England Described, Treatise · County 32
Somerſetſhire.
THis County is very large and wealthy: The North-ſide whereof the Severn Sea beateth upon: The Weſt part confineth with Denſhire: in the South it bordereth firſt upon Devonſhire, and then upon Dorſetſhire: Eaſtward upon Wiltſhire: and North-Eaſt upon part of Gloceſterſhire.
The ſoil very rich, yeelding for the moſt part thereof paſſing great plenty both of Paſture and Corn, and yet not without ſtony Hils: exceeding populous, and full of Inhabitants: furniſhed alſo with commodious Havens, and Ports ſufficiently.
As it is ſoul, ſo it is fruitfull, which makes them comfort themſelves with this Proverb, What is worſt for the Rider is beſt for the Abider.
This name grew from Somerton, a Aſſerius, an ancient Writer calleth this Countrey alwayes Somertunenſis, that is, Somertunſhire.famous Town in ancient time, and of all others in the Shire moſt frequented.
Dunſter-Castle is encloſed round about with Hils, ſaving to the Seaward, built by the Mohuns, a right noble and mighty Family, which flouriſhed from the very Conquerours dayes, (under whoſe Reign that Caſtle was built) unto the time of King Richard the Second.
Cheder, famous for five things:
1. Cheeſe. 2. *Uſed about Cloath.Teazers. 3. Garlick. 4. Mills: there is a ſpring whereby many Mils are turned about. 5. Cliffs, a great Rock cleft aſunder.
Evel a great Market Town.
Weſt-Camalet and Eaſt-Camalet, or Queens-Camalet two Towns.
Winecaunton a great Market.
Ilcheſter, there is a Market there kept.
Montacute, fo termed, becauſe the Hill riſeth up by little and little to a ſharp point. It hath given name to that right honourable Family of Montacute.
Longport a Market Town well frequented.
Wellington a pretty Market Town. Sir John Popham dwelt here, a man of an ancient worſhipfull Houſe, and withall a moſt upright Juſticer, and of ſingular induſtry.
Taunton or Thonton from the River Thone. A very fine and proper Town, and moſt pleaſantly ſeated, one of the eyes of the Shire. The Countrey here moſt delectable on every ſide with green medows; flouriſhing with pleaſant Gardens and Orchards, and repleniſhed with fair Mannor-houſes, wonderfully contenteth the eyes of the beholders.
Athelney a pretty Iſland, a place famous for King Alfreds ſhrouding himſelf therein, when the Danes had brought all into broil.
Somerton the Shire Town in times paſt. There is kept a Fair of Oxen, and other Beaſts from Palm-Sunday untill the midſt of June, with much reſort of people; the Countreymen all thereabout are very great Graſiers, Breeders, and Feeders of Cattel.
Bridgwater a great and populous Town; King Henry the Eighth adorned it with an Earldom.
Bruiton.
The Glaſsy Iſle, ſo called, Propter amnem ſcilicet quaſi vitrei coloris in mariſco circumfluentem▪ Monaſticon Anglicanum. Vide plura ibid.
Here flouriſhed the famous Abbey of Glaſtonia Monaſterium viderint parentes noſtri, amplitudine, ac magnitudine perpaucis in univerſa Europa (quantum autumo) poſtponendum. Godwinus De Converſione Britanniae ad Christianam Religionem. Vide plura ibid. Et Monaſticon Anglicanum, p. 1, 2, &c.Glastenbury, the beginning whereof is very ancient, fetched even from that Joſeph of Arimathaea, who enterred the body of Jeſus Chriſt, and whom Philip the Apoſtle of the Gauls, ſent into Britain for to preach Chriſt.
See Dees Britiſh Monarchy.
Ochy hole a Cave, or Den far within Of Ogo a Britiſh word which betokeneth Den.the ground, wherein are to be ſeen certain Pits and Riverets.
Congerbury, ſo named of one Congar, a man of ſingular holineſſe.
This County is famouſed by three Cities, Bath, Wells and Bristow.
Wells a little City with an Epiſcopal Fontanenſis Eccleſia, Fountain Church.See, ſo called of the Springs or Wells, which boyl up there.
For multitude of Inhabitants, for fair and ſtately Buildings, it may well and truly challenge the preheminence of all this Province. It hath a goodly Church and Colledge. The Church it ſelf all thorowout is very beautifull, but the Frontiſpiece thereof in the Weſtend, is a moſt excellent and goodly piece of Work indeed, for it ariſeth up ſtill from the foot to the top all of Imagery, in curious and antique wiſe wrought of ſtone carved, and embowed right artificially, and the Cloiſters adjoyning very fair and ſpacious.
A gorgeous Palace of the Biſhops, built in manner of a Caſtle, fortified with Walls, and a Mote ſtandeth hard by, Southward; and on the other ſide fair houſes of the Prebendaries.
In the Reign of Henry the Firſt Johannes de Villula of Tours in France, being elected Biſhop, tranſlated his See to Bath, ſince which time the two Sees growing into one, the Biſhop beareth the title of both, ſo that he is called, The Biſhop of Bath and Wells.
Selwood, a Wood thick of Trees, whereof the Countrey adjoyning is called Selwoodſhire.
Bathe of the hot Bathes in times paſt, Bathonia. Ʋrbs non mode antiqua verum etiam celebris Romanorum Monumentis multis, liquidò in muris comparet, qua itur à porta meridionali ad borealem. Lelandi Comment. in Cygneam Cantionem. Vide Johnſonum De urbe; & Thermis Bathonicis.callid in Latine Aquae calidae.
It is ſeated low in a plain, environed round about with Hils almoſt all of one height, out of which certain rilles of freſh River waters continually deſcend into the City, to the great commodity of the Citizens. Within the City it ſelf there bubble and boil up three Springs of hot water, of a Blewiſh or Sea-colour, thin vapours, and riſing up from thence a kind of ſtrong ſent withall, by reaſon that the water is drilled and ſtrained through veins of Brimſtone, and a clammy kind of earth, called Bitumen, which Springs are very medicinable, and of great vertue to cure bodies over-charged and benummed with corrupt humours. For, by their heat they procure ſweat, and ſubdue the rebellious ſtubbornneſſe of the ſaid humours.
From eight of the clock in the forenoon unto three in the afternoon, they are in a manner ſcalding hot, and do work: and being thus troubled, caſt up from the bottom certain filth; during which time they are ſhut: neither may any body go into them, untill by their fluces they cleanſe themſelves, and rid away that filthineſſe.
Of theſe three the Croſſe-Bath (ſo called of a Croſſe ſtanding upright in old time in the midſt of it) is of a very mild and temperate warmth; and hath twelve ſeats of ſtone about the brink or border thereof, and is encloſed within a wall.
The ſecond, diſtant from this not fully two hundred foot, is much hotter; whence it is termed hot Bath. Theſe two are in the midſt of a ſtreet on the Weſt-ſide of the City.
The third, which is the greateſt, and after a ſort in the very boſom and heart of the City, is called, the Kings Bath, neer unto the Cathedral Church, walled alſo round about, and fitted with two and thirty ſeats of arched work; wherein men and women may ſit apart, who when they enter in put upon their bodies linnen garments, and have their guides.
This City hath flouriſhed as well by cloathing, as by reaſon of uſual concourſe thither for health twice every yeer.
Briſtow. This City ſtanding partly in Somerſet, and partly in Gloceſterſhires, A Biſhops See, and famous Port.is not to be reputed belonging to this or that, having Magiſtrates of its own, and being of it ſelf entire, and a County incorporate.
It is ſituate ſomewhat high between Avon, and the little River Frome, ſufficiently defended with Rivers and Forfications together. So fair to behold by reaſon of buildings, as well publick as private, that it is fully correſpondent to the name of Brightstow. With common Sews or Sinks (they call them Goutes) ſo made to runne under the ground, for the conveyance and waſhing away of all filth, that for cleanlineſſe and wholſomneſſe a man would not deſire more: whereupon there is no uſe here of carts: ſo well furniſhed with all things neceſſary for mans life, ſo populous, and well inhabited withall, that next after London and York, it may of all Cities in England juſtly challenge the chief place.
For the mutual intercourſe of traffick and the commodious Haven, which admitteth in Ships under ſail into the very boſom of the City, hath drawn people of many countreys thither.
The Citizens themſelves are rich Merchants, and traffick all over Europe, yea, and make Voyages at Sea ſo farre as into the moſt remote parts of America.
The moſt beautifull Church there is S. Maries of Radcliff without the Wals, into which there is a ſtately aſcent upon many ſtairs; ſo large withall, ſo finely and curiouſly wrought, with an arched roof over head of ſtone artificially embowed, a ſteeple alſo of an exceeding height, that it ſurpaſſeth in many degrees all the Pariſh-churches in England.
There is hard by, another Church alſo, which they call the Temple, the Tower whereof, when the Bell rings, ſhaketh to and fro, ſo as it hath cloven and divided it ſelf from the reſt of the building, and made ſuch a chink from the bottom to the top, as that it gapeth the breadth of three fingers, and both ſhutteth and openeth whenſoever the Bell is rung.
S. Vincents Rock, ſo full of Diamonds, that a man may fill whole ſtrikes or buſhels of them. They are not ſo much ſet by, becauſe they are plenteous: in bright and tranſparent colour they match the Indian-Diamonds, if they paſſe them not: in hardneſſe only they are inferiour to them.
In this County are numbered three hundred eighty five Pariſhes.