were not yet resolued of the diuision of the earth For my part as I indeuour not to remooue the credit of that which antiquitie hath deliuered and yet loth to continue and maintaine any corruption that may be redressed so I thinke good to giue foorth a new diuision more probable better agreeing with a truth And therefore I diuide the whole into fiue seuerall parcels reteining the common diuision in the first three as before and vnto the fourth allowing not onelie all that portion that lieth by north of the Magellan streicts and those Hyperborean Ilands which lie west of the line of longitude of late discouered by Frobisher and called by hir Maiestie Meta incognita but likewise so manie Ilands as are within 180. degrées Westwards from our beginning or common line of longitude whereby they are parted from those which by this diuision are allotted vnto Asia and the portion it selfe made equipollent with the same for greatnes far excéeding either Europa or Africa if it be not fullie so much in quantitie as they both vnited and laid togither The fift last part is the Antartike portion with hir Ilands annexed that region I meane which lieth vnder the South pole cut off from America or the fourth part by the Magellan streiâ—ts from Africa by the sea which passeth by the Cape of good hope a countrie no lesse large for limits and bounds than Africa or America and therefore right worthie to be called the fift howsoeuer it shall please the curious to mislike of this diuision This also I will adde that albeit the continent hereof doo not extend it selfe vnto the verie Antartike point but lieth as it were a long table betwéene two seas of which the later is vnder the South poole and as I may call it a maine sea vnder the aforesaid pricke yet is it not without sundrie Ilands also adioining vnto it and the inner most sea not destitute of manie as by experience hath béene of late confirmed Furthermore whereas our describers of the earth haue made it such in their descriptions as hath reached litle or nothing into the peaceable sea without the Antartike circle it is now found by Theuet and others that it extendeth it selfe northwards into that trace by no small number of leagues euen in maner to the Equator in so much that the westerlie part thereof from America is supposed to reach northward so far from the Antartike article as Africa dooth southwards from the tropike of Cancer which is no small portion of ground I maruell why not obserued by such as heretofore haue written of the same But they excuse themselues by the ingratitude of the Portingals and Spaniards who haue of purpose concealed manie things found out in their trauell least they should séeme to open a gap by dooing otherwise for strangers to enter into their conquests As for those Ilands also which lie in the peaceable sea scattered here and there as Iaua the greater the lesser Sumatra Iapan Burneo c with a number of other I refer them still vnto Asia as before so as they be without the compasse of 90. degrées eastward from the line of longitude not aboue 180. as I doo the I le of S. Laurence and a number of other vnto Africa within the said proportion wishing so little alteration as I may and yet not yéelding vnto any confusion whereby the truth of the diuision should hereafter be impeached And whereas by Virgil speaking of our Iland saith Et penitùs toto diuisos orbe Britannos And some other authors not vnwoorthie to be read and perused it is not certeine vnto which portion of the earth our Ilands and Thule with sundrie the like scattered in the north seas should be ascribed bicause they excluded them as you sée from the rest of the whole earth I haue thought good for facilitie sake of diuision to refer them all which lie within the first minute of longitude set downe by Ptolome to Europa and that as reason requireth so that the aforesaid line shall henceforth be their Meta partition from such as are to be ascribed to America albeit they come verie neere vnto the aforesaid portion may otherwise without preiudice be numbred with the same It may be that some will thinke this my dealing either to be superfiuous or to procéed from I wot not what foolish curiositie for the world is now growne to be very apt and readie to iudge the hardest of euerie attempt But forsomuch as my purpose is to leaue a plaine report of such matter as I doo write of and deliuer such things as I intreat of in distinct and vpright order though method now and then doo faile I will go forward with my indeuour referring the examination of my dooings to the indifferent and learned eare without regard what the other doo conceiue and imagine of me In the meane season therefore it shall suffice to say at this time that Albion as the mother and the rest of the Ilands as hir daughters lieng east of the line of longitude be still ascribed vnto Europa wherevnto some good authours heretofore in their writings their owne proper or naturall situations also haue not amisse referred them Of the position circuit forme and quantitie of the I le of Britaine Cap. 2. BRitannia or Britain as we now terme it in our English toong or Brutania as some pronounce it by reason of the letter y in the first syllable of the word as antiquitie did sometime deliuer it is an Ile lieng in the Ocean sea directlie ouer against that part of France which conteineth Picardie Normandie and thereto the greatest part of little Britaine which later region was called in time past Armorica of the situation thereof vpon the sea coast vntill such time as a companie of Britons either led ouer by some of the Romane Emperours or flieng thither from the tyrannie of such as oppressed them here in this Iland did setle themselues there and called it Britaine after the name of their owne countrie from whence they aduentured thither It hath Ireland vpon the west side on the north the maine sea euen to Thule and the Hyperboreans and on the east side also the Germane Ocean by which we passe dailie through the trade of merchandize not onlie into the low countries of Belgie now miserablie afflicted betwéene the Spanish power and popish inquisition as spice betwéene the morter and the pestell but also into Germanie Friezeland Denmarke and Norwaie carrieng from hence thither and bringing from thence hither all such necessarie commodities as the seuerall countries doo yéeld through which meanes and besides common amitie conserued traffike is mainteined and the necessitie of each partie abundantlie reléeued It conteineth in longitude taken by the middest of the region 19. degrees exactlie and in latitude 53. degrées and thirtie min. after the opinions of those that haue diligentlie obserued the same in our daies
of the Danish race And from thence vntill we came vnto the coast of Norffolke I saw no more Ilands Being therfore past S. Edmunds point we found a litle I le ouer against the fall of the water that commeth from Holkham likewise another ouer against the Claie before we came at Waburne hope the third also in Yarmouth riuer ouer against Bradwell a towne in low or little England whereof also I must néeds saie somewhat bicause it is in maner an Iland and as I gesse either hath béene or may be one for the brodest place of the strict land that leadeth to the same is little aboue a quarter of a mile which against the raging waues of the sea can make but small resistance Little England or low England therefore is about eight miles in length and foure in bredth verie well replenished with townes as Fristan Burgh castell Olton Flixton Lestoft Gunton Blundston Corton Lownd Ashebie Hoxton Belton Bradwell and Gorleston and beside this it is verie fruitfull and indued with all commodities Going forward from hence by the Estonnesse almost an Iland I saw a small parcell cut from the maine in Oxford hauen the Langerstone in Orwell mouth two péeces or Islets at Cattiwade bridge and then casting about vnto the Colne we beheld Merseie which is a pretie Iland well furnished with wood It was sometime a great receptacle for the Danes when they inuaded England howbeit at this present it hath beside two decaied blockehouses two parish churches of which one is called east Merseie the other west Merseie and both vnder the archdeacon of Colchester as parcell of his iurisdiction Foulenesse is an I le void of wood and yet well replenished with verie good grasse for neat and sheepe whereof the inhabitants haue great plentie there is also a parish church and albeit that it stand somewhat distant from the shore yet at a dead low water a man may as they saie ride thereto if he be skilfull of the causie it is vnder the iurisdiction of London And at this present master William Tabor bacheler of diuinitie and archdeacon of Essex hath it vnder his iurisdiction regiment by the surrender of maister Iohn Walker doctor also of diuinitie who liued at such time as I first attempted to commit this booke to the impression In Maldon water are in like sort thrée Ilands inuironed all with salt streames as saint Osithes Northeie and another after a mersh that beareth no name so far as I remember On the right hand also as we went toward the sea againe we saw Ramseie I le or rather a Peninsula or Biland likewise the Reie in which is a chappell of saint Peter And then coasting vpon the mouth of the Bourne we saw the Wallot Ile and his mates whereof two lie by east Wallot and the fourth is Foulnesse except I be deceiued for here my memorie faileth me on the one side and information on the other I meane concerning the placing of Foulenesse But to procéed After this and being entered into the Thames mouth I find no Iland of anie name except you accompt Rochford hundred for one whereof I haue no mind to intreat more than of Crowland Mersland Elie and the rest that are framed by the ouze Andredeseie in Trent so called of a church there dedicated to saint Andrew and Auon two noble riuers hereafter to be described sith I touch onelie those that are inuironed with the sea or salt water round about as we may see in the Canwaie Iles which some call marshes onelie and liken them to an ipocras bag some to a vice scrue or wide sléeue bicause they are verie small at the east end and large at west The salt rilles also that crosse the same doo so separat the one of them from the other that they resemble the slope course of the cutting part of a scrue or gimlet in verie perfect maner if a man doo imagine himselfe to looke downe from the top of the mast vpon them Betwéene these moreouer and the Leigh towne lieth another litle Ile or Holme whose name is to me vnknowne Certes I would haue gone to land and viewed these parcels as they laie or at the least haue sailed round about them by the whole hauen which may easilie be doone at an high water but for as much as a perrie of wind scarse comparable to the makerell gale whereof Iohn Anele of Calis one of the best seamen that England euer bred for his skill in the narow seas was woont to talke caught hold of our sailes caried vs forth the right waie toward London I could not tarie to sée what things were hereabouts Thus much therefore of our Ilands so much may well suffice where more cannot be had The description of the Thames and such riuers as fall into the same Cap. 11. HAuing as you haue séene attempted to set downe a full discourse of all the Ilands that are situat vpon the coast of Britaine and finding the successe not correspondent to mine intent it hath caused me somewhat to restreine my purpose in this description also of our riuers For whereas I intended at the first to haue written at large of the number situation names quantities townes villages castels mounteines fresh waters plashes or lakes salt waters and other commodities of the aforesaid Iles mine expectation of information from all parts of England was so deceiued in the end that I was fame at last onelie to leane to that which I knew my selfe either by reading or such other helpe as I had alreadie purchased and gotten of the same And euen so it happeneth in this my tractation of waters of whose heads courses length bredth depth of chanell for burden ebs flowings and falles I had thought to haue made a perfect description vnder the report also of an imagined course taken by them all But now for want of instruction which hath béene largelie promised slacklie perfourmed and other sudden and iniurious deniall of helpe voluntarilie offered without occasion giuen on my part I must needs content my selfe with such obseruations as I haue either obteined by mine owne experience or gathered from time to time out of other mens writings whereby the full discourse of the whole is vtterlie cut off and in steed of the same a mangled rehearsall of the residue set downe and left in memorie Wherefore I beséech your honour to pardon this imperfection and rudenesse of my labour which notwithstanding is not altogither in vaine sith my errors maie prooue a spurre vnto the better skilled either to correct or inlarge where occasion serueth or at the leastwise to take in hand a more absolute péece of worke as better direction shall incourage them thereto The entrance and beginning of euerie thing is the hardest and he that beginneth well hath atchiued halfe his purpose The ice my lord is broken and from hencefoorth it will be more easie for
anie giants were and whether they inhabited in this I le or not 6 Of the languages spoken in this Iland 7 Into how manie kingdoms this Iland hath beene diuided 8 The names of such kings and princes as haue reigned in this Iland 9 Of the ancient religion vsed in Albion 10 Of such Ilands as are to be seene vpon the coasts of Britaine 11 Of riuers and first of the Thames and such riuers as fall into it 12 Of such streames as fall into the sea betweene the Thames and the mouth of Sauerne 13 The description of the Sauerne and such waters as discharge themselues into the same 14 Of such waters as fall into the sea in compasse of the Iland betweene the Sauerne and the Humber 15 The description of the Humber or Isis and such water-courses as doo increase hir chanell 16 Of such fals of waters as ioine with the sea betweene Humber and the Thames 17 Of such ports and creeks as our sea-faring-men doo note for their benefit vpon the coasts of England 18 Of the aire soile and commodities of this Iland 19 Of the foure high waies sometime made in Britaine by the princes of this Iland 20 Of the generall constitution of the bodies of the Britons 21 How Britaine at the first grew to be diuided into three portions 22 After what maner the souereigntie of this I le dooth remaine to the princes of Lhoegres or kings of England 23 Of the wall sometime builded for a partition betweene England and the Picts and Scots 24 Of the maruels of England REGVM ANGLIAE SERIES catalogus COnquestor Rufus prior Henricus Stephanúsque Alter Henricus Leonino corde Richardus Rex Ioannes Henricus tertius inde Eduardus primus Gnatúsque Nepósque sequuntur His infoelicem Richardum iunge secundum Henricus quartus soboles Gandaui Ioannis Praecedit Gnato quinto sextóque Nepoti Eduardus quartus quintus homicida Richardus Septimi Henricus octauus clara propago Eduardus sextus regina Maria Philippus Elisabeth longos regnet victura per annos Seráque promisso foelix potiatur olympo CARMEN CHRONOLOGICON Thomae Newtoni Cestreshyrij GRamine fluminibus grege principe fruge metallis Lacte feris armis vrbibus arte foris Quae viget ac floret generosa Britannia quaeque Obruta puluereo squalluit ante situ Exerit ecce caput genuinum nacta nitorem Et rutilum emittit cum grauitate iubar Et quod blaesa hominum mutilarat tempore lingua Illud habet rectum pumice tersa nouo Loydus in hac pridem gnauus prolusit arena Lelandus Prisius Stous Holinshedius Lambardus Morus Camdenus Thinnius Hallus Vocalis Grafton Foxius Harrisonus Hardingus Gildas Staniherstus Beda Neuillus Doctáque Flemingi lima poliuit opus Nec te cane senex magne ô Parkere silebo Cui decus attulerat pontificalis apex Omnibus his meritò est laus debita optima merces Quòd patriae accendant lumina clara suae Longa dies opus hoc peperit longaeua senectus Et libri authores perbeet atque librum ⧠An Historicall description of the Iland of Britaine with a briefe rehersall of the nature and qualities of the people of England and such commodities as are to be found in the same Comprehended in three bookes and written by W. H. Of the diuision of the whole earth Chapter 1. WE read that the earth hath beene diuided into thrée parts euen sithens the generall floud And the common opinion is that Noah limited and bestowed it vpon his three sons Iaphet Cham and Sem preserued with him in the Arke giuing vnto each of them such portions thereof as to him séemed good and neuerthelesse reteining the souereigntie of the whole still vnto himselfe albeit as yet it be left vncertaine how those seuerall parts were bounded and from whome they tooke such names as in our times are attributed to each of them Certes the words Asia Europa and Africa are denominations giuen but of late to speake of vnto them and it is to be doubted whether sithens the time of Noah the sea hath in sundrie places wonne or lost added or diminished to and from each of them or whether Europa and Lybia were but one portion and the same westerlie regions of late discouered and now called America was the third part counting Asia for the second or the selfe region of the Atlantides which Plato and others for want of traffike thither in their times supposed to be dissolued and sunke into the sea as by their writings appeereth Not long before my time we reckoned Asia Europa and Africa for a full and perfect diuision of the whole earth which are parcels onelie of that huge Iland that lieth east of the Atlantike sea and whereof the first is diuided from the second by Tanais which riseth in the rocks of Caucasus and hideth it selfe in the Meotine moores and the Ocean sea and the last from them both by the Mediterrane and red sea otherwise called Mare Erythraeum But now all men especially the learned begin to doubt of the soundnes of that partition bicause a no lesse part than the greatest of the thrée ioined with those Ilands and maine which lie vnder the north and Southpoles if not double in quantitie vnto the same are found out and discouered by the diligence of our trauellers Hereby it appeereth that either the earth was not exactlie diuided in time past by antiquitie or els that the true diuision thereof came not to the hands and notice of their posteritie so that our ancestors haue hitherto as it were laboured in the Cimmerian darkenesse and were vtterlie ignorant of the truth of that whereabout they indeuoured to shew their trauels and knowledge in their writings Some peece of this confusion also is to be found amongst the ancient and Romane writers who notwithstanding their large conquests did sticke in the same mire with their successors not being able as appeereth by their treatises to deliuer and set downe the veritie For Salust in his booke De bello Iugurthino cannot tell whether Africa be parcell of Asia or not And with the same scruple Varro in his booke De lingua Lat. is not a litle incumbred who in the end concludeth that the whole earth is diuided into Asia and Europa so that Africa is excluded and driuen out of his place Silius also writeth of Africa as one not yet resolued wherevnto to leane that it is Aut ingens Asiae latus aut pars tertia rerum Wherein Lucane lib. 9. sheweth himselfe to be far of another iudgement in that he ascribeth it to Europa saieng after this maner Tertia pars rerum Lybia si credere famae Cuncta velis si ventos coelúmque sequaris Pars erit Europae nec enim plus littora Nili Quà m Scythicus Tanais primis à gradibus absunt Whereby I saie we may well vnderstand that in the time of Augustus Tiberius Claudius Nero the Romanes
Toliapis other Athanatos bicause serpents are supposed not to liue in the same howbeit sith it is not enuironed with the sea it is not to be dealt withall as an Iland in this place albeit I will not let to borow of my determination and describe it as I go bicause it is so fruitfull Beda noteth it in times past to haue conteined 600. families which are all one with Hidelands Ploughlands Carrucates or Temewares He addeth also that it is diuided from our continent by the riuer called Wantsume which is about thrée furlongs broad and to be passed ouer in two places onelie But whereas Polydore saieth the Thanet is nine miles in length not much lesse in bredth it is now reckoned that it hath not much aboue seauen miles from Nordtmuth to Sandwich and foure in bredth from the Stoure to Margate or from the south to the north the circuit of the whole being 17. or 18. as Leland also noteth This Iland hath no wood growing in it except it be forced and yet otherwise it is verie fruitfull and beside that it wanteth few other commodities the finest chalke is said to be found there Herein also did Augustine the moonke first arriue when he came to conuert the Saxons and afterward in processe of time sundry religious houses were erected there as in a soile much bettered as the supersticious supposed by the steps of that holy man such as came ouer with him There are at this time 10. parish churches at the least in the I le of Thanet as S. Nicholas Birchington S. Iohns Wood or Woodchurch S. Peters S. Laurence Mownton or Monkeron Minster S. Gyles and all Saincts whereof M. Lambert hath written at large in his description of Kent and placed the same in the Lath of sainct Augustine and hundred of Kingslow as may easilie be séene to him that will peruse it Sometime Rutupium or as Beda calleth it Reptacester stood also in this Iland but now thorough alteration of the chanell of the Dour it is shut quite out and annexed to the maine It is called in these daies Richborow and as it should seeme builded vpon an indifferent soile or high ground The large brickes also yet to be seene there in the ruinous walles declare either the Romane or the old British workemanship But as time decaieth all things so Rutupium named Ruptimuth is now become desolate and out of the dust thereof Sandwich producted which standeth a full mile from the place where Reptacester stood The old writers affirme how Arthur Mordred fought one notable battell here wherin Gwallon or Gawan was slaine at which time the said rebell came against his souereigne with 70000. Picts Scots Irish Norwegiens c and with Ethelbert the first christian king of Kent did hold his palace in this towne and yet none of his coine hath hitherto beene found there as is dailie that of the Romanes whereof manie péeces of siluer and gold so well as of brasse copper and other mettall haue often beene shewed vnto me It should appéere in like sort that of this place all the whole coast of Kent therabout was called Littus Rutupinum which some doo not a little confirme by these words of Lucane to be read in his sixt booke soone after the beginning Aut vaga cum Tethis Rutupinà que littora feruent Vnda Calidonios fallit turbata Britannos Or when the wandering seas and Kentish coasts doo worke And Calidons of British bloud the troubled waues beguile Meaning in like sort by the latter the coast néere Andredeswald which in time past was called Littus Calidonium of that wood or forrest as Leland also confirmeth But as it is not my mind to deale anie thing curiouslie in these by-matters so in returning againe to my purpose and taking my iourney toward the Wight I must needs passe by Selesey which sometime as it should séeme hath béene a noble Iland but now in maner a Byland or Peninsula wherin the chéefe sée of the bishop of Chichester was holden by the space of thrée hundred twentie nine yeares and vnder twentie bishops Next vnto this we come vnto those that lie betweene the Wight and the maine land of which the most easterlie is called Thorne and to saie truth the verie least of all that are to be found in that knot Being past the Thorne we touched vpon the Haling which is bigger than the Thorne and wherein one towne is situat of the same denomination beside another whose name I remember not By west also of the Haling lieth the Port the greatest of the three alreadie mentioned and in this standeth Portsmouth and Ringstéed whereof also our Leland saieth thus Port Ile is cut from the shore by an arme of the maine hauen which breaketh out about thrée miles aboue Portsmouth and goeth vp two miles or more by morish ground to a place called Portbridge which is two miles from Portsmouth Then breaketh there out another créeke from the maine sea about Auant hauen which gulleth vp almost to Portbridge and thence is the ground disseuered so that Portsmouth standeth in a corner of this I le which Iland is in length six miles and three miles in bredth verie good for grasse and corne not without some wood and here and there inclosure Beside this there is also another Iland north northwest of Port I le which is now so worne and washed awaie with the working of the sea that at the spring tides it is wholie couered with water and thereby made vnprofitable Finallie being past all these and in compassing this gulfe we come by an other which lieth north of Hirst castell southeast of Kaie hauen whereof I find nothing worthie to be noted sauing that it wanteth wood as Ptolomie affirmeth in his Geographicall tables of all those Ilands which enuiron our Albion The Wight is called in Latine Vectis but in the British speach Guidh that is to saie Eefe or easie to be séene or as D. Caius saith separate bicause that by a breach of the sea it was once diuided from the maine as Sicilia was also from Italie Anglesei from Wales Foulenesse from Essex Quinborow from Kent It lieth distant from the south shore of Britaine where it is fardest off by fiue miles a halfe but where it commeth neerest not passing a thousand paces and this at the cut ouer betwéene Hirst castell and a place called Whetwell chine as the inhabitants doo report It conteineth in length twentie miles and in bredth ten it hath also the north pole eleuated by 50. degrées and 27. minutes and is onelie 18. degrees in distance and 50. od minuts from the west point as experience hath confirmed contrarie to the description of Ptolomie and such as folow his assertions in the same In forme it representeth almost an eg and so well is it inhabited with meere English at this present that there are thirtie six townes villages and castels to be found
Farneham named Terig the other at Munketon aboue S. Giles Winburne and going thence to S. Giles Ashleie it taketh in the Horton becke as the Horton dooth the Cranburne Finallie méeting with the Terig aboue Knolton they run on vnder the name of Alen to the Stoure which goeth to the Canfords Preston Kingston Perleie and Yolnest but yer it come at Yolnest it taketh in two brookes in one bottome whereof one commeth from Woodland parke by Holt parke and Holt another from aboue vpper Winburne by Edmondesham Uertwood and Mannington and ioining about S. Leonards they go to Hornebridge and so into Stoure After which confluence the said Stoure runneth by Iuor bridge and so into Auon leauing Christs church aboue the méeting of the said waters as I haue said before Hauing in this maner passed Christes church head we come to the fall of the Burne which is a little brooke running from Stourefield heath without branches from whence we proceeded the next fall that we come vnto is Poole from whose mouth vpon the shore by southwest in a bale of thrée miles off is a poore fisher towne called Sandwich where we saw a péere and a little fresh brooke The verie vtter part of saint Adelmes point is fiue miles from Sandwich In another baie lieth west Lilleworth where as I heare is some profitable harborough for ships The to wite of Poole is from Winburne about foure miles and it standeth almost as an I le in the hauen The hauen it selfe also if a man should measure it by the circuit wanteth little of twentie miles as I did gesse by the view Going therefore into the same betwéene the north and the south points to sée what waters were there we left Brunkeseie Iland and the castell on the left hand within the said points and passing about by Pole and leauing that créeke bicause it hath no fresh we came by Holton and Kesworth where we beheld two falles of which one was called the north the other the south waters The north streame hight Piddle as I heare It riseth about Alton and goeth from thence to Piddle trench head Piddle hinton Walterstow and yer it come at Birstam receiueth Deuils brooke that commeth thither from Brugham and Melcombe by Deuilish towne Thence it goeth to Tow piddle Ashe piddle Turners piddle taking in yer it come there a water that runneth from Helton by Middleton Milburne Biere then to Hide and so into Pole hauen and of this water Marianns Scotus speaketh except I be deceiued The south water is properlie called Frome for Frame It riseth néere vnto Euershot and going downe by Fromequitaine Chelmington and Catstocke it receiueth there a rill from beside Rowsham and Wraxehall After this it goeth on to Chilfrome and thence to Maden Newton where it méeteth with the Owke that riseth either two miles aboue Hoke parke at Kenford or in the great pond within Hoke parke and going by the Tollards falleth into the Frome about Maden Newton so go as one from thence to Fromevauchirch Crokewaie Frampton and Muckilford and receiueth néere vnto the same a rill from aboue Upsidling by S. Nicholas Sidling and Grimston From hence it goeth on by Stratton and Bradford Peuerell and beneath this Bradford it crosseth the Silleie aliàs Minterne and Cherne brooks both in one chanell whereof the first riseth in vpper Cherne parish the other at Minterne and méeting aboue middle Cherne they go by nether Cherne Forston Godmanston and aboue Charneminster into Frome In the meane time also our Frome brancheth and leaueth an Iland aboue Charneminster and ioining againe néere Dorchester it goeth by Dorchester and Forthington but yer it come at Beckington it meeteth with another Becke that runneth thereinto from Winterburne Stapleton Martinstow Heringstow Caine and Stafford and from thence goeth without anie further increase as yet to Beckington Knighton Tinkleton Morton Wooll Bindon Stoke beneath Stoke receiueth the issue of the Luckeford lake from whence also it passeth by Eastholme Warham and so into the Baie From this fall we went about the arme point by Slepe where we saw a litle créeke then by Owre where we beheld an other then comming againe toward the entrance by saint Helens and Furleie castell we went abroad into the maine and found our selues at libertie When we were past Pole hauen we lest the Handfast point the Peuerell point S. Adelmes chappell and came at last to Lughport hauen whereby and also to the Luckeford lake all this portion of ground last remembred is left in maner of a byland or peninsula and called the I le of Burbecke wherein is good store of alum and hard stone In like sort going still westerlie we came to Sutton points where is a créeke Then vnto Waie or Wilemouth by kings Welcombe which is twentie miles from Pole and whose head is not full foure miles aboue the hauen by northwest at Uphill in the side of a great hill Hereinto when we were entred we saw three falles whereof the first and greatest commeth from Upweie by Bradweie and Radipoole receiuing afterward the second that ran from east Chekerell and likewise the third that maketh the ground betwéene Weimouth and Smalmouth passage almost an Iland There is a little barre of sand at the hauen mouth and a great arme of the sea runneth vp by the right hand and scant a mile aboue the hauen mouth on the shore is a right goodlie and warlike castell made which hath one open barbicane This arme runneth vp also further by a mile as in a baie to a point of land where a passage is into Portland by a little course of pibble sand It goeth vp also from the said passage vnto Abbatsbirie about seauen miles off where a litle fresh rondell resorteth to the sea And somewhat aboue this is the head or point of the Chesill lieng northwest which stretcheth vp from thence about seauen miles as a maine narrow banke by a right line vnto the southeast and there abutteth vpon Portland scant a quarter of a mile aboue the Newcastle there The nature of this banke is such that so often as the wind bloweth vehementlie at southeast so often the sea beateth in and losing the banke soketh through it so that if this wind should blow from that corner anie long time togither Portland should be left an Iland as it hath béene before But as the southwest wind dooth appaire this banke so a northwest dooth barre it vp againe It is pretie to note of the Townelet of Waimouth which lieth streight against Milton on the other side and of this place where the water of the hauen is but of small breadth that a rope is commonlie tied from one side of the shore to another whereby the ferrie men doo guide their botes without anie helpe of Ores But to procéed with our purpose Into the mouth of this riuer doo ships often come for succour
of the hauen of Falamouth to the mouth of Lanie horne pill or créeke on the south side of the hauen is a mile and as I remember it goeth vp halfe a mile from the principall streame of the hauen From Lanihorne pill also is a place or point of sand about a mile waie of fortie acres or thereabout as a peninsula called Ardeuerauter As for the water or créeke that runneth into the south southeast part it is but a little thing of halfe a mile vp into the land and the créeke that hemmeth in this peninsula of both dooth seeme to be the greater From the mouth of the west creeke of this peninsula vnto saint Iustes creeke is foure miles or more In like maner from saint Iustes pill or créeke for both signifie one thing to saint Mawes creeke is a mile and a halfe and the point betwéene them both is called Pendinas The créeke of saint Mawes goeth vp a two miles by east northeast into the land and beside that it ebbeth and floweth so farre there is a mill driuen with a fresh créeke that resorteth to the same Halfe a mile from the head of this downeward to the hauen is a créeke in maner of a poole whereon is a mill also that grindeth with the tide And a mile beneath that on the south side entereth a créeke about halfe a mile into the countrie which is barred from the maine sea by a small sandie banke and another mile yet lower is an other little créekelet But how so euer these créekes doo run certeine it is that the bankes of them that belong to Fala are meruellouslie well woodded And hitherto Leland whose words I dare not alter for feare of corruption and alteration of his iudgement Being past Falmouth hauen therefore as it were a quarter of a mile beyond Arwennach maister Killegrewes place which standeth on the brimme or shore within Falmouth we came to a little hauen which ran vp betwéene two hilles but it was barred wherefore we could not learne whether it were serued with anie backe fresh water or not From thence we went by Polwitherall creeke parted into two armes then to the Polpenrith wherevnto a riueret falleth that riseth not farre from thence and so goeth to the maine streame of the hauen at the last whither the créeke resorteth about thrée miles and more from the mouth of the hauen and into which the water that goeth vnder Gare and Mogun bridges doo fall in one bottome as Leland hath reported Unto this hauen also repaireth the Penkestell the Callous the Cheilow and the Gilling although this latter lieth against saint Mawnons on the hither side hard without the hauen mouth if I haue doone aright For so motheaten mouldie rotten are those bookes of Leland which I haue and beside that his annotations are such and so confounded as no man can in a maner picke out anie sense from them by a leafe togither Wherefore I suppose that he dispersed and made his notes intricate of set purpose or else he was loth that anie man should easilie come to that knowledge by reading which he with his great charge no lesse trauell atteined vnto by experience Thus leauing Fala hauen as more troublesome for me to describe than profitable for seafaring men without good aduise to enter into we left the rocke on our left hand and came straight southwest to Helford hauen whose water commeth downe from Wréeke where is a confluence of two small rilles whereof that rill consisteth by Mawgan and Trelawarren and then it receiueth a rill on the north ripe from Constantine after whose confluence it goeth a maine vntill it come to the Ocean where the mouth is spoiled by sand comming from the tin-works See Leland in the life of S. Breaca Beneath this also is another rill comming from S. Martyrs by whose course and another ouer against it on the west side that falleth into the sea by Winniton all Menage is left almost in maner of an Iland From hence we go south to the Manacle point then southwest to Lisard and so north and by west to Predannocke points beyond which we méet with the fall of the said water that riseth in the edge of Menag and goeth into the sea by Melien on the north and Winniton on the south By north also of Winniton is the Curie water that runneth short of Magan and toucheth with the Ocean south of Pengwenian point From hence we sailed to the Loo mouth which some call Lopoole because it is narrower at the fall into the sea than it is betwéene the sea and Hailston It riseth aboue S. Sethians and comming downe by Wendron it hasteth to Hailston or Helston from whence onelie it is called Loo but betwéene Helston and the head men call it commonlie Cohor Of this riuer Leland saith thus The Lopoole is two miles in length and betwixt it and the maine Ocean is but a barre of sand that once in thrée or foure yéeres what by weight of the fresh water and working of the sea breaketh out at which time it maketh a wonderfull noise but soone after the mouth of it is barred vp againe At all other times the superfluitie of the water of Lopole which is full of trout and éele draineth out through the sandie barre into the open sea certes if this barre could alwaies be kept open it would make a goodlie hauen vp vnto Haileston towne where coinage of tin is also vsed as at Trurie and Lostwithiell for the quéenes aduantage Being passed the Loo I came to another water that descendeth without anie increase from Crowan by Simneie whose whole course is not aboue thrée miles in all Then going by the Cuddan point we entered the mounts Baie and going streight north leauing S. Michaels mount a little vpon the left hand we came to the Lid which rising short of Tewidnacke descendeth by Lidgenan and so into the sea Certes the course of these waters cannot be long sith in this verie place the breadth of land is not aboue foure miles and not more than fiue at the verie lands end There is also a rill east of Korugie and Guluall and another west of the same hard at hand and likewise the third east of Pensants and not a full quarter of a mile from the second southwest of Pensants also lieth the fourth that commeth from Sancrete ward by Newlin from whence going southwest out of the baie by Moushole I le that lieth south of Moushole towne we come to a water that entreth into the Ocean betwixt Remels Lamorleie point Trulie the one head thereof commeth from by west of Sancrete the other from by west of an hill that standeth betwéene them both and ioining aboue Remels it is not long yer they salute their grandame After this and before we come at Rosecastell there are two other créekes whereof one is called Boskennie that riseth south
Edelhere king of Eastangles was slaine as before is mentioned his brother Edelwald succéeded him in that kingdome reigning as king thereof by the space of nine yeares Then after Edelwald succéeded Aldulfe the son of Edelhere in gouernment of that kingdome and reigned 25 yeares After Finan bishop of the Northumbers that held his see at Lindesferne as Aidan did before him one Colman was ordeined bishop a Scot borne and an earnest obseruer of the customes vsed amongest them of his nation so that when the controuersie began to be reuiued for the holding of the feast of Easter he would by no meanes yeeld to them that would haue perswaded him to haue followed the rite of the Romane church There was a great disputation kept about this matter and other things as shauing or cutting of heares and such like in the monasterie of Whitbie at the which king Oswie and his sonne Alcfrid were present where Colman for his part alledged the custome of Iohn the euangelist and of Anatholius and the contrarie side brought in proofe of their opinion the custome of Peter and Paule At length when bishop Colman perceiued that his doctrine was not so much regarded as he thought of reason it ought to haue béene he returned into Scotland with those which taking part with him refused to obserue the feast of Easter according to the custome of the church of Rome nor would haue their crownes shauen about which point no small reasoning had beene kept This disputation was holden in the yeare of our Lord 664 and in the yeare of the reigne of king Oswie 22 and 30 yeare after the Scotishmen began first to beare the office of bishops within Northumberland which was as W. Harison saith 624. For Aidan gouerned 17 yeares Finan 10 yeares Colman 3 yeares After that Colman was returned into his countrie one Tuda that had béene brought vp amongest the Southerne Scots and ordeined bishop by them succéeded in his roome hauing his crowne shauen and obseruing the feast of Easter according to the custome of the prouince and rite of the Romane church ¶ The same yeare there chanced a great eclipse of the sunne the third of Maie about 10 of the clocke in the day A great dearth and mortalitie insued both in all the parties of this our Britaine and likewise in Ireland Amongest other the foresaid bishop Tuda died and was buried in the abbeie of Pegnalech After this Tuda succéeded in gouernement of the church of Lindesferne otherwise called Holie Iland one Wilfrid which was sent by king Alcfrid into France to be ordeined there About the same time king Oswie the father of king Alcfrid mooued with the good example of his sonne sent Ceadda the brother of Ced sometime bishop of the Eastsaxons into Kent to be ordeined bishop of Yorke but at his comming into Kent he found that Deus dedit the archbishop of Canturburie was dead and none other as yet ordeined in his place so that Ceadda repaired into the prouince of the Westsaxons where he was ordeined by bishop Wini who tooke two other bishops of the British nation vnto him to be his associats which vsed to obserue the feast of Easter contrarie to the custome of the Romane church But there was no other shift sith none other bishop was then canonicallie ordeined in the prouince of the Westsaxons in those daies this Wini onlie excepted and therefore was he constreined to take such as he might get and prouide After that Ceadda was thus ordeined he began forthwith to follow the true rules of the church liued right chastlie shewed himselfe humble and continent applied his studie to reading and trauelled abroad on foot and not on horssebacke through the coimtries townes and villages to preach the word of God He was the disciple of Aidan and coueted by his example and also by the example of Ced to instruct his hearers with the like dooings maners as he had knowen them to doo Wilfrid also being consecrated bishop and returned into England indeuored to plant the orders of the Romane church in the churches of England whereby it came to passe that the Scots which inhabited amongst the Englishmen were constreined either to follow the same or else to returne into their owne countrie IN this meane time king Ercombert being departed this life after he had gouerned the Kentishmen by the space of twentie yeares his sonne Egbert succéeded him in the kingdome and reigned nine yeares There is little remembrance of his dooings which in that short time were not much notable except ye will ascribe the comming into this land of the archbishop Theodorus and the abbat Adrian vnto his glorie which chanced in his time For in the yeare of the great eclipse and sore mortalitie that insued it chanced that both king Ercombert the archbishop Deus dedit departed this life so that the see of Canturburie was void a certeine time in so much that king Egbert who succéeded his father Ercombert togither with king Oswie did send one Wighart a priest of good reputation for his excellent knowledge in the scriptures vnto Rome with great gifts and rich vessels of gold and siluer to be presented vnto the pope requiring him that he would ordeine the foresaid Wighart archbishop of Canturburie to haue rule of the English church But this Wighart comming vnto Rome and declaring his message vnto Uitalianus then gouerning the church of Rome immediatlie after he died of the pestilence that then reigned in that citie with all those that came with him The pope then taking aduice whome he might ordeine vnto the see of Canturburie being thus destitute of an archbishop appointed a moonke named Adrian to take that office vpon him but Adrian excused himselfe as not sufficient for such a roome and required the pope to appoint one Andrew a moonke also wherevnto the pope consented But when Andrew was preuented by death eftsoones Adrian should haue béene made archbishop but that he named one Theodore an other moonke that abode as then in Rome but was borne in the citie of Tharsus in Cilicia verie well learned both in the Gréeke and Latine and being of reuerend yeares as of 76. This Theodore by the presentment of Adrian was appointed to be ordeined archbishop of Canturburie with condition that Adrian should neuerthelesse attend vpon him into England both for that he had béene twise before this time in France and so knew the coasts and againe for that he might assist him in all things and looke well to the matter that Theodore should not bring into the church of England anie rite or custome of the Gréekes contrarie to the vse of the Romane church Theodore being first ordeined subdeacon tarried foure moneths till his heare was growen that he might haue his crowne shauen after the maner of Peter For he was rounded or shauen after the maner of the East church which was as they persuaded
The Danes followed them vnto Wilton which towne they rifled and ouercame From thence they went to Salisburie and so taking their pleasure there returned to their ships because as some write they were aduertised that the king was comming towards them with an huge armie In the yeare next insuing that is to saie 1004 which was about the 24 yeare of K. Egelreds reigne Sweine or Swanus king of Denmarke with a mightie nauie of ships came on the coast of Northfolke and there landing with his people made toward Norwich and comming thither tooke that citie and spoiled it Then went he vnto Thetford and when he had taken and rified that towne he burnt it notwithstanding a truce taken by Uikillus or Wilfketell gouernor of those parties with the same king Swaine after the taking of Norwich In reuenge therefore of such breach of truce the same Uikillus or Wilfeketell with such power as he could raise assaulted the host of Danes as they returned to their ships and slue a great number of them but was not able to mainteine the fight for his enimies ouermatched him in number of men And so he was constrained in the end to giue backe and the enimies kept on their waies to their ships In the yeare following king Swaine returned into Denmarke with all his fléet partlie constrained so to doo as some write by reason of the great famin want of necessarie sustenance which in that yeare sore oppressed this land In the yeare of our Lord 1006 king Swaine returned againe into England with a mightie huge nauie arriuing at Sandwich and spoiled all the countrie néere vnto the sea side King Egelred raised all his power against him and all the haruest time laie abroad in the field to resist the Danes which according to their woonted maner spared not to exercise their vnmercifull crueltie in wasting and spoiling the land with fire and sword pilfering and taking of preies in euerie part where they came Neither could king Egelred remedie the matter because the enimies still conueied themselues with their ships into some contrarie quarter from the place where they knew him to be so that his trauell was in vaine About the beginning of winter they remained in the I le of Wight in the time of Christmasse they landed in Hampshire and passing through that countrie into Barkeshire they came to Reading and from thence to Wallingford and so to Coleseie and then approching to Essington came to Achikelmeslawe and in euerie place wheresoeuer they came they made cleane worke For that which they could not carie with them they consumed with fire burning vp their innes and sleaing their hoasts In returning backe the people of the west countrie gaue them battell but preuailed not so that they did but inrich their enimies with the spoile of their bodies They came by the gates of Winchester as it were in maner of triumph with vittels and spoiles which they had fetched fiftie miles from the sea side In the meane time king Egelred lay about Shrewsburie sore troubled with the newes hereof and in the yeare next insuing by the aduise of his councell he gaue to king Swaine for the redeeming of peace 30000 pounds In the same yeare K. Egelred created the traitor Edrike earle of Mercia who although he had maried Edgiua the kings daughter was yet noted to be one of those which disclosed the secrets of the realme and the determinations of the councell vnto the enimies But he was such a craftie dissembler so greatlie prouided of sleight to dissemble and cloake his falshood that the king being too much abused by him had him in singular fauour whereas he vpon a malicious purpose studied dailie how to bring the realme into vtter destruction aduertising the enimies from time to time how the state of things stood whereby they came to knowledge when they should giue place and when they might safelie come forward Moreouer being sent vnto them oftentimes as a commissioner to treat to peace he persuaded them to warre But such was the pleasure of God to haue him and such other of like sort aduanced to honor in this season when by his diuine prouidence he meant to punish the people of this realme for their wickednesse and sinnes whereby they had iustlie prouoked his wrath and high displeasure In the 30 yeare of king Egelreds reigne which fell in the yeare of our Lord 1008 he tooke order that of euerie thrée hundred and ten hides of land within this realme there should one ship be builded and of euerie eight hides a complet armor furnished In the yeare following the kings whole fléet was brought togither at Sandwich and such souldiers came thither as were appointed to go to sea in the same fléet There had not béene seene the like number of ships so trimlie rigged and furnished in all points in anie kings daies before But no great profitable péece of seruice was wrought by them for the king had about that time banished a noble yoong man of Sussex called Wilnot who getting togither twentie sailes laie vpon the coasts taking prices where he could get them Brithrike the brother of earle Edrike being desirous to win honor tooke forth foure score of the said ships and promised to bring in the enimie dead or aliue But as he was sailing forward on the seas a sore tempest with an outragious wind rose with such violence that his ships were cast vpon the shore and Wilnot comming vpon them set them on fire and so burned them euerie one The residue of the ships when newes came to them of this mishap returned backe to London and then was the armie dispersed and so all the cost and trauell of the Englishmen proued in vaine After this in the haruest time a new armie of Danes vnder the conduct of thrée capteines Turkill Henning and Aulafe landed at Sandwich and from thence passed forth to Canturburie and had taken the citie but that the citizens gaue them a 1000 pounds to depart from thence and to leaue the countrie in peace Then went the Danes to the I le of Wight and afterwards landed and spoiled the countrie of Sussex and Hampshire King Egelred assembled the whole power of all his subiects and comming to giue them battell had made and end of their cruell harieng the countrie with the slaughter of them all if earle Edrike with forged tales deuised onelie to put him in feare had not dissuaded him from giuing battell The Danes by that meanes returning in safetie immediatlie after the feast of saint Martine returned into Kent and ladged with their nauie in the winter following in the Thames and oftentimes assaulting the citie of London were still beaten backe to their losse After the feast of Christmasse they passed through the countrie and woods of Chilterne vnto Oxford which towne they
of a giant that was 46. cubits in length after the Romane standard and by diuerse supposed to be the bodie of Orion or Aetion Neuerthelesse I read that Lucius Flaccus and Metellus did sweare Per sua capita that it was either the carcase of some monster of the sea or a forged deuise to bleare the peoples eies withall wherein it is wonderfull to see how they please Goropius as one that first deriued his fantasticall imagination from their asseueration oth The said Plinie also addeth that the bodie of Orestes was seuen cubits in length one Gabbara of Arabia nine foot nine inches and two reserued In conditorio Sallustianorum halfe a foot longer than Gabbara was for which I neuer read that anie man was driuen to sweare Trallianus writeth how the Athenienses digging on a time in the ground to laie the foundation of a new wall to be made in a certeine Iland in the daies of an emperour did find the bones of Macrosyris in a coffin of hard stone of 100. cubits in length after the accompt of the Romane cubit which was then either a foot and a halfe or not much in difference from halfe a yard of our measure now in England These verses also as they are now translated out of Gréeke were found withall Sepultus ego Macrosyris in longa insula Vitae peractis annis mille quinquies which amounteth to 81. yeares foure moneths after the Aegyptian reckoning In the time of Hadrian the emperour the bodie of the giant Ida was taken vp at Messana conteining 20. foot in length and hauing a double row of teeth yet standing whole in his chaps Eumachus also in Perigesi telleth that when the Carthaginenses went about to dich in their prouince they found two bodies in seuerall coffins of stone the one was 23. the other 24. cubits in length such another was found in Bosphoro Cymmerio after an earthquake but the inhabitants did cast those bones into the Meotidan marris In Dalmatia manie graues were shaken open with an earthquake in diuerse of which certein carcases were found whose ribs conteined 16. els after the Romane measure whereby the whole bodies were iudged to be 64. sith the longest rib is commonlie about the fourth part of a man as some rouing symmetricians affirme Arrhianus saith that in the time of Alexander the bodies of the Asianes were generallie of huge stature and commonlie of fiue cubits and such was the heigth of Porus of Inde whom the said Alexander vanquished and ouerthrew in battell Suidas speaketh of Ganges killed also by the said prince who farre exceeded Porus for he was ten cubits long What should I speake of Artaceas a capitaine in the host of Xerxes afore remembred whose heigth was within 4. fingers bredth of fiue cubits the tallest man in the armie except the king himselfe Herod lib. 7. Of Athanatus whom Plinie remembreth I saie nothing But of all these this one example shall passe which I doo read of in Trallianus and he setteth downe in forme and manner following In the daies of Tiberius th' emperor saith he a corps was left bare or laid open after an earthquake of which ech tooth taken one with another conteined 12. inches ouer at the least Now forsomuch as in such as be full mouthed ech chap hath commonlie 16. teeth at the least which amount vnto 32. in the whole needs must the widenesse of this mans chaps be welneere of 16. foot and the opening of his lips fiue at the least A large mouth in mine opinion and not to eat peason with Ladies of my time besides that if occasion serued it was able to receiue the whole bodies of mo than one of the greatest men I meane of such as we be in our daies When this carcase was thus found euerie man maruelled at it good cause why A messenger was sent to Tiberius the emperour also to know his pleasure whether he would haue the same brought ouer vnto Rome or not but he forbad them willing his Legate not to remooue the dead out of his resting place but rather somewhat to satisfie his phantasie to send him a tooth out of his head which being done he gaue it to a cunning workeman commanding him to shape a carcase of light matter after the proportion of the tooth that at the least by such means he might satisfie his curious mind and the fantasies of such as are delited with nouelties To be short when the image was once made and set vp on end it appéered rather an huge colossie than the true carcase of a man and when it had stood in Rome vntill the people were wearie throughlie satisfied with the sight thereof he caused it to be broken all to peeces and the tooth sent againe to the carcase frō whence it came willing them moreouer to couer it diligentlie and in anie wise not to dismember the corps nor from thencefoorth to be so hardie as to open the sepulchre anie more Pausan. lib. 8. telleth in like maner of Hiplodanus his fellowes who liued when Rhea was with child of Osyris by Cham and were called to hir aid at such time as she feared to be molested by Hammon hir first husband whilest she remained vpon the Thoumasian hill In ipso loco saith he spectantur ossa maiora multo quà m vt humana existimari possunt c. Of Protophanes who had but one great and broad bone in steed of all his ribs on ech side I saie nothing sith it concerneth not his stature I could rehearse manie mo examples of the bodies of such men out of Solinus Sabellicus D. Cooper and others As of Oetas and Ephialtes who were said to be nine orgies or paces in heigth and foure in bredth which are taken for so many cubits bicause there is small difference betwéene a mans ordinarie pace and his cubit and finallie of our Richard the first who is noted to beare an axe in the wars the iron of whose head onelie weighed twentie pound after our greatest weight and whereof an old writer that I haue seene saith thus This king Richard I vnderstand Yer he went out of England Let make an axe for the nones Therewith to cleaue the Saracens bones The head in sooth was wrought full wee le Thereon were twentie pound of steele And when he came in Cyprus land That ilkon axe he tooke in hand c. I could speake also of Gerards staffe or lance yet to be seene in Gerards hall at London in Basing lane which is so great and long that no man can beweld it neither go to the top thereof without a ladder which of set purpose and for greater countenance of the wonder is fixed by the same I haue seene a man my selfe of seuen foot in height but lame of his legs The chronicles also of Cogshall speake of one in Wales who was halfe a foot higher but through infirmitie and wounds not able to beweld himselfe I might if
after the flood if we diuide therefore the said 133. by seauen you shall find the quotient 19. without any ods remaining From hence also vnto the comming of Samothes into Britaine or rather his lawes giuen vnto the Celts and with them vnto the Britons in the second of his arriuall in this land we find by exact supputation 126. yeares which being parted by nine or seauen sheweth such a conclusion as maketh much for this purpose Doubtlesse I am the more willing to touch the time of his lawes than his entrance sith alteration of ordinances is the cheefe and principall token of change in rule and regiment although at this present the circumstances hold not sith he dispossessed none neither incroched vpon any From Samothes vnto the tyrannie of Albion are 335. yeares complet so that he arriued here in the 335. or 48. septenarie which also concurreth with the 590. after the flood In like sort the regiment of Albion continued but seauen yeares and then was the souereingtie of this I le restored againe by Hercules vnto the Celts The next alteration of our estate openlie knowne happened by Brute betweene whose time and death of Albion there passed full 601. yeares for he spent much time after his departure out of Grecia before he came into Albion so that if you accompt him to come hither in the 602. you shall haue 86. septenaries exactlie From Brute to the extinction of his posteritie in Ferrex and Porrex and pentarchie of Britaine are 630. yeares or 70. nouenaries than the which where shall a man find a more precise period after this method or prescription for manie and diuers considerations The time of the pentarchie indured likewise 49. yeares or seauen septenaries which being expired Dunwallo brought all the princes vnder his subiection and ruled ouer them as monarch of this I le After the pentarchie ended we find againe that in the 98. yeare Brennus rebelled against Beline his brother wherevpon insued cruell bloodshed betwéene them So that here you haue 14. septenaries as you haue from those warres ended which indured a full yeare more before Brennus was reconciled to his brother to the comming of Caesar into this Iland whereat our seruitude and miserable thraldome to the Romans may worthilie take his entrance 48. or 336. yeares than the which concurrences I know not how a man should imagine a more exact After the comming of Caesar we haue 54. or sixe nouenaries to Christ whose death and passion redoundeth generallie to all that by firme and sure faith take hold of the same and applie it vnto their comfort From the birth of Christ to our countrie deliuered from the Romane yoke are 446. yeares at which time the Britains chose them a king and betooke themselues to his obedience But neither they nor their king being then able to hold out the Scots and Picts which dailie made hauocke of their countrie the said Vortiger in the third yeares of his reigne which was the 63. septenarie after Christ did send for the Saxons who arriued here in the 449. and 450. yeares of Grace in great companies for our aid and succour although that in the end their entrances turned to our vtter decaie and ruine in that they made a conquest of the whole I le and draue vs out of our liuings Hereby we sée therefore how the preparatiue began in the 449. but how it was finished in the tenth nouenarie the sequele is too too plaine In like sort in the 43. nouenarie or 387. after the comming of the Saxons the Danes entred who miserablie afflicted this I le by the space of 182. yeares or 46. septenaries which being expired they established themselues in the kingdome by Canutus But their time lasting not long the Normans followed in the end of the 49. yeare and thus you sée how these numbers do hold exactlie vnto the conquest The like also we find of the continuance of the Normans or succession of the Conquerour which indured but 89. yeares being extinguished in Stephen and that of the Saxons restored in Henrie the second although it lacke one whole yeare of ten nouenaries which is a small thing sith vpon diuers occasions the time of the execution of any accident may be preuented or proroged as in direction and progression astronomicall is often times perceiued From hence to the infamous excommunication of England in king Iohns daies wherevpon insued the resignation of his crownes and dominions to the pope are eight septenaries or 56. yeares Thence againe to the deposition of Richard 2. and vsurpation of Henrie 4. are 77. yeares or 11. septenaries From hence to the conspiracie made against Edward 2. after which he was deposed murdered are 117. yeares or 13. nouenaries From hence to the beginning of the quarell betwéene the houses of Yorke and Lancaster wherein foure score and od persons of the blood roiall were slaine and made awaie first and last and which warres begunne in the 1448. and the yeare after the death of the Duke of Glocester whose murther séemed to make frée passage to the said broile are 72. yeares or eight nouenaries From hence to the translation of the crowne from the house of Lancaster to that of Yorke in Edward the 4 are 14. yeares or two septenaries and last of all to the vnion of the said houses in Henrie the eight is an exact quadrat of seuen multiplied in it selfe or 49. yeares whereof I hope this may in part suffice Now as concerning religion we haue from Christ to the faith first preached in Britaine by Iosephus ab Aramathia and Simon Zelotes as some write 70. yeares or 10. septenaries Thence also to the baptisme of Lucius and his nobilitie in the yeare after their conuersion 12. nouenaries or 108. yeares After these the Saxons entred and changed the state of religion for the most part into paganisme in the yeare 449. 39. nouenarie and 273. yeare after Lucius had beene baptised which is 39. septenaries if I be not deceiued In the 147. or 21. septenarie Augustine came who brought in poperie which increased and continued till Wicklif with more boldnesse than anie other began to preach the gospell which was Anno. 1361. or 765. yeares after the comming of Augustine and yeeld 85. nouenaries exactlie From hence againe to the expulsion of the pope 175 yeares or 25. septenaries thence to the receiuing of the pope and popish doctrine 21. yeares or 3. septenaries wherevnto I would ad the time of restoring the gospell by Quéene Elizabeth were it not that it wanteth one full yeare of 7. Whereby we may well gather that if there be anie hidden mysterie or thing conteined in these numbers yet the same extendeth not vnto the diuine disposition of things touching the gift of grace and frée mercie vnto the penitent vnto which neither number weight nor measure shall be able to aspire Of such Ilands as are to be seene vpon the coasts of Britaine Cap. 10. THere are néere
since this I le was left desolate for when the inhabitants thereof returned from a feast holden in S. Maries Ile they were all drowned and not one person left aliue There are also two other small Ilands betwéene this and the Annot whereof I find nothing worthie relation for as both of them ioind togither are not comparable to the said Annot for greatnesse and circuit so they want both hogs and conies wherof Annot hath great plentie There is moreouer the Minwisand from whence we passe by the Smithy sound leauing thrée little Ilands on the left hand vnto the Suartigan Iland then to Rousuian Rousuiar and the Cregwin which seauen are for the most part replenished with conies onelie and wild garlike but void of wood other commodities sauing of a short kind of grasse or here there some firzes whereon their conies doo féed Leauing therefore these desert peeces we incline a little toward the northwest where we stumble or run vpon Moncarthat Inis Welseck Suethiall We came in like sort vnto Rat Iland wherein are so manie monstrous rats that if anie horsses or other beasts happen to come thither or be left there by negligence but one night they are sure to be deuoured eaten vp without all hope of recouerie There is moreouer the Anwall and the Brier Ilands in like sort void of all good furniture conies onelie excepted and the Brier wherein is a village castell and parish-church bringeth foorth no lesse store of hogs and wild foule than Rat Iland doth of rats whereof I greatlie maruell By north of the Brier lieth the Rusco which hath a Labell or Byland stretching out toward the southwest called Inis widdon This Rusco is verie neere so great as that of S. Maries It hath moreouer an hold and a parish within it beside great store of conies and wild foule whereof they make much gaine in due time of the yeare Next vnto this we come to the Round Iland which is about a mile ouer then to S. Lides Iland wherein is a parish-church dedicated to that Saint beside conies wood and wild foule of which two later there is some indifferent store the Notho the Auing one of them being situat by south of another and the Auing halfe a mile ouer which is a iust halfe lesse than the Notho and the Tyan which later is a great Iland furnished with a parish-church and no small plentie of conies as I heare After the Tyan we come to S. Martines Ile wherein is a faire towne the I le it selfe being next vnto the Rusco for greatnesse and verie well furnished with conies fresh springs Also betwixt this and S. Maries are ten other smaller which reach out of the northeast into the southwest as Knolworth Sniuilliuer Menwetham Vollis 1. Surwihe Vollis 2. Arthurs Iland Guiniliuer Nenech and Gothrois whose estates are diuers howbeit as no one of these is to be accounted great in comparison of the other so they all yéeld a short grasse méet for sheepe and conies as doo also the rest In the greater Iles likewise whose names are commonlie such as those of the townes or churches standing in the same there are as I here sundry lakes and those neuer without great plentie of wild foule so that the Iles of Sylley are supposed to be no lesse beneficiall to their lords than anie other what soeuer within the compasse of our Ile or neere vnto our coasts In some of them also are wild swine And as these Iles are supposed to be a notable safegard to the coast of Cornewall so in diuerse of them great store of tin is likewise to be found There is in like maner such plentie of fish taken among these same that beside the feeding of their swine withall a man shall haue more there for a penie than in London for ten grotes Howbeit their cheefe commoditie is made by Reigh which they drie cut in peeces and carie ouer into little Britaine where they exchange it there for salt canuas readie monie or other merchandize which they doo stand in need of A like trade haue some of them also with Buckhorne or dried whiting as I heare But sith the author of this report did not flatlie auouch it I passe ouer that fish as not in season of this time Thus haue we viewed the richest and most wealthie Iles of Sylley from whence we must direct our course eastwards vnto the mouth of the Sauerne and then go backe againe vnto the west point of Wales continuing still our voiage along vpon the west coast of Britaine till we come to the Soluey whereat the kingdomes part from which foorth on we must touch such Ilands as lie vpon the west and north shore till we be come againe vnto the Scotish sea and to our owne dominions From the point of Cornewall therefore or promontorie of Helenus so called as some thinke bicause Helenus the son of Priamus who arriued here with Brute lieth buried there except the sea haue washed awaie his sepulchre vntill we come vnto the mouth of Sauerne we haue none Ilands at all that I doo know or heare of but one litle Byland Cape or Peninsula which is not to be counted of in this place And yet sith I haue spoken of it you shall vnderstand that it is called Pendinas and beside that the compasse thereof is not aboue a mile this is to be remembred farder thereof how there standeth a Pharos or light therein for ships which saile by those coasts in the night There is also at the verie point of the said Pendinas a chappell of saint Nicholas beside the church of saint Ia an Irish woman saint It belonged of late to the Lord Brooke but now as I gesse the Lord Mountioy enioieth it There is also a blockhouse and a péere in the eastside thereof but the péere is sore choked with sand as is the whole shore furthermore from S. Ies vnto S. Carantokes insomuch that the greatest part of this Byland is now couered with sands which the sea casteth vp and this calamitie hath indured little aboue fiftie yeares as the inhabitants doo affirme There are also two rocks neere vnto Tredwy and another not farre from Tintagell all which many of the common sort doo repute and take for Iles wherefore as one desirous to note all I thinke it not best that these should be omitted but to proceed When we be come further I meane vnto the Sauerne mouth we meet the two Holmes of which one is called Stepholme and the other Flatholme of their formes béeing in déed parcels of ground and low soiles fit for little else than to beare grasse for cattell whereof they take those names For Holme is an old Saxon word applied to all such places Of these also Stepholme lieth south
Hakerset Warlang Flad the two Baies Haie Helsaie Gigaie Lingaie Fraie Fudaie and Friskaie The Uisse is thirtie miles long and six miles broad and therein are sundrie fresh waters but one especiallie of three miles in length neuerthelesse the sea hath now of late found a waie into it so that it cannot be kept off with a banke of three score foot but now and then it will flowe into the same and leaue sea-fish behind it in the lake There is also a fish bred therein almost like vnto a salmon sauing that it hath a white bellie a blacke backe and is altogither without scales it is likewise a great harbour for théeues and pirats Eight miles beyond this lieth the Helscher appertinent to the nuns of Iona we haue then the Hasker verie plentifullie benefited by seales which are there taken in time of the yéere Thrée score miles from this also is the Hirth whose inhabitants are rude in all good science and religion yet is the Iland verie fruitfull in all things and bringeth foorth shéepe farre greater than are else-where to be found for they are as big as our fallow deare horned like bugles and haue their tailes hanging to the ground He that is owner of this I le sendeth ouer his bailiffe into the same at midsummer to gather in his duties and with him a préest to saie masse and to baptise all the children borne since that time of the yéere precedent or if none will go ouer with him bicause the voiage is dangerous then doth each father take paine to baptise his owne at home Their rents are paid commonlie in dried seales and sea foule All the whole I le is not aboue a mile euerie waie and except thrée mounteines that lie vpon one part of the shore such as dwell in the other Iles can see no part thereof Being past the Uisse we came after to Walaie the Soa the Strome to Pabaie to Barner Ensaie Killiger the two Sagas the Hermodraie Scarfe Grie Ling Gilling Heie Hoie Farlaie great So little So Ise Sein the more Sein the lesse Tarant Slegan Tuom Scarpe Hareie and the seauen holie Ilands which are desert and bréed nothing but a kind of wild shéepe which are often hunted but seldome or neuer eaten For in stéed of flesh they haue nothing but tallow and if anie flesh be it is so vnsauorie that few men care to eate of it except great hunger compell them I suppose that these be the wild sheepe which will not be tamed and bicause of the horrible grenning thereof is taken for the bastard tiger Their haire is betweene the wooll of a sheepe and the haire of a goat resembling both shacked and yet absolutelie like vnto neither of both it maie be also the same beast which Capitolinus calleth Ouis fera shewed in the time of Gordian the emperour albeit that some take the same for the Camelopardalis but hereof I make no warrantise There is also not farre off the Garuell the Lambe the Flad the Kellas the two Bernars the Kirt the two Buies the Uixaie the Pabaie the two Sigrams and the I le of Pigmeies which is so called vpon some probable coniecture for manie little sculs and bones are dailie there found déepe in the ground perfectlie resembling the bodies of children not anie of greater quantities wherby their coniecture in their opinion is the more likelie to be true There is also the Fabill I le Adams I le the I le of Lambes Hulmes Uiccoll Haueraie Cax Era Columbes Ile Tor I le Iffurd Scalpe Flad and the Swet on whose east side is a certeine vault or caue arched ouer a flight shoot in length wherevnto meane ships do vse to runne for harbour with full saile when a tempest ouertaketh them or the raging of the sea in those parts do put them in danger of wrecke Also we passed by the old castell I le which is a pretie and verie commodious plat for fish foule egges corne and pasture There is also the Ile Eust or Eu which is full of wood and a notable harbour for théeues as is also the Grinort likewise the preests Ile which is verie full of sea foule and good pasture The Afull the two Herbrerts to wit the greater and the lesse and the Iles of Horsses and Mertaika and these 8 lie ouer against the baie which is called the Lake Brian After this we go toward the north and come to the Haraie and the Lewis or the Leug both which make in truth but one Iland of thrée score miles in length and sixtéene in breadth being distinguished by no water but by huge woods bounds and limits of the two owners that doo possesse those parts The south part is called Haraie and the whole situate in the Deucalidon sea ouer against the Rosse called Thule by Tacitus wherein are manie lakes and verie pretie villages as lake Erwiâ—n lake Unsalsago but of townes S. Clements Stoie Nois S. Columbane Radmach c. In like sort there are two churches whereof one is dedicated to saint Peter an other to S. Clement beside a monasterie called Roadill The soile also of this I le is indifferent fruitfull but they reape more profit vnder the ground than aboue by digging There is neither woolfe fox nor serpent séene in this Iland yet are there great woods therein which also separate one part from the other Likewise there be plentie of stags but farre lesse in quantitie than ours and in the north part of the Iland also is a riuer which greatlie aboundeth with salmons That part also called Lewisa which is the north half of the I le is well inhabited toward the sea coasts and hath riuers no lesse plentifull for salmon than the other halfe There is also great store of herrings taken whereof the fisher men doo raise great gaine and commoditie and no lesse plentie of sheepe which they doo not sheere but plucke euerie yeere yet is the ground of this part verie heathie and full of mosse and the face thereof verie swart and blacke for the space of a foot in depth through the corruption of such woods as in time past haue rotted on the same And therefore in time of the yeere they conuert it into turffe to burne as néede shall serue and in the yéere after hauing well doonged it in the meane time with slawke of the sea they sowe barleie in the selfe places where the turffes grew and reape verie good corne wherewith they liue and féed Such plentie of whales also are taken in this coast that the verie tithe hath béene knowne in some one yéere to amount vnto seauen and twentie whales of one greatnesse and other This is notable also in this part of the I le that there is a great caue two yards déepe of water when the sea is gone and not aboue foure when it is at the highest ouer which great numbers doo sit of both sexes and ages with hooks and lines and
catch at all times an infinite deale of fish wherewith they liue and which maketh them also the more idle Being past this about sixtie miles we come vnto the Rona or Ron which some take for the last of the Hebrides distant as I said about fortie miles from the Orchades and one hundreth and thirtie from the promontorie of Dungishe The inhabitants of this I le are verie rude and irreligious the lord also of the soile dooth limit their number of housholds hauing assigned vnto them what numbers of the greater and smaller sorts of cattell they shall spend and inioie for their owne prouision they send the ouerplus yéerlie vnto him to Lewis Their cheefe paiments consist of a great quantitie of meale which is verie plentifull among them sowed vp in shéepes skins Also of mutton and sea foule dried that resteth ouer and aboue which they themselues do spend And if it happen that there be more people in the Iland than the lords booke or rate dooth come vnto then they send also the ouerplus of them in like maner vnto him by which means they liue alwaies in plentie They receiue no vices from strange countries neither know or heare of anie things doone else-where than in their owne Iland Manie whales are taken also vpon their coasts which are likewise replenished with seale and porpasse and those which are either so tame or so fierce that they abash not at the sight of such as looke vpon them neither make they anie hast to flie out of their presence Beyond this I le about 16 miles westward there is another called Suilscraie of a mile length void of grasse and without so much as heath growing vpon hir soile yet are there manie cliffes and rocks therein which are couered with blacke mosse whereon innumerable sorts of foules do bréed and laie their egs Thither in like sort manie doo saile from Lewissa to take them yoong in time of the yeare before they be able to flie which they also kill and drie in eight daies space and then returne home againe with them and great plentie of fethers fathered in this voiage One thing is verie strange and to be noted in this Iland of the Colke foule which is little lesse than a goose and this kind commeth thither but once in the yeare to wit in the spring to laie hir egs and bring vp hir yoong till they be able to shift for themselues then they get them awaie togither to the sea and come no more vntill that time of the yéere which next insueth At the same season also they cast their fethers there as it were answering tribute to nature for the vse of hir mossie soile wherein it is woonderfull to sée that those fethers haue no stalkes neither anie thing that is hard in them but are séene to couer their bodies as it were wooll or downe till breeding time I saie wherein they be left starke naked The Orchades whose first inhabitants were the Scithians which came from those Iles where the Gothes did inhabit as some sparks yet remaining among them of that language doo declare lie partlie in the Germaine and partlie in the Calidon seas ouer against the point of Dunghisbie being in number eight and twentie or as other saie thirtie one yet some saie thirtie thrée as Orosius but Plinie saith fortie and now belonging to the crowne of Scotland as are the rest whereof héeretofore I haue made report since we crossed ouer the mouth of the Solueie streame to come into this countrie Certes the people of these Islands reteine much of their old sparing diets and therevnto they are of goodlie stature tall verie comelie healthfull of long life great strength whitish colour as men that feed most vpon fish sith the cold is so extreame in those parts that the ground bringeth foorth but small store of wheate and in maner verie little or no fuell at all wherewith to warme them in the winter and yet it séemeth that in times past some of these Ilands also haue béene well replenished with wood but now they are without either trée or shrub in stéed whereof they haue plentie of heath which is suffered to grow among them rather thorough their negligence than that the soile of it selfe will not yéeld to bring foorth trées bushes For what store of such hath beene in times past the roots yet found and digged out of the ground doo yéeld sufficient triall Otes they haue verie plentifullie but greater store of barleie wherof they make a nappie kind of drinke and such indéed as will verie readilie cause a stranger to ouershoot himselfe Howbeit this may be vnto vs in lieu of a miracle that although their drinke be neuer so strong they themselues so vnmeasurable drinkers as none are more yet it shall not easilie be séene saith Hector that there is anie drunkard among them either frantike or mad man dolt or naturall foole meet to weare a cockescombe This vnmeasurable drinking of theirs is confessed also by Buchanan who noteth that whensoeuer anie wine is brought vnto them from other soiles they take their parts thereof aboundantlie He addeth moreouer how they haue an old bole which they call S. Magnus bole who first preached Christ vnto them of farre greater quantitie than common boles are and so great that it may séeme to be reserued since the Lapithane banket onelie to quaffe and drinke in And when anie bishop commeth vnto them they offer him this bole full of drinke which if he be able to drinke vp quite at one draught then they assure themselues of good lucke and plentie after it Neuerthelesse this excesse is not often found in the common sort whom penurie maketh to be more frugall but in their priests and such as are of the richer calling They succour pirats also and verie often exchange their vittels with their commodities rather for feare and want of power to resist their Ilands lieng so scattered than for anie necessitie of such gains as they doo get by those men for in truth they thinke themselues to haue little need of other furniture than their owne soiles doo yéeld and offer vnto them This is also to be read of the inhabitants of these Ilands that ignorance of excesse is vnto the most part of them in stéed of physicke and labour and trauell a medicine for such few diseases as they are molested and incombred withall In like sort they want venemous beasts cheefelie such as doo delight in hotter soile and all kinds of ouglie creatures Their ewes also are so full of increase that some doo vsuallie bring foorth two three or foure lambes at once whereby they account our anelings which are such as bring foorth but one at once rather barren than to be kept for anie gaine As for wild and tame foules they haue such plentie of them that the people there account them rather a burthen to their soile than a benefit to their tables they haue
beasts as marterns sheepe oxen and gotes skins and therevnto a kind of cloth which they weaue and sell to the merchants of Norwaie togither with their butter fish either salted or dried and their traine oile and exercise their trade of fishing also in their vncerteine skewes which they fetch out of Norwaie Their speech is Gothish and such of them as by their dealing with forren merchants doo gather anie wealth that they will verie often bestow vpon the furniture of their houses Their weights measures are after the Germaine maner their countrie is verie healthie and so wholesome that of late a man was found which had maried a wife at one hundred yeares of age and was able to go out a fishing with his bote at one hundred and fortie and of late yéeres died of méere age without anie other disease Dronkennesse is not heard of among them and yet they meet and make good chéere verie often Neither doo I read of anie great vse of flesh or foule there although that some of their Ilands haue plentie of each Nor anie mention of corne growing in these parts and therefore in steed of bread they drie a kind of fish which they beat in morters to powder bake it in their ouens vntill it be hard and drie Their fuell also is of such bones as the fish yéeldeth that is taken on their coasts and yet they liue as themselues suppose in much felicitie thinking it a great péece of their happinesse to be so farre distant from the wicked auarice and cruell dealings of the more rich and ciuill part of the world Herein also they are like vnto the Hirthiens in that at one time of the yeare there commeth a priest vnto them out of the Orchades vnto which iurisdiction they doo belong who baptiseth all such children as haue béene borne among them since he last arriued and hauing afterward remained there for a two daies he taketh his tithes of them which they prouide and paie with great scrupulositie in fish for of other commodities paie they none and then returneth home againe not without boast of his troublesome voiage except he watch his time In these Iles also is great plentie of fine Amber to be had as Hector saith which is producted by the working of the sea vpon those coasts but more of this elsewhere This neuertheles is certeine that these Ilands with the Orchades were neuer perfectlie vnited to the crowne of Scotland till the mariage was made betwéene king Iames and the ladie Marie daughter to Christierne king of Denmarke 1468 which Christierne at the birth of their sonne Iames afterward king of Scotland and called Iames the fourth resigned all his right and title whatsoeuer either he or his ancestors either presently or hertofore had might haue had or herafrer may or should haue vnto the aforesaid péeres as appéereth by the charter From these Shetland Iles and vntill we come southwards to the Scarre which lieth in Buquhamnesse I find no mention of anie I le situat vpon that coast neither greatlie from thence vntill we come at the Forth that leadeth vp to Sterling neither thought we it safetie for vs to search so farre as Thule whence the most excellent brimstone commeth thereto what store of Ilands lie vnder the more northerlie climats whose secret situations though partlie seene in my time haue not yet bin perfectlie reueled or discouered by anie bicause of the great aboundance of huge Ilands of ice that mooueth to and fro vpon their shores and sundrie perilous gulfes and indraughts of water and for as much as their knowlege doth not concerne our purpose wherfore casting about we came at the last into the Firth or Forth which some call the Scotish sea wherein we passe by seuen or eight such as they be of which the first called the Maie the second Baas and Garwie the third doo séeme to be inhabited From these also holding on our course toward England we passe by another I le wherein Faux castell standeth and this so far as my skill serueth is the last Iland of the Scotish side in compassing whereof I am not able to discerne whether their flats and shallowes number of Ilands without name confusion of situation lacke of true description or mine owne ignorance hath troubled me most No meruell therefore that I haue béene so oft on ground among them But most ioifull am I that am come home againe although not by the Thames mouth into my natiue citie which taketh his name of Troie yet into the English dominion where good interteinement is much more franke and copious and better harborough wherein to rest my wearie bones and refresh at ease our wether beaten carcasses The first Iland therefore which commeth to our sight after we passed Berwike is that which was somtime called Lindesfarne but now Holie Iland and conteineth eight miles a place much honored among our monasticall writers bicause diuerse moonks and heremits did spend their times therein There was also the bishops see of Lindesfarne for a long season which afterward was translated to Chester in the stréet finallie to Duresine Dunelme or Durham It was first erected by Oswald wherein he placed Aidanus the learned Scotish moonke who came hither out of the I le called Hij whereof Beda speaking in the third chapter of his third booke noteth that although the said Hij belong to the kings of Northumberland by reason of situation néerenesse to the coast yet the Picts appointed the bishops of the same and gaue the I le with the see it selfe to such Scotish moonks as they liked bicause that by their preaching they first receiued the faith But to returne to Lindesfarne After Aidan departed this life Finanus finished and builded the whole church with sawed timber of oke after the maner of his countrie which when Theodorus the archbishop of Canturburie had dedicated Edbert the bishop did couer ouer with lead Next vnto this is the I le of Farne and herein is a place of defense so far as I remember and so great store of egs laid there by diuerse kinds of wildfoule in time of the yeare that a man shall hardlie run for a wager on the plaine ground without the breach of manie before his race be finished About Farne also lie certeine Iles greater than Farne it selfe but void of inhabitants and in these also is great store of puffins graie as duckes and without coloured fethers sauing that they haue a white ring round about their necks There is moreouer another bird which the people call saint Cuthberts foules a verie tame and gentle creature and easie to be taken After this we came to the Cocket Iland so called bicause it lieth ouer against the fall of Cocket water Herein is a veine of meane seacole which the people dig out of the shore at the low water and in this Iland dwelled one Henrie sometime a famous heremite who as his life declareth came
village standing thereby the mouth whereof lieth almost directlie against Porchester castell which is situat about three miles by water from Portesmouth towne as Leland dooth report Then go we within halfe a mile further to Forten creeke which either giueth or taketh name of a village hard by After this we come to Osterpoole lake a great créeke that goeth vp by west into the land and lieth not far from a round turret of stone from whence also there goeth a chaine to another tower on the east side directlie ouer against it the like whereof is to be séene in diuerse other hauens of the west countrie wherby the entrance of great vessels into that part may be at pleasure restreined From hence we go further to Tichefeld water that riseth about Eastmaine parke ten or twelue miles by northeast or there abouts from Tichefeld From Eastmaine it goeth parting the forrests of Waltham and Eastberie by the way to Wicham or Wicombe a pretie market towne large through-fare where also the water separateth it selfe into two armelets and going vnder two bridges of wood commeth yer long againe vnto one chanell From hence it goeth three or foure miles further to a bridge of timber by maister Writhoseleies house leauing Tichfeld towne on the right side and a little beneath runneth vnder Ware bridge whither the sea floweth as hir naturall course inforceth Finallie within a mile of this bridge it goeth into the water of Hampton hauen whervnto diuerse streames resort as you shall heare hereafter After this we come to Hamble hauen or Hamelrish créeke whose fall is betwéene saint Andrewes castell and Hoke It riseth about Shidford in Waltham forrest when it is past Croke bridge it méeteth with another brooke which issueth not farre from Bishops Waltham out of sundrie springs in the high waie on Winchester from whence it passeth as I said by Bishops Waltham then to Budeleie or Botleie and then ioining with the Hamble they run togither by Prowlingsworth Upton Brusill Hamble towne and so into the sea Now come we to the hauen of Southhampton by Ptolomie called Magnus portus which I will briefelie describe so néere as I can possiblie The bredth or entrie of the mouth hereof as I take it is by estimation two miles from shore to shore At the west point therof also is a strong castell latelie builded which is rightlie named Caldshore but now Cawshot I wote not by what occasion On the east side thereof also is a place called Hoke afore mentioned or Hamell hoke wherein are not aboue thrée or foure fisher houses not worthie to be remembred This hauen shooteth vp on the west side by the space of seuen miles vntill it come to Hampton towne standing on the other side where it is by estimation a mile from land to land Thence it goeth vp further about thrée miles to Redbridge still ebbing and flowing thither and one mile further so farre as my memorie dooth serue mée Now it resteth that I describe the Alresford streame which some doo call the Arre or Arle and I will procéed withall in this order following The Alresford beginneth of diuerse faire springs about a mile or more frō Alresford or Alford as it is now called and soone after resorting to one bottome they become a broad lake which for the most part is called Alford pond Afterward returning againe to a narrow chanell it goeth through a stone bridge at the end of Alford towne leauing the towne it selfe on the lest hand toward Hicthingstocke thrée miles off but yet it commeth there it receiueth two rils in one bottome whereof one commeth from the Forrest in maner at hand and by northwest of old Alresford the other frō Browne Candiuer that goeth by Northenton Swarewotton Aberstone c vntill we méet with the said water beneath Alford towne Being past Hichinstocke it commeth by Anington to Eston village and to Woorthie where it beginneth to branch and ech arme to part it selfe into other that resort to Hide and the lower soiles by east of Winchester there seruing the stréets the close of S. Maries Wolueseie and the new college verie plentifullie with their water But in this meane while the great streame commeth from Worthie to the east bridge and so to saint Elizabeth college where it dooth also part in twaine enuironing the said house in most delectable maner After this it goeth toward S. Crosses leauing it a quarter of a mile on the right hand then to Twiford a mile lower where it gathereth againe into one bottome and goeth six miles further to Woodmill taking the Otter brooke withall on the east side and so into the salt créeke that leadeth downe to the hauen On the other side of Southhampton there resorteth into this hauen also both the Test the Stockbridge water in one bottome whereof I find this large description insuing The verie head of the Stockewater is supposed to be somewhere about Basing stoke or church Hockleie and going from thence betwéene Ouerton and Steuenton it commeth at last by Lauerstocke Whitchurch and soone after receiuing a brooke by northwest called the Bourne descending from S. Marie Bourne southeast from Horsseburne it procéedeth by Long paroch and the wood till it meet with the Cranburne on the cast side a pretie riuelet rising about Michelneie and going by Fullington Barton and to Cramburne thence to Horwell in one bottome beneath which it meeteth with the Andeuer water that is increased yer it come there by an other brooke whose name I doo not know This Andeuer streame riseth in Culhamshire forrest not far by north from Andeuer towne and going to vpper Clatford yer it touch there it receiueth the rill of which I spake before which rising also néeer vnto Anport goeth to Monketon to Abbatesham the Andeuer and both as I said vnto the Test beneath Horwell whereof I spake euen now These streames being thus brought into one bottome it runneth toward the south vnder Stockbridge and soone after diuiding it selfe in twaine one branch thereof goeth by Houghton a little beneath meeteth with a rill that commeth from bywest of S. Ans hill and goeth by east of vpper Wallop west of nether Wallop by Bucholt forrest Broughton and called as I haue béene informed the Gallop but now it is named Wallop The other arme runneth through the parke by north west of kings Somburne and vniting themselues againe they go forth by Motteshunt and then receiue the Test a pretie water rising in Clarendun parke that goeth by west Deane and east Deane so to Motteshunt and finallie to the aforesaid water which from thencefoorth is called the Test euen vnto the sea But to procéed After this confluence it taketh the gate to Kimbebridge then to Rumseie Longbridge and beneath the same receiueth a concourse of two rilles whereof the one commeth from Sherefield the other from the new Forrest and ioining in Wadeleie parke
by north After this confluence it goeth on toward the south till it méet with a pretie brooke rising northeast of Whettell going by Brunton Regis increased at the least with thrée rilles which come all from by north These being once met this water runneth on by west of the beacon that beareth the name of Haddon soone after taketh in the Barleie that receiueth in like sort the Done at Hawkbridge and from hence goeth by Dauerton and Combe and then doth méet with the Exe almost in the verie confines betwéene Dorset Summerset shires Being past this coniunction our Exe passeth betwéene Brushford and Murbath and then to Exe bridge where it taketh in as I heare a water by west from east Austie and after this likewise another on ech side whereof one commeth from Dixford and Baunton the other called Woodburne somewhat by east of Okeford From these meetings it goeth to Caue and through the forrest and woods to Hatherland and Washfields vntill it come to Tiuerton and here it receiueth the Lomund water that riseth aboue Ashbrittle commeth downe by Hockworthie vpper Loman and so to Tiuerton that standeth almost euen in the verie confluence Some call this Lomund the Simming brooke or Sunnings bath After this our Exe goeth to Bickleie Theuerten taking in a rill by west nether Exe Bramford beneath which it ioineth with the Columbe that riseth of one head northeast of Clarie Haidon and of another south of Shildon and méeting beneath Columbe stocke goeth by Columbe and Bradfeld and there crossing a rill that commeth by Ashford it runneth south to Wood More haies Columbton Brandnicke Beare Columbe Iohn Horham and ioining as I said with the Exe at Bramford passing vnder but one bridge yer it meet with another water by west growing of the Forten and Cride waters except it be so that I doo iudge amisse The Cride riseth aboue Wolle sworthie and néere vnto Upton after it is past Dewrish crosseth a rill from betweene Puggill and Stockeleie by Stocke English c. From hence it goeth to Fulford where it méeteth with the Forten wherof one branch commeth by Caldbrooke the other from S. Marie Tedburne and ioining aboue Crediton the chanell goeth on to the Cride which yer long also receiueth another from by north comming by Stockeleie and Combe then betwéene Haine and Newton Sires to Pines and so into the Exe which staieth not vntill it come to Excester From Excester whither the burgesses in time past laboured to bring the same but in vaine it runneth to Were there taking in a rill from by west and an other lower by Exminster next of all vnto Toppesham beneath which towne the Cliue entreth thereinto which rising about Plumtree goeth by Clift Haidon Clift Laurence Brode Clift Honiton Souton Bishops Clift S. Marie Clift Clift saint George and then into the Exe that runneth forward by Notwell court Limston and Ponderham castell Here as I heare it taketh in the Ken or Kenton brooke as Leland calleth it comming from Holcombe parke by Dunsdike Shillingford Kenford Ken Kenton and so into Exe hauen at whose mouth lie certeine rocks which they call the CheckstonÌ„es except I be deceiued The next fall whereof Leland saith nothing at all commeth by Ashcombe and Dulish and hath his head in the hilles thereby The Teigne mouth is the next fall that he came to it is a goodlie port foure miles from Exemouth The head of this water is twentie miles from the sea at Teigne head in Dartmore among the Gidleie hilles From whence it goeth to Gidleie towne Teignton drue where it receiueth the Crokerne comming from by north and likewise an other west of Fulford parke Then it goeth to Dufford Bridford Kirslowe Chidleie Knighton and beneath the bridge there receiueth the Bouie whose course is to north Bouie Lilleie and Bouitracie Thence it runneth to kings Teignton taking in Eidis a brooke beneath Preston that commeth from Edeford by the waie And when it is past this confluence at kings Teignton it crosseth the Leman which commeth from Saddleton rocke by Beckington and Newton Bushels and soone after the Aller that riseth betwéene Danburie and Warog well afterward falling into the sea by Bishops Teignton south of Teignmouth towne The verie vtter west point of the land at the mouth of Teigne is called the Nesse and is a verie high red cliffe The east part of the hauen is named the Poles a low sandie ground either cast vp by the spuing of the sand out of the Teigne or else throwne vp from the shore by the rage of wind and water This sand occupieth now a great quantitie of the ground betweene the hauen where the sand riseth and Teignmouth towne which towne surnamed Regis hath in time past béen sore defaced by the Danes and of late timeby the French From Teignemouth we came to Tor baie wherof the west point is called Birie and the east Perritorie betwéene which is little aboue foure miles From Tor baie also to Dartmouth is six miles where saith Leland I marked diuerse things First of all vpon the east side of the hauen a great hillie point called Downesend and betwixt Downesend and a pointlet named Wereford is a little baie Were it selfe in like sort is not full a mile from Downesend vpward into the hauen Kingswere towne standeth out as another pointlet and betwixt it Wereford is the second baie Somewhat moreouer aboue Kingswere towne goeth a little créeke vp into the land from the maine streame of the hauen called Waterhead and this is a verie fit place for vessels to be made in In like sort halfe a mile beyond this into the landward goeth another longer créeke and aboue that also a greater than either of these called Gawnston whose head is here not halfe a mile from the maine sea by the compassing thereof as it runneth in Tor baie The riuer of Dart or Darent for I read Derenta muth for Dartmouth commeth out of Dartmore fiftéene miles aboue Totnesse in a verie large plot and such another wild morish forrestie ground as Ermore is Of it selfe moreouer this water is verie swift and thorough occasion of tin-workes whereby it passeth it carrieth much sand to Totnesse bâ—â—dge and so choketh the depth of the riuer downeward that the hauen it selfe is almost spoiled by the same The mariners of Dartmouth accompt this to be about a kenning from Plimmouth The Darent therefore proceeding from the place of his vprising goeth on to Buckland from whence it goeth to Buckland hole and soone after taking in the Ashburne water on the one side that runneth from Saddleton rocke by north and the Buckfastlich that commeth from north west it runneth to Staunton Darington Hemston and there also crossing a rill on ech side passeth foorth to Totnesse Bowden and aboue Gabriell Stoke méeteth with the Hartburne that runneth vnder Rost bridge two
a rill by east from aboue Kellington it runneth on to Newton Pillaton Wootton Blosfleming saint Erne and beneath this village crosseth a rillet that runneth thither from Bicton by Quithiocke saint Germans and Sheuiocke But to procéed After the confluence it goeth betweene Erlie and Fro Martine castell and soone after taking in a rill from by north that passeth west of saint Steuens it is not long yer it fall into the Thamar which after this receiuing the Milbrooke creeke goeth on by Edgecombe and betwéene saint Michaels Ile and Ridden point into the maine sea And thus haue I finished the description of Plimmouth water and all such falles as are betwéene Mewston rocke on the east side and the Ram head on the other After this we procéeded on with our iournie toward the west and passing by Longstone we came soone after to Sothan baie where we crossed the Seton water whose head is about Liscard his course by Minheniet Chafrench Tregowike Sutton and so into the sea Then came we to Low and going in betwéene it and Mount I le we find that it had a branched course and thereto the confluence aboue Low The chiefe head riseth in the hils as it were two miles aboue Gaine and going by that towne it ceaseth not to continue his course east of Dulo till it come a little aboue Low where it crosseth and ioineth with the Brodoke water that runneth from Brodokes by Trewargo and so into the sea Next vnto these are two other rils of which one is called Polpir before we come at Foy or Fawy Foy or Fawy riuer riseth in Fawy moore on the side of an hill in Fawy moore from whence it runneth by certeine bridges till it méet with the Glin water west of Glin towne which rising aboue Temple méeting with a rill that commeth in from S. Neotes doth fall into Fawy a mile and more aboue Resprin from by east After this confluence then it goeth to Resprin bridge Lestermen castell Loftwithiell bridge Pill saint Kingtons saint Winnow and Golant and here also receiueth the Lerine water out of a parke that taketh his waie into the maine streame by Biconke Tethe and the Fining house Being thus vnited it proceedeth vnto Fawy towne taking in a rill or creeke from aboue it on the one side and another beneath it south of Halling on the other of which two this latter is the longest of course fith it runneth thrée good miles before it come at the Foy. Leland writing of this riuer addeth verie largelie vnto it after this maner The Fawy riseth in Fawy moore about two miles from Camilford by south and sixtéene miles from Fawy towne in a verie quaue mire on the side of an hill From hence it goeth to Drainesbridge to Clobham bridge Lergen bridge New bridge Resprin bridge and Lostwithiell bridge where it meeteth with a little brooke and néere therevnto parteth it selfe in twaine Of these two armes therefore one goeth to a bridge of stone the other to another of timber and soone after ioining againe the maine riuer goeth to saint Gwinnowes from thence also to the point of saint Gwinnowes wood which is about halfe a mile from thence except my memorie dooth faile me Here goeth in a salt créeke halfe a mile on the east side of the hauen and at the head of it is a bridge called Lerine bridge the créeke it selfe in like maner bearing the same denomination From Lerine creeke to S. Caracs pill or créeke is about halfe a mile and Lower on the east side of the said hauen it goeth vp also aboue a mile and an halfe into the land From Caracs créeke to Poulmorland a mile and this likewise goeth vp scant a quarter of a mile into the land yet at the head it parteth it selfe in twaine From Poulmorland weto Bodnecke village halfe a mile where the passage and repassage is commonlie to Fawy From Bodnecke to Pelene point where a créeke goeth vp not fullie a thousand paces into the land a mile thence to Poulruan a quarter of a mile and at this Poulruan is a tower of force marching against the tower on Fawy side betwéene which as I doo heare a chaine hath sometime beene stretched and likelie inough for the hauen there is hardly two bow shot ouer The verie point of land at the east side of the mouth of this hauen is called Pontus crosse but now Panuchecrosse It shall not be amisse in this place somewhat to intreat of the towne of Fawy which is called in Cornish Comwhath and being situat on the north-side of the hauen is set hanging on a maine rockie hill being in length about one quarter of a mile except my memorie deceiue me The renowme of Fawy rose by the wars vnder king Edward the first Edward the third and Henrie the fift partlie by feats of armes and partlie by plaine pirasie Finallie the townesmen feeling themselues somwhat at ease and strong in their purses they fell to merchandize and so they prospered in this their new deuise that as they trauelled into all places so merchants from all countries made resort to them whereby within a while they grew to be exceeding rich The ships of Fawy sailing on a time by Rhie and Winchelseie in the time of king Edward the third refused stoutlie to vale anie bonet there although warning was giuen them so to doo by the portgreues or rulers of those townes Herevpon the Rhie and Winchelseie men made out vpon them with cut and long taile but so hardlie were they interteined by the Fawy pirates I should saie aduenturers that they were driuen home againe with no small losse and hinderance Such fauour found the Fawy men also immediatlie vpon this bickering that in token of their victorie ouer their winching aduersaries and riding ripiers as they called them in mockerie they altered their armes and compounded for new wherein the scutchion of Rhie and Winchelseie is quartered with theirs and beside this the Foyens were called the gallants of Fawy or Foy whereof they not a little reioised and more peraduenture than for some greater bootie And thus much of Fawy towne wherein we sée what great successe often commeth of witlesse and rash aduentures But to returne againe to our purpose from whence we haue digressed and as hauing some desire to finish vp this our voiage we will leaue the Fawmouth go forward on our iournie Being therefore past this hauen we come into Trewardith baie which lieth into the land betwéene Canuasse and the Blacke head point and hereabout Leland placeth Vrctoum promontorium In this we saw the fall of two small brookes not one verie far distant from another The first of them entring west of Trewardith the other east of saint Blaies and both directlie against Curwarder rocke except I mistake my compasse Neither of them are of anie great course and the longest not full thrée miles and an halfe Wherfore sith
they are neither branched nor of anie great quantitie what should I make long haruest of a little corne and spend more time than may well be spared about them When we were past the Blacke head we came to Austell brooke which is increased with a water that commeth from aboue Mewan and within a mile after the confluence they fall into the sea at Pentoren from whence we went by the Blacke rocke and about the Dudâ—â—an point till we came to Chare haies where falleth in a pretie water whose head is two miles aboue saint Tues Thence we went by here and there a méere salt créeke till we passed the Graie rocke in Giâ—inâ—raith baie and S. Anthonies point where Leland maketh his accompt to enter into Falamouth hauen The Fala riseth a little by north of Penuenton towne and going westward till it come downwards toward saint Dionise it goeth from thence to Melader saint Steuens Grampont Goldon Crede Corneleie Tregue Moran Treguâ—â—an it falleth into the hauen with a good indifferent force and this is the course of Fala But least I should séeme to omit those creekes that are betwéene this and S. Anthonies point I will go a little backe againe and fetch in so maniâ— of them as come now to my remembrance Entring therefore into the port we haue a créeke that runneth vp by saint Anthonies toward saint Gereus then another that goeth into the land by east of saint Maries castell with a forked head passing in the meane time by a great rocke that lieth in the verie midst of the hauen in maner of the third point of a triangle betwéene saint Maries castell and Pendinant Thence we cast about by the said castell and came by another créeke that falleth in by east then the second aboue saint Iustus the third at Ardenora the fourth at Rilan And hauing as it were visited all these in order we come backe againe about by Tregonnian and then going vpward betweene it and Taluerne till we came to Fentangolan we found the confluence of two great creekes beneath saint Clements whereof one hath a fresh water comming downe by S. Merâ—her the other another from Truro increased with sundrie branches though not one of them of anie greatnesse and therefore vnworthie to be handled Pole hole standeth vpon the head almost of the most easterlie of them S. Kenwen and Truro stand aboue the confluence of other two The fourth falleth in by west from certeine hils as for the fift and sixt as they be little créeks and no fresh so haue I lesse language and talke to spend about them Of saint Caie and saint Feokes créeke whose issue is betwéene Restronget and créeke of Trurie I sée no cause to make any long spéech yet I remember that the towne of S. Feoke standeth betwéene them both That also called after this saint rising aboue Perannarwothill and comming thence by Kirklo falleth into Falamouth northeast of Milor which standeth vpon the point betwéene it and Milor créeke Milor creeke is next Restronget some call it Milor poole from whence we went by Trefusis point and there found an other great fall from Perin which being branched in the top hath Perin towne almost in the verie confluence And thus much by my collection of the fall But for somuch as Leland hath taken some paines in the description of this riuer I will not suffer it to perish sith there is other matter conteined therein worthie remembrance although not deliuered in such order as the thing it selfe requireth The verie point saith he of the hauen mouth being an hill whereon the king hath builded a castell is called Pendinant It is about a mile in compasse almost inuironed with the sea and where the sea couereth not the ground is so low that it were a small mastrie to make Pendinant an Iland Furthermore there lieth a cape or foreland within the hauen a mile and a halfe and betwixt this and maister Killigrewes house one great arme of the hauen runneth vp to Penrine towne which is three miles from the verie entrie of Falamouth hauen and two good miles from Penfusis Moreouer there is Leuine Priselo betwixt saint Budocus and Pendinas which were a good hauen but for the barre of sand But to procéed The first creeke or arme that casteth on the northwest side of Falemouth hauen goeth vp to Perin and at the end it breaketh into two armes whereof the lesse runneth to Glasenith Viridis nidus the gréene nest or Wagméere at Penrine the other to saint Glunias the parish church of Penrine In like sort out of each side of Penrine créeke breaketh an arme yer it come to Penrine This I vnderstand also that stakes and foundations of stone haue béene set in the créeke at Penrine a litle lower than the wharfe where it breakech into armes but howsoeuer this standeth betwixt the point of Trefusis and the point of Restronget is Milor créeke which goeth vp a mile into the land and by the church is a good rode for ships The next creeke beyond the point of Restronget wood is called Restronget which going two miles vp into the maine breaketh into two armes In like order betwixt Restronget and the creeke of Trurie be two créekes one called saint Feokes the other saint Caie next vnto which is Trurie créeke that goeth vp about two miles creeking from the principall streame and breaketh within halfe a mile of Trurie casting in a branch westward euen hard by Newham wood This creeke of Trurie is diuided into two parts before the towne of Trurie and each of them hauing a brooke comming downe and a bridge the towne of Trurie standeth betwixt them both In like sort Kenwen stréet is seuered from the said towne with this arme and Clements street by east with the other Out of the bodie also of Trurie creeke breaketh another eastward a mile from Crurie and goeth vp a mile and a halfe to Cresilian bridge of stone At the verie entrie and mouth of this créeke is a rode of ships called Maples rode and here fought not long since eightéene ships of Spanish merchants with foure ships of warre of Deepe but the Spaniards draue the Frenchmen all into this harborow A mile and an halfe aboue the mouth of Crurie creeke is another named Lhan Moran of S. Morans church at hand This créeke goeth vp a quarter of a mile from the maine streame into the hauen as the maine streame goeth vp two miles aboue Moran créeke ebbing and flowing and a quarter of a mile higher is the towne of Cregowie where we found a bridge of stone vpon the Fala riuer Fala it selfe riseth a mile or more west of Roche hill and goeth by Graund pont where I saw a bridge of stone This Graund pont is foure miles from Roche hill and two little miles from Cregowie betwixt which the Fala taketh his course From Cregowie to passe downe by the bodie
yer it come at Caerleon or Chester in the south taketh in two waters on the right hand of which the first commeth downe from the north betweene Landgwie Landgweth and by Lhan Henoch without anie further increase but the other is a more beautifull streame called Auon and thus described as I find it among my pamphlets The Auon riseth in the hilles that séeme to part Monemouth and Brechenocke shires in sunder and after a rill receiued from Blorench hill on the northside of the same running downe from thence by Capell Newith and Triuethin it receiueth a water from by south almost of equall course and from that quarter of the countrie and in processe of time anotehr little one from the same side yer it come to Lanurgwaie and Lanihangle from whence it goeth to Euennocke and Penrose so in Uske before it go by Caerleon But here you must note that the course of this streame ioining beneath Quenocke chappell with the other which descendeth as I said from the hilles about foure miles aboue Landgwaie and Langweth dooth make an Iland aboue Caerleon where Penrose standeth much Romane coine is found of all sorts so that the influence of the one into the other séemeth to me to be but a draine deuised by man to kéepe the citie from the violence of such water as otherwise would oft annoie the same Being past Caerleon it runneth to Crindie where maister Harbert dwelleth and there carieng another brooke withall that riseth north of Tomberlow hill and descendeth by Henlis and Bettus chappell it runneth forth to Newport in Welch castle Newith and from thence vnder a bridge after thrée or foure miles course to the sea taking the Ebowith water withall which méeteth with the same almost in the verie mouth or fall and riseth in the edge of Brecknoch shire or as Leland saith high Winceland from two heads of which one is called Eberith Uehan the other Eberith Mawr as I haue beene informed The course of the first head is by Blamgrent and after the confluence they passe togither by Lanhileth and comming by west of Tomberlow hill crossing a rill from north east by the waie it taketh in thereabout the Serowie that runneth by Trestrent is of lesse race hitherto than the Ebowith and from that same quarter After this confluence it goeth to Risleie Rocheston castell next of all thorough a parke and so by Greenefield castell and is not long yer it fall into the sea being the last issue that I doo find in the countie which beareth the name of Monemouth and was in old time a part of the region of the Silures The Romeneie or as some corruptlie call it the Nonneie is a goodlie water and from the head a march betwéene Monemouth Glamorgan shires The head hereof is aboue Egglins Tider vap Hoell otherwise called Fanum Theodori or the church of Theodorus whence commeth manie springs taking one bottome the water is called Canoch and not Romeneie till it be come to Romeneie It receiueth no water on the east side but on the west diuerse small beckes whereof three and one of them called Ifra are betwéene the rising and Brathetere chappell the fourth cōmeth in by Capell Gledis and Kethligaire the first from betwéene the Faldraie and Lanuabor the sixt seuenth before it come to Bedwas and the eight ouer against Bedwas it selfe from chappell Martin Cairfillie castell and Thauan after which confluences it runneth on by Maghan Keuen Mableie and Romeneie yer long crossing a becke at north west that commeth from aboue Lisuan Lamssen and Roch it falleth into the sea about six miles from the Wishe and albeit the mouth therof be nothing profitable for ships yet is it also a march betwéene the Silures and Glamorganshire The Laie falleth into the sea a mile almost from the Taffe and riseth in the hilles aboue Lantrissent for all the region is verie hillie From whence comming by Lantrissent and Auercastell it runneth by Coit Marchan parke Lambedder S. Brides Lhannihangle saint Fagans and Elaie Leckwith Landowgh Cogampill and so into the sea without anie maner increase by anie rils at all sauing the Dunelais which riseth foure miles from his fall east northeast and meeteth withall a little more than a quarter of a mile from Pont Uelim Uaur and likewise by west the Methcoid that commeth from Glinne Rodeneie and wherein to the Pedware dischargeth that small water gathered in his chanell Here will I staie a little and breake off into a discourse which Leland left also as parcell of this coast who toucheth it after this maner From Taffe to Laie mouth or Ele riuer a mile from Laie mouth or rather Penarth that standeth on the west point of it to the mouth of Thawan riuer from whence is a common passage ouer vnto Mineheued in Summersetshire of 17 miles are about seuen Welth miles which are counted after this maner A mile and a halfe aboue Thawan is Scilleie hauenet a pretie succour for ships whose head is in Wenno paroch two miles and a halfe from the shore From Scilleie mouth to Aber Barrie a mile and thither commeth a little rill of fresh water into Sauerne whose head is scant a mile off in plaine ground by northeast and right against the fall of this becke lieth Barrie Iland a flight shot from the shore at the full sea Halfe a mile aboue Aber Barrie is the mouth of Come kidie which riseth flat north from the place where it goeth into the Sauerne and serueth oft for harbour vnto sea-farers Thence to the mouth of Thawan are thrée miles wherevnto ships may come at will Two miles aboue Thawan is Colhow whither a little rill resorteth from Lau Iltuit thence to the mouth of Alen foure miles that is a mile to saint Dinothes castell and thrée miles further The Alen riseth by northeast vp into the land at a place called Lhes Broimith or Skirpton about foure miles aboue the plot where it commeth by it selfe into Sauerne From thence to the mouth of Ogur aliàs Gur thrée miles Then come they in processe of time vnto the Kensike or Colbrooke riuer which is no great thing sith it riseth not aboue three miles from the shore From Kensike to Aber Auon two miles and herein doo ships molested with weather oftentimes séeke harborough It commeth of two armes whereof that which lieth northeast is called Auon Uaur the other that lieth northwest Auon Uehan They meet togither at Lhanuoie Hengle about two miles aboue Aber Auon village which is two miles also from the sea From hence to the Neth is about two miles and a halfe thereon come shiplets almost to the towne of Neth from the Sauerne From the mouth of Neth vnto the mouth of Crimline becke is two miles and being passed the same we come vnto the Tauie which descendeth from the aforesaid hilles and
waie sundrie salt créekes as the maine chanell dooth from thence foorth vntill it passe the Sandie hauen the Dale rode whither a sillie fresh rill commeth of small value be come about againe to the large Ocean Hauing thus shewed the courses of those few fresh waters that come to Milford hauen we cast about by the Blockehouse and S. Annes chappell to Gateholme I le that lieth betwéene S. Annes and the Wilocke point directlie ouer against Stockeholme Iland that is situat further off into the sea toward the southwest and is full halfe so great as the Scalmeie that I elsewhere described Betwéene the Willocke point also and the Scalmeie directlie west is the Midland I le full so great as the Gateholme As for the two rocks that lie by north and south of the Scalmeie of which the one is called the Yardland stone the other Mewstone it shall not be greatlie requisit to stand on their discourses sith they are such as may hardlie be taken for Ilands and euen in like sort we may iudge of S. Brides Ile which is southwest of Calthrop rode likewise of the Gresholme whereof I find this short description The Gresholme lieth directlie west of Scalmeie from whence if you saile thither on the south side you must néeds passe by the Mewstone rocke if on the north of Scalmeie you must leaue the Yarland stone on your left hand Wherto if you note well the situation of these Ilands alreadie named and confer them with the Ramseie and S. Dauids land you shall find them to produce as it were two dangerous points including the Brid baie wherein notwithstanding the greatnesse are 1000 perils and no fresh brookes for me to deale withall Finallie hauing doubled the Willocke point we thought it not good altogether to leaue that baie vnsearched at lestwise to sée what Ilands might there be found long entred into the same we beheld one which the men of the countrie call S. Brides Iland a verie little place and situate néere the land before I came at Galtroie rode From thence we went about by the little hauen Doluach hauen Caruaie hauen Shirelace rocke Carnbuddie and Earnaie baies Portelais and so into the found betwéene Ramseie and the point In this sound likewise is a little I le almost annexed to the maine but in the middest thereof I meane of the sound is a rocke called the horsse a mile and more by north of Ribbie rocke that lieth south east of Ramseie and more infortunate than ten of Seians colts but thanked be God I neuer came on his backe Thence passing by S. Stephans and Whitesand baies we saluted the Bishop and his clerks as they went in procession on our left side being loth to take anie salted holie water at their hands and came at last to the point called S. Dauids head which Ptolomie calleth Octapitanum promontorium except I be deceiued But here gentle reader giue me leaue to staie a while and insert the words of Leland touching the land called S. Dewies or S. Dauids land whereof some men may peraduenture haue vse his words are these Being therefore past this hauen and point of Demetia in casting about the coast we come to S. Dewies or S. Dauids land which Ptolomie calleth Octapitanum promontorium I read to be separated from the rest of the countrie much after this maner although I grant that there may be and are diuerse other little creekes betwixt Newgale and S. Dauids head and betwixt S. Dauids and Fischard beside those that are héere mentioned out of a register of that house As we turne therefore from Milford S. Dauids land beginneth at Newgale a créeke serued with a backe fresh water Howbeit there is a baie before this creeke betwixt it and Milford From hence about foure miles is Saluach creeke otherwise called Sauerach whither some fresh water resorteth the mouth also thereof is a good rescue for balingers as it I meane the register saith Thence go we to Portelais three miles where is a little portlet whither the Alen that commeth through saint Dewies close dooth run It lieth a mile southwest from S. Dewies saint Stinans Chappell also is betwéene Portelais and Portmaw The next is Port Maw where I found a great estuarie into the land The Pendwie halfe a mile from that Lhand Uehan is thrée miles from Pendwie where is a salt créeke then to Tredine three miles where is another creeke to Langunda foure miles and another créeke is there in like sort where fishermen catch herrings Héere also the Gwerne riuer diuideth Penbidiane from Fischerdine Kemmeis land From Langunda to Fischard at the Gwerne mouth foure miles and here is a portlet or hauenet also for ships And thus much of S. Dauids land Besides this also Leland in a third booke talketh of lhinnes and pooles but for asmuch as my purpose is not to speake of lakes and lhinnes I passe them ouer as hasting to Teifie in Latine Tibius and after Ptolomie Tuerobius or Tiuirobius which is the next riuer that serueth for my purpose And yet not forgetting to touch the Gwerne for after we came from saint Dauids head we coasted along toward the southeast till wée came ouer against saint Catharins where going northwards by the bread hauen and the Strombles head we sailed thence northeast and by north to Langlas head then flat south by the Cow and Calfe two cruell rockes which we left on the left hand so coasted ouer to Abergwin or Fischard where we found a fresh water named Guin or Gwerne whose course is in maner directlie out of the east into the west from Uremie hils by pont Uaunt and Lanichair vntill it come within a mile of the foresaid towne It riseth flat north of the Perselie hill from whence it goeth by Pont vaine Lauerillidoch Lanchar Landilouair so to Abergwine or Abergwerne for I read both From Abergwine we cast about by Dinas head till we come to the fall of Neuerne where Newport standeth The head of this riuer is aboue Capell Nantgwin from whence it runneth by Whitchurch but yer it come at Kilgwin it taketh in a little water that riseth short of Wrenie vaure and thence go foorth as one vntill they come to Newport Cardigan hauen is the next fall that I did stumble on wherein lieth a litle Iland ouer against the north point Hereinto also commeth the Teifie a noble riuer which riseth in Lintinie and is fraught with delicate samons and herein and not else where in all the riuers of Britaine is the Castor or Beuer to be found But to procéed The verie hed thereof I saie is foure miles aboue Stradflore in Luitie and after it hath run from thence a little space it receiueth a brooke from southeast that commeth out of Lin Legnant and then after the confluence runneth on to Stradflore abbeie beneth which it
being nine yeares of age was by the lawes of Edgar in ward to king Henrie the third by the nobles of Scotland brought to Yorke and there deliuered vnto him During whose minoritie king Henrie gouerned Scotland and to subdue a commotion in this realme vsed the aid of fiue thousand Scotishmen But king Henrie died during the nonage of this Alexander whereby he receiued not his homage which by reason and law was respited vntill his full age of one and twentie yeares Edward the first after the conquest sonne of this Henrie was next king of England immediatlie after whose coronation Alexander king of Scots being then of full age did homage to him for Scotland at Westminster swearing as all the rest did after this maner I. D. N. king of Scots shall be true and faithfull vnto you lord E. by the grace of God king of England the noble and superior lord of the kingdome of Scotland and vnto you I make my fidelitie for the same kingdome the which I hold and claime to hold of you And I shall beare you my faith and fidelitie of life and lim and worldlie honour against all men faithfullie I shall knowlege and shall doo you seruice due vnto you of the kingdome of Scotland aforesaid as God me so helpe and these holie euangelies This Alexander king of Scots died leauing one onelie daughter called Margaret for his heire who before had maried Hanigo sonne to Magnus king of Norwaie which daughter also shortlie after died leauing one onelie daughter hir heire of the age of two yeares whose custodie and mariage by the lawes of king Edgar and Edward the confessor belonged to Edward the first whervpon the nobles of Scotland were commanded by our king Edward to send into Norwaie to conueie this yoong queene into England to him whome he intended to haue maried to his sonne Edward and so to haue made a perfect vnion long wished for betwéene both realmes Herevpon their nobles at that time considering the same tranquillitie that manie of them haue since refused stood not vpon shifts and delaies of minoritie nor contempt but most gladlie consented and therevpon sent two noble men of Scotland into Norwaie for hir to be brought to this king Edward but she died before their comming thither and therefore they required nothing but to inioie the lawfull liberties that they had quietlie possessed in the last king Alexanders time After the death of this Margaret the Scots were destitute of anie heire to the crowne from this Alexander their last king at which time this Edward descended from the bodie of Mawd daughter of Malcolme sometime king of Scots being then in the greatest broile of his warres with France minded not to take the possession of that kingdome in his owne right but was contented to establish Balioll to be king thereof the weake title betwéene him Bruse Hastings being by the humble petition of all the realme of Scotland cōmitted to the determination of king Edward wherein by autentike writing they confessed the superioritie of the realme to remaine in king Edward sealed with the seales of foure bishops seuen earles and twelue barons of Scotland and which shortlie after was by the whole assent of the three estates of Scotland in their solemne parlement confessed and enacted accordinglie as most euidentlie dooth appeare The Balioll in this wise made king of Scotland did immediatlie make his homage and fealtie at Newcastell vpon saint Stéeuens daie as did likewise all the lords of Scotland each one setting his hand to the composition in writing to king Edward of England for the kingdome of Scotland but shortlie after defrauding the benigne goodnesse of his superiour he rebelled and did verie much hurt in England Herevpon king Edward inuaded Scotland seized into his hands the greater part of the countrie and tooke all the strengths thereof Whervpon Balioll king of Scots came vnto him to Mauntrosse in Scotland with a white wand in his hand and there resigned the crowne of Scotland with all his right title and interest to the same into the hands of king Edward and thereof made his charter in writing dated and sealed the fourth yeare of his reigne All the nobles and gentlemen of Scotland also repaired to Berwike and did homage and fealtie to king Edward there becomming his subiects For the better assurance of whose oths also king Edward kept all the strengths and holdes of Scotland in his owne hands and herevpon all their lawes processes all iudgements gifts of assises and others passed vnder the name and authoritie of king Edward Leland touching the same rehearsall writeth thereof in this maner In the yeare of our Lord 1295 the same Iohn king of Scots contrarie to his faith and allegiance rebelled against king Edward and came into England and burnt and siue without all modestie and mercie Wherevpon king Edward with a great host went to Newcastell vpon Tine passed the water of Twéed besieged Berwike and got it Also he wan the castell of Dunbar and there were slaine at this brunt 15700 Scots Then he proceeded further and gat the castell of Rokesborow and the castell of Edenborow Striuelin and Gedworth and his people harried all the land In the meane season the said king Iohn of Scots considering that he was not of power to withstand king Edward sent his letters and besought him of treatie and peace which our prince benignlie granted and sent to him againe that he should come to the towre of Brechin and bring thither the great lords of Scotland with him The king of England sent thither Antonie Becke bishop of Durham with his roiall power to conclude the said treatise And there it was agreed that the said Iohn and all the Scots should vtterlie submit themselues to the kings will And to the end the submission should be performed accordinglie the king of Scots laid his sonne in hostage and pledge vnto him There also he made his letters sealed with the common scale of Scotland by the which he knowledging his simplenes and great offense doone to his lord king Edward of England by his full power and frée will yeelded vp all the land of Scotland with all the people and homage of the same Then our king went foorth to sée the mounteins and vnderstanding that all was in quiet and peace he turned to the abbeie of Scone which was of chanons regular where he tooke the stone called the Regall of Scotland vpon which the kings of that nation were woont to sit at the time of their coronations for a throne sent it to the abbeie of Westminster commanding to make a chaire therof for the priests that should sing masse at the high altar which chaire was made and standeth yet there at this daie to be séene In the yeare of our Lord 1296 the king held his parlement at Berwike and there he tooke homage singularlie of diuerse of the lords nobles of Scotland And for a perpetuall memorie of the same they
be touched in this first booke as generallie appertinent vnto the estate of the whole Iland and no lesse famous than that which Anastasius Dicorus made afterward from the Euxine vnto the Thracian sea conteining 420 furlongs in length and twelue foot in bredth distant from Constantinople 280 furlongs albeit that of Hadrian was made of turffe and timber The author therefore of the first wall was Hadrian the emperour who as Aelius Spartianus saith erected the same of foure score miles in length twelue foot in heigth and eight in bredth to diuide the barbarous Britons from the more ciuill sort which then were generallie called by the name of Romans ouer all After his time Seuerus the emperour comming againe into this Ile where he had serued before in repression of the tumults here begun after the death of Lucius amongst other things he made another wall but of stone betwéene eightie and a hundred miles from the first of thirtie two miles in length reaching on both sides also to the sea of whome the Britons called it S. Murseueri or Gwall Seueri that is The wall of Seuerus or Seuerus dale which later indureth vntill these daies in fresh memorie by reason of the ruines square stones there oft found whose inscriptions declare the authors of that worke It is worthie the noting also how that in this voiage he lost 50000 men in the Scotish side by one occasion and other which hinderance so incensed him that he determined vtterlie to extinguish their memorie from vnder heauen and had so doone in déed if his life had indured but vntill another yeare Sextus Aurelius writing of Seuerus addeth how that the wall made by this prince conteined two and thirtie miles whereby the bredth of this Iland there and length of the wall conteineth onelie so manie miles as may be gathered by his words But chéeflie for the length of the wall Spartianus who touching it among other things saith of Seuerus as followeth Britanniam quod maximum eius imperij decus est muro per transuersam insulam ducto vtrinque ad finem oceani muniuit that is He fortified Britaine which is one of the chéefe acts recorded of his time with a wall made ouerthwart the I le that reached on both sides euen to the verie Ocean That this wall was of stone also the ruines therof which haue ministred much matter to such as dwell néere therevnto in their buildings is triall sufficient Heereby in like sort it commeth to passe that where the soile about it is least inhabited there is most mention of the said wall which was wrought of squared stone as vntill this daie maie euidentlie be confirmed Howbeit these two walles were not the onelie partitions betwéene these two kingdoms sith Iulius Capitolinus in vita Antonini Pij dooth write of another that Lollius Vrbicus made beyond the same of turffe in the time of the said prince who for his victories in Britaine was also called Britannicus which neuerthelesse was often throwne downe by the Scots and eftsoones repared againe vntill it was giuen ouer and relinquished altogither It runneth as I take it also within the wall about an arrow shot from that of stone but how farre it went as yet I cannot find This onlie remaineth certeine that the walles made by Hadrian Seuerus were ditched with notable ditches and rampires made in such wise that the Scotish aduersarie had much a doo to enter and scale the same in his assaults And yet for all this I read that the Scots oftentimes pulled downe great parcels of the same to make their accesse more easie into the south parts but as it was eftsoons repared againe so the last time of all it was amended by the Romane soldiors which came ouer verie little before the time of Uortiger at which season the land was in maner left void of soldiors and munition Betwixt Thirlewall and the north Tine are also in the waste grounds manie parcels of that wall of Seuerus yet standing whereof the common people doo babble manie things Beginning therefore with the course thereof from the west sea I find that it runneth from Bolnesse to Burgh about foure miles and likewise from thence within halfe a mile of Carleill and lesse on the north side and beneath the confluence of the Peder and the Eden From hence it goeth to Terrebie a village about a mile from Caerleill then through the baronie of Linstocke and Gillesland on the north side of the riuer Irding or Arding and a quarter of a mile from the abbeie of Leuercost Thence thrée miles aboue Leuercost and aboue the confluence of Arding and the Pultrose becke which diuideth Gillesland in Cumberland from south Tindale in Northumberland it goeth to Thirlwall castell then to the wall towne next of all ouer the riuer to Swensheld Carraw peraduenture Cairuoren tower to Walwtjc and so ouer south Tine to Cockelie tower Portgate Halton sheles Winchester Rutchester Heddon Walhottle Denton and to Newcastell where it is thought that saint Nicholas church standeth on the same Howbeit Leland saith that it goeth within a mile of Newcastell and then crooketh vp toward Tinmouth vnto Wallesend three miles from the mouth of the said riuer so called bicause the aforesaid wall did end at the same place And thus much I read of the Pictish wall As for the Romane coine that is often found in the course thereof the curious bricks about the same néere vnto Caerleill beside the excellent cornellines and other costlie stones alreadie intailed for seales oftentimes taken vp in those quarters I passe them ouer as not incident to my purpose In like maner I would gladlie also haue set downe the course of Offaes ditch which was march betwéene the Mercian dominions and the Welshmen in his time but for so much as the tractation thereof is not to be referred to this place bicause it is not a thing generall to the whole Iland I omit to speake of that also Yet thus much will I note here as well by the report of one who saith how he did tread it out that he followed it from the Dee to Kirnaburgh hill through Treuelach forrest by est of Crekith Cauch hill Montgomerie castell the New castell and Discoid and hauing brought it hitherto either lost it or sought after it no further as by the testimonie of another who writing thereof saith that it stretched from the south side by Bristow along vnder the mounteins of Wales northwards ouer the riuer of Sauerne and to the verie mouth also of the Dée where it falleth into the sea And so much of such things as concerne the generall estate of the whole Iland which labour herein I could verie well haue spared and would if Quintus had performed the request of Cicero his brother who promised to send him ouer a sound aduertisement of the condition of Britaine in those daies as appeareth in the second booke of his familiar
epistles where he saith Modò mihi date Britanniam quam pingam coloribus tuis penicillo meo c. But sithence that was not performed and the treatise of Demetrius and other of the same argument are perished which were of some value let this trifle I beseech you not be reiected till some other man of better skill shall haue drawne a more absolute péece of workemanship wherevnto my vnskilfulnesse I hope shall prooue no hinderance Of the maruels of England Chap. 24. SUch as haue written of the woonders of our countrie in old time haue spoken no doubt of manie things which deserue no credit at all and therefore in séeking thankes of their posteritie by thier trauell in this behalfe they haue reaped the reward of iust reproch and in stéed of fame purchased vnto themselues nought else but méere discredit in their better and more learned treatises The like commonlie happeneth also to such as in respect of lucre doo publish vnprofitable and pernicious volumes wherby they doo consume their times in vaine and in manifold wise become preiudiciall vnto their common wealths For my part I will not touch anie man herein particularlie no not our Demetrius of whom Plutarch speaketh in his oracles if those bookes were written by him for some thinke that Plutarch neuer wrote them although Eusebius lib. 4. cap. 8. dooth acknowledge them to be his which Demetrius left sundrie treatises behind him conteining woonderfull things collected of our Iland But sith that in my time they are found to be false it should be far vnmeet to remember them anie more for who is he which will beléeue that infernall spirits can die and giue vp their ghosts like mortall men though Saxo séeme to consent vnto him in this behalfe In speaking also of the out Iles he saith thus Beyond Britaine are manie desolate Ilands whereof some are dedicated to the Gods some to the noble Heroes I sailed saith he by the helpe of the king vnto one that laie néere hand onelie to see and view the same in which I found few inhabitants and yet such as were there were reputed and taken for men of great pietie and holinesse During the time also that I remained in the same it was vexed with great storme and tempest which caused me not a little to doubt of my safe returne In the end demanding of the inhabitants what the cause should be of this so great and sudden mutation of the aire they answered that either some of the Gods or at the least of the Heroes were latelie deceased for as a candle said they hurteth none whilest it burneth but being stenderlie put out annoieth manie with the filthie sauour so these Gods whilest they liued were either not hurtfull or verie beneficiall to mankind but being once deceassed they so mooue the heauens and aire that much mischéefe dooth insue eftsoones vpon the same Being also inquisitiue of the state of other Iles not farre off they told him further how there was one hard by wherin Saturne being ouertaken with a dead sléepe was watched by Briarous as he laie which Saturne also had manie spirits attending vpon him in sundrie functions and offices By which reports it is easie to conceiue with what vaine stuffe that volume of Demetrius is interlaced But of such writers as we haue too too manie so among the said rable Geruase of Tilberie is not the least famous a man as it were euen sold to vtter matters of more admiration than credit to the world For what a tale telleth he in his De otio imperiali of Wandleburie hilles that lie within sight by south of Cambridge where the Uandals incamped sometime when they entered into this Iland and of a spirit that would of custome in a moone shine night if he were chalenged and called therevnto run at tilt and turneie in complet armor with anie knight or gentleman whomsoeuer in that place and how one Osbert of Barnewell hearing the report thereof armed himselfe and being well mounted rode thither alone with one esquier and called for him who foorthwith appeared in rich armour and answered his chalenge so that running togither verie fiercelie they met with such rigor that the answerer was ouerthrowne and borne downe to the ground After this they bickered on foot so long till Osbert ouercame and draue him to flight who departed leauing his horsse behind him which was of huge stature blacke as he saith of colour with his furniture of the same hue and wherevpon he seized giuing him vnto his page who caried him home and there kept him till it was néere daie during which space he was seene of manie But when the daie light began to shew it selfe somewhat cléere the beast stamped and snorted and foorthwith breaking his raine he ran awaie and was no more heard of to his knowledge in that countrie In the meane season Osbert being verie faint and waxing wearie for he was sore wounded in the thigh which either he knew not of or at the leastwise dissembled to know it caused his leg-harnesse or stéelebootes to be pulled off which his fréends saw to be full of bloud spilled in the voiage But let who so list beléeue it sith it is either a fable deuised or some diuelish illusion if anie such thing were doone And on mine owne behalfe hauing I hope the feare of God before my eies I purpose here to set downe no more than either I know my selfe to be true or am crediblie informed to be so by such godly men as to whom nothing is more deare than to speake the truth and not anie thing more odious than to discredit themselues by lieng In writing therefore of the woonders of England I find that there are foure notable things which for their rarenesse amongst the common sort are taken for the foure miracles and woonders of the land The first of these is a vehement and strong wind which issueth out of the hilles called the Peke so violent and strong that at certeine times if a man doo cast his cote or cloake into the caue from whence it issueth it driueth the same backe againe hoising it aloft into the open aire with great force and vehemencie Of this also Giraldus speaketh The second is the miraculous standing or rather hanging of certeine stones vpon the plaine of Salisburie whereof the place is called Stonehenge And to saie the truth they may well be woondered at not onelie for the manner of position whereby they become verie difficult to be numbred but also for their greatnesse strange maner of lieng of some of them one vpon another which séemeth to be with so tickle hold that few men go vnder them without feare of their present ruine How and when these stones were brought thither as yet I can not read howbeit it is most likelie that they were raised there by the Britons after the slaughter of their nobilitie at the deadlie banket which Hengist and his Saxons prouided for them where
of England 2 Of the number of bishoprikes and their seuerall circuits 3 Of vniuersities 4 Of the partition of England into shires and counties 5 Of degrees of people in the common-wealth of England 6 Of the food and diet of the English 7 Of their apparell and attire 8 Of the high court of parlement authoritie of the same 9 Of the lawes of England since hir first inhabitation 10 Of prouision made for the poore 11 Of fundrie kinds of punishment appointed for malefactors 12 Of the maner of building and furniture of our houses 13 Of cities and townes in England 14 Of castels and holds 15 Of palaces belonging to the prince 16 Of armour and munition 17 Of the nauie of England 18 Of faires and markets 19 Of parkes and warrens 20 Of gardens and orchards 21 Of waters generallie 22 Of woods and marishes 23 Of baths and hot welles 24 Of antiquities found 25 Of the coines of England Of the ancient and present estate of the church of England Chap. 1. THere are now two prouinces onelie in England of which the first and greatest is subiect to the sée of Canturburie comprehending a parte of Lhoegres whole Cambria also Ireland which in time past were seuerall brought into one by the archbishop of the said sée assistance of the pope who in respect of méed did yéeld vnto the ambitious desires of sundrie archbishops of Canturburie as I haue elsewhere declared The second prouince is vnder the sée of Yorke and of these either hath hir archbishop resident commonlie within hir owne limits who hath not onelie the cheefe dealing in matters apperteining to the hierarchie and iurisdiction of the church but also great authoritie in ciuill affaires touching the gouernement of the common wealth so far foorth as their commissions and seuerall circuits doo extend In old time there were thrée archbishops and so manie prouinces in this Ile of which one kept at London another at Yorke and the third at Caerlheon vpon Uske But as that of London was translated to Canturburie by Augustine and that of Yorke remaineth notwithstanding that the greatest part of his iurisdiction is now bereft him and giuen to the Scotish archbishop so that of Caerlheon is vtterlie extinguished and the gouernement of the countrie vnited to that of Canturburie in spirituall cases after it was once before remoued to S. Dauids in Wales by Dauid successor to Dubritius and vncle to king Arthur in the 519 of Grace to the end that he and his clearkes might be further off from the crueltie of the Saxons where it remained till the time of the Bastard and for a season after before it was annexed vnto the sée of Canturburie The archbishop of Canturburie is commonlie called primat of all England and in the coronations of the kings of this land and all other times wherein it shall please the prince to weare and put on his crowne his office is to set it vpon their heads They beare also the name of their high chapleins continuallie although not a few of them haue presumed in time past to be their equals and void of subiection vnto them That this is true it may easilie appéere by their owne acts yet kept in record beside their epistles answers written or in print wherein they haue sought not onelie to match but also to mate them with great rigor and more than open tyrannie Our aduersaries will peraduenture denie this absolutelie as they doo manie other things apparant though not without shamelesse impudencie or at the leastwise defend it as iust and not swaruing from common equitie bicause they imagine euerie archbishop to be the kings equall in his owne prouince But how well their dooing herein agreeth with the saieng of Peter examples of the primitiue church it may easilie appéere Some examples also of their demeanor I meane in the time of poperie I will not let to remember least they should saie I speake of malice and without all ground of likelihood Of their practises with meane persons I speake not neither will I begin at Dunstane the author of all their pride and presumption here in England But for somuch as the dealing of Robert the Norman against earle Goodwine is a rare historie and deserueth to be remembred I will touch it in this place protesting to deale withall in more faithfull maner than it hath heretofore beene deliuered vnto vs by the Norman writers or French English who of set purpose haue so defaced earle Goodwine that were it not for the testimonie of one or two méere Englishmen liuing in those daies it should be impossible for me or anie other at this present to declare the truth of that matter according to hir circumstances Marke therefore what I saie For the truth is that such Normans as came in with Emma in the time of Ethelred and Canutus and the Confessor did fall by sundrie means into such fauor with those princes that the gentlemen did grow to beare great rule in the court and their clearkes to be possessors of the best benefices in the land Hervpon therefore one Robert a iolie ambitious préest gat first to be bishop of London and after the death of Eadsius to be archbishop of Canturburie by the gift of king Edward leauing his former sée to William his countrieman Ulfo also a Norman was preferred to Lincolne and other to other places as the king did thinke conuenient These Norman clerkes and their freends being thus exalted it was not long yer they began to mocke abuse and despise the English and so much the more as they dailie saw themselues to increase in fauour with king Edward who also called diuerse of them to be of his secret councell which did not a litle incense the harts of the English against them A fraie also was made at Douer betwéene the seruants of earle Goodwine and the French whose maisters came ouer to see and salute the king whereof I haue spoken in my Chronologie which so inflamed the minds of the French cleargie and courtiers against the English nobilitie that each part sought for opportunitie of reuenge which yer long tooke hold betwéene them For the said Robert being called to be archbishop of Canturburie was no sooner in possession of his sée than he began to quarrell with earle Goodwine the kings father in law by the mariage of his daughter who also was readie to acquit his demeanor with like malice and so the mischiefe begun Herevpon therefore the archbishop charged the earle with the murther of Alfred the kings brother whom not he but Harald the sonne of Canutus and the Danes had cruellie made awaie For Alfred and his brother comming into the land with fiue and twentie saile vpon the death of Canutus and being landed the Normans that arriued with them giuing out how they came to recouer their right to wit the crowne of England therevnto the vnskilfull yoong gentlemen shewing themselues to like of the rumour that was
spred in this behalfe the report of their demeanor was quicklie brought to Harald who caused a companie foorthwith of Danes priuilie to laie wait for them as they roade toward Gilford where Alfred was slaine and whence Edward with much difficultie escaped to his ships and so returned into Normandie But to proceed This affirmation of the archbishop being greatlie soothed out with his craftie vtterance for he was lerned confirmed by his French fréends for they had all conspired against the erle and therevnto the king being desirous to reuenge the death of his brother bred such a grudge in his mind against Goodwine that he banished him and his sons cleane out of the land He sent also his wife the erles daughter prisoner to Wilton with one onelie maiden attending vpon hir where she laie almost a yeare before she was released In the meane season the rest of the peeres as Siward earle of Northumberland surnamed Digara or Fortis Leofrijc earle of Chester and other went to the king before the departure of Goodwine indeuouring to perfuade him vnto the reuocation of his sentence and desiring that his cause might he heard and discussed by order of law But the king incensed by the archbishop and his Normans would not heare on that side saieng plainelie and swearing by saint Iohn the euangelist for that was his common oth that earle Goodwine should not haue his peace till he restored his brother Alfred aliue againe vnto his presence With which answer the peeres departed in choler from the court and Goodwine toward the coast Comming also vnto the shore and readie to take shipping he knéeled downe in presence of his conduct to wit at Bosenham in the moneth of September from whence he intended to saile into Flanders vnto Baldwine the earle and there praied openlie before them all that if euer he attempted anie thing against the kings person of England or his roiall estate that he might neuer come safe vnto his cousine nor sée his countrie any more but perish in this voiage And herewith he went aboord the ship that was prouided for him and so from the coast into the open sea But sée what followed He was not yet gone a mile waie from the land before he saw the shore full of armed souldiers sent after by the archbishop and his freends to kill him yer he should depart and go out of the countrie which yet more incensed the harts of the English against them Being come also to Flanders he caused the earle the French king and other of his fréends among whome also the emperour was one to write vnto the king in his behalfe but all in vaine for nothing could be obteined from him of which the Normans had no liking wherevpon the earle and his sonnes changed their minds obteined aid and inuaded the land in sundry places Finallie ioining their powers they came by the Thames into Southwarke néere London where they lodged and looked for the king to incounter with them in the field The king séeing what was doone commanded the Londoners not to aid nor vittell them But the citizens made answer how the quarrell of Goodwine was the cause of the whose realme which he had in maner giuen ouer vnto the spoile of the French and therevpon they not onelie vittelled them aboundantlie but also receiued the earle and his chiefe fréends into the citie where they lodged them at their ease till the kings power was readie to ioine with them in battell Great resort also was made vnto them from all places of the realme so that the earles armie was woonderfullie increased and the daie and place chosen wherein the battell should be fought But when the armies met the kings side began some to flée to the earle other to laie downe their weapons and not a few to run awaie out right the rest telling him plainelie that they would neuer fight against their owne countriemen to mainteine Frenchmens quarrels The Normans also seeing the sequele fled awaie so fast as they might gallop leauing the king in the field to shift for himselfe as he best might whilest they did saue themselues elsewhere In the meane season the earles power would haue set vpon the king either to his slaughter or apprehension but he staied them saieng after this maner The king is my sonne as you all know and it is not for a father to deale so hardlie with his child neither a subiect with his souereigne it is not he that hath hurt or doone me this iniurie but the proud Normans that are about him wherefore to gaine a kingdome I will doo him no violence And therewithall casting aside his battell ax he ran to the king that stood altogither amazed and falling at his féet he craued his peace accused the archbishop required that his cause might be heard in open assemlie of his péeres and finallie determined as truth and equitie should deserue The king after he had paused a pretie while seeing his old father in law to lie groueling at his féet and conceiuing with himselfe that his sute was not vnreasonable seeing also his children and the rest of the greatest barons of the land to knéele before him and make the like request he lifted vp the earle by the hand had him be of good comfort pardoned all that was past and freendlie hauing kissed him and his sonnes vpon the chéekes he lead them to his palace called home the quéene and summoned all his lords vnto a councell Wherein it is much to read how manie billes were presented against the bishop his Normans some conteining matter of rape other of robberie extortion murder manslaughter high treason adulterie and not a few of batterie Wherwith the king as a man now awaked out of sléepe was so offended that vpon consultation had of these things he banished all the Normans out of the land onelie thrée or foure excepted whome he reteined for sundrie necessarie causes albeit they came neuer more so néere him afterward as to be of his pritie councell After this also the earle liued almost two yeares and then falling into an apoplexie as he sat with the king at the table he was taken vp and carried into the kings bedchamber where after a few daies he made an end of his life And thus much of our first broile raised by the cleargie and practise of the archbishop I would intreat of all the like examples of tyrannie practised by the prelats of this sée against their lords and souereignes but then I should rather write an historie than a description of this Iland Wherefore I refer you to those reports of Anselme and Becket sufficientlie penned by other the which Anselme also making a shew as if he had bin verie vnwilling to be placed in the sée of Canturburie gaue this answer to the letters of such his fréends as did make request vnto him to take the charge vpon him Secularia negotia nescio quia seire nolo eorum námque occupationes horreo
liberum affectans animum Voluntati sacrarum intendo scripturarum vos dissonantiam facitis verendúmque est nè aratrum sanctae ecclesiae quod in Anglia duo boues validi pari fortitudine ad bonum certantes id est rex archiepiscopus debeant trahere nunc oue vetula cum tauro indomito iugata distorqueatur à recto Ego ouis vetula qui siquietus essem verbi Dei lacte operimento lanae aliquibus possem fortassis non ingratus esse sed sime cum hoc tauro coniungitis videbitis pro disparilitate trahentium aratrum non rectè procedere c. Which is in English thus Of secular affaires I haue no skill bicause I will not know them for I euen abhor the troubles that rise about them as one that desireth to haue his mind at libertie I applie my whole indeuor to the rule of the scriptures you lead me to the contrarie And it is to be feared least the plough of holie church which two strong oxen to equall force and both like earnest to contend vnto that which is good that is the king and the archbishop ought to draw should thereby now swarue from the right forrow by matching of an old shéepe with a wild vntamed bull I am that old shéepe who if I might be quiet could peraduenture shew my selfe not altogither vngratfull to some by féeding them with the milke of the word of God and couering them with wooll but if you match me with this bull you shall sée that thorough want of equalitie in draught the plough will not go to right c as foloweth in the processe of his letters The said Thomas Becket was so proud that he wrote to king Henrie the second as to his lord to his king and to his sonne offering him his counsell his reuerence and due correction c. Others in like sort haue protested that they owght nothing to the kings of this land but their counsell onelie reseruing all obedience vnto the sée of Rome And as the old cocke of Canturburie did crew in this behalfe so the yoong cockerels of other sees did imitate his demeanor as may be séene by this one example also in king Stephans time worthie to be remembred vnto whome the bishop of London would not so much as sweare to be true subiect wherein also he was mainteined by the pope as appeareth by these letters Eugenius episcopus seruus seruorum Dei dilecto in Christo filio Stephano illustri regi Anglorū salutē apostolic ā benedictionē Adhaec superna prouidētia in ecclesiapontifices ordinauit vt Christianus populus ab eis pascua vitae reciperet tam principes seculares quà m inferioris conditionis homines ipsis pontificibus tanquam Christi vicarijs reuerentiam exhiberent Venerabilis siquidem frater noster Robertus London episcopus tanquam vir sapiens honestus relligionis amator à nobilitate tua benignè tractandus est pro collata à Deo prudentia propensiùs honorandus Quia ergò sicut in veritate comperimus cum animae suae salute ac snae ordinis periculo fidelitate quae ab eo requiritur astringi non potest volumus ex paterno tibi affectu consulimus quatenus praedictum fratrem nostrum super hoc nullatenus inquietes immò pro beati Petri nostra reuerentia eum in amorem gratiam tuam recipias Cùm autem illud iuramentum praestare non possit sufficiat discretioni tuae vt simplici veraci verbo promittat quòd laesionem tibi velterrae tuae non inferat Vale. Dat. Meldis 6. cal Iulij Thus we sée that kings were to rule no further than it pleased the pope to like of neither to chalenge more obedience of their subiects than stood also with their good will and pleasure He wrote in like sort vnto quéene Mawd about the same matter making hir Samsons calfe the better to bring his purpose to passe as appeareth by the same letter here insuing Solomone attestante didicimus quòd mulier sapiens aedificat domum insipiens autem constructam destruet manibus Gaudemus pro te deuotionis studium in Domino collaudamus quoniam sicut relligiosorum relatione accepimus timorem Deiprae oculis habens operibus pietatis intēdis personas ecclesiasticas diligis honoras Vt ergo de bono in melius inspirante Domino proficere valeas nobilitatē tuam in Domino rogamus rogando monemus exhortamur in Domino quatenus bonis initijs exitus meliores iniungas venerabilem fratrem nostrum Robertum London episcopū pro illius reuerentia qui cùm olim diues esset pro nobis pauper fieri voluit attentiùs diligas honores Apud virum tuum dilectum filium nostrum Stephanum in signem regem Anglorum efficere studeas vt monitis hortatu cōsilio tuo ipsum in benignitatem dilectionem suam suscipiat pro beati Petri nostra reuerentia propensiùs habeat commendatum Et quia sicut veritate teste attendimus eum sine salute sui ordinis periculo praefato filio nostro astringi non posse volumus paterno sibi tibi affectu consulimus vt vobis sufficiat veraci simplici verbo promissionē ab eo suscipere quòd laesionem vel detrimentum ei velterrae suae nō inferat Dat. vt supra Is it not strange that a peeuish order of religion deuised by man should breake the expresse law of God who commandeth all men to honour and obeie their kings and princes in whome some part of the power of God is manifest and laid open vnto vs And euen vnto this end the cardinall of Hostia also wrote to the canons of Paules after this maner couertlie incoraging them to stand to their election of the said Robert who was no more willing to giue ouer his new bishoprike than they carefull to offend the king but rather imagined which waie to kéepe it still maugre his displeasure yet not to sweare obedience vnto him for all that he should be able to do or performe vnto the contrarie Humilis Dei gratia Hostiensis episcopus Londinensis ecclesiae canoniois spiritū consilij in Domino Sicut rationi contraria prorsus est abijcienda petitio ita in hijs quae iustè desyderantur effectum negare omninò non conuenit Sanè nuper accepimus quòd Londinensis ecclesia diuproprio destituta pastore communi voto pari assensu cleri populi venerabilem filium nostrum Robertum eiusdem ecclesiae archidiaconum in pastorem episcopum animarum suarum susceperit elegerit Nouimus quidem eum esse personam quam sapientia desuper ei attributa honestas conuersationis morum reuerentia plurimùm commēdabilem reddidit Inde est quòd fraternitati vestrae mandando consulimus vt proposito vestro bono quod vt credimus ex Deo est vt ex literis
strangers to resort vnto as haue no habitation in anie parish within the citie where it standeth The sée of London was erected at the first by Lucius who made it of an archeflamine and temple of Iupiter an archbishops sée and temple vnto the liuing God and so it continued vntill Augustine translated the title thereof to Canturburie The names of the archbishops of London are these Theon Eluan Cadoc Owen Conan Palladius Stephan Iltutus restitutus anno 350 Theodromus Theodredus Hilarius Fastidius anno 420 Guittelinus Vodinus slaine by the Saxons and Theonus Iunior But for their iust order of succession as yet I am not resolued neuerthelesse the first bishop there was ordeined by Augustine the moonke in the yeare of Christ 604 in the time of Ceolrijc after he had remooued his see further off into Kent I woote not vpon what secret occasion if not the spéedie hearing of newes from Rome and readinesse to flee out of the land if any trouble should betide him For iurisdiction it includeth Essex Middlesex and part of Herefordshire which is neither more nor lesse in quantitie than the ancient kingdome of the east Angles before it was vnited to the west Saxons The cathedrall church belonging to this sée was first begun by Ethelbert of Kent Indic 1. 598 of Inuber as I find whilest he held that part of the said kingdome vnder his gouernement Afterward when the Danes had sundrie times defaced it it was repared and made vp with hard stone but in the end it was taken downe and wholie reedified by Mawrice bishop of that sée and sometimes chapleine to the bastarâ—â— Henrie the first allowing him stone and stuffe from Bainards castell néere vnto Ludgate then ruinous for the furtherance of his works Howbeit the moold of the quire was not statelie inough in the eies of some of his successors wherefore in the yeare of Grace 1256 it was taken downe and brought into another forme and called the new worke at which time also the bodies of diuerse kings and bishops were taken vp and bestowed in the walles to the end their memories should be of longer continuance The iurisdiction of this sée also vnder the bishop is committed to foure archdeacons to wit of London Essex Middlesex and Colchester who haue amongst them to the number of 363 parish churches or thereabouts beside the peculiars belonging to the archbishop and chapiter of that house and at euerie alienation the bishop paieth for his owne part 1119 pounds eight shillings and foure pence but in old time 3000 florens which diuerse suppose to be more than as it now standeth the bishop is able to make of it Of the archdeconrie of S. Albons added therevnto by king Henrie the eight whereby the bishop hath fiue eies I speake not for although it be vnder the bishop of London for visitations and synods yet is it otherwise reputed as member of the sée of Lincolne and therefore worthilie called an exempt it hath also fiue and twentie parishes of which foure are in Buckingham the rest in Herefordshire The first beginning of the sée of Chichester was in the I le of Seales or Seolseie and from thence translated to Chichester in the time of William the bastard and generall remoouing of sées from small villages vnto the greater townes It conteineth Sussex onelie vnder hir iurisdiction wherein are sixtéene deanries and 551 parish churches it paid at euerie alienation to the sée of Rome 333 ducats and after Edbert the first bishop one Cella succéeded after whome the pontificall chaire not then worth 677 pounds by the yéere as now it is was void by many yeares It was erected in Seoleseie also 711 by the decrée of a synod holden in Sussex which borowed it from the iurisdiction of Winchester whereof before it was reputed a parcell Of all the bishops that haue béene in this sée Thomas Kempe alwaies excepted I read not of anie one that hath béene of more estimation than William Read sometime fellow of Merteine college in Oxford doctor of diuinitie and the most profound astronomer that liued in his time as appeareth by his collection which sometime I did possesse his image is yet in the librarie there and manie instruments of astronomie reserued in that house a college crected sometime by Walter Merton bishop of Rochester and lord chancellor of England he builded also the castell of Amberleie from the verie foundation as Edward Scorie or Storie his successor did the new crosse in the market place of Chichester The bishop of Winchester was sometime called bishop of the west Saxons and of Dorchester which towne was giuen to Birinus and his successors by Kinigils and Oswald of the Northumbers in whose time it was erected by Birinus and his fellowes In my time it hath iurisdiction onelie ouer Hamshire Surrie Iardeseie Gardeseie and the Wight conteining eight deaneries two hundred seuentie and six parish churches and beside all this he is perpetuall prelate to the honorable order of the Garter deuised by Edward the third he paid in old time to Rome 12000 ducates or florens but now his first fruits are 2491 pounds nine shillings eight pence halfe penie Canturburie was said to be the higher racke but Winchester hath borne the name to be the better mangier There are also which make Lucius to be the first founder of an house of praier in Winchester as Kinigils did build the second and Kinwaldus his sonne the third but you shall sée the truth herof in the chronologie insuing And herevnto if the old catalog of the bishops of this sée be well considered of and the acts of the greatest part of them indifferentlie weighed as they are to be read in our histories you shall find the most egregious hypocrites the stoutest warriours the cruellest tyrants the richest monimoongers and politike counsellors in temporall affaires to haue I wote not by what secret working of the diuine prouidence beene placed herein Winchester since the foundation of that sée which was erected by Birinus 639 whome pope Honorius sent hither out of Italie and first planted at Dorchester in the time of Kinigils then translated to Winchester where it dooth yet continue Salisburie was made the chéefe sée of Shirburne by bishop Harman predecessor to Osmond who brought it from Shirburne to that citie it hath now Barkeshire Wilshire and Dorsetshire vnder hir iurisdiction For after the death of Hedda which was 704 Winchester was diuided in two so that onelie Hamshire and Surrie were left vnto it and Wilton Dorset Barkeshire Summerset Deuon Cornewill assigned vnto Shirburne till other order was taken Bishop Adelme did first sit in that bishoprike 704 as I said and placed his chaire at Shirburne vpon the said diuision And as manie lerned bishops did succéed him in that roome before and after it was remooued to Sarum so there was neuer a more noble ornament to that sée than bishop Iuell of whose great learning and iudgement the world
I haue seene and had an ancient iarror of the lands of this monasterie which agréeth verie well with the historie of Hugo le Blanc monke of that house In the charter also of donation annexed to the same I saw one of Wulfhere king of Mercia signed with his owne the marks of Sigher king of Sussex Sebbie of Essex with the additions of their names the rest of the witnesses also insued in this order Ethelred brother to Wulfehere Kindburg and Kindswith sisters to Wulfhere Deusdedit archbishop Ithamar bishop of Rochester Wina bishop of London Iarnman bishop of Mearc Wilfride and Eoppa préests Saxulfe the abbat Then all the earles and eldermen of England in order and after all these the name of pope Agatho who confirmed the instrument at the sute of Wilfride archbishop of Yorke in a councell holden at Rome 680 of a hundred fiue and twentie bishops wherein also these churches were appropriated to the said monasterie to wit Breding Reping Cedenac Swinesheued Lusgerd Edelminglond and Barchaing whereby we haue in part an euident testimonie how long the practise of appropriation of benefices hath béene vsed to the hinderance of the gospell and maintenance of idle moonks an humane inuention grounded vpon hypocrisie Bristow hath Dorsetshire sometime belonging to Salisburie a sée also latelie erected by king Henrie the eight who tooke no small care for the church of Christ and therefore eased a number of ancient sées of some part of their huge and ouer-large circuits and bestowed those portions deducted vpon such other erections as he had appointed for the better regiment and féeding of the flocke the value thereof is thrée hundred foure score and thrée pounds eight shillings and foure pence as I haue béene informed Lincolne of all other of late times was the greatest and albeit that out of it were taken the sees of Oxford and Peterborow yet it still reteineth Lincolne Leicester Huntingdon Bedford Buckingham shires and the rest of Hertford so that it extendeth from the Thames vnto the Humber and paid vnto the pope fiue thousand ducats as appeereth by his note at euerie alienation In my time and by reason of hir diminution it yéeldeth a tribute to whom tribute belongeth of the valuation of eight hundred ninetie and nine pounds eight shillings seauen pence farthing It began since the conquest about the beginning of William Rufus by one Remigius who remooued his sée from Dorchester to Lincolne not without licence well paid for vnto the king And thus much of the bishopriks which lie within Lhoegres or England as it was left vnto Locrinus Now it followeth that I procéed with Wales Landaffe or the church of Taw hath ecclesiasticall iurisdiction in Glamorgan Monmouth Brechnoch and Radnor shires And although it paid seuen hundred ducats at euerie exchange of prelat yet is it scarselie worth one hundred fiftie and fiue pounds by the yeare as I haue heard reported Certes it is a poore bishoprike as I haue heard the late incumbent thereof being called for not long since by the lord president in open court made answer The daffe is here but the land is gone What he meant by it I can not well tell but I hope that in the séed time and the frée planting of the gospell the meate of the labourer shall not be diminished and withdrawen S. Dauids hath Penbroke and Caermardine shires whose liuerie or first fruits to the sée of Rome was one thousand and fiue hundred ducats at the hardest as I thinke For if record be of anie sufficient credit it is little aboue the value of foure hundred fiftie and seauen pounds one shilling and ten pence farthing in our time and so it paieth vnto hir maiesties coffers but in time past I thinke it was farre better The present bishop misliketh verie much of the cold situation of his cathedrall church and therfore he would gladlie pull it downe and set it in a warmer place but it would first be learned what suertie he would put in to sée it well performed of the rest I speake not Bangor is in north-Wales and hath Caernaruon Angleseie and Merioneth shires vnder hir iurisdiction It paid to Rome 126 ducats which is verie much For of all the bishoprikes in England it is now the least for reuenues and not woorth aboue one hundred and one and thirtie pounds and sixtéene pence to hir maiesties coffers at euerie alienation as appéereth by the tenths which amount to much lesse thair of some good benefice for it yeeldeth not yéerelie aboue thirtéene pounds thrée shillings and seauen pence halfe penie as by that court is manifest S. Asaphes hath Prestholme and part of Denbigh and Flintshires vnder hir iurisdiction in causes ecclesiasticall which being laid togither doo amount to little more than one good countie and therefore in respect of circuit the least that is to be found in Wales neuerthelesse it paid to Rome 470 ducates at euerie alienation In my time the first fruits of this bishoprike came vnto 187 pounds eleuen shillings six pence wherby it séemeth to be somewhat better than Laâ—daffe or Bangor last remembred There is one Howell a gentleman of Flintshire in the compasse of this iurisdiction who is bound to giue an harpe of siluer yearelie to the best harper in Wales but did anie bishop thinke you deserue that in the popish time Howell or Aphowell in English is all one as I haue heard and signifie so much as Hugo or Hugh Hitherto of the prouince of Canturburie for so much therof as now lieth within the compasse of this Iland Now it resteth that I procéed with the curtailed archbishoprike of Yorke I saie curtailed because all Scotland is cut from his iurisdiction and obedience The see of Yorke was restored about the yeare of Grace 625 which after the comming of the Saxons laie desolate and neglected howbeit at the said time Iustus archbishop of Canturburie ordeined Paulinus to be first bishop there in the time of Eadwâ—jn king of Northumberland This Paulinus sate six yeares yer he was driuen from thence after whose expulsion that seat was void long time wherby Lindeffarne grew into credit and so remained vntill the daies of Oswie of Northumberland who sent Wilfred the priest ouer into France there to be consecrated archbishop of Yorke but whilest he taried ouer long in those parts Oswie impatient of delaie preferred Ceadda or Chad to that roome who held it three yeares which being expired Wilfred recouered his roome and held it as he might vntill it was seuered in two to wit Yorke Hagulstade or Lindâ—ffarne where Eata was placed at which time also Egfride was made bishop of Lincolne or Lindsie in that part of Mercia which he had goten from Woolfhere Of it selfe it hath now iurisdiction ouer Yorkeshire Notinghamshire whose shire towne I meane the new part thereof with the bridge was builded by king Edward the first surnamed the elder before the conquest and the rest of
Lancastershire onelie not subiect to the sée of Chester and when the pope bare authoritie in this realme it paid vnto his see 1000 ducates beside 5000 for the pall of the new elect which was more than he could well spare of late considering the curtailing diminution of his sée thorough the erection of a new metropolitane in Scotland but in my time it yéeldeth 1609 pounds ninetéene shillings two pence to hir maiestie whom God long preserue vnto vs to his glorie hir comfort and our welfares Chester vpon Dee otherwise called Westchester hath vnder hir iurisdiction in causes ecclesiasticall Chestershire Darbishire the most part of Lancastershire to wit vnto the Ribell Richmond and a part of Flint and Denbigh shires in Wales was made a bishoprike by king H. 8. anno regni 33. Iulij 16 and so hath continued since that time being valued 420 pounds by the yeare beside od twentie pence a streict reckoning as the record declareth Durham hath the countie of Durham and Northumberland with the Dales onelie vnder hir iurisdiction and hereof the bishops haue sometimes béene earles palantines ruled the rost vnder the name of the bishoprike and succession of S. Cuthbert It was a sée in mine opinion more profitable of late vnto hir maiesties coffers by 221 pounds eighteene shillings ten pence sarthing and yet of lesse countenance than hir prouinciall neuertheles the sunne-shine thereof as I heare is now somewhat eclipsed and not likelie to recouer the light for this is not a time wherein the câ—â—rch may looke to increase in hir estate I heare also that some other flitches haue forgone the like collops but let such maters be scanned by men of more discretion Capgraue saith how that the first bishop of this sée was called bishop of Lindseie or Lincolne that Ceadda laie in Liechfield of the Mercians in a mansion house néere the church But this is more worthie to be remembred that Cuthred of the Northumbers and Alfred of the Westsaxons bestowed all the land betwéene the These the Tine now called the bishoprike vpon S. Cuthbert beside whatsoeuer belonged to the sée of Hagulstade Edgar of Scotland also in the time of the Bastard gaue Coldingham and Berwike withall their appurtenances to that house but whether these donations be extant or no as yet I cannot tell Yet I thinke not but that Leland had a sight of them from whome I had this ground But whatsoeuer this bishoprike be now in externall outward apparance sure it is that it paid in old time 9000 ducates at euerie alienation to Rome as the record expresseth Aidan a Scot or Irishman was the first bishop of this sée who held himselfe as did manie of his successors at Colchester and in Lindeffarne I le till one came that remooued it to Durham And now iudge you whether the allegatlon of Capgraue be of anie accompt or not Caerleill was erected 1132 by Henrie the first and hereof one Ethelwoolfe confessor to Osmond bishop of Sarum was made the first bishop hauing Cumberland Westmerland assigned to his share of the deaneries and number of parish churches conteined in the same as yet I haue no knowledge more than of manie other Howbeit hereof I am sure that notwithstanding the present valuation be risen to 531 pounds foureteene shilings eleuen pence halfe penie the pope receiued out of it but 1000 florens and might haue spared much more as an aduersarie thereto confessed sometime euen before the pope himselfe supposing no lesse than to haue gained by his tale and so peraduenture should haue doone if his platforme had taken place But as wise men oft espie the practises of flatteries so the pope saw to what end this profitable speach was vttered As touching Caerleill it selfe it was sometime sacked by the Danes and eftsoones repared by William Rufus planted with a colonie of southerne men I suppose that in old time it was called Cairdoill For in an ancient booke which I haue séene and yet haue intituled Liber formularum literarum curiae Romanae octo capitulorum episcopatus Cardocensis And thus much generallie of the names and numbers of our bishoprikes of England whose tenths in old time yearelie amounting vnto 21111 pounds twelue shillings one penie halfe penie farthing of currant monie in those daies doo euidentlie declare what store of coine was transported out of the land vnto the papall vses in that behalfe onelie Certes I take this not to be one quarter of his gaines gotten by England in those daies for such commodities were raised by his courts holden here so plentifullie gat he by his perquisits as elections procurations appeales preuentions pluralities tot quots trialities tollerations legitimations bulles seales préests concubines eating of flesh and white meats dispensations for mariages times of celebration Peter pence and such like faculties that not so little as 1200000 pounds went yearelie from hence to Rome And therefore no maruell though he séeke much in these daies to reduce vs to his obedience But what are the tenths of England you will saie in comparison of all those of Europe For notwithstanding that manie good bishoprikes latelie erected be left out of his old bookes of record which I also haue séene yet I find neuertheles that the whole sum of them amounted to not aboue 61521 pounds as monie went 200 yeares before my time of which portion poore saint Peter did neuer heare of so much as one graie grote Marke therfore I praie you whether England were not fullie answerable to a third part of the rest of his tenths ouer all Europe and therevpon tell me whether our Iland was one of the best paire of bestowes or not that blue the fire in his kitchen wherewith to make his pot seeth beside all other commodities Beside all these we haue another bishoprike yet in England almost slipped out of my remembrance because it is verie obscure for that the bishop thereof hath not wherewith to mainteine his countenance sufficientlie and that is the see of Mona or Man somtime named Episcopatus Sodorensis whereof one Wimundus was ordeined the first bishop and Iohn the second in the troublesome time of king Stephan The gift of this prelacie resteth in the earles of Darbie who nominate such a one from time to time therto as to them dooth séeme conuenient Howbeit if that sée did know and might reape hir owne commodities and discerne them from other mens possessions for it is supposed that the mother hath deuoured the daughter I doubt not but the state of hir bishop would quicklie be amended Hauing therefore called this later sée after this maner vnto mind I suppose that I haue sufficientlie discharged my dutie concerning the state of our bishoprike and maner how the ecclesiasticall iurisdiction of the church of England is diuided among the shires and counties of this realme Whose bishops as they haue béene heretofore of lesse learning and yet of greater port dooings in the
common-wealth than at this present so are they now for the most part the best learned that are to be found in anie countrie of Europe sith neither high parentage nor great riches as in other countries but onelie learning and vertue commended somewhat by fréendship doo bring them to this honour I might here haue spoken more at large of diuerse other bishopriks sometime in this part of the Iland as of that of Caerlheon tofore ouerthrowen by Edelfred in the behalfe of Augustine the moonke as Malmesburie saith where Dubritius gouerned which was afterward translated to S. Dauids and taken for an archbishoprike secondlie of the bishoprike of Leircester called Legerensis whose fourth bishop Unwon went to Rome with Offa king of Mercia thirdlie of Ramsbirie or Wiltun and of Glocester of which you shall read in Matth. Westm. 489 where the bishop was called Eldad also of Hagulstade one of the members whereinto the see of Yorke was diuided after the expulsion of Wilfrid For as I read when Egfrid the king had driuen him awaie he diuided his see into two parts making Bosa ouer the Deiranes that held his sée at Hagulstade or Lindfarne and Eatta ouer the Bernicians who sate at Yorke and thereto placing Edhedus ouer Lindseie as is afore noted whose successors were Ethelwine Edgar and Kinibert notwithstanding that one Seâ—ulfus was ouer Lindseie before Edhedus who was bishop of the Mercians and middle England till he was banished from Lindseie and came into those quarters to séeke his refuge and succour I could likewise intreat of the bishops of Whiteherne or Ad Candidam Casam an house with the countrie wherein it stood belonging to the prouince of Northumberland but now a parcell of Scotland also of the erection of the late sée at Westminster by Henrie the eight But as the one so the other is ceased and the lands of this later either so diuided or exchanged for worse tenures that except a man should sée it with his eies point out with his finger where euerie parcell of them is bestowed but a few men would beléeue what is become of the same I might likewise and with like ease also haue added the successors of the bishops of euerie sée to this discourse of their cathedrall churches and places of abode but it would haue extended this treatise to an vnprofitable length Neuerthelesse I will remember the same of London my natiue citie after I haue added one word more of the house called Ad Candidam Casam in English Whiteherne which taketh denomination of the white stone wherwith it was builded and was séene far off as standing vpon an hill to such as did behold it The names and successions of so manie archbishops and bishops of London as are extant and to be had from the faith first receiued Archbishops Theon Eluanus Cadocus Ouinus Conanus Palladius Stephanus Iltutus Restitutus who liued 350 of grace Tadwinus alià s Theodwinus some doo write him Tacwinus Tatwinus Tidredus alià s Theodred Hilarius Fastidius liued Anno Dom. 430. Vodinus slaine by the Saxons Theonus The see void manie yeares Augustine the moonke sent ouer by Gregorie the great till he remooued his sée to Canturburie to the intent he might the sooner flée if persecution should be raised by the infidels or heare from or send more spéedilie vnto Rome without anie great feare of the interception of his letters Bishops Melitus The see void for a season Wina Erkenwaldus Waldherus Ingaldus Egulphus Wigotus Eadbricus Edgarus Kiniwalchus Eadbaldus Eadbertus Oswinus Ethelnothus Cedbertus Cernulphus Suiduiphus Eadstanus Wulfsinus Ethelwaldus Elstanus Brithelmus Dunstanus Tidricus Alwijnus Elswoldus Robertus a Norman Wilhelmus a Norman Hugo a Norman I read also of a bishop of London called Elsward or Ailward who was abbat of Eouesham and bishop of London at one time and buried at length in Ramseie howbeit in what order of succession he liued I can not tell more than of diuerse other aboue remembred but in this order doo I find them The see void twelue yeares 1 Mauricius 2 Richardus Beaumis 3 Gilbertus vniuersalis a notable man for thrée things auarice riches and learning 4 Robertus de Sigillo 5 Richardus Beaumis 6 Gilbertus Folioth 7 Richardus 8 Wilhelmus de sancta Maria. 9 Eustathius Falconberg 10 Rogerus Niger 11 Fulco Bascet 12 Henricus Wingham Richardus Talbot electus 15 Richard Grauesend 16 Radulfus Gandacensis 17 Gilbertus Segraue 18 Richardus de Newport 19 Stephanus Grauesend 20 Richard Bintworth 21 Radulfus Baldoc who made the tables hanging in the vesterie of Paules 22 Michael 23 Simon 24 Robertus 25 Thomas 26 Richardus 27 Thomas Sauagius 28 Wilhelmus 29 Wilhelm Warham 30 Wilhelmus Barnes 31 Cuthbertus Tunstall 32 Iohannes Stokesleie 33 Richardus fitz Iames. 34 Edmundus Boner remooued imprisoned 35 Nicholas Ridleie remooued and burned Edm. Boner restored remooued imprisoned 36 Edmundus Grindall 37 Edwinus Sandes 38 Iohannes Elmer Hauing gotten and set downe thus much of the bishops I will deliuer in like sort the names of the deanes vntill I come to the time of mine old master now liuing in this present yeare 1586 who is none of the least ornaments that haue beene in that seat Deanes 1 Wulmannus who made a distribution of the psalmes conteined in the whole psalter and apointed the same dailie to be read amongst the prebendaries 2 Radulfus de Diceto whose noble historie is yet extant in their librarie 3 Alardus Bucham 4 Robertus Watford 5 Martinus Patteshull 6 Hugo de Marinis 7 Radulfus Langfort 8 Galfridus de Berie 9 Wilhelmus StaÌ„man 10 Henricus Cornell 11 Walterus de Salerne 12 Robertus Barton 13 Petrus de Newport 14 Richardus Talbot 15 Galfredus de Fering 16 Iohannes Chishull 17 Herueus de Boreham 18 Thomas Eglesthorpe 19 Rogerus de Lalleie 20 Wilhelmns de Montfort 21 Radulfus de Baldoc postea episcopus 22 Alanus de Cantilup postea cardinalis Iohan. Sandulfe electus Richardus de Newport electus 23 Magister Vitalis 24 Iohannes Euerisdon 25 Wilhelmus Brewer 26 Richardus Kilmingdon 27 Thomas Trullocke 28 Iohannes Appulbie 29 Thomas Euer 30 Thomas Stow. 31 Thomas More 32 Reginaldus Kenton 33 Thomas Lisieux alià s Leseux 34 Leonardus de Bath 35 Wilhelmus Saie 36 Rogerus Ratcliffe 37 Thom. Winterburne 38 Wilhelmus Wolseie 39 Robert Sherebroke 40 IohaÌ„nes Collet founder of Paules schoole Richardus Paceus Richardus Sampson Iohannes Incent Wilhelmus Maius resignauit Iohannes Fakenham alià s Howman resignauit Henricus Colus remooued imprisoned Wilhelmus Maius restored Alexander Nouellus And thus much of the archbishops bishops and deanes of that honorable sée I call it honorable because it hath had a succession for the most part of learned and wise men albeit that otherwise it be the most troublesome seat in England not onelie for that it is néere vnto checke but also the prelats thereof are much troubled with sutors and no lesse subiect to the reproches of the common sort whose mouthes are
alwaies wide open vnto reprehension and eies readie to espie anie thing that they may reprooue and carpe at I would haue doone so much for euerie see in England if I had not had consideration of the greatnesse of the volume and small benefit rising by the same vnto the commoditie of the readers neuerthelesse I haue reserued them vnto the publication of my great chronologie if while I liue it happen to come abrode Of Vniuersities Chap. 3. THere haue béene heretofore and at sundrie times diuerse famous vniuersities in this Iland and those euen in my daies not altogither forgotten as one at Bangor erected by Lucius and afterward conuerted into a monasterie not by Congellus as some write but by Pelagius the monke The second at Carlbeon vpon Uske neere to the place where the riuer dooth fall into the Seuerne founded by king Arthur The third at Theodford wherein were 600 students in the time of one Rond sometime king of that region The fourth at Stanford suppressed by Augustine the monke and likewise other in other places as Salisburie Eridon or Criclade Lachlade Reading and Northampton albeit that the two last rehearsed were not authorised but onelie arose to that name by the departure of the students from Oxford in time of ciuill dissention vnto the said townes where also they continued but for a little season When that of Salisburie began I can not tell but that it flourished most vnder Henrie the third and Edward the first I find good testimonie by the writers as also by the discord which fell 1278 betwéene the chancellor for the scholers there on the one part and William the archdeacon on the other whereof you shall sée more in the chronologie here following In my time there are thrée noble vniuersities in England to wit one at Oxford the second at Cambridge and the third in London of which the first two are the most famous I meane Cambridge and Oxford for that in them the vse of the toongs philosophie and the liberall sciences besides the profound studies of the ciuill law physicke and theologie are dailie taught and had whereas in the later the laws of the realme are onlie read and learned by such as giue their minds vnto the knowledge of the same In the first there are not onelie diuerse goodlie houses builded foure square for the most part of hard fréestone or bricke with great numbers of lodgings and chambers in the same for students after a sumptuous sort through the excéeding liberalitie of kings quéenes bishops noblemen and ladies of the land but also large liuings and great reuenues bestowed vpon them the like whereof is not to be séene in anie other region as Peter Martyr did oft affirme to maintenance onelie of such conuenient numbers of poore mens sonnes as the seuerall stipends bestowed vpon the said houses are able to support When these two schooles should be first builded who were their originall founders as yet it is vncerteine neuerthelesse as there is great likelihood that Cambridge was begun by one Cantaber a Spaniard as I haue noted in my chronologie so Alfred is said to be the first beginner of the vniuersitie at Oxford albeit that I cannot warrant the same to be so yong sith I find by good authoritie that Iohn of Beuerleie studied in the vniuersitie hall at Oxford which was long before Alfred was either horne or gotten Some are of the opinion that Cantabrigia was not so called of Cantaber but Cair Grant of the finisher of the worke or at the leastwise of the riuer that runneth by the same and afterward by the Saxons Grantcester An other sort affirme that the riuer is better written Canta than Granta c but whie then is not the towne called Canta Cantium or Cantodunum according to the same All this is said onlie as I thinke to deface the memorie of Cantaber who doâ—â—â—ting from the Brigants or out of Biscaie called the said towne after his owne and the name of the region from whence he came Neither hath it béene a rare thing for the Spaniards heretofore to come first into Ireland and from thense ouer into England sith the chronologie shall declare that it hath béene often seene and that out of Britaine they haue gotten ouer also into Scithia and contrariwise coasting still through Yorkeshire which of them also was called Brigantium as by good testimonie appeareth Of these two that of Oxford which lieth west and by north from London standeth most pleasantlie being inâ—â—roned in maner round about with woods on the hilles aloft and goodlie riuers in the bottoms and vallies beneath whose courses would bréed no small commoditie to that citie and countrie about if such impediments were remooued as greatlie annoie the same and hinder the cariage which might be made thither also from London That of Cambridge is distant from London about fortie and six miles north and by east and standeth verie well sauing that it is somewhat néere vnto the fens whereby the wholesomenesse of the aire there is not a litle corrupted It is excellentlie well serued with all kinds of prouision but especiallie of freshwater fish and wildfoule by reason of the riuer that passeth thereby and thereto the I le of Elie which is so néere at hand Onlie wood is the chéefe want to such as studie there wherefore this kind of prouision is brought them either from Essex and other places thereabouts as is also their cole or otherwise the necessitie thereof is supplied with gall a bastard kind of Mirtus as I take it and seacole whereof they haue great plentie led thither by the Grant Moreouer it hath not such store of medow ground as may suffice for the ordinarie expenses of the towne and vniuersitie wherefore the inhabitants are inforced in like sort to prouide their haie from other villages-about which minister the same vnto them in verie great aboundance Oxford is supposed to conteine in longitude eightéene degrees and eight and twentie minuts and in latitude one and fiftie degrées and fiftie minuts whereas that of Cambridge standing more northerlie hath twentie degrees and twentie minuts in longitude and therevnto fiftie and two degrées and fifteene minuts in latitude as by exact supputation is easie to be found The colleges of Oxford for curious workemanship and priuat commodities are much more statelie magnificent commodious than those of Cambridge and therevnto the stréets of the towne for the most part more large and comelie But for vniformitie of building orderlie compaction and politike regiment the towne of Cambridge as the newer workmanship excéedeth that of Oxford which otherwise is and hath béene the greater of the two by manie a fold as I gesse although I know diuerse that are of the contrarie opinion This also is certeine that whatsoeuer the difference be in building of the towne stréets the townesmen of both are glad when they may match and annoie the students by incroching vpon
Valuasor is now growne out of vse wherefore it sufficeth to haue said thus much of that function Knights be not borne neither is anie man a knight by succession no not the king or prince but they are made either before the battell to incourage them the more to aduenture trie their manhood or after the battell ended as an aduancement for their courage and prowesse alreadie shewed then are they called Milites or out of the warres for some great seruice doone or for the singular vertues which doo appeare in them and then are they named Equites aurati as common custome intendeth They are made either by the king himselfe or by his commission and roiall authoritie giuen for the same purpose or by his lieutenant in the warres This order seemeth to answer in part to that which the Romans called Equitum Romanorum For as Equites Romani were chosen Ex censu that is according to their substance and riches so be knights in England most commonlie according to their yearelie reuenues or aboundance of riches wherewith to mainteine their estates Yet all that had Equestrem censum were not chosen to be knights and no more be all made knights in England that may spend a knights lands but they onelie whome the prince will honour Sometime diuerse ancient gentlemen burgesses and lawiers are called vnto knighthood by the prince and neuerthelesse refuse to take that state vpon them for which they are of custome punished by a fine that redoundeth vnto his cofers and to saie truth is oftentimes more profitable vnto him than otherwise their seruice should be if they did yeeld vnto knighthood And this also is a cause wherfore there be manie in England able to dispend a knights liuing which neuer come vnto that countenance and by their owne consents The number of the knights in Rome was also vncerteine and so is it of knights likewise with vs as at the pleasure of the prince And whereas the Equites Romani had Equum publicum of custome bestowed vpon them the knights of England haue not so but beare their owne charges in that also as in other kind of furniture as armorie méet for their defense and seruice This neuerthelesse is certeine that who so may dispend 40 pounds by the yeare of frée land either at the coronation of the king or mariage of his daughter or time of his dubbing may be inforced vnto the taking of that degrée or otherwise paie the reuenues of his land for one yeare which is onelie fortie pounds by an old proportion and so for a time be acquited of that title We name him knight in English that the French calleth Cheualier and the Latins Equitem or Equestris ordinis virum And when any man is made a knight he knéeling downe is striken of the king or his substitute with his sword naked vpon the backe or shoulder the prince c saieng Soyes cheualier au nom de Dieu And when he riseth vp the king saith Aduances bon cheualier This is the maner of dubbing knights at this present and the tearme dubbing is the old tearme for that purpose and not creation howbeit in our time the word making is most in vse among the common sort At the coronation of a king or queene there be other knights made with longer and more curious ceremonies called knights of the bath But how soeuer one be dubbed or made knight his wife is by and by called madame or ladie so well as the barons wife he himselfe hauing added to his name in common appellation this syllable Sir which is the title whereby we call our knights in England His wife also of courtesie so long as she liueth is called my ladie although she happen to marie with a gentleman or man of meane calling albeit that by the coÌ„mon law she hath no such prerogatiue If hir first husband also be of better birth than hir second though this later likewise be a knight yet in that she pretendeth a priuilege to loose no honor through courtesie yéelded to hir sex she will be named after the most honorable or worshipfull of both which is not séene elsewhere The other order of knighthood in England and the most honorable is that of the garter instituted by king Edward the third who after he had gained manie notable victories taken king Iohn of France and king Iames of Scotland and kept them both prisoners in the Tower of London at one time expelled king Henrie of Castile the bastard out of his realme and restored Don Petro vnto it by the helpe of the prince of Wales and duke of Aquitaine his eldest sonne called the Blacke prince he then inuented this societie of honour and made a choise out of his owne realme and dominions and throughout all christendome of the best most excellent and renowmed persons in all vertues and honour and adorned them with that title to be knights of his order giuing them a garter garnished with gold and pretious stones to â—â—eare 〈◊〉 on the left leg onlie also a kirtic gowne cloke chaperon collaâ— and other solemne and magnifiâ—â—â— apparell both of stuffe and fashion exquisite hereâ—call to weare at high feasts as to so high and princelie an order apperteineth Of this companie also he and his successors kings and queenes of England be the souereignes and the rest by certeine statutes and lawes amongst themselues be taken as brethren and fellowes in that order to the number of six and twentie as I find in a certeine treatise written of the same an example whereof I haue here inserted word for word as it was deliuered vnto me beginning after this maner I might at this present make a long tractatioâ— of the round table and estate of the knights thereof erected sometimes by Arthur the great monarch of this Iland and therevnto intreat of the number of his knights and ceremonies belonging to the order but I thinke in so dooing that I should rather set downe the latter inuentions of other men than a true description of such ancient actions as were performed in deed I could furthermore with more facilitie describe the roialtie of Charles the great his twelue péeres with their solemne rites and vsages but vnto this also I haue no great deuotion considering the truth hereof is now so stained with errours and fables inserted into the same by the lewd religious sort that except a man should professe to lie with them for companie there is little sound knowledge to be gathered hereof worthie the remembrance In like maner diuerse aswell subiects as princes haue attempted to restore againe a round table in this land as for example Roger lord Mortimer at Killingworth but such were the excesiue charges apperteining therevnto as they did make allowance and so great molestation dailie insued therevpon beside the bréeding of sundrie quarrels among the knights and such as resorted hitherto from forreine countries as it
a cow or wherein to set cabbages radishes parsneps carrets melons pompons or such like stuffe by which he and his poore household liueth as by their principall food sith they can doo no better And as for wheaten bread they eat it when they can reach vnto the price of it contenting themselues in the meane time with bread made of otes or barleie a poore estate God wot Howbeit what care our great incrochers But in diuers places where rich men dwelled sometime in good tenements there be now no houses at all but hopyards and sheads for poles or peraduenture gardens as we may sée in castell Hedingham and diuerse other places But to procéed It is so that our soile being diuided into champaine ground and woodland the houses of the first lie vniformelie builded in euerie towne togither with stréets and lanes wheras in the woodland countries except here and there in great market townes they stand scattered abroad each one dwelling in the midst of his owne occupieng And as in manie and most great market townes there are commonlie thrée hundred or foure hundred families or mansions two thousand communicants or peraduenture more so in the other whether they be woodland or champaine we find not often aboue fortie fiftie or thrée score households and two or thrée hundred communicants whereof the greatest part neuerthelesse are verie poore folkes offentimes without all maner of occupieng sith the ground of the paâ—ish is gotten vp into a few mens hands yea sometimes into the tenure of one two or thrée whereby the rest are compelled either to be hired seruants vnto the other or else to beg their bread in miserie from doore to doore There are some saith Leland which are not so fauourable when they haue gotten such lands as to let the houses remaine vpon them to the vse of the poore but they will compound with the lord of the soile to pull them downe for altogither saieng that if they did let them stand they should but toll beggers to the towne therby to surcharge the rest of the parish laie more burden vpon them But alas these pitifull men sée not that they themselues hereby doo laie the greatest log vpon their neighbors necks For sith the prince dooth commonlie loose nothing of his duties accustomable to be paid the rest of the parishioners that remaine must answer and beare them out for they plead more charge other waies saieng I am charged alreadie with a light horsse I am to answer in this sort and after that maner And it is not yet altogither out of knowledge that where the king had seuen pounds thirteene shillings at a taske gathered of fiftie wealthie householders of a parish in England now a gentleman hauing three parts of the towne in his owne hands foure housholds doo beare all the aforesaid paiment or else Leland is deceiued in his Commentaries lib. 13. latelie come to my hands which thing he especiallie noted in his trauell ouer this I le A common plague enormitie both in the hart of the land and likewise vpon the coasts Certes a great number complaine of the increase of pouertie laieng the cause vpon God as though he were in fault for sending such increase of people or want of wars that should consume them affirming that the land was neuer so full c but few men doo sée the verie root from whence it dooth procéed Yet the Romans found it out when they florished and therefore prescribed limits to euerie mans tenure and occupieng Homer commendeth Achilles for ouerthrowing of fiue and twentie cities but in mine opinion Ganges is much better preferred by Suidas for building of thrée score in Inde where he did plant himselfe I could if néed required set downe in this place the number of religious houses and monasteries with the names of their founders that haue béene in this Iland but sith it is a thing of small importance I passe it ouer as impertinent to my purpose Yet herein I will commend sundrie of the monasticall votaries especiallie moonkes for that they were authors of manie goodlie borowes and endwares néere vnto their dwellings although otherwise they pretended to be men separated from the world But alas their couetous minds one waie in inlarging their reuenues and carnall intent an other appéered herin too too much For being bold from time to time to visit their tenants they wrought oft great wickednesse and made those endwares little better than brodelhouses especiallio where nunries were farre off or else no safe accesse vnto them But what doo I spend my time in the rehearsall of these filthinesses Would to God the memorie of them might perish with the malefactors My purpose was also at the end of this chapter to haue set downe a table of the parish churches and market townes thorough out all England and Wales but sith I can not performe the same as I would I am forced to giue ouer my purpose yet by these few that insue you shall easilie see what order I would haue vsed according to the shires if I might haue brought it to passe Shires Market townes Parishes Middlesex 3 73 London within the walles and without  120 Surrie 6 140 Sussex 18 312 Kent 17 398 Cambridge 4 163 Bedford 9 13 Huntingdon 5 78 Rutland 2 47 Barkeshire 11 150 Northhampton 10 326 Buckingham 11 196 Oxford 10 216 Southhampton 18 248 Dorset 19 279 Norffolke 26 625 Suffolke 25 575 Essex 18 415 Of castels and holds Chap. 14. IT hath béene of long time a question in controuersie and not yet determined whether holds and castels néere cities or anie where in the hart of common-wealths are more profitable or hurtfull for the benefit of the countrie Neuertheles it séemeth by our owne experience that we here in England suppose them altogither vnnéedfull This also is apparant by the testimonie of sundrie writers that they haue béene the ruine of manie a noble citie Of old Salisburie I speake not of Anwarpe I saie nothing more than of sundrie other whereof some also in my time neuer cease to incroch vpon the liberties of the cities adioining thereby to hinder them what and wherin they may For my part I neuer read of anie castell that did good vnto the citie abutting theron but onelie the capitoll of Rome and yet but once good vnto the same in respect of the nine times whereby it brought it into danger of vtter ruine and confusion Aristotle vtterlie denieth that anie castle at all can be profitable to a common wealth well gouerned Timotheus of Corinthum affirmeth that a castle in a common wealth is but a bréeder of tyrants Pyrhus king of Epire being receiued also on a time into Athens among other courtesies shewed vnto him they led him also into their castell of Pallas who at his departure gaue them great thanks for the fréendlie intertainment but with this item that they should let so few kings come into the same as they might least saith
seller should make his market by an houre or else the bailie or clearke of the said market to make sale therof according to his discretion without libertie to the farmer to fet vp their corne in houses and chambers I am persuaded that the prices of our graine would soone be abated Againe if it were enacted that each one should kéepe his next market with his graine and not to run six eight ten fouretéene or twentie miles from home to sell his corne where he dooth find the highest price and therby leaueth his neighbours vnfurnished I doo not thinke but that our markets would be farre better serued than at this present they are Finallie if mens barns might be indifferentlie viewed immediatlie after haruest and a note gethered by estimat and kept by some appointed trustie person for that purpose we should haue much more plentie of corne in our towne crosses than as yet is commonlie seene bicause each one hideth and hoordeth what he may vpon purpose either that it will be déerer or that he shall haue some priuie veine by bodgers who doo accustomablie so deale that the sea dooth load awaie no small part thereof into other countries our enimies to the great hinderance of our common-wealth at home and more likelie yet to be except some remedie be found But what doo I talke of these things or desire the suppression of bodgers being a minister Certes I may speake of them right well as séeling the harme in that I am a buier neuerthelesse I speake generallie in ech of them To conclude therefore in our markets all things are to be sold necessarie for mans vse and there is our prouision made commonlie for all the wéeke insuing Therefore as there are no great townes without one weekelie market at the least so there are verie few of them that haue not one or two faires or more within the compasse of the yeare assigned vnto them by the prince And albeit that some of them are not much better than Lowse faire or the common kirkemesses beyond the sea yet there are diuerse not inferiour to the greatest marts in Europe as Sturbridge faire neere to Cambridge Bristow faire Bartholomew faire at London Lin mart Cold faire at Newport pond for cattell and diuerse other all which or at leastwise the greatest part of them to the end I may with the more ease to the reader and lesse trauell to my slefe fulfill my taske in their recitall I haue set downe according to the names of the moneths wherein they are holden at the end of this booke where you shall find them at large as I borowed the same from I. Stow and the reports of others Of Parkes and Warrens Chap. 19. IN euerie shire of England there is great plentie of parkes whereof some here and there to wit welnere to the number of two hundred for hir daily prouision of that flesh apperteine to the prince the rest to such of the nobilitie and gentlemen as haue their lands and patrimonies lieng in or néere vnto the same I would gladlie haue set downe the iust number of these inclosures to be found in euerie countie but sith I cannot so doo it shall suffice to saie that in Kent and Essex onelie are to the number of an hundred and twentie in the bishoprike of Durham wherein great plentie of fallow deere is cherished and kept As for warrens of conies I iudge them almost innumerable and dailie like to incerase by reason that the blacke skins of those beasts are thought to counteruaile the prices of their naked carcases and this is the onelie cause whie the graie are lesse esteemed Neere vnto London their quickest merchandize is of the yong rabbets wherfore the older conies are brought from further off where there is no such speedie vtterance of rabbets and sucklings in their season nor so great losse by their skins sith they are suffered to growe vp to their full greatnesse with their owners Our parkes are geneâ—â—llie inclosed with strong pale made of oke of which kind of wood there is great store cherished in the woodland countries from time to time in ech of them onelie for the maintenance of the said defense and safe-keeping of the fallow déere from ranging about the countrie Howbeit in times past diuerse haue been fensed in with stone walles especiallie in the times of the Romans who first brought fallow déere into this land as some coniecture albeit those inclosures were ouerthrowne againe by the Saxons Danes as Cauisham Towner and Woodstocke beside other in the west countrie and one also at Bolton Among other things also to be seene in that towne there is one of the fairest clockes in Europe Where in wood is they are also inclosed with piles of state and therto it is douted of manie whether our bucke or doe are to be reckoned in wild or tame beasts or not Plinie deemeth them to be wild Martial is also of the same opinion where he saith Imbelles damae quid nisi praeda sumus And so in time past the like controuersie was about bées which the lawiers call Feras tit de acquirendo rerum dominio lib. 2. instit But Plinie attempting to decide the quarell calleth them Medias interferas placidas aues But whither am I so suddenlie digressed In returning therefore vnto our parks I find also the circuit of these inclosures in like manner conteine often times a walke of foure or fiue miles and sometimes more or lesse Wherby it is to be séene what store of ground is emploied vpon that vaine commoditie which bringeth no manner of gaine or profit to the owner sith they commonlie giue awaie their flesh neuer taking penie for the same except the ordinarie fée and parts of the déere giuen vnto the kéeper by a custome who beside three shillings foure pence or fiue shillings in monie hath the skin head vmbles chine and shoulders whereby he that hath the warrant for an whole bucke hath in the end little more than halfe which in my iudgement is scarselie equall dealing for venison in England is neither bought nor sold as in other countries but mainteined onelie for the pleasure of the owner and his friends Albeit I heard of late of one ancient ladie which maketh a great gaine by selling yeerelie hir husbands venison to the cookes as another of no lesse name will not sticke to ride to the market to sée hir butter sold but not performed without infinite scoffes and mockes euen of the poorest pezzants of the countrie who thinke them as odious matters in ladies and women of such countenance to sell their venison and their butter as for an earle to feele his oxen sheepe and lambs whether they be readie for the butcher or not or to sell his wooll vnto the clothier or to kéepe a tan-house or deale with such like affaires as belong not to men of honor but rather to farmers or grasiers for which such if there be anie may well be
noted and not vniustlie to degenerate from true nobilitie and betake themselues to husbandrie And euen the same enormitie tooke place sometime among the Romans and entred so farre as into the verie senate of whome some one had two or thrée ships going vpon the sea pretending prouision for their houses but in truth following the trades of merchandize till a law was made which did inhibit and restraine them Liuie also telleth of another law which passed likewise against the senators by Claudius the tribune and helpe onelie of C. Flaminius that no senator or he that had beene father to anie senator should possesse anie ship or vessell aboue the capacitie of thrée hundred amphoras which was supposed sufficient for the cariage and recariage of such necessities as should apperteine vnto his house sith further trading with merchandizes and commodities dooth delcare but a base and couetous mind not altogither void of enuie that anie man should liue but he or that if anie gaine were to be had he onelie would haue it himselfe which is a wonderfull dealing and must néeds proue in time the confusion of that countrie wherein such enormities are exercised Where in times part manie large and wealthie occupiers were dwelling within the compasse of some one parke and thereby great plentie of corne and cattell séene and to be had among them beside a more copious procreation of humane issue whereby the realme was alwaies better furnished with able men to serue the prince in his affaires now there is almost nothing kept but a sort of wild and sauage beasts cherished for pleasure and delight and yet some owners still desirous to inlarge those grounds as either for the bréed and feeding of cattell doo not let dailie to take in more not sparing the verie commons whervpon manie towneships now and then doo liue affirming that we haue alreadie too great store of people in England and that youth by marrieng too soone doo nothing profit the countrie but fill it full of beggars to the hurt and vtter vndooing they saie of the common wealth Certes if it be not one curse of the Lord to haue our countrie conuerted in such sort from the furniture of mankind into the walks and shrowds of wild beasts I know not what is anie How manie families also these great and small games for so most kéepers call them haue eaten vp and are likelie hereafter to deuoure some men may coniecture but manie more lament sith there is no hope of restraint to be looked for in this behalfe because the corruption is so generall But if a man may presentlie giue a ghesse at the vniuersalitie of this euill by contemplation of the circumstance he shall saie at the last that the twentith part of the realme is imploied vpon déere and conies alreadie which séemeth verie much if it be not dulie considered of King Henrie the eight one of the noblest princes that euer reigned in this land lamented oft that he was constreined to hire forren aid for want of competent store of souldiors here at home perceiuing as it is indeed that such supplies are oftentimes more hurtfull than profitable vnto those that interteine them as may chéeflie be seene in Ualens the emperor our Uortiger and no small number of others He would oft maruell in priuate talke how that when seauen or eight princes ruled here at once one of them could lead thirtie or fortie thousand men to the field against another or two of them 100000 against the third and those taken out onelie of their owne dominions But as he found the want so he saw not the cause of this decaie which grew beside this occasion now mentioned also by laieng house to house and land to land whereby manie mens occupiengs were conuerted into one and the bréed of people not a little thereby diminished The auarice of landlords by increasing of rents and fines also did so wearie the people that they were readie to rebell with him that would arise supposing a short end in the warres to be better than a long and miserable life in peace Priuileges and faculties also are another great cause of the ruine of a common wealth and diminution of mankind for whereas law and nature dooth permit all men to liue in their best maner and whatsoeuer trade they be exercised in there commeth some priuiledge or other in the waie which cutteth them off from this or that trade wherby they must néeds shift soile and séeke vnto other countries By these also the greatest commodities are brought into the hands of few who imbase corrupt and yet raise the prices of things at their owne pleasures Example of this last I can giue also in bookes which after the first impression of anie one booke are for the most part verie negligentlie handled whereas if another might print it so well as the first then would men striue which of them should doo it best and so it falleth out in all other trades It is an easie matter to prooue that England was neuer lesse furnished with people than at this present for it the old records of euerie manour be sought and search made to find what tenements are fallen either downe or into the lords hands or brought and vnited togither by other men it will soone appéere that in some one manour seuentéen eightéene or twentie houses are shrunke I know what I saie by mine owne experience notwithstanding that some one cotage be here and there erected of late which is to little purpose Of cities and townes either vtterlie decaied or more than a quarter or halfe diminished though some one be a little increased here and there of townes pulled downe for sheepe-walks and no more but the lordships now standing in them beside those that William Rufus pulled downe in his time I could saie somewhat but then I should swarue yet further from my purpose wherevnto I now returne Wée had no parkes left in England at the comming of the Normans who added this calamitie also to the seruitude of our nation making men of the best sort furthermore to become kéepers of their game whilest they liued in the meane time vpon the spoile of their reuenues and dailie ouerthrew townes villages and an infinit sort of families for the maintenance of their venerie Neither was anie parke supposed in these times to be statelie enough that conteined not at the least eight or ten hidelands that is so manie hundred acres or families or as they haue béene alwaies called in some places of the realme carrucats or cartwares of which one was sufficient in old time to mainteine an honest yeoman King Iohn trauelling on a time northwards to wit 1209 to warre vpon the king of Scots because he had married his daughter to the earle of Bullen without his consent in his returne ouerthrew a great number of parkes and warrens of which some belonged to his barons but the greatest part to the abbats and prelats of the cleargie
For hearing as he trauelled by complaint of the countrie how these inclosures were the chéefe decaie of men and of tillage in the land he sware with an oth that he would not suffer wild beasts to féed vpon the fat of his soile and sée the people perish for want of abilitie to procure and buie them food that should defend the realme Howbeit this act of his was so ill taken by the religious and their adherents that they inuerted his intent herein to another end affirming most slanderouslie how he did it rather of purpose to spoile the corne and grasse of the commons and catholikes that held against him of both estates and by so doing to impouerish and bring the north part of the realme to destruction because they refused to go with him into Scotland If the said prince were aliue in these daies wherein Andrew Boord saith there are more parks in England than in all Europe ouer which he trauelled in his owne person and saw how much ground they consume I thinke he would either double his othes or laie the most of them open that tillage might be better looked vnto But this I hope shall not néed in time for the owners of a great fort of them begin now to smell out that such parcels might be emploied to their more gaine and therefore some of them doo grow to be disparked Next of all we haue the franke chase which taketh something both of parke and forrest and is giuen either by the kings grant or prescription Certes it differeth not much from a parke nay it is in maner the selfe same thing that a parke is sauing that a parke is inuironed with pale wall or such like the chase alwaie open and nothing at all inclosed as we see in Enuéeld Maluerne chases And as it is the cause of the seisure of the franchise of a parke not to kéepe the same inclosed so it is the like in a chase if at anie time it be imparked It is trespasse and against the law also for anie man to haue or make a chase parke or frée warren without good warrantie of the king by his charter or perfect title of prescription for it is not lawfull for anie subiect either to carnilate that is build stone houses imbattell haue the querke of the sea or kéepe the assise of bread ale or wine or set vp furels tumbrell thew or pillorie or inclose anie ground to the aforesaid purposes within his owne soile without his warrant and grant The beasts of the chase were commonlie the bucke the roe the fox and the marterne But those of venerie in old time were the hart the hare the bore and the woolfe but as this held not in the time of Canutus so in stéed of the woolfe the beare is now crept in which is a beast coÌ„monlie hunted in the east countries and fed vpon as excellent venison although with vs I know not anie that féed thereon or care for it at all Certes it should seeme that forrests and franke chases haue alwaies béene had and religiouslie preserued in this Iland for the solace of the prince and recreation of his nobilitie howbeit I read not that euer they were inclosed more than at this present or otherwise fensed than by vsuall notes of limitation whereby their bounds were remembred from time to time for the better preseruation of such venerie and vert of all sorts as were nourished in the same Neither are anie of the ancient laws prescribed for their maintenance before the daies of Canutus now to be had sith time hath so dealt with them that they are perished and lost Canutus therefore seeing the dailie spoile that was made almost in all places of his game did at the last make sundrie sanctions and decrées whereby from thenceforth the red and fallow déere were better looked to throughout his whole dominions We haue in these daies diuerse forrests in England and Wales of which some belong to the king and some to his subiects as Waltham forrest Windlesor Pickering Fecknam Delamore Gillingham Kingswood Wencedale Clun Rath Bredon Weire Charlie Leircester Lée Rokingham Selwood New forrest Wichwood Hatfeeld Sauernake Westbirie Blacamore Pcke Deane Penrise manie other now cleane out of my remembrance and which although they are far greater in circuit than manie parkes and warrens yet are they in this our time lesse deuourers of the people than these latter sith beside much tillage manie townes ar found in each of them wheras in parks and warrens we haue nothing else than either the keepers wareners lodge or at least the manor place of the chéef lord owner of the soile I find also by good record that all Essex hath in time past wholie béene forrest ground except one cantred or hundred but how long it is since it lost the said denomination in good sooth I doo not read This neuerthâ—lesse remaineth yet in memorie that the towne of Walden in Essex slanâ—ing in the limits of the aforesaid countie doth take hir name thereof For in the Câ—ltike toong wâ—erewith the Saxon or Scithian spéech dooth not a little participate huge woods and forrests were called Walds and likewise their Druides were named Walie or Waldie bicause they frequented the woods and there made sacrifice among the okes and thickets So that if my coniecture in this behalfe be anie thing at all the aforesaid towne taketh denomination of of Wald and end as if I should say The end of the wooddie soile for being once out of that parish the champaine is at hand Or it may be that it is so called of Wald and dene for I haue read it written in old euidences Waldaene with a diphthong And to saie truth Dene is the old Saxon word for a vale or lowe bottome as Dune or Don is for an hill or hillie soile Certes if it be so then Walden taketh hir name of the woodie vale in which it sometime stood But the first deriuation liketh me better and the highest part of the towne is called also Chipping Walden of the Saxon word gipping which signifieth Leaning or hanging and may verie well be applied therevnto sith the whole towne hangeth as it were vpon the sides of two hils wherof the lesser runneth quite through the middest of the same I might here for further confirmation of these things bring in mention of the Wald of Kent but this may suffice for the vse of the word Wald which now differeth much from Wold For as that signifieth a woodie soile so this betokeneth a soile without wood or plaine champaine countrie without anie store of trées as may be seene in Cotswold Porkewold c. Beside this I could saie more of our forrests and the aforesaid inclosures also therein to prooue by the booke of forrest law that the whole countie of Lancaster hath likewise beene forrest heretofore Also how William the Bastard made a law that whosoeuer did take anie wild beast within the kings forrest
and diuerse other which I haue prouided readie for the purpose beside the monuments and liuelie images of sundrie philosophers and kings of this Iland since the time of Edward the Confessor Wherof although presentlie I want a few yet I doo not doubt but to obteine them all if friendship at the leastwise procured for monie shall be able to preuaile But as it hath doone hitherto so the charges to be emploied vpon these brasen or copper images will hereafter put by the impression of that treatife whereby it maie come to passe that long trauell shall soone proue to be spent in vaine and much cost come to verie small successe Whereof yet I force not greatlie sith by this means I haue reaped some commoditie vnto my selfe by searching of the histories which often minister store of examples readie to be vsed in my function as occasion shall mooue me But to procéed with my purpose Before the comming of the Romans there was a kind of copper monie currant here in Britaine as Caesar confesseth in the fift booke of his Commentaries but I find not of what maner it was Hereto he addeth a report of certeine rings of a proportionate weight which they vsed in his time in stead likewise of monie But as hitherto it hath not bene my lucke I saie to haue the certeine view of anie of these so after the comming of the Romans they inforced vs to abandon our owne and receiue such imperiall monies or coines as for the paiment of their legions was dailie brought ouer vnto them What coines the Romans had it is easie to be knowne and from time to time much of it is found in manie places of this Iland as well of gold and siluer as of copper brasse and other mettall much like stéele almost of euerie emperour So that I account it no rare thing to haue of the Roman coine albeit that it still represent an image of our captiuitie and maie be a good admonition for vs to take heed how we yéeld our selues to the regiment of strangers Of the store of these monies found vpon the Kentish coast I haue alreadie made mention in the description of Richborow and chapter of Iles adiacent vnto the British Albion and there shewed also how simple fishermen haue had plentie of them and that the conies in making profers and holes to bréed in haue scraped them out of the ground in verie great abundance In speaking also of S. Albans in the chapter of townes and villages I haue not omitted to tell what plentie of these coines haue bene gathered there wherfore I shall not néed here to repeat the same againe Howbeit this is certeine that the most part of all these antiquities to be found within the land distant from the shore are to be gotten either in the ruines of ancient cities and townes decaied or in inclosed burrowes where their legions accustomed sometime to winter as by experience is dailie confirmed What store hath béene séene of them in the citie of London which they called Augusta of the legion that soiourned there likewise in Yorke named also Uictrix of the legion Victoria or Altera Roma because of the beautie and fine building of the same I my selfe can partlie witnesse that haue séene often had of them if better testimonie were wanting The like I maie affirme of Colchester where those of Claudius Adrian Traian Vespasian and other are oftentimes plowed vp or found by other means also of Cantorburie Andredeschester now decaied Rochester then called Durobreuum Winchester and diuerse other beyond the Thames which for breuitie sake I doo passe ouer in silence Onelie the chiefe of all and where most are found in deed is néere vnto Carleon and Cairgwent in Southwales about Kenchester thrée miles aboue Hereford Aldborow Ancaster Bramdon Dodington where a spurre and péece of a chaine of gold were found in king Henrie the eight his daies besides much of the said Roman coine Binchester Camalet Lacocke vpon Auon and Lincolne Dorchester Warwike and Chester where they are often had in verie great abundance It seemeth that Ancaster hath beene a great thing for manie square colored pauements vaults and arches are yet found and often laid open by such as dig and plow in the fields about the same And amongst these one Uresbie or Roscbie a plowman did ere vp not long since a stone like a trough couered with another stone wherein was great foison of the aforesaid coines The like also was séene not yet fortie yeares agone about Grantham But in king Henrie the eight his daies an husbandman had far better lucke at Harleston two miles from the aforesaid place where he found not onelie great plentie of this coine but also an huge brasse pot and therein a large helmet of pure gold richlie fretted with pearle and set with all kind of costlie stones he tooke vp also chaines much like vnto beads of siluer all which as being if a man might ghesse anie certeintie by their beautie not likelie to be long hidden he presented to quéene Katharine then lieng at Peterborow and therewithall a few ancient rolles of parchment written long agone though so defaced with mouldinesse and rotten for age that no man could well hold them in his hand without falling into péeces much lesse read them by reason of their blindnesse In the beginning of the same kings daies also at Killeie a man found as he eared an arming girdle harnessed with pure gold and a great massie pomell with a crosse hilt for a sword of the same mettall beside studs and harnesse for spurs and the huge long spurs of like stuffe whereof one doctor Ruthall got a part into his hands The boroughs or buries wherof I spake before were certeine plots of ground wherin the Romane souldiers did vse to lie when they kept in the open fields as chosen places from whence they might haue easie accesse vnto their aduersaries if anie outrage were wrought or rebellion mooued against them And as these were the vsuall aboads for those able legions that serued dailie in the wars so had they other certeine habitations for the old and forworne souldiers whereby diuerse cities grew in time to be replenished with Romane colonies as Cairleon Colchester Chester and such other of which Colchester bare the name of Colonia long time and wherein A. Plautius builded a temple vnto the goodesse of Uictorie after the departure of Claudius which Tacitus calleth Aram sempiternae dominationis a perpetuall monument of that our British seruitude But to returne vnto our borowes they were generallie walled about with stone wals and so large in compasse that some did conteine thirtie fourtie three score or eightie acres of ground within their limits they had also diuerse gates or ports vnto each of them and of these not a few remaine to be seene in our time as one for example not far from great Chesterford in Essex néere to the limits of Cambridgshire which I haue often
quarters by which shift onelie the people came by small monies as halfe pence and fardings that otherwise were not stamped nor coined of set purpose Of forren coines we haue all the ducats the single double and the double double the crusadoes with the long crosse and the short the portigue a péece verie solemnelie kept of diuerse yet oft times abased with washing or absolutelie counterfeited and finallie the French and Flemish crownes onlie currant among vs so long as they hold weight But of siluer coines as the soules turnois whereof ten make a shilling as the franke dooth two shillings and thrée franks the French crowne c we haue none at all yet are the dalders and such often times brought ouer but neuerthelesse exchanged as bullion according to their finenesse and weight and afterward conuerted into coine by such as haue authoritie In old time we had sundrie mints in England and those commonlie kept in abbaies and religious houses before the conquest where true dealing was commonlie supposed most of all to dwell as at Ramseie S. Edmundsburie Canturburie Glassenburie Peterborow and such like sundrie exemplificats of the grants whereof are yet to be seene in writing especiallie that of Peterborow vnder the confirmation of pope Eugenius wherevnto it appeereth further by a charter of king Edgar which I haue that they either held it or had another in Stanford But after the Normans had once gotten the kingdome into their fingers they trusted themselues best with the ouersight of their mints and therefore erected diuerse of their owne although they afterward permitted some for small péeces of siluer vnto sundrie of the houses aforesaid In my time diuerse mints are suppressed as Southwarke Bristow c and all coinage is brought into one place that is to saie the Tower of London where it is continuallie holden and perused but not without great gaine to such as deale withall There is also coinage of tin holden yearelie at two seuerall times that is to saie Midsummer and Michaelmas in the west countrie which at the first hearing I supposed to haue béene of monie of the said mettall and granted by priuilege from some prince vnto the towns of Hailestone Trurie and Lostwithiell Howbeit vpon further examination of the matter I find it to be nothing so but an office onlie erected for the prince wherin he is allowed the ordinarie customes of that mettall and such blocks of tin as haue passed the hands of his officers are marked with an especiall stampe whereby it is knowne that the custome due for the same hath ordinarilie béene answered It should séeme and in my opinion is verie likelie to be true that while the Romans reigned here Kingstone vpon Thames sometime a right noble citie and place where the Saxon kings were vsuallie crowned was the chiefe place of their coinage for this prouince For in earing of the ground about that towne in times past and now of late besides the curious foundation of manie goodlie buildings that haue béene ripped vp by plowes and diuerse coines of brasse siluer and gold with Romane letters in painted pots found there in the daies of cardinall Woolseie one such huge pot was discouered full as it were of new siluer latelie coined another with plates of siluer readie to be coined and the third with chaines of siluer and such broken stuffe redie as it should appeere to be melted into coinage whereof let this suffice to countenance out my coniecture Of coins currant before the comming of the Romans I haue elsewhere declared that there were none at all in Britaine but as the Ilanders of Scylira the old Romans Armenians Scythians Seritans Sarmatians Indians and Essences did barter ware for ware so the Britons vsed brasse or rings of iron brought vnto a certeine proportion in steed of monie as the Lacedemonians Bisantines also did the Achiui as Homer writeth who had saith he rough peeces of brasse and iron in stéed of coine wherewith they purchased their wines The contents of the third booke 1 Of cattell kept for profit 2 Of wild and tame foules 3 Of fish vsuallie taken vp on our coasts 4 Of sauage beasts and vermines 5 Of hawkes and rauenous foules 6 Of venemous beasts 7 Of our English dogs and their qualities 8 Of our saffron and the dressing thereof 9 Of quarries of stone for building 10 Of sundrie minerals 11 Of mettals to be had in our land 12 Of pretious stones 13 Of salt made in England 14 Of our accompt of time and hir parts 15 Of principall faires and markets 16 Of our innes and thorowfaires Of cattell kept for profit Chap. 1. THere is no kind of tame cattell vsually to be séene in these parts of the world wherof we haue not some and that great store in England as horsses oxen shéepe goats swine and far surmounting the like in other countries as may be prooued with ease For where are oxen commonlie more large of bone horsses more decent and pleasant in pase kine more commodious for the pale shéepe more profitable for wooll swine more wholesome of flesh and goates more gainefull to their kéepers than here with vs in England But to speke of them peculiarlie I suppose that our kine are so abundant in yéeld of milke wherof we make our butter chéese as the like anie where else and so apt for the plough in diuerse places as either our horsses or oxen And albeit they now and then twin yet herein they séeme to come short of that commoditle which is looked for in other countries to wit in that they bring foorth most commonlie but one calfe at once The gaines also gotten by a cow all charges borne hath beene valued at twentie shillings yearelie but now as land is inhanced this proportion of gaine is much abated and likelie to decaie more and more if ground arise to be yet déerer which God forbid if it be his will and pleasure I heard of late of a cow in Warwikshire belonging to Thomas Bruer of Studleie which in six yéeres had sixtéene calfes that is foure at once in three caluings and twise twins which vnto manie may séeme a thing incredible In like maner our oxen are such as the like are not to be found in anie countrie of Europe both for greatnesse of bodie and swéetnesse of flesh or else would not the Romane writers haue preferred them before those of Liguria In most places our grasiers are now growen to be so cunning that if they doo but sée an ox or bullocke and come to the féeling of him they will giue a ghesse at his weight and how manie score or stone of flesh and tallow he beareth how the butcher may liue by the sale and what he may haue for the skin and tallow which is a point of skill not commonlie practised heretofore Some such grasiers also are reported to ride with veluet coats and chaines of gold about them and in their absence their wiues will not let
carieng ouer their rams ewes to breed increase among them The first example hereof was giuen vnder Edward the fourth who not vnderstanding the botome of the sute of sundrie traitorous merchants that sought a present gaine with the perpetuall hinderance of their countrie licenced them to carie ouer certeine numbers of them into Spaine who hauing licence but for a few shipped veris manie a thing commonlie practised in other commodities also whereby the prince and hir land are not seldome times defrauded But such is our nature and so blind are we in déed that we sée no inconuenience before we féele it and for a present gaine we regard not what damage may insue to our posteritie Hereto some other man would ad also the desire that we haue to benefit other countries and to impech our owne And it is so sure as God liueth that euerie trifle which commeth from beyond the sea though it be not woorth thrée pence is more estéemed than a continuall commoditie at home with vs which far excéedeth that value In time past the vse of this commoditie consisted for the most part in cloth and woolsteds but now by meanes of strangers succoured here from domesticall persecution the same hath béene imploied vnto sundrie other vses as mockados baies vellures grograines c whereby the makers haue reaped no small commoditie It is furthermore to be noted for the low countries of Belgie know it and dailie experience notwithstanding the sharpenesse of our lawes to the contrarie dooth yet confirme it that although our rams weathers doo go thither from vs neuer so well headed according to their kind yet after they haue remained there a while they cast there their heads and from thencefoorth they remaine polled without any hornes at all Certes this kind of cattell is more cherished in England than standeth well with the commoditie of the commons or prosperitie of diuerse townes whereof some are wholie conuerted to their féeding yet such a profitable sweetnesse is their fléece such necessitie in their flesh and so great a benefit in the manuring of barren soile with their doong and pisse that their superfluous numbers are the better borne withall And there is neuer an husbandman for now I speake not of our great shéepemasters of whom some one man hath 20000 but hath more or lesse of this cattell séeding on his fallowes and short grounds which yéeld the siner fléece as Virgil following Varro well espied Georg. 3. where he saith Si tibi lanicium curae primùm aspera sylua Lappaequae tribulique absint fuge pabula laeta Neuerthelesse the sheepe of our countrie are often troubled with the rot as are our swine with the measels though neuer so generallie and manie men are now and then great losers by the same but after the calamitie is ouer if they can recouer and kéepe their new stocks sound for seauen yeares togither the former losse will easilie be recompensed with double commoditie Cardan writeth that our waters are hurtfull to our shéepe howbeit this is but his coniecture for we know that our shéepe are infected by going to the water and take the same as a sure and certeine token that a rot hath gotten hold of them their liuers and lights being alredie distempered through excessiue heat which inforceth them the rather to séeke vnto the water Certes there is no parcell of the maine wherin a man shall generallie find more fine and wholesome water than in England and therfore it is impossible that our shéepe should decaie by tasting of the same Wherfore the hinderance by rot is rather to be ascribed to the vnseasonablenes moisture of the weather in summer also their licking in of mildewes gossamire rowtie fogs ranke grasse full of superfluous iuice but speciallie I saie to ouer moist wether whereby the continuall raine pearsing into their hollow felles soketh foorthwith into their flesh which bringeth them to their baines Being also infected their first shew of sickenesse is their desire to drinke so that our waters are not vnto them Causa aegritudinis but Signum morbi what so euer Cardan doo mainteine to the contrarie There are peraduenture no small babes which are growne to be so good husbands that they can make account of euerie ten kine to be cléerelie woorth twentie pounds in coÌ„mon and indifferent yeares if the milke of fiue shéepe be dailie added to the same But as I wote not how true this surmise is bicause it is no part of my trade so I am sure hereof that some housewiues can and doo ad dailie a lesse proportion of ewes milke vnto the chéese of so manie kine whereby their cheese dooth the longer abide moist and eateth more brickle and mellow than otherwise it would Goats we haue pâ—ntie and of sundrie colours in the west parts of England especiallie in and towards Wales and amongst the rockie hilles by whome the owners doo reape no small aduantage some also are cherished elsewhere in diuerse stéeds for the benefit of such as are diseased with sundrie maladies vnto whom as I heare their milke chéese and bodies of their yoong kids are iudged verie profitable and therefore inquired for of manie farre and néere Certes I find among the writers that the milke of a goat is next in estimation to that of the woman for that it helpeth the stomach remooueth oppilations and stoppings of the liuer and looseth the bellie Some place also next vnto it the milke of the ew and thirdlie that of the cow But hereof I can shew no reason onelie this I know that ewes milke is fulsome sweet and such in tast as except such as are vsed vnto it no man will gladlie yéeld to liue and féed withall As for swine there is no place that hath greater store nor more wholesome in eating than are these here in England which neuerthelesse doo neuer anie good till they come to the table Of these some we eat greene for porke and other dried vp into bakon to haue it of more continuance Lard we make some though verie little because it is chargeable neither haue we such vse thereof as is to be séene in France and other countries sith we doo either bake our meat with swéet suet of beefe or mutton and bast all our meat with sweet or salt butter or suffer the fattest to bast it selfe by leisure In champaine countries they are kept by herds and an hogherd appointed to attend and wait vpon them who commonlie gathereth them togither by his noise and crie and leadeth them foorth to féed abroad in the fields In some places also women doo scowre and wet their cloths with their doong as other doo with hemlocks and netles but such is the sauor of the cloths touched withall that I cannot abide to weare them on my bodie more than such as are scowred with the reffuse sope than the which in mine opinion there is none more vnkindlie fauor Of our tame bores we make
brawne which is a kind of meat not vsuallie knowne to strangers as I take it otherwise would not the swart Rutters and French cookes at the losse of Calis where they found great store of this prouision almost in euerie house haue attempted with ridiculous successe to rost bake broile frie the same for their masters till they were better informed I haue heard moreouer how a noble man of England not long since did send ouer an hogshead of brawne readie sowsed to a catholike gentleman of France who supposing it to be fish reserued it till Lent at which time he did eat thereof with verie great frugalitie Thereto he so well liked of the prouision it selfe that he wrote ouer verie earnestlie with offer of great recompense for more of the same fish against the yeare insuing whereas if he had knowne it to haue beene flesh he would not haue touched it I dare saie for a thousand crownes without the popes dispensation A fréend of mine also dwelling sometime in Spaine hauing certeine Iewes at his table did set brawne before them whereof they did eat verie earnestlie supposing it to be a kind of fish not common in those parties but when the goodman of the house brought in the head in pastime among them to shew what they had eaten they rose from the table hied them home in hast ech of them procuring himselfe to vomit some by oile and some by other meanes till as they supposed they had clensed their stomachs of that prohibited food With vs it is accounted a great péece of seruice at the table from Nouember vntill Februarie be ended but chéeflie in the Christmasse time With the same also we begin our dinners ech daie after other and because it is somewhat hard of digestion a draught of malueseie bastard or muscadell is vsuallie droonke after it where either of them are conuenientlie to be had otherwise the meaner fort content themselues with their owne drinke which at that season is generallie verie strong and stronger indéed than in all the yeare beside It is made commonlie of the fore part of a tame bore set vp for the purpose by the space of a whole yere or two especiallie in gentlemens houses for the husbandmen and farmers neuer franke them for their owne vse aboue thrée or foure moneths or halfe a yéere at the most in which time he is dieted with otes and peason and lodged on the bare planks of an vneasie coat till his fat be hardened sufficientlie for their purpose afterward he is killed scalded and cut out and then of his former parts is our brawne made the rest is nothing so fat and therefore it beareth the name of sowse onelie and is commonlie reserued for the seruing man and hind except it please the owner to haue anie part therof baked which are then handled of custome after this manner The hinder parts being cut off they are first drawne with lard and then sodden being sodden they are sowsed in claret wine and vineger a certeine space and afterward baked in pasties and eaten of manie in stéed of the wild bore and trulie it is verie good meat the pestles may be hanged vp a while to drie before they be drawne with lard if you will and thereby prooue the better But hereof inough and therefore to come againe vnto our brawne the necke peeces being cut off round are called collars of brawne the shoulders are named shilds onelie the ribs reteine the former denomination so that these aforesaid péeces deserue the name of brawne the bowels of the beast are commonlie cast awaie because of their ranknesse and so were likewise his stones till a foolish fantasie got hold of late amongst some delicate dames who haue now found the meanes to dresse them also with great cost for a deintie dish and bring them to the boord as a seruice among other of like sort though not without note of their desire to the prouocation of fleshlie lust which by this their fond curiositie is not a little reuealed When the bore is thus cut out ech peece is wrapped vp either with bulrushes ozier péeles tape inkle or such like and then sodden in a lead or caldron togither till they be so tender that a man may thrust a brused rush or soft straw cleane through the fat which being doone they take it vp and laie it abroad to coole afterward putting it into close vessels they powre either good small ale or béere mingled with veriuice and salt thereto till it be couered and so let it lie now and then altering and changing the sowsing drinke least it should wax sowre till occasion serue to spend it out of the waie Some vse to make brawne of great barrow hogs and séeth them and sowse the whole as they doo that of the bore and in my iudgement it is the better of both and more easie of digestion But of brawne thus much and so much may seeme sufficient Of wild and tame foules Chap. 2. ORder requireth that I speake somewhat of the foules also of England which I may easilie diuide into the wild tame but alas such is my small skill in foules that to say the truth I can neither recite their numbers nor well distinguish one kind of them from another Yet this I haue by generall knowledge that there is no nation vnder the sunne which hath alreadie in the time of the yere more plentie of wild foule than we for so manie kinds as our Iland dooth bring foorth and much more would haue if those of the higher soile might be spared but one yeare or two from the greedie engins of couetous foulers which set onlie for the pot purse Certes this enormitie bred great trouble in K. Iohns daies insomuch that going in progresse about the tenth of his reigne he found little or no game wherewith to solace himself or exercise his falcons Wherfore being at Bristow in the Christmas insuing be restreined all maner of hawking or taking of wildfoule throughout England for a season whereby the land within few yeares was throughlie replenished againe But what stand I vpon this impertinent discourse Of such therefore as are bred in our land we haue the crane the bitter the wild tame swan the bustard the herron curlew snite wildgoose wind or doterell brant larke plouer of both sorts lapwing teele wigeon mallard sheldrake shoueler pewet seamew barnacle quaile who onelie with man are subiect to the falling sickenesse the notte the oliet or olife the dunbird woodcocke partrich and feasant besides diuerse other whose names to me are vtterlie vnknowne and much more the taste of their flesh wherewith I was neuer acquainted But as these serue not at all seasons so in their seuerall turnes there is no plentie of them wanting whereby the tables of the nobilitie and gentrie should séeme at anie time furnisht But of all these the production of none is more maruellous in my mind than that of the
barnacle whose place of generation we haue sought oft times so farre as the Orchades whereas peraduenture we might haue found the same neerer home and not onelie vpon the coasts of Ireland but euen in our owne riuers If I should say how either these or some such other foule not much vnlike vnto them haue bred of late times for their place of generation is not perpetuall but as opportunitie serueth and the circumstances doo minister occasion in the Thames mouth I doo not thinke that manie will beleeue me yet such a thing hath there béene seene where a kind of foule had his beginning vpon a short tender shrub standing néere vnto the shore from whence when their time came they fell downe either into the salt water and liued or vpon the drie land and perished as Pena the French herbarian hath also noted in the verie end of his herball What I for mine owne part haue séene here by experience I haue alreadie so touched in the chapter of Ilands that it should be but time spent in vaine to repeat it here againe Looke therefore in the description of Man or Manaw for more of these barnacles as also in the eleuenth chapter of the description of Scotland I doo not doubt but you shall in some respect be satisfied in the generation of these foules As for egrets pawpers and such like they are dailie brought vnto vs from beyond the sea as if all the foule of our countrie could not suffice to satisfie our delicate appetites Our tame foule are such for the most part as are common both to vs and to other countries as cocks hens géese duckes peacocks of Iude pigeons now an hurtfull foule by reason of their multitudes and number of houses dailie erected for their increase which the bowres of the countrie call in scorne almes houses and dens of theeues and such like wherof there is great plentie in euerie farmers yard They are kept there also to be sold either for readie monie in the open markets or else to be spent at home in good companie amongst their neighbors without reprehension or fines Neither are we so miserable in England a thing onelie granted vnto vs by the especiall grace of God and libertie of our princes as to dine or sup with a quarter of a hen or to make so great a repast with a cocks combe as they doo in some other countries but if occasion serue the whole carcasses of manie capons hens pigeons and such like doo oft go to wracke beside béefe mutton veale and lambe all which at euerie feast are taken for necessarie dishes amongest the communaltie of England The golding of cocks whereby capons are made is an ancient practise brought in of old time by the Romans when they dwelt here in this land but the gelding of turkies or Indish peacocks is a newer deuise and certeinlie not vsed amisse sith the rankenesse of that bird is verie much abated thereby and the strong taste of the flesh in sundrie wise amended If I should say that ganders grow also to be gelded I suppose that some will laugh me to scorne neither haue I tasted at anie time of such a foule so serued yet haue I heard it more than once to be vsed in the countrie where their géese are driuen to the field like heards of cattell by a gooseheard a toie also no lesse to be maruelled at than the other For as it is rare to heare of a gelded gander so is it strange to me to sée or heare of géese to be led to the field like shéepe yet so it is their gooseheard carieth a rattle of paper or parchment with him when he goeth about in the morning to gather his gostings togither the noise whereof commeth no sooner to their eares than they fall to gagling and hasten to go with him If it happen that the gates be not yet open or that none of the house be stirring it is ridiculous to sée how they will peepe vnder the doores and neuer leaue creaking and gagling till they be let out vnto him to ouertake their fellowes With vs where I dwell they are not kept in this sort nor in manie other places neither are they kept so much for their bodies as their feathers Some hold furthermore an opinion that in ouer ranke soiles their doong dooth so qualifie the batablenesse of the soile that their cattell is thereby kept from the garget and sundrie other diseases although some of them come to their ends now and then by licking vp of their feathers I might here make mention of other foules producted by the industrie of man as betwéene the fesant cocke and doonghill hen or betwéene the fesant and the ringdooue the peacocke and the turkie hen the partrich and the pigeon but sith I haue no more knowledge of these than what I haue gotten by mine care I will not meddle with them Yet Cardan speaking of the second sort dooth affirme it to be a foule of excellent beautie I would likewise intreat of other foules which we repute vncleane as rauens crowes pies choughes rookes kites iaies ringtailes starlings woodspikes woodnawes rauens c but sith they abound in all countries though peraduenture most of all in England by reason of our negligence I shall not néed to spend anie time in the rehearsall of them Neither are our crowes and thoughs cherished of purpose to catch vp the woormes that bréed in our soiles as Polydor supposeth sith there are no vplandish townes but haue or should haue nets of their owne in store to catch them withall Sundrie acts of parlement are likewise made for their vtter destruction as also the spoile of other rauenous fouls hurtfull to pultrie conies lambs and kids whose valuation of reward to him that killeth them is after the head a deuise brought from the Goths who had the like ordinance for the destruction of their white crowes and tale made by the becke which killed both lambs and pigs The like order is taken with vs for our vermines as with them also for the rootage out of their wild beasts sauing that they spared their greatest beares especiallie the white whose skins are by custome priuilege reserued to couer those planchers wherevpon their priests doo stand at Masse least he should take some vnkind cold in such a long péece of worke and happie is the man that may prouide them for him for he shall haue pardon inough for that so religious an act to last if he will till doomes day doo approch and manie thousands after Nothing therefore can be more vnlikelie to be true than that these noisome creatures are nourished amongst vs to deuoure our wormes which doo not abound much more in England than elsewhere in other countries of the maine It may be that some looke for a discourse also of our other foules in this place at my hand as nightingales thrushes blackebirds mauises ruddocks redstarts or dunocks larkes tiuits kingsfishers buntings turtles white
pearle which as they are for greatnesse and colour most excellent of all other so are they digged out of the maine land and in sundrie places far distant from the shore Certes the westerne part of the land hath in times past greatlie abounded with these and manie other rare and excellent commodities but now they are washed awaie by the violence of the sea which hath deuoured the greatest part of Cornewall and Deuonshire on either side and it dooth appéere yet by good record that whereas now there is a great distance betweene the Syllan Iles and point of the lands end there was of late yeares to speke of scarselie a brooke or draine of one fadam water betwéene them if so much as by those euidences appeereth and are yet to be séene in the hands of the lord and chiefe owner of those Iles. But to procéed Of colemines we haue such plentie in the north and westerne parts of our Iland as may suffice for all the realme of England and so must they doo hereafter in deed if wood be not better cherished than it is at this present And to saie the truth notwithstanding that verie manie of them are caried into other countries of the maine yet their greatest trade beginneth now to grow from the forge into the kitchin and hall as may appéere alreadie in most cities and townes that lie about the coast where they haue but little other fewell except it be turffe and hassocke I maruell not a little that there is no trade of these into Sussex and Southhampton shire for want whereof the smiths doo worke their iron with charcoale I thinke that far carriage be the onelie cause which is but a slender excuse to inforce vs to carrie them vnto the maine from hence Beside our colemines we haue pits in like sort of white plaster and of fat and white and other coloured marle wherewith in manie places the inhabitors doo compest their soile and which dooth benefit their land in ample maner for manie yeares to come We haue saltpeter for our ordinance and salt soda for our glasse thereto in one place a kind of earth in Southerie as I weene hard by Codington and sometime in the tenure of one Croxton of London which is so fine to make moulds for goldsmiths and casters of mettall that a load of it was woorth fiue shillings thirtie yeares agone none such againe they saie in England But whether there be or not let vs not be vnthankefull to God for these and other his benefits bestowed vpon vs wherby he sheweth himselfe a louing and mercifull father vnto vs which contrariewise returne vnto him in lieu of humilitie and obedience nothing but wickednesse auarice meere contempt of his will pride excesse atheisme and no lesse than Iewish ingratitude Of mettals to be had in our land Chap. 11. ALl mettals receiue their beginning of quicksiluer and sulphur which are as mother and father to them And such is the purpose of nature in their generations that she tendeth alwaies to the procreation of gold neuerthelesse she sildome reacheth vnto that hir end bicause of the vnequall mixture and proportion of these two in the substance ingendered whereby impediment and corruption 〈◊〉 induced which as it is more or lesse dooth shew it selfe in the mettall that is producted First of all therefore the substance of sulphur and quicksiluer being mixed in 〈◊〉 proportion after long and temperate decoction in the â—â—â—els of the earth orderlie ingrossed and fixed becommeth gold which Encelius dooth call the sunne and right heire of nature but if it swarue but a little saith he in â—he commixtion and other circumstances then dooâ—t it product siluer the daughter not so noble a child as gâ—ld hir brother which among mettall is worthilie called the cheefe Contrariwise the substances of the aforesaid parents mixed without proportion and lesse digested and fixed in the entrailes of the earth whereby the radicall moisture becommeth combustible and not of force to indure heat and hammer dooth either turne into tin lead copper or iron which were the first mettals knowne in time past vnto antiquitie although that in these daies there are diuerse other whereof neither they nor our alchumists had euer anie knowledge Of these therfore which are reputed among the third sort we here in England haue our parts and as I call them to mind so will I intreat of them and with such breuitie as may serue the turne and yet not altogither omit to saie somewhat of gold and siluer also bicause I find by good experience how it was not said of old time without great reason that all countries haue need of Britaine and Britaine it selfe of none For truelie if a man regard such necessities as nature onelie requireth there is no nation vnder the sunne that can saie so much as ours sith we doo want none that are conuenient for vs. Wherefore if it be a benefit to haue anie gold at all we are not void of some neither likewise of siluer whatsoeuer Cicero affirmeth to the contrarie Lib. 4. ad Atticum epi. 16. in whose time they were not found Britannici belli exitus saith he expectatur constat enim aditus insulae esse munitos mirificis molibus etiam illud iam cognitum est neque argenti scrupulum esse vllum in illa insula neque vllam spem praedae nisiex mancipijs ex quibus nullos puto te litteris aut musicis eruditos expectare And albeit that we haue no such abundance of these as some other countries doo yéeld yet haue my rich countrimen store inough of both in their pursses where in time past they were woont to haue least bicause the garnishing of our churches tabernacles images shrines and apparell of the preests consumed the greatest part as experience hath confirmed Of late my countriemen haue found out I wot not what voiage into the west Indies from whence they haue brought some gold whereby our countrie is inriched but of all that euer aduentured into those parts none haue sped better than sir Francis Drake whose successe 1582 hath far passed euen his owne expectation One Iohn Frobisher in like maner attempting to séeke out a shorter cut by the northerlie regions into the peaceable sea and kingdome of Cathaie happened 1577 vpon certeine Ilands by the waie wherein great plentie of much gold appeared and so much that some letted not to giue out for certeintie that Salomon had his gold from thence wherewith he builded the temple This golden shew made him so desirous also of like successe that he left off his former voiage returned home to bring news of such things as he had seene But when after another voiage it was found to be but drosse he gaue ouer both the enterprises and now keepeth home without anie desire at all to séeke into farre countries In truth such was the plentie of ore there séene and to be had that if it had holden perfect might haue furnished
all the world with abundance of that mettall the iorneie also was short and performed in foure or fiue moneths which was a notable incouragement But to proceed Tin and lead mettals which Strabo noteth in his time to be carried vnto Marsilis from hence as Diodorus also confirmeth are verie plentifull with vs the one in Cornewall Deuonshire else-where in in the north the other in Darbishire Weredale and sundrie places of this Iland whereby my countriemen doo reape no small commoditie but especiallie our pewterers who in time past imploied the vse of pewter onelie vpon dishes pots and a few other trifles for seruice here at home whereas now they are growne vnto such exquisit cunning that they can in maner imitate by infusion anie forme or fashion of cup dish salt bowle or goblet which is made by goldsmiths craft though they he neuer so curious exquisite and artificiallie forged Such furniture of houshold of this mettall as we commonlie call by the name of vessell is sold vsuallie by the garnish which dooth coâ—eine twelue plaiters twelue dishes twelue saucers and those are either of siluer fashion or else with brode or narrow brims and bought by the pound which is now valued at six or seuen pence or peraduenture at eight pence Of poringers pots and other like I speake not albeit that in the making of all these things there is such exquisite diligence vsed I meane for the mixture of the mettall and true making of this commoditie by reason of sharpe laws prouided in that behalfe as the like is not to be found in any other trade I haue béene also informed that it consisteth of a composition which hath thirtie pounds of kettle brasse to a thousand pounds of tin whervnto they ad thrée or foure pounds of tinglasse but as too much of this dooth make the stuffe brickle so the more the brasse be the better is the pewter and more profitable vnto him that dooth buie and purchase the same But to proceed In some places beyond the sea a garnish of good flat English pewter of an ordinarie making I saie flat bicause dishes and platters in my time begin to be made déepe like basons and are indéed more conuenient both for sawce broth and kéeping the meat warme is estéemed almost so pretious as the like number of vessels that are made of fine siluer and in maner no lesse desired amongst the great estates whose workmen are nothing so skilfull in that trade as ours neither their mettall so good nor plentie so great as we haue here in England The Romans made excellent looking glasses of our English tin howbeit our workemen were not then so equisite in that feat as the Brundusiens wherefore the wrought mettall was carried ouer vnto them by waie of merchandize and verie highlie were those glasses estéemed of till siluer came generallie in place which in the end brought the tin into such contempt that in manner euerie dishwasher refused to looke in other than siluer glasses for the attiring of hir head Howbeit the making of siluer glasses had béene in vse before Britaine was knowne vnto the Romans for I read that one Praxiteles deuised them in the yoong time of Pompeie which was before the comming of Caesar into this Iland There were mines of lead sometimes also in Wales which indured so long till the people had consumed all their wood by melting of the same as they did also at Comeristwith six miles from Stradfluer and I suppose that in Plinies time the abundance of lead whereof he speaketh was to be found in those parts in the seauentéenth of his thirtie fourth booke also he affirmeth that it laie in the verie swart of the earth and dailie gotten in such plentie that the Romans made a restraint of the cariage thereof to Rome limiting how much should yearelie be wrought and transported ouer the sea And here by the waie it is worthie to be noted of a crow which a miner of tin dwelling néere Comeristwith as Leland saith had made so tame that it would dailie flie and follow him to his worke and other places where soeuer he happened to trauell This labourer working on a time in the bottome or vallie where the first mine was knowne to be did laie his pursse and girdle by him as men commonlie doo that addresse themselues to applie their businesse earnestlie and he himselfe also had vsed from time to time before The crow likewise was verie busie flittering about him and so much molested him that he waxed angrie with the bird in his furie threatened to wring off his necke if be might once get him into his hands to be short in the end the crow hastilie caught vp his girdle and pursse and made awaie withall so far as hir wings could carrie hir Héerevpon the pore man falling into great agonie for he feared to vse peraduenture all his monie threw downe his mattocke at aduenture and ran after the bird curssing and menacing that he should lose his life if euer he got him againe but as it fell out the crow was the means whereby his life was saued for he had not béene long out of the mine yer it fell downe and killed all his fellowes If I should take vpon me to discourse and search out the cause of the thus dealing of this bird at large I should peraduenture set my selfe further into the briers than well find which waie to come out againe yet am I persuaded that the crow was Gods instrument herein whereby the life of this poore labourer was preserued It was doone also in an other order than that which I read of another tame crow kept vp by a shoomaker of Dutch land in his shop or stoue who séeing the same to sit vpon the pearch among his shoone verie heauilie and drousie said vnto the bird What aileth my iacke whie art thou sad and pensiue The crow hearing his maister speake after this sort vnto him answered or else the diuell within him out of the psalter Cogitaui dies antiquos aeternos in mente habui But whither am I digressed from lead vnto crowes from crowes vnto diuels Certes it is now high time to returne vnto our mettals and resume the tractation of such things as I had earst in hand Iron is found in manie places as in Sussex Kent Weredale Mendip Walshall as also in Shropshire but chéeflie in the woods betwixt Beluos and Willocke or Wicberie néere Manchester and elsewhere in Wales Of which mines diuerse doo bring foorth so fine and good stuffe as anie that commeth from beyond the sea beside the infinit gaines to the owners if we would so accept it or bestow a little more cost in the refining of it It is also of such toughnesse that it yéeldeth to the making of claricord wire in some places of the realme Neuerthelesse it was better cheape with vs when strangers onelie brought it hither for it is our qualitie when we get anie commoditie to
his bountifulnâ—s and buriall The ninth Chapter HEere note by the waie a thing not to be be forgotten that of the foresaid Helie the last of the said 3â— kings the I le of Elie tooke the name bicause that he most commonlie did there inhabit building in the same a goodly palace and making great reparations of the sluces ditches causies about that I le for conueiance awaie of the water that els would sore haue indamaged the countrie There be that haue mainteined that this I le should rather take name of the great abundance of éeles that are found in these waters and fennes wherwith this Ile is inuironed But Humfrey Llhoyd holdeth that it tooke name of this British word Helig which signifieth willowes wherwith those fennes abound After the decesse of the same Helie his eldest son Lud began his reigne in the yéere after the creation of the world 3895 after the building of the citie of Rome 679 before the comming of Christ 72 and before the Romances entred Britaine 19 yéeres This Lud proued a right worthie prince amending the lawes of the realme that were defectiue abolishing euill customs and maners vsed amongst his people and repairing old cities and townes which were decaied but speciallie he delited most to beautifie and inlarge with buildings the citie of Troinouant which he compassed with a strong wall made of lime and stone in the best maner fortified with diuerse faire towers and in the west part of the same wall he erected a strong gate which he commanded to be called after his name Ludsgate and so vnto this daie it is called Ludgate S onelie drowned in pronuntiation of the word In the same citie also he soiorned for the more part by reason whereof the inhabitants increased and manie habitations were builded to receiue them and he himselfe caused buildings to be made betwixt London stone and Ludgate and builded for himselfe not farre from the said gate a faire palace which is the bishop of Londons palace beside Paules at this daie as some thinke yet Harison supposeth it to haue bin Bainards castell where the blacke friers now standeth He also builded a faire temple néere to his said palace which temple as some take it was after turned to a church and at this daie called Paules By reason that king Lud so much esteemed that citie before all other of his realme inlarging it so greatlie as he did and continuallie in manner remained there the name was changed so that it was called Caerlud that is to saie Luds towne and after by corruption of spéech it was named London Beside the princelie dooings of this Lud touching the aduancement of the common wealth by studies apperteining to the time of peace he was also strong valiant in armes in subduing his enimies bountious and liberall both in gifts and kéeping a plentifull house so that he was greatlie beloued of all the Britaines Finallie when he had reigned with great honour for the space of 11 yéeres he died and was buried néere Ludgate leauing after him two sons Androgeus and Theomancius or Tenancius Of Cassibellane and his noble mind Iulius Caesar sendeth Caius Volusenus to â—â—â—uey the coasts of this Iland he lieth with his fleet at Calice purposing to inuade the countrie his attempt is bewraied and withstood by the Britains The tenth Chapter GAssibellane the brother of Lud was admitted king of Britaine in the yéere of the world 3908 after the building of Rome 692 and before the comming of Christ 58 complet For sith the two sonnes of Lud were not of age able to gouerne the rule of the land was committed to Cassibellane but yet as some haue written he was not created king but rather appointed ruler protector of the land during the nonage of his nephewes Now after he was admitted by whatsoeuer order to the administration of the common wealth he became so noble a prince and so bountious that his name spred farre and néere and by his vpright dealing in seeing iustice executed he grew in such estimation that the Britaine 's made small account of his nephewes in comparison of the fauour which they bare towards him But Cassibellane hauing respect to his honour least it might be thought that his nephewes were expelled by him out of their rightfull possessions brought them vp verie honourablie assigning to Androgeus London and Kent and to Theomantius the countrie of Cornwall Thus farre out of the British histories whereby it maie be gathered that the yéeres assigned to these kings that reigned before Cassibellane amount to the summe of 1058. But whether these gouernors whose names we haue recited were kings or rather rulers of the common wealth or tyrants and vsurpers of the gouernment by force it is vncerteine for not one ancient writer of anie approued authoritie maketh anie remembrance of them and by that which Iulius Cesar writeth it maie and dooth appéere that diuerse cities in his daies were gouerned of themselues as héereafter it shall more plainlie appéere Neither doth he make mention of those townes which the British histoie affirmeth to be built by the same kings In déed both he and other Latine writers speake of diuerse people that inhabited diuers portions of this land as of the Brigantes Trinobantes Iceni Silures and such other like but in what parts most of the said people did certeinlie inhabit it is hard to auouch for certeine truth But what Iohn Leland thinketh héereof being one in our time that curiouslie searched out old antiquities you shall after heare as occasion serueth and likewise the opinions of other as of Hector Boetius who coueting to haue all such valiant acts as were atchiued by the Britains to be ascribed to his countriemen the Scots draweth both the Silures and Brigantes with other of the Britains so farre northward that he maketh them inhabitants of the Scotish countries And what particular names soeuer they had yet were they all Scots with him and knowne by that generall name as he would persuade vs to beléeue saieng that they entred into Britaine out of Ireland 330 yéeres before the incarnation of our Sauiour Neuerthelesse how generall soeuer the name of Scots then was sure it is that no speciall mention of them is made by anie writer till about 300 yeares after the birth of our sauiour And yet the Romans which ruled this land and had so much adoo with the people thereof make mention of â—iuerse other people nothing so famous as Boetius would make his Scotish men euen then to be But to leaue to the Scots the antiquitie of their originall beginning as they and other must doo vnto vs our descent from Brute and the other Troians sith the contrarie dooth not plainelie appeare vnlesse we shall leane vnto presumptions now are we come to the time in the which what actes were atchiued there remaineth more certeine record and therefore
may we the more boldlie procéed in this our historie In this season that Cassibellane had roiall gouernment héere in Britaine Caius Iulius Cesar being appointed by the senat of Rome to conquer Gallia was for that purpose created consull and sent with a mightie army into the countrie where after he had brought the Galles vnto some frame he determined to assaie the winning of Britaine which as yet the Romans knew not otherwise than by report The chiefest cause that mooued him to take in hand that enterprise was for that he did vnderstand that there dailie came great succours out of that I le to those Galles that were enimies vnto the Romans And though the season of that yéere to make warre was farre spent for summer was almost at an end yet he thought it would be to good purpose if he might but passe ouer thither and learne what maner of people did inhabit there and discouer the places hauens and entries apperteining to that I le Héerevpon calling togither such merchants as he knew to haue had traffike thither with some trade of wares he diligentlie inquired of them the state of the I le but he could not be throughlie satisfied in anie of those things that he coueted to know Therefore thinking it good to vnderstand all things by view that might apperteine to the vse of that warre which he purposed to follow before he attempted the same he sent one Caius Uolusenus with a gallie or light pinesse to surucie the coasts of the I le commanding him after diligent search made to returne with spéed to him againe He him selfe also drew downewards towards Bullenois from whence the shortest cut lieth to passe ouer into Britaine In that part of Gallia there was in those daies an hauen called Itius Portus which some take to be Calice and so the word importeth an harbourgh as then able to receiue a great number of ships Unto this hauen got Cesar all the ships he could out of the next borders parties and those speciallie which he had prouided and put in a readinesse the last yeare for the warres against them of Uannes in Armorica now called Britaine in France he caused to be brought thither there to lie till they should heare further In the meane time his indeuour being knowne and by merchants reported in Britaine all such as were able to beare armour were commanded and appointed to repaire to the sea side that they might be readie to defend their countrie in time of so great danger of inuasion ¶ Cesar in his commentaries agréeth not with our historiographers for he writeth that immediatlie vpon knowledge had that he would inuade Britaine there came to him ambassadours from diuers cities of the I le to offer themselues to be subiects to the Romans and to deliuer hostages Whome after he had exhorted to continue in their good mind he sent home againe and with them also one Comius gouernor of Artois commanding him to repaire vnto as manie cities in Britaine as he might and to exhort them to submit themselues to the Romans He maketh no mention of Cassibellane till the second iournie that he made into the I le at what time the said Cassibelane was chosen as ye shall heare to be the generall capteine of the Britains and to haue the whole administration of the warre for defense of the countrie but he nameth him not to be a king Howbeit in the British historie it is conteined that Cesar required tribute of Cassibelane and that he answered how he had not learned as yet to liue in seruage but to defend the libertie of his countrie and that with weapon in hand if néede were as he should well perceiue if blinded through couetousnesse he should aduenture to séeke to disquiet the Britains Caius Volusenus discouereth to Caesar his obseruations in the I le of Britaine he maketh haste to conquere it the Britains defend their countrie against him Caesar after consultation had changeth his landing place the Romans are put to hard shifts the Britains begin to giue backe the courage of a Roman ensigne-bearer a sharpe encounter betweene both armies The eleuenth Chapter CAius Uolusenus within fiue daies after his departure from Cesar returned vnto him with his gallie and decalred what he had séene touching the view which he had taken of the coasts of Britan Cesar hauing got togither so manie saile as he thought sufficient for the transporting of two legions of souldiers after he had ordered his businesse as he thought expedient and gotten a conuenient wind for his purpose did embarke himselfe and his people and departed from Calice in the night about the third watch which is about three or foure of the clocke after midnight giuing order that the horssemen should take ship at an other place 8 miles aboue Calice and follow him Howbeit when they somewhat slacked the time about ten of the clocke in the next day hauing the wind at will he touched on the coast of Britaine where he might behold all the shore set and couered with men of warre For the Britains hearing that Cesar ment verie shortlie to come against them were assembled in armour to resist him and now being aduertised of his approch to the land they prepared themselues to withstand him Cesar perceiuing this determined to staie till the other ships were come and so he lay at anchor till about 11 of the clocke and then called a councell of the marshals and chiefe capteines vnto whome he declared both what he had learned of Uolusenus and also further what he would haue doone willing them that all things might be ordered as the reason of warre required And because he perceiued that this place where he first cast anchor was not méete for the landing of his people sith from the heigth of the cliffes that closed on ech side the narrow créeke into the which he had thrust the Britains might annoy his people with their bowes and dartes before they could set foote on land hauing now the wind and tide with him he disanchored from thence and drew alongst the coast vnder the downes the space of 7 or 8 miles and there finding the shore more flat and plaine he approched néere to the land determining to come to the shore The Britains perceiuing Cesars intent with all spéed caused their horssemen and charets or wagons which Cesar calleth Esseda out of the which in those daies they vsed to fight to march forth toward the place whither they saw Cesar drew and after followed with their maine armie Wherefore Cesar being thus preuented inforced yet to land with his people though he saw that he should haue much a doo For as the Britains were in redinesse to resist him so his great and huge ships could not come néere the shore but were forced to kéepe the déepe so that the Romane soldiers were put to verie hard shift
from Claudius as it were to appease the souldiers procure them to set forward But when this Narcissus went vp into the tribunall throne of Plautius to declare the cause of his comming the souldiers taking great indignation therewith cried O Saturnalia as if they should haue celebrated their feast daie so called When the seruants apparelled in their maisters robes represented the roome of their maisters and were serued by them as if they had béene their seruants and thus at length constreined through verie shame they agréed to follow Plautius Herevpon being embarked he diuided his nauie into thrée parts to the end that if they were kept off from arriuing in one place yet they might take land in another The ships suffered some impeachment in their passage by a contrarie wind that droue them backe againe but yet the marriners and men of warre taking good courage vnto them the rather because there was séene a fierie leame to shoot out of the east towards the west which way their course lay made forwards againe with their ships and landed without finding anie resistance For the Britains looked not for their comming wherefore when they heard how their enimies were on land they got them into the woods and marishes trusting that by lingering of time the Romans would be constreined to depart as it had chanced in time past to Iulius Cesar aforesaid The end of the third booke THE FOVRTH BOOKE of the Historie of England The Britains discomfited sore wounded slaine and disabled by Plautius and his power Claudius the Romane taketh the chiefe citie of Cymbebeline the king of Britaine he bereaueth the Britains of their armour and by vertue of his conquest ouer part of the land is surnamed Britannicus The first Chapter NOw Plautius had much adoo to find out the Britains in their lurking holes and couerts howbeit when he had traced them out first he vanquished Cataratacus and after Togodumnus the sonnes of Cynobellinus for their father was dead not verie long before These therefore fléeing their waies Plautus receiued part of the people called Bodumni which were subiects vnto them that were called Catuellani into the obeisance of the Romans and so leauing there a garrison of souldiors passed further till he came to a riuer which could not well be passed without a bridge wherevpon the Britains tooke small regard to defend the passage as though they had béene sure inough But Plautius appointed a certeine number of Germans which he had there with him being vsed to swim ouer riuers although neuer so swift to get ouer which they did sleaing and wounding the Britains horsses which were fastened to their wagons or chariots so that the Britains were not able to doo anie péece of their accustomed seruice with the same Herewithall was Flauius Uespasianus that afterwards was emperour with his brother Sabinus sent ouer that riuer which being got to the further side slue a great number of the enimies The residue of the Britains fled but the next day proffered a new battell in the which they fought so stoutlie that the victorie depended long in doubtfull balance till Caius Sidius Geta being almost at point to be taken did so handle the matter that the Britains finallie were put to flight for the which his valiant dooings triumphant honors were bestowed vpon him although he was no consull The Britains after this battell withdrew to the riuer of Thames néere to the place where it falleth into the sea and knowing the shallowes and firme places thereof easilie passed ouer to the further side whom the Romans following through lacke of knowledge in the nature of the places they fell into the marish grounds and so came to lose manie of their men namelie of the Germans which were the first that passed ouer the riuer to follow the Britains partlie by a bridge which lay within the countrie ouer the said riuer and partlie by swimming and other such shift as they presentlie made The Britains hauing lost one of their rulers namelie Togodumnus of whom ye haue heard before were nothing discouraged but rather more egerlie set on reuenge Plautius perceiuing their fiercenesse went no further but staid and placed garrisons in steeds where néed required to kéepe those places which he had gotten and with all spéed sent aduertisement vnto Claudius according to that he had in commandement if anie vrgent necessitie should so mooue him Claudius therefore hauing all things before hand in a readinesse straightwaies vpon the receiuing of the aduertisement departed from Rome and came by water vnto Ostia and from thence vnto Massilia and so through France sped his iournies till he came to the side of the Ocean sea and then imbarking himselfe with his people passed ouer into Britaine and came to his armie which abode his comming néere the Thames side where being ioined they passed the riuer againe fought with the Britains in a pitcht field and getting the victorie tooke the towne of Camelodunum which some count to be Colchester being the chiefest citie apperteining vnto Cynobelinus He reduced also manie other people into his subiection some by force and some by surrender whereof he was called oftentimes by the name of emperour which was against the ordinance of the Romans for it was not lawfull for anie to take that name vpon him oftener than once in anie one voiage Moreouer Claudius tooke from the Britains their armor and weapons and committed the gouernment of them vnto Plautius commanding him to endeuour himselfe to subdue the residue Thus hauing brought vnder a part of Britaine and hauing made his abode therin not past a sixtene daies he departed and came backe againe to Rome with victorie in the sixt month after his setting foorth from thence giuing after his returne to his sonne the surname of Britannicus This warre he finished in maner as before is said in the fourth yéere of his reigne which fell in the yéere of the world 4011 after the birth of our Sauiour 44 and after the building of Rome 79. The diuerse opinions and variable reports of writers touching the partile conquest of this Iland by the Romans the death of Guiderius The second Chapter THere be that write how Claudius subdued and added to the Romane empire the Iles of Orknie situate in the north Ocean beyond Britaine which might well be accomplished either by Plautius or some other his lieutenant for Plautius indéed for his noble prowesse and valiant acts atchiued in Britaine afterwards triumphed Titus the sonne of Uespasian also wan no small praise for deliuering his father out of danger in his time being beset with a companie of Britains which the said Titus bare downe and put to flight with great slaughter Beda following the authoritie of Suetonius writeth bréeflie of this matter and saith that Claudius passing ouer into this I le to the which neither before Iulius Cesar neither after him anie stranger durst come within few daies receiued the most part of
and in most louing sort but after they were a little entred into communication Hengist meaning to accomplish his deuised purpose gaue the watchword immediatlie wherevpon the Saxons drew out their kniues and suddenlie fell on the Britains and slue them as shéepe being fallen within the danger of woolues For the Britains had no weapons to defend themselues except anie of them by his strength and manhood got the knife of his enimie Amongst other of the Britains there was one Edol earle of Glocester or as other say Chester which got a slake out of an hedge or else where and with the same so defended himselfe and laid about him that he slue 17 of the towne of Ambrie now called Salisburie and so saued his owne life Uortiger was taken and kept as prisoner by Hengist till he was constreined to deliuer vnto Hengist thrée prouinces or countries of this realme that is to say Kent Essex or as some write that part where the south Saxons after did inhabit as Sussex and other the third was the countrie where the Estangles planted themselues which was in Norfolke and Suffolke Then Hengist being in possession of those thrée prouinces suffered Uortigerne to depart to be at his libertie ¶ William Malmesburie writeth somewhat otherwise of this taking of Uortigerne during whose reigne after the deceasse of his sonne Uortimer nothing was attempted against the Saxons but in the meane time Hengist by colorable craft procured his sonne in law Uortigerne to come to a banket at his house with three hundred other Britains and when he had made them well and warme with often quaffing and emptieng of cups and of purpose touched euerie of them with one bitter tawnt or other they first fell to multiplieng of malicious words and after to blowes that the Britains were slaine euerie mothers sonne so yéelding vp their ghosts euen amongst their pots The king himselfe was taken and to redéeme himselfe out of prison gaue to the Saxons thrée prouinces and so escaped out of bondage Thus by what meane soeuer it came to passe truth it is as all writers agrée that Hengist got possession of Kent and of other countries in this realme and began to reigne there as absolute lord gouernor in the yéere of our Lord as some write 476 about the fift yéere of Uortigerns last reigne but after other which take the beginning of this kingdome of Kent to be when Hengist had first gift therof the same kingdome began in the yéere 455 and conteined the countrie that stretcheth from the east Ocean vnto the riuer of Thames hauing on the southeast Southerie and vpon the west London vpon the northeast the riuer of Thames aforesaid and the countrie of Essex The heptarchie or seuen kingdoms of this land Hengist causeth Britaine to be peopled with Saxons the decaie of Christian religion the Pelagians with their hereticall and falle doctrine infect the Britains a synod summoned in Gallia for the redresse thereof the Scots assist the Britains against the Saxons who renew their league with the Picts Germane and Lupus two bishops of Germanie procure the British armie to be newlie christened the terror that the Britains vnder bishop Germans fortunate conduct draue into the Saxons by the outcrie of Alleluia and got the victorie bishop Germane departeth out of the land and to redresse the Pelagian heresie commeth againe at the clergies request he confirmeth his doctrine by a miracle banisheth the Pelagians out of the land the death of Germane murther requited with murther The vj. Chapter HEngist and all other the Saxon kings which ruled as after shall appeare in seuen parts of this realme are called by writers Reguli that is little kings or rulers of some small dominion so that Hengist is counted a little king who when he had got into his hands the foresaid thrée prouinces he caused more Saxons to come into Britaine and bestowed them in places abroad in the countrie by reason whereof the christian religion greatlie decaied within the land for the Saxons being pagans did that they could to extinguish the faith of Christ and to plant againe in all places their heathenish religion and woorshipping of false gods and not onelie hereby was the true faith of the Christians brought in danger dailie to decaie but also the erronious opinions of the Pelagians greatlie preuailed here amongst the Britains by meanes of such vnsound preachers as in that troublesome season did set forth false doctrin◠amongst the people without all maner of reprehension Certeine yéeres before the comming of the Saxons that heresie began to spread within this land vrrie much by the lewd industrie of one Leporius Agricola the sonne of Seuerus Sulpitius as Bale saith a bishop of that lore But Pelagius the author of this heresie was borne in Wales and held opinion that a man might obteine saluation by his owne frée will and merit and without assistance of grace as he that was borne without originall sinne c. This erronious doctrine being taught therefore and mainteined in this troublesome time of warres with the Saxons sore disquieted the godlie minded men amongst the Britains who not meaning to receiue it nor yet able well to confute the craftie and wicked persuasions vsed by the professors thereof thought good to send ouer into Gallia requiring of the bishops there that some godlie and profound learned men might be sent ouer from thence into this land to defend the cause of the true doctrine against the naughtie teachers of so blasphemous an error Whervpon the bishops of Gallia sore lamenting the miserable state of the Britains and desirous to relieue their present néed speciallie in that case of religion called a synod and therein taking counsell to consider who were most méet to be sent it was decréed by all their consents in the end that one Germane the bishop of Aurerre and Lupus bishop of Trois should passe ouer into Britaine to confirme the Christians there in the faith of the celestiall grace And so those two vertuous learned men taking their iournie finallie arriued in Britaine though not without some danger by sea through stormes rage of winds stirred as hath beene thought of the superstitious by the malice of wicked spirits who purposed to haue hindered their procéedings in this their good and well purposed iournie After they were come ouer they did so much good with conuincing the wicked arguments of the aduersaries of the truth by the inuincible power of the woord of God and holinesse of life that those which were in the wrong waie were soone brought into the right path againe About the same time also one Palladius was sent from Celestinus bishop of Rome vnto the Scots to instruct them in the faith of Christ and to purge them from the heresie of the said Pelagius This Palladius exhorted Constantinus the king of Scots that in no wise he should aid the
Saxons being infidels against the Britains whose exhortation tooke so good effect that the said Constantinus did not onelie forbeare to assist the Saxons but contrarilie holpe the Britains in their warres against them which thing did mainteine the state of the Britains for a time from falling into vtter ruine and decaie In the meane time the Saxons renewed their league with the Picts so that their powers being ioined togither they began afresh to make sore warres vpon the Britains who of necessitie were constreined to assemble an armie mistrusting their owne strength required aid of the two bishops Germane and Lupus who hasting forward with all speed came into the armie bringing with them no small hope of good lucke to all the Britains there being assembled This was doone in Kent Now such was the diligence of the bishops that the people being instructed with continuall preaching in renouncing the error of the Pelagians earnestlie came by troops to receiue the grace of God offred in baptisme so that on Easter day which then insued the more part of the armie was baptised and so went foorth against the enimies who hearing thereof made hast towards the Britains in hope to ouercome them at pleasure But their approch being knowne bishop Germane tooke vpon him the leading of the British host and ouer against the passage thorough the which the enimies were appointed to come he chose foorth a faire vallie inclosed with high mounteins and within the same he placed his new washed armie And when he saw the enimies now at hand he commanded that euerie man with one generall voice should answer him crieng alowd the same crie that he should begin So that euen as the enimies were readie to giue the charge vpon the Britains supposing that they should haue taken them at vnwares and before anie warning had béen giuen suddenlie bishop Germane and the priests with a lowd and shrill voice called Alleluia thrice and therewith all the multitudes of the Britains with one voice cried the same crie with such a lowd shout that the Saxons were therewith so amazed and astonied the echo from the rocks and hils adioining redoubling in such wise the crie that they thought not onelie the rocks and clifs had fallen vpon them but that euen the skie it selfe had broken in péeces and come tumbling downe vpon their heads heerewith therefore throwing awaie their weapons they tooke them to their féet and glad was he that might get to be formost in running awaie Manie of them for hast were drowned in a riuer which they had to passe Polydor taketh that riuer to be Trent The Britains hauing thus vanquished their enimies gathered the spoile at good leasure gaue God thanks for the victorie thus got without bloud for the which the holie bishops also triumphed as best became them Now after they had setled all things in good quiet within the I le as was thought expedient they returned into Gallia or France from whence they came as is before rehearsed By one author it should appéere that this battell was woone against the Scots and Picts about the yéere of our Lord 448 a little before the comming of the Saxons into this land vnder Hengist in which yéere Germane first came hither to wéed out the heresie of Pelagius as by the same author more at large is affirmed Howbeit some chronographers alledge out of Prosper other and note the first comming of Germane to haue béene in the 429 yéere of Christ and vnder the consulship of Florentius and Dionysius And this should séeme to agrée with the truth for that after some the foresaid Germane should die at Rauenna about the yéere of our Lord 450 as Vincentius noteth which was the verie yeere of the comming of the Saxons notwithstanding when or wheresoeuer he died it was not long after his returne into Gallia vpon his first iournie made hither into this land who no sooner obteined the victorie before mentioned but woord was brought againe vnto him that eftsoones the heresie of the Pelagians was spread abroad in Britaine and therefore all the priests or cleargie made request to him that it might stand with his pleasure to come ouer againe and defend the cause of true religion which he had before confirmed Héerevpon bishop Germane granted 〈◊〉 to doo and therefore taking with him one Seuerns that was disciple vnto Lupus and ordeined at that tune bishop of Triers tooke the sea and came againe into Britaine where he found the multitude of the people stedfast in the same beliefe wherein he had left them perceiued the fault to rest in a few wherevpon inquiring out the authors he condemned them to exile as it is written and with a manifest miracle by restoring a yoong man that was lame as they saie vnto the right vse of his lims he confirmed his doctrine Then followed preaching to persuade amendment of errors and by the generall consent of all men the authors of the wicked doctrine being banished the land were deliuered vnto bishop Germane and to his fellow Seuerus to conueie them away in their companie vnto the parties beyond the seas that the region might so be deliuered of further danger and they receiue the benefit of due amendment By this meanes it came to passe that the true faith continued in Britaine sound and perfect a long time after Things being thus set in good order those holie men returned into their countries the forenamed bishop Germane went to Rauenna to sue for peace to be granted vnto the people of Britaine Armorike where being receiued of the emperor Ualentinian and his mother Placida in most reuerend maner he departed in that citie out of this transitorie life to the eternall ioies of heauen His bodie was afterwards conueied to the citie of Anxerre where he had béene bishop with great opinion of holines for his sincere doctrine and pure and innocent life Shortlie after was the emperour Ualentinian slaine by the friends of that noble man named Aetius whome he had before caused to be put to death ¶ By this it maie appéere that bishop Germane came into this realme both the first and second time whilest as well Hengist as also Uortigerne were liuing for the said Ualentinian was murthered about the yeere of our Lord 454 where the said kings liued and reigned long after that time as maie appéere both before and after in this present booke What part of the realme the Saxons possessed Vortigerne buildeth a castell in Wales for his safetie Aurelius and Vter both brethren returne into Britaine they assalt the vsurper Vortigerne and with wild fire burne both him his people his fort and all the furniture in the same Vortigerne committeth incest with his owne daughter feined and ridiculous woonders of S. Germane a sheepherd made a king The seuenth Chapter NOw will we returne to Uortigerne of whome we read in the British historie that after the Saxons had constreined him
After him succéeded a sonne whom he left behind him who being attentiue rather to defend than to inlarge his kingdome neuer set foot out of his fathers bounds during the space of 24 yéeres in the which he reigned About thrée yéeres after the deceasse of Hengist a new supplie of men of warre came out of Germanie vnto the aid of Ella king of Sussex who hauing his power increased besieged the citie of Andredescester which was verie strong and well furnished with men and all things necessarie The Britains also assembling togither in companies greatlie annoied the Saxons as they lay there at â—â—ege laieng ambushes to destroie such as went abroad and ceassing not to giue alarums to the campe in the night season and the Saxons could no sooner prepare them selues to giue the assalt but the Britains were readie to assaile them on the backs till at length the Saxons diuiding themselues into two companies appointed the one to giue the assalt and the other to incounter with the armie of the Britains without and so finallie by that meanes preuailed tooke the citie and destroied man woman and child Neither so contented they did also vtterlie race the said citie so as it was neuer after that daie builded or readified againe The east Angles kingdome beginneth the arriuall of Cerdic and Kenric with fiue ships of warre in this land he putteth the Britains to flight the west Saxons kingdom begineth Vter Pendragon made king of Britaine the etymon of his name he taketh Occa and Osca the two sonnes of Hengist prisoners how Hector Boetius varieth from other chronographers in the relation of things concerning Pendragon he falleth in loue with the duke of Cornewalls wife killeth him and marieth hir Occa and Osca escape out of prison they freshlie assault the Britains they are both slaine in a foughten field the Saxons send and looke for aid out of Germanie Pendragon is poisoned The tenth Chapter MOreouer in the daies of the afore-named Aurelius Ambrosius about the yeare of our Lord 561 the kingdome of the east Angles began vnder a Saxon named Uffa This same kingdome conteined Northfolke and Suffolke hauing on the east and north parts the sea on the northwest Cambridgeshire and on the west saint Edmunds ditch with a part of Hertfordshire and on the southside lieth Essex At the first it was called Uffines dominion and the kings that reigned or the people the inhabited there ware at the first named Uffines but at length they were called east Angles FUrthermore about the yeare of our Lord 495 and in the eight yeare after that Hengist was dead one Cerdicus and his sonne Kenricus came out of Gerrmanie with fiue ships and landed at a place called Cerdicshore which as some thinke is called Yermouth in Northfolke He was at the first receiued with battell by the Britains but being an old skilfull warriour he easilie beate backe and repelled the inconstant multitude of his enimies and caused them to flée by which good successe he procured both vndoubted assurance to himselfe for the time to come and to the inhabitants good and perfect quietnes For they thinking good neuer after to prouoke him more by resistance submitted themselues to his pleasure but yet did not he then giue himselfe to slouthfull rest but rather extending his often atchiued victories on ech side in the 24 yeare after his comming into this land he obteined the rule of the west parts thereof and gouerned there as king so that the kingdome of the west Saxons began vnder the said Cerdicus in the 519 of Christ as after shall be shewed ¶ Thus ye maie sée that Aurelius Ambrosius did succéed Uortigerne and reigned in the time supposed by the British histories as before is alledged the land euen in his daies was full of trouble and the old inhabitants the Britains sore vexed by the Saxons that entred the same so that the Britains were dailie hampered and brought vnder subiection to the valiant Saxons or else driuen to remooue further off and to giue place to the victors But now to procéed with the succession of the British kings as in their histories we find them registred which I deliuer such as I find but not such as I doo wish being written with no such colour of credit as we maie safelie put foorth same for an vndoubted truth After that Aurelius Ambrosius was dead his brother Uter Pendragon whome some call Aurelius Uterius Ambrosianus was made king in the yeare of our Lord 500 in the seuenth yeare of the emperour Anastasius and in the sixtéenth yeare of Clodoueus king of the Frenchmen The cause why he was surnamed Pendragon was for that Merline the great prophet likened him to a dragons head that at the time of his natiuitie maruelouslie appeared in the firmament at the corner of a blasing star as is reported But others supposed he was so called of his wisedome and serpentine subiltie or for that he gaue the dragons head in his banner This Uter hearing that the Saxons with their capteins Occa or Otta the sonne of Hengist and his brother Osca had besieged the citie of Yorke hasted thither and giuing them battell discomfited their power and tooke the said Occa and Osca prisoners From this varieth Hector Boetius in his chronicle of Scotland writing of these dooing in Britaine for he affirmeth that the counterfeit moonke which poisoned Aurelius Ambrosius was suborned and sent to woorke that feat by Occa and not by his brother Pascentius and further that about the selfesame time of Aurelius his death his brother Uter Pendragon lay in Wales not as yet fullie recouered of a sore sicknesse wherewith of late he had béene much vexed Yet the lords of Britaine after the buriall of Aurelius Ambrosius came vnto him and crowned him king and though he was not able to go against the Saxons which as then by reason of Aurelius Ambrosius his death were verie busie and more earnest in pursuing the warre than before yet an armie was prepared and sent foorth with all conuenient spéed vnder the leading of one Nathaliod a man neither of anie great ancient house nor yet of skill in warlike affaires The noble men were nothing pleased herewith as misliking altogither the lacke of discretion in their new king doubted sore least in time to come he would haue more delight to aduance the men of base degrée than such as were descended of noble parentage Yet because they would not put the state of the common wealth in danger through anie mutinie they agréed to go foorth with him in that iournie Occa had aduertisement giuen him by certeine letters sent to him from some close friends amongest the Britains of the whole matter and therefore in hope of the better spéed he hasted foorth to incounter the Britains and so the whole armie comming within sight of the other they prepared to the battell and shortlie after buckling togither the Britains were soone
withdrew togither with their cleargie into the mounteins and woods within Wales taking with them the reliks of saints doubting the same should be destroied by the enimies and themselues put to death if they should abide in their old habitations Manie also fled into Britaine Armorike with a great fléete of ships so that the whole church or congregation as ye may call it of the two prouinces Loegria and Northumberland was left desolate in that season to the great hinderance and decaie of the christian religion Careticus was driuen into Wales as before is rehearsed about the second or third yéere of his reigne and there continued with his Britains the which ceassed not to indamage the Saxons from time to time as occasion still serued But here is to be noted that the Britains being thus remoued into Wales and Cornwall were gouerned afterwards by thrée kings or rather tyrants the which ceased not with ciuill warre to seeke others destruction till finallie as saith the British booke they became all subiect vnto Cadwallo whome Beda nameth Cedwallo In the meane time Ceaulinus or Cheuling king of the Westsaxons through his owne misgouernance and tyrannie which towards his latter daies he practised did procure not onelie the Britains but also his owne subiects to conspire his death so that ioining in battell with his aduersaries at Wodensdic in the 33 yeare of his reigne his armie was discomfited and he himselfe constreined to depart into exile and shortlie after ended his life before he could find meanes to be restored ¶ So that we haue here a mirror or liuelie view of a tyrant and a king wherein there is no lesse ods in the manner of their gouernement than there is repugnance in their names or difference in their states For he seeth but little into the knowledge of toongs that vnderstandeth not what the office of a king should be by the composition of his name the same sounding in Gréeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which being resolued is in effect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the foundation or stay of the people from which qualitie when he resulteth he maketh shipwracke of that goodlie title and degenerateth into a tyrant than the which violent and inforced gouernement as there is none more perillous so is it of all other the least in continuance this is prooued by historicall obseruation through the course of this historie Ceolric reigneth ouer the Westsaxons the Saxons and Britains incounter Ethelbert king of kent subdueth the Englishsaxons he is maried to the French kings daughter vpon cautions of religion the king imbraceth the gospell Augustine the moonke and others were sent into this Ile to preach the christian faith the occasion that moued Gregorie the great to send him buieng and selling of boies the Englishmen called Angli commended Ethelbert causeth Augustine and his fellowes to come before him they preach to the king and his traine he granteth them a conuenient seat and competent reliefe in Canturburie the maner of their going thither and their behauiour there the king and his people receiue the christian faith and are baptised The xix Chapter NOw after Cheuling his nephue Celricus or Ceolric that was sonne vnto Cutwine the sonne of the foresaid Cheuling reigned as king ouer the Westsaxons fiue yeares fiue moneths In like manner the same yeare died Ella or Alla king of Northumberland after whome succéeded Ethelricus the sonne of Ida and reigned but fiue yeares being a man well growne in yeares before he came to be king About thrée yeeres after this the Saxons Britains fought a battell at Wodenesbourne where the Britans being ranged in good order the Saxons set vpon them boldlie indéed but disorderedlie so that the victorie remained with the Britains The Saxons the more valiant they had shewed themselues in battell before that time so much the more slow and vntowardlie did they shew themselues now in running awaie to saue themselues so that an huge number of them were slaine Also about the same time died Crida king of Mercia 594 after whome his sonne Wibbas or Wipha succeeded And after the deceasse of Ethelric one Edelbertor Edelfride surnamed the wild succeeded in gouernement of the Northumbers But to returne to our purpose Ethelbert king of Kent not discouraged with the euill chance which happened in the beginning but rather occasioned thereby to learne more experience in feats of warre prooued so perfect a maister therein that in processe of time he subdued by force of armes all those English Saxons which lay betwixt the bounds of his countrie and the riuer of Humber Also to haue friendship in forraine parts he procured a wife for himselfe of the French nation named the ladie Bertha being king Cheriberts daughter of France but with condition that he should permit hir to continue and vse the rites and lawes of christian faith and religion and to haue a bishop whose name was Luidhard appointed to come and remaine with hir here in this land for hir better instruction in the lawes of the Lord. So that they two with other of the French nation that came ouer with them remaining in the court and vsing to serue God in praiers and otherwise according to the custome of the christian religion began vndoubtedlie to giue light to the kings mind as yet darkned with the clouds of paganisme so as the bright beames of the celestiall cléerenes of vnderstanding remooued the thicke mists of his vnbeléefe in tract of time and prepared his heart to the receiuing of the gospell which after by heauenlie prouidence was preached to him by occasion and in maner as followeth In the yeare of our Lord 596 which was about the 14 yeare of the reigne of the emperour Mauricius and after the comming of the English Saxons into this land about an 47 yeares almost complet the bishop of Rome Gregorie the first of that name and surnamed Magnus sent Augustinus a moonke with certeine other learned men into this Ile to preach the christian faith vnto the English Saxons which nation as yet had not receiued the gospell And here we hold it necessarie to shew how it is recorded by diuers writers that the first occasion whereby Gregorie was mooued thus to send Augustine into this land rose by this meanes It chanced whilest the same Gregorie was as yet but archdeacon of the sée of Rome certeine yoong boies were brought thither to bee sold out of Northumberland according to the accustomable vse of that countrie in somuch that as we haue in our time séene saith W. Mal. the people of that prouince haue not yet doubted to sell awaie their néere kinsfolke for a small price When those children which at that time were brought from thence to Rome had by reason of their excellent beauties and comelie shape of lims and bodie turned the eies in maner of all the citizens to the beholding of them it fortuned that Gregorie also came amongst other to
as thornes and brambles before that the church was begun to be builded there in this king Ethelberts daies ¶ Thus the faith of Christ being once begun to be receiued of the English men tooke woonderfull increase within a short time In the meane season by the helpe of king Ethelbert Augustine caused a councell to be called at a place in the confines of the Westsaxons which place long after was called Austines oke where he procured the bishops or doctors of the prouinces of the Britains to come before him Among the Britains or the Welshmen christianitie as yet remained in force which from the apostles time had neuer failed in that nation When Augustine came into this land he found in their prouinces seuen bishops sée and an archbishops sée wherein sat verie godlie right religious prelats and manie abbats in the which the Lords flocke kept their right order but because they differed in obseruing the feast of Easter and other rites from the vse of the Romane church Augustine thought it necessarie to mooue them to agrée with him in vnitie of the same but after long disputation and reasoning of those matters they could not be induced to giue their assent in that behalfe Augustine to prooue his opinion good wrought a miracle in restoring sight to one of the Saxon nation that was blind The Britains that were present mooued with this miracle confessed that it was the right waie of iustice and righteousnesse which Augustine taught but yet they said that they might not forsake their ancient customs without consent and licence of their nation Wherevpon they required another synod to be holden whereat a greater number of them might be present This being granted there came as it is reported seuen bishops of the Britains and a great number of learned men speciallie of the famous monasterie of Bangor whereof in those daies one Dionoth was abbat who as they went towards that councell came first to a certeine wise man which liued amongst them an heremits life and asked his aduise whether they ought to forsake their traditions at the preaching of Augustine or not who made this answer If he be the man of God follow him Then said they How shall we prooue whether he be so or not Then said he The Lord saith take vp my yoke and learne of me for I am méeke humble in hart if Augustine be humble and meeke in hart it is to be beléeued that he also beareth the yoke of Christ and offereth it to you to beare but if he be not méeke but proud it is certeine that he is not of GOD nor his woord to be regarded And how shall we sée and perceiue that said they Find meanes said he that he maie first come to the place of the synod with those of his side and if he arise to receiue you at your comming then know that he is the seruant of God and obey him but if he despise you and arise not towards you whereas you be more in number let him be despised of you They did as he commanded and it chanced that when they came they found Augustine sitting in his chaire whom when they beheld straightwaies they conceiued indignation and noting him of pride laboured to reprooue all his saiengs He told them that they vsed manie things contrarie to the custom of the vniuersall church and yet if in thrée things they would obeie him that is to say in kéeping the feast of Easter in due time in ministring baptisme according to the custome of the Romane church in preaching to the Englishmen the woord of life with him his fellowes then would he be contented to suffer all other things patientlie which they did though the same were contrarie to the maners and customs of the Romane iurisdiction But they flatlie denied to doo anie of those things and gaue a plaine answer that they would not receiue him for their archbishop for laieng their heads togither thus they thought If he refuse now to arise vnto vs how much the more will he contemne vs if we should become subiect to him Unto whom as it is said Augustine in threatening wise told them afore hand that if they would not receiue peace with their brethren they should receiue warre of the enimies if they would not preach to the Englishmen the waie of life they should suffer punishment by death at the hands of them which thing in deed after came to passe as in place conuenient shall be expressed After this in the yéere of our Lord 604 the archbishop Augustine ordeined two bishops that is to say Melitus at London that he might preach the woord of God to the Eastsaxons which were diuided from them of Kent by the riuer of Thames and Iustus in the citie of Rochester within the limits of Kent AT that time Sabert reigned ouer the Eastsaxons but he was subiect vnto Ethelbert king of Kent whose nephue he was also by his sister Ricula that was married vnto king Sledda that succéeded after Erchenwine the first king of the Eastsaxons and begat on hir this Sabert that receiued the faith After that Augustine had ordeined Melitus to be bishop of London as before is said king Ethelbert builded as some write the church of saint Paule within the same citie where the same Melitus and his successors might keepe their sée And also for the like purpose he builded the church of saint Andrew the apostle at Rochester that Iustus and his successors might haue their sée in that place according to Augustines institution he bestowed great gifts vpon both those churches endowing them with lands and possessions verie bountifullie to the vse of them that should be attendant in the same with the bishops Finallie Augustine after he had gouerned as archbishop the church of Canturburie by the space of 12 yéeres currant departed this life the fiue and twentieth of Maie and was buried first without the eitie néere to the church of the apostles Peter and Paule whereof mention is made before bicause the same church as yet was not finished nor dedicated but after it was dedicated his bodie was brought into the church and reuerentlie buried in the north I le there He ordeined in his life time Laurence to be his successor in the sée of Canturburie of whome ye shall heare hereafter ¶ Thus haue ye heard in what maner the Englishmen were first brought from the worshipping of false gods and baptised in the name of the liuing God by the foresaid Augustine as we find in Beda and other writers Now we will returne to other dooings chancing in the meane time amongst the people of this I le Ceowlfe or Ceoloulph gouerneth the Westsaxons Ceorlus king of Mercia Edelfride king of the Northumbers and Edan king of the Scots ioine in battell Edan is discomfited Edelfride subdueth the citizens of Chester the deuout moonks of Bangorpraie for safetie from the swoord of the
be made touching the state of religious men and sate in the same synod that with subscribing he might also by his authoritie confirme that which was there orderlie decréed This synod was holden the third kalends of March in the last yéere of the emperour Phocas which was about the yeere after the birth of our Sauiour 610. Melitus at his returne brought with him from the pope decrees commanded by the said pope to be obserued in the English church with letters also directed to archbishop Laurence and to king Ethelbert Cadwan is made king of the Britains in the citie of Chester he leuieth a power against Ethelfred king of the Northumbers couenants of peace passe betwixt them vpon condition the death of Ethelbert king of Kent where he and his wife were buried of his lawes Eadbald succeedeth Ethelbert in the Kentish kingdome his lewd and vnholie life he is an enimie to religion he is plagued with madnesse Hebert king of the Eastsaxons dieth his three sonnes refuse to be baptised they fall to idolatrie and hate the professours of the truth their irreligious talke and vndutifull behauiour to bishop Melitus he and his fellow Iustus passe ouer into France the three sonnes of Hebert are slaine of the Westsaxons in battell the Estsaxons by their idolatrie prouoke archbishop Laurence to forsake the land he is warned in a vision to tarie whereof he certifieth king Eadbald who furthering christianitie sendeth for Melitus and Iustus the one is restored to his see the other reiected Melitus dieth Iustus is made archbishop of Canturburie the christian faith increaseth The xxiiij Chapter AFter that the Britains had cōtinued about the space almost of 24 yéeres without anie one speciall gouernour being led by sundrie rulers euer sithens that Careticus was constreined to flée ouer Seuerne and fought oftentimes not onelie against the Saxons but also one of them against another at length in the yéere of our Lord 613 they assembled in the citie of Chester and there elected Cadwan that before was ruler of Northwales to haue the souereigne rule gouernement ouer all their nation and so the said Cadwan began to reigne as king of Britaine in the said yéere 613. But some authors say that this was in the yéere 609 in which yéere Careticus the British king departed this life And then after his deceasse the Britains or Welshmen whether we shall call them chose Cadwan to gouerne them in the foresaid yéere 609 which was in the 7 yéere of the emperour Phocas and the 21 of the second Lotharius king of France and in the 13 yéere of Kilwoolfe king of the Westsaxons This Cadwan being established king shortlie after assembled a power of Britains and went against the foresaid Ethelfred king of Northumberland who being thereof aduertised did associate to him the most part of the Saxon princes and came foorth with his armie to méet Cadwan in the field Herevpon as they were readie to haue tried the matter by battell certeine of their friends trauelled so betwixt them for peace that in the end they brought them to agréement so that Ethelfred should kéepe in quiet possession those his countries beyond the riuer of Humber and Cadwan should hold all that which of right belonged to the Britains on the south side of the same riuer This couenant with other touching their agréement was confirmed with oths solemnelie taken and pledges therewith deliuered so that afterwards they continued in good and quiet peace without vexing one an other What chanced afterward to Ethelfred ye haue before heard rehersed which for that it soundeth more like to a truth than that which followeth in the British booke we omit to make further rehersall passing forward to other dooings which fell in the meane season whilest this Cadwan had gouernement of the Britains reigning as king ouer them the tearme of 22 or as some say but 13 yéeres and finallie was slaine by the Northumbers as before hath béene and also after shall be shewed In the 8 yéere after that Cadwan began to reigne Ethelbert king of Kent departed this life in the 21 yéere after the comming of Augustine with his fellowes to preach the faith of Christ here in this realme and after that Ethelbert had reigned ouer the prouince of Kent the tearme of 56 yéeres as Beda saith but there are that haue noted thrée yéeres lesse he departed this world as aboue is signified in the yeere of our Lord 617 on the 24 day of Februarie and was buried in the I le of saint Martine within the church of the apostles Peter and Paule without the citie of Canturburie where his wife quéene Bartha was also buried and the foresaid archbishop Augustine that first conuerted him to the faith Amongst other things this king Ethelbert with the aduise of his councell ordeined diuers lawes and statutes according to the which decrées of iudgements should passe those decrées he caused to be written in the English toong which remained and were in force vnto the daies of Beda as he declareth And first it was expressed in those lawes what amends he should make that stole anie thing that belonged to the church to the bishop or to anie ecclesiasticall person willing by all means to defend them whose doctrine he had receiued AFter the deceasse of Ethelbert his sonne Eadbald succéeded in the gouernment of his kingdome of Kent the which was a great hinderer of the increase of the new church amongst the Englishmen in those parties for he did not onelie refuse to be baptised himselfe but also vsed such kind of fornication as hath not béene heard as the apostle saith amongst the Gentiles for he tooke to wife his mother in law that had béene wife to his father By which two euill examples manie tooke occasion to returne to their heathenish religion the which whilest his father reigned either for the prince his pleasure or for feare to offend him did professe the christian faith But Eadbald escaped not woorthie punishment to him sent from the liuing God for his euill deserts insomuch that he was vexed with a certeine kind of madnesse and taken with an vncleane spirit The foresaid storme or vnquiet troubling of the christian congregation was afterwards greatlie increased also by the death of Sabert or Sebert king of the Eastsaxons who was conuerted to the faith of Christ and baptized by Melitus bishop of London as before is mentioned departing this life to go to a better in the blissefull kingdome of heauen he left behind him thrée sonnes as true successours in the estate of his earthlie kingdome which sonnes likewise refused to be baptised Their names were Serred Seward Sigebert men of an ill mind such as in whome no vertue remained no feare of God nor anie respect of religion but speciallie hating the professours of the christian faith For after their father was dead they began to fall to their old idolatrie which in his life time
licence to go into Mercia was gladlie receiued of king Uulfhere and well enterteined in so much that the said king gaue vnto him lands and possessions conteining 50 families or housholds to build a monasterie in a certeine place within the countrie of Lindsey called Etbearne But the sée of his bishoprike was assigned to him at Lichfield in Staffordshire where he made him a house néere to the church in the which he with 7 or 8 other of his brethren in religion vsed in an oratorie there to praie and reade so often as they had leasure from labour and businesse of the world Finallie after he had gouerned the church of Mercia by the space of two yeares and an halfe he departed this life hauing 7 daies warning giuen him as it is reported from aboue before he should die after a miraculous maner which because in the iudgement of the most it may séeme méere fabulous we will omit and passe ouer His bodie was first buried in the church of our ladie but after that the church of saint Peter the apostle was builded his bones were translated into the same In the yeare of our Lord 671 which was the second yeare after that Theodorus the archbishop came into this land Oswie king of Northumberland was attached with a grieuous sicknesse and died thereof the 15 kalends of March in the 58 yeare of his age after he had reigned 28 yeares complet AFter Oswie his sonne Egfrid succéeded in rule of the kingdome of Northumberland in the third yeare of whose reigne that is to say in the yeare of our Lord 673 Theodorus the archbishop of Canturburie kept a synod at Herford the first session whereof began the 24 of September all the bishops of this land being present either in person or by their deputies as Bisi bishop of Estangle Wilfrid of Northumberland by his deputie Putta bishop of Rochester Eleutherius bishop of Westsaxon and Wilfrid bishop of Mercia In the presence of these prelats the archbishop shewed a booke wherein he had noted ten chapters or articles taken out of the booke of the canons requiring that the same might be receiued 1 The first chapter was that the feast of Easter should be kept on the sundaie following the fourtéenth day of the first moneth 2 The second that no bishop should intermedle in an others diocesse but he contented with the cure of his flocke committed to him 3 The third that no bishop should disquiet in anie thing anie monasterie consecrated to God nor take by violence anie goods that belonged vnto the same 4 The fourth that bishops being moonks should not go from monasterie to monasterie except by sufferance and permission of their abbats should continue in the same obedience wherein they stood before 5 The fift that none of the cleargie should depart from his bishop to run into anie other diocesse nor comming from anie other place should be admitted except he brought letters of testimonie with him But if anie such chanced to be receiued if he refused to returne being sent for home both he and his receiuer should be excommunicated 6 The sixt that bishops and other of the cleargie being strangers should hold them content with the benefit of hospitalitie should not take in hand anie priestlie office without licence of the bishop in whose diocesse he chanced so to be remaining 7 The seuenth that twice in the yeare a synod should be kept but because of diuers impediments herein it was thought good to them all that in the kalends of August a synod should be kept once in the yeare at a certeine place called Cloofeshough 8 The eighth chapter was that no one bishop should by ambition séeke to be preferred aboue another but that euerie one should know the time and order of his consecration 9 The ninth that as the number of the christians increased so should there be more bishops ordeined 10 The tenth was touching mariages that none should contract matrimonie with anie person but with such as it should be lawfull for him by the orders of the church none should match with their kinsfolke no man should forsake his wife except as the gospell teacheth for cause of fornication But if anie man did put awaie his wife which he had lawfullie married if he would be accounted a true christian he might not be coopled with an other but so remaine or else be reconciled to his owne wife These articles being intreated of and concluded were confirmed with the subscribing of all their hands so as all those that did go against the same should be disgraded of their priesthood and separated from the companie of them all THe forsaid Bisi that was bishop of the Eastangles and present at this synod was successor vnto Bonifacius which Bonifacius held that sée 17 yéeres and then departing this life Bisi was made bishop of that prouince and ordeined by the archbishop Theodore This Bisi at length was so visited with sicknesse that he was not able to exercise the ministration so that two bishops were then there elected and consecrated for him the one named Aecci and the other Baldwin In this meane while that is about the yéere of our Lord 872 or in the beginning of 873 as Harison noteth Kenwalch king of the Westsaxons departed this life after he had reigned 30 yéeres This Kenwalch was such a prince as in the beginning he was to be compared with the woorst kind of rulers but in the middest and later end of his reigne to be matched with the best His godlie zeale borne towards the aduancing of the christian religion well appéered in the building of the church at Winchester where the bishops sée of all that prouince was then placed His wife Seghurga ruled the kingdome of Westsaxons after him a woman of stoutnesse inough to haue atchiued acts of woorthie remembrance but being preuented by death yer she had reigned one whole yéere she could not shew anie full proofe of hir noble courage I remember that Matth West maketh other report heereof declaring that the nobilitie remooued hir from the gouernment But I rather follow William Malmesburie in this matter TO procéed after Segburga was departed this life or deposed if you will néeds haue it so Escuinus or Elcuinus whose grandfather called Cuthgisio the brother of K. Kinigils succéeding in gouernment of the Westsaxons reigned about the space of two yéeres and after his deceasse one Centiuinus or Centwine tooke vpon him the rule and continued therein the space of nine yeeres But Beda saith that these two ruled at one-time and diuided the kingdom betwixt them Elcuinus fought against Uulfhere king of Mercia a great number of men being slaine on both parties though Uulfhere yet had after a maner the vpper hand as some haue written In the same yéere that the synod was holden at Herford that is to say in the yéere of our Lord 673 Egbert the king of
life as afore is shewed his coosen Inas or Ine was made king of the Westsaxons begining his reigne in the yéere of our Lord 689 in the third yeere of the emperor Iustmianus the third the 11 yéere of the reigne of Theodoricus K. of France and about the second yéere of the reigne of Eugenius king of Scots now because the rule of The Britains commonlie called Welshmen ceassed in this realme as by confession of their owne writers it appéereth and that in the end the whole monarchie of the same realme came to the hands of the kings of Westsaxons we haue thought méet to refer things generall vnto the reignes of the same kings as before we did in the Britaine kings reseruing the particular dooings to the kings of the other prouinces or kingdoms as the same haue fallen out and shall come to hand This Inas whome some mistaking N for U doo wrongfullie name Iue or Iewe prooued a right excellent prince he was descended of the ancient linage of the kings of the Westsaxons as sonne to one Kenred that was sonne to Geolwald the son of Cutha or Cutwine that was sonne to Kenricke the sonne of Certicus the first king of Westsaxons But he was admitted to the kingdome more for the valiant prowes knowne to rest in his woorthie person than for the successiue of spring of which he was descended The first â—biage that he made was against the Kentishmen on whome he purposed to reuenge the death of his coosen Mollo the griefe whereof as yet he kept in fresh memorie But when the Kentishmen perceiued that to resist him by force they were nothing able they attempted by monie to buy their peace and so obteined their purpose vpon paiment made to him of thirtie thousand marks of siluer After this about the 21 yéere of his reigne king Inas and his coosen Nun fought with Gerent king of the Britains In the beginning of the battell one Higelbald a noble man of the Westsaxons part was slaine but in the end Gerent with his Britains was chased In the 26 yéere of his reigne the same Inas fought a mightie battell against Cheolred king of Mercia at Wodenessburie with doubtfull victorie for it could not well be iudged whether part susteined greater losse In the 36 yéere of his reigne king Inas inuaded the Southsaxons with a mightie armie and slue in battell Ealdbright or Aldinius king of the Southsaxons and ioined that kingdome vnto the kingdome of the Westsaxons so that from thencefoorth the kingdome of those Southsaxons ceassed after they had reigned in that kingdome by the space of fiue kings successiuelie that is to say Ella Cissa Ethelwalke Berutius and this last Aldinius or Ealdbright Finallie when Inas had reigned 37 yéeres and 10 or 11 od moneths he renounced the rule of his kingdome togither with all worldlie pompe and went vnto Rome as a poore pilgrime and there ended his life but before this during the time of his reigne he shewed himselfe verie deuout and zealous towards the aduancement of the christian religion He made and ordeined also good wholesome lawes for the amendment of maners in the people which are yet extant and to be read written in the Saxon toong and translated into the Latine in times past and now latelie againe by William Lambert gentleman and printed by Iohn Day in the yéere 1568 togither with the lawes and statutes of other kings before the conquest as to the learned maie appéere Moreouer king Ine builded the monasterie of Glastenburie where Ioseph of Arimathea in times past builded an oratorie or chappell as before is recited when he with other christians came into this land in the daies of Aruiragus taught the gospell heere to the Britains conuerting manie of them to the faith Moreouer king Ine or Inas builded the church of Welles dedicating it vnto saint Andrew where afterwards a bishops sée was placed which at length was translated vnto Salisburie He had to wife one Ethelburga a woman of noâ—â—â—le linage who had béene earnest with him a long time to persuade him to forsake the world but she could by no meanes bring hir purpose to passe till vpon a time the king and she had lodged at a manor place in the countrie where all prouision had béene made for the receiuing of them and their traine in most sumptuous maner that might be as well in rich furniture of houshold as also in costlie viands and all other things needfull or that might serue for pleasure and when they were departed the quéene the foresaid Ethelburga caused the keeper of that house to remooue all the bedding hangings and other such things as had béen brought thither and ordeined for the beautifull setting foorth of the hosue and in place thereof to bring ordure straw such like filth as well into the chambers and hall as into all the houses of office and that doone to laie a fow with pigs in the place where before the kings bed had stood Héerevpon when she had knowledge that euerie thing was ordered according to hir appointment she persuaded the king to returne thither againe feining occasions great and necessarie Now when he was returned to that house which before séemed to the eie a palace of most pleasure and now finding it in such a filthie state as might loath the stomach of anie man to behold the same she tooke occasion therevpon to persuade him to the consideratino of the vaine pleasures of this world which in a moment turne to naught togither with the corruption of the flesh being a filthie lumpe of claie after it should once be dissolued by death and in fine where before she had spent much labour to mooue him to renounce the world though all in vaine yet now the beholding of that change in his pleasant place wherein so late he had taken great delight wrought such an alteration in his mind that hir woords lastlie tooke effect so that he resigned the kingdome to his coosen Ethelard and went himselfe to Rome as aboue is mentioned and his wife became a nun in the abbeie of Barking where she was made abbesse and finallie there ended hir life This Inas was the first that caused the monie called Peter pence to be paid vnto the bishop of Rome which was for euerie houshold within his dominion of penie In this meane time Edilred or Ethelred hauing gouerned the kingdome of Mercia by the tearme of 29 yéeres became a moonke in the abbeie of Bardenie and after was made abbat of that house He had to wife one Ostrida the sister of Egfride king of Northumberland by whome he had a sonne named Ceolred But he appointed Kenred the sonne of his brother Uulfher to succéed him in the kingdome The said Ostrida was cruellie slaine by the treason of hir husbands subiects about the yéere of our Lord 697. And as for Kenred he was
In this meane while bishop Wilfride being dead one Acca that was his chapline was made bishop of Hexham The said Wilfride had béene bishop by the space of 45 yéeres but he liued a long time in exile For first being archbishop of Yorke and exercising his iurisdiction ouer all the north parts he was after banished by king Egbert and againe restored to the sée of Hexham in the second yeere of king Alfride and within fiue yéeres after eftsoones banished by the same Alfride and the second time restored by his successor king Osredzin the fourth yéere of whose reigne being the yéere after the incarnation of our Sauiour 709 he departed this life and was buried at Rippon Moreouer after Iohn the archbishop of Yorke had resigned one Wilfride surnamed the second was made archbishop of that sée which Wilfride was chapline to the said Iohn and gouerned that sée by the space of fiftéene yéeres and then died About the yéere of our Lord 710 that abbat Adrian which came into this land with Theodore the archbishop of Canturburie as before ye haue heard departed this life about 39 yeeres after his comming thither Also Inas the king of Westsaxons about the 20 yeere of his reigne diuided the prouince of the Westsaxons into two bishops sées whereas before they had but one Daniell was ordeined to gouerne the one of those sees being placed at Winchester hauing vnder him Sussex Southerie and Hamshire And Aldhelme was appointed to Shireburne hauing vnder him Barkeshire Wiltshire Sommersetshire Dorsetshire Deuonshire and Cornwall This Aldhelme was a learned man and was first made abbat of Malmesburie in the yéere of our Lord 675 by Eleutherius then bishop of the Westsaxons by whose diligence that abbeie was greatlie aduanced being afore that time founded by one Medulfe a Scotish man but of so small reuenues afore Aldhelms time that the moonks were scarse able to liue thereon Also the same Aldhelme was a great furtherer vnto king Inas in the building of Glastenburie Ethelard the coosen of king Inas to whome the same Inas resigned his kingdome began to gouerne the Westsaxons in the yéere of our Lord 728 or rather 27 which was in the 11 yéere of the emperor Leo Isaurus in the second yeere of Theodorus king of France and about the 8 or 9 yéere of Mordacke king of the Scots In the first yéere of Ethelards reigne he was disquieted with ciuill warre which one Oswald a noble man descended of the roiall bloud of the Westsaxon kings procured against him but in the end when he perceiued that the kings power was too strong for him he fled out of the countrie leauing it thereby in rest In the yéere 729 in the moneth of Ianuarie there appeered two comets or blasing starres verie terrible to behold the one rising in the morning before the rising of the sunne and the other after the setting thereof so that the one came before the breake of the day and the other before the closing of the night stretching foorth their flerie brands toward the north and they appeered thus euerie morning and euening for the space of a fortnight togither mâ—nacing as it were some great destruction or common mishap to follow The Saxacens shortlie after entred France and were ouerthrowne Finallie when king Ethelard had reigned the terme of fouretéene yeeres currant he departed this life NOw when Wichtred king of Kent had gouerned the Kentishmen by the space of 33 yéeres with great commendation for the good orders which he caused to be obserued amongst them as well concerning matters ecclesiasticall as temporall he departed this life leauing behind him thrée sonnes who successiuelie reigned as heires to him one after another that is to say Edbert 23 yéeres Ethelbert 11 yeeres currant and Alrike 34 yéeres the which three princes following the steps of their father in the obseruance of politike orders commendable lawes vsed for the more part their fathers good lucke and fortune except that in Ethelberts time the citie of Canturburie was burned by casuall fire and Alrike lost a battell against them of Mercia whereby the glorie of their times was somewhat blemished for so it came to passe that whatsoeuer chanced euill was kept still in memorie and the good haps that came forward were soone forgotten and put out of remembrance In the yéere of our Lord 731 Betrwald archbishop of Canturburie departed this life in the fift ides of Ianuarie after he had gouerned that see by the space of 27 yéeres 6 moneths and 14 daies in â—hose place the same yéere one Tacwine was ordeined archbishop that before was a priest in the monasterie of Bruidon within the prouince of Mercia He was consecrated in the citie of Canturburie by the reuerend fathers Daniell bishop of Winchester Ingwald bishop of London Aldwin bishop of Lichfield and Aldwulfe bishop of Rochester the tenth day of Iune being sundaie ¶ As touching the state of the English church for ecclesiasticall gouernours certeine it is that the same was as hereafter followeth The prouince of Canturburie was gouerned touching the ecclesiasticall state by archbishop Tacwine and bishop Aldwulfe The prouince of the Eastsaxons by bishop Ingwald The prouince of Eastangles by bishop Eadbertus and Hadulacus the one kéeping his see at Elsham and the other at Dunwich The prouince of the Westsaxons was gouerned by the foresaid Daniell and by Forthere who succéeded next after Aldhelme in the sée of Shereburne This Forthere in the yéere of our Lord 738 left his bishoprike and went to Rome in companie of the quéene of the Westsaxons Many as well kings as bishops noble and vnnoble priests and laiemen togither with women vsed to make such iournies thither in those daies The prouince of Mercia was ruled by the foresaid Aldwine bishop of Lichfield and one bishop Walstod holding his sée at Herford gouerned those people that inhabited beyond the riuer of Sauerne toward the west The prouince of Wiccies that is Worcester one Wilfride gouerned The Southsaxons and the I le of Wight were vnder the bishop of Winchester In the prouince of the Northumbers were foure bishops that is to say Wilfride archbishop of Yorke Edilwald bishop of Lindifferne Acca bishop of Hexham and Pecthelmus bishop of Whiterne otherwise called Candida Casa he was the first that gouerned that church after the same was made a bishops sée And thus stood the state of the English church for ecclesiasticall gouernors in that season And as for temporall gouernement king Ceolvulfe had the souereigne dominion ouer all the Northumbers but all the prouinces on the southside of Humber with their kings and rulers were subiect vnto Edilbald or Ethelbald king of Mercia The nation of the Picts were in league with the English men and gladlie became partakers of the catholike faith and veritie of the vniuersall church Those Scots which inhabited Britaine contenting themselues with their owne bounds went
emperor Constantinus surnamed Copronimos in the 6 yéere of the reigne of Pipin king of France and about the 22 yéere of Ethfine king of Scots This Kinewulfe prooued a right woorthie and valiant prince and was descended of the right line of Cerdicus He obteined great victories against the Britains or Welshmen but at Bensington or Benton he lost a battell against Offa king of Mercia in the 24 yéere of his reigne and from that time forward tasting manie displeasures at length through his owne follie came vnto a shamefull end For whereas he had reigned a long time neither slouthfullie nor presumptuouslie yet now as it were aduanced with the glorie of things passed he either thought that nothing could go against him or else doubted the suertie of their state whom he should leaue behind him and therefore he confined one Kineard the brother of Sigibert whose fame he perceiued to increase more than he would haue wished This Kineard dissembling the matter as he that could giue place to time got him out of the countrie and after by a secret conspiracie assembled togither a knot of vngratious companie and returning priuilie into the countrie againe watched his time till he espied that the king with a small number of his seruants was come vnto the house of a noble woman whome he kept as paramour at Merton wherevpon the said Kineard vpon the sudden beset the house round about The king perceiuing himselfe thus besieged of his enimies at the first caused the doores to be shut supposing either by curteous woords to appease his enimies or with his princelie authoritie to put them in feare But when he saw that by neither meane he could doo good in a great chafe he brake foorth of the house vpon Kineard and went verie néere to haue killed him but being compassed about with multitude of enimies whilest he stood at defense thinking it a dishonour for him to flée he was beaten downe and slaine togither with those few of his seruants which he had there with him who chose rather to die in séeking reuenge of their maisters death than by cowardise to yeeld themselues into the murtherers hands There escaped none except one Welshman or Britaine an hostage who was neuerthelesse sore wounded and hurt The brute of such an heinous act was streightwaies blowne ouer all and brought with speed to the eares of the noble men and peeres of the realme which were not farre off the place where this slaughter had béene committed Amongst other one Oâ—rike for his age and wisedome accounted of 〈◊〉 authoritie 〈◊〉 ted the residue that in no wife they should suffor the death of their souereigne lord to passe vnpunished vnto their perpetuall shame and reproofe Wherevpon in all hast they ran to the place where they knew to find Kineard who at the first began to plead his cause to make large promises to pretend coosenage and so foorth but when he perceiued all that he could say or doo might not preuaile he incouraged his companie to shew themselues valiant and to resist their enimies to the vttermost of their powers Heerevpon followed a doubtfull fight the one part striuing to saue their liues and the other to atteine honour and punish the slaughter of their souereigne lord At length the victorie rested on the side where the right was so that the wicked murtherer after he had fought a while at length was slaine togither with fourescore and eight of his mates The kings bodie was buried at Winchester the murtherers at Repingdon Such was the end of king Kinewulfe after he had reigned the tearme of 31 yéeres In the yeere of our Lord 786 pope Adrian sent two legats into England Gregorie or as some copies haue George bishop of Ostia and Theophylactus bishop of Tuderto with letters commendatorie vnto Offa king of Mercia Alfwold king of Northumberland Ieanbright or Lambert archbishop of Canturburie and Eaubald archbishop of Yorke These legats were gladlie receiued not onlie by the foresaid kings and archbishops but also of all other the high estates aswell spirituall as temporall of the land namelie of Kinewulfe king of the Westsaxons which repaired vnto king Offa to take counsell with him for reformation of such articles as were conteined in the popes letters There were twentie seuerall articles which they had to propone on the popes behalfe as touching the receiuing of the faith or articles established by the Nicene councell and obeieng of the other generall councels with instructions concerning baptisme and kéeping of synods yéerelie for the examination of priests and ministers and reforming of naugthie liuers Moreouer touching discretion to be vsed in admitting of gouernors in monasteries and curats or priests to the ministerie in churches and further for the behauior of priests in wearing their apparell namelie that they should not presume to come to the altar bare legged lest their dishonestlie might be discouered And that in no wise the chalice or paten were made of the horne of an oxe bicause the same is bloudie of nature nor the host of a crust but of pure bread Also whereas bishops vsed to sit in councels to iudge in secular causes they were now forbidden so to doo Manie other things were as meanes of reformation articled both for spirituall causes and also concerning ciuill ordinances as disabling children to be heirs to the parents whch by them were not begot in lawfull matrimonie but on concubines whether they were nunnes or secular women Also of paiment of tithes performing of vowes auoiding of vndecent apparell and abolishing of all maner of heathenish vsages and customes that sounded contrarie to the order of christianitie as curtailing of horsses and eating of horsses flesh These things with manie other expressed in 20 principall articles as we haue said were first concluded to be receiued by the church of the Northumbers in a councell holden there and subscribed by Alfwold king of the Northumbers by Delberike bishop of Hexham by Eubald archbishop of Yorke Higwald bishop of Lindisferne Edelbert bishop of Whiterne Aldulfe bishop of Mieth Ethelwine also another bishop by his deputies with a number of other of the clergie and lords also of the temporaltie as duke Alrike duke Segwulfe abbat Alebericke and abbat Erhard After this confirmation had of the Northumbers there was also a councell holden in Mercia at Cealtide in the which these persons subscribed Iambert or Lambert archbishop of Canturburie Offa king of Mercia Hughbright bishop of Lichfield Edeulfe bishop of Faron with Unwone bishop of Ligor and nine other bishops besides abbats and thrée dukes as Brorda Farwald and Bercoald with earle Othbald But now to returne backe to speake of other dooings as in other parts of this land they fell out About the yéere of our Lord 764 the sée of Canturburie being void one Iambert or Lambert was elected archbishop there and the yéere 766 the archbishop of Yorke Egbert departed this
life in whose place one Adelbert succéeded About the 25 yéere of Kenwulf king of Westsaxons the Northumbers hauing to their capteine two noble men Osbald and Ethelherard burned one of their iudges named Bearne bicause he was more cruell in iudgement as they tooke the matter than reason required In which vengeance executed vpon the cruell iudge if he were so seuere as this attempt of the two noble men dooth offer the readers to suspect all such of his liuerie calling are taught lenitie mildnes wherwith they should leuen the rigor of the lawe For capit indulgentia mentes Asperitas odium saeuáeque bella mouet Odimus accipitrem quia viuit semper in armis Et pauidum solitos in pecus ire lupos At caret insidijs hominum quia mitis hirundo est Quásque colat turres Chaonîs ales habet At the same time one Aswald or Alfewald reigned ouer the Northumbers being admitted K. after that Ethelbert was expelled and when the same Alfwald had reigned 10 or as some say 11 yéeres he was traitorouslie and without all guilt made away the chéefe conspirator was named Siga The same Alfwald was a iust prince and woorthilie gouerned the Northumbers to his high praise and commendation He was murthered by his owne people as before ye haue heard the 23 of September in the yéere of our Lord 788 and was buried at Hexham In the yéere 792 Charles king of France sent a booke into Britaine which was sent vnto him from Constantinople conteining certeine articles agreed vpon in a synod wherein were present aboue the number of thrée hundred bishops quite contrarie and disagréeing from the true faith namelie in this that images ought to be worshipped which the church of God vtterlie abhorreth Against this booke Albinus that famous clearke wrote a treatise confirmed with places taken out of holie scripture which treatise with the booke in name of all the bishops and princes of Britaine he presented vnto the king of France ¶ In the yéere 800 on Christmasse éeuen chanced a maruellous tempest of wind which ouerthrew whole cities and townes in diuerse places and trees in great number beside other harmes which it did as by death of cattell c. Int the yeere following a great part of London was consumed by fire Britricus K. of the Westsaxons his inclination Egbert being of the bloud roiall is banished the land why crosses of bloudie colour and drops of bloud fell from heauen what they did prognosticate the first Danes that arriued on the English coasts and the cause of their comming firie dragons flieng in the aire foretokens of famine and warre Britricus is poisoned of his wife Ethelburga hir ill qualities why the kings of the Westsaxons decreed that their wiues should not be called queenes the miserable end of Ethelburga Kenulfe king of Mercia his vertues he restoreth the archbishops see to Canturburie which was translated to Lichfield he inuadeth Kent taketh the king prisoner in the field and bountifullie setteth him at libertie the great ioy of the people therevpon his rare liberalitie to churchmen his death and buriall The seuenth Chapter AFter Kenwulfe Britricus or Brightrike was ordeined king of Westsaxons and began his reigne in the yéere of our Lord 787 which was about the 8 yéere of the gouernment of the empresse Eirene with hir son Constantinus and about the second yeere of the reigne of Achaius K. of Scots This Brightrike was descended of the line of Cerdicus the first king of Westsaxons the 16 in number from him He was a man of nature quiet temperate more desirous of peace than of warre and therefore he stood in doubt of the noble valiancie of one Egbert which after succéeded him in the kingdome The linage of Cerdicus was in that season so confounded and mingled that euerie one as he grew in greatest power stroue to be king and supreame gouernour But speciallie Egbertus was knowne to be one that coueted that place as he that was of the bloud roiall and a man of great power and lustie courage King Brightrike therefore to liue in more safetie banished him the land and appointed him to go into France Egbert vnderstanding certeinlie that this his departure into a forreine countrie should aduance him in time obeied the kings pleasure About the third yéere of Brightrikes reigne there fell vpon mens garments as they walked abroad crosses of bloudie colour and bloud fell from heauen as drops of raine Some tooke this woonder for a signification of the persecution that followed by the Danes for shortlie after in the yeere insuing there arriued thrée Danish ships vpon the English coasts against whome the lieutenant of the parties adioining made foorth to apprehend those that were come on land howbeit aduenturing himselfe ouer rashlie amongst them he was slaine but afterwards when the Danes perceiued that the people of the countries about began to assemble and were comming against them they fled to their ships and left their prey and spoile behind them for that time These were the first Danes that arriued here in this land being onelie sent as was perceiued after to view the countrie and coasts of the same to vnderstand how with a greater power they might be able to inuade it as shortlie after they did and warred so with the Englishmen that they got a great part of the land and held it in their owne possession In the tenth yéere of king Brightrikes reigne there were séene in the aire firie dragons flieng which betokened as was thought two grieuous plagues that followed First a great dearth and famine and secondlie a cruell war of the Danes which shortlie followed as ye shall heare Finallie after that Brightrike had reigned the space of 16 yéeres he departed this life and was buried at Warham Some write that he was poisoned by his wife Ethelburga daughter vnto Offa king of Mercia as before ye haue heard and he maried hir in the fourth yere of his reigne She is noted by writers to haue bin a verie euill woman proud and high-minded as Lucifer and therewith disdainfull She bare hir the more statelie by reason of hir fathers great fame and magnificence whome she hated she would accuse to hir husband and so put them in danger of their liues And if she might not so wreake hir rancour she would not sticke to poison them It happened one day as she meant to haue poisoned a yoong gentleman against whome she had a quarell the king chanced to tast of that cup and died thereof as before ye haue heard Hir purpose indeed was not to haue poisoned the king but onelie the yoong gentleman the which drinking after the king died also the poison was so strong and vehement For hir heinous crime it is said that the kings of the Westsaxons would not suffer their wiues to be called quéenes nor permit them to sit with them in open places
where their maiesties should bée shewed manie yéeres after Ethelburga fearing punishment fled into France with gâ—eat riches and treasure was well cherished in the court of king Charles at the first but after she was thrust into an abbeie and demeaned hirselfe so lewdlie there in keeping companie with one of hir owne countriemen that she was banished the house and after died in great miserie Egbert king of Mercia departing this life after he had reigned foure moneths ordeined his coosine Kenulfe to succeed in his place which Kenulfe was come of the line of Penda king of Mercia as rightlie descended from his brother Kenwalke This Kenulfe for his noble courage wisedome and vpright dealing was woorthie to be compared with the best princes that haue reigned His vertues passed his fame nothing he did that enuie could with iust cause reprooue At home he shewed himselfe godlie and religious in warre he became victorious he restored the archbishops sée againe to Canturburie wherein his humblenes was to be praised that made no account of worldlie honour in his prouince so that the order of the ancient canons might be obserued He had wars left him as it were by succession from his predecessour Offa against them of Kent and thervpon entring that countrie with a mightie armie wasted and spoiled the same and encountering in battell with king Edbert or Ethelbert otherwise called Prenne ouerthrew his armie and tooke him prisoner in the field but afterwards he released him to his great praise and commendation For whereas he builded a church at Winchcombe vpon the day of the dedication thereof he led the Kentish king as then his prisoner vp to the high altar and there set him at libertie declaring thereby a great proofe of of his good nature There were present at that sight Cuthred whom he had made king of Kent in place of Ethelbert or Edbert with 13 bishops and 10 dukes The noise that was made of the people in reioising at the kings bountious liberalitie was maruellous For not onelie he thus restored the Kentish king to libertie but also bestowed great rewards vpon all the prelates and noble men that were come to the feast euerie priest had a peece of gold and euerie moonke a shilling Also he dealt and gaue away great gifts amongst the people and founded in that place an abbeie indowing the same with great possessions Finallie after he had reigned 4 yéeres he departed this life and appointed his buriall to be in the same abbeie of Winchcombe leauing behind him a sonne named Kenelme who succeeded his father in the kingdome but was soone murthered by his vnnaturall sister Quendred the 17 of Iulie as hereafter shall be shewed Osrike king of Northumberland leaueth the kingdome to Edelbert reuoked out of exile king Alfwalds sons miserablie slaine Osred is put to death Ethelbert putteth away his wife and marieth another his people rise against him therefore and kill him Oswald succeeding him is driuen out of the land Ardulfe king of Northumberland duke Wade raiseth warre against him and is discomfited duke Aldred is slaine a sore battell fought in Northumberland the English men aflict one another with ciuill warres king Ardulfe deposed from his estate the regiment of the Northumbers refused as dangerous and deadlie by destinie what befell them in lieu of their disloialtie the Danes inuade their land and are vanquished the roiall race of the Kentish kings decaâ—eth the state of that kingdome the primasie restored to the see of Canturburie Egbert after the death of Britricus is sent for to vndertake the gouernement of the Westsaxons his linage The eight Chapter WHen Aswald king of Northumberland was made away his brother Osred the sonne of Alred tooke vpon him the rule of that kingdom anno 788 and within one yeere was expelled and left the kingdome to Ethelbert or Edelred as then reuoked out of exile in which he had remained for the space of 1 yéeres and now being restored he continued in gouernement of the Northumbers 4 yéeres or as some say 7 yéeres in the second yéere whereof duke Eardulfe was taken and led to Ripon and there without the gate of the monasterie wounded as was thought to death by the said king but the moonks taking his bodie and laieng it in a tent without the church after midnight he was found aliue in the church Moreouer about the same time the sonnes of king Alfwald were by force drawne out of the citie of Yorke but first by a wile they were trained out of the head church where they had taken sanctuarie and so at length miserablie slaine by king Ethelbert in Wonwaldremere one of them was named Alfus the other Alfwin In the yéere of our Lord 792 Osred vpon trust of the othes and promises of diuerse noble men secretly returned into Northumberland but his owne souldiers for sooke him and so was he taken and by king Ethelberts commandement put to death at Cunburge on the 14 day of September The same yéere king Ethelbert maried the ladie Alfled the daughter of Offa king of Mercia forsaking his former wife which he had hauing no iust cause of diuorce giuen on hir part whereby his people tooke such displeasure against him that finallie after he had reigned now this second time 4 yéeres or as other say seuen yéeres he could not auoid the destinie of his predecessors but was miserablie killed by his owne subiects at Cobre the 18 day of Aprill After whome one Oswald a noble man was ordeined king and within 27 or 28 daies after was expelled and constreined to flie first into the I le of Lindisferne and from thence vnto the king of Picts Then Ardulfe that was a duke and sonne to one Arnulfe was reuoked out of exile made king consecrated also at Yorke by the archbishop Cumbald and thrée other bishops the 25 of Iune in the yéere 396. About two yeeres after to wit in the yéere 798 one duke Wade and other conspirators which had beene also partakers in the murthering of king Ethelbert raised warre against king Ardulfe and fought a batteâ—l with him at Walleg but king Ardulfe got the vpper hand and chased Wade and other his enimies out of the field In the yéere 799. duke Aldred that had murthered Ethelbert or Athelred king of Northumberland was slaine by another duke called Chorthmond in reuenge of the death of his maister the said Ethelbert Shortlie after about the same time that Brightrike king of Westsaâ—ons departed this life there was a sore battell foughtten in Northumberland at Wellehare in the which Alricke the sonne of Herbert and manie other with him were slaine but to rehearse all the battels with their successes and issues it should be too tedious and irkesome to the readers for the English people being naturallie hard and high-minded continuallie scourged each other with intestine warres About six or seuen yéeres after this
women both mother and daughter whome king Edward kept as concubines for the mother being of noble parentage sought to satisfie the kings lust in hopeto doo with hir without anie respect or regard had to that either he would take hir or hir daughter vnto wife And therefore perceiuing that Dunstane was sore against such wanton pastime as the king vsed in their companie she so wrought that Dunstane was through hir earnest trauell banished the land This is also reported that when he should depart the realme the diuell was heard in the west end of the church taking vp a great laughter after his roring maner as though he should shew himselfe gled and ioifull at Dunstanes going into exile But Dunstane perceiuingto doo with hir without anie respect or regard had to his behauiour spake to him and said Well thou aduersarie doo not so greatly reioise at the matter for thou dooest not now so much reioise at my departure but by Gods grace thou shalt be as sorrowfull for my returne Thus was Dunstane banished by king Edwine so that he was compelled to passe ouer into Flanders where he remained for a time within a monasterie at Gant finding much friendship at the hands of the gouernor of that countrie Also the more to wreake his wrath the king spoiled manie religious houses of their goods and droue out the moonks placing secular priests in their roomes as namelie at Malmesburie where yet the house was not empaired but rather inriched in lands and ornaments by the kings liberalitie and the industrious meanes of the same priests which tooke vp the bones of saint Aldelme and put the same into a shrine At length the inhabitants of the middle part of England euen from Humber to Thames rebelled against him andof the gouernor of that countrie Also the more to elected his brother Edgar to haue the gouernement ouer them wherwith king Edwine tooke such griefe for that he saw no meane at hand how to remedie the matter that shortlie after when he had reigned somewhat more than foure yéeres he died and his bodie was buried at Winchester in the new abbeie EDgar the second sonne of Edmund late king of England after the decease of his elder brother the foresaid Edwine began his reigne ouer this realme of England in the yeere of our Lord God 959 in the 22 yéere of the emperour Otho the first in the fourth yéere of the reigne of Lotharius king of France 510 almost ended after the comming of the Saxons 124 after the arriuall of the Danes and in the last yéere of Malcolme king of Scotland He was crowned consecrated at Bath or as some say at Kingstone vpon Thames by Odo the archbishop of Tanturburie being as then not past 16 yéeres of age when he was thus admitted king He was no lesse indued with commendable gifts ofrealme of England in the yeere of our Lord God mind than with strength and force of bodie He was a great fauorer of moonks and speciallie had Dunstane in high estimation Aboue all things in this world he regarded peace and studied dailie how to preserue the same to the commoditie aduancement of his subiects When he had established things in good quiet and set an order in matters as séemed to him best for the peaceable gouernement of his people he prepared a great nauie of ships and diuiding them in thrée parts he appointed euerie part to a quarter of the realme to wast about the coast that no forren enimie should approch the land but that they might be incountered and put backe before they could take land And euerie yeere after Easter he vsed to giue order that his ships should assemble togither in their due places and then would he with the east nauie saile to the west parts of his realme and sending those ships backe he would with the west nauie saile into the north parts and with the north nauie come backe againe into the east This custome he vsed that he might fcowre the seas of all pirats theeues In the winter season and spring time he would ride through the prouinces of his realme searching out how the iudges and great lords demeaned themselues in the administration of iustice sharpelie punishing those that were found guiltie of extortion or had done otherwise in anie point than dutie required In all things he vsed such politike discretion that neither was he put in danger by treason of his subiects into the north parts and with the north nauie come nor molested by forren enimies He caused diuerse kings to bind themselues by oth to be true and faithfull vnto him as Kinadius or rather Induf king of Scotland Malcolme king of Cumberland Mascutius an archpirat or as we may call him a maister rouer and also all the kings of the Welshmen as Duffnall Girffith Huvall Iacob and Iudithill all which came to his court and by their solemne othes receiued sware to be at his commandement And for the more manifest testimonie therof he hauing them with him at Chester caused them to enter into a barge vpon the water of Dée and placing himselfe in the forepart of the barge at the helme he caused those eight high princes to row the barge vp and downe the water shewing thereby his princelie prerogatiue and roiall magnificence in that he might vse the seruice of so manie kings that were his subiects And there vpon he said as hath him reported that then might his successours account themselues kings of England when they inioiedAnd for the more manifest testimonie therof such prerogatiue of high and supreme honor The fame of this noble prince was spred ouer all as well on this side the sea as beyond insomuch that great resort of strangers chanced in his daies which came euer into this land to serue him and to sée the state of his court as Saxons and other yea and also Danes which became verie familiar with him He fauored in déed the Danes as hath béene said more than stood with the commoditie of his subiects for scarse was anie stréet in England but Danes had their dwelling in the same among the Englishmen whereby came great harme for whereas the Danes by nature were great drinkers the Englishmen by continuall conuersation with them learned the same vice King Edgar to reforme in part such excessiue quaffing as then began to grow in vse caused by the procurement of Dunstane nailes to be set incups of a certeine measure marked for the purpose that none should drinke more than was assigned by such measured cups Englishmen also learned of the Saxons scarse was anie stréet in England but Danes had Flemings and other strangers their peculiar kind of vices as of the Saxons a discordered fiercenesse of mind of the Flemings a féeble tendernesse of bodie where before they reioised in their owne simplicitie and estéemed not the lewd
to trie the battell His sonne Edmund got him to Utred an earle of great power inhabiting beyond Humber and persuading him to ioine his forces with his forth they went to waste those countries that were become subiect to Cnute as Staffordshire Leicestershire and Shropshire not sparing to exercise great crueltie vpon the inhabitants as a punishment for their reuolting that others might take example thereby But Cnute perceiuing whereabout they went politikelie deuised to frustrate their purpose and with dooing of like hurt in all places where he came passed through Buckinghamshire Bedfordshire Huntingtonshire and so through the fens came to Stamford and then entred into Lincolnshire and from thence into Notinghamshire so into Yorkeshire not sparing to doo what mischiefe might be deuised in all places where he came Utred aduertised hereof was constreined to depart home to saue his owne countrie from present destruction and therefore comming backe into Northumberland perceiuing himselfe not able to resist the puissant force of his enimies was constreined to deliuer pledges and submit himselfe vnto Cnute But yet was he not hereby warranted from danger for shortlie after he was taken and put to death and then were his lands giuen vnto one Iricke or Iricius whome afterward Cnute did banish out of the realme because that he did attempt to chalenge like authoritie to him in all points as Cnute himselfe had After that Cnute had subdued the Northumbers he pursued Edmund till he heard that he had taken London for his refuge and staied there with his father Then did Cnute take his ships and came about to the coasts of Kent preparing to besiege the citie of London In the meane time king Egelred sore worne with long sicknesse departed this life on the 23 of Aprill being saint Georges day or as others say on saint Gregories day being the 12 of March but I take this to be an error growen by mistaking the feast-day of saint Gregorie for saint George He reigned the tearme of 37 yeares or little lesse His bodie was buried in the church of saint Pauls in the north I le besids the quéere as by a memoriall there on the wall it maie appeare He had two wiues as before is mentioned By Elgina his first wife he had issue thrée sonnes Edmund Edwine and Adelstane besides one daughter named Egiua By his second wife Emma daughter to Richard the first of that name duke of Normandie and sister to Richard the second he had two sonnes Alfrid and Edward This Egelred as you haue heard had euill successe in his warres against the Danes and besides the calamitie that fell thereby to his people manie other miseries oppressed this land in his daies not so much through his lacke of courage and slouthfull negligence as by reason of his presumptuous pride whereby he alienated the hearts of his people from him His affections he could not rule but was led by them without order of reason for he did not onlie disherit diuerse of his owne English subiects wishout apparant cause of offense by plaine forged cauillations and also caused all the Danes to be murdered through his realme in one day by some light suspicion of their euill meanings but also gaue himselfe to lecherous lusts in abusing his bodie with naughtie strumpets for saking the bed of his owne lawfull wife to the great infamie shame of that high degrée of maiestie which by his kinglie office he bare and susteined To conclude he was from his tender youth more apt to idle rest than to the exercise of warres more giuen to pleasures of the bodie than to anie vertues of the mind although that toward his latter end being growen into age and taught by long experience of worldlie affaires and proofe of passed miseries he sought though in vaine to haue recouered the decaied state of his common wealth and countrie ¶ In this Egelreds time and as it is recorded by a British chronographer in the yéere of our Lord 984 one Cadwalhon the second sonne of Ieuaf tooke in hand the gouernance of Northwales and first made warre with Ionauall his coosen the sonne of Meyric and right heire to the land and slue him but Edwall the yoongest brother escaped awaie priuilie The yéere following Meredith the sonne of Owen king or prince of Southwales with all his power entered into Northwales and in fight slue Cadwalhon the sonne of Ieuaf and Meyric his brother and conquered the land to himselfe Wherein a man maie sée how God punished the wrong which Iago and Ieuaf the sonnes of Edwall Uoest did to their eldest brother Meyric who was first disherited and afterward his eies put out and one of his sonnes slaine For first Ieuaf was imprisoned by Iago then Iago with his sonne Constantine by Howell the son of Ieuaf and afterward the said Howell with his brethren Cadwalhon and Meyric were flaine and spoiled of all their lands Edmund Ironside succedeth his father in the kingdome the spiritualtie fauouring Cnute would haue him to be king the Londoners are his backe friends they receiue Edmund their king honorablie and ioifullie Cnute is proclaimed king at Southampton manie of the states cleaue vnto him he besiegeth London by water and land the citizens giue him the foile he incountreth with king Edmund and is discomfited two battels fought betweene the Danes and English with equall fortune and like successe the traitorous stratagem of Edrike the Dane king Edmund aduisedlie defeateth Edriks trecherie 20000 of both armies slaine Cnute marching towards London is pursued of Edmund the Danes are repelled incountred and vanquished queene Emma prouideth for the safetie of hir sonnes the Danes seeke a pacification with Edmund thereby more easilie to betraie him Cnute with his armie lieth neere Rochester king Edmund pursueth them both armies haue a long and a sore conflict the Danes discomfited and manie of them slaine Cnute with his power assemble at Essex and there make waste king Edmund pursueth them Edrike traitorouslie reuolteth from the English to succour the Danes king Edmund is forced to get him out of the field the Englishmen put to their hard shifts and slaine by heapes what noble personages were killed in this battell of two dead bodies latelie found in the place where this hot and heauie skirmish was fought The ninth Chapter AFter that king Egelred was dead his eldest sonne Edmund surnamed Ironside was proclaimed king by the Londoners and others hauing the assistance of some lords of the realme although the more part and speciallie those of the spiritualtie fauoured Cnute bicause they had aforetime sworne fealtie to his father Some write that Cnute had planted his siege both by water and land verie stronglie about the citie of London before Egelred departed this life and immediatlie vpon his deceasse was receiued into the citie but the armie that was within the citie not consenting vnto the surrender made by the citizens departed the night
Englishmen that after the conquest when the Normans oftentimes went about to abrogate the same there chanced no small mutinies and rebellions for reteining of those lawes But heere is to be noted that although they were called saint Edwards lawes they were for the more part made by king Edgar but now by king Edward restored after they had bin abrogated for a time by the Danes About this time earle Goodwine died suddenlie as some haue recorded as he sat at table with the king and vpon talke ministred of the death of Alfred the kings brother to excuse himselfe he tooke a peece of bread and did eate it saieng God let me neuer swallow this bread downe into my chest but that I may presentlie be choked therewith if euer I was weetting or consenting vnto Alfreds death and immediatlie therewith he fell downe starke dead Other say that he ended his life at Winchester where being suddenlie surprised with sicknesse as he sat at the table with the king vpon an Easter monday yet he liued till the Thursday following and then died His earledome was giuen vnto his sonne Harold and Harolds earledome which was Oxford was giuen vnto Algar the sonne of Leofrike This Goodwine as he was a man of great power wise hardie and politike so was he ambitious desirous to beare rule and loth that anie other person should passe him in authoritie But yet whether all be true that writers report of his malicious practises to bring himselfe and his sonnes to the chiefe seat of gouernement in the kingdome or that of hatred such slanders were raised of him it may of some perhaps be doubted because that in the daies of king Edward which was a soft and gentle prince he bare great rule and authoritie and so might procure to himselfe euill report for euerie thing that chanced amisse as oftentimes it commeth to passe in such cases where those that haue great dooings in the gouernement of the common wealth are commonlie euill spoken of and that now and then without their guilt But truth it is that Goodwine being in authoritie both in the daies of king Edward and his predecessors did manie things as should appeare by writers more by will than by law and so likewise did his sonnes vpon presumption of the great puissance that they and their father were of within the realme He had to wife Editha the sister of king Cnute of whome he begat thrée sonnes as some write that is to say Harold Biorne Tostie also his daughter Editha whome he found meanes to bestow in mariage vpon K. Edward as before ye haue heard But other write that he had but one son by Cnutes sister the which in riding of a rough horsse was throwen into the riuer of Thames and so drowned His mother also was stricken with a thunderbolt so perished worthilie as is reported for hir naughtie dooings She vsed to buy great numbers of yoong persons and namelie maids that were of anie excellent beautie and personage whome she sent ouer into Denmarke and there sold them to hir most advantage After hir deceasse as the same authors record Goodwine maried another woman by whome he had issue six sonnes Swanus or Swaine Harrold Tostie or Tosto Wilnot Girth and Leofrike of whom further mention is shall be made as places conuenient shall serue thereto Edward earle of Northumberland discomfiteth Mackbeth the vsurper of the Scotish kingdome and placeth Malcolme in the same a controuersie whether Siward were at this discomfiture or no his stout words when he heard that one of his sonnes was slaine in the field bishop Aldred is sent to fetch home Edward the sonne of K. Edmund Ironside into England earle Algar being banished ioineth with the Welshmen against the English and Normans and getteh the victorie Harold the son of earle Goodwine putteth earle Algar his retinue to their shifts by pursute pacification betweene the generals of both armies their hosts Siward earle of Northumberland dieth his giantlike stature his couragious heart at the time of his deceasse why Tostie one of Goodwins sonnes succeeded him in the earledome The fift Chapter ABout the thirteenth yeare of king Edward his reigne as some write or rather about the nineteéenth or twentith yeare as should appeare by the Scotish writers Siward the noble earle of Northumberland with a great power of horssemen went into Scotland and in battell put to flight Mackbeth that had vsurped the crowne of Scotland and that doone placed Malcolme surnamed Camoir the sonne of Duncane sometime king of Scotland in the gouernement of that realme who afterward slue the said Mackbeth and then reigned in quiet Some of our English writers say that this Malcolme was king of Cumberland but other report him to be sonne to the king of Cumberland But héere is to be noted that if Mackbeth reigned till the yeare 1061 and was then slaine by Malcolme earle Siward was not at that battell for as our writers doo testifie he died in the yeare 1055 which was in the yeare next after as the same writers affirme that he vanquished Mackbeth in fight and slue manie thousands of Scots and all those Normans which as ye haue heard were withdrawen into Scotland when they were driuen out of England It is recorded also that in the foresaid battell in which earle Siward vanquished the Scots one of Siwards sonnes chanced to be slaine whereof although the father had good cause to be sorowfull yet when he heard that he died of a wound which he had receiued in fighting stoutlie in the forepart of his bodie and that with his face towards the enimie he greatlie reioised thereat to heare that he died so manfullie But here is to be noted that not now but a little before as Henrie Hunt saith that earle Siward went into Scotland himselfe in person he sent his sonne with an armie to conquere the land whose hap was there to be slaine and when his father heard the newes he demanded whether he receiued the wound whereof he died in the forepart of of the bodie or in the hinder part and when it was told him that he receiued it in the forepart I reioise saith he euen with all my heart for I would not wish either to my sonne nor to my selfe any other kind of death Shortlie after Aldred the bishop of Worcester was sent vnto the emperour Henrie the third to fetch Edward the sonne of Edmund Iron side into England whome king Edward was desirâ—us to sée meaning to ordeine him heire apparant to the crowne but he died the same yeare after he came into England This Edward was surnamed the outlaw his bodie was buried at Winchester or as an other saith in the church of S. Pauls in London ¶ About the same time K. Edward by euill counsell I wot not vpon what occasion but as it is thought without cause banished Algar the sonne of earle Leofrike wherevpon he got him into
the king of England permitted them franklie to depart with 20 ships hauing first caused them to deliuer such hostages as they had receiued of the citizens of Yorke Harold reioising in that he had atteined so glorious a victorie and being now surprised with pride and couetousnesse togither he diuided the spoile of the field nothing equallie but to such as he fauored he distributed liberallie and to other though they had much better deserued he gaue nothing at all reteining still the best part of all to himselfe by reason whereof he lost the fauor of manie of his men who for this his discourtesie did not a little alienate their good willes from him This doone he repaired to Yorke and there staied for a time to reforme the disordered state of the countrie which by reason of those warres was greatlie out of frame ¶ But Harold being more presumptuous and foole-hardie than prouident and wise in his enterprise bending all his force to redresse enormities in those quarters of Yorkeshire much like vnto him whom the Comediographer marketh for a foole Ea tantùm quae ad pedes iacent contemplans non autem ventura praeuidens neglected the kinglie care which he should haue had of other parts of his realme from the which he had withdrawen himselfe and as it is likelie had not left sufficientlie prouided of a conuenient vicegerent to gouerne the same by his warranted authoritie and such fortifications as might expell and withstand the enimie Which want of foresight gaue occasion to the enimie to attempt an inuasion of the English coasts as in the next chapt shall be shewed William duke of Normandie prepareth to inuade England and to conquere it the earle of Flanders and the French king assist him the number of his ships his arriuall at Peuensey in Sussex vpon what occasions he entred this realme the pope liked well duke Williams attempt why king Harold was hated of the whole court of Rome why duke William would not suffer his souldiers to wast the countries where they came Harold goeth towards his enimies why his vnskilfull espials tooke the Normans being old beaten souldiers for priests Girth dissuadeth his brother Harold from present incountering with the duke where note the conscience that is to be had of an oth and that periurie can not scape vnpunished The tenth Chapter WIlliam duke of Normandie hauing knowledge after what maner K. Harold was busied in the north parts of his realme and vnderstanding that the south parts thereof remained destitute of due prouision for necessarie defense hasted with all diligence to make his purueiance of men and ships that he might vpon such a conuenient occasion set forward to inuade his enimie And amongest other of his friends vnto whome he laboured for aid his father in law Baldwine earle of Flanders was one of the chiefest who vpon promise of great summes of monie and other large offers made did aid him with men munition ships and victuals verie freelie The French king also did as much for his part as laie in him to helpe forwards this so high an enterprise Wherefore when all things were now in a readinesse he came to the towne of S. Ualerie where he had assembled tigither an huge nauie of ships to the number as some authors affirme of three hundred saile and when he had taried there a long time for a conuenient wind at length it came about euen as he himselfe desired Then shipping his armie which consisted of Normans Flemings Frenchmen and Britains with all expedition he tooke the sea and directing his course towards England he finallie landed at a place in Sussex ancientlie called Peuensey on the 28 day of September where he did set his men on land prouided all things necessarie to incourage and refresh them At his going out of his ship vnto the shore one of his féet slipped as he stepped forward but the other stacke fast in the sand the which so soone as one of his knights had espied and séeing his hand wherevpon he staied full of earth when he rose he spake alowd and said Now sir duke thou hast the soile of England fast in thy hand shalt of a duke yer long become king The duke hearing this tale laughed merilie thereat and comming on land by and by he made his proclamation declaring vpon what occasions he had thus entered the realme The first and principall cause which he alleged was for the chalenge his right meaning the dominion of the land that to him was giuen and assigned as he said by his nephue king Edward late ruler of the same land The second was to reuenge the death of his nephue Alured or Alfred the brother of the same king Edward whome Goodwine earle of Kent and his adherents had most cruellie murthered The third was to be reuenged of the wrong doone vnto Robert archbishop of Canturburie who as he was informed was exiled by the meanes and labor of Harold in the daies of king Edward Wherein we haue to note that whether it were for displeasure that the pope had sometime conceiued for the wrong doone to the archbishop or at the onlie sute of duke William certeine it is that the pope as then named Alexander the second fauored this enterprise of the duke and in token thereof sent him a white banner which he willed him to set vp in the decke of the ship wherein he himselfe should saile In déed as writers report the pope with his cardinals and all the whole court of Rome had king Harold euer in great hatred and disdaine because he had taken vpon him the crowne without their consent or anie ecclesiasticall solemnitie or agréement of the bishops And although the pope and his brethren the said cardinals dissembled the matter for the time yet now beholding to what end his bold presumption was like to come with frowning fortune they shewed themselues open aduersaries inclining streightwaies to the stronger part after the manner of couetous persons or rather of the réed shaken with a sudden puffe of wind Duke William at his first landing at Peuensey or Pemsey whether you will fortified a péece of ground with strong trenches and leauing therein a competent number of a men of warre to kéepe the same he sped him toward Hastings and comming thither he built an other fortresse there with all spéed possible without suffering his souldiers to rob or harrie the countrie adioining saieng that it should be great follie for him to spoile that people which yer manie daies to come were like to be his subiects K. Harold being as yet in the north parts and hearing the duke William was thus landed in England sped him southward and gathering his people togither out of the countries as he went forwards at length came néere his enimies and sending espials into their campe to vnderstand of what strength they were the vnskilfull messengers regarding smallie
made by the foresaid duke of Normandie to set downe his pedegrée thereby to shew how he descended from the first duke of that countrie who was named Rollo and after by receiuing baptisme called Robert The said Rollo or Rou was sonne to a great lord in Denmarke called Guion who hauing two sons the said Rou and Gourin and being appointed to depart the countrie as the lots fell to him and other according to the maner there vsed in time when their people were increased to a greater number than the countrie was able to susteine refused to obeie that order and made warre there against the king who yet in the end by practise found meanes to slea the foresaid Guion and his sonne Gourin so that Rou or Rollo hauing thus lost his father and brother was compelled to forsake the countrie with all those that had holpe his father to make warre against the king Thus driuen to séeke aduentures at length he became a christian and was created duke of Normandie by gift of Charles king of France surnamed le Simple whose daughter the ladie Gilla he also maried but she departing this life without issue he maried Popée daughter to the earle of Bessin and Baieulx whome he had kept as his wife before he was baptised and had by hir a sonne named William Longespée and a daughter named Gerlota William Longespée or Longaspata had to wife the ladie Sporta daughter to Hubert earle of Senlis by whome he had issue Richard the second of that name duke of Normandie who married the ladie Agnes the daughter of Hugh le grand earle of Paris of whome no issue procéeded but after hir deceasse he maried to his second wife a gentlemwoman named Gonnor daughter to a kinght of the Danish line by whom he had thrée sonnes Richard that was after duke of Normandie the third of that name Robert and Mauger He had also by hir three daughters Agnes otherwise called Emma married first to Egelred king of England and after to K. Cnute Helloie otherwise Alix bestowed vpon Geffrey earle of Britaine and Mawd coupled in marriage with Euldes earle of Charters and Blais Richard the third of that name maried Iudith sister to Geffrey earle of Britaine by whome he had issue thrée sonnes Richard Robert and William and as manie daughters Alix married to Reignold earle of Burgogne Elenor married to Baldwine earle of Flanders and the third died yoong being affianced to Alfonse king of Nauarre Their mother deceassed after she had beene married ten yéeres and then duke Richard married secondlie the ladie Estric sister to Cnute king of England and Denmarke from whome he purchased to be diuorsed and then married a gentlewoman called Pauie by whome he had issue two sonnes William earle of Arques and Mauger archbishop of Rouen Richard the fourth of that name duke of Normandie eldest sonne to Richard the third died without issue and then his brother Robert succéeded in the estate which Robert begat vpon Arlete or Harleuina daughter to a burgesse of Felais William surnamed the bastard afterward duke of Normandie and by conquest king of England Of whose father duke Robert his paramour Arlete take this pleasant remembrance for a refection after the perusing of the former sad and sober discourses In the yéere of Christ 1030 Robert the second sonne of Richard the second duke of Normandie and brother to Richard the third duke of that name there hauing with great honour and wisedome gouerned his duke dome seuen yéeres for performance of a penance that he had set to himselfe appointed a pilgrimage to Ierusalem leauing behind him this William a yoong prince whome seuen yeeres before he had begotten vpon his paramour Arlete whom after he held as his wife with whose beautifull fauour louelie grace and presence at hir dansing on a time then as he was tenderlie touched for familiar vtterance of his mind what he had further to say would néeds that night she should be his bedfellow who else as wiuelesse should haue lien alone where when she was bestowed thinking that if she should haue laid hir selfe naked it might haue séemed not so maidenlie a part so when the duke was about as the maner is to haue 〈◊〉 vp hir linnen the in an humble modestie staid hir lords hand and rent downe hir smocke asunder from the collar to the verie skirt Heereat the duke all smiling did aske hir what thereby she ment In great lowlines with a feate question she answerd againe My lord were it méet that any part of my garments dependant about me downeward should presume to be mountant to my souereignes mouth vpward Let your grace pardon me He liked hir answer and so and so foorth for that time This duke before his voiage calling at Fiscam all his nobilitie vnto him caused them to sweare fealtie vnto his yoong sonne Willliam whome he then at his iournie betooke vnto the gouernance of earle Gilbert and the defense of the gouernance vnto Henrie the French king So Robert passing foorth in his pilgrimage shewed in euerie place and in all points a magnanimitie and honour of a right noble prince and pleasant withall who once in Iurie not well at ease in a litter was borne toward Ierusalem vpon Saracens shoulders méeting with a subiect of his that was going home toward Normandie Friend quoth he if my people at thy returne aske after me tell them that thou sawest their lord carried to heauen by diuels The Norman nobilitie during duke Roberts life did their dutie to the yoong prince faithfullie but after they heard of his fathers death they slackened apace euerie one shifting for himselfe as he list without anie regard either of oth or obedience toward the pupill their souereigne Whereby not manie yéeres after as Gilbert the gouernour by Rafe the childes coosine germane was slaine the dukedome anon by murther and fighting among themselues was sore troubled in all parts Thus much a litte of duke Robert the father and of prince William his sonne for part of his tender yéeres A notable aduertisement touching the summe of all the foresaid historie wherein the foure great and notable conquests of this land are brieflie touched being a conclusion introductorie as is said in the argument IN the former part of this historie it is manifest to the heedfull reader that after the opinion of most writers Brute did first inhabit this land and called it then after his owne name Britaine in the yéere after the creation of the world 2855 and in the yéere before the incarnation of Christ 1108. ¶ Furthermore the said land of Britaine was conquered by C. Iulius Cesar and made tributarie to the Romans in the 50 yéere before the natiuitie of Christ and so continued 483 yéeres So that the Britains reigned without tribute and vnder tribute from Brute vntill the fourth yeere of the reigne of king Cadwalladar which was in the yéere of our Lord
wote not whereabouts sée Marianus Scotus Wantsome Dour Rother Bilie Becke Limenus Aestus Buluerhithe Peuensete Ash. Burne Cucomarus Isis ni fallor Sturewell Plimus Soru Bimarus Arunus Burne Elin. Delus Racunus Emill Badunus forre Forten or Fordon Osterpoole Tichefield Hamelrish Southhampton Alresford Otter Stocke Bourne Ualopius Test. Eling Mineie Limen Bure Milis Auon Wilugh Nader becke Becquith brooke Chalkeburne Thrée towns decaied by changing one waie An holie conflict New Salisburie begun Sturus Cale Lidden Deuilis Iber. Blackewater This Stoure aboundeth with pike perch roch dace gudgeon and éeles Burne Poole Piddle Deuitâ—s Frome Ocus Silleie Minterne Cherne Luckford Séeke more for wilie brooke that goeth by west burie to Pole hauen Chesill Bride Nature hath set the mouth of this riuer in maner betwixt two hils so that a little cost would make an haueÌ„ there Simen Chare Buddle Axe Y are alià s Aâ—rte Sidde Seton Colie Sid. Autrie alià s Ottercie Tale. Exe. Barleie Done alià s Done stroke Woodburne Lomund or Simming Columbe Cride Forten Cliuus 〈◊〉 Teigne Crokerne Bouie Eidis Leman Aller Dart. Ashburne Buckeastlich Hartburne Awne Arme. See Hen. 7. pag. 792 793 794. Yaline Plim Plim Stoure alià s Catwater Taue or Tauie Lidde Trushell Core Thamar Arteie Kenseie Enian Liuer Sutton Low Polpir Fawie Glin. Lerinus Faw In the middle of this créeke was a cell of S. Ciret in an Islet longing sometime to Mountagew a priorie Comwhath Gallants of Foy or Fawy Austell Chare Fala S. Caie S. Feoks Milor Fala Leuine Milor Restronget S. Feoks S. Caie Trurie créeke Moran Graund pont S. Iustus S. Mawes Polwitherall Polpenrith Wike Gare. Mogun Penkestell Callous Cheilow Gilling Haile Curie Loo Simneie Lid. Bresan I le Haile Clowart Caine. Luggam S. Pirans creeke Carantocke Padstow Locus bufonis Alannus Eniam Carneseie Laine Pethrike Minner Dunmere Tredwie Boscastell Bede Lancels Ocus Tanridge Turrege Buckland Langtrée Were or Ware Taw. Bowmill Moulebraie Braie Doneham Paradine Orus The bredth of Deuonshire Cornewall Loch Durus Vacetus Williton Doddington Iuelus The seuen sisters Cade Parret Ill. Ilton Tone Chare or Care Peder Camington Brier Brier Leland writeth the first Brieuelus and the second Mellodunus or the Milton water Dulis Sowaie or Stowaie Cos. Milton Golafer Axe 2. The Chederbrooke driueth twelue miles within a quarter of a mile of his head Bane Artro Sâ—ttespill Cleueden Auon 3. Sturgion taken in Rochester water Cosham Were Westbirie vnder y e plaine neuer without a théefe or twaine Frome Nonneie Silling Swinford Swinford parteth Summerset Glocestershires in sunder Alderleie Douresleie Torworth Sauerne Brucham Clewdogh Bacho Dungum Lhoid Bigga Couine Carnon Taran Hawes Dulesse 2. Mule Lenlet Camalet Tate Lan Idlos Tanet Peuereie or Murnewie Auernie Mordant Simons becke Bederich Mele. Haberleie Terne * Sée Hen. 6. pag. 649. Roden Euerne Wenlocke or Rhe. Worfe Marbrooke Dowlesse Lempe Stoure Astleie Doure Sulwaie Tiber. Temde Clude Barfield Clun Owke Oneie Bow Warren Queneie and Strabroke Somergill Corue Ladwich Rhe. Langherne Auon 4. Swiuethus Souus Kinell Leame Stoure Arow Alne Pludor Vincâ—lus Piddle Chilus Leadon Strowd Newarne Wie mouth Guie alià s Wie Umber a fish onelie in the Wie Darnoll Elland Clardwen Ithan Dulesse Cluedoch Lamaron Hawie Yrwon Weuereie Dulasse Comarch Dulesse Dehon Edwie Machaweie Leuenni Euer Euerie Brennich Trufrin Dulesse Lug. Pinsell Kenbrooke Fromeie Loden aliás Acton Treske Gainar Garran Mona Elkon Eskill Hordwie Doure Dulesse Wormesbecke Trollie Elwie Trogie Dennie Iland in the middest of the Sauerne and likewise another litle one called Beuerage Wiske Uske Craie Sennie Camblas Brane yster Hodneie Tertarith Kinuricke Riangall Groini Cledoch vaur Fidan CledochvehaÌ„ Kebbie Geuenni Birthin Caer vske standeth on one side of Uske and Caerleon on the other but Caer vske by diuerse miles further into the land Elwie Auon Ebowith Serowie Romeneie Laie Dunelais Methcoid Pedware Laie Thawan Scilleie Barrie This Ile went fiftie yeares agone for x. pounds Come kidie Colhow Alen. Ogur Kensike Auon Neth Tauie Lochar Wandres Uendraith Uaur Uendraith Uehan Laie Barrie Aberthaw Kensan Ogur Wennie Garrow Leuennie Corug Kensig Margan Auon Neth Nethuehan Nethuaur Trangarth Meltaie Hepsaie Dulesse Cledoch Tauie Coilus Torch Ilston Lochar Amond Combwilie Morlais Lhu Burraie Dulesse Wandres Towie Trausnant Tothee Pescotter Brane Gutherijc Dulesse Morlais Modewie Cledoch Sawtheie Dulesse 2. Dulesse 3. Cothie Turche Rauelthie Gwilie Taue Dudderie Marlais Uennie Caire Carthkinnie Gow Gowen Gwair Brechnocke From Londie to Caldie thirtie miles Trewent Pennar Dugledu Cultell Gwilie Clotheie Dugledie Gwilie Gateholme I le Stockeholme I le Midland I le Gresholme S. Brides Iland A fort of dangerous rocks lieng on a row vpon the west end of Southwales called the Bishop his clerkes S. Dewie or Dauid aâ— one Saluach Portelais Alen. Portmaw Maw Pendwie Lannuehan Tredine Langunda Fischard Gwerne Gwerne Neuerne Teifie or Tine Miricke Landurch Bromis Matherne Dulas Grauelth Clethor Kerie Cheach Airon Bidder Arth. Ris alià s Wereie Istwith Redholl Salique Massalique Lerie Wie Romis Ho. Mawr Artro Farles Erke Soch Daron Edarne beck Conte Gegeine Torronnen Ogwine Auon Lannar Uehan Duegeuelth Téec Ligow Ormeshed Gele Maniton Cluedoch Elwie Fraw Linon Allo. Dée or Deua Trowerin Ruddoch Cleton Gristioneth Keriog Cluedoch Gwinrogh Alannus Beston The situation of y e monasterie of Bangor Wiuer Combrus Betleie Salop. Lée and Wuluarne Ashe Dane Bidle Whelocke Croco Piuereie Waterlesse Merseie Goite Frith Set. Tame Irwell Raeus or Rache Leland speaketh of the Corue water about Manchester but I know nothing of his course Yrke Medlocke Rache Beile Sprotton Sudleie Bradsha Walmesleie Gles Bolleiu brooke Birkin Mar. Bold Grundich Tarbocke Alt or Ast. Duglesse or Duiesse Tand or Skelinere Merton Yarrow Bagen Ribble Odder Calder Pidle Henburne Darwent Blackeburne Rodlesworth Sannocke Wire Calder 2. Plimpton Barton Brooke Skipton Coker Cowdar Lune Burdecke Breder Barrow Dent. Greteie Wennie Hinburne Rheburne Docker Kerie Sprota Ken. Winstar Winander Fosse Sparke Lew. Rawther Dodon Denocke Eske Mite Brenge Cander Dargwent Burthméere Grise Cokar Wire Elmus Croco Uanius Eden Helbecke Bellow Orne Moreton Dribecke Trowt becke Linenet Milburne Blincorne Ulse Marke Harteshop Paterdale Roden Glenkguin Loder Irding Terne Pultrose Cambocke Gillie Pedar alià s Logus Bruferth Wise after Leland Loder Aimote Dacor Deua Uala Leuen Lamford Eske Tomunt Kirsop Lidde Eske Leue. Long. Goile Heke Robinseie Forlan Tarbat Lean. Abir Arke Zefe Sell. Zord Owin Newisse Orne Lang. Drun Hew Brun. Kile Dowr Faro Nesse Herre Con. Glasse Maur. Urdall Fesse Calder Wifle Browre Clin. Twin Shin Sillan Carew Nesse Narding Spaie Downe Dée Eske Clacke Alon. Dune Kerie Cambell Cumer Tere. Man Torkesan Rosham Mussell Blene Twede Till Bromis Bobent Whitaker Warne Aile or Alne alià s Chaine Cocket Uswaie Ridlcie Yardop It may be Leland mistaketh Tickington water for one of these Lune wansbecke Font. Blithe Hartleie North Tine She le Ridde Shelop Cheslop 3. Burnes Shitlington Tine S.
genus delicti 21 Poena forisfactio non vna eadémque erit liberalis quem Dani Ealderman vocant illiberalis domini serui noti ignoti nec vna eadémque erit causarum tum ciuilium tum criminalium ferarum forestae ferarum regalium viridis veneris tractatio nam crimen veneris ab antiquo inter maiora non immeritò numerabatur viridis verò fractione chaceae nostrae regalis excepta ita pusillum exiguum est quòd vix earespicit nostra constitutio qui in hoc tamen deliquerit sit criminis forestae reus 22 Si liber aliquis feram forestae ad cursum impulerit siue casu siue praehabita voluntate ita vt cursu celeri cogatur fera anhelare decem solidis regi emendet si illiberalis dupliciter emendet si seruus careat corio 23 Si vero harum aliquot interfecerit soluat dupliciter persoluat sitque pretij sui reus contra regem 24 Sed si regalem feram quam Angli Staggon appellant alteruter coegerit anhelare alter per vnum annum alter per duos careat libertate naturali si verò seruus pro vtlegato habeatur quem Angli Frendlesman vocant 25 Si verò occiderit amittat liber scutum libertatis si sit illiberalis careat libertate si seruus vita 26 Episcopi abbates barones mei non calumniabuntur pro venatione si non regales feras occiderint siregales restabunt rei regi pro libito suo sine certa emendatione 27 Sunt aliae praeter feras forestae bestlae quae dum inter septa sepes forestae continentur emendationi fubiacent quales sunt capreoli lepores cuniculi Sunt alia quà m plurima animalia quae quāquam infra septa forestae viuunt oneri curae mediocrium subiacent forestae tamen nequaquā censeri possunt qualia sunt bubali vaccae similia Vulpes lupi nec forestae nec veneris habentur proinde eorum interfectio nulli emendationi subiacet Si tamen infra limites occiduntur fractio sit regalis chaceae mitiùs emendetur Aper verò quanquam forestae sit nullatenus tamen animal veneris haberi est assuetus 28 Bosco nec subbosco nostro sine licentia primariorum forestae nemo manum apponat quòd si quis fecerit reus sit fractionis regalis chaceae 29 Si quis verò ilicem aut arborē aliquam quae victum feris suppeditat sciderit praeter fractionem regalis chaceae emendet regi viginti solidis 30 Volo vt monis liber homo pro libito suo habeat venerem siue viridem in planis suis super terras suas sine chacea tamen deuitent omnes meam vbicúnque eam habere voluero 31 Nullus mediocris habebit nec custodiet canes quos Angli Greihounds appellant Liberali verò dum genuiscissio eorum facta fuerit coram primario forestae licebit aut sine genuiscissione dune remoti sunt à limitibus forestae per decem miliaria quando verò propiùs venerint emendet quodlibet miliare vno solido Siverò infra septa forestae reperiatur dominus canis forisfaciet decem solidos regi 32 Velteres verò quos Langeran appellant quia manifestè constat in ijs nihil esse periculi cuilibet licebit sine genuiscissione eos custodire Idem de canibus quos Ramhundt vocant 33 Quòdsi casu inauspicato huiusmodi canes rabidi fiant vbique vagātur negligentia dominorum redduntur illiciti emendetur regi pro illicitis c. Quòdsi intra septa forestae reperiantur talis exquiratur herus emendet secundum pretium hominis mediocris quòd secundum legem Werinorum 1. Churingorum est ducentorum solidorum 34 Si canis rabidus momorderit feram tunc emendet secundum pretiū hominis liberalis quod est duodecies solidis centum Si verò fera regalis morsa fuerit reus sit maximi criminis And these are the constitutions of Canutus concerning the forrest verie barbarouslie translated by those that tooke the same in hand Howbeit as I find it so I set it downe without anie alteration of my copie in anie iot or tittle Of gardens and orchards Chap. 19. AFter such time as Calis was woone from the French and that our countriemen had learned to trade into diuerse countries wherby they grew rich they began to wax idle also and therevpon not onlie left off their former painfulnesse and frugalitie but in like sort gaue themselues to liue in excesse and vanitie whereby manie goodlie commodities failed and in short time were not to be had amongst vs. Such strangers also as dwelled here with vs perceiuing our sluggishnesse and espieng that this idlenesse of ours might redound to their great profit foorthwith imploied their endeuours to bring in the supplie of such things as we lacked continuallie from forren countries which yet more augmented our idlenes For hauing all things at reasonable prices as we supposed by such means from them we thought it méere madnesse to spend either time or cost about the same here at home And thus we became enimies to our owne welfare as men that in those daies reposed our felicitie in following the wars wherewith we were often exercised both at home and other places Besides this the naturall desire that mankind hath to estéeme of things farre sought bicause they be rare and costlie and the irkesome contempt of things néere hand for that they are common and plentifull hath borne no small swaie also in this behalfe amongst vs. For hereby we haue neglected our owne good gifts of God growing here at home as vile and of no valure and had euerie trifle and toie in admiration that is brought hither from far countries ascribing I wot not what great forces and solemne estimation vnto them vntill they also haue waxen old after which they haue béene so little regarded if not more despised amongst vs than our owne Examples hereof I could set downe manie in manie things but sith my purpose is to deale to this time with gardens and orchards it shall suffice that I touch them onelie and shew our inconstancie in the same so farre as shall séeme be conuenient for my turne I comprehend therefore vnder the word garden all such grounds as are wrought with the spade by mans hand for so the case requireth Of wine I haue written alreadie else-where sufficientlie which commoditie as I haue learned further since the penning of that booke hath beene verie plentifull in this Iland not onlie in the time of the Romans but also since the conquest as I haue séene by record yet at this present haue we none at all or else verie little to speake of growing in this Iland which I impute not vnto the soile but the negligence of my countrimen Such herbes fruits and
roots also as grow yéerelie out of the ground of seed haue béene verie plentifull in this land in the time of the first Edward and after his daies but in processe of time they grew also to be neglected so that from Henrie the fourth till the latter end of Henrie the seuenth beginning of Henrie the eight there was litle or no vse of them in England but they remained either vnknowne or supposed as food more meet for hogs sauage beasts to feed vpon than mankind Whereas in my time their vse is not onelie resumed among the poore commons I meane of melons pompions gourds cucumbers radishes skirets parsneps carrets cabbages nauewes turneps and all kinds of salad herbes but also fed vpon as deintie dishes at the tables of delicate merchants gentlemen and the nobilitie who make their prouision yearelie for new séeds out of strange countries from whence they haue them aboundantlie Neither doo they now staie with such of these fruits as are wholesome in their kinds but aduenture further vpon such as are verie dangerous and hurtfull as the verangenes mushroms c as if nature had ordeined all for the bellie or that all things were to be eaten for whose mischiefous operation the Lord in some measure hath giuen and prouided a remedie Hops in time past were plentifull in this land afterwards also their maintenance did cease and now being reuiued where are anie better to be found where anie greater commoditie to be raised by them onelie poles are accounted to be their greatest charge But sith men haue learned of late to sow ashen keies in ashyards by themselues that inconuenience in short time will be redressed Madder hath growne abundantlie in this Iland but of long time neglected and now a little reuiued and offereth it selfe to prooue no small benefit vnto our countrie as manie other things else which are now fetched from vs as we before time when we gaue our selues to idlenesse were glad to haue them other If you looke into our gardens annexed to our houses how woonderfullie is their beautie increased not onelie with floures which Colmella calleth Terrena sydera saieng Pingit in varios terrestria sydera flores and varietie of curious and costlie workmanship but also with rare and medicinable hearbes sought vp in the land within these fortie yeares so that in comparison of this present the ancient gardens were but dunghils and laistowes to such as did possesse them How art also helpeth nature in the dailie colouring dubling and inlarging the proportion of our floures it is incredible to report for so curious and cunning are our gardeners now in these daies that they presume to doo in maner what they list with nature and moderate hir course in things as if they were hir superiours It is a world also to sée how manie strange hearbs plants and annuall fruits are dailie brought vnto vs from the Indies Americans Taprobane Canarie Iles and all parts of the world the which albeit that in respect of the constitutions of our bodies they doo not grow for vs bicause that God hath bestowed sufficient commodities vpon euerie countrie for hir owne necessitie yet for delectation sake vnto the eie and their odoriferous sauours vnto the nose they are to be cherished and God to be glorified also in them bicause they are his good gifts and created to doo man helpe and seruice There is not almost one noble man gentleman or merchant that hath not great store of these floures which now also doo begin to wax so well acquainted with our soiles that we may almost accompt of them as parcell of our owne commodities They haue no lesse regard in like sort to cherish medicinable hearbs fetched out of other regions néerer hand insomuch that I haue séene in some one garden to the number of three hundred or foure hundred of them if not more of the halfe of whose names within fortie yéeres passed we had no maner knowledge But herein I find some cause of iust complaint for that we extoll their vses so farre that we fall into contempt of our owne which are in truth more beneficiall and apt for vs than such as grow elsewhere sith as I said before euerie region hath abundantlie within hir owne limits whatsoeuer is needfull and most conuenient for them that dwell therein How doo men extoll the vse of Tabacco in my time whereas in truth whether the cause be in the repugnancie of our constitution vnto the operation thereof or that the ground dooth alter hir force I cannot tell it is not found of so great efficacie as they write And beside this our common germander or thistle benet is found knowne to bée so wholesome and of so great power in medicine as anie other hearbe if they be vsed accordinglie I could exemplifie after the like maner in sundrie other as the Salsa parilla Mochoacan c but I forbeare so to doo because I couet to be bréefe And trulie the estimation and credit that we yéeld and giue vnto compound medicines made with forren drugs is one great cause wherefore the full knowledge and vse of our owne simples hath bene so long raked vp in the imbers And as this may be verified so to be one sound conclusion for the greater number of simples that go vnto anie compound medicine the greater confusion is found therein because the qualities and operations of verie few of the particulars are throughlie knowne And euen so our continuall desire of strange drugs whereby the physician and apothecarie onelie hath the benefit is no small cause that the vse of our simples here at home dooth go to losse and that we tread those herbes vnder our féet whose forces if we knew could applie them to our necessities we wold honor haue in reuerence as to their case behooueth Alas what haue we to doo with such Arabian Grecian stuffe as is dailie brought from those parties which lie in another clime And therefore the bodies of such as dwell there are of another constitution than ours are here at home Certes they grow not for vs but for the Arabians and Grecians And albeit that they maie by skill be applied vnto our benefit yet to be more skilfull in them than in our owne is follie and to vse forren wares when our owne maie serue the turne is more follie but to despise our owne and magnifie abou◠measure the vse of them that are sought and brought from farre is most follie of all for it sauoureth of ignorance or at the leastwise of negligence and therefore woorthie of reproch Among the Indians who haue the most present cures for euerie disease of their owne nation there is small regard of compound medicins lesse of forren drugs because they neither know them nor can vse them but worke woonders euen with their owne simples With them also the difference of the clime dooth shew hir full effect For whereas they will heale one another in short