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Of all the English shires be thou surmam'd the free, [reck'ned be. And foremost ever plac'd, when they shall And let this town, which chief of thy rich country is, Of all the British sees be still metropolis." [hie, Which having said, the Stour to Tenet him doth Her in his loving arms embracing by and by, Into the mouth of Thames one arm that forth doth The other thrusting out into the Celtic sea. [lay, §. Grim Goodwin all this while seems grievously to lower,

Nor cares he of a straw for Tenet, nor her Stour; Still bearing in his mind a mortal hate to France Since mighty Albion's fall by war's uncertain chance, [is had, Who, since his wish'd revenge not all this while 'Twixt very grief and rage is fall'n extremely mad; That when the rolling tide doth stir him with her waves, [raves, Straight foaming at the mouth, impatiently he And strives to swallow up the sea-marks in his deep,

[keep.

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Out of Sussex, into its eastern neighbour, Kent, this canto leads you. It begins with Rother, whose running through the woods, inising Oxney, and such like, poetically here described, is plain enough to any apprehending conceit; and upon Medway's song of our martial and heroic spirits, because a large volume might be written to explain their glory in particular action, and in less comprehension, without wrong to many worthies it is not performable, I have omitted all illustration of that kind, and left you to the Muse herself.

That Limen then was named.

So the author conjectures; that Rother's mouth was the place called Limen, at which the Danes in the time of king Alfred made irruption; which he must (I think) maintain by adding likelihood, VOL. IV.

that Rother then fell into the ocean about Hith; where (as the relics of the name in Lime, and the distance from Canterbury in Antoninus, making Portus Lemanis (@), which is misprinted in Surata's edition, Pontem Lemanis, sixteen miles off) it seems Limen, then also, there was it discharged out of the land. But for the author's words read this; Equestris Paganorum exercitus cum suis equis CCL. navibus Cantiam transvectus in Ostio Amnis Limen qui de sylva magna Andred nominata decurrit, applicuit, à cujus ostio IIII. milliariis in eandem sylvam naves suas sursum traxit, ubi quandam arcem semistructam, quam pauci inhabitabant villani, diruerunt, aliamque sibi firmiorem in loco qui dicitur Apultrea construxerunt, which are the syllables of Florence of Worcester; and with him in substance fully agrees Matthew of Westminster; nor can I think but that they imagined Rye (where now Rother hath its mouth) to be this port of Limen, as the Muse here; if you respect her direct terms. Henry of Huntingdon names no river at all, but lands them ad portum Limene cum 250 navibus qui portus est in Orientali parte Cnet juxta magnum nemus Andredslaige. How Rother's mouth can be properly said in the east (but rather in the south part) of Kent, I conceive not, and am of the adverse part, thinking clearly that Hith must be Portus Lemanis, which is that coast, as also learned Camden teaches, whose authority cited out of Huntingdon, being near the same time. with Florence, might be perhaps thought but as of equal credit; therefore I call another witness (that lived (b) not much past L years after his arrival) in these words: In Limneo portu constituunt puppes, Apoldre (so I read, for the print is corrupted) loco condicto Orientali Cantiæ parte, destruúntque ibi prisco opere castrum propter quod rustica manus exigua quippe intrinsecus erat, illicque hiberna castra confirmant. Out of which you note both that no river, but a port only, is spoken of, and that the ships were left in the shore at the haven, and thence the Danes conveyed their companies to Appledore. The words of this Ethelwerd I respect much more than the later stories, and I would advise my reader to incline so with me.

What time I think in Hell that instrument devised.

He means a gun; wherewith that most noble and right martial Thomas Montague, earl of Salisbury, at the siege of Orleans, in the time of Henry VI. was slain. The first inventor of them (I guess you dislike not the addition) was one Berthold Swartz (c), (others say Constantius Anklitzen, a Dutch monk and chymist) who having in a mortar, sulphurous powder for medicine, cover with a stone, a spark of fire by chance falling into it, fired it, and the flame removed the stone; which he observing, made use afterwards of the like in little pipes of iron, and showed the use to the Venetians in their war with the Genoese at Chioggia, about 1380. Thus is the common assertion: but I see as good authority (d) that it was used above twenty years

(a) Lemanis in notit. utr. provinc.

(b) Ethelwerd. lib. 4. cap. 4.

(c) V. Polyd. de Invent. rer. 2. cap.3. & Salmath. ad G. Panciroll. 2. tit. 18.

(d) Achilles Gassar. ap. Munst. Cosmog. 3.

Y

before in the Danish seas. I will not dispute the conveniency of it in the world, compare it with Salmoneus's imitation of thunder, Archimedes's engines, and such like; nor tell you that the Chinese had it, and printing, so many ages before us, as Mendoza Maffy and others deliver; but not with persuading credit to all their readers.

Whereas some say before he used on foot to pass. The allusion is to Britain's being heretofore joined to Gaul in this strait betwixt Dover and Calais (some thirty miles over) as some moderns have conjectured. That learned antiquary I. Twine is very confident in it, and derives the name from Brith, signifying (as he says) as much as Guith, i. e. a separation, in Welsh, whence the isle of Wight (e) was so called; Guith and Wight being soon made of each other. Of this opinion is the late Verstegan, as you may read in him; and for examination of it, our great light of antiquity Camden hath proposed divers considerations, in which, experience of particulars must direct. Howsoever this was in truth, it is as likely, for aught I see, as that Cyprus was once joined to Syria, Euboea (now Negropont) to Boeotia, Atalante to Euboea, Belbicum to Bithynia, Leucosia to Thrace, as is affirmed (f); and Sicily (whose like our island is) was certainly broken off from the continent of Italy, as both Virgil expressly, Strabo and Pliny deliver; and also the names of Rhegium, zagà rò “Phywedas (g), and of the self Sicily; which rather than from secare, I derive from sicilire (h), which is of the same signification and nearer in analogy: Claudian calls

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-Toto divisos orbe Britannos. Where Servius is of opinion, that, for this purpose, the learned poet used that phrase. And it deserves inquisition, how beasts of rapine, as foxes and such like, came first into this island, (for England and Wales, as now Scotland and Ireland, had store of wolves, until some three hundred years since) if it were not joined to a firm land, that either by like conjunction, or narrow passage of swimming, might receive them from that continent where the ark rested, which is Armenia. That men desired to transport them, is not likely; and a learned jesuit (i), hath conjectured, that the West Indies are therefore, or have been, joined with firm land, because they have lions, wolves, panthers, and such like, which in the Bermudas, Cuba, Hispaniola, St. Domingo, and other remote isles, are not found. But no place here to dispute the question.

Not suffering foreign laws should thy free customs

bind.

To explain it, I thus english you a fragment of an old monk (k) : "When the Norman conqueror had the day, he came to Dover castle, that he

(e) Sam. Beulan. ad Nennium. (f) Plin. hist. Nat. 2. cap. 88.

(g) From breaking off. Trog. hist. 4. & Strab. 2. (h) Varr. de re rustic. 1. cap. 49.

(i) Joseph. Acost. de natur. novi orbis 1. cap. 20.

& 21.

() Tho. Spotus ap. Lamb. in explic. verb.

might with the same subdue Kent also. wherefore Stigand, archbishop, and Egelsin, abbot, as the chief of that shire, observing that now whereas heretofore no villains (the Latin is, nullus fuerat servus, and applying it to our law-phrase, I translate it) had been in England, they should be now all in bondage to the Normans, they assembled all the county, and showed the imminent dangers, the insolence of the Normans, and the hard condition of villainage: they, resolving all rather to die than lose their freedom, purpose to encounter with the duke for their country's liberty. Their captains are the archbishop and the abbot. Upon an appointed day they meet all at Swanescomb, and harbouring themselves in the woods, with boughs in every man's hand, they encompass his way. The next day, the duke coming by Swanescomb, seemed to see with amazement, as it were, a wood approaching towards him; the Kentish men at the sound of a trumpet take themselves to arms, when presently the archbishop and abbot were sent to the duke, and saluted him with these words: Behold, sir duke, the Kentish men come to meet you, willing to receive you as their liege lord, upon that condition, that they may for ever enjoy their ancient liberties and laws used among their ancestors; otherwise presently offering war; being ready rather to die, than undergo a yoke of bondage, and lose their ancient laws.' The Norman, in this narrow pinch, not so willingly, as wisely, granted the desire; and hostages given on both sides, the Kentish men direct the Normans to Rochester, and deliver them the county and the castle of Dover." Hither is commonly referred the retaining of ancient liberties in Kent. Indeed it is certain that special customs they have in their Gavelkind, (although now many of their gentlemen's possessions () are altered in that part) suffering for felony, without forfeiture of estate, and such like, as in particular, with many other diligent traditions you have in Lambard's Perambulation; yet the report of Thomas Spot, is not, methinks, of clear credit, as well by reason that no warrant of the historians about the Conquest affirms it, (and this monk lived under Edward I.) as also for his commixture of a fauxete about villainage, saying it was not in England before that time, which is apparently false by divers testimonies. Gif peop (says king Ines's laws) pynce on Sunnan væg. be hir Hlafonder hær ry herɲeo (m); and, under Edward the Confessor, Thorold of Beauchenale grants to the abbey of Crowland his manor of Spalding, with all the appurtenances, scilicet Colgrinum præpositum meum, & totam sequelam suam, cum omnibus bonis & catallis, quæ habet in dicta villa, &c. Item Hardingum fabrum & totam sequelam suam; and the young wench of Andover, that Edgar was in love with, was a Nief. But for Kent, perhaps since that time it hath been adjudged in our law (7), it might be true, that no villains were in it, seeing that one born there could not without cognisance of record be a villain.

(1) Stat. 31 Hen. 8. cap. 3.

(m)" If a villain work on Sunday by his Lord's command, he shall be free."

(n) Itin. Cornub. 30 Ed. 1. Villenage 46. & Mich. 5 Ed. 2. Ms. in Bibliothec. Int. Templ. cas. John de Garton.

And foremost ever plac'd when they shall reckon'd

be.

For this honour of the Kentish, hear one (0) that wrote it about Henry II. Enudus (as some copies are, but others, Cinidus; and perhaps it should be so, or rather Cnudus, for king Cnut, or else I cannot conjecture what) quantâ virtute Anglorum, Dacos Danosque fregerit motusque compescuerit Noricorum, vel ex eo perspicuum est, quod ob egregiæ virtutis meritum quam ibidem potentèr & patentèr exercuit, Cantia nostra, prima cohortis honorem & primus congressus hostium usque in hodiernum diem in omnibus præliis obtinet. Provincia quoque Severiana, quæ moderno usu & nomine ab incolis Wiltesira vocatur, eadem jure sibi vendicat Cohortem subsidiariam, adjecta sibi Devonia & Cornubiâ. Briefly, it had the first English king, in it was the first Christianity among the English, and Canterbury then honoured with the metropolitic see; all which give note of honourable prerogative.

Grim Goodwin but the while seems grievously to lower.

That is Goodwin sands, which is reported to have been the patrimony of that Goodwin earl of Kent (p), under Edward the Confessor, swallowed into the ocean by a strange tempest somewhat after the conquest, and is now as a floating isle or quicksand, very dangerous to sailors, sometimes as fixt, sometimes moving, as the Muse describes.

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| And him as dearly lov'd; for when he would depart,

With Hercules to fight, she took it so to heart, That falling low and flat, her blubber'd face to hide, By Thames she well near is surrounded every tide: And since of worldly state she never taketh keep, But only gives her self, to tend and milk her sheep. [set song

But Muse, from her so low, divert thy highTo London-wards, aud bring from Lea with thee along The forests, and the floods, and most exactly show, How these in order stand, how those directly flow: For in that happy soil, doth pleasure ever won, Through forests, where clear rills in wild meanders [made, Where dainty summer bowers, and arborets are Cut out of bushy thicks, for coolness of the shade. Fools gaze at painted courts, to th' country let me

run;

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But Waltham forest, still in prosperous estate, As standing to this day (so strangely fortunate) Above her neighbour nymphs, and holds her head aloft; [soft, A turf beyond them all, so sleek and wond'rous Upon her setting side, by goodly London grac'd, Upon the north by Lea, her south by Thames embrac'd.

Upon her rising point, she chanced to espy
A dainty forest-nymph of her society.
Fair Hatfield, which in height all other did sur.
mount,

And of the Dryades held in very high account;
Yet in respect of her stood far out of the way,
Who doubting of herself, by others' late decay,
Her sister's glory view'd with an astonish'd eye,
Whom Waltham wisely thus reproveth by and by.
"Dear sister, rest content, nor our declining rue,
What thing is in this world, that we can say is
[plough,

new;

The ridge and furrow shows, that once the crooked Turn'd up the grassy turf, where oaks are rooted

now:

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And at this hour we see, the share and coulter tear The full corn-bearing glebe, where sometimes forests were; [our spoil, And those but caitiffs are, which most do seek Who having sold our woods, do lastly sell our soil; 'Tis virtue to give place to these ungodly times, When as the fost'red ill proceeds from others' crimes : [their force? 'Gainst lunatics, and fools, what wise folk spend For folly headlong falls, when it hath had the [and vile, And when God gives men up, to ways abhorr'd Of understanding he deprives them quite, the while

course:

They into errour run, confounded in their sin,
As simple fowls in lime, or in the fowler's gin.

2 The situation of Waltham forest. Hatfield forest, lying lower towards the east, between Stortford and Dunmow.

And for those pretty birds, that wont in us to sing,
They shall at last forbear to welcome in the spring,
When wanting where to perch, they sit upon the
ground,
[confound.
And curse them in their notes, who first did woods
Dear sister Hatfield, then hold up thy drooping head,
We feel no such decay, nor is all succour fled :
For Essex is our dower, which greatly doth abound
With every simple good, that in the isle is found:
And though we go to wreck in this so general
waste,

This hope to us remains, we yet may be the last." When Hatfield taking heart, where late she sadly stood,

Sends little Roding forth, her best beloved flood; Which from her christal font, as to enlarge her fame,

To many a village lends her clear and noble name, Which as she wand'reth on, through Waltham holds her way, [wondrous gay; With goodly oaken wreaths, which makes her But making at the last into the wat'ry marsh, Where though the blady grass unwholesome be and harsh, [Waltham gave, Those wreaths away she casts, which bounteous With bulrush, flags, and reed, to make her wondrous brave, [streams, And herself's strength divides, to sundry lesser So wantoning she falls into her sovereign Thames. From whose vast beechy banks a rumour straight resounds, [grounds, Which quickly ran itself through the Essexian That Crouch amongst the rest, a river's name should seek,

4

As scorning any more the nickname of a creek, Well furnish'd with a stream, that from the fill to fall, [withal. Wants nothing that a flood should be adorn'd On Benge's batful side, and at her going out. With Walnot, Foulnesse fair, near wat'red round about. [stand, Two isles for greater state to stay her up that Thrust far into the sea, yet fixed to the land; As nature in that sort them purposely had plac'd, That she by sea and land, should every way be grac❜d. [were) that took, Some sea-nymphs and besides, her part (there As angry that their Crouch should not be call'd a brook; [wrong. And bade her to complain to Neptune of her But whilst these grievous stirs thus happ'ned them among, [neatly clear, Choice Chelmer comes along, a nymph most Which well near through the midst doth cut the (her chase. By Dunmow gliding down to Chelmsford holds To which she gives the name, which as she doth embrace

wealthy shire,

|

Clear Can comes tripping in, and doth with Chelmer close: [greater grows. With whose supply (though small as yet) she She for old Maldon makes, where in her passing by, She to remembrance calls that Roman colony, And all those ominous signs her fall that did forego, As that which most express'd their fatal overthrow, Crown'd victory revers'd, fell down whereas she stood,

And the vast greenish sea, discolour'd like to blood.

4 The fruitfullest hundred of Essex.

Shrieks heard like people's cries, that see their deaths at hand,

The pourtraitures of men imprinted in the sand. When Chelmer scarce arrives in her most wished bay, [ed way,

But Blackwater comes in, through many a crookWhich Pant was call'd of yore; but that, by time exil'd,

She Froshwell after hight, then Blackwater instyl'd, But few such titles have the British floods among. When Northey near at hand, and th' isle of Ousey rung

With shouts the sea-nymphs gave, for joy of their arrive,

[do

As either of those isles in courtesy do strive,
To Thetis' darlings, which should greatest honour
And what the former did, the latter adds thereto.
But Colne, which frankly lends fair Colchester

her name,

[fame) (On all th' Essexian shore, the town of greatest Perceiving how they still in courtship did contend, Quoth she, "Wherefore the time thus idly do you spend ? [worth, What is there nothing here, that you esteem of That our big-bellied sea, or our rich land brings forth?

Think you our oysters here, unworthy of your praise? [please, Pure Walfleet', which do still the daintiest palates As excellent as those, which are esteemed most, The Cyzic shells, or those on the Lucrinian coast; Or cheese, which our fat soil to every quarter sends; [commends. Whose tack the hungry clown, and ploughman so If you esteem not these, as things above the ground, Look under, where the urns of ancient times are found; [dust, The Roman emp'rors' coins, oft digg'd out of the And warlike weapons, now consum'd with cankering rust; [men, The huge and massy bones', of mighty fearful To tell the world's full strength, what creatures lived then ;

[earth When in her height of youth, the lusty fruitful Brought forth her big-limb'd brood, even giants in their birth."

Thus spoke she, when from sea they suddenly do hear

nent

A strong and horrid noise, which struck the land with fear; [tune sent, For with their crooked trumps, his Tritons NepTo warn the wanton nymphs, that they inconti[sant road; Should straight repair to Stour, in Orwell's pleaFor it had been divulg'd the ocean all abroad, That Orwell and this Stour, by meeting in one bay, Two, that each other's good intended every way, Prepar'd to sing a song, that should precisely show, That Medway, for her life, their skill could not ouigo;

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For Stour, a dainty flood, that duly doth divide Fair Suffolk from this shire, upon her other side; By Clare first coming in, to Sudbury doth show, The even course she keeps; when far she doth not flow,

But Breton a bright nymph, fresh succour to her brings;

Yet is she not so proud of her superfluous springs, But Orwell, coming in from Ipswich, thinks that she, Should stand for it with Stour, and lastly they [made, That since the Britons hence their first discoveries And that into the east they first were taught to trade;

agree,

Besides, of all the roads, and havens of the east, This harbour where they meet, is reckoned for the best.

their own;

And towing up his stream, first taught the English oars,

The useful way of trade to those most gainful shores. "And when the Norman stem here strong and

potent grew,

And their successful sons did glorious acts pursue, One Nicholas nam'd of Lyn, where first he breath'd the air, [hold him dear; Though Oxford taught him art, and well may 'th' mathematics learn'd (although a friar profess'd) [possess'd, To see those northern climes, with great desire Himself he thither shipp'd, and skilful in the globe, Took every several height with his true astrolobe; The whirlpools of the seas, and came to understand,

From the four cardinal winds, four indraughts that command;

Int' any of whose falls, if th' wandering bark doth light,

hurried is away with such tempestuous'flight, Into that swallowing gulph, which seeins as it would draw

Our voyages by sea, and brave discoveries known,
Their argument they make, and thus they sing
[the west,
"In Severn's late tun'd lay, that empress of It
In which great Arthur's acts are to the life ex-
press'd;
[vade,
His conquests to the north, who Norway did in-
Who Greenland, Iceland next, then Lapland lastly
made

His awful empire's bounds, the Britons' acts among,
This godlike hero's deeds exactly have been sung;
His valiant people then, who to those countries
brought,
[coveries thought.

With many an age since that, our great'st dis-
This worthiest then of ours, our Argonauts 10 shall

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Proud Denmark then subdu'd, and spacious Norway won,

Seiz'd Iceland for his own, and Gothland to each shore, [before. Where Arthur's full-sail'd fleet had ever touch'd before.

"And when the Britons' reign came after to decline, [confine,

And to the Cambrian hills their fate did them The Saxon swaying all, in Alfred's powerful reign, Our English Octer put a fleet to sea again, Of th' huge Norwegian hills and news did hither bring, [travelling. Whose tops are hardly wrought in twelve days' But leaving Norway then a starboard, forward kept, [swept, And with our English sails that mighty ocean Where those stern people won, whom hope of gain doth call, [whale; In hulks with grappling hooks, to hunt the dreadful And great Duina down from her first springing place, [face. Doth roll her swelling waves in churlish Neptune's "Then Woolstan after him discovering Dantzic found, [sound,

Where Wexel's 12 mighty mouth is pour'd into the

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The very earth itself into th' infernal maw. Four such immeasur'd pools, philosophers agree, l' th' four parts of the world undoubtedly to be: From which they have suppos'd, nature the winds doth raise, [seas.

And from them to proceed the flowing of the "And when our civil wars began at last to cease, And these late calmer times of olive-bearing peace, Gave leisure to great minds, far regions to descry; That brave advent'rous knight, our sir Hugh Willoughby, [gealed piles, Shipp'd for the northern seas, 'mongst those conFashion'd by lasting frosts, like mountains, and like isles, (great mind,

(In all her fearfull'st shapes saw horrour, whose In lesser bounds than these, that could not be confin'd; [keep) Adventur'd on those parts, where winter still doth When most the icy cold had chain'd up all the deep) [took, In bleak Arzina's road his death near Lapland Where Kegor from her scite, on those grim seas doth look.

"Two others follow then, eternal fame that won, Our chancellor, and with him, compare we Jenkinson;

For Russia both embark'd, the first arriving there, Ent'ring Duina's mouth, up her proud stream did steer,

To Volga, to behold her pomp, the Russian state, Muscovia measuring then; the other with like fate, Both those vast realms survey'd, then into Bactria pass'd, [waste, To Boghor's bulwark walls, then to the liquid Where Oxus rolleth down 'twixt his far distant shores,

[oars, And o'er the Caspian main, with strong untired Adventured to view rich Persia's wealth and pride, Whose true report thereof, the English since have

tried.

fis,

"With Fitch our Eldred next, deserv'dly placed Both travelling to see the Syrian Tripolis." The first of which (in this whose noble spirit was [known, To view those parts, to us that were the most un

shown)

13 The greatest wonder of nature.

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