PARERGA. I. Suffolk and . two. An Oxford-Conference. iii. A Winter-nights Exercise. iv. ELOGIA CAMDENIANA. v. A Paper-Monument. Prodesse & Delectare. An. MDCLX. A SHORT VIEW OF SUFFOLK AND . Tecum habita. Printed An. Dom. MDCLX. A Short View OF Suffolk and . Ex Illustri Autore GUIL. CAMDENO. SUFFOLK 1. ON the South of Norfolk, hath Cambridge on the West, divided from Essex Southward by the River Stow, the Germane Ocean beating on the East; two Rivers, little Ouse and Waveny, running several ways from the same Springs between Norfolk and it. 2. A Region large, harbourous, of a rich soil except Eastward, fruitful corne-fields, and good pastures, and meadows for fatting , abounding in cheese, and not without woods, and many Parks for Deer adjoining to Noble Houses. 3. The politic or civil Distribution of this County is into 3 Parts, The Geldable, St. Edmund's Liberty, and St. Etheldreds'. 3. Near Cambridgshire is seated Ixning, of lesser fame now then heretofore, by reason of the vicinity of New-market, whither the Trade is carried. New-market Heath is a large and spacious Plain, barren and sandy, but green; here men admire at Devils dike, as if the Devil had made it, whereas no doubt it was but a Trench made of old by the Inhabitants of this Country, against the Incursions of their Enemies. 5. Onward is St. Edmund's Bury, a famous Town, so called from Edmund, a most Christian King, whose body, after he was cruelly slain by the Danes, was here interred. It flourished much, which K. Canute had repaired, and new built the Church, offered his Crown to the holy Martyr, brought in Monks with their Abbot, and bestowed many Lands upon them, and among the rest, the Town itself. Of the Town and Monastery, while it stood, hear Lelands' Testimony, an Eye-witness, Sol non vidit urbem situ elegantiorem, sic molli delicata pendet in clivo, & ridulus ad Orientem defluit; aut Coenobium illustrius, etc. 6. Near unto Bury appears Rushbrook, the Seat of the noble Family of the Iermins: and not far off Ikesworth, and more on the North Fernham; and near it Lidgate, a Village not to be passed by in silence, being ennobled by the birth of john Lidgate Monk, whose wit the Muses themselves framed and adorned, his English Poems are of such grace and elegancy. Thus of the Western part, 8. On the South, Stour, nigh the Fountain, overflows, and makes Stour-mere, and then collecting his waters within banks, visits Clare, a noted Town, which shows you the ruins of an old Castle. Thence by long Melford rejoicing to see the fair Hospital built there by Sr. William Cordall, he passeth on to Sudbury (Southbury) once the chief Town of this Shire, and yet will not easily yield priority to any other: for it is populous, and a rich clothing Town, governed by a Major yearly chosen out of seven Aldermen. 8. Edwardston is not far off, a Town of small note now, and after a few miles Stour is increased by the access of the little river Breton, which, in no long course, washes two Towns of ancient Names; near the springs, Bretenham, now a little one, and having no face of a City; and somewhat Eastward, Ofton, i. e. the Town of Offa K. of Mercians; beneath which is Hadley, a Town of good note for clothing. 9 Stour having received Breton runs down with it, not far from Bentley, and after a few miles near Arwenton, the Seat of the illustrious Family of the Parkers, drowns himself in the Ocean, meeting with the river Orwell or Gipping. 10. Orwell floweth even out of the belly of this Country, from two Fountains, the one near Wulpet, a Market Town (Luporum fossa) the other at Gipping a poor Village. At Norton, by it, K. Henry 8. sought for Golden Mines in vain, and the pits speak as much. 11. Along the same River are seen Stow, and Needham, two Market Towns, and Himingston almost on the bank of it, where Baldwin le Petture held Lands by a strange merry Tenure, per saltum, sufflum, & pettum. 12. Nearer the mouth of it appears Ipswich (of old Gippewich,) of an humble site, the eye, as it were, of this County, a commodious Haven, a great Market-Town of trade, a great multitude of Inhabitants, beautified with Fourteen Churches, and many fair and magnificent Buildings. The Corporation consists of Twelve Burgesses (called Portmen) of which the chief are two Bailieffs chosen yearly, and as many justices out of Twenty-four others. Thus for the Southern part. 13. The Eastern Coasts upon the Sea, running toward the North. The River Deben riseth near Mendlesham a market Town, thence visiteth and gives name to Debenham, from the deep ways round about it: afterwards it runs by Vfford and Rendolesham on the other side, and so to Woodbridge, delighted with the neatness of the Town; and then after a few miles is entertained by the Ocean, at Badsway Haven. 14. Now the Shore advanceth a little Eastward, at the mouth of the river Orns, which hath its rise near Framlingham Castle, and presently spreads itself as it were into a Lake, on ●he West side thereof. This is a very fair Castle, and well fortified, with thirteen Turrets in a great thick wall, and within are many convenient handsome Lodgings. Orns having washed a little Town Parham, and then Glemham, gives name to Oreford, and near it falls into the Sea, 15. Oreford was a large and populous Town, but now complains of the ungrateful Ocean, for withdrawing himself, and envying her the commodity of her Haven by little and little. In the time of King Henry, there is a story, how the Fishermen here caught in their nets a wild creature, representing in all parts the shape of a man, with a long beard, and much rough hair on his breast; who, at last secretly escaped to the Sea, and was seen no more. 16. Not much higher, in a safe and pleasant Site, lies Alburg, between the Valley Slangden, where the Sea beats on the East, and the River on the West; a Station for Mariners and Fishermen not incommodious, nor unfrequented: Hard by, when the Harvest was spoiled all England over by unseasonable weather, in the Year 1555. Peale grew up miraculously, without any earth, amongst the stones, in the beginning of Autumn, and abated the price of Corn, as the Inhabitants relate; Some conjecture, that Pulse by shipwrecks is cast upon the shore, and so uses to grow without any miracle. But the like spontaneous Harvest we have observed to be on the shore of Kent every year. 17. Ten miles further, along the Sea-coast you come to Dunwich, where An. 630. Felix the Burgundian fixed his Episcopal See, and his Successors a long time governed all the East of England; but now the violence of the waves having carried away the greatest part of it, the Bishops having many ages since removed their Chair thence; It sits in sadness, and almost in solitude. A little higher the River Blithe emptieth it into the Sea, on whose bank is seated a small Town, Blithborow, which hath a Market by favour of john Lord Clavering. 18. Here runs farther into the East, the Promontory Easton-ness, esteemed the most Eastern point of all Britain; and is called by Ptolemy, Extensio. On the South of it lies Southwold in a plain open to the Sea; a Town frequented for the Havens sake, which the river Blithe entering the sea, makes there; and when the Tide comes, so surrounded with the waters, that it seemeth an Island, and you would wonder it is not overflown. More inward you have Wingfield and Dunnington: and not far off Huntingfeild; and nearer it Heveningham, the seat of a Noble Family that have their name thence: at a little distance is Halesworth, now the Seat of the Alingtons. 19 On the North; this Province, as we said, is divided from Norfolk by two small Rivers, Ouse and Waveney; both which issuing out of a plashy place at Lophamford, their springs being very little distant, drive their shallow streams divers ways. Upon Ouse, which runneth West, nothing offers itself on this side worthy of memory: upon Waveney, that runneth East, you shall see Hoxon first, ennobled by the Martyrdom of K. Edmund. Near it, at Broom, hath long dwelled the noble Family of Cornwallis. Lower is Eay, i.e. Isle, so called, because it is watered round about. 20. Thence Waveney runs down by Flixton (for Felixton, from the first Bp. Felix, as many other places were also named from him) and almost encompasseth Bungey. A little below near the Bank, you shall see Mettingham. And now Waveney approaching to the Sea, and attempting in vain to go two ways thither, one by the River Garienis, another by the Lake Luthing, makes a fair Peninsula, named by some Lovingland, by others, more truly, Luthingland, from that long and diffused Lake, which beginning at the shore of the Ocean reacheth to the river Garienis. 21. At the entrance of which Peninsula a little Town Lestroffe lies upon the Sea, at the end of it Gorlston. Inward upon Waveny is seated Somerly, and higher, where Garienis and Waveny mingle themselves Cnobersburg, which we now call Burgh-Castle, being only ruined walls, enriched with Roman Coins often found there. Parishes 775. GLOUCESTER -- SHIRE. THe primary Seat of the Old Dobuni, hath Monmouth and Hereford-shire on the West, Worcester-shire on the North, on the East, Oxford and ; Wilt-shire and on the South: a Country pleasant and fertile, stretched forth from the Summer-rising of the Sun to wintersetting. 2. The more Eastern part raising itself in Hills is known by the name of Cotsall; the midst is sunk and fallen into a most fruitful Plain, and watered by the most noble River Severn, that gives a vital force and verdure unto the fields: the more Western part beyond Severn is all shaded with Woods. 3. The Region, saith Malmesbury, is called from the principal Town, The Vale of Gloucester; all the Land rich in Corn, and abounding in fruit: You may behold the Highways apparelled as it were were with Appletrees and Pear-trees, not by the industry of Plantation, but by the very nature of the Soil. A Region, more than any other Province in England, plentiful in Vines, of a more delightful taste, the wines being very grateful to the palate, and not much inferior to your French wines in sweetness, etc. No marvel so many places in these parts retain the name of Vineyards, yielding wine heretofore; and it is rather to be imputed to the ill-husbandry of the Inhabitants, than the decay of Nature, that there is none pressed at this day. 4. The more Western part, on the other side Severn (possessed of old by the Silureses) even to the Wye (a River running betwixt Wales and England) is full of deep woods, the Forest of Dean, so called, either from a little Town of that name, or, as I conjecture, from Arden, signifying both among the Galls and Britain's, a wood: the Forest is now, since the Iron-works there, grown thinner than heretofore. 5. Here is Avone, of most ancient memory, mentioned by Antoninus, now called Aventon, a little Village, probably so called from Avon, which to the Britain's signifies a River. 6. The river Severn (Brit. Huffron) having gone a long journey in a narrower channel, where it first enters this Shire, receives the river Avon, and another little stream from the East, between which is seated Tewksbury, so called from Theoc the Hermit here, a large and fair Town, having three Bridges, noted for clothing, and whose Mustard for biting is become Proverbial, being made up in balls. 7. Lower, on the bank of Severn, lies Deorhist, and suffers much damage by the overflowing of the river, when it swells. Here in the midst of Severn is At●ey, now the Eight, i e. Island, famous for the single Combat of Edmund the English King and Canute the Dane. 8. Severn goes on in a winding course, and dividing itself, to make an Island of the green and fertile meadows, washes the City Gloucester, which Antonine calls Glevum, the Britain's Caer Glowi, i. e. The Fair City. It was built by the Romans, to awe the Silureses, and a Colony was brought thither, named Colonia Glevum. The City is built along upon the river, and the other side is in part fortified by a very strong wall. The Streets are indeed very neat; and they were adorned with many Churches: The principal Church, or College, was built by Aldred Archbishop of York, and had a Dean, with 6 Prebendaries: above the Choir, there is a semicircular vault, a Whispering-place, built with that artifice, that a very soft voice is conveyed between the walls, from one end to the other, to the admiration of the hearers. 9 Severn bidding farewell to Gloucester, uniteth her divided forces, and fighteth often with a violent Tide, and bends her course to the Ocean, on the way visiting Barkley, a Town of good note, having a Major to govern it, and a Castle, honoured by the ancient Nobility of her Lords, the Barons of Barkley. 10. Near unto this, a little rivet Aven runs into the Severn Sea, at whose springs, scarce eight miles off the shore, near the Village Alderley are bred stones in the shape of Cockles and Oysters, which, whether they were living creatures once, or are only the sports of wanton nature, let the Physiologers inquire. 11. Now let us climb the Hills, and view Cotsall, so called from the hills (for wood signifies a Hill, and the Coats or Folds of sheep, famous for their soft and fine wool through all Nations. Under these hills are sheltered several places of especial mark. 12. Campden, or Camden, a Market Town of of note: Hales, once a most flourishing Monastery, famous for that Alexander of Hales, the Coryphoeus and chief of Schoolmen: Sudeley, a most elegant Castle (the stately House of the Illustrious Lord George, late Lord Chandos Baron of Sudeley:) Winchcomb, an ancient populous Town (but very poor now, were it not for the Plantation of Tobacco) where Kenulph the Mercian King erected a fair Monastery, famed for the Relics of Kenelm, a Child traitorously made away by his Sister, and inserted into the Catalogue of Ma tyrs. 1r3. Near the Eastern bounds of this County is to be seen that celebrious Roman way, called the Fosse, which comes from , by Lemington, a Station of the Romans, (as the Roman Coins there found seem to testify) and then by Stow on the wood, exposed to the cold winds, and Northleach (washed by a rivulet of the same appellation) to Cirencester or Ciciter. 14. Ciciter, a Town of very great Antiquity, Corinum in Ptolemy, exactly 15 Miles from the Gloc, taking the name from the river Corinus, or Churn (which runs on the South of it, and affords opportunity of Mills) was a place of great dignity, as the Roman coins, Marbles, and other Monuments often found there, do prove. The Fourth part scarce is now inhabited, the rest turned into Fields, and ruins of an old Religious House, built as they say by the Saxons. The Inhabitants are enriched by clothing, and thankfully remember the bounty of K. Richard the first, who gave them power over 7 adjacent Hundreds, to hear Causes, and receive Mulcts and other Emoluments thereby. 15. Among the Dukes of Gloucester most memorable is Humphrey brother to the renowned King Henry the fift; a man of high desert toward the Commonwealth of Learning: FINIS.