A prospect of the most famous parts of the vvorld Viz. Asia, 3 Affrica, 5 Europe, 7 America. 9 With these kingdomes therein contained. Grecia, 11 Roman Empire, 13 Germanie, 15 Bohemia, 17 France, 19 Belgia, 21 Spaine, 23 Italie, 25 Hungarie, 27 Denmarke, 29 Poland, 31 Persia, 33 Turkish Empire, 35 Kingdome of China, 37 Tartaria, 39 Sommer Ilands, 41 Civill Warres, in England, Wales, and Ireland. You shall find placed in the beginning of the second booke marked with these [3 asterisks in triangle formation] and (5) together with all the provinces, counties, and shires, contained in that large theator of Great Brittaines empire. / Performed by John Speed.

THE TYPE OF THE FLORISHING KINGDOME OF ENGLAND VVITH THE GENERALL DESCRIPTION OF IT, AS IT WAS FROM THE TIME OF THE NORMANS. CHAPTER III.

THE Saxons glory now neer to ex∣pire, by his appointment who holdeth both times and King∣domes in his all-ordering hand; their owne swords being the in∣struments, and the Danes the maules that beat their beautifull Diademe into pieces; the Nor∣mans, a stirring Nation, (neither expected, nor much feared) under the leading of William their Duke, and encouragement of the Romane Bishop, (an usuall promoter hereof broken titles) made hither so∣dainly into England, who inone onely battell, with the ti∣tle of his sword and slaughter of Harold, set the Emperiall Crown thereof upon his own head: which no sooner was done, but the English went downe, and the Normans lord∣ing it,* 1.1 became owners of those Cities which themselves never built; possessed those Vineyards which they never planted; dranke of those Wels which they never had digged; and inha∣bited those houses, filled With riches, for which they never had laboured: for they found it to be as the Land whereupon the Lord set his eye,* 1.2 even from the beginning to the end of the yeer: not onely drinking water of the raine of heaven, but having also Rivers of waters and fountaines in her valleyes,* 1.3 and without all scarcitie, whose stones are yron, and out of whose mountains is digged brasse. This made them more re∣solute at first to settle themselves in this fairest and fruitful∣lest part of the Iland; the Conquerour using all policy both Martial and Civill, to plant his posterity here for ever. How he found the Land governed we shewed in the Heptar∣chie; but his restlesse thoughts were not contented with conquering the Nation and their Land, unlesse he also over∣came their very Customes, Lawes, and Language.

(2) Touching the distribution of the Kingdome, where∣as other kings before him made use of it, chiefly for good of the people, and better ministring of Iustice, he made use of it, to know the wealth of his Subjects, and to enrich his Coffers: for he caused a description to be made of all England, how much land every one of his Barons possessed;* 1.4 how many Knights fees, how many Plow-lands, how many in villanage, how many head of beasts; yea how much ready money every man from the greatest to the least did possesse, and what rents might be made of every mans possession: the Booke of which inquisition (yet in the Exchequer) was called Domes-day, for the generalitie of that Iudgement on all the Land:* 1.5 Whereunto we may adde his other distribution of this Land (worse then any former) when thrusting the English out of their possessions,* 1.6 he distributed their inheritances to his Souldier••; yet so, that all should be held of the King, as of the onely tri•• Lord and possessor.

(3) For the Lawes by which he meant to governe, he held one excellent rule and purpose, which was, that a People ought to be ruled by Lawes written and certaine: for otherwise new Iudges would still bring new Iudgements:* 1.7 and therefore he caused twelve to be chosen out of every Countie,* 1.8 which should on their oath, without inclining one way or other, neither adding nor detracting, open unto him all their ancient Laws and Customes. By whose relation un∣derstanding that three sorts of Lawes formerly were in the Land, Merchenlage, West-Saxon-lage, Dane-lage; he had preferred these last, (himselfe and People being anciently derived from those Northern people) had not all the Barons bewayling to the King,* 1.9 how grievous it was for a Land to be iudged by those Lawes which they understood not,* 1.10 altered his resolute purpose: yet in bringing in the strange formes of Normas Processe, and pleading in the French tongue (which continued till Edward the thirds time) that grie∣vance was but slenderly prevented. So likewise did he much alter the old Courts of Iustice, where these Lawes should be ministred: but whereas the ancient Kings of England, according to Moses his example, sate in person in the seate of Iustice, to right the greater affaires of their Subjects,* 1.11 as William Lambert sheweth in King Alfred, Edgar, Canutus, &c. and proves out of the Kings Oath, out of Bracton, Britain, Saxon-Lawes, &c. King William not only continued this; but besides erected some other Courts of Iustice,* 1.12 as the Exchequer, and certaine Courts and Ses∣sions to be held foure times every yeere: appointing both Iudges (some to heare causes, others to whom appeales should be made, but none from them) and also Prefects to looke to good orders. Those last Polydore calleth Iustices of Peace; but their institution seemes to be far later: and no lesse is his errour on the other side, in saying the Conque∣rour first instituted Sheriffes, and the triall by twelve men, which were both ancienter.

(4) And because the Conquerour, for honour of Bi∣shops, caused them to remove from small obscure places to Cities of more renowne; we have therefore reserved to this last place that division of this Kingdome, which is ac∣cording to Iurisdiction Episcopall. Formerly in the yeer of salvation,* 1.13 636. Honorius the fift Archbishop of Canterbury, first divided England into Parishes, which at this day are contained under their severall Diocesans, and these againe under their two Metropolitanes, (Canterbury and Yorke) in manner following.

CANTERBVRIE.

Bishopricks.	Counties.	Parishes.
Canterbury.	Kent.	257.
Rochester.	98.
London.	Essex.	623.
Middlesex.
Hertfordshire part.
Lincolne.	Lincolneshire.	1255.
Leicestershire.
Huntington.
Bedfordshire.
Buckinghamshire.
Hertfordshire part.
Chichester.	Hertfordshire part.	250.
Sussex.
Winchester.	Hantshire.	362.
Surrey.
Wight Isle.
Gernsey Isle.
Iersey Isle.
Salisbury.	Wiltshire.	248.
Barkeshire.
Excester.	Devonshire.	604.
Cornewall.
Bath and Wels.	Somersetshire.	388.
Gloucester.	Gloucester.	267.
Worcester.	Worcestershire.	241.
Warwickeshire.
Lichfield and Coventry.	Warwickeshire part.	557.
Staffordshire.
Derbyshire.
Shropshire part.
Hereford.	Shropshire part.	313.
Herefordshire.
Ely.	Cambridgeshire.	141.
Ely Isle.

[illustration] map of England

[illustration]

THE KINGDOME OF ENGLAND

Norwich.	Norfolke.	1121.
Suffolke.
Oxford.	Oxfordshire.	195.
Peterborow.	Northampton.	Rutlandshire.	293.
Bristow.	Dorsetshire.	Glamorgan.	236.
Landaffe.	Monmouthshire.	Breckneckshire.	Radnorshire.	177.
S. Davids.	Pembrokeshire.	Caermarden.	308.
Bangor.	Caernarvonshire.	Anglesey Isle.	Merionethshire.	Denbighshire.	107.
S. Asaph.	Denbighshire part.	Flintshire part.	121.

YORKE.

Yorke.	Yorkshire.	Nottinghamshire.	581.
Chester.	Cheshire.	Richmondshire.	Cumberland part.	Lancashire.	256.
Carlile.	Cumberland part.	Westmorland.	93.
Durham.	Durham.	Northumberland.	135.
Sodor.	Man Iland.	17.

Totall Bishopricks 27.

Parishes 9285.

(5) To speake nothing of these twenty eight Flamins the Priests of Idolatry, and the three Arch-Flamins, whose seats were at London,* 1.14 Caerlion, and Yorke; all of them con∣verted by King Lucius into Christian Bishops Sees: let us onely insist upon the three last, by the same King appoint∣ed to be Metropolitanes over the rest; among whom Lon∣don is said to be chiefe: whose first Christian Arch-bishop was Thean, the builder of S. Peters Church in Cornehill for his Cathedrall, as by an ancient Table there lately hanging, was affirmed, and tradition to this day doth hold. Our Bri∣tish Historians doe bring a succession of fifteene Arch-bi∣shops, to have sate from his time unto the coming of the Saxons, whose last was Vodius, slaine by King Vortiger, for reprehending his heathenish marriage with Rowen, the daughter of Hengist. At what time began the misery of the Land, and of holy Religion, both which they laid waste un∣der their prophane feete: untill Ethelbert of Kent, the first Christian Saxon King, advanced Christianity, and Augustine to the Arch-bishoprick of Canterbury, when London under Melitus became subject to that See.

(6) At Caerlion upon Vske, in the time of great Arthur, sate Dubritius, a man excellently learned, and of an holy conversation: he had sate Bishop of Landaffe a long time, and with Germanus and Lupus, two French Bishops, great∣ly impugned the Pelagian Heresie, infecting at that time the Island very farre, whose fame and integritie was such, that he was made Arch-bishop of all Wales: but growne very old, he resigned the same unto * 1.15 David his Disciple, a man of greater birth, but greater austeritie of life, who by consent of King Arthur, removed his Arch-bishops See unto Menevia, a place very solitary and meet for medita∣tion: the miracles of the man, (which are said to be many) changed both the name of the place into his owne, and robbed Caerlion of her Archiepiscopall seat: This See of S. Davids, (as in an ancient Register belonging to that Church is recorded) had seven Bishops Suffraganes sub∣ject unto it, which were Exceter, Bathe, Hereford, Lan∣daffe, Bangor, S. Asaph, and Fernes in Ireland: Notwithstand∣ing, either for want of Pall, carried into Britanny by Arch-bishop Sampson, in a dangerous infection of sicknesse, ei∣ther by poverty or negligence, it lost that Iurisdiction, and in the dayes of King Henry the first, became subject to the See of Canterbury.

(7) Yorke hath had better successe then either of the former, in retaining her originall honour, though much impaired in her circuit, challenging to have beene some∣time Metropolitane over all the Bishops in Scotland: and although it was made equall in honour and power with Canterbury,* 1.16 by Pope Gregory, as Beda relateth, and had twelve Suffragan * 1.17 Bishopricks that owed obedience, one∣ly foure now acknowledge Yorke their Metropolitane, but Canterburie the Superiour: for William the Conquerour thinking it dangerous to have two in like authoritie, lest the one should set on his Crowne, and the other strike it off, left Yorke to be a Primate, but Canterbury onely the Primate of all England.

(8) That Lichfield was made an Archiepiscopall See by Pope Hadrian the first, at the suite of Offa, the great King of Mercia, is manifested by Matthew of Westminster, unto whose Iurisdiction were assigned the Bishoprickes of Winchester,* 1.18 Hereford, Leicester, Sidnacester, Helmham, and Dunwich, and whose first and last Arch-bishop was Aldwin. That Winchester also had intended an Archie∣piscopall Pall, the same Authour recordeth, when Henry Bloys, of the blood-royall, greatly contended with the Arch-bishop of Canterburie for superiority, under the pre∣tence of being Cardinall de latere; to him an Archiepis∣copall Pall was sent, with power and authority over se∣ven Churches, but he dying before that the designe was done, the See of Winchester remained in subjection to Can∣terburie. And that (long before) the See of Dorchester by Oxford, had the Iurisdiction of an Arch-bishop, is apparent by those Provinces that were under his Diocesse, which were Winchester, Oxford, Lincolne, Salisbury, Bristow, Wels, Lichfield, Chester, and Excester▪ and the first Bishop of this great Circuit, Berinus, was called the Apostle and Bishop of the West-Saxons: which in his next successour was di∣vided into two parts, Winchester and Dorchester, and not long after into Lichfield, Sidnacester, and Legecester; and lastly, the See removed from Dorchester to Lincolne, as now it is. And thus farre for the division of this Realme, both Politicke and Ecclesiasticke, as it hath stood and stands at this day.

(9) But the whole Ilands division, by most certaine Record was anciently made, when Iulius Agricola drew a Trench or Fortification upon that narrow space of ground betwixt Edenborough Frith, and Dunbretton Bay, making the Southerne part a Province unto the Romane Empire. Afterwards Hadrian the Emperor seeing perhaps the Pro∣vince too spacious to be well governed without great ex∣pense, drew backe these limits almost fourescore miles shorter, even to the mouth of the River Tyne, whence he fortified with a wall of admirable worke unto Carleile which stood the Lands border, while it stood as a Romane Province: yet the conquering Saxons did spread againe o∣ver those bounds, and (as seemeth) enlarged their govern∣ment to that first Tract, as by this Inscription in a Stone Crosse standing upon a Bridge over the water of F••ith appeareth.

I am a free March as Passenger may ken,* 1.19 To Scots, to Britaines, and to Englishmen.

(10) But afterward William the Conquerour, and Mal∣colme King of Scotland, falling to an agreement for their limits, arreared a Crosse upon * 1.20 Stanemore, where on the one side the portraiture and Armes of the King of England was sculptured, and of the King of Scots on the other (a piece whereof is yet remaining there neere to the Spittle) thence called the Rey-Crosse, there erected to be a Meare∣stone to either Kingdome. His Successors also abolished the two partitions in the West, whereby the Welsh became one Nation and Kingdome with the English. It is also said that King Stephen to purchase friendship with the Scottish Nation, gave unto their King the Countie of Cumberland, who with it held both Westmorland and Northumberland; but as Nubrigensis writeth, he restored them to King Hen∣ry the second, wisely considering his great power and right to those parts.

(11) The last knowne borders were from the Sulway in the West-bay, along the Cheviot hils, unto the water of Tweede by Barwicke in the East, to maintaine which, on each part many lawes have been made, and many in∣rodes, robberies, and fewdes practised; all which by the hand of GOD is now cut off, and by the rightfull succes∣sion of King IAMES our Soveraigne, who hath bro∣ken downe the partition of this great Island, and made the extremes of two Kingdomes, the very midst of his great united Empire.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Deut. 6. v. 10, 11.
• * 1.2

  Deut. 11. v. 11, 12.
• * 1.3

  Deut. 8. v. 7, 9.
• * 1.4

  Florentius Wi∣gor. p. 449.
• * 1.5

  Gervas. Tilb. Ingu••phus.
• * 1.6

  Camb. in Norm. Mat. West. lib. 2. &c.
• * 1.7

  Gervas. Tilb. de Scaccar.
• * 1.8

  Hoveden p. 243. where they are set downe.
• * 1.9

  Ibid p. 347.
• * 1.10

  Ingulphus.
• * 1.11

  Lamberts Ar∣chaion.
• * 1.12

  Gervas. Regis Caria in qua i••∣s•• in propria persone jura die••••••t.
• * 1.13

  H••st. Derob.
• * 1.14

  Polyd. Hist. A••g. lib. 1.
• * 1.15

  This David was the Vncl•• of Arthu••, and son of Princ X••••thus, bego•• on M••lea••ia a Nunne.
• * 1.16

  Beda Hist••••. Angli•• lib. 1. cap. 2••.
• * 1.17

  Ha••••s••ald. Linda••••rn, &c.
• * 1.18

  An. Iom. 765.
• * 1.19

  Chron. Winton Ho••lienshed. •• scrip. Brit. p. 12
• * 1.20

  In the Nort Riding of Yo••kshire.