The History of Waltham Abby in Essex, Title page – Dedication
THE HISTORY OF Waltham-Abby in Eſſex, Founded by KING HAROLD.
Patria est ubicun que est bene
Bene vixit, qui bene latuit.
By THOMAS FULLER, the CURATE thereof.
SIC OMNI TEMPORE VERNO
LONDON, Printed in the Year, M. DC. LV.
To the Right Honourable, JAMES HAY, EARL of CARLILE, VISCOUNT Doncaſter, BARON of Sauley and Waltham.
I Have formerly in this Hiſtory preſumed to trouble your Honour, and now adventure the ſecond time. Indeed this Treatiſe containeth the deſcription of your large Demeſnes, and larger Royalty and Command. Should I therefore preſent it to any other, ſave your ſelf, it would be held as a STRAY indeed, (wandring out of the right way it ſhould go in) and ſo, (without any thanks to me) would fall to your Lordſhip, as due unto you by the Cuſtome of your Manor.
Your Honours moſt obliged Servant and Chaplain. THOMAS FULLER.
THE HISTORY OF Waltham-Abby.
PRovidence, by the hand of my worthy friends, The Authors deſign.having planted me for the preſent at Waltham-Abby, I conceive, that in our general work of Abbies, I owe ſome particular deſcription to that place of my abode. Hoping my endeavours herein may prove exemplary to others (who dwell in the ſight of remarkable Monaſteries) to do the like, and reſcue the obſervables of their habitations, from the teeth of time and oblivion.
Waltham is ſo called from the Saxon Ham, Waltham why ſo named.which is a Town (whence the Diminutive Hamlet) and Weald, or Wealt, that is, woody (whence the Weald of Kent) it being Anciently over-grown with trees and timber. Thus Kiriath-jearim, or the City of the woods, in Paleſtine; Dendros, an Iſland in Peloponneſus Sylviacum, an Ancient City in Belgia, got their names from the like woody ſcituation. Some will have it called Waltham, quaſi Wealthie-Ham: I wiſh they could make their words good, in reſpect of the perſons living therein, though in regard of the ſoyl it ſelf, indeed it is rich and plentiful.
The Town is ſeated on the Eaſt ſide of the River Ley, which not onelyonly The ſituation thereof.parteth Hartford-ſhire from Eſſex, but alſo ſeven times parteth from its ſelf, whoſe ſeptemfluous ſtream in coming to the Town, is croſſed again with ſo many bridges. On the one ſide, the Town it ſelf hath large and fruitful Medows (whoſe intrinſick value is much raiſed by the vicinity of London) the graſs whereof when firſt gotten an head, is ſo ſweet and luſhious to Cattle, that they diet them at the firſt entring therein to half an hour a day, leſt otherwiſe they over-eat themſelves, which ſome Kine yearlie do, and quickly die for it, notwithſtanding all their Keepers care to the contrary. On the other ſide a ſpacious Foreſt ſpreads it ſelf, where, fourteen years ſince, one might have ſeen whole Herds of Red and Fallow Deer. But theſe late licentious years have been ſuch a Nimrod, ſuch an Hunter, that all at this preſent are deſtroyed, though I could wiſh this were the worſt effect which our woful Wars have produced.
The aire of the Town is condemned by many, for over-moiſt and Aguiſh, Excuſed from bad air.cauſed by the depreſſed ſcituation thereof. In confutation of which cenſure, we produce the many aged perſons in our Town, (above threeſcore and ten, ſince my coming hither, above threeſcore and ten years of age) ſo that it ſeemes, we are ſufficiently healthful, if ſufficiently thankful for the ſame. Sure I am, what is wanting in good air in the Town, is ſupplied in the Pariſh, wherein as many pleaſant hils and proſpects are, as any place in England doth afford.
Tovy, a man of great wealth and authority, as being the Kings Staller, Firſt Founded by Tovy.(that is, Standard-Bearer) firſt Founded this Town, for the great delight which he took in the game, the place having plenty of Deer. He planted onelyonly threeſcore and ſix in-dwellers therein.
Athelſtan, his ſon, proved a Prodigal, and quickly ſpent all his Fathers Falls back to the Crown.goods and great eſtate, ſo that by ſome tranſactions the place returned to the Crown.
Anno Dom. 1060 Anno Regis. Edw. Con∣feſſor. v 18. Edward the Confeſſour, beſtowed Waltham, with the Lands thereabouts, Beſtowed on Earl Haroldon Harold his Brother-in-law, who preſently built and endowed therein a Monaſtery, whereof nothing at this day is extant, ſave the Weſt end, or body of the Church.
A ſtructure of Gothiſh-building, rather large then neate, firm then fair. The model of the modern Church.Very dark (the deſign of thoſe dayes to raiſe devotion) ſave that it was helped again with artificial lights; and is obſerved by Artiſts to ſtand the moſt exactly Eaſt and Weſt of any in England. The great pillars thereof are wreathed with indentings, which vacuities, if formerly filled up with Braſſe (as ſome confidently report) added much to the beauty of the building. But, it matters not ſo much their taking away the Braſſe from the Pillars, had they but left the Lead on the Roof, which is but meanly Tiled at this day. In a word, the beſt commendation of the Church is, that on Lords-dayes generally it is filled with a great and attentive Congregation.
To the South-ſide of the Church is joyned a Chappel, formerly our Ladies, Mortality triumphant.now a School-houſe, and under it an arched Charnel-houſe, the faireſt that ever I ſaw. Here, a pious fancy could make a feaſt to its ſelf on thoſe dry bones, with the meditation of mortality: where it is hard, yea, impoſſible to diſcern the Sculls of a rich, from a poor; wiſe, from a ſimple; noble, from a mean perſon. Thus all counters are alike when put up together in the box, or bag; though, in caſting of account, of far different valuation.
King Harold Dedicated the Monaſtery to the honour of an Holy Croſs, A Dean and Canons founded at Waltham.found far Weſt-ward, and brought hither (as they write) by miracle; whence the Town hath the addition of Waltham-Holy-Croſs; but the Church we finde in after ages alſo Dedicated to St Laurence. His foundation was for a Dean, and eleven Secular Black Canons. Let none challenge the words of impropriety, ſeeing a Dean, in Latin, Decanus, hath his name from foreign ten, over which number he is properly to be prepoſed. For, nothing more common, then to wean words from their infant and original ſenſe, and by cuſtome to extend them to a larger ſignification, as Dean afterwards plainly denoted a ſuperiour over others, whether fewer then ten, as the ſix Prebendaries of Rocheſter; or moe, as the three and thirty of Salisbury. The Dean and eleven Canons were plentifully provided for, each Canon having a Manor, and the Dean ſix for his maintenance.
Anno Dom. 1062 Anno Regis Edw. Con∣feſſor. v 20. For in the Charter of Confirmation made by King Edward the Confeſſor, Seventeen Manors confirm'd to them by the Confeſſor.beſides North-land in Waltham (now called, as I take it, North-field) wherewith the Monaſtery was firſt endowed, theſe following Lordſhops, with all their appurtenances, are reckoned up.
1. Paſſefield.
2. Walde.
3. Upminſter.
4. Walthfare.
5. Suppedene.
6. Alwertowne.
7. Wodeford.
8. Lambehide.
9. Neſingan.
10. Brickindon.
11. Melnhoo.
12. Alichſea.
13. Wormeley.
14. Nichelſwells.
15. Hitchche.
16. Lukendon.
17. Weſt-Wealtham.
Anno Dom. 1066 Anno Regis Harel. 1. All theſe the King granted unto them cum Sacha & Socha, Tol and Team, &c. free from all gelts and payments, in a moſt full and ample manner; Witneſs himſelf, Edith his Queen, Stigand Archiepiſcopus Dorobornenſis, Count Harold, and many other Biſhops and Lords ſubſcribing the ſame Charter.
Anno Dom. 1067 Anno Regis Will. Conq. 1. Afterward Harold uſurpeth the Crown, but enjoyed it not a full year, kill'd Harold Crowned, killed & buried at Waltham.in Battle-fight, by King William the Conqueror. Where either of their ſwords (if victorious) might have done the deed, though otherwiſe both their titles twiſted together, could not make half a good claim to the Crown. Githa, Mother of Harold, and two religious men of this Abby, Oſegod and Ailric, with their prayers and tears, hardly prevailed with the Conquerour (at firſt denying him burial, whoſe ambition had cauſed the death of ſo many) to have Harolds Corps (with his two Brethren, Girth and Leofwin, loſing their lives in the ſame battle) to be entombed in Waltham Church, of his foundation. He was buried, where now the Earl of Carlile his leaden Fountain in his Garden, then probably the end of the Quire, or rather ſome Eaſtern Chappel beyond it. His Tomb of plain, but rich gray Marble, with what ſeemeth a Croſs-Floree (but much deſcanted on with art) upon the ſame, ſupported with Pillarets, one Pedeſtal, whereof I have in my houſe. As for his reported Epitaph, I purpoſely omit it, not ſo much becauſe barbarous (ſcarce any better in that Age) but becauſe not atteſted, to my apprehenſion, with ſufficient Authority.
A Picture of King Harold in glaſs was lately to be ſeen in the North-window Deforming Reformers.of the Church, till ten years ſince ſome barbarous hand beat it down under the notion of Superſtition. Surely had ſuch ignorant perſons been imployed in the dayes of Hezekiah, to purge the Temple from the former Idolatry; under the pretence thereof, they would have rended off, the Lilie-work from the Pillars; and the Lions, Oxen, and Cherubims from the Baſes of Braſs. However, there is ſtill a place called Harolds-Park in our Pariſh, by him ſo denominated. Let not therefore the village of Harold on the North ſide of Ouſe neer Bedford (properly Harewood, or Harelſwood, on vulgar groundleſs tradition) conteſt with Waltham for this Kings interment.