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 Edward, Thirteenth Sole Monarch of England, and by some Sirnamed the Martyr.

EDward, Eldest Son to Edgar, began his Reign upon the Death of his Father, Ann Dom. 975; he was Crowned at Kingston on Thames by Dunstan, who had been promoted to the Bishoprick of Canterbury by his Father. At his Accession to the Throne, a terrible Blazing Star appeared, which rising East by South, continued visible twenty Nights; ushering in a griev∣ous Famin; so that the poorer sort were compelled to Eat Grass, Leaves, and Bark of Trees, whereupon many Thousands dyed; yet it continued but a Year, and then another mischief succeeded, which had like to have put the Nation in confusion, viz.

Several Years past, tho' the Popes Cannons prohibit∣ed it, the Clergy had priviledg to Marry, without any hinderance to them in performing their Functions, and keeping their Spiritualities: But Arch Bishop Dun∣stan, who aimed at the Popedom, or at least aspired to a Cardinals-Cap, finding it was displeasing to the Roman See, because the charge of Wives and Children must of necessity debar the Clergy from sending to Rome such liberal Contributions as otherways they might have done, and so hinder Grist from coming to the Popes Mill, he to ingratiate himself with that See, stired up the Monks and Ʋnmarried Priests, against those that had taken Wives, and they dealing underhand with divers unthinking People, Tumults arose thereon, and much mischief was done: For Duke Alfarus encouraging the Married Priests and their party, the King with all his Authority had much ado to prevent a General In∣surrection. At last it was agreed, That an Assembly of both Parties should meet, and dispute the matter,

according to Scripture and Cannons; and a place for that purpose was prepared in a large upper Room where Dunstan (as chief Orator for the Monks) had cunningly placed his Chair on a Post or Beam strongly fixed; and as some Authors believe had contrived a Device, by taking out some Pins, to let the Floor fall, upon a signal given; so the press being very great, after a hot Debate had been held for a while, and no∣thing Agreed on, Dunstan stamping, and saying, They shall fall before us, &c. The Floor first trembled, as with the motion of an Earthquake, and then fell down, leaving nothing but Dunstan's Chair that had been sure∣ly seated aloft, which being looked upon as, and cryed up for a Miracle, in the behalfe of the Monks, they thereupon carried the day: And the Married Priests were left at liberty to Enjoy their Wives, but outed of their Benefices.

This is that Dustan of whom a story goes, That to prevent Idleness, he was working at the Goldsmiths Trade in a Cell near Glassenbury, and whilst he was framing a Chalice of Gold, the Devil in the shape of a Beautiful Woman appeared to him, endeavouring to Tempt him to Lewdness; but he by Inspiration know∣ing it to be a Fiend Transformed, on a suddain, as it was peeping over his Shoulder, he catched it by the Nose with red hot Tongs, and made the Devil rore so loud, that all the People in the Village were Affright∣ed at the horrid Noise, and thereupon the seeming Lady Vanished.

And now the Danes, hoping for great advantages from these disturbances, prepared a considerable Fleet; but a Storm arising, they were driven on the Coast of Scotland, and many of them broken among the Rocks, about 6000 Men perishing: However, being recruited, they gave some disturbances on the Northern Borders,

many of the Scots joyning with them but they made no great Advance, for the Marches were strongly Guard∣ed; yet many Disorders happened at Court, by reason of the Kings Youth, not having experience in the Poli∣tick Intreagues of State: His Mother-in-law, who aimed to set her Son Ethelred (whom she had by Edgar, after Ethelwold her Husband was slain) upon the Throne, maintained a secret Faction to Depose or Murther him; the latter whereof was in a little time effected: For the King being perswaded to go a Hunting in a Forrest near Croft-Castle, the place where she and her Son Re∣sided, his Train (as 'tis thought purposely) left him in the Chase of a Stag; whereupon he not caring to stay in an unfrequented place, made to the Castle to pay his Step-Mother and Brother-in-law a visit, as also to get some Refreshment, the weather being exceeding hot, when knocking at the Gate, she (who had seen him out of the Window) came down and welcomed him in, with all the Blandishments and Flatteries im∣maginable, Intreating his Highness to alight and accept of whatever her mean Habitation would afford: But he Re∣ply'd, He came not to pay a set Visit, but came that way after his Game, and had lost his Company, and therefore at this time would sit on Horseback, and take a glass of Wine till some of them might chance to come up with him. Hereupon she hasting to fetch some Wine, gave the Sign to a desperat Ruffian, who was her Servant, that when the Glass was at his Mouth he should strike him in with a Dagger, which he performed; at which un∣expected Wound, the Young King perceiving the Treachery, set Spurs to his Horse; but through loss of Blood, fell from his Sadle in a little way Riding, and his Foot hanging in the Stirup he was dragged about the Field, till a Shepherd took him up, in whose Arms, giving a groan or two, he Dyed. This was no sooner

[illustration] map of Glocestershire

GLOCESTER SHIRE

noised abroad, but the common sort were immediatly for Revenging it on the Queen and all her Adherents, that should be found any ways concerned in it; but finding the Nobles, who for the most part were of her Faction, cold in the matter; and she protesting not to be consenting to the Murther, but that her wicked Ser∣vant had done it surprisingly and unexpected to her, in revenge of his Kinsman whom the King had caused to be Hanged some time before, for reproaching him in giving his consent to the turning out of the Married Priests, and had upon perpetrating so horrid a wicked∣ness fled beyond the Seas, the business by degrees was hushed up, and she laboured to have her Son Ethelred Crowned: But Arch Bishop Dunstan strongly opposed it, saying, That at his Baptism having befouled the Font, it was Ominous to the Church; that he would be a Contem∣ner, if not an Abolisher of its Religion; and a long while it was contested, till Dunstan found the Queens Faction so strong that he durst no longer refuse it.

King Edward being thus made away, was in a man∣ner privately Buryed at Waltham, and afterward his Body removed into the Monastery at Shaftsbury. He Reigned 4 Years, and was the 13th Sole Monarch of England.

Remarks on Gloucestershire, &c.

GLoucestershire is made Fruitful by the River Severn, Branching almost unto all parts of it; it contains much Woodland and Gradual Hills, Feeding great store of Tame Cattle, and Venison. It abounds in Corn, Wool, Cheese, and Butter: On the North it is bounded with Worcestershire, and Warwickshire; on the East, with Oxfordshire, and Wiltshire; on the South, with Somer∣setshire, and part of the Severn; on the West, with Here∣fordshire,

and Monmouthshire. It Contains one City, a Bishops See, viz Gloucester, 30 Hundreds, divided into 280 Parishes, 27 Market Towns and 12 Rivers. It sends members to Parliament 8, viz Cirencester 2, Gloucester 2, Teuksbury 2, and 2 Knights of the Shire.

Gloucester City is the antient Gelenum of the Romans; In it Robert Brother to the Empress Maud, was kept Pri∣soner, being taken in the War against King Stephen; its Cathedral is of Excellent Architecture and much noted for its Whispering Place, wherin the least sound may be dis∣tinctly heard at a considerable distance: It was won from the Britains by Chewlin King of the West Saxons Anno Dom. 570 and in this City a Monastery of Nuns was Founded by Osrick a Saxon, wherin 3 Queens of the Mer∣cians were successively Prioresses.

In Alny-Isle, a place near Gloucester, was fought the Combate between Edmund Ironside the Saxon King, and Canute the Dane, and the division of the Kingdom ther∣upon made, as in his Reign will further apear. Ciren∣cester or Circester was an antient Station of the Romans; in it was born the Learned Thomas Rutham, some time Bishop of Durham. The next places of note are Dursly, Cam, Todington, Yate, Westbury, Sudly Castle, Tewksbury, in whose field the Fatal Battel was fought which ruined at that time the House of Lancaster Anno 1471, in which Prince Edward was slain, Queen Margaret taken Prisoner, and the Duke of Somerset Earl of Devonshire &c. Were Beheaded. At Aderly on the top of certain Hills are found Stones in the form of Oy∣ters, Cockles &c. and near Puckle Church is a Vein of blue Stone. At Lessington are Stones that represent Stars, of the circumferance of a single Penny, and the thickness of half a Crown, they grow together in Columns about 3 or 4 Inches long, and being singly put into Vinegar, they naturaly move, and tend towards union. The Seats of the

Nobility are Badminton and Wallastons Grange, seats of the Duke of Beaufort; Stowel, a seat of the Earl of Strafford; Berkely-Castle, a seat of the Earl of Berkley's; Campden-House in Campden, a seat of the Earl of Gainsboroughs; Overnorton, a seat of the Lord Viscount Say and Seal's; Corfe-Court and Cockbury, seats of the Lord Coventry; Glocester Pallace, the Bishops seat: It has in it also a great many Parks, Forrests, and all accom∣modations for Recreation, &c.