A Geographical Description of All the Countries in the Known World, Part 1 · Subpart 115
The British Islands discribed.
England is bounded on the East with the German, on the West with the Irish, on the South with the Brittish Oceans, and on the North with the River Tweed, and a line drawn from it to Solwal VVestward. Formerly the Northern limit was a wall crosse the Island from Carlile in Cumberland to the River Tine. It was built by Severus as a fortresse against the Picts: at every miles end was a Castle; between every Castle many Watch-Towers, and through the walls of every Tower and Castle went a pipe of brasse, which from one Garrison to another conveyed the least noise without interruption: so that the intelligence of an invading enemy, was quickly made known to all the borders. VVhen the wall failed, the strong Townes of Berwick and Carlile were the chief bars against invasion.
Its in length three hundred and twenty miles: concerning our commodities, they are thus reckoned up.
England is stored with Mountains, Bridges, Wooll,
With Churches, Rivers, Women beautiful.
The Bridges are in number eight hundred fifty and seven. The Rivers are three hundred twenty and five, the chief is Thames, which ebbs and flowes twice a day more than threescore miles: The banks of it are so adorned with fair Towns, and Princely Palaces, that a Dutch Poet made verses of them, thus Englished.
Wee saw so many VVoods, and Princely Bowers
Sweet Fields, brave Palaces, and stately Towers,
So many Gardens, drest with curious care,
That Thames with royal Tiber may compare.
The second River is Severne, whose head is in Plinlimmon hill in Mountgomry-shire, and ends seven miles short of Bristol, washing in the mean space the walls of Shrewsbury, VVorcester, and Gloucester.
The third Trent, so called from thirty kindes of fish found in it. Its fountain is in Stafford-shire, and passing through the Counties of Nottingham, Lincoln, Lecester, and York, it meets with Humber, the most violent River in all England.
The fourth Humber, made up of the Rivers, Dun, Are, VVarfe, Youre, Darwent, and principally Ouze, and Trent.
The fifth Medway, a Kentish River, famous for harbouring the Royal Navy at Chatham.
The sixth Tweed, the North East bound of England, on whose Northern bank stands the strong Town of Berwick.
The seventh Tine, famous for Newcastle, and her inexhaustible Coale-pits. These with the rest are thus set forth by Draiton the Poet.
Our Floods Queen Thames, for ships, and Swans is crowned,
And stately Severn for her shore is praised,
The Christal Trent for foords, and fish renown'd,
And Avons fame to Albions cliffs is raised.
Carlegion Chester vaunts her holy Dee,
York many wonders of her Ouse can tell:
The Peak her Dove, whose banks so fertil bee,
And Kent will say her Medway doth excel.
Cotswol commends her Isis to the Tame,
Our Northen borders boast of Tweeds fair flood:
Our VVestern parts extol their VVillies fame,
And the old Lea brags of th'Danish blood.
Our women are the most beautiful in the world, without the help of any adulterate Sophistications. In a compleat woman, say the Italians should bee the parts of a Dutch woman from the girdle downward, the parts of a French woman from the girdle to the shoulders, over which must bee placed an English face. And as their persons, so their priviledges are greater here than in any other Nation, they being not so servilely submiss as the French: nor so jealously guarded as the Italians: hence England is called the Purgatory of servants, the hell of horses, and the Paradise of women. And the Italians commonly say, that if there were a bridge built over the narrow Seas, all the women of Europe would runne into England: For here they have the upper hand in the streets, and at the Table, the thirds of their husbands estates: their equal shares in lands; priviledges wherewith women in other countrys are not acquainted.
The wooll of England is excellent fine, especially that of Cotswold in Glocester shire, of Lemster in Hereford shire, and in the Ile of Wight. Of it, are made excellent broad-cloaths, which are dispersed all over the World, bringing in much money into the Realm, and setting on work so many poor people. And the giving of some Cotswold sheep by King Edward the fourth, to Henry King of Castile, Anno Christi 1465. is counted one of the greatest prejudices that ever hapned to this Nation. The wooll transported hath brought into us no lesse than one million and five hundred thousand pound yearly, and our Lead half as much.
Wee have more Parks in England than in all Europe besides. Lately we had Chases thirty, Forrests fifty five, Parks seven hundred forty and five, replenished with abundance of Game.
Our Mines are of Tin, Lead, and Coals. Beer wee have plenty, which being transported into France, the Lowcountries, and Germany is amongst them highly esteemed. We have so many well-tuned bells, that Forreigners have called it The Ringing Island.
Our Air is very temperate: No seas in Europe yeild more plenty of fish. Our Oisters were famous amongst the old Romans. Our Herrings yeild great profit to the Netherlanders. Our Nobility have not such unlimited power as in other Nations. Our commonalty live in far greater reputation than they do in other Countries, and have more civility in them.
Our Ministry is learned and religious, and have a more practical, and powerful manner of Preaching than in any other Nation. Their printed works are so famous, that many young Schollers of other Nations, come over on purpose to learn our language, that they may bee able to make use of our Books; they are also the best provided for of any Ministers in the reformed Churches.
The Diet of England is for the most part flesh: In London alone there are slain and uttered, no fewer than sixty seven thousand and five hundred beefes, and six hundred seventy five thousand sheep, besides Calves, Lambs, Swine, and Poultry, in a year: I beleeve now farre more: The Spanish Gondamor when hee was here, having often seen our Shambles, said that there was more flesh here eaten in a month, than in all Spain in a year. A Forreigner comming to London, and seeing such multitudes of people in the streets, wondred where there could bee meat to fill so many bellies: but when hee had seen our Shambles, and markets, hee wondred where there could bee bellies to eat so much meat.
Our Navy is called the walls of England, the like ships for service are not to bee found in the World, and our Marriners, and Souldiers are not to bee equalled. In King Edward the third his time two hundred of our ships neer Scluse overcame four hundred of the French: of which they sunk two hundred sail, and slew thirty thousand Souldiers. In eighty eight a few of our Queens ships overthrew the Spanish Invincible Armado, consisting of one hundred thirty and four great Gallions: Sir Francis Drake with four ships, took from the Spaniard one million, and one hundred eighty nine thousand, and two hundred Duckats in his voyage Anno Christi. 1587. And again, with five and twenty ships hee awed the Ocean, sacked St. Jago, Domingo, and Carthagena, bringing away with him besides much treasure, two hundred and forty peeces of Ordnance. Our Country men Drake, and Cavendish have sailed round about the World. I omit the voyage to Cales mentioned before. Sir Richard Creenvil in one of the Queens ships called the Revenge, wherein were but one hundred and fourscore Souldiers, and of them ninety so sick as not able to fight, yet maintained hee a Sea-fight for four and twenty hours against above fifty of the Spanish Gallions, and though when his powder was spent to the last barrel, hee yeilded on honorable tearms, yet before, he had killed one thousand of the Spaniards, and sunk four of their greatest vessels. And what victories wee have had of late over all the Navies of the Lowcountries, I omit to speak of, because they are fresh in every ones memory. In land service our souldiers are able to endure, and resolute to undertake the hardest enterprises: witnesse our warres, and conquests in Spain, France, Ireland and Scotland, and the Netherlands assisted by us.
England is a most fertile, and a most potent Island, as well for situation, as for men and ships: and the Inhabitants are good souldiers both by sea and land, in valour and courage, not inferior to any one Nation whatsoever, and are more apt to offend by temerity, and overmuch forwardnesse, than by cowardize, It excells all other nations in Mastiffs, Cocks of the Game, and Women, who are incomparably beautiful, and therefore have great influence upon the men: yea the Queens have commanded here more absolutely, and have been much better obeyed and respected, than the Kings.
The division of England is into forty shires, and nine thousand seven hundred and twenty five Parishes, beside Chappels: In these are five hundred fourscore and five Market Towns, besides Cities: the chief are Shrewsbury, Northampton, South-hampton, Lecester, Warwick, &c.
Our Universities are two, Cambridge, and Oxford, which for number, and beauty of Colledges, multitudes of Students, and largeness of revenues, are not to bee equalled in the Christian world. I will not determine which is of greater antiquity, this question having been agitated by so many.
In several places of England there is excellent white salt made: I shall describe the manner of the making of it at Nantwich only. There is one salt spring, which they call the Brine-pit, standing close by the River Weever, from whence the Brine is conveyed into the severall Wich-houses, and when the Bell rings, they begin to make fire under the Leads, wherein they boil the said salt-water, and as it seeths, the Wallers (which are commonly women) do with a woodden Rake gather the Salt from the bottome, which they put into long wicker baskets, and so the water voideth, and the Salt remains. In some other places they boil it in Iron pans with coals, but they say the salt is not so white.