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]

[ B] THE BRITISH OCEAN.

[ C] NOw have I rather passed over than throughly surveied all BRITAIN, namely, those two most flourishing Kingdomes, ENGLAND and SCOTLAND: And whereas I am now to crosse the seas for IRELAND, and the rest of the Isles, if I premise some few lines touching the British sea,* 1.1 I hope it shal not seem a crooked course, or an extravagāt digression. BRITAIN is encompassed round about with the vast open and main O∣cean, which ebbeth and floweth so violently with main tides, that, as Pytheas of Marsiles hath reported,* 1.2 it swelleth 80. cubits about Britaine: and St. Ba∣sile hath tearmed it Mare Magnum, &c. The great sea and dreadfull to [ D] Sailers: yea and S. Ambrose wrote thus of it; The great sea not adven∣tured on by sailers,* 1.3 nor attempted by Mariners, is that which with a roaring and surging current environeth Britaine, and reacheth into far remote parts, and so hidden out of sight, as that the fables have not yet come hither. Certes this sea sometimes overfloweth the fields adjoining, otherwhiles again it retireth & leaveth all bare: and that I may use the words of Plinie, by reason of this open largenesse, it feeleth more effectually the force and influence of the Moone, exercising her power thereupon without impeach∣ment: and it floweth alwaies up within the land with such violence, that it [ E] doth not onely drive back the streames of rivers, but also either overtaketh and surpriseth beasts of the land, or else leaveth behind it those of the sea. For there have bin seen in everie age, to the great astonishment of the beholders, so many and so huge Seamonsters left on dry land on our shore, that Horace sang this note not without good cause:

Belluosus qui remotis Obstrepit Oceanus Britannis. The Ocean of sea-monsters fraight with store, Upon the Britans farre remote doth roare.

[ F] And Juvenal in the like tune.

Quanto Delphino Balaena Britannica major. As much as Whales full huge, that use to breed In British Sea, the Dolphins doe exceed.

And so great an adventure and exploit it was thought, but to crosse only this [ A] our sea, that Libanius the Grecian sophister, in a Panegy••icall oration unto Constantinus Chlorus, cried out in these words: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: that is, This voiage into Britain seemed comparable to the greatest triumph.* 1.4 And Julius Firmicus, not that famous Astrologer, but another that was a Christian, in a little treatise of the errour of profane re∣ligions, written unto the Emperours Constans & Constantius, brake out in∣to this exclamation. In winter time (a thing that never was done before, nor ever will be done again) ye trampled under your oares the swelling [ B] and raging billowes of the British Ocean. The waves of the sea, un∣known in a manner before times unto us, then trembled and quaked, and the Britans were terrified at the sudden presence of the Emperor: What will ye more? the verie elements yeelded themselves as conque∣red unto your valerous vertues.

The famous learned man Julius Scaliger in his Poeticalls, affirmeth that Caurus the North-west winde ariseth and bloweth out of this British sea,* 1.5 and that against the opinion of Lucan, who wrote thus: [ C]

Primus ab Oceano caput exeris Atlantaeo, Caure, movens aestus.

From Ocean call'd Atlantick, Caur thou first Thy head dost shew, making seas fell and curst.

Certes in Ireland he keeps foule work, and plaies the tyrant; and Caesar wri∣teth [ D] that a great part of the yeere he stands in this coast.

But whereas some write that in this our sea ships were first devised & used, I am not disposed to beleeve them. But Plinie witnesseth that the Britans used small wicker vessels,* 1.6 covered over with hides (which at this day they tearm Cor∣raghs) and with Plinie accordeth Lucan, who versifieth in this wise.

Primùm cana salix madefacto vimine parvam Texitur in puppim, caesóque induta juvenco, Vectoris patiens tumidum super emicat amnem: [ E] Sic Venetus stagnante Pado, fusoque Britannus Navigat Oceano.

At first wet twigges of willow grey, that long in soake had laine, And covered over close with hide of Oxe or Bullocke slaine, (But wrought before unto the forme of little barke or boat) Used to carrie passengers, the swelling streames afloat. Thus over Po, that river large, sailes the Venetian, [ F] And thus the Britan maketh way upon the spacious Ocean.

Semblably Solinus Polyhistor. In the sea between Britain and Ireland they saile in wicker bottomes, which they cover round about with

[ A] Oxe hides. And how long soever as the course holdeth, so long the sai∣lers forbeare food.

As for the commodities which this sea affordeth, the warmth whereby it comforteth and cherisheth the earth, the vapours wherewith it nourisheth the aire, and bedeweth the fields: touching also the great varietie of fishes that it breedeth, as Salmons (which Bede calleth Isicios, as Plinie Esox) Plaice, Pungers, Cods, Hadocks, Whitings, Herrings, Basse, Maccarell, Mullets, Tur∣bits, Seales or Sea-calves, Rochets, Soles, Pilchards, Raifish or Scale, Thorn∣back, [ B] Oisters, Lobsters, Crab-fish, and an infinite number of others, whereof it maintaineth and feedeth innumerable skuls and beds, it is not materiall to speake,* 1.7 they are so well knowne. Yet the pearles are not to bee overpassed in si∣lence, which King Jubas reporteth to be shaped round, and to swim in the Bri∣tish sea by flockes or swarmes, in manner of bees, following their Captaine and Leader.

And Marcellinus, when he had spoken of the Persian and Indian pearles; which kind of gemme (saith he) we are not ignorant to be engendred [ C] and gathered in the creekes of the British sea, although they bee not of that beautie and worth. Which although they be accounted by Plinie small ones, and ill coloured, yet Suetonius writeth, that Caesar made his voiage into Britaine in hope of them; and that they were of such bignesse, as he took the peise of some of them by hand, and dedicated a brest-plate made of them unto Venus Genitrix, which he also witnessed by a subscription. Origen likewise as touching these pearles writeth thus: Sea-pearles, such as be most nota∣ble, are found among the Indians, but the best are bred in the Red sea: In the next place are those pearles which are taken in the British Oce∣an: [ D] but of a third sort, and inferiour in goodness not to those first only, but also to these of the second degree, are they that be found in Bospho∣rus neere Scythia. And after a few lines: But that kind which they say is gotten in Britain, for the superficiall colour verily somwhat resembleth a golden hew, but cloudie it is and troubled, and for the lustre with the dimmest Furthermore, our Venerable Bede writing of the Shell-fishes of this our sea: Among them (saith hee) there be * 1.8 Muscles, wherein they find enclosed oftentimes the best pearle of all colours, of purple, [ E] violet, and greene, but especially of bright white. There be cochles al∣so in exceeding great abundance, wherewith they die a scarlet colour: the most beautifull red hew whereof, no heat of sunne, nor injurie of raine is ever able to make pale; but the * 1.9 older it is, the fairer it shew∣eth. And Tertullian reproving the lavish expence and superfluitie in his time: If ambitious pride (saith he) may be maintained from the British or Indian seas, there is a kind of shell-fish more pleasant in taste, I say not than the purple fish or oister, but than the very scallop it selfe.

[ F] This sea, which generally is called MARE BRITANNICUM, and OCEA∣NUS CALEDONIUS, according to the divers situation of places hath sundry and distinct names.

Eastward, where it hath Germanie opposite unto it, they call it the GERMAN [ A] sea: Northward, it is tearmed the Hyberborean sea, which ancient writers reported untruely, to be dead, dull, and heavie for the oare, and in that respect not raised with winds: and Tacitus beleeved it was so, belike, because, as he writeth, the Lands and Mountaines be rare, which mini∣ster cause and matter of tempests, and for that a deep masse of continuat sea is more slowly stirred to work and rage. On the West side it is named OCEANUS DEUCALEDONIUS, and VERGIVIUS, both South and West from Ireland: but all the way that it runneth between Britain and Ireland, the HI∣BERNICUS, [ B] that is,* 1.10 Irish sea, and by Sea-men at this day S. Georges Chanel, And ancient writers have recorded that it rageth all the yeer long, with surging billowes and counter seas, and never is at rest nor navigable, unlesse it be in some few summer daies. But Southward, where it inter∣floweth France and Britain, it is properly called the BRITISH sea, and by the common mariners, the Chanel, by English sailers the SLEEVE; and in the same sense Le Manche in French, because it groweth narrow in manner of a sleeve. And this name of the BRITISH sea extended as farre as to Spaine, as [ C] writeth Pomponius Mela,* 1.11 being himselfe also a Spaniard, where he repor∣teth that the Pyrene Mountain runneth forth into the BRITISH OCEAN.

Moreover, there be certain Ilands, which, as it were for a shew, Nature hath be sprinkled along these seas, fewer toward the East and South parts, but West∣ward and Northward more in number. For there, by their thick standing to∣gether, they do after a sort garnish the sea, yea and depaint it as it were with their colours, in most pleasant sort. But for as much as Ireland farre excelleth all the rest, in regard of the greatnesse thereof and frequencie of resort there∣to, [ D] it requireth by due right, that it should first be treated of.

[ E] [ F]

Notes

• * 1.1

  The British sea▪
• * 1.2

  Lib. Hexame∣ron. cap. 3.
• * 1.3

  British sea in times past un∣knowne.
• * 1.4

  Iul. Firmicus.
• * 1.5

  The winde Caurus.
• * 1.6

  The old twig∣gen or wicker ships of the Britans.
• * 1.7

  Pearles.
• * 1.8

  Musculae.
• * 1.9

  Vetu••tior Venustior.
• * 1.10

  Julius Solinus.
• * 1.11

  Lib. 2. c. 4.