Anglorum speculum, or The worthies of England, in church and state Alphabetically digested into the several shires and counties therein contained; wherein are illustrated the lives and characters of the most eminent persons since the conquest to this present age. Also an account of the commodities and trade of each respective county, and the most flourishing cities and towns therein.

Proverbs.

1. A Kentish Yeoman. That is, a Plain Man of Plentiful Estate. 2. A Knight of Cales, a Gen∣entleman of Wales, and a Laird of the North-Coun∣try; a Yeoman of Kent with his yearly Rent will buy them out all three. Knights of Cales were made by Rob. E. of Essex, An. 1596. to the number of 60, some whereof were Men of mean Fortunes. 3. A Man of Kent. This relates to the Liberty or Cou∣rage of the Kentish Men. As for the first, they know not the Tenure of Villanage; as to the latter, ever since the time of Canutus, till H. 2. they had the Precedency of marching in our English Armies, to lead the Van. 4. Neither in Kent nor Christen∣dom. 'Tis said, that H. 4. of Fr. Mustering his Souldiers at the Siege of a City found more Kentish Men therein then Forreigners of all Christendom besides, which (being but 70 years since) cannot be the Original of this Prov. more ancient in use. Of England (or English Christendom,) Kent was first converted to the Faith. This seems to be the true Original of the ••••overb. According to some,

it is the Periphrasis of no where, Kent being the best place of England, Christendom of the World. 5. Kentish Long-Tailes. There's a Fable of the Pa∣gans tying Fish-tails to St. Austins backside, whilst he was preaching, in revenge whereof, real tails grew to the hinder-parts of the offenders. Some would found the Prov. on this Miracle, but the Scene of that Lying Wonder was pretended many Miles off, near Cerne in Dors. But I conceive it a Note of Disgrace which by Forreigners was first cast upon the English in general; For when there hapned a difference in Palestine, betwixt Rob. Bro∣ther of Lewis K. of Fr. and Will. Longespee E. of Salisbury, hear how the French-men insulted, O the Cowardliness of these fatal Long-tails! How happy, how clean would this our Army be, were it but purged from Tails and Long-tails. Math. Par. p. 790. That the English were hereby nicked appears by the Reply of the Earl, The Son of my Fa∣ther shall press thither to day, whither you shall not dare to approach his Horse-tail. Some will have the English so called, from the Bag they wore behind their Backs, whist the Monsieurs had their Lacqueys to carry their Baggage; The Proverb continues still in Kent, (likely,) because it lyes nearest to France. Others will have the Kentish so called, from dragging Bows of Trees behind them, which afterwards they advanced above their Heads, and so partly Cozened, partly Threatned K. Will. the Conq. to continue their ancient Customs. 6 Ken∣tish Gavel-kind. A Custom whereby Lands are e∣qually divided among all the Sons, and in default of such, among the Daughters, that is, Give all Kind, Kind signifying a Child in the Low-Dutch. This practice was derived to our Saxons from the ancient Germans. An. 18. H. 6. there was not

above 40 Persons in Kent, but all their Land was held by this Tenure; But on the Petition of divers Gen∣tlemen, this Custom was altered by Act of Parl. 31. H. 8. and the Kentish Lands for the most part re∣duced to an Uniformity with the rest of England. 7. Dover Court, all Speakers and no Hearers. Ex∣pressing a tumultuous Court once kept at Dover, and implying all irregular Conferences, &c. 8. The Father to the Bough, The Son to the Plough. That is, tho the Father be Executed for his Offence, the Son shall nevertheless succeed to his Inheritance, and hold it by the same Services by which his Fa∣ther did hold the same, tho the Goods and Chat∣tels be forfeited. But this holds only in Felony and Murder, and not in the Case of Treason, nor peradventure in Piracy, which belongs to the Ju∣risdiction of the Court of Admiralty; Neither doth it hold where the Offendor will not abide his lawful Tryal, For in these Cases the real Estate of the Offendor shall be forfeited. 9. Tenterdens Steeple is the Cause of the Breach in Goodwyn Sands. It is used in derision, when one assigns for the Cause of any Acccident, that which is ridiculous and im∣pertinent. This Proverb was at first a serious asser∣tion of an old Man of Kent, for said he, those Sands were firm Lands before that Steeple was built, which ever since were overflown with Sea Water. And some affirm that the Money which was collected for the Fencing of East Banks against the Eruptions of the Sea, was commuted by the B. of Roch. to the Building of Tenterden Steeple; By which diversion of the collection, the Sea afterwards brake in upon Goodwyn Sands. 10. A Jack of Dover, that is, Food that is unsavoury by reason of frequent dressing, Crambe bi••cocta; and is appliable to such who use Tautologies.