The history of England giving a true and impartial account of the most considerable transactions in church and state, in peace and war, during the reigns of all the kings and queens, from the coming of Julius Cæsar into Britain : with an account of all plots, conspiracies, insurrections, and rebellions ... : likewise, a relation of the wonderful prodigies ... to the year 1696 ... : together with a particular description of the rarities in the several counties of England and Wales, with exact maps of each county / by John Seller ...

The Reign of King Edgar, Twelfth Sole Monarch of England.

EDgar, the Second Son of Edmund, began his Reign Anno Dom. 959, at which time the Danes (weary∣••d out with War) began to think of settling a Peace ••ith the English, upon consideration they might rest at ••uiet in some Northern Counties, and have other Ad∣••antages which (considering the uncertainty of the ••en state of Affairs) was not thought amiss to be ••lowed them, they owning the King their Superiour, ••nd to continue as it were his Subjects: And so King ••dgar having received the Crown at Bath, from the ••ands of Odo Arch Bishop of Canterbury, applied him∣••elf to the Government of his Kingdom, and recalled Dunstan from Banishment; yet by this means some Divines of Oxford Ʋniversity were Branded in the Cheek, and Banished; for Affirming The Church of Rome ••o be the Whore of Babylon, Monkery an Offensive Contagion; Their Vows of Celibacy an encouragement to Sodomy, and other Ʋncleaneness. He made very strict Laws against Drunkenness, which was very rife in his time, causing Cups to be made with certain Pins or Marks, and a penalty to such as should exceed the allowed Draught: And England being then pestered with Wolves, who destroyed much small Cattle, and some People, he made a Law, That those who held Lands of the Crown should Yearly bring in a cerrain number of Wolves Heads, under a Penalty of forfeiting their Tenures; And Ludwal, the Prince of Wales, was alloted to bring in three Hundred Wolves Heads Yearly in consideration of the Lands he held in subjection to the Crown of England: Where∣upon upon such dilligent search was every where made, that ••n a few years there was not one to be found in England,

except such as were kept tame, nor ever since has there been otherways any of the breed in this Country, tho' Neighbouring Ireland not long since abounded with them.

This Edgar Yearly rid the Circuit, to take notice of the abuses and corruptions of his Judges, and severely Punished their remisness in the Administration of the Laws: But notwithstanding all these good Qualities, he was very much blemish'd with Incontinency, not sparing Wives or Daughters, where his desires lead him to pursue the enjoyment of his unlawful Pleasures: He begat a Daughter, whom he named Edith, on Wolfe-child a veiled Nun, who was afterward for a consider∣able sum of Money Cannonized by the Pope, and attemp∣ting to gaine the possession of Odwina, a Western Dukes Daughter, her Mother whom he solicited to give her into his Arms, preferring the preservation of her Cha∣stity to the Kings Anger, and all his Golden Promises, contrived a Stratagem to defeat him, which she effected, by laying her waiting Maid in her Daughters Bed, with whose wanton toying in the Dark he was so pleased, that tho' he discovered the Fraud the next Morning, he not only commended the Dutchess, but gave his Bedfellow the Reward he had promised the Yong Lady, and kept her as his Concubine.

Soon after this, hearing by Fame of the great Beauty of Duke Orgarius's Daughter, that she was even a Phoenix in nature, for incomparable Features, being by this time a Widower, he resolved if what was repor∣ted proved true, to take her to Wife; and in order to be better certified, he sent Earl Ethelwold, one of his Courtiers, to view her, who falling in Love with the Lady, wooed her for himself, and Married her, excu∣sing it to the King, by telling him, That she had Beauty enough for a Subiect, but not for so great a Prince: How∣ever

this did not so well satisfy him, but he resolved to see her, and so Invited himself to the Earls House.

Ethelwold, mistrusting to what intent he had done it, being conscious his Wives Beauty would enflame him, laboured to excuse his unpreparedness, but in vain; whereupon he acquainted his Wife with it, and in∣treated her to deforme herself, by appearing in a homely Dress, and by discolouring her Face, if she had any regard to his Life, or her own Chastity; telling her how her prevailing Charms had made him betray his Trust.

But this Ambitious Woman (proud of her Beauty) gathering from his discourse she might have been a Queen, and not now altogether out of hopes to be so, promised the Earl (for the better hiding her Anger) to obey him; but on the contrary, when the King was set at Dinner, she came before him Adorned with Jewells, and all her costly Ornaments, having much added by Art to her Natural Beauties, so that she ap∣peared in his Eyes like a glittering Angel; yet he dis∣sembled his Anger with Ethelwold for the present, till that Afternoon going a Hunting with the Earl in his Forrest, he singled him out, and after many reproaches, struck him through with his Javelin, as he was about to fall on his Knees and begg Pardon; and in a little time after took the Lady to Wife, by whom he had Ethelred afterward King of England. For this and his other wicked practices, Dunstan whome he had made a Bishop, and his great Favorite, Enjoyned him as a Penance, Not to wear his Crown for seven Years, which Injunction he submitted to, but left not his La∣scivious courses.

This Edgar brought the Kingdom to a Flourishing condition, and is accounted the greatest of the Saxon Monarchs, being once at Westchester he had eight Kings

and Princes to Row his Barge on the River Dee, as we have already noted, in our Remarks on Cheshire. He is said to compass the Island with almost an incredible Navy of Ships, viz. 3600, settling and strengthening the Sea-Ports, leaving Guard-Ships to defend them a∣gainst the Landing of Pirates or other Enemies; by which Undertaking he brought such a Terror on Scot∣land, that their King sued for Peace, and payed an An∣nual Tribute to have it confirmed.

He Restored and Founded 47 Monasteries: And in the presence of his Nobility, on Christmas Day, Anno Dom. 974, he Confirmed the Abby of Ramsey, which his Cousin Alwin had Founded, and made the Abby which Bishop Oswald had Builded, a Cathedral Church; He brought the Welsh under an intire Subjection to England, aloting their Princes Pensions, as his Servants, clearing the Seas of Rovers, and intended to War on France, to compol that King to a reparation of the Damages his Merchants had sustained on the French Coasts, by Embargoes and Seisures of their Goods. But whilst great things were in his mind, his Debauch∣eries having much wasted his Natural Strength, he Dyed when he had Reigned Sixteen Years, and was honourably Entombed at Glastenbury; which as yet boasts some remains of his Monument.

In the sixth Year of his Reign, the Heavens seemed as on Fire, the Stars to appearance darted Beams at each other, as if Creation had been about to dissolve. A Monsterous Fish was taken on the Coast of Sussex, with a Face and Hair like a Man, and a Scaly Circlet like a Coronet on its Head, and upon its being drawn up, sent forth a mighty noise like the roaring of a Lion.

[illustration] map of Essex

ESSEX By J: Seller.

Remarks on the County of Essex, &c.

ESSEX is not only considerably Large, but is every where sprinkled with Towns and Villages of note, and is abundantly stored with Cattle, by reason its advantageous Meadows, Marshes, and other Pastures, which lying low produce store of Grass in the driest seasons; as for Cheese and Butter, it produces very great quantities, as also very good Corn, and store of Saffron, Hops, &c.

It is Bounded on the South with the River Thames, and Kent, the River washing its verdant Banks as far as the Hope; on the West with Hartfordshire, and Middlesex; on the North with Cambridgshire and Suffolk, and on the East with the Ocean; It is divided into 20 Hundreds, which containe 415 Parishes; It has 27 Market Towns, and seven Rivers; It sends Members to Parliament eight, viz. Colchester 2, Harwich 2, Maldon 2, and two Knights of the Shire.

Colchester in this County is of great Antiquity, held to be Built by the Antient British King Coilus, from whom it seems to derive its Name; and in it was Born King Lucius the first known Christian King in the World: Constantine the first Christian Roman Emperour, as also Helena his Mother, Empress to Constantius and Daughter to King Coilus; It is also Memorable for its Long Siege in the late Civil War.

Malden is very Antient, having been the Royal Seat of the Trinobantes, of which Cunobeline was King, when our Saviour was Born. It was taken by the Emperour Claudius and Named Camalodunum, wherein he placed a Roman Garison, but Rased to the Ground by Queen Bonduca or Boadicia, after a mighey Defeat given the Romans in Re∣venge of their breach of Trust, and the Rape of her Daugh∣ters; which we formerly mentioned.

Walden famous for Saffron growing about it, from whic•• it takes the Name of Saffron Walden, and for giving Birth to that Learned Statesman Sr. Thomas Smith, Se∣cretary of State to Queen Elizabeth: At Tilbury the said Queen rendezvouzed her Forces to oppose the Spanish In∣vasion 1588; and there is now a strong Fort, commanding the Mouth of the Thames.

Chelmsford, accounted the Shire Town, is of very com∣modious Building and situation, the Assizes being usually held there. Braintry, Cogshal, Harwich, and other Towns, adorn this County. There is a Proverb peculiar to this County, which is, He may fetch a Flitch of Bacon from Dunmow, This Proverb took its rise from a Custom formerly practis'd in the Priory of Dunmow, first founded by Juga, a Noble Lady, for Black Nuns, Anno 1111. but afterwards converted into a Priory for Friars, who ordained, That if any Person from any part of England would come thither, and humbly kneel on two stones, yet to be seen at the Church Door before the Convent, and solemnly take the following Oath, he might demand a Gam∣mon or Flitch of Bacon, which should be freely given him:

You shall Swear by the Custom of our Confession, That you never made any Nuptial Transgression, Since you were married Man and Wife, By Houshold Brawls, or contentious strife: Or otherwise in Bed, or at Board, Offended each other in Deed or Word: Or since the Parish Clark said Amen, Wished your selves unmarried agen; Or in a Twelve-Month and a Day, Repented not in thought any way; But continued true, and in Desire, As when you joyn'd hands in holy Quire. If to these Conditions without all fear, Of your own accord you will freely Swear,

A Gammon of Bacon you shall receive, And carry it hence with love and free leave. For this is our Custom at Dunmow well known; Tho' the sport be ours, the Bacon's your own.

And pursuant hereunto, it appears upon Record, That ••ichard Wright, of Badsworth in Norfolk, in the 23d. ••f Hen. 6. and Stephen Samuel of Little Easton in Essex, ••n the 7th. of Edward the 4th, and Thomas Lee of Coxhall in Essex, in the 2d. of Hen. 8. Took the aforesaid ••ath, and demanded and received their Bacon.

Amongst the many Noble Seats in this County, That ••oyal House called Audley-End, (not far from Saffron-Walden) justly claims the first place, Built by Thomas ••oward Earl of Suffolk, Treasurer to King James the first. ••hen there is New-Hall, a very Noble Seat of the late Duke of Albemarles, and Bently belonging to the Earl of Oxford; Copt-Hall a seat of the Earl of Dorcets; Leez ••riory, a seat of the Earl of Manchester; St. Osith, a ••at of the Earl Rivers; Havering, a seat of the Earl of ••indseys; Park-Hall, a seat of the Earl of Angleseys; ••oulsham-Hall, Moulsham Friery, and Bishops-Hall, ••ats of the Lord Fitz Walter; Gosfield-Hall, and Spring-••lace, seats of the Lord Grey of Wark: Easton-Lodg ••nd Achdon-Place, seats of the Lord Maynard; Tols∣••ury, a seat of the Lord Howard of Escrick; Lawfield-Hall, the Lord Carews Seat: It contains likewise many ••urious Parks, Chases, Warrens, and is stored with Fish, ••owl, and all other Necessaries.