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 Edmund, Ninth Sole Monarch of England.

EDmund, Brother to Ethelstan, began his Reign Anno. Dom. 940. He was Crowned at Kingston up∣on Thames, but scarce settled in the Throne before the Danes, perswading the People of Northumberland and other Northern Counties to joyn with them, advanced against him with a puissant Army; to whom he gave a great Overthrow near Northampton, and had various success against them in divers other Battels. He caused the Eyes of the two Sons of Dunmail to be put out, for theirs and their Fathers Rebellion against him; and then to quiet his People, made many good Laws to re∣strain Rapin and other Injuries, that for want of such boundaries between Princes and Subjects they had sus∣tained in many of the former Reigns; and upon these Laws, Magna Charta, or the Great Charter of England, seems very much to be grounded.

Anlafe the Dane retaining some footing in the Nor∣thern parts of England, and Southern Sheirs of Scotland, Laboured to perswade Indulph King of Scots to break the League he had made with Ethelstan, urging that Edmund who now Reigned, was a supine Person, no ways fit to bear the weight of Government, and there∣fore they might easily gaine their designes in subduing the Kingdom; but Indulph would by no means be tempt∣ed to break his Oath: Whereupon the Dane thinking to do it without his Aid, sent for more Forces, who

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

Landing in the Humber, Elgarine, Governor of Nor∣thumberland, either through fear, or hopes of Advance∣ment, declared he was descended of Danish Blood; and breaking the Trust King Edmund had reposed in him, he Joyned such Forces as he could raise with Anlafe; whereupon the King sent to Indulph for Aid, according to the Articles of Treaty to assist each other in case of Invasion; and with all expedition he sent him 10000 well apointed Soldiers; with which, and his own For∣ces, he fell upon the Danes, and Routed them at the first onset, making a terrible slaughter in the pursuit. In this Battle, as the King had commanded, the Treache∣rous Earl Elgarine was taken alive, though he would willingly have dyed on the Swords of those that secured him; when being adjuged a Traytor to his Country, he was drawn in peices by the strength of Horses: And after this great Victory, he settled the Northern Coun∣ties that had been much harrassed and weakened by the Enemy, and upon his return granted large Priviledges to St. Edmunds-Bury in Suffolk, rebuilding many ruined places. And now the Irish Invading the Western Coasts with many small Vessels, were beaten off, divers of them slaughtered, and most of their Ships Burnt. Greater things were in projection to be done by this King, had not an untimely Death prevented him; for one day seeing a Gentleman that served him (and for whom, by reason of his Faithfullness, he had a singular esteem) hard pressed by a Ruffiain in single Combate, and at the point to be slain, he unadvisedly rushed in to his Rescue; and receiving the points of their Swords in his Body, whilst he thought to seize them with his Hands, he dyed of the Wounds, when he had Reigned Six Years, and was Interred at Glastenbury, being the Ninth sole Monarch of England, Anno Dom. 946. He was fifth son to King Edward: At his death he left his

Brother Edred or Eldred, Protector of the Realm, com∣miting to his care Edwye and Edgar his two Sons, who were in their Minority.

Remarks on Devonshire, &c.

DEvonshire, by reason of the advantage of the Sea, and its many spacious Havens, is not only of great account in it self, but to its Neighbouring Counties. It produces many rich Manufactories, and contains divers stately Towns: It has in it rich veins of Tin, store of Cattle, Corn, fat Pastures: Containing the City of Exon, a Bishops See, 394 Parishes, 33 Hundreds, 37 Market Towns, and 23 Rivers, small and great. It sends Members to Parliament 26, viz. Exeter, Plymouth, Plimpton, Totness, Oakhampton, Honiton, Barnstaple, Tavistock, Ashburton, Tiverton, Beralston, 2 Each; and 2 more out of these three Towns, Clifton, Dartmouth, and Hardness, and 2 Knights of the Shire; in all 26. It is Bounded with Somerset∣shire, Cornwal, the Irish Sea, and Channel.

Exeter, the only City of this County, is of great Antiqui∣ty, for the Castle called Rugemont was once the Palace of the West Saxon Kings, and afterward of the Earls of Corn∣wal, and the Walls and Cathedral were Builded by King Ethelstane, and is situate on the River Ex.

Torbay in this County, some few Miles from the North East of Dartmouth, is singularly remarkable for the De∣scent made here on the 5th of November 1688, by the then Prince of Orange, but his now present Majesty King William the Third (whom God long preserve) with his Forces from Holland, to save this Nation from Popery and Slavery, which had then bid fair for it; but upon his Landing vanish'd like Mists before the Morning Sun.

Plymouth, seated on the River Plym, is renowned by be∣ing the birth-place of that great Sea Captain, Sr. Francis

[illustration] map of Devonshire

DEVON SHIRE

Drake; Tinmouth was the place where the Danes Land∣ed when they first Invaded the Western Parts, and suffered much by the French in the Year 1690; Crediton was a Bishops See till it was removed to Exeter by Edward the Confessor; Hubblestone was the burying-place of Hubba the Dane, Brother to Hungar, slain in Battel not far from thence. In the Parish of Comb-Martin it is Recorded, That William Wimondham Refined out of Oar digged there 270 Pound weight of Silver, afterward Coined for Elinor Dutches of Bar. The Seats of the Nobility are pleasantly situate in this County, viz. Potheridge and Wenbury, seats of the Late Duke of Albemarle; Chud∣leigh the seat of the Lord Clifford Baron of Chudleigh; and the Lord Bishop of the Diocess his Palace at Exeter.