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 Ethelstan, Eighth Sole Monarch of England.

EThelstan, Eldest Son to Edward, and Eighth Sole Monarch of England, began his Reign Anno 925, and was Crowned at Kingston upon Thames, by Adelme Arch Bishop of Canterbury, and is held by some to be the first Anointed King of England; but I suppose they mean the first Saxon King, for it is held by Antient Writers to be used in the Coronation Ceremonies of di∣vers British Kings a great while before. Long he had not been Established in his Throne, ere Elfried a Nor∣man and one he trusted in weighty Affairs, raised a Re∣bellion against him, causing great commotions in the Kingdom; but in the end he was taken, and his Party dispersed; upon which he utterly deny'd he was the occasion of it, and laboured to lay it on others; where∣upon the King, unwilling to search deep into the mat∣ter,

least he should create himself powerful Enemies a∣mong the Nobility, was at that time contented that Elfred should go to Rome and purge himself of the fact, upon Oath before the Pope. But hereupon not freed from a Jealousie he conceived of Edwin his Brother, whom Elfred had accused as a Person aspiring to the Throne, he was made away privately with the Kings consent; yet, tho' too late, being better informed he was so grieved, that to attone (as he conceived) for guiltless Blood, he caused the Assassines to be put to Death with exquisit Torments, and Founded divers places, dedicating them to Pious uses; as St. Germans in Cornwal, St. Petrocus at Bodmyn, Plympton Priory, Middleton and Michelney, &c. He Fortified Exeter, and quelled the Cornishmen that Rebelled against him; and upon Disorders committed by the Scots in the Northern Borders, he Marched into that Kingdom, gave them a great Overthrow, and made the whole Nation submit their Crown to him, which he placed on the Head of Constantine upon his Submission, saying, It was more Honour to make a King than to be a King. However, he imposed a Tribute on the Kingdom, and to shew the mightiness of his Strength, made a vast dint in a Stone with his Sword at Dunbar, causing it to be Recorded as a Mark of his Title to the Kingdom of Scotland; but soon after, Constantine repenting his Submission, Leavyed Forces and Invaded England, joyning with Anlafe the Dane; but at a place called Bromingfield he was Overthrown; for the English seem∣ing to retire, (and the others supposing they had really done it) Rallyed on the loose Troops of their Enemies and beat them down in great numbers, obtaining a great Victory, and Killing 20000 of their Enemies, a∣mong which Willfert Prince of the Guentes, and Howel Prince of North Wales, and Seven Dukes who came to

the assistance of the Scots, Malcolm Heir apparent to Scotland was much Wounded; whereupon King Ethel∣stan setled the English Borders beyond the Tweed, ta∣king in the three Southern Counties, strongly Garrison∣ing Edenburg Castle and other Fortresses; so that Con∣stantine finding that he was unable to make further op∣position, betook himself to a Contemplative Life, in the Abby of St. Andrews, where in a short time after, he Dyed: Hereupon Ethelstane caused the Scots Nobles to Swear Fealty to him, and injoyned them to pay him Yearly twenty Pounds in Gold, three Hundred Pounds in Silver, and 2500 Head of Cattle, Hounds, Hawks, &c. So that the Scots mourned many Years for their joyning with the Danes to Invade England: And indeed a little before the fatal Battel, a Fountain of Blood-Coloured Water issued out of the side of a Moun∣tain in Galloway, and Coloured divers Streams into which it run for many Miles; and a Monster was Born with the Members of both Sexes, and a Head like a Swine, the Back of it full of Bristles, and the Nailes like Claws; another in Northumberland of the Male Sex, having one Belly and two Thighs and Legs, but divided upwards into two entire Bodies, with two Heads and four Arms; and when one Head Slept, the other Waked; when one Eat, the other refused sustenance, and always Quarelled the one with the other; till one Dying, its Stench Killed the other.

Anlafe, the Danish General, having lost the greater part of his Forces, hoped by a Treacherous Policy to gain his end; whereupon disguising himself, he entered the Kings Tent by Night, with forty of his Followers, in hopes to have found him there, and Slain him; but Providence so ordered it, that he was absent; yet a Bishop newly arived at the Camp had taken up his Quarters there, who starting up and perceiving their Murderous intentions, so Manfully lay'd about him

wth a Battel-Ax, that he slew five Petty Princes of the Danes, 12 Dukes, and divers Souldiers; but none coming timely to his Rescue, he was beaten down with a weighty Stone thrown at him, and slain; and though the Danes here missed their main aim, yet they were not so much discouraged, but sending to Denmark, more Forces came to their assistance, and among the rest a mighty Giant, named Colbron, who with a Bar of Iron he used in Fight, had (as the Danes report) dashed many Hundreds in Pieces; with these Recruits they entered England, ravaging the Country as far as Win∣chester, to which they lay'd Siege, offering at the same time to raise it and depart, so the King could provide a Champion that should dare to combate Colbron, so as to overcome him; but on the contrary, to have the City delivered to them; whereupon it is said that the famous Guy Earl of Warwick being returned from Forraign Lands in the Habit of a poor Pilgrim, like another David, offered the King his service; when all his Nobles and Men at Armes declined it, as being scared at the mighty Stature and Bulk of this second Pagan Goliah, which the King at first refused, supposing him to be a Madman; yet in a Vision being admonished to it, he consented; and the combate was Fought be∣tween them in Hide Mead, wherein, after a fierce En∣counter of two Hours, Guy became Victor; where∣upon the Danes raised their Siege and fled, but in the pursuit many of them were destroyed, and soon after chased out of the Country, so that he setled the Realm in Peace, and divers Princes sent to congratulate his Suc∣cess, with many Rich Presents; Hugh King of France sent him a Sword said to be that of Constantines the Great, and reported to have in the pummel one of the Nails that fastned our Saviour to the Cross, as also his Spear, being that where with Longinus pierced his side,

[illustration] map of Darby

The County of DARBY By John Seller

[illustration]

Otho the Emperour sent him a Landskip richly set with Pretious Stones; and the King of Norway a larg Ship with rich Guilded Decks and Purple Sails.

This Ethelstane caused the Bible to be Translated in∣to English; which is accounted the first time it ever was in our Language: And when he had Reigned Fifteen Years, he Dyed, and was Buryed with much solemnity at Malmsbury, where his Tomb remained some Hundreds of Years with an Epitaph in his praise, as a good Prince, and a great lover of Justice.

Remarks on Derbyshire, &c.

THE County of Derby, tho' somewhat Hilly in divers parts, yet it is a very pleasant County, watered with the River Derwent, and other Rivers abounding with Fish: It has in it a great number of Forrests and Parks stored with Deer; It breeds an excellent sort of Large Cattle and abun∣dance of Sheep: It abounds also with various sorts of Stones, as Free-Stone, or durable Greet-Stone; and in some places Lime-Stone, which is useful both in Building and Husbandry, for the Manuring of the Land. Here is also Alabaster, Crystal, Black and Grey Marble, which is not only very durable, but Polishes well. And for Mill-Stones and Whet-Stones, here are several Quarries of them, in the working whereof many Persons are Employed. But the chiefest Commodity of this County is Lead; which for the Goodness and Plenty thereof, yields to no Place in the World: And famous for this, is the Peak of Derby-shire, commonly called the Devil's Arse; which is indeed the most remark∣able thing in this County. This Peak or Cave called the Devil's Arse, is a great Rock or Castle upon an high Hill, under which there is a Cave in the ground of a vast bigness; the Name seemes to be taken from its having two Buttocks sticking out in form like a Mans, bending to the Ground: The Arch of the Rock is extream high, and through it Drops

of Water are continually falling: Those that are minded to enter into it must have good store of Lights, for going between two Rocks near together, they loose the sight of Day; which makes the place look dreadful and affrighting; and perhaps gave rise to all those fabulous stories of Spirits and Phantoms, which are reported of it; the recital whereof, is neither worth my Pains, nor the Readers.

Eldenhole is another remarkabls place, and one of the Wonders of the Peak; It is distant two miles from Castle∣ton, a Town in the High-Peak. The hole of this Cave is about 30 Yards long, and 15 Yards broad on the Top; de∣scending directly down into the Earth, which is much strait∣ned when it cometh 40 Yards deep: The Waters which trickle down from the Top thereof do congeal into Stone, and hang like Isicles in the root of it: Some are hollow within, and grow Taper-wise, very white, and not unlike to Crystal.

But the greatest Wonder of the Peak is that of Buxton-Wells, where nine Springs arise out of a Rock, within the compass of eight or nine Yards, eight of which are Warm, and the ninth very Cold: These Springs run from under a Square Building of Free-Stone; and about 60 paces off, receive another hot Spring, from a Well inclosed with four flat Stones, called St. Ann; near unto which another cold Spring bub∣leth up. These Springs have been found by daily Experience very good for the Stomach and Sinnews; and very pleasant to bathe the Body in. The wonderous Vertues whereof, are thus describ'd,

Unto St. Ann the Fountain sacred is, With Waters Hot and Cold its Springs do rise, And in its Sulphur Veins there's Med'cine lies: Old Mens numb'd Joynts new Vigor here acquire, In frozen Nerves this Water kindleth Fire; Hither the Cripples halt, some help to find, Run hence, and leave their Crutches here behind

The Barren hither to be Fruitful come; And without help of Spouse go Mothers home.

This County contains 106 Parishes, and is divided into six Hundreds. It has eight Market Towns, and 13 Rivers. It is Rich in Pasture, and Memorable for many great Acti∣ons that have happened in it. It sends Members to Parlia∣ment four, viz. Derby two, and two Knights of the Shire. It is Bounded with Yorkshire, Notinghamshire, Cheshire, Staffordshire, and Leicestershire.

Derby, the chief Town, is commodiously situate on the Western Bank of the River Derwent, and in the North-East end of it stands a Bridge of Free-Stone, and upon the Bridge a fair Chappel, called St. Mary's Chappel. But besides Derwent, which empties it self six Miles lower into the Trent, this Town has the conveniency of a Brook rising Westward, and running through it under nine several Bridges. The Town is large and populous, containing five Parish Churches, of which that of All Saints is the fairest, whose Tower-Steeple, (in which are eight Tuneable Bells) was built at the only charge of the Young-Men and Maids, about the Reign of Queen Mary the First; and is equall'd for Height and Beauty, by few in the Nation. In short, 'tis a Town of good Trade; and very famous for its Ale, which is accounted the best and strongest in the Kingdom.

Ripton (the Antient Ripandunum) is a pleasant place; here Ethelbald, the ninth King of the Mercians, slain at Egelwald, was by his Subjects Interred; and from hence Burdred the last King of Mercia was expelled by the Danes, together with his Queen Ethelwith. At Melburn, John D' Bourbon, taken at the Battel of Agincourt in France by our Henry the 5th, was kept Prisoner: Little Derby was an Antient Collony of the Romans, as appears by their Coins and Medals digged up there at sundry times. The Seats of the Noblemen are Palsover Castle, the Antient seat

of the Duke of Newcastle; Haddon, the seat of the Earl of Rutland; Hadwick and Chatsworth, the seats of the Duke of Devonshire; Berthy, the seat of the Earl of Chesterfield; Sherley, the seat of the Lord Ferrers Sutton, &c.