An epitome of Mr. John Speed's theatre of the empire of Great Britain And of his prospect of the most famous parts of the world. In this new edition are added, the despciptions of His Majesties dominions abroad, viz. New England, New York, 226 Carolina, Florida, 251 Virginia, Maryland, 212 Jamaica, 232 Barbados, 239 as also the empire of the great Mogol, with the rest of the East-Indies, 255 the empire of Russia, 266 with their respective descriptions.

[illustration] map of Southhampton

SOUT∣HAMPTON

HANT-SHIRE.

CHAPTER VI.

HANT-SHIRE, lying upon the West of England is bordered upon the North by Bark∣shire, upon the East with Surrey and Sussex, upon the South with the British Seas, and Isle of Wight, and upon the West with Dorset and Wilt-shire.

(2) The length thereof from Blackwater in the North upon Surrey, unto Bascomb in the South upon the Sea, extended in a right line, is fifty four English miles, and the breadth drawn from Petersfield in the East, unto Tidworth in the West, and confines of Wilt-shire, is little less than thirty miles, the whole circumference about one hundred fifty and five miles.

(3) The Air is temperate, though somewhat thick by reason of the Seas, and the many Rivers that through the Shire do fall, whose plenty of Fish, and fruitfull increase, do manifoldly redeem the harmes which they make.

(4) The Soyl is rich sor Corn and Cattel, pleasant for Pasturage, and as plenteous for Woods; in a word, in all Commodities either for Sea or Land, blessed and happy.

(5) Havens it hath, and those Commodities both to let in, and to lose out Ships of great bur∣den in trade of Merchandise, or other imployments: whereof Portsmouth, Tichfield, Hamble, and South-hampton are chief: Besides many other creeks that open their bosoms into those Seas, and the Coast strengthened with many strong Castles, such as Hurst, Calshot, South-hampton, S. Andrews. Worth, Porchester, and the South Castle, besides other Bulwarkes, or Block-houses that secure the Countrey: and further in the Land, as Malwood, Winchester, and Odiam, so strong that in the time of King Iohn, thirteen Englishmen only defended the Fort for fifteen days against Lewis of Franca, that with a great Host assaulted it most hotly.

(6) Anciently it was possest upon the North by the Segontians, who yielded themselves to Iu∣lius Caesar, and whose chief City was Vindonum, Caer Segonte, now Silcester; and upon the South by the Belgae and Regni, who were subdued by Plausius and Vespasian the Romans, where Titus rescuing his Father, straightly besieged by the Britains, as Dio and Forcatulus do report, was grasped about with an Adder, but no hurt to his person, and therefore taken for a sign of good luck. Their chief Town was Rincewood, as yet sounding the name: and more within Land inhabited the Manures, as Beda calls them, whose Hundreds also to this day gave a relish of their names.

(7) Near Ringwood, and the place once YTENE, from God and peoples Service, to Feast and luxury, thirty six Parish Churches were converted, and pulled down by the Conquerour, and thirty miles of circuit enforrested for his game of Hunting, wherein his sons Richard and Rufus, with Henry the second son to Duke Robert, his first, felt by hasty death the hand of Iustice and Revenge: for in the same Forrest, Richard by blasting of a Pestilent Air, Rufus by shot taken for a Beast, and Henry as Absalom hanged by a bough, came to their untimely ends. At so dear a rate the pleasures of Dogs, and harbour for beasts were bought in the bloud of these Princes.

(8) The general Commodities gotten in this Shire, are Wools, Cloaths, and Iron, whereof great store is therein wrought from the Mines, and thence transported into all parts of this Realm, and their Cloaths and Karsies carried into many foreign Countries, to that Countries great benefit, and Englands great praise.

(9) The Trade thereof with other provisions for the whole, are vented through eighteen Mar∣ket-Towns in this Shire, whereof Winchester, the Britains Caer Gwent, the Romans Venta Belgarum, in chief, ancient enough by our British Historians. as built by King Budhudthras, nine hundred years before the Nativity of Christ; and famous in the Romans times for the weavings and embroderies therein wrought, to the peculiar uses of their Emperours own persons. In the Saxons time, after two

Calamities of consuming fire, her walls was raised, and the City made the Royal Seat of their West Saxons Kings, and the Metropolitan of their Bishops See, wherein Egbert and Elfred their most famous Monarchs were Crowned: and Henry the third, the Normans longest Reigner, first took breath: And here King Aethelstane erected six Houses for his Mint, but the Danish desolation over running all, this City felt their fury in the days of King Ethelbright, and in the Normans time, twice was defaced by the mis-fortune of fire, which they again repaired and graced with the trust of keeping the publick Records of the Realm. In the civil wars of Maud and Stephen, this City was sore sacked, but again received breath, was by King Edward the third appointed the place for Mart of Wool and Cloth. The Caehedral Church built by Kenwolf King of the West-Saxons, that had been Amphibalus, S. Peters, Swethins, and now holy Trinitie, is the Sanctuary for the ashes of many English Kings: for herein great Egbert anno 836. with his son King Ethelwolf, 857. Here El∣fred Oxfords founder, 901. with his Queen Elswith 904. Here the first Edmund before the Conquest, 924. with his sons Elfred and Elsward. Here Edred, 955. and Edwy, 956. both Kings of England: Here Emme, 1052. with her Danish Lord Canute, 1035. and his son Hardicanute, 1042. And here lastly, the Normaus, Richard and Rufus, 1100. were interred; their bones by Bishop Fox were ga∣thered and shrined in little gilt coffers fixed upon a wall in the Quire, where still they remain care∣fully preserved.

This Cities situation is fruitful and pleasant, in a valley under hills, having her River on the East and Castle on the West, the circuit of whose walls are well near two English miles, containing one thousand eight hundred and eighty paces; through which openeth six gates for entrance. and there∣in are seven Churches for divine Service, besides the Minister, and those decayed; such as Callen∣der, Ruell Chappell, S. Maries Abbey, and the Friers without the Suburbs, and Sooke; in the East is S. Pete••s, and in the North Hyde Church and Monastery, whose ruins remaining, shew the beau••y

that formerly it bare. The graduation of this City by the Mathematicks, is placed for Latitude in the Degree 51, 10 minutes, and for Longitude 19, 3 minutes.

(10) More South, is South-hampton, a Town populous, rich and beautiful, from whom the whole Shire deriveth her name, most strongly walled about with square stone, containing in circuit one thousand and two hundred paces, having seven Gates for entrance, and twenty nine Towers for defence, two very stately Keys for Ships arrivage, and five fair Churches for Gods divine Ser∣vice, besides an Hospital, called Gods-house, wherein the unfortunate Richard, Earle of Cambridge, beheaded for treason, lieth interred. On the West of this Town is mounted a most beautifull Ca∣stle, in form Circular, and wall within wall, the foundation upon a hill so topped, that it cannot be ascended but by stairs, carrying a goodly prospect both by Land and Sea; and in the East with∣out the walls a goodly Church sometimes stood, called S. Maries, which was pulled down, for that it gave the French direction of course, who with fire had greatly endangered the Town: in∣stead thereof, is newly erected a small and unfinished Chappel. In this place, saith learned Camb∣den, stood the ancient Clausentium, or Fort of the Romans, whose circuit on that side extended it self to the Sea: this suffered many depredations by the Saxon Pirates, and in Anno 980. was by the Danes almost quite overthrown. In King Edward the thirds time, it was fired by the French, under the Conduct of the King of Sicils son, whom a Countrey man encountred and struck down with his Club, he crying Rancon, that is Ransome: but he neither understandiog his language, nor the Law that Arms doth allow, laid on more soundly, saying, I know thee a Frankon, and therefore shalt thou die: And in Richard the seconds time it was somewhat removed, and built in the place where now it standeth. In this Clausentium, Canute to evict his flatterers, made trial of his Deity, commanding the Seas to keep back from his seat: But being not obeyed, he acknowledged God to be the onely supreme Governour, and in a religious devotion gave up his Crown to the Rood at Winchester.

More ancient was Silcester built by Constantius, great Constantines son; whose Monument (they say) was seen in in that City, and where another Constantine put on the purple robe against Honorius' as both Ninius and Gervase of Canterbury do withess. Herein by our Historians record, the war∣like Arthur was Crowned. Whose greatness for circuit contained no less than fourscore Acres of ground, and the walls of great height, yet standing two miles in compass about. This City by the Danish Rovers suffered such wrack, that her mounted tops were never since seen, and her Hulke (the walls) immured to the middle of the earth, which the rubbish of her own desolations hath filled.

(11) Chief Religious houses within this County erected and again suppressed were these, Christ's-Church, Beaulieu, Wh••rwall, Rumsey, Redbridge, Winchester, Hyde, South-hampton and Tichfield. The ho∣nour of this Shire is dignified with the high Titles of Marquess, and them Earls of VVinchester and South-hampton; whose Arms of Families are as thou seest, and her division into thirty seven Hundreds, and those again into two Hundred fifty three Parishes.