England Described, Treatise · County 14 – County 15
Hantſhire.
ON the Weſt it hath Dorſetſhire and Wiltſhire; on the South the Ocean to bound it: on the Eaſt it joyneth to Suſſex and Surrey, and on the North it bordereth upon Barkſhire.
A ſmall Province it is, fruitful in Corn, rich in plenteous Paſture, and for all commodities of ſea moſt wealthy and happy.
Wools, Cloathes and Iron are the general Commodities of this Shire.
Ringwood a well frequented Mercat Town.
New-Foreſt. King William of Normandy pulled downe all the Townes, Either that the Normans might have more ſecure arrival into England, or for the pleaſure he took in hunting.Villages, Houſes, and Churches farre and neare, caſt out the poore Inhabitants, and when he had ſo done, brought all within thirty miles compaſſe, or thereabout, into a Foreſt and Harbour for wilde Beaſts.
Hurſt-Caſtle commandeth Seaward every where.
South-hanton a Town populous, rich Antona auſtralis, Northampton Antona Borealis, ſo called for the South ſituation of it.and beautifull, from whom the whole Shire deriveth her name.
Andover.
Wincheſter *Its ſituation is fruitfull and pleaſant, in a Valley under Hils. Wina Wintonienſis primus extitit Antiſtes, neque tamen civitati nomen dedit, quod ſtolide ſatis nonnulli augurantur, Ab antiquis Britannis Caerguentia olim apellata, quaſi Civiras Guenta; à Saxonibus (quod idem ſonat) Wentcheſter, Wentanceſter & Wintonceſter nuncupata eſt, unde noſtra Wintonia. Godw. De Praeſul. Arg. Comment. Ʋrbs vini vel vinifera, quaſi dicas munitio vel fortificatio ubi crevit optimum vinum in Britannia, appellata eſt. Celebris fuit haec civitas olim, Arthurii procerum menſa rotunda, occidentalium Saxonum regia & ſepulchris, Epiſcopali ſede, lanarum cuſtodia & mercatu, Henrici tertii favore & frequenti praeſentia, inſtructiſſimo Wickami Epiſcopi Collegio. Twini De Rebus Britannic. Comment. lib. 2. pag. 116, 117.in Latin Wintonia; a City flouriſhing even in the Romans times.
It is indifferently well peopled and frequented, having plenty of water, by reaſon of the River conveyed divers wayes into it; it containeth about a mile and half in circuit within the Wals: which open at ſix Gates, and have every one of them their Suburbs reaching forth without a good way. It is adorned with magnificent Churches, and a Biſhops See. There is a fair Colledge which William Wickham Biſhop of this See, built for a School, out of which, both for Church and Commonwealth, there ariſeth a moſt plentifull increaſe of right learned men.
In this Colledge, one Warden, ten Fellows, two Schoolmaſters, threeſcore and ten Scholars, with divers others are plentifully maintained.
Poteſmouth, that is, the mouth of the Haven. A place always in time of warre well frequented. It is fortified with a Wall made of Timber, and the ſame well covered over with thick Banks of earth: There is nothing wanting that a man would require in a moſt ſtrong and fenced place. Of the Gariſon Souldiers, ſome keep watch and ward both night and day at the Gates: Others upon the Tower of the Church, who by the ringing or ſound of a Bell give warning how many Horſe or Foot are coming, and by putting forth a Banner ſhew from what Quarter they come.
Baſing stoke a Mercat Town well frequented.
Baſing is near it, the Seat of the Marqueſſes of Wincheſter.
Odiam a Borough corporate, belonging in times paſt to the Biſhop of Wincheſter.
William Lilie the great Grammarian was born here. He was the firſt Maſter of Pauls School.
There are in this Shire two hundred and fifty three Pariſhes, eighteen Market Towns, and forty Hundreds.
To this County of Southampton belongeth the Iſle of Wight, Vecta, or Vectis Inſula.
This Iſle, between Eaſt and Weſt in Vectis Inſula, forma Ovo ſimillima à littore alibi ſeptem alibi duobus paſſuum millibus diſtans Neoportus unicum inſulae Emporium. Eſt & Caſtrwn Caerbro, id eſt, Caſſium tractus, antiquitatem Britannicam referens. Lhyd. Comment. Britann. Deſcript. Fragmentum.an old form, ſtretcheth out twenty miles in length; and ſpreadeth in the midſt, which is broadeſt, twelve miles. So Camden.
Leland ſaith, it is ten miles broad.
The Ground (to ſay nothing of the Sea full of Fiſh) conſiſteth of a very fruitfull ſoil, it breeds every where ſtore of Coneys, Hares, Partridges and Pheaſants. It hath one little Foreſt, and two Parks repleniſhed with Deer, for game and hunting pleaſure. Through the midſt thereof runnes a long tract of Hils, yeelding plenty of Paſture and Forrage for Sheep. The Wooll of which, next unto that of Lemſter and Cotteſwold, is eſteemed beſt, and in ſpecial requeſt with Clothiers, whereby there groweth to the Inhabitants much gaine and profit.
There are thirty ſix Towns, Villages, and Caſtles: which for Eccleſiaſtical Juriſdiction belonged to the Biſhop of Wincheſter, and for Civil Government to the County of South-hanton.
It armeth four thouſand men exerciſed by their Captains.
The Inhabitants of this Iſle were wont merrily to make their boaſt, That their caſe was happier than all others, becauſe they had neither hooded Monks, nor cavilling Lawyers, nor yet crafty Foxes.
Newport is the principal Mercat Town of the whole Iſle.
Caresbrook an old Caſtle is in the very heart and midſt of the Iſle.
Brading a Mercat Town.
Newton and Yarmouth have their Maiors, and ſend Burgeſſes to the Parliament.
Sauham-Caſtle.
The Inhabitants of the Iſle being naturally moſt warlike, bold and adventurous, are through the diligence and care of the Captain of the Iſle, confirmed ſo by continual exerciſe in ſtrength and military Diſcipline, that they exactly know before-hand with their Peeces to ſhoot point-blank, and not miſſe the Mark, to keep their ranks, to march orderly and in ray, to caſt their ſquadrons, if need be, cloſe into a ring, to diſplay and ſpread the ſame at large, to take pains, to runne and ride, to endure both Sunne and duſt, and fully to performe whatſoever warfare doth require.
Of theſe Souldiers thus trained, the Iſle it ſelf is able to bring forth into the field four thouſand: and at the inſtant for all aſſayes appointed, there are three thouſand more of moſt expert and practiſed Souldiers out of Hantſhire, and two thouſand beſide out of Wiltſhire, to be ever preſt and in readineſſe for the defence of the Iſle.
That all hoſtile Forces whatſoever might be withſtood more ſpeedily and with greater facility, the whole Countrey is divided into eleven parts, and every of them hath their ſeveral Centoner or Centurion, their Vinton alſo, Leaders (as it were) of twenty, their great peeces of Ordnance, their Sentinels and Warders, who keep Watch and Ward at the Beacons ſtanding on the higher grounds: their Poſts alſo or Runners, whom by an old name, grown almoſt out of uſe, they terme ſtill Hoblers, who preſently give intelligence of all occurrents to the Captain and Governour of the Iſle.
Veſpaſian was the firſt that brought it into ſubjection, whiles he ſerved as a private perſon under Claudius Caeſar.
This Iſle had a noble Family, named Nobiliſſima Liſleiorum familia, D'or au chef d' azur, trois lyons rampans del premier. Ex hac gente nonnulli olim ad Comitia Parliamentaria, cum reliquis Regni Bar…nibus evocati fuerunt. Biſſaei Notae in Uptonum. p. 48.De Inſula, or Liſle, out of which in the Reign of King Edward the Second, one was ſummoned unto the Parliament by the name of Sir John Liſle, of the Iſle of Wight.
Herefordſhire.
THis County lieth round in compaſſe, This and Monmouthſhire have been now long reckoned among the Counties of England.as it were a Circle, it is bounded on the Eaſt-ſide with Worceſter and Gloceſterſhire; on the South with Monmouthſhire; on the Weſt-ſide with Radnoc and Brecknotſhire; and on the North with Shropſhire.
For three W. W. W. Wheat, Wooll and Water *There are ſundry ſweet and freſh Rivers, the chiefeſt whereof are the Wye, Lug and Manow.it yeeldeth to no Shire of England.
This Countrey is reputed the Orchard of England. From the greateſt perſons to the pooreſt cottager, all habitations are encompaſſed with Orchards and Gardens; and in moſt places the hedges are enriched with rows of Fruit-trees, Pears or Apples, Gennetmoyles, or Crab-trees. Worceſterſhire is more proper for Pears and Cherries; Herefordſhire for Apples.
Herefordſhire Orchards, a Patern for all England. By J. B.
Bradwardin-Caſtle gave both original and name to that famous Thomas Bradwardin Archbiſhop of Canterbury, who for his variety of knowledge, and profound Learning, was in that age termed, The profound Doctor.
Hereford is the chief City of the A Biſhops See.Shire, it is ſeated among moſt pleaſant Medows, and as plentifull Corn-fields, compaſſed almoſt round about with Rivers. On the North-ſide and the Weſt with one that hath no name; on the South-ſide with Wye, which haſteneth hither out of Wales.
Lemſter upon the River Lug. The greateſt name and fame that it hath at this day is of the Wooll in the Territories round about it, (Lemſter Ore they call it) which ſetting aſide that of Apulia and Tarentum all Europe counteth to be the very beſt.
Where lives the man ſo dull, on Britains furtheſt ſhore,
To whom did never ſound the name of Lemſter Ore:
That with the Silk-worms web for ſmalneſſe doth compare:
Wherein, the winder ſhews his workmanſhip ſo rare.
As doth the Fleece excell, and mocks her looſer clew;
As neatly bottom'd up as Nature forth it drew;
Of each in high'st accompt, and reckoned here as fine,
As there th' Appulian Fleece, or dainty Tarentyne.
Draytons Polyolbion 7th Song.
In Apulia and the upper Calabria of Italy, the Wool hath been famous for fineſt excellence: inſomuch that for preſerving it from the injury of earth, buſhes and weather, the Shepherds uſed to clothe their Sheep with skins; and indeed was ſo chargeable in theſe and other kind of pains about it, that it ſcarce requites the coſt.
Seld. Illuſtrat. of Drayt. Polyolb.
Brameyard upon the River Frome.
Ledbury under Malvern-Hils.
It is alſo ſo renowned for Wheat and Bread of the fineſt Flour, that Lemſter Bread, and Weabley Ale are grown unto a common Proverb. By reaſon of theſe Commodities the Mercates at Lemſter were ſo frequented, that they of Hereford and Worceſter, complaining, that the confluence of people thither impaired their Mercates, procured that by Royal Authority the Mercat day was changed.
There are an hundred and ſeventy ſix Pariſhes, eight Market Towns, and an eleven Hundreds in this County.