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 Hardicanute, the Third Danish King, and Eighteenth Sole Monarch of England.

HArdicanute, the Third Son of Canute, by a different Mother, viz. Emma, Succeeded Harrold, Anno Dom. 1040: He was Crowned at London by Elnoch Arch Bishop of Canterbury; upon which he laboured to settle his Affairs at home and abroad, kept the Seas free from Pirates, that for some time before had infested the Coast, causing the Danes and Norwegians to build divers Ships for his Service; but being of a rough and uneasy temper, he was not very pleasing to his Subjects: He bore a Mortal Hatred to Harrold his Brother-in-Law, and not being capable of expressing it to any effect during his Life, he shewed it openly after his Death; causing his dead Body to be taken out of the Sepulcher in which it had lain a considerable time, and the Head to be cut off, and then thrown into the Thames, sunk with a great weight of Lead; but some Fishermen draging it up with their Nets a while after, decently Buried it in St. Clements Church in the Strand; for which reason some will have it to take the additinal word Danes, as it is now called.

This Hardicanute is accounted among the Volup∣tuous Kings, taking great pleasure in Banqueting, and often gloried he could Eat more at a Meal, than any of his Subjects; his Table was four times a Day spread with all manner of Delicates that Sea or Land afforded; by which riotous manner of living he greatly wasted his Treasure, and set an example to his Nobles to do the like; so that the Court being Impoverished, con∣sults

were held to raise an exacting Tax on the Com∣mons, which was chiefly counselled by Goodwin Earl of Kent, whereby he fell into the hatred of the People, and went Guarded a long time after, to prevent their fury: The Sum raised was 3••147 Pounds, a great Tax in those days, and grievously exasperated the People, because it was exacted with rigor; insomuch that at Worcester they made an Insurrection, and slew two of the Collectors; which so highly offended the King, that he not only caused divers of the Mutineers to be Executed, but laid the City in a heap of Rubbish by Fire, so that the Innocent suffered among the Guilty; which caused other Insurrections, but they were presently quieted, and many slain.

With part of this Money the clamouring Seamen were paid off, and thereupon a great part of the Fleet laid up, and then the King pursued his former pleasures; whereupon the Scots much wasted the Northern Bor∣ders; but being overthrown in a great Battel on the bank of the Tweed, near to Barwick, they were com∣pelled to sue for Peace; which they could not obtain, till they had made considerable restitution for the dammage they had done in the English Counties. About the latter end of this Kings Reign a terrible Blazing Star appeared for Three Weeks; The Sun at noon day seemed of the colour of Blood, strange and amaz∣ing Voices were heard, supposed to proceed out of the Air, and many other Prodigies are said to have hap∣pened.

When he had Reigned about two Years, being In∣vited to a Noblemans Wedding, held at Lambeth in Surry, situate on the South side the Thames, he there Eat and Drank so unmeasurably, that he immediatly Sick∣ned, and being carried from the Table, fell into a grievous Surfeit, and not admiting his Physitians to

Bleed him, which they advised as the only Remedy for his Recovery, he soon after Dyed; and leaving no Issue behind him, with him dyed the Danish Monarchy in England; and it devolved again on the Saxons: For Edward, the Seventh Son of Ethelred by Queen Emma, having escaped many dangers, was sent for upon the Death of Hardicanute from Normandy, (whither he had retired to save his Life upon the Death of his Brother Alfride) and Proclaimed King.

Remarks on the County of Kent, &c.

KEnt is a very large and spacious County, and advanta∣giously seated, being almost wholly invironed with the Sea, except its Western parts, which borders upon Surry and Sussex: Besides the Thames, which parts it Northward from Essex, its principal Rivers are Medway, the Rother, and the Stowr. It abounds in Fruits, Corn, fat Pastures, and exceeding profitable Marshes, for the feeding of Cattle, which are bought up Lean from other Counties, and sent thither to be made Fat: It produces particularly the greatest quantity of Cherries of any County in England, &c. It is divided into 67 Hundreds containing 408 Parishes, 2 Cities, viz. Canterbury and Rochester, the former being an Archiepiscopal See, having the Primacy of all England; the latter is likewise a Bishops See: It has likewise 31 Market Towns, and 4 Rivers more than before mentioned, a∣mong which Lewisham River is famous for the large store of Fish found in it, its Stream carrying about several Mills. It sends Members to Parliament 10, viz. Canterbury 2, Maidston 2, Queenbourough 2, Rochester 2, and 2 Knights of the Shire. Besides which, 3 of the Cinque Ports being in this County, viz. Dover, Rumney and Sandwich, do each of them send two Barons up to the Parliament, called Barons of the Cinque Ports.

[illustration] map of Kent

KENT By J. Seller

[illustration]

Canterbury is by some Authors said to have been Built 900 Years before the birth of our Saviour; it was given by Ethelbert the Saxon King of Kent to Austin the Monk and his Companions, and in their time the Cathedral was Founded, in which Eight Kings of Kent lie Buryed. It suf∣fered greatly by the Fury of the Danes, especially in the Reign of Ethelred, when 4200 of its Inhabitants were slain. Here King John and his Queen Isabela were Crowned; King Henry the Third and King Edward the First Married: Edward the Black Prince, Henry the Fourth, and Queen Joan, were Interred here; and the Cathedral was long famous in Superstitious times for Pilgrimages made to visit the Shrine of St. Thomas of Becket (a Popish Saint and Martyr) slain at the Altar in the Reign of Henry the Second.

Rochester, formerly called Roffchester, as Builded by one Roff, Lord thereof, is a very pleasant City; it was de∣stroyed by the Danes, and suffered much after Rebuilding by two dreadful Fires in the Reigns of King Henry the First and King Henry the Second; it has in it many fair Churches, and leading to it a curious Arched Bridge of Stone.

Maidstone a flourishing Town, situate on the Medway, for a meer Town, is reputed the handsomest, and best of Trade, in all the County.

Feversham is of great Antiquity, very pleasant and com∣modious in its situation; in it King Stephen and Queen Maud were Buried.

Dover is renowned for its Castle, said to be Built by Julius Caesar at his second Landing: Queenborough Castle was Built by Edward the Third. At Wye J. Kemp the learned Arch Bishop of Canterbury was Born. Greenwich is famous for its Park, and stately Palace; and near it is the New Hospital founded for Decayed Merchants: Horstead took its Name from Horsus one of the first Saxon Invaders.

Tunbridge is famous for its Medicinal Waters, and the great resort to its Wells. The Seats of the Nobility are Knobl, belonging to the Earl of Dorset; Penhurst, to the Earl of Leicester; Bocton-Malberb, to the Earl of Che∣sterfield; Hoathfield and Sylom, to the Earl of Thanet; Chenvening, to the Earl of Sussex; Lingstead Lodg, to the Lord Tenham; Leeds-Castle and Grenway-Court, to the Lord Culpeper; Alington-Castle and Maidstone Place, to the Lord Astly; Bromly-House, the Bishop of Rochesters seat.