The history of imbanking and drayning of divers fenns and marshes, both in forein parts and in this kingdom, and of the improvements thereby extracted from records, manuscripts, and other authentick testimonies / by William Dugdale.

CAP. XXXIV. How Holland and Marshland were first gained from the Sea.

BUT though the Sea, by some such strange accident, made that irrup∣tion into those parts; yet did not the tides, for any long continuance of time, flow wholly over it (as I presume:) for most evident it is; that as all flouds, do from the muddiness of their streams, leave on the Verges of their quickest currents, a sandy settlement; so by these dayly fluxes, did a vast proportion of silt fix and settle somewhat within the mouth of this Bay; which silt, in tract of time, increased to such a height, as that it exceeded the ordinary flowings of that watry Element; and thereby checking the usuall tides, got ground so fast upon the Ocean (as it is the nature of most places to do, where the Sea hath any stop) that those active and in∣dustrious people, the Romans, who made all use of art and skill to the advance∣ment of their profit, finding the soyl, thus raised above the usuall tides, to be much more rich and fertile than any up∣land ground, bestowed the pains and cost to raise strong banks of earth, on that side towards the Ocean, to defend it from the overflowing of the Spring-tides, which commonly happen about xx or xxx times in the revolution of one year; and some much higher than other, through the power of the North east winds; by which means the Coun∣ties of Holland and Marshland were thus won and gained. For that this was a work of the Romans, that expression of Tacitus l, whereof I have taken notice in my discourse concerning Romeney marsh, doth not only imply; but the coyns found in those parts, with the large heaps of earth still to be seen there (which without all doubt were raised for Monuments of some eminent mili∣tary persons, whilst their Colonies re∣mained in this Nation) do more than probably shew.

I cannot deny but that our Ancestors, the Saxons, made use of this way of se∣pulture; Saxones gens Christi ignari, in hortis amaenis, si domi fortè aegroti morieban∣tur; si foris au•• bello occisi, in aegestis per campos terrae tumulis, quos Burgos appella∣bant, sepulti sunt, saith Leland. The Saxons a Heathen people, if by reason of sicknesse they dyed at home, were buried in their Gardens; but if abroad and slain in warr, then in the fields, under heaps of earth, which they called Burrows. So likewise the Danes (once Masters of this Realm for awhi••e) as Adolphus Cyprius testifi∣eth m; Danos olim, in memoriam Regum & heroum, ex terrâ coacervatâ ingentes moles, montium instar eminentes erexisse, credibile omnino & probabile est (saith he) at{que} illis in locis, ut plurimum quo homines commea∣rant, at{que} iter haberent, ut in viis publicis, quo posteritati memoriam conservarent, & quodamodo immortalitati mandarent. That the Danes antiently, in memory of their Kings and Nobles, did raise exceeding great heaps of earth, cast up together, like unto hills, is both credible and probable; and for the most part in places where people tra∣velled, whereby they might perpetuate their memory to posterity, and in some sort make them immortal.

But that these were rather of the Ro∣mans erection, I do most incline to be∣lieve; partly in respect that they were the most likely persons for their ingenui∣ty, experience and industry, to gain these Countries from the Sea. Next by rea∣son that many of their Coyns have been found there: and lastly because so many of those Tumuli, of a very great magni∣tude, are still to be seen; it being n the Custome of the Romans so to interr, as is confirmed to us by an eminent Histori∣an, from the practice of Germanicus, who thus disposed of the unburied bones of the slain Souldiers of Varus (whereof I have, at large, elswhere o, taken notice;) as also from that passage in Lucan —Et Regum Cineres excelso monte quie∣scunt.

Nor doth it a little conduce to the proof hereof, that there have been divers Urnes p dig'd up of late years, in the cut∣ting of some drains through the adjacent Fens: So likewise in a place called Ford Ea (neer Sotham within the Isle of

Ely) wherein were found q burnt bones, ashes, and coles; all which are undoub∣ted testimonies, that some of their Col∣onies had residence in these parts.

Touching which kind of Urne Buriall see farther in that excellent discourse of the learned D^r Tho. Brown of Norwich, printed at London in An. 1658. from whom I acknowledge to have received much direction for my better guidance in this present work.

Neither is that long Causey made of gravell, of about three foot in thicknesse, and sixty foot broad (now covered with the Moor, in some places three, and in some others five foot thick) which ex∣••endeth it self from Denver in Nor∣folke (neer Salters lode) over the great wash, to Charke; thence to March Plantwater and Eldernell, and so to Peterborongh, in length about xxiiij miles, likely to be any other than a Roman work, as may seem from the words of Herodian in the life of Severus the Em∣perour; where taking notice how hardy and warlike a people the Britans were, and of their expertnesse in swimming, he saith — Sed inprimis tamen curae ha∣buit pontibus occupare paludes, ut stare in tuto milites, facile per eas discurrere pos∣sent, at{que} in solido praeliari; siquidem ple∣ra{que} loca, frequentibus Oceani alluvionibus paludescunt: per eas igitur paludes barbari ipsi natant &c. He therefore (viz. Seve∣rus) first took care to make Causeys over the Fenns, that his Souldiers might stand on firm ground, and with ease passing over them, fight on the dry land; there being ma∣ny places Fenny, by reason of the frequent inundations of the Sea, over which those bar∣barous people did swim.

Notes

• l

  In vitâ Agri∣colae.
• m

  In Annal. Sl••swic.
• n

  T••citus in ••••¦tâ A••ricolae.
• o

  An••iq. of Warwicksh. i••∣lustr.
• p

  One on the North side of Wis∣beche, ano∣ther about Prakirk.
• q

  In an. 1658.
• Lib. 3.