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DORCESTER from her ancient people DUROTRIGES, is most likely to have received that name:* 1.1 by the Britaines called DWRGWEIR, and by the Saxons Dorseddar, lyeth boun∣ded upon the North side with Sommerset and Wilt-Wiltshires;* 1.2 upon the West with Devon-shire, and some part with Sommerset; upon the East altogether with Hamp∣shire; and her South part is wholly bounded with the British Seas.
* 1.3(2) The forme grows wider from the West, and spreads her selfe the broadest in the midst, where it extends to twenty foure miles, but in length is no lesse then fourtie foure: the whole in circumference about, is one hundred and fiftie miles.
* 1.4(3) The aire is good, and of an healthfull consti∣tution: the soyle is fat, affording many commodities, and the Countrey most pleasant in her situation: for the In-land is watered with many sweet & fresh run∣ning springs, which taking passage thorow the plaine vallies, do lastly in a loving manner unite themselves together, and of their many branches make many bigge bodied streames: neither doth the Sea denie them entrance, but helpeth rather to fill up their Bankes, whereby Vessels of burden discharge their rich Treasures, and her selfe with open hand distri∣buteth her gifts all along the South of this Shore.
* 1.5(4) Anciently it was possessed by the Durotriges, whom Ptolemie placeth along in this Tract, who be∣ing subdued by the Romanes, yeelded them roome, and unwilling subjection. After them the Saxons set foot in these parts, whereof Portland seemeth from that Port to take name, who in this place arrived in Anno 703. and did sorely infest and annoy all the South Tract. And at Bindon before him Kinegillus King of the West-Saxons, in the yeare of Christ 614. in a doubtfull and dangerous Battle vanquished the Britaines. Neither were the Saxons so surely herein seated, but that the Danes sought to defeat them thereof: for twise these bold Rovers landed at Chart∣mouth, the first was in Anno 831. and Raigne of King Egbert, and the other eight yeares after, when Ethel∣wulfe was King: in both which they went away Vi∣ctors. Yet when the Iron-side wore the English Di∣adem,* 1.6 and these fierce people sought to plucke it from his Helmet, he met them at Pen-ham in Gilling∣ham Forest, and with a small power obtained a great victorie, causing their King Canute with discourage to retire.
* 1.7(5) Commodities arising in this Countie are chiefly Wools and Woods in her North, where the Fo∣rests are stored with the one, and the pleasant greene Hilles with the other. The inner part is over-spread both with Corne and Grasse, and the Sea yeeldeth the Isidis Plocamos,* 1.8 a Shrub growing not unlike the Cor∣rall without any leafe; besides her other gifts, turning all to great gaine: which the more is made manifest by the many Market-Townes in this Shire, whereof Dorcester is the chiefe,* 1.9 in Antonius his Itinerarium termed Durnovaria, situated upon the South side of Frome,* 1.10 and the Roman Causey called Fosse-way, where∣in some of their Legions kept, as by the Rampiers and Coines there daily digged up is probably conjectu∣red; at which time it seemeth the Citie was walled, whereof some part yet standeth, especially upon the West and South sides, and the Tract and Trench most apparent in a Quadrant-wise almost meeteth the River, containing in circuit one thousand and seven hundred pases, but were cast downe by the Danes, whose trampling feete destroyed all things wheresoever they came, and hands here razed the Trenches Maudbury and Poundbury,* 1.11 the seals of their Siege, and signes of times miserie. About three hun∣dred pases Southward from hence, standeth an old Fortification of earth, trenched about, and mounted above the ordinary plaine, thirty pases, containing some 5. acres of ground, wherein (at my there being) plenty of Corn grew. This the Inhabitants call The Maiden Castle,* 1.12 having entrance thereunto onely upon the East and West. This is thought to have beene a Snmmer-Campe or Station of the Romanes, when their Garrisons kept the Frontiers of this Province.
The government of this Citie is yearely commit∣ted to two Bailiffes,* 1.13 elected out of eight Magistrates or Aldermen, a Recorder, Towne-Clerke, and two Ser∣geants attending them:* 1.14 whence the North-pole is e∣levated 50. degrees 48. minutes in Latitude, and for Longitude is removed from the first West point unto the Meridian of 18. degrees.
(6) Other places also are memorable through the actions therein happening,* 1.15 or Antiquities there yet remaining: such as Badbury,* 1.16 now nothing but a Trench and decayed Castle, hardly seene, though sometimes it was the Court of the West-Saxons King. Such also is Cerne,* 1.17 where Augustine the English Apostle brake downe the Altars and Idols of the Saxons God HELL, whom they devoutly honoured as the only conser∣ver of their health. Shaftesburie also,* 1.18 wherein one A∣quila (whether a Man or Eagle I know not) by our Historians report, is said to have prophecied the fu∣ture times of this our Empire, and that after the Raignes of the Saxons and Normans it should againe returne unto the government of the British Kings. But with such vaine predictions our Nation is more thē once taxed by Philip Comineus the famous French Writer. In this Citie Edward the sonne of great Ed∣gar, and one and thirtieth Monarch of the English∣men, was interred, being murdered at Corfe,* 1.19 a Castle seated in the Ile of Purbeck, by his Step-mother AEl∣frith, to make way for her sonne to enjoy his Crown: in repentance whereof, and to pacifie Heaven for his bloud, she built the Monasteries of Ambresbury and Whorwell, in the Countie of Wilt-shire and South-Hampton. In the former of which with great peni∣tencie she spent the rest of her life.
(7) As upon the like occasion the Monastery of Middleton was laid in this Shire by King Ethelstan to appease the Ghost of Edwine his innocent brother,* 1.20 and to expiate the sin of his own soule for the bloud of that just Prince, whom most unjustly he caused to die: and with the like devotion, though not to satisfie for the like bloudy sinnes, did Queene Cuthburga sue a Divorce from her second husband the Northumber∣lands King,* 1.21 and at Winburne built her a Nunnery, whereof her selfe became Abbesse, where afterward was raised a most stately Minster, which added not onely more glory to the place, but withall enlarged the name, and made it to be called Winburn-minster, where King Ethelred, a most vertuous Prince, after much disquietnesse had with the Danes, in peace here resteth, with his Tombe and Inscription, as in his Historie (Christ assisting) shall be further seene. Neither among these may I omit Sherburne,* 1.22 which in the yeare of Grace 704. was made a Bishops See, in whose Cathedrall Church, were interred the bo∣dies of Ethelbald and Ethelbert brethren,* 1.23 both of them Monarchs of the English-men.
(8) Seven more besides these were set apart from worldly imployments,* 1.24 consecrated only to God and his service in this Shire; which were Camerstern, Cran∣born, Abbottesbury, Bindon, Sturmister, Tarrant, and Warham. These with the others came to their full period under the hand of King Henry the Eight, which lay with such waight upon their faire buil∣dings, that he crushed the juice thereof into his own Coffers.
(9) Castles for defence in repaire and decayed,* 1.25 were at Sherburne, Dorchester, Branksey, Portland, Corfe, Newton, Woodford, and Wareham. So that with these and others the County hath been strengthned, with twelve religious Houses their poore relieved, with eighteene Market Townes at this day is traded,* 1.26 and principally into five divisions parted, subdivi∣ded into thirty foure Hundreds, and them againe into two hundred forty eight Parishes, as in the Map and Table adjoyning is to be seene.