer and Dutchy of Lancaster THese two I joyn together because they both concern the King's Revenue and take Cognizance of all Causes arising from it The Judges of this Court are called Barons of the Exchequer ever since Barons of the Realm used to sit here as Judges though in latter times Men learned in the Law have usually filled up this Station They are commonly four that sit in this Tribunal as in the two former Courts the principal whereof is stiled Lord Chief Baron But 't is to be observed that the Lord Treasurer and the Chancellour of the Exchequer may sit here as Principal though they seldom do it The Lord Chief Baron is created by Letters Patents to hold this Dignity Quamdiu se bene gesserit which the Law intends for Life so that he is better fixed than either of the Chief Justices His Place is of great Honour and Profit In Matter of Law Information and Plea he answers the Bar and gives Order for Judgement thereupon He alone in the Term-time doth sit upon Nisi prius that come out of the King's Remembrancer's Office or out of the Office of the Clerk of the Pleas which can not be dispatched in the Mornings for want of time He takes Recognizances for the King's Debts for Appearances and Observing of Orders He takes the Presentation of all Officers in Court under himself and of the Mayor of London and sees the King's Remembrancer to give them their Oaths He also takes the Declaration of certain Receivers Accounts of the Lands of the late Augmentation made before him by the Auditors of the Shires and gives two Parcel-makers Places by vertue of his Office In his absence his Place is supplied by the other three Barons his Assistants according to their Seniority These Judges and those of the two former Courts of King's Bench and Common Pleas make up the Number of Twelve who all sit in on their Tribunals in Robes and square Caps Next to the four Barons of this Court is first the Cursitor who administers the Oath to the Sheriffs Under-Sheriffs Bayliffs Searchers Surveyors c. of the Custom-House Then the King's Remembrancer in whose Office are entred the States of all Accompts whatsoever concerning the King's Revenue except Sheriffs and Bayliffs Accounts Here also are taken all Securities either by Bonds or Recognizances to the King for the faithful Performance of those Persons imployed in the Collecting of his Majesties Revenue and for the Payment of his Debts And all Proceedings upon the said Bonds or Recognizances or any other Bonds taken in the Kings Name by Officers thereunto appointed under the Great Seal of England besides all Proceedings upon any Statute by Information for Custom Excises or any other Penal Law concerning the Kings Revenue are transmitted hither for the Recovery thereof and properly belong to this Office From whence accordingly issue forth Process to cause all Accountants to come in and account And as the Exchequer do's consist of two Courts the one of Law and the other of Equity all Proceedings touching the same are in this Office with many other Things relating to the Kings Revenue To this Office being in the Kings Gift belong eight sworn Clerks whereof the two first are called Secondaries The Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer who makes Process against all Sheriffs Receivers Bayliffs c. for their Accompts and into whose Office all Charters and Letters Patents upon which any Rents are reserved to the King are transcribed and sent by the Clerk of the Pettibag Out of this Office Process is made to levy the Kings Fee-Farm Rents c. This Office is likewise in the Kings Gift and there are several Clerks belonging to it the two first being distinguished from the rest by the Name of Secondaries The Remembrancer of the First-fruits and Tenths who takes all Compositions for the same and makes Process against such as do not pay them He has two Clerks under him The Clerk of the Pipe who receives into his Office all Accompts which pass the Remembrancer's Office He makes Leases of the Kings Lands and extended Lands when he is ordered so to do by the Lord Treasurer and Chancellor of the Exchequer or the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury He has under him 8 sworn Clerks by whom all Accounts of Sheriffs and Bayliffs are made up and when the Accounts are even he gives the Accomptants their Quieâ—us est All Tallies which vouch the Payments contained in such Accounts are examined and allowed by the chief Clerk in the Pipe called the Secondary The Comptroller of the Pipe who writes out the Summons twice every Year to the high Sheriffs to levy the Debts charged in the great Roll of the Pipe He also writes in his Roll all that is in the great Roll and nothing entered in this can be discharged without his privity The Forein Opposer whose Office is to oppose all Sheriffs upon the Schedules of the Green Wax This Office is kept in Grays-Inn The Clerk of the Pleas in whose Office all the Exchequer Officers and other Debtors to the King are to plead and be impleaded as at the Common Law The Reason why it is done here is because their Attendance is required in this Court. And therefore here are four sworn Attorneys The Clerk of the Estreats who receives every Term the Estreats or Extracts out of the Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer's Office and â—rites them out to be levied for the King He â—lso makes Scheduâ—es of such Sums as are to be â—ischarged A Clerk of the Parcels and another of the â—ichils Two Auditors of the Imprest who Audit the great Accompts of the Kings Custoâ—s Wardrobe â—int First-fruits and Tenths Naval and Miâ—tary Expences Moneys Imprested c. Seven Auditors of the Revenue who Audit all Accompts of the Kings Lands Revenue and all Taxes granted by the Parliament There are also several Receivers of the Kings Revenues arising from Lands and Rents whose Accompts are yearly made up by the Auditors To which add a Receiver of the First-Fruits Revenue As for the Tenths the Bishops are Collectors of them and account yearly for the same But there are two other considerable Officers not to be omitted viz. the Deputy Chamberlains In whose
Weymouth and Melcomb Regis stand opposite to one another on each side the River Wey where it falls into the Sea But of the two Melcomb much surpasses Weymouth foâ— Conveniency of Situation and Buildings And yet abroad all goes now under the Name of Weymouth since they were both by Act of Parliament made but one Corporation and the Occasion of it thus These two Towns having for some time injoy'd alike the Priviledges and Immunities of the Haven lying in the bosom of them at last there arose a great Controversy between them And by their continual Suits they still wearied the Lords of the Council and the Judges till by an Act of Parliament in the Reign of Q. Elizabeth they were Incorporated into one Body to be governed by one Mayor with Aldermen and other Sub-Officers Upon which immediately they joyned themselves together by a fair Bridge of Timber now in being but stilâ— they send each of 'em two Burgesses to Parliament Lastly Weymouth is of some note besides for giving the Title of Viscount to the Right Honourable Tho. Thynne the present Viscount Weymouth Lime otherwise called Lime Regis is seated in the Borders next to Devonshire and is so named from a River of that Name which runâ— through the midst of the Town and falls into the Sea The Town is large and its Cobb 〈◊〉 safe Harbour Which being industriously made in the Sea for Ships to ride in is as carefully looked afer and kept in good repair This Place is noted most of all for the late Duke of Monmouth's Landing here with his small Force from Holland in the late Reign which brought him shortly after to his tragical End Near unto it is Charmouth a Village where the Danes did twice land their Forces when they came to subdue England Bridport East from Lime was a Town of good account in Edward the Confessor's Time 'T is seated low and dirty not above 2 miles from the Sea between two Rivers that meeting with a little Rill about a mile lower mix their Streams together and make a fit Place for a good Harbour as it was in former times But now 't is choakt up with Sands The Town however is still a good Market-Town and chiefly noted for Hemp. Insomuch that once 't was the only Place appointed for the twisting of Cordage and Ropes for the Navy of England as well in respect of the adjoyning Soil yielding great store of excellent Hemp as for the skill of the People in twisting it Pool a Haven-Town in the furthest East Parts of this County is so seated upon an Inâ—et of the Sea called Luckford Lake that 't is inclosed on all sides with it except Northward where it admits entrance only by one Gate This Town from a mean Hamlet consisting of a few Fishermens-Houses in the Reign of Edward III grew to be a Market Town of good Trade and by reason of its large and safe Harbour increased so that Henry VI. granted it the Priviledge of a Haven and licensed the Mayor to wall it in Then began the Inhabitants to abound in Wealth who to free themselves from Subjection to the County purchased the Priviledge of 〈◊〉 County But now it has lost much of its former glory In this Haven the Sea contrary to all other Parts in England ebbs and flows 〈◊〉 times in 24 hours Viz. first at a South-East and North-West Moon and the seconâ— time at a South-by-East and a North-by-Weâ—â— Moon Warham is seated on the West of and opposite to Pool at the Influx of the Frome anâ— Biddle into Luckford Lake Where it had 〈◊〉 good Harbour for Ships with all the Advantages of a strong Wall defended by a Castle and of rich Inhabitants Till being crushed by the frequent Shocks of ill Fortune nothing oâ— its ancient Glory remained but the Shadow its Castle being wholly ruinated its Haveâ— choaked up and most of its Churches pulleâ— down and demolished Shaftsbury an Inland Town lies in the Northern Verge of this County and near thâ— Borders of Wiltshire It stands lofty upon a high Hill in the form of a full-bent Bow where it injoys not only a serene and healthfuâ— Air but also a large and delightful Prospectâ— Here Canute the first Danish King that swayed the English Scepter ended his Days Iâ— its flourishing Time it had ten Parish Churches now reduced to three to which belong abouâ— 500 Houses built of free Stone with which the Hill abounds It s Market which is kept on Saturdays is very considerable for moâ—â— sorts of Provisions and far exceeding all the adjacent Market Towns Lastly in the Reigâ— of Charles the Second it was honoured in giving the Title of Earl to that sagacious Statesman Anthony Earl of Shaftsbury since devolved by his death to his eldest Son and Heir the Right Honourable Anthony Ashâ—ey Cooper the present Earl of Shaftsbury Sturminster Blandford and Wimborn-minster are all three seated on the River Stowr Over which Sturminster has a fair Stone-bridge leading to Newton a noted Place for the remains of an ancient Castle near adjoyning which was the Seat of the West-Saxon Kings Blandford is a fair large and well compacted Town well inhabited and neighboured with Gentry Wimborn-Minster is seated in a â—ertile Soil and is pretty well frequented and â—nhabited But t is a Town of more antiquity â—han beauty Cranborn and Sherburn are also Towns of great â—ntiquity The first seated near the Spring of a River that runs into the Stowr and having a Chase which extends it self almost to Salisbury Sherborn on the Ill is fairly seated and well watered 'T is divided into two Parts that which lies near the Castle which is old and in part ruinated being called the Castle-Town Middleton Cerne-Abbas and Frampton do not â—y far asunder All three but mean and the first two being old Abby-Towns considerable only by their Antiquity But of the two Câ—rne-Abbas has the advantage being seated in a dry bottom watered with a fine Rivulet and in a Champain Country affording great delight both for the Hawk and Hound Frampâ—on is likewise pleasantly seated upon a good River which affords plenty of Fish and amongst them excellent Trouts In this County is a noted Castle called Lulworth Castle being counted the best Seat in the whole County either for Situation or Beauty The same has a very fair Prospect into the Sea and a large Park about it well furnished with Deer and has been sometimes honoured with the presence of our Kings in their Western Progresses Of Portland and Purbeck I should now have done with Dorsetshire but that it were improper to leave it so without taking notice of its two Peninsules which generally go by the name of Islands And those two are Portland and Purbeck Portland is that Tract of Ground which runs South from Weymouth some miles into the Sea A Place of great strength both by Nature and Art being surrounded with inaccessible Rocks except at the very Place of Landing where stands a strong Castle
called Portland Castle built by Henry VIII And almost opposite to it on the Lands side towards Weymouth stands another called Sandford Castle Which two Castles command all Ships that pass into this Road. The whole Peninsule does shew it self from the top of the Rocks in a Flat and is in compass about 7 miles The Ground is very good for Corn and indifferent for Pasture but so destitute of Wood and other Feweâ— that the Inhabitants are fain to dry their Cow-dung and burn it Which Defect iâ— made up another way by its Quarries oâ— excellent free Stone for Building and thaâ— in such plenty that they make use of it foâ— their Fences On the South-East-side stands the only Church in the Isle and that so near the Seaâ— that to fence it from its furious Waves the Church-yard Banks were fain to be walled to an incredible height And here it is that Portland Race shews it self For so they call the Meeting of the two Tides here with so great striving and beating of the Waves that 't is not safe even in the calmest Season for Barks to pass over it This Peninsule has been dignify'd with the Title of an Earldom first in the person of Richard Weston created Earl of Portland by King Charles I. Anno 1632 and continued in his Son Jeremy then in Charles Son and Heir of Jeremy and lastly in Thomas Weston Uncle to Charles the late Earl of Portland But since the late Revolution our present King was pleased to confer this Title upon the Right Honourable William Bentinck the present Earl of Portland and Groom of the Stole to His Majesty East of Portland lies Purbeck an Island or rather a Peninsule that takes up the South-East part of this County about 10 miles in length and 6 in breadth reaching from Luckford Lake to the Channel So that it is surrounded with the Sea North East and South and Westward with Rivers within less than a â—ile In this Compass of Ground are many small Towns whereof Corfe is the chief Seated on the banks of a River running through the middle parts of Purbeck into Luckford Lake and that in a barren Soil betwixt two Hills upon one of which stands a Castle called from â—he Town Corfe-Castle A Castle that had great Priviledges granted to the Lords thereof â—s the free Warren Chase over all the Isle â—ea-wracks Freedom from the Lord Admiral â—f England c. To conclude this County formerly Part of the Kingdom of the West-Saxons and its Inhabitants the ancient Durotriges is now in the Diocese of Bristol Out of it are elected besides the two Knights of the Shire 18 Members of Parliament Viz. two out of each of these following Towns Dorchester Pool Lime Weymouth Melcomb Regis Bridport Shaftsbury Warham and Corfe-Castle Of this County there have been both Marquesses and Earls the Title of Marquess first injoy'd by the Beauforts and after them by the Greys the last that possessed it being Henry Grey Duke of Suffolk who was beheaded in the Year 1553. The Title of Earl was conferred by King James I. upon Thomas Sackvil Lord Buckhurst created Earl of Dorset Anno 1603 in whose Line it has continued hitherto the present Earl hereof being the Right Honourable Charles Sackvil Earl of Dorset and Middlesex and Lord High Chamberlain of his Majesties Houshold Durham DVRHAM a Maritime County in the North of England is bounded Eastward by the German Ocean Westward by Cumberlanâ— and Westmorland Northward by Northumberland and Southward by the River Tees which parts it from Yorkshire It s Length from East to West is about 3â— miles its Breadth from North to South 30 The Whole divided into four Wakes noâ— Hundreds wherein 118 Parishes and 6 Maâ—ket-Towns Here the Air is pretty sharp and keen noâ— only by reason of the Climate but because 〈◊〉 its Hilliness especially the West Parts of iâ— So true it is that those Northern Counties which are so nearly related to Scotland by their Situation participate likewise of its nature This County is so well watered what with the Sea and what with the Rivers that it is almost incompassed with Water Next to the River Tine which parts it for some miles from Northumberland and the Tees from Yorkshire here is the Ware which runs through Durham and Derwent into the Tine As the Soil of it is different so it is in some Parts fertile in others barren and accordingly inhabited The Eastern Part is Champain and bears plenty of Coal the Southern is the most fertile the Western is hilly and barren and thin of Woods and Towns But it is recompensed by its Store of Coal Lead and Iron Mines Durham the County Town bears from London North by West and is distant therefrom by common Computation 200 miles That is 150 miles to York for the Particulars of which I refer you to Yorkshire and 50 miles more to Durham Viz. from York to Borough-bridge 13 to North-Allerton 13 more 10 from thence to Darlington and 14 more to Durham Whose Situation is upon Hills and Bottoms of Hills all surrounded with Hills but the â—ow Parts watered with the River Ware which incircles the best Part of it and over which there are two Stone-Bridges If what Mr. Bloom says of it in his Britannia was true when it was published the Case is altered I have been often upon the Place but could never find it fair and neatly compacted nor so beautified as he represents it nor its Market-Place so spacious nor its Trade so flourishing On the contrary 't is a good retiring Place free from the noise and hurry of Trade unless it be upon Saturdays on which Day the Market is kept Here indeed one may live plentifuly and breath good Air at an easy rate The greatest Ornament of this Place is the Castle and the Cathedral The Castle where the Bishop makes his Residence is I confess a stately Fabrick raised on the top of a Hill by William the Conquerour with all the Advantages both of a Pallace and a Castle Over against it on the same Hill stands the Cathedral whose Structure has this Defect that it is built of a soft mouldering Stone Between both these is a spacious Place called the Green On one side whereof is the Hall where the Assizes are kept with a handsom publick Library erected and founded by Dr. Cosins the late Bishop of Durham and on the other side a Row of Alms-Houses the standing Fruits of his Charity At Nevils Cross near Durham a bloudy Battel was fought the 20th of Oct. 1346 between the English and the Scots where David Bruce King of Scots was taken Prisoner by one Copland a Man of a mean degree but Knighted for this Action Then was Queen Philip Wife to King Edward III in person in the Field the Battel being managed by the Lords Mowbray Percy and Nevil The Market-Towns besides Durham it self are Darlington Mund. Bernard-Castle Wedn. Bishop Aukland Thu. Sunderland Frid. and Stainthorp Darlington is a good
the very first Inabitants of all it may be made a Question and such as can scarce be solved Therefore that wise Roman Historian Tacitus puts it off with an Ignoramus Qui Mortales says he Initio coluerint parum compertum est As to the Original of the Britains themselves Caesar proves them to be derived from the Gauls by their Agreeableness in their Making Speech Manners Laws and Customs A rude and illiterate Nation whose Learning such as it was was all lockt up in the breasts of the Druids their Priests who communicated what they knew to none but those of their own Order and by that means kept the People much like the Papists of our Days in continual Ignorance of their sacred Mysteries The Romans began the Conquest of this People under the Emperor Claudius about the middle of the first Century and compleated it in the time of Domitian as far at least as the Frythes of Edenburgh and Dunbarton in Scotland unwilling to venture further where there was nothing to be got but blows cold and hunger For as to Julius Caesar he rather discovered than conquered England and his three next Successors Augustus Tiberius and Caligula made no Attempt upon it So that we cannot properly reckon the Conquest of England but from the Empire oâ— Claudius Uncle to Caligula Thus the Britains continued subject to the Romans about 400 Years after Christ till the Reign of Honorius When Italy being invaded by the Goths the Romans abandoned Britain to defend their own Country After the Romans were departed under whose Protection and easy Government the Britains lived comfortably they soon became a Prey to the Picts and Saxons but chiefly tâ— the Saxons who never left off teazing of thâ— Britains till these quitted the Stage and retired beyond the Severn into Wales Thus England came to be wholly possessed by a new Nation that is an aggregate Body of many People amongst the Germans who came hither to try their fortune After the Saxons came the Danes the next considerable and the most cruel Actors on the Stage of England Who in the time of Egbert the Saxon Monarch that is in the Ninth Century first invaded this Country and so exercised the patience of his Posterity till at last they overpowred them and got the Kingdom to themselves But then the Saxons and Danes lived together mixed in Marriages and Alliance and so made one Nation consisting of Saxons and Danes At last in the eleventh Century the Normans a Northern People of France came in with their Duke William Who in one Battel got his pretended Right to the Crown of England and from a single Victory the Title of Conquerour Now the Normans mixing as they did with the Body of this Nation we may say that the English Bloud at this day is a Mixture chiefly of Saxon Dane and Norman not without a Tincture of British and Romish Blood And as the Country is temperate and moist so the English have naturally the advantage of 〈◊〉 clear Complexion not Sindged as in hot Climates nor Weather-beaten as in cold Regions The generality of a comely Stature graceful Countenance well-featured grayyed and brown-haired But for Talness and Strength the Western People exceed all the â—est The Women generally more handsom than in other Places and without Sophistications sufficiently indowed with natural beauties In an absolute Woman say the Italians are required the Parts of a Dutch-Woman from the Waste downwards of a French-Woman from the Waste up to the Shoulders and over them an English Pace Therefore an English-Woman makes one of the six Things wherein England excels comprehended in this Latine Verse Anglia Mons Pons Fons Ecclesia Foemina Lana That is to say For Mountains Bridges Rivers Churches fair Women and Wool England is past Compare In short there is no Country in Europe where Youth is generally so charming Men so proper and well proportioned and Women so beautiful The Truth is this Happiness is not only to be attributed to the Clemency of the Air. Their easy Life undeâ—â—â—e best of Governments which saves them from the Drudgery and Hardship of other Nations has a great hand in it And the Experience of a Neighbouring People shew's us sufficiently there 's nothing more destructive of good Complexion than that Monster of Slavery A fit Subject therefore for that Sex which is so tender of Beauty to chew upon The English Temper is naturally sutable to their Climate They are neither so fiery aâ— the French nor so cold as the Northern People better tempered for Counsel than thâ— first for Execution than the last A happy temper besides for all sorts of Learning The generality of them reserved and wary not apt to communicate but with their best and serious Acquaintances And as their Friendship is not easily gained so when once got 't is not easily lost The Mischief is that by their different Interests both in Civil Matters and Points of Religion they are apt to be divided into Factions which takes off very much from their Happiness After so great a Deliverance as they were lately blessed with who would have thought that there should be now a Party tho inconsiderable which repineth at it And that a Protestant Party who like the Israelites have a lingering Mind after the Onions of Egypt Brought as they are out of Captivity by the wounderful hand of Providence into a happy state of Liberty they grumble and weary of their happiness seem willing to exchange their Moses for a Pharaoh Were none but they concerned in the Change 't is pity but they should have it and be crushed into Common Sense They put me in mind of those silly Women in Moscovy which according to Olearius fancy their Husbands love them best that whip 'em most For Courage I cannot but say this for the English That Death the King of Terrours is â—o where so affronted as it is amongst them Whether I look upon those that die privately in their Beds or publickly upon a Scaffold or Gibet I see so much Unconcernedness that 't is a wonder how a Nation that lives in so much case should value their Lives so little In point of Fighting 't is true they are not altogether so hasty as the French to fight out a single Quarâ—el But 't is not so much for want of Courage as out of respect to the Laws which are severe upon those that break the Peace For upon a publick Account when Men fight with Authority no Nation shew's more forwardness As they are a free People their Spirits are accordingly averse from Slavery and as greedy of Glory Their Fore fathers Exploits which by oral Tradition and reading of Histories they are generally pretty well acquainted with adds much to their Courage But especially the Notion of their Conquest of France is so universally spread all over the Nation and their Antipathy against the French so great and universal that one may reasonably expect a good Success from their first Attempt
upon France when Opportunity shall serve For desperate Attempts no Nation like the English either by Sea or Land If they be bent upon Fighting they go to it undaunted without telling the Number or valuing the Strength of their Enemies With this bold and undaunted Courage not common with other Nations they have sometimes outdone the very Romans themselves and for this I appeal particularly to the History of France where with a hand-full of Men they have routed and defeated the bravest Armies 'T is true they were at last expelled from thence buâ— their Expulsion was not so much the Fruit oâ— the French Valour as the Effect of our Divisions So redoubted they were afterwards iâ— France that in the Wars between Charles VIII and the Duke of Bretagne the Duke to strikâ— a Terrour amongst the French apparelled 150â— of his own Subjects in the Arms and Cross 〈◊〉 England But it proved as the Ass when 〈◊〉 had on the Lions Skin For a further Proof of the English Valour I might recount their Victories of old over the Irish Scots Cypriots and Turks And Spain it self has sufficiently experienced both by Sea and Land the English Valour to its cost but by Sea especially Witness the Battel Anno 1588. where Q. Elizabeth with a few Ships vanquished the Spanish Fleet which for the greatness of it was called Invincible Sir Francis Drake the Year before that had with four Ships only took from the Spaniard one Million and 189200 Ducats in one Voyage And afterwards with 25 Ships he awed the Ocean sacked S. Jago S. Dominico and Carthagena carrying away with him besides Treasure 240 Pieces of Ordnance Sr. Richard Greenvile Captain of one of the Queens Ships called the Revenge with 180 Souldiers whereof 90 were disabled with Sickness maintained a Sea-fight for 24 hours against an incredible Number of the Spanish Galleons sunk four of the greatest and killed several thousands of their Men. Till at last her Powder being spent to the last Barrel she yielded upon honourable Terms yet was never brought into Spain To this I shall add the famous Adventure of John Oxenham an Englishman one of the Followers of Sr. Francis Drake in the West Indies Where being landed in a small Barque with 70 of his Companions a little above Nombre de Dios in the Isthmus of Panama he drew his Barque on Land covered it with Boughs and marched over the Land with his Company guided by Negroes till he came to a River There he cut down Wood to make him a Pinnace wherewith he entred the South Sea and went to the Isle of Pearls About which Island in few days he surprized two Spanish Ships with an incredible Treasure of Gold and Silver and so returned in safety to the Land An Adventure not to be forgotten and recorded by Spanish Writers with much admiration so bold was the Attempt so strange the Success and so prodigious the Booty These Things I thought fit to record now this is a Time for Action We have a great Enemy to incounter with the Irish but only great by their Numbers 'T is but fighting with Cyphers But with the French there is both Laurels and Booty to be got And if the English Souldiery will but seriously reflect how much this Nation has been in the late Reigns abused and undermined by Them whose Masters they were formerly I doubt not but with Gods Blessing and their natural Courage under the Conduct of a magnanimous King and of a great General they will right themselves and be a glorious Instrument for the setling the Peace of Europe upon a sure and lasting Foundation The Character of Pride which Scaliger gives the English Nation * Scaliger de Re Poetica Lib. 3. Cap. 16. when he calls them Inflatos Contemptores is a Character common to most Nations but to none so well adapted as to his own For the French like the Romans of old look upon most other Nations as barbarous and count themselves the most accomplished I confess they have great many good Qualifications but this presumptuous Conceit spoils all And all Things being considered if the English have a little Pride it is perhaps the best grounded of any Nation Cruelty and Barbarity which the same Author charges 'em with when he calls them Inhospitales Immanes is a meer Phantasm of his own 'T is true the English are not so fawning as the French upon Strangers because they can make better shift without them but I hope they don't want common Civility They have indeed some thing of a natural Antipathy against the French as there is to this day betwixt the French and the Spaniards Yet when the French Protestants fled to them for Refuge in the late Persecution the strength of their Charity overcame their Nature They laid aside their inbred Prejudices and forthwith made it their business to relieve them as Brethren who suffered for their Religion How moderate they have been towards the plotting Papists I leave the World to judge Had the Huguenots of France plotted against the Government there as the Papists have done here ever since the Reformation what do you think could have expiated their Crime Nothing but a quick and general Massacre such as they suffered under Charles IX without the least Provocation The late Experience tells us what Spirit of Cruelty has possessed the French when upon the Kings Protestant Subjects utmost Submission to him in Civil Matters and his most solemn and sacred Ingagements to preserve their Liberties this very Prince whom they had lifted upon the Throne with the expence of their Bloud contrary to Equity and the Laws of the Land to his Oaths and Promises and to the Rules of Gratitude and Humanity let them loose to the Cruelty of his Apostolick Dragoons by whom they were crushed persecuted and used beyond the Barbarity of the very Heathens themselves But in England as obnoxious as the Catholicks are to the Government â—â—d liable to the lash of the Law still they are tole â—â—ted and connived at almost beyond measure Were Scaliger alive what could he say to all this How could he answer the late cruel Burnings and Devastations the French made in Germany contrary to the Rules of War and the very Practice of the most barbarous Nations And what could he say to their genteel Way of Poysoning wherein they have been of late so dexterous and the English so dull But to clear further the English from that foul Imputation of Cruelty and Barbarity if we look upon their Plantations abroad who more courteous and gentle than this Nation If we inspect their Proceedings against Malefactors no Nation in the World shews so much humanity or proceeds with more equity The barbarous Use of Racks apt to extort Confession right or wrong is absolutely laid aside amongst us Nothing but the Prisoners unforced Confession or the Deposition of Witnesses upon Oath made out with good Circumstances will take a Mans Life away The Breaking on the Wheel