The certain travailes of an uncertain journey begun on Tuesday the 9. of August, and ended on Saturday the 3. of September following, 1653. Wherein the readers may take notice, that the authors purpose was to travell, and write this following relation, for no other intent or purpose, but to pleasure himself, and to please his friends in the first place. By John Taylor, at the sign of the Poets Head, in Phœniz [sic] Alley, near the Globe Tavern, in the middle of Long-Acre nigh the Covent-Garden. Those twelve following lines I gave to divers gentlemen and friends, before I went, and as they have kindly subscribed to my bill, I [d]o humbly expect their courteous acceptation of this booke.

A POSTSCRIPT, Of some parts of SUSSEX and KENT that I Travelled, which I have borrowed out of Mr. SPEED.

SUSSEX

THE North part of this Shire confronts upon Surrey, and Kent: the West but∣teth upon Hamshire; and all the rest of the County lieth stretched along the British sea. The City of most account within this County is Chichester, a beautifull, and large Towne; yet for the statelinesse of buildings Lewes doth seeme to contend with it, where William de Warron built a strong Castle, whereun∣to the Barons, in time of those civill brotles resorted in warlike manner, and fought a great Battell against their Soveraigne and his sonne, wherein the King,

Henry the third, had his horse slaine under him; Rich∣ard King of the Romans the Kings Brother was sur∣prized, and taken in a Wind-mill; and Prince Edward (who was after that King Edward the first, or Long∣shankes) delivered vnto them upon unequall termes of peace.

Places of other note are these. Shore whence King Harold going upon the Sea for his pleasure in a small boate was driven upon the Coast of Normandy, where, by Duke William he was surprized, and re∣tained, untill he swore to make him King after Ed∣ward the Confessor his death. West-Wittering where Ella the Saxon Landed when he came to conquer those partes, and gave the name to the Shoare from Cimen his Sonne. Finally Gromebridge where Charles Duke of Orleance father to Lewis the twelfth King of Fraunce, was long detained, being taken Prisoner at Agincourt. Yet I have beene in the Castle of Star∣borough where I was shewed the said Dukes Chamber, in Kent or the edge of Surrey.

KENT.

THis is the first Province that appeareth in the South of this Kingdome, and is bounded upon the North with the famous River Thamisis: on the East with the German sea, and Ocean: on the south with Sussex and the narrowe seas: and upon the West with Sussex and Surrey.

The cheifest City within this County is Canterbury which became famous, both for the conversion of the Saxons by St. Augustine, whereof eight of their Kings were there inter'd; as also was Thomas Becket Arch-Bishop of Canterbury.

The invincible Castle of Dover is a place of the grea∣test strength not onely of this County, but of the whole Kingdome, being the Key of the Realme; and as Iohn Rosse, and Lidgate affirme, was built by Julius Cesar. The chiefest and onely thing of admiration in this shire is a hole at Mottingame eight yards about, and a line of fiftie sadomes plummed into it, doth finde

no bottome, where suddenly the ground sunke, and three greate Elmes therein growing, were swallowed vp into the earth. This shire claimeth the preeminence of Chris∣tianity before all places of England: for Lucius the first Christian British King in this Jland, built a Church within the Castle of Dover.

There is no other memory or token of the great Bat∣tell, which was fought at Ailesford, betweene Hengist the ambitious Saxon, and Vortimer the valiant Bri∣taine, wherein Horsa, and Catigern, brethren to both Generalls were slaine, then a monument of Catigern, which is nothing else but foure stones pitched in the man∣ner of the Stone henge, on Salsbury Plaine, and is vul∣garly called Ciscoatehouse which is upon the plaine there.

Englands Kings have had two seats in this County, wherein they were went to make some aboade, in the Summer time: the one for their Court which is Green∣witch, the other for their pleasure, which is Eltham, ve∣ry convenient for pastimes, and game for hunting.

There is also a place in this Shire called Tunbridge whither there is great concourse of infirms people, who finde present remedy for their maladies, by vertue of some Wells lately found out, which prove verie so••e∣raigne.