The History of the Worthies of England, Part 2 · County 14 · Section 1 – Section 4
Naturall Commodities.
Saffron.
Plenty hereof in this County growing about Walden a fair Market Town, which Saffron may seem to have coloured with the name thereof. It is called (as Serapione affirmeth) Sahafaran by the Arabians, whence certainly our English word is derived. In it self it is atmost admirable Cordiall, and under God I owe my life, when sick of the small pox, to the efficacy thereof. Now because our own writers may probably be challenged of partialty, hear what forraigners speak in the praise of English Saffron.
Anglia *Johannes Bauhinus h…st. plant. univers. Tom. 2. lib. 19 cap. 5.& Hibernia laudatissimum Crocum ferunt, quo Belgium, Germania aliique, vicini cibos condiunt ac medicamentis miscent.
*Johannes Bodeus in Theophrastum.Propagatur (inter alia loca) etiam in Britanniae insulae meridionali parte, quam Angliam vocant. Natus ex altera vero & septentrionali, quam Picti & Scoti tenent reprobus est.
No precious drug is more adulterated with Cartamus, the inward pilling of Willow, and generally all yellow flowers, when it is bought in great parcells, which ought to quick en the care of Chapmen herein. In a word, the Soveraign Power of genuine Saffron, is plainly proved by the Antipathy of the Crocodiles thereunto. For the Crocodiles tears are never true, save when he is forced where Saffron groweth, (whence he hath his name of foreign, or the Saffron-fearer,) knowing himself to be all Poison, and it all Antidote.
Oysters.
The best in England, Fat, Salt, green-finn'd, are bred near Colchester, where they have an excellent art to feed them in Pits made for the purpose. King James was wont to say, he was a very valiant man, who first adventured on eating of Oysters; most probably meer hunger put men first on that tryal. Thus Necessity hath often been the Purveyor to provide diet for delicacy it self, famine making men to find out those things which afterwards proved not onelyonly wholesome, but delicious. Oysters are the onelyonly meat which men eat alive, and yet account it no cruelty. Sometimes Pearls conside rable both in bulk and brightness have been found within them.
Hops.
In latine Lupulus, or the little-wolf, which made a merry man complain, that this Wolf did too often devour the innocent Malt in beer. Gerard observes they grow best in those Countries where Vines will not grow, intimating, that nature pointeth at their use therein.
They are not so bitter in themselves as others have been against them, accusing Hops for noxious, preserving beer, but destroying those who drink it. These plead the Petition presented in Parliament, in the raign of King Henry the sixth, against the wicked weed called Hopps. Their back-friends also affirm, the Stone never so epidemicall in England, as since the generall reception and use of Hops in the beginning of King Henry the eighth.
But Hops have since out-grown and over-topped all these accusations, being adjudged wholesome, if Statutable and unmixed with any powder, dust, dross, sand, or other soyl whatsoever, which made up two parts*See the Statute 1. Jacobi cap. 18. of three in forraign Hops formerly imported hither.
They delight most in moist grounds, no commodity starteth so soon and sinketh so suddainly in the price, whence some will have them so named from hopping in a little time betwixt a great distance in valuation. In a word, as Elephants, if orderly, were themselves enough alone to gain, if disorderly; to lose a victory; so great parcells of this commodity, well or ill bought in the Crisis of their price, are enough to raise, or ruine an estate.
Puits.
There is an Island of some two hundred Acres, near Harwick in the Parish of LittleOkeley, in the Mannour of Matthew Gilly Esquire, called the Puit Island, from Puits in effect the sole inhabitants thereof. Some affirm them called in Latine Upulae, whilst others maintain, that the Roman Language doth not reach the Name, nor Land afford the Bird. On Saint▪ *So am I informed by Capt. Farmer of NewgateMarket, Copyholder of the Island.George his day precisely they pitch on the Island, seldome laying fewer then four, or more then six Eggs.
Great their love to their Young ones. For though against foul weather they make to the main land, (a certain Prognostick of Tempests,) yet they always Weather it out in the Island, when hatching their young ones, seldome sleeping whilst they …it on their Eggs, (afraid it seems of Spring-tides) which signifieth nothing as to securing their Eggs from the Inundation, but is an Argument of their great Affection.
Being young they consist onelyonly of Bones, Feathers and Lean-flesh, which hath a raw Gust of the Sea. But Roulterers take them then, and feed them with Gravel and Curds, (that is Physick and Food,) the one to scour, the other to fat them in a fortnight, and their flesh thus recruted is most delicious.
Here I say nothing of Eringo Roots, growing in this County, the candying of them being become a Staple commodity at Colchester. These are Soveraign to strengthen the Nerves, and pity it is, that any vigor acquired by them should be otherwise imployed then to the Glory of God.
Manufactures.
This County is charactred like the good wife described by*Pro. 31. 19. Bathshebah. She layeth her hand to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaffe. Bays, and Says, and Serges, and severall sorts of Stuffes, which I neither can or doe desire to name, are made in and about Colchester, Coxal, Dedham, &c. I say, desire not to name, because hoping that new kinds will daily be invented, (as good reason) and by their Inventers intituled. I know not whether it be better to wish them good Wares to Vent, or good Vent for their Wares, but I am sure, that both together are the best. It will not be amiss to pray that the Plough may go along, and wheel around, that so being fed by the one▪ and clothed by the other, there may be by Gods blessing, no danger of starving in our Nation.
Gun-Powder.
Why hereof in this, rather then in other Counties? Because more made by Mills of late erected on the river Ley, betwixt Waltham and London, then in all England besides. Though some suppose it as antient as Archimedes in Europe, (and antienter in India,) yet generally men behold the Frier of Mentz the first founder thereof, some three hundred years since. It consisteth of three essentiall ingredients:
1. Brimstone, whose office is to catch fire and flame of a suddain, and convey it to the other two.
2. Char-coal pulveriz'd, which continueth the fire, and quencheth the flame, which otherwise would consume the strength thereof.
3. Salt-petre, which causeth a windy exhalation, and driveth forth the bullet.
This Gun-powder is the embleme of politick revenge, for it biteth first, and barketh afterwards, the bullet being at the mark before the report is heard, so that it maketh a noise, not by way of warning, but triumph. As for white▪powder which is reported to make no report at all, I never could meet with Artist who would seriously avouch it. For, though perchance the noise may be less and lower, yet no sound at all is inconsistent with the nature of Salt-petre, and the ventosity thereof causing the violent explosion of the bullet. It is questionable, whether the making of Gun-powder be more profitable or more dangerous, the Mills in my Parish having been five times blown up within seven years, but, blessed be God, without the loss of any one mans life.
The Buildings.
This County hath no Cathedrall, and the Churches therein cannot challenge to themselves any eminent commendation. But as for priva…e houses, Essex will own no Shire her superior, whereof three most remarkable.
1. Audley-End, built by Thomas Howard, Earl of Suffolk and Treasurer of England, as without compare the best Subjects house in this Island. Yet is the structure better then the standing thereof, as low on one side, so that it may pass for the embleme of modest merit, or concealed worth; meaner houses boasting more, and making greater show afar off in the eyes of passengers.
2. New▪Hall, built by the Ratcliffs, Earls of Sussex, but bought from them by George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham; surpassing for the pleasant shady approach thereunto, and for the appurtenances of Parks round about it.
3. Copt▪Hall, (in Records Coppice-Hall, from the Woods thereabouts,) highly seated on an hill in the mid'st of a Park, built by the Abbot of Waltham, enlarg'd by Sir Thomas Heneage and others; and it is much that multiform fancies should all meet in so uniform a fabrick. Herein a Gallery, as well furnish'd as most, more proportionable then any in England, and on this a story doth depend.
In the year of our Lord 1639. in November here happened an Hirecano or wild wind, which entring in at the great East-window, blew that down, and carried some part thereof, with the picture of the Lord Coventry (singled from many more, which hung on both …ides untouch'd) all the length of the Gallery (being about 56. yards) out of the West-window, which it threw down to the ground. It seems the wind, finding this room in form of a trunk, and coarctated therein, forced the stones of the first window, like pellets, clean thorough it. I mention this the rather, because pious Doctor Jackson, Head of Corpus Christi Colledge in Oxford, observed the like wind about the same time as ominous, and presaging our civil dissentions.
The Wonders.
This Shire affordeth none properly so called, unless some conceive the bones reducible thereunto digged out of this*Camdens Brit. in Ess…. County at the Ness near Harwich, which with their bigness and length amazed the beholders. I cannot see how such can maintain them to be the bones of men, who must confess that according to the proportion of the doors and roofs of antient building, (either as extant or read of) they must Ingredi & incedere proni, go in Stooping, not to say Lye along. Except the Avouchers be as Incurious of their Credit as the Travellor was, who affirming that he saw Bees as big as Dogs, and yet their Hives of our ordinary size; and being demanded what shift they made to get in; Let them (said he) look to that.
More probable it is, that those were bones of Elephants, store whereof were brought over into England by the Emperour Claudius. Indeed some Sciolists will boast to distinguish bones of Beasts from Men by their Porosity, which the learned deride as an undifferencing difference. Indeed when a Scull may be produced of such magnitude, (which by its form is secured from mistake as appropriate to man alone,) then the wonder will begin indeed: Till which time I behold these Shanks and Thigh b…nes pretended to Men, to be of Elephants.
To these Wonders it will not be amiss to adde the ensuing relation written by the Pen of Master Thomas Smith of Sewarstone, in the Parish of Waltham Abby, a discreet person not long since deceased.
It so fell out that I served Sir Edward Denny, (towards the latter end of the raign of Queen Elizabeth of blessed memory,) who lived in the Abbey of Waltham-Crosse in the County of Essex, which at that time lay in ruinous heaps, and then Sir Edward began slowly now and then to make even and re-edify some of that Chaos. In doing whereof, Tomkins his Gardner, came to discover (among other things) a fair Marble Stone, the Cover of a Tombe hewed out in hard Stone: This Cover, with some help he removed from off the Tombe, which having done, there appeared (to the view of the Gardner, and Master Baker Minister of the Town, (who died long since) and to my self and Master Henry Knagg, (Sir Edwards Bayliffe,) the Anatomy of a Man lying in the Tombe abovesaid, onelyonly the Bones remaining, Bone to his Bone, not one Bone dislocated: In observation whereof, we wondred to see the Bones still remaining in such due order, and no Dust or other Filth besides them to be seen in the Tomb: We could not conceive, that it had been an Anatomy of Bones only laid at first into the Tomb; yet if it had been the whole Carcass of a *It is generally conceived the body of King Harold.Man, what became of his Flesh and Entrals? for (as I have said above) the Tomb was clean from all Filth and Dust, besides the Bones.
This when we had all well observed, I told them, that if they did but touch any part thereof, that all would fall asunder, for I had onelyonly heard somewhat formerly of the like accident. Tryall was made, and so it came to pass. For my own part, I am perswaded, that as the Flesh of this Anatomy to us became invisible, so likewise would the Bones have been in some longer continuance of time. O what is Man then, which vanisheth thus away, like unto Smoak or Vapour, and is no more seen? Whosoever thou art that shalt read this passage, thou mayst find cause of humility sufficient.