The History of the Worthies of England, County 1
ANGLESEY.
ANGLESEY. Let us in the first place congratulate the Restitution of this Island to its ancient Latine Appellation, …eeing it was in a fair way to forget its own Name of MONA, which some filched from this, and fixed on the Isle of Man, pretending,
1. The allusion in sound, betwixt Man and Mona.In hoc medio cursu [inter Iberniam & Britanniam] est Insula quae appellatur Mona. Caesar de bello Gallico. lib. 5.
2. The description thereof in Cesar, placing it in the middle betwixt Ireland and Britain, which position better agreeth to Man than Anglesey.
3. The Authorities of many [later] Historians, amongst whom Polydor Virgil, and Hector Booetius.
But Dr. Humphrey Lluyd, in his learned Letter to Ortelius, most clearly demonstrateth this to be the true Mona; and the Reason of Reasons doth evince the truth thereof taken from Tacitus, reporting the Roman foot (under Paulinus) to have swum over from the continent of Britain, to the Isle of Mona. Now such swimming over (with the Oars only of Arms and Legs) (ten Leagues at least) to Man is utterly impossible, which from Britain to Anglesey (being hardly an Italian mile) may, (though with much difficulty and danger) half be performed.
ANGLESEY, that is, the English Island (so called, since conquered by our Countrymen) is surrounded on all sides with the Irish Sea save on the South; where a small Fret (known by the peculiar name of Menai) sundreth it from the Welsh Continent, having twenty miles in the length, and seventeen in the breadth thereof. May the Inhabitants be like the land they live in; which appears worse than it is, seemingly barren and really *See Speed his Description thereof.fruitful, affording plenty of good Wheat, and to grind it,
Mill-stones.
These in the Greek *Mat. 18. 6. Luk. 17. 2.Gospel are termed foreign, that is, Asses Mill-stones; either because Asses (as Saint Hillary will have it) used to draw them about (before men taught the wind and water to do that work for them) or because the lower Mill-stone was called foreign, an *See Erasmus in his Chil. in Prov. Antionius Asinus.Asse, from the sluggishnesse thereof as always lying still. Observe an opposition betwixt Artificial and Natural Mills, I mean our mouths: In the former the lower Mill-stone lieth always immoveable, whilst in our mouths the upper Jaw alwayes standeth still, and the n…ther applyeth it self in constant motion thereunto. Excellent Mill-stones are made in this Island. When in motion, in default of Grist to grinde, they will fire one another; so necessary is forraign imployment for active spirits, to divert them from home-bred combustions.
The Wonders.
Before we begin on this plentiful Topick, be it premised, that I conceive the Author of that Dystick was too strait laced in his belief, thus expressing himself,
Mira canā, non̄ visa mihi sed cognita multis,
Sed nisi visa mihi non habitura fidem.
Wonders here by me are told,
To many men well known;
But till my eyes shall them behold
Their truth I▪le never own.
For mine own part I conceive, he that will not believe is unworthy to be believed, and that it is an injury to deny credit to credible persons, attesting as followeth.
There are divers Trees * dayly digged out of moist and marish places which areHumphrey Llyid in his learned Letters to Ortelius. firm and fir for Timber. They are as black within as Ebony, and are used by the Carvers of that Country to Inlay Cupboards and other wooden utensils. These Trees are branched into a double difficulty; first, how they came hither; secondly, how preserved here so long from putrefaction.
Some make the Pedegree of these Trees very ancient, fetching them from Noahs flood▪ then overturned with the force thereof. Others conceive them out down by the Romans when conquering this Island, and shaving away their woods, the Covert of Rebellion.
Others apprehend them felled (or rather falling) of themselves, their weight meeting with the waterish and failing foundation; and it is more easie for one to confute the conjecture of others, than to substitute a more rational in the room thereof.
But grant this first Knot in these Trees smoothed, how they came hither: a worse Knob remains to be plained; how they are preserved sound so many Ages, seeing moisture is the mother of corruption, and such the ground wherein they are found: Except any will say, there is clammy bituminous substance about them (like those in*Camb. Brit. in that County. Lancashire) which fenceth them from being corrupted. I could adde to the wonder; how Haste nuts are found under ground with sound kernels in them; save it is fitter, that the former difficulties be first conjured down, before any new ones be raised up.
Proverbs.
*Camb. Brit. in Anglesey.Mon Mam Cymbry.]
That is, Anglesey is the Mother of Wales.
Not because bigger than Wales (as Mothers alwayes are, whilest their Children are infants) being scarce one twentieth part thereof: nor because (as Parents alwayes) ancienter than Wales, which being an Island may be presumed junior to the Continent, as probably made by the interruption of the Sea; but because when other Counties faile, she plentifully feedeth them with provision, and is said to afford Corn enough to sustain all Wales. Nor is she lesse happy in Cattel than Corn, so that this Mother of Wales is in some sort a Nurse to England. I have seen yearly great droves of fair Beasts, brought thence and sold in Essex it self; so that he who considers how much meat Anglesey spends, will wonder that it spares any; how much it spares that it spends any.
Crogging, Crogging.]
This Historical By-word (for Proverb properly it is none) we will consider; First, in the Original: Secondly, in the Use: Thirdly, in the Abuse thereof. Originall. In the reign of King Henry the second, in his many expeditions against Wales, one proved very unsuccessful, wherein divers of his Camp were sent to essay a Passage over Offas ditch at Croggen-Castle. These being prevented by the British, were most of them slain, and their graves hard by are to be discovered at this day.
Use. The English afterwards when having the Welsh at advantage, used to say to them, Crogging, Crogging, as a Provokative to revenge, and disswasive to give them quarter: As if the Romans on the like occasion should cry to the Carthaginians, Cannae, Cannae.
Abuse. Continuance of time, which assumeth to it self a liberty to pervert words from their primitive sense, in ignorant mouths hath made it a disgraceful Attribute, when the English are pleased to revile the Welsh; though to speak plainly, I conceive not how that word can import a foul disgracing of them, first occasioned by their valiant defeating of us. This By-word (though Croggen-Castle is in Denbigh-shire) being generally used all over Wales, is therefore placed in this, because the first County thereof.
Prelates.
GUIDO de MONA, was so sir-named from his Birth-place in Anglesey. Some suspect that Filius insulae may be as bad as Filius populi, no place being particularized for his birth: whiles others conceive this sounding to his greater dignity, to be denominated from a whole Island; the Village of his nativity being probably obscure, long and hard to be pronounced. He was afterwards Bishop of Saint Davids, and Lord Treasurer of England under King Henry the fourth, who highly hono…ed him; for when the Parliament moved that no Welsh-man should be a State Officer in England, the King excepted the Bishops, as confident of their faithful service. Indeed T. Wallingham makes this Gui the Author of much trouble, but is the lesse to be believed therein, because of the known Antipathy betwixt Fryers and Secular …; the former being as faulty in their lafie speculation, as the other often offending in the practical over-activity. This Bishop died …nno 1407.
ARTHUR BULKLEY, Bishop of Bangor, was born either in Cheshire, or more probably in this County: But it matters not much had he never been born, who being bred Doctor of the Laws, had either never read, or wholly forgotten, or wilfully would not remember the Chapter, De sacrilegio; for he spoyled the Bishoprick, and sold the five Bells: being so over-officious, that he would go down to the Sea to see them shipped, which, in my mind, amounted to a second selling of them.
We have an English Proverb of him who maketh a detrimental bargain to himself, That he may put all the gains gotten thereby into his eye, and see nothing the worse. But Bishop Bulkley saw much more the worse by what he had gotten, being himself*Godwin in the Bishops of Bangor. suddenly deprived of his sight; who had deprived the Tower of Bangor of the tongue thereof. Thus having ended his credit before his days, and his days before his life, and having sate in that See fourteen years, he died 1555.
WILLIAM GLYN▪ D. D. Was bo…n at …. in this County, bred in Queens Colledge in Cambridge whereof he was Master, until in the second of Queen Mary he was preferred Bishop of Bangor. An excellent Scholar, and I have been assured by judicious Persons, who have seriously perused the solemn Disputations (printed in Master Fox) betwixt the Papists and Protestants; that of the former none pressed his Arguments with more strength and lesse passion than Doctor Glyn: though const…t to his own, he was not cruel to opposite judgements, as appeareth by the appearing of no persecution in his Diocesse, and his mild Nature must be allowed at least Causa socia, or the fellow-cause thereof. He died in the first of Queen Elizabeth, and I have been informed that Jeoffry Glyn his Brother, Doctor of Laws, built and endowed a Free-Schoole at Bangor.
Since the Reformation.
ROULAND MERRICK, Doctor of Laws, was born at Boding án in this County, bred in Oxford, where he became Principal of New Inne-Hall, and afterwards a Dignitary in the Church of Saint Davids. Here he with others in the reign of King Edward the sixth, violently prosecuted Robert Farrar his Diocesan, with intention (as they made their boast)*Fox his Act… and Mon. A…. 1555. pag. 1…44. to pull him from his Bishoprick, and bring him into a premunire, and prevailed so far, that he was impris…ned.
This Bishop Farrar was afterwards martyred in the raign of Queen Mary. I find not the least appearance, that his former adversaries violented any thing against him under that Queen. But it is suspicious that advantage against him (I say not with their will) was grafted on the stock of his former accusation. However it is my judgement that they ought to have been, & I can be so charitable to believe that Dr. Merrick was penitent for his causelesse vexing so good a*See more in the Martyrs of Carmarthenshire. person. Otherwise many more besides my self will proclaim him unworthy to be (who had been a Persecutor of) a Bishop. He was consecrated Bishop of Bangor December 21. in the second of Q…een Elizabeth, 1559. and sate six years in his See. I have nothing to adde, save that he was Father to Sir Gilly Merrick, Knight, who lost his life for engaging with the Earl of Essex, 1600.
LANCELOT BULKLEY was born in this*Sir James Ware de Praesulibus …. County, of a then right Worshipful (since Honourable) Family, who have a fair habitation (besides others) near Beumaris. He was bred in Brasen nose Colledg in Oxford, and afterwards became, first Arch-Deacon, then Archbishop in Dublin. He was consecrated the third of October, 1619. by Christopher Archbishop of Armagh. Soon after he was made by King James one of his Privy Councel in Ireland, where he lived in good reputation, till the day of his death, which happened some ten years since.
Seamen.
MADOC, Son to Owen Gwineth ap Gruffyth ap Conan, and brother to David ap Owen Gwineth, Prince of North Wales, was born probably at Aberfraw in this County (now a mean Town) then the principal*Camb. …. in Angle…y. Palace of their royal Residence. He made a Seavoyage westward, and by all probability, those names of Cape de Breton in Noruinberg, & Pengwin in part of the northern America, for a white Rock and a white headed bird, according to the British, were reliques of this discovery. If so; then let the Genoveses and Spaniards demean themselves as younger Brethren, and get their Portions in Pensions in those parts paid as well as they may, owning us Britons▪ (so may the Welsh and English as an united Nation style themselves) for the Heirs, to whom the solid inheritance of America doth belong, for the first discovery thereof. The truth is, a good Navy with a strong Land-Army therein, will make these probabilities of Madoc, evident Demonstrations, and without these, in cases of this kind, the strongest Arguments are of no validity. This Sea voyage was undertaken by Madoc, about the year 1170.
The Sheriffs.
Expect not my description should conform this Principality to England, in presenting the respective Sheriffs with their Arms. For as to Heraldry, I confesse my self Luscum in Anglia, Caecum in Walliâ. Besides, I question, whether out Rules in Blazonry, calculated for the East, will serve on the West of Severne? and suspect that my venial mistakes may meet with mortal anger.
I am also sensible of the prodigious Antiquity of Welsh Pedegrees, so that what Zalmana said of the Israelites slain by him at Tabor, Each of them resembleth the children of a *Judg. 8. 18.King; all the Gentry here derive themselves from a Prince at least. I quit therefore the Catalogue os Sheriffs to abler Pens, and proceed to.
The Farewell.
I understand there is in this Island a kind of Allumenous Earth, out of which some (fifty years since) began to make Allum and Copperess, until they (to use my *Speed in the Decription of Anglesey.Authors phrase) like unflesht Souldiers gave over their enterprise, without further hope, because at first they saw it not answer their over-hasty expectations. If this Project was sirst founded on rational probability (which I have cause to believe) I desire the seasonable resumption thereof, by Undertakers of as able Brains and Purses, but more patience than the former, as a hopeful fore-runner of better successe.