Britain, or A chorographicall description of the most flourishing kingdomes, England, Scotland, and Ireland, and the ilands adjoyning, out of the depth of antiquitie beautified vvith mappes of the severall shires of England: vvritten first in Latine by William Camden Clarenceux K. of A. Translated newly into English by Philémon Holland Doctour in Physick: finally, revised, amended, and enlarged with sundry additions by the said author.

[ A]

BRECHNOCK-SHIRE.

BEneath Radnor-shire Southward lyeth BRECHNOCK-SHIRE, in the British Brechineau so named, as the Welsh∣men relate, of a Prince named Brechanius, whom they report to have had a great, and an holy Offspring, to wit, twenty foure Daughters all Saints. Farre greater this is than Rad∣nor-shire, but thicker set with high Hilles; yet are the val∣leies fruitfull every where. On the East side it is bounded [ B] with Hereford-shire. On the South with Monmo••th, and Glamorgan-shires: ond on the West with Caermarden-shire. But seeing there is no∣thing memorable or materiall to the description of this small Province, which is not set downe by the curious diligence of Giraldus Cambrensis who was an Arch∣deacon heereof above foure hundred yeeres since. I thinke I may doe well for my selfe to hold my peace a while, and to admit him with his stile into the fellowship of this labour.

Brecknocke, saith hee, in his Booke called Itinerarium Cambriae, is a Country having sufficient store of Corne; and if there bee any defect thereof, it is plentifully supplied out of [ C] the fruitefulnesse of England bordering so neere upon it; a Country likewise well stored with pastures and Woods, with wilde Déere and heards of Cattaile, having abundance beside of fresh water fish, wherewith Vske on the one side and Wy on the other serveth it: For, both these Rivers are full of Salmons and Trouts, but Wy of the twaine is the better, affording the best kinde of them which they call Vmbras. Enclosed it is on every side with high hilles, unlesse it be on the North part. In the West it hath the mountaines of Canterbochan: On the South∣side likewise the Southern mountaines, the chiefe whereof is called Cadier Arthur, that is, Arthurs chaire, of the two toppes of the same (for it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is, shaped with two capes) resembling the forme of a Chaire. And for that the Chaire standeth very high and upon a steepe downefall, by a common tearme it was assigned to Arthur the greatest and [ D] mightiest King of the Britans. In the very pitch and top of this hill, there walmeth forth a spring of water: And this fountaine in manner of a Well is deepe, but foure square, having no brooke or Riveret issuing from it, yet are there Trouts found therein. And therefore ha∣ving these barres on the South side, the aire is the colder, defendeth the Country from the ex∣cessive heat of the Sunne, and by a certaine naturall wholsomnesse of the aire, maketh it most temperate. But on the East side the mountaines of Talgar and Ewias doe as it were fore∣sense it.

On the North side, as he said, it is more open and plaine, namely where the River Wy severeth it from Radnor-shire, by which stand two Townes well knowne for their antiquity, Buelth and Hay. Buelth is pleasantly situate with Woods about it, fortified [ E] also with a Castle, but of a later building, by the Breoses and Mortimers, when as Rhese ap Gruffin had rased the ancient Castle. Now, the Mercate much resorted unto maketh it more famous thereabout, but in times past it seemeth to have beene for the owne worth of great name, because Ptolomee observed the position therof ac∣cording to the Longitude and Latitude:* 1.1 who called it BULLEUM Silurum. Of this towne the country lying round about it, being rough and full of hils; is named Buelth: wherein, when as the Saxons were now spoiling and harrying the whole Island, and Vortigern had withdrawne himselfe into these parts, Pascentius his sonne ruled all as Lord, by the permission of Aurelius Ambrose, as Ninnius writeth, who in his Chap∣ter of Mervails, reporteth I wot not what wondrous thing heere, of a heape of [ F] stones, wherein, forsooth, was plainly to be seene the footing of King Arthurs hound. And as for Hay,* 1.2 which in British is called Trekethle, that is, The Towne in a grove of Hasell trees, in the very utmost skirt of this Shire next unto Hereford-shire, it standeth hard by the river Wye: well knowne, as it seemeth to the Romans, whose coines is often digged up there, and it sheweth also by the ruines, that in old time it was walled. But

being now as it were decaied it complaineth of that most lewde Rebell Owen Glendo∣werdwy for his furious outrages, who in wasting and spoiling all those Countries, [ A] most villanously did depopulate it and set it on fire.

As this River Wy washeth the North side of this Shire, so doth Vske a notable Ri∣ver likewise runne through the middest thereof, which Vske springing out of the Blacke-Mountaine,* 1.3 passeth along with a shallow streame, beside Brechnock the Shire Towne, standing in the very heart in manner of the Country, which the Britans call Aber-Hodney, because the two Rivers Hodney and Uske doe meet in that place. That this Towne was inhabited in the Romans time, appeareth by the Coines of Roman Emperours now and then digged up heere. Bernard Newmarch, who conquered this little Shire, built heere a goodly great Castle, which the Breoses and Bohuns repai∣red: [ B] and in our fathers remembrance King Henry the Eighth in the Friery of the Dominicans appointed a Collegiat Church of foureteene Prebendaries, which hee translated hither from Aberguilly in Caer-Marden-shire.

Two miles hence Eastward, there spreads it selfe abroad a large Poole, which the Britans call Linsavethan and Linsavathen,* 1.4 that is, A Lake of standing water, Giraldus tearmeth it Clamosum, that is, Clamorous, or Crying loud, because it maketh a strange noise like thunder, as often as the Yce thereon doth thaw. In English we name it Brecknock-Meere.* 1.5 Two miles it is in length and as much in bredth: breeding in times past many Otters, now full of Pearches, Tenches, and Eeles, which the Fishers row∣ing in small pliant botes doe take. [ C]

Leveney a little River, after it is runne into this Poole keepeth his owne hew and color still by himselfe; as disdaining to be mingled therewith, (which the very color sheweth) is thought to carry out his owne water entertained a while there by the way, and no more than hee brought in with him. It hath beene a currant speech of long continuance among the neighbours thereabout, that where now the Meere is, there was in times past a City, which being swallowed up in an earthquake, resigned up the place unto the waters. And beside other reasons, they alleage this for one, that all the high waies of this shire come directly hither on every side. Which if it be true, what other City should a man thinke stood by the River Leveney, than LOVEN∣TIUM, which Ptolomee placeth in this tract:* 1.6 and in no place hitherto could I finde [ D] it (albeit I searched diligently for it) either by the name, or situation, or ruines re∣maining. Marianus Scotus (which I had almost forgotten) seemeth to call this Lake Bricena•• Meere,* 1.7 who recordeth that Edelfled the Mercian Lady, in the yeere 913. entred into the land of the Britans to win by assault a Castle at Bricenau Meere; and that she tooke there the King of the Britans wife prisoner. Whether this Castle were Brechnock it selfe or Castle Dinas,* 1.8 which standeth over it upon a rockey hill, and which the higher it riseth the slenderer and smaller it becommeth, it is not certainely knowne.* 1.9 But that Blean Laveney Castle hard by, was the chiefe place of the Barony, that Petre Fitz Herbert the sonne of Herbert Lord of Dean-forest by Lucy the daugh∣ter of Miles Earle of Hereford held, appeareth evidently upon Record. [ E]

* 1.10In the Raigne of King William Rufus, Bernard Newmarch the Norman, a man both hardy and politique withall, having levied a great Army of Englishmen and Nor∣mans together, was the first that entred into this territory by force and armes, won it and wrested it out of the Welshmens hands by bloudy encounters, raised fortresses heere for his fellow souldiers (among which the chiefe were the Aubreeis, Gunters, Haverds, Waldbeofes and Prichards) allotted lands and lordships, and that hee might set sure footing, and establish his seat among the Welsh, who repined maliciously at him, he tooke to wife Nesta the daughter of Gruffin: who being a woman of a shame∣lesse and revengefull spirit, both bereft her selfe of her owne good name, and also de∣feated her sonne of his inheritance. For, when Mahel the said Bernards onely sonne, [ F] did shake up in som hard and sharpe termes a young Gentleman, with whom she u∣sed more familiarly than was beseeming: shee, as the Poet saith, iram atque animos à crimine s••mens, growing angry and stomackfull upon this imputation, tooke her cor∣porall oath before King Henry the Second, and protested that her sonne Mahel was

[ A] begotten in adultery, and not by Bernard her Husband: whereupon Mahel being disinherited, Sibyl his sister entred upon that faire Inheritance, and with the same enriched her Husband Miles, Earle of Hereford. But after that five sonnes of Miles died without issue,* 1.11 this Brechnock-shire in the partition of the inheritance fell to Ber∣tha his daughter: who by Philip de Breos had a sonne William de Breos Lord of Brech∣nock, upon whom the seditious spirit and shrewd tongue of his wife drew a world of calamities. For when shee had with her intemperate and unbridled language contu∣meliously abused King John,* 1.12 the King thereupon (because her Husband William was very deepely indebted unto him) fell to bee quicke and rigorous in demanding the debt: But he, not able to make payment, after he had shifted it off many times, and [ B] by breaking day, still made default, in the end mortgaged unto the King three of his Castles; namely Hay, Brecknock and Radnor, and put them into his hands. But soone after, levying certaine forces, such as he could muster up in haste, upon a sud∣daine, surprised them, slew the Garison Souldiers and wrested the said peeces per∣force from them, burnt the Towne of Lemster, and thus killing, slaying and driving away booties, he made foule worke and havocke every way, with all such outrages as Rebels doe commonly commit. But when the King pursued him, hee conveyed himselfe and all that he had into Ireland, complotted and combined with the Kings enemies there: yet under a colour, as if hee would make submission, hee came unto the King upon protection and assurance given of safety when he was upon his returne [ C] into Ireland. And notwithstanding many goodly promises of the contrary, he rai∣sed new stirres and troubles eftsoones in Wales: But forced in the end to leave his native Country, he died a banished man in France. As for his wife being taken priso∣ner, and famished in prison (the extremest misery that can befall unto man or woman) she paied most deerely for her wicked and malapert tongue. His sonne Giles, Bishop of Hereford, by the favour and consent of King John, having recovered his fathers inheritance neglecting his nephew the right heire, left it unto his brother Reginald, whose sonne William, Lhelin Prince of Wales having taken him in bed with his wife, hanged. But by the daughters of that William, the Mortimers, Cantelows, and Bo∣huns Earles of Hereford entred upon a great and goodly inheritance. And this Brech∣nock [ D] fell in partition unto the Bohuns, and in the end by them unto the Staffords: and when Edward Stafford Duke of Buckingham was attainted, many very goodly reve∣newes fell unto the King in this Shire, and elsewhere.

It reckoneth Parishes 61.

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Notes

• * 1.1

  Bulleum.
• * 1.2

  Hay.
• * 1.3

  Brecknock.
• * 1.4

  Linsavethen Mere.
• * 1.5

  Brecknock Mere.
• * 1.6

  Loventium.
• * 1.7

  Bricenaw Mere.
• * 1.8

  Brecknock.
• * 1.9

  Blean Leveney.
• * 1.10

  Lords of Brechnock.
• * 1.11

  Called also Braus and Breus.
• * 1.12

  Red Booke in the Exchequer.