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LANCA-SHIRE.
THE Countie Palatine of Lancaster (famous for the foure Henries,* 1.1 the fourth, fift, sixt, and seventh, Kings of England, derived from Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster) is upon the South confined and parted by the River Mersey, from the Countie Palatine of Chester; the faire Countie of Darby∣shire bordering upon the East; the large County of Yorke∣shire, together with Westmerland and Cumberland, being her kind neighbours upon the North, and the Sea called Mare Hibernicum embracing her upon the West.
* 1.2(2) The forme thereof is long, for it is so inclosed be∣tweene Yorke-shire, on the East side, and the Irish Sea on the West, that where it boundeth upon Cheshire on the South side, it is broader, and by little and little more Northward it goeth (confining upon Westmerland) the more narrow it groweth It containeth in length from Brathey Northward,* 1.3 to Halwood Southward, fiftie seven miles; from Denton in the East, to Formby by Altmouth in the West, thirtie-one; and the whole circumference in compasse, one hundred threescore and ten miles.
* 1.4(3) The Ayre is subtile and piercing, not troubled with grosse vapours or foggie mists, by reason whereof the peo∣ple of that Countrey live long and healthfully, and are not subject to strange and unknown diseases.
* 1.5(4) The Soyle for the generalitie is not very fruitfull, yet it produceth such numbers of Cattle, of such large pro∣portion, and such goodly heads, and hornes, as the whole Kingdome of Spaine doth scarce the like. It is a Countrey replenished with all necessaries for the use of man,* 1.6 yeelding without any great labour, the Commoditie of Corne, Flaxe, Grasse, Coales, and such like. The Sea also adding her bles∣sing to the Land, that the people of that Province want nothing that serves either for the sustenance of nature, or the satietie of appetite. They are plentifully furnished with all sorts of Fish, Flesh, and Fowles. Their principall fuell is Coale and Turfe, which they have in great abundance, the Gentlemen reserving their woods very carefully,* 1.7 as a beautie and principall ornament to their Mannors and hou∣ses. And though it be farre from London (the capitall Citie of this Kingdome) yet doth it every yeare furnish her and many other parts of the Land besides, with many thousands of Cattle (bred in this Countrey) giving thereby and other∣wise a firme testimony to the world, of the blessed abun∣dance that it hath pleased God to enrich this noble Duke∣dome withall.
* 1.8(5) This Counties ancient Inhabitants were the Bri∣gantes, of whom there is more mention in the description of Yorke-shire,* 1.9 who by Claudius the Emperor were brought under the Romane subjection▪ that so held and made it their Seat, secured by their Garrisons, as hath beene gathered as well by many Inscriptions found in walles and ancient monuments fixed in stones, as by certain Altars erected in favour of their Emperours.* 1.10 After the Romanes, the Saxons brought it under their protection, and held it for a part of their Northumbrian Kingdome, till it was first made subju∣gate to the invasion of the Danes,* 1.11 and then conquered by the victorious Normans,* 1.12 whose posterities from thence are branched further into England.
(6) Places of Antiquitie or memorable note, are these: the Towne of Manchester (so famous,* 1.13 as well for the Mar∣ket-place, Church, and Colledge, as for the resort unto it for clothing) was called Mancunium by Antonine the Em∣perour, and was made a Fort and Station of the Romanes.
* 1.14Riblechester (which taketh the name from Rhibell, a little River neere (lithero) though it be a small Towne, yet by tradition hath beene called the richest Towne in Christen∣dome, and reported to have beene the Seat of the Romanes, which the many Monuments of their Antiquities, Statues, peeces of Coyne, and other severall Inscriptions, digged up from time to time by the Inhabitants, may give us sufficient perswasion to beleeve.
* 1.15But the Shire-town is Lancaster, more pleasant in situa∣tion, then rich of Inhabitants, built on the South of the River Lon, and is the same Longovicum, where (as we find in the Notice Provinces) a company of the Longovicarians under the Lieutenant Generall of Britaine lay. The beautie of this Towne is in the Church, Castle, and Bridge: her streets many, and stretched farre in length. Vnto this Towne King Edward the third granted a Maior and two Bailiffes,* 1.16 which to this day are elected out of twelve Bre∣thren, assisted by twenty-foure Burgesses, by whom it is yearely governed, with the supply of two Chamberlaines, a Recorder, Town-Clerke, and two Sergeants at Mace. The elevation of whose Pole is in the degree of Latitude 54. and 58. scruples, and her Longitude removed from the first West point unto the degree 17. and 40. scruples.
(7) This Countrey in divers places suffereth the force of many flowing tydes of the Sea,* 1.17 by which (after a sort) it doth violently rent asunder one part of the Shire from the other: as in Fourenesse, where the Ocean being displeased that the shore should from thence shoot a maine way into the West, hath not obstinately ceased from time to time to flash and mangle it, and with his fell irruptions and boyste∣rous tydes to devoure it.
Another thing there is, not unworthy to be recommen∣ded to memory, that in this Shire, not farre from Fourenesse Fels, the greatest standing water in all England (called Wi∣nander-Mere) lieth,* 1.18 stretched out for the space of ten miles of wonderfull depth, and all paved with stone in the bot∣tome: and along the Sea-side in many places may be seene heapes of sand, upon which the people powre water, untill it recover a saltish humour, which they afterwards boyle with Turfes, till it become white Salt.
(8) This Countrey, as it is thus on the one side freed by the naturall resistance of the Sea from the force of Invasions, so is it strengthned on the other by many Castles and for∣tified places, that take away the opportunitie of making Roades and Incursions in the Countrey.* 1.19 And as it was with the first that felt the furie of the Saxon crueltie, so was it the last and longest that was subdued under the West-Saxon Monarchie.
(9) In this Province our noble Arthur (who died la∣den with many trophies of honour) is reported by Ninius to have put the Saxons to flight in a memorable battle neere Douglasse,* 1.20 a little Brooke not farre from the Town of Wig∣gin. But the attempts of warre, as they are severall, so they are uncertaine: for they made not Duke Wade happy in this successe,* 1.21 but returned him an unfortunate enterpriser in the Battle, which he gave to Ardulph King of Northumberland, at Billangho, in the yeare 798. So were the events uncertaine in the Civill Wars of Yorke and Lancaster:* 1.22 for by them was bred and brought forth that bloudy division and fatall strife of the Noble Houses, that with variable successe to both parties (for many yeares together) molested the peace and quiet of the Land, and defiled the earth with bloud, in such violent manner, that it exceeded the horrour of those Ci∣vill Warres in Rome, that were betwixt Marius aud Sylla, Pompey and Caesar, Octavius and Antony; or that of the two renowned Houses Valoys and Burbon, that a long time trou∣bled the State of France: for in the division of these two Princely Families there were thirteene fields fought, and three Kings of England, one Prince of Wales, twelve Dukes, one Marques, eighteene Earles, one Vicount, and three and twentie Barons, besides Knights and Gentlemen, lost their lives in the same.* 1.23 Yet at last, by the happy marriage of Henry the seventh, King of England, next heire to the House of Lancaster, with Elizabeth daughter and heire to Edward the fourth, of the House of Yorke, the white and red Roses were conjoyned, in the happy uniting of those two divided Families, from whence our thrice renowned Sove∣raigne Lord King Iames, by faire sequence and succession, doth worthily enjoy the Diademe: by the benefit of whose happy government, this Countie Palatine of Lancaster is prosperous in her Name and Greatnesse.
(10) I find the remembrance of foure Religious hou∣ses that have beene founded within this County (and since suppressed) both faire for structure and building, and rich for seat and situation:* 1.24 namely, Burstogh, Whalleia, Holland, and Penwortham. It is divided into sixe Hundreds,* 1.25 besides Fournesse Fellers & Lancasters Liberties, that lie in the North part. It is beautified with fifteene Market-Townes,* 1.26 both faire for situation and building, and famous for the concourse of people for buying and selling.* 1.27 It hath twentie-sixe Pa∣rishes, besides Chappels, (in which they duely frequent to divine Service) and those populous, as in no part of the Land more.