The summarie of English chronicles (lately collected and published) nowe abridged and continued tyl this present moneth of Marche, in the yere of our Lord God. 1566. By J.S.

A briefe Description of Englande.

BEFORE I entre to abridge the factes and ge∣stes of the Kynges and o∣ther persones, within this Realme from Brutus, the first Kyng of the same: I purpose briefly to make a Description of this noble Realme, gathered out of Polydore Virgil, reported in his worke of the Englishe hysto∣rie, who saieth: That all Britayn, which by two names is called England and Scotland is an Iland in the Ocean sea, situate ryght o∣uer against the Region of Gallia: one part of which Isle Englishmen do inhabite: an other parte Scottes, the thirde parte walshemen, and the fourth part Cornishmen. All they, o••∣ther in language, cōditions or lawes, do dif∣fer amonges them selues. England (so called of Englishemen, whiche did winne the same) is the greatest parte, whiche is deuided into xxxix. Counties, which we cal Shires▪ wher¦of, ten (that is to say, Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Southampton, Barkeshire, wilteshyre, Dor∣setshire, Somersetshire, Deuonshire & Corn¦wall) do contein the first part of that Iland▪

whithe part boundyng toward the Southe▪ standeth betwene the Thames and the Sea. From thence, to the riuer of Trent, whyche passeth through the middes of Englande, be xvi. shires: wherof the first vi. (standing east∣ward) are Essex, Middlesex, Hertfordshire, Suffolke, Northfolk, and Cambridge••shire: the other ten which stand more in the middle of the countrey, are these: Bedford, Hunting∣don, Buckyngham, Oxford, Northampton, Rutland, Leicester, Notingham, warwike, and Lincolne. After these, there be vi. which border westward vpon wales, as Glocester▪ Hereford, worcester, Salop, Stafforde, and Chester. Aboute the middle of the Region ••ye Darbyshire, yorkeshire, Lancashire, and Cumberland. On the left hande towarde the west is westmerland. Against the same, is the Bishoprike of Durham, and Northumber∣lande, whiche boundeth vpon the Northe, in▪ the marches of Scotland. Those shires be di∣uided into .xvii. Byshoprikes, whiche by a Greke worde be called Dioceses. Of whiche Dioceses Cantorbury and Rochester, bee in Kente.

Essex, Middlesex, and part of Hertforde▪ belongeth to the Bishoprike of London.

The Byshop of Chichester hath Sussex. •• winchester hath Hampshire, Surrey, and the Isle of wyght.

Salisbury, hath Dorsetshire, Barkeshire, and wylteshire.

Excetour, hath Deuonshire and Cornwall.

Bathe, and welles, hath Somersetshyre∣worcester, hath Glocestershyre, worcester∣shire, and part of warwikeshire.

Hereforde, hath parte of Shropshire, and Herefordshyre.

Couentrie and Lichefelde, Staffordshyre, and thother part of warwikeshyre.

Chester, hath Chesshyre, Darbyshyre, and a piece of Lancashire, nere the riuer of Repel

The Diocesse of Lincoln, which is the grea¦test, hath eight shires, lying betwene the Tha¦mes and Humber, as Lincolne, Northamp∣ton, Leicester, Rutlande, Huntingdon, Bed¦forde, Buckingham, Oxford, and the residu•• of Hertfordshire.

The Bishoprike of Ely hath Cantabrige∣shire, and the Ile of Ely.

Suffolke and Norffolke, be in the circuite of Norwiche Diocesse. And this is the Pro∣uince of the Archebishoppe of Cantorburye: which is the Primate of all Englande, wyth wales, whiche hath .iii••. Diocesses, as hereaf∣ter shalbe declared▪

The bishop of yorke, hath yorkeshire, No∣tynghamshyre, and a piece of Lancastshyre.

The Byshop of Durham, hath the byshop∣rik so commonly called, & Northumberlād:

Carlis••e cōteineth Cūbreland & westmerlād And this is y^e other prouince of tharchbishop▪ of yorke, whych is an other Primate of En∣glande, and was of long tyme also primate of all Scotland. But these Diocesses take their names of the Cities, where those seas be pla∣ced. The chiefe wherof is London: wherein the beginnyng was the Archbishops sea, but afterwardes transposed to Cantorbury, a ci∣tie in Rent, placed in a soyle amiable & ple∣sant. London, standeth in Middlesex, on the northsyde of the Thamis. That most excellēt and goodly Ryuer, beginneth a little aboue a village called w••nchelcombe in Oxfordshire still increasyng▪ and passeth fyrste by the v∣niuersitie of Oxenford, and so with a mer∣uailous quyete course by London, and then breaketh into the frenche Ocean by mayn ty∣des, which twise in .xxi••ii. houres space doth ebbe and flowe more then .lx. myles, to the great cōmoditie of trauailers: by whiche all kyndes of marchandise be easyly conueyd to London, the principall store and staple for al cōmodities within this realm. Vpon y^e same riuer is placed a Stonebridge, a work very rare & meruailous, which bridge hath xx. Ar∣ches, made of .••••i••. squared stone, of height. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••ote, & of bredth .xxx. foot, distāt one from an other xx. foot, cōpact & ioyned together with ••aul••es & sella••s▪ Vpon both sydes be houses

builded, that it seemeth rather a continuall streete, then a Bridge. The Ocean sea doeth bounde Englande, the first part of Britayne east and South: wales, and Cornewall west. The riuer of Twede deuideth England and Scotland north. The length of the Island be¦ginneth at Portsmouth in the south part, and endeth at Twede in the Northe, conteinynge CCCxx. myles. This Realm aboue other is most fruitful on this syde Humbre: for beyōd it is fuller of mountaines. And although to the beholders of that countrey a far of, it may seme plaen, yet it is ful of many hils, & those for the most part voyde of trees: the valleys wherof be very delectable, in habited for the most part by noble men, who accordynge to ancient and olde order, desyre not to dwell in Cities, but nere vnto valleyes and riuers in seuerall villages: for aduoidyng of vehemēt wynds, because y^e Iland naturally is stormy. Humbre hath his beginnyng a littell on this syde yorke, and by and by runneth southward and then holdeth his course eastward, and so into the main sea, greatly increased by the ry∣uers of Dune and Trent. Trent beginneth a little from Stafforde, running through Dar∣byshyre, and Leicestershyre, passyng by Lich∣fielde and Notyngham on the right hande, & Dune on the left: so that both those riuers do make an Ilande, which is called Auxolme,

and then ioynyng together on this syde King ston vpon Hull, a goodly marchant towne, they fall into Humbre: by whiche riuer they may aryue out of Fraunce, Germanie, and Denmarke. England is fruitfull of beasts, and aboundeth with cattell: wherby thinha∣bitauntes bee rather for the moste grasiers, then ploughmen, because they geue them sel∣ues more to fedyng, then to tyllage. So that almoste the third part of the countrey is im∣ployed to cattell, dere redde and fallow, goa∣tes (wherof there be store in the north parts, and conies) for euery where ther is ioly main¦tenance of those kyndes of beastes, because it is full of great woddes, whereof there riseth pastyme of huntyng greatly exercised, speci∣ally by the nobilitie and gentlemen.

Of Scotland, an other part of Britayn, I purpose to say nothynge, because I haue pro∣mised onely and briefly to remembre thaffa••∣res of myn owne countrey, as best trauailed & acquainted with the knowlege of the same▪ wales, the third part of Britayn lyeth vpon the left hand: whiche like a Promontar••e or forelande, or an Isle (as it were) on euery side it is compassed with the mayne sea: except it be on the east part with the riuer of Sabrine commonly called Seuerne, which deuideth wales from Englande. Althoughe some late writers affirme Hereford to be a bound be∣twene

wales and Englande, and saye, that wales beginueth at Chepstoll, where the ri∣uer Deye augmented with an other ryuer cal¦led Lugge, passyng by Hereford dothe runne into the sea: which riuer riseth in the middle of wales out of that hill (but vncertain whe∣ther out of that sprynge) that Sabrine dothe, which Corn. Tacitus calleth Antona. For euen to that place there gothe a great arme of the sea, which passeth through the land west∣ward: on the right hand leaueth Cornewall, and on the left wales▪ whiche Topographye or description, althoughe it bee newe, yet I thoughte good to solowe. Therfore Wales is extended from the town of Chepstoll, where it beginneth almost by a straight line a lttle aboue Shrowesburye, euen to westchester, northwarde. Into that parte, so many of the Britains as remained alyue after the slaugh∣ter and losse of their countrey, at the lengthe, being dryuen to their shyftes, dydde repaire as ancient writynges report: where partely through refuge of the mountains, and partly of the woddes and marshes, they remained in safetie: whiche part•• they enioye euen to this day. That land afterwardes the englyshmen dyd call wales: and the Britains the inhabi∣tantes of the same walshmen: for amonges the Germains, walsman, signifieth a stran∣ger, an alien, an outborn or strange man: that

is, suche a one, as hathe a contrary language from theirs (for wall, in their tong▪ is called a stranger borne, as an Italian or Frenche∣man: whiche differ in speche from the Ger∣maine: Man, signifieth Homo, whiche is a man in englishe. Therfore Englishemen, a people of Germanye, after they had wonne Britayne, called the Britains, whiche esca∣ped after the destruction of their countreye, after their countrey maner, walshemen: be∣cause they had an other tongue or speche, be∣sides theirs, and the land which they inhabi∣ted, wales: which name afterwardes bothe to the people and countrey dyd remayne. By this meanes the Britaines with their kyng∣dome lost their name. But they which affirm that name to bee deriued of their Kynge or quene, without doubt be deceyued. The coū∣trey soyle towardes the sea coast, and in other places in the valleys and playnes is moste fertile, whiche yeldeth both to man & beaste, great plentie of fruite and grasse: but in other places for the most part it is bareyn, and lesse fruitfull: because it lacketh tillage: for which cause, husbandmen doo lyue hardely, eatynge Oten cakes, and drinkyng mylk myxt with water, and sowre whay. Ther be many tow∣nes and strong casteis, and .iiii. bishoprikes, (if the bishoprike of Hereforde be counted in Englād, as the late writers declat••. The first

bishoprike is Meneue, so called of Meneua, whiche at this day they call Sainct Dauids: a Citie very ancient, situated vppon the sea coast, and boundeth westward towarde Ire∣lande. An other is Landaffe, the third Ban∣gor, and the fourth Saint Asaph. All which be vnder Tharchebishop of Cantorbury. The walshemen haue a language from then∣glishemen, whiche as they saye, that fetche their Petigree frome the Troianes, doothe partely sound of the Troian antiquitie, and partelye of the Greeke. But howe so euer it is, the walshemen do not pronounce their speache so pleasauntly and gentilly as then∣glyshemen doo, because they speake more in the throte: and contrarywyse, thenglishemen rightly folowyng the Latines, doo expresse their voyce somwhat within the lyps, which to the hearers semeth pleasant & sweete. And thus much of wales, the third part of Britain

Now foloweth the fourth and laste part of Britayne, named Cornewall. This part be∣ginneth on that syde, which standeth towarde Spayne westward: Toward the East, it is of bredth .iiii. score and ten miles, extending a little beyonde saint Germains, whiche is a very famous village, situated on the ryghte hand vppon the sea coaste, where the greatest breadth of that countrey is but .xx. myles: for this parcell of lande on the right hand is cō∣passed

with the coast of the mayn sea: and on the left hand with that arme of the sea, which (as before is declared) parteth the land, and runneth vp to Chepstoll, where the countrey is in fourme of a Horne: For at the fyrst, it is narowe, and then groweth broader, a little beyonde the said towne of saint Germayne, Eastward it bordreth vpon England: west, south, & North, the mayn sea is round about it: It is a very bareyn soyle, yeldynge fruite more through trauaile of the tyllers and hus∣bandmen, then through the goodnesse of the grounde: but there is greate plentie of leade and tynne: in the mynyng and diggyng wher¦of, doth specially consyst the liuynge and su∣stentation of the inhabitantes. In this onely partt of Britayn, euen to this day continueth the nation of the Britains, which in y^e begin∣nyng brought out of Gallia occupied and in habited that Iland (if credite may be geuen to them, whiche reporte the first inhabitantes of Britayn to come out of the Cities of Armeri∣ca.) The argumēt & profe wherof is, because the Cornishemen doo speake that language, which the Britains vse now in France, whō the Britons doo call Britonantes.

This thing to be more true, an old ancient Chronicle doth declare, wherin I foūd writ∣ten, not Cornubia, but Cornugallia, com∣pounded of Cornu, a horne, the forme wher∣of

that countrey hath, and of Gallia, oute of which countrey thinhabitants came first, the maner of which name is not to be mislyked. Their tongue is farr dissonant from english, but is muche lyke to the walshe tongue, be∣cause they haue many words cōmune to both tonges: yet this difference there is betweene them, when a Walshman speaketh, the Cor∣nysheman rather vnderstandeth many wor∣des spoken by the Walshman, then the whole tale he telleth. Whereby it is manyfeste, that those thre people do vnderstand one an other, in lyke maner as the Southerne Scots doo perceiue and vnderstand the Northern. But it is a thyng very rare and meruailous, that in one Iland there should be such varietie of speches. Cornewall or Cornugall is in the Diocesse of Excetour, whiche was ones wor¦thy to be counted the fourth part of the Ilād, as wel for the contrarietie of language, as for the first inhabitants thereof, as is beforesaid. Afterwardes, the Normains whiche consti∣tuted a kyngdom of all those thre partes rec∣kened Cornewall; to be one of the counties or shires of the countrey. Thus much of the particular description of Britayne, that the whole body of the realme (by the membres) may be the better knowen to some peraduen∣ture that neuer heard the same before.

The forme of the Ilande is triquetra, or

thre cornered, hauyng thre corners, or thre si∣des: Two wherof, that is to say: The corner toward theast, and thother toward the weste•• (bothe extendyng northwards) ar the longest, The third syde which is the south syde, is ••a•• shorter then thother: for the Iland is greatter of length then of breadth. And as in the other two partes is conteyned the lengthe, euen so in the last, the breadth. In whiche place, the breadth beginneth: and so continuynge frome the south part to the North, it is but narow, The first and right corner of whych Ilande eastwarde, is in Rent, at Douer and Sand∣wiche. From whence to Caleys or Boloigne in Fraunce, is the distaunce of .xxx. myles, From this Angle whiche is agaynst France, to the third Angle, whiche is in the Nortte, in Scotlande, the mayne whereof, boundeth vpon Germany, but no land seene: and there the Iland is lyke vnto a wedge, euen at the very angle of the land in Scotlād. The lēgth whereof is .vii. hundreth myles. Agayne, the length from this Corner at Douer in Kente, to the vttermoste part of Cornewall, beynge sainct Michaels mount (whiche is the wes••e part or weast angle) is supposed to be .CCC. myles. From this left Angle▪ beyng the west part, and thuttermost part of Cornwall, whi¦che hath a prospect towards Spayn, in whi∣che part also standeth Irelande, situated▪ be∣twene

Britayne and Spayne to the north an∣gle in the further part of Scotland: in which part the Iland dothe ende, the length is .viii. hundred myles, in whiche part there be very good hauens, and saufe harboroughs for ship¦pes, and apt passage into Ireland, beyng not past one day saylynge: but the shorter passage is from wales, to waterford, a towne in Ire∣lande vppon the sea coaste muche like to that passage betwene Douer and Calaice, or som∣what more: but the shortest passage of all, is out of Scotland. Frō this last angle to Ham∣pton: (whiche is a towne vpon the sea coast, with a hauen so called toward the south, and therfore called Southhampton) betweene the Angles of Kent and Cornewal, they do me∣sure by a straight lyne, the whole lengthe of the Iland, and doo say, that it cont••ineth viii. C. myles: as the breadth frome Menena, or Saint Dauids to yarmouth, which is in the vttermost part of the Iland towardes the east dothe conteyn .CC. myles, for the breadth of the Iland is in the south part, which part is the front and begynnyng of the Land, and en¦deth narowe, or as it were in a straight. So the circuite or compasse of the Iland is .xviii C. myles, whiche is .CC. lesse, then Cesar dothe recken or accompt.

Thus muche I haue thought good to take ••ut of Polydore, touchynge the dyuisyon of

Englande, with the fourme and situation of the same. Muche other good matter that Au∣thor doth alledge, whych here for breuitie I do omitte, referryng those that desire to knowe farther hereof, to that Boke: where he shall fynd the style and story both pleasant and pro¦fytable.