The History of the Worthies of England, Part 2 · County 20 · Section 1 – Section 4
Natural Commodities.
Cherries.
These were fetched out of Flanders, and first planted in this County by King Henry the Eighth, in whose time they spred into thirty two pārishes; and were sold at great rates. I have *Hartlibs Legacy pag. 15.read that one of the Orchards of this primitive plantation consisting but of thirtie acres produced fruit of one year sold for one thousand pounds; plentie it seems of Cherries in that garden, meeting with a scarcitie of them in all other places.
No English fruit is Dearer then those at first, Cheaper at last, pleasanter at all times; nor is it lesse wholsome then delicious. And it is much that of so many feeding so freely on them, so few are found to surfeit. Their several sorts doe ripen so successively that they continue in season well nigh a quarter of a year. It is incredible how many Cherries one Tree in this County did beare in a plentiful year. I mean not how many pound (being the fruit of other trees) have been weighed thereon (the Common fallacy of the word bear amongst the Country folke) but simply how many did naturally grow thereupon.
We leave the wholsomness of this fruit both for Food and Physick to be praysed by others, having hitherto not met with any discommending it. As for the outlandish Proverb, He that eateth Cherries with Noble-men, shall have his eyes spurted out with the stones, It fixeth no fault in the Fruit, the Expression being merely Metaphorical, wherein the folly of such is taxed, who associate themselves equal in expence with others in higher dignity and estate till they be loosers at last, and well laughed at for their pains.
Saint-Foine.
SAINT-FOINE or Holy-hay; Superstition may seem in the name, but I assure you there is nothing but good husbandry in the sowing thereof, as being found to be a great Fertilizer of Barren-ground; It is otherwise called Polygala, which I may English much Milk, as causing the Cattle to give abundance thereof. Some call it the small clover Grass, and it prospereth best in the worst ground.
It was first fetcht out of France from about Paris, and since is sown in divers places in England, but especially in Cobham-Park in this County, where it thriveth extraordinary well on dry chalky banks where nothing else will grow. If it prospereth not equally in other dry places, it is justly to be imputed to some errour in the managing thereof, as that the ground was not well prepared or made fine enough, that the seed was too sparing, or else old and decayed, that cattle cropt it the first year, &c. It will last but seven years, by which time the native grasse of England will prevail over this Foreigner, if it be not sown again.
Trouts.
We have treated of this Fish before, *In Bark-shire.and confesse this repetition had been a breach of the Fundamental Laws, premised to this Book, were it not also an addition; Kent affording Trouts at a Town called Forditch nigh Canterbury, differing from all others in many considerables.
1. Greatness, many of them being in bignesse near to a Salmon.
2. Colour, cutting white (as others do red) when best in season.
3. Cunning, onelyonly one of *By Sir George Hastings, Mr. Waltham in his compleat Angler pag. 94.them being ever caught with an Angle; whereas other Trouts are easily tickled into taking and fla…tered into their destruction.
4. Abode, remaining nine moneths in the Sea, and three in the fresh water.
They observe their coming up thereinto almost to a day and the men of Forditch observe them as exactly, whom they catch with nets, and other devices.
Weld or Wold.
Know, Reader, that I borrow my Orthographie hereof (if it be so) from the Dyers themselves. This is a little seed sown in this County some fourty years since (when first it was brought into England) with Barley, the growth whereof it doth not hinder in any degree. For, when the barley is mowed down in Harvest, then this Weld or Wold first peeps out of the Earth, where it groweth, till the May following when it is gathered; And thus Husband-men with one sowing reap two Crops: yet so as it taketh up their ground for two years.
The use hereof is for the dying of the best Yellow. It hath some times been so low as at four pounds a Load, (which containeth fifteen hundred weight) and somtimes so dear that it was worth fifteen pounds, betwixt which prices it hath its constant motion; and now is in the Aequator betwixt both, worth seven pounds ten shillings. It was first sown in this County and since in Northfolk and in other places.
Madder.
This is very useful for Dyers, for making of Redds and Violets. It is a Weed whose root onelyonly is useful for dying, (whilest the leaves only of Woade are serviceable for that purpose) and there are three kinds thereof.
| 1. Crop-Madder | worth | betwixt 4. and 5. l. | the hundred. |
| 1. Umber-Owe | betwixt 3. and 4. l. | ||
| 3. Pipe or Fat-Madder | about 1. l. 10. s. |
Some two years since this was sown by Sir Nicholas Crispe at Debtford, & I hope will have good success; first because it groweth in Zeland in the same (if not a more Northern) Latitude. Secondly, because wild-Madder growes here in abundance; and why may not Tame Madder if Cicurated by Art. Lastly because as good as any grew some thirty years since at Barn-Elms in Surrey, though it quit not Cost through some Error in the first Planter thereof, which now we hope will be rectified.
Flaxe.
I am informed by such who should know, that no County in England sends better or more to London. Yet doth not our whole Land afford the tenth part of what is spent therein: so that we are fain to fetch it from Flanders, France, yea as far as Aegypt it selfe. It may seem strange, that our Soile, kindlie for that seed, the use whereof and profit thereby so great, yet so little care is taken for the planting thereof, which well husbanded would find linen for the rich, and living for the poor. Many would never be indicted Spinsters, were they Spinsters indeed, nor come to so publick and shameful punishments, if painfully imployed in that Vocation.
When a Spider is found upon our clothes, we use to say, some money is coming towards us. The Moral is this, such who imitate the industry of that contemptible creature (which taketh hold with her hands, and is in Kings *Prov. 30. 28.Palaces) may by Gods blessing weave themselves into wealth and procure a plentiful estate.
Manufactures.
Though clothing (whereof we have spoken before) be diffused through many Shires of England, yet is it as vigorously applyed here as in any other place, and Kentish cloth at the present keepeth up the credit thereof as high as ever before.
Thread.
I place this the last, because the least of Manufactures, Thread being counted a thing so inconsiderable: Abraham said to the King *Gen. 14. 23.of Sodom, that he would take nothing from a Thread to a Shoe latchet; That is, nothing at all. It seems this Hebrew Proverb surrounded the Universe, beginning at a Thread, a contemptible thing, and after the incircling of all things more precious, ended where it begun at a Shoe-latchet as mean as Thread in valuation.
But though one Thread be little worth, many together prove useful and profitable, and some thousand of pounds are sent yearly over out of England to buy that Commodity: My *Hartlib in his Legacy, page 32.Author telleth me, that Thread is onelyonly made (I understand him out of London) at Maidstone in this County, where well nigh a hundred hands are imployed about it. I believe a thousand might be occupied in the same work, and many idle women who now onelyonly spin Street-thread (going tatling about with tales,) might procure, if set at work a comfortable lively-hood thereby.
The Buildings.
The Cathedral of Rotchester is low and little proportional to the Revenews thereof. Yet hath it, (though no Magnificence) a venerable aspect of Antiquity therein The King hath (besides other) three fair Palaces in this Shire, Greenwich with a pleasant medlay prospect of City, Country, Water and Land, Eltham not altogether so wholsome, and Otford, which Arch-Bishop VVarham did so enlarge and adorne with Building, that Cranmer his Successor was in some sort forced to *Camden Brit. in Kent.exchange it with King Henry the Eighth on no gainful conditions. To lesson the Clergy to content themselves with Decency without sumptuousness, lest it awaken Envy, and in fine they prove loosers thereby.
COBHAM, the House of the late Duke of Richmond, and..... the fair Mansion of Sir Edward Hales Baronet (adequate to his large Estate) when finished, will carry away the credit from all the buildings in this County.
The Wonders.
A marvellous accident happened August 4. 1585. in the Hamlet of *Villare Cantianum, page 136.Mottingham (pertaining to Eltham in this County) in a Field, which belongeth to Sir Percival Hart. Betimes in the morning the ground began to sink, so much that three great Elm-trees were suddenly swallowed into the Pit; the tops falling downward into the hole: and before ten of the Clock they were so overwhelmed, that no part of them might be discerned, the Concave being suddenly filled with water. The compasse of the hole was about 80. yards, and so profound, that a sounding-line of fifty Fathoms could hardly find or feel any bottom. Ten yards distance from that place, there was another piece of ground sunk in like manner, near the High-way, and so nigh a dwellinghouse, that the Inhabitants were greatly terrified therewith.