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 ...

Remarks on Hartfordshire, &c.

HArtfordshire is a very pleasant Inland County pro∣ducing large crops of Corn, especially Barly, of which the best Malt is held to be made: It abounds with pleastant Orchards and Gardens, has in it divers Parks stored with Deer; It produces large and small Cattle in great abun∣dance, and is sprinkled with Woods, and adorned with plea∣sant Hills, Meadows, and Inclosiures; and is particularly noted for the great quantities of Black Cherries, that are at the proper season sent from thence to London; many of the Trees that produce them growing in the Hedg-rows, in Fields, and along the Roads, casting a pleasant shade in Summer time, to refresh the weary Traveller.

It is Bounded with Cambridgshire, Essex, Middlesex, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire; and divided into Eight Hundreds, viz. Odsey, Edwinstree, Hitching, Broadwater, Broughing, Hartford, Dacor, and Caisho Hundreds; and these again into 120 Parishes: It has 18 Market Towns and one River of note, viz. Ware River; though it is Watered with many small Streams.

It sends Members to Parliament Six, viz. St Albans two, Hartford, the Shire Town, two; and two Knights of the Shire. In this County are divers Places worthy of note, as

St. Albans, raised out of the Ruins of old Verulam, an Antient Roman station: It is Memorable for the Death of St▪ Alban, the British Proto Martyr, who suffered there

in the Tenth Persecution, raised by Dioclesian the Roman Emperour, who being Buryed here, and a stately Monu∣ment raised on his Grave by Offa the great King of the Mercians, seems to have given it its Name. This Place is also famous for two Battels fought here; The first between Richard Duke of York and King Henry the sixth, the 23d of May Anno Don. 1455. In which the King was defeated with the slaughter of the Duke of Summerset, Earl of Northumberland, Lord Clifford, and 5000 of lesser note: The second on the 17th of February Anno Dom. 1460, where King Henry the sixth and his Queen Mar∣garet gained the Victory over the Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk, and the Earls of Arundel and Warwick.

Barnet is famed for its Market and Medicinal Waters, and for the great Victory gained by Edw. the 4th on the 14th of April Anno Dom. 1471 against the Earls of Warwick and Oxford, in whose Field that great Earl was slain, since called The Battel of Barnet-Field. Here was Born John Barnet Bishop of Worcester, then of Bath and Wells, lastly of Ely, Lord Treasurer in the Reign of Edward the Third.

Ware, Hatfield, and Hodsdon, are all three seated on the River Lea; and near unto Ware is Amwel-Spring, famous for being the Head of the New-River, which so plentifully furnishes the City of London with Water.

Langly, commonly called Kings Langly, gave Birth to Edmond of Langly, fifth Son to Edward the Third, and the first Burial-place of Richard the Second, afterward re∣moved to Westminster. Abbots Langly was the Birth∣place of Nicholas Break-spear, advanced to Pope of Rome, by the Name of Pope Adrian the Fourth; who made the Emperour Frederick of Germany hold his Stirrop.

Oister supposed by Cambden to have been the Camp of the Roman Lieutenant Ostorius, the next of note are Wea∣thamsted, Baldock, Redburn, Helmsteadsbury, Gates∣den,

Hemsted, Cottered, Grohambury, which produced many famous Men. The Seats of the Nobility curiously adorn it, and are these: More Park, once the delightful seat of the Late Ʋnfortunate Duke of Monmouth; Caisho∣bury and Hadam-Hall, the seats of the Earl of Essex; Totteridg, the seat of the Earl of Angleseys; Hatfield, Hartford-Castle, Bigrave, Chesunt, and Quickwood, seats of the Earl of Salisburys: With divers seats of the Gentry rendering a pleasant Prospect in all Parts.