thorough or neere by the parke at Pomfret, as the common voice also of
the countrie confirmeth. Thence it passeth hastilie ouer Castelford
bridge to Aberford, which is fiue miles from thence, and where are most
manifest tokens of this stréet and his broad crest by a great waie
togither, also to Yorke, to Witherbie, and then to Borowbridge, where on
the left hand thereof stood certeine monuments, or pyramides of stone,
sometimes placed there by the ancient Romanes. These stones (saith
Leland) stand eight miles west from Bowis, and almost west from Richmond
is a little thorough fare called Maiden castell, situate apparantlie
vpon the side of this stréet. And here is one of those pyramides or
great round heapes, which is three score foot compasse in the bottome.
There are other also of lesse quantities, and on the verie top of ech of
them are sharpe stones of a yard in length; but the greatest of all is
eighteene foot high at the least, from the ground to the verie head. He
addeth moreouer, how they stand on an hill in the edge of Stanes moore,
and are as bounds betwéene Richmondshire, and Westmerland. But to
procéed. This stréet lieng a mile from Gilling, and two miles from
Richmond commeth on from Borowbridge to Catericke, eightéene miles; that
is, twelue to Leuing, & six to Catericke; then eleuen miles to Greteie
or Gritto, fiue miles to Bottles, eight miles to Burgh on Stanes moore,
foure miles from Applebie, and fiue to Browham, where the said stréet
commeth thorough Winfoll parke, and ouer the bridge on Eiemouth and
Loder, and leauing Perith a quarter of a mile or more on the west side
of it, goeth to Carleill seuenteene miles from Browham, which hath béene
some notable thing. Hitherto it appeareth euidentlie, but going from
hence into Scotland, I heare no more of it, vntill I come to Cathnesse,
which is two hundred and thirtie miles or thereabouts out of England.
[Sidenote: Erming stréet.]
The Erming stréet, which some call the Lelme, stretcheth out of the
east, as they saie, into the southeast, that is, from Meneuia or S.
Dauids in Wales vnto Southampton, whereby it is somewhat likelie indeed
that these two waies, I meane the Fosse and the Erming, should méet
about Cirnecester, as it commeth from Glocester, according to the
opinion conceiued of them in that countrie. Of this waie I find no more
written, and therefore I can saie no more of it, except I should indeuor
to driue awaie the time, in alleging what other men say thereof, whose
minds doo so farre disagrée one from another, as they doo all from a
truth, and therefore I giue them ouer as not delighting in such dealing.
[Sidenote: Ikenild.]
The Ikenild or Rikenild began somewhere in the south, and so held on
toward Cirnecester, then to Worcester, Wicombe, Brimcham, Lichfield,
Darbie, Chesterfield; and crossing the Watlingstréet somewhere in
Yorkeshire, stretched foorth in the end vnto the mouth of the Tine,
where it ended at the maine sea, as most men doo confesse. I take it to
be called the Ikenild, because it passed thorough the kingdome of the
Icenes. For albeit that Leland & other following him doo séeme to place
the Icenes in Norffolke and Suffolke; yet in mine opinion that can not
well be doone, sith it is manifest by Tacitus, that they laie néere vnto
the Silures, and (as I gesse) either in Stafford and Worcester shires,
or in both, except my coniecture doo faile me. The author of the booke,
intituled Eulogium historiarum, doth call this stréet the Lelme. But as
herein he is deceiued, so haue I dealt withall so faithfullie as I may
among such diuersitie of opinions; yet not denieng but that there is
much confusion in the names and courses of these two latter, the
discussing whereof I must leaue to other men that are better learned
than I.
Now to speake generallie of our common high waies through the English
part of the Ile (for of the rest I can saie nothing) you shall
vnderstand that in the claie or cledgie soile they are often verie déepe
and troublesome in the winter halfe. Wherfore by authoritie of parlement
an order is taken for their yearelie amendment, whereby all sorts of the
common people doo imploie their trauell for six daies in summer vpon the
same. And albeit that the intent of the statute is verie profitable for
the reparations of the decaied places, yet the rich doo so cancell their
portions, and the poore so loiter in their labours, that of all the six,
scarcelie two good days works are well performed and accomplished in a
parish on these so necessarie affaires. Besides this, such as haue land
lieng vpon the sides of the waies, doo vtterlie neglect to dich and
scowre their draines and watercourses, for better auoidance of the
winter waters (except it may be set off or cut from the meaning of the
statute) whereby the stréets doo grow to be much more gulled than
before, and thereby verie noisome for such as trauell by the same.
Sometimes also, and that verie often, these daies works are not imploied
vpon those waies that lead from market to market, but ech surueior
amendeth such by-plots & lanes as séeme best for his owne commoditie,
and more easie passage vnto his fields and pastures. And whereas in some
places there is such want of stones, as thereby the inhabitants are
driuen to seeke them farre off in other soiles: the owners of the lands
wherein those stones are to be had, and which hitherto haue giuen monie
to haue them borne awaie, doo now reape no small commoditie by raising
the same to excessiue prices, whereby their neighbours are driuen to
grieuous charges, which is another cause wherefore the meaning of that
good law is verie much defrauded. Finallie, this is another thing
likewise to be considered of, that the trées and bushes growing by the
stréets sides; doo not a little keepe off the force of the sunne in
summer for drieng vp of the lanes. Wherefore if order were taken that
their boughs should continuallie be kept short, and the bushes not
suffered to spread so far into the narrow paths, that inconuenience
would also be remedied, and manie a slough proue hard ground that yet is
déepe and hollow. Of the dailie incroaching of the couetous vpon the hie
waies I speake not. But this I know by experience, that wheras some
stréets within these fiue and twentie yeares haue béene in most places
fiftie foot broad according to the law, whereby the traueller might
either escape the théefe or shift the mier, or passe by the loaden cart
without danger of himselfe and his horsse; now they are brought vnto
twelue, or twentie, or six and twentie at the most, which is another
cause also whereby the waies be the worse, and manie an honest man
encombred in his iourneie. But what speake I of these things whereof I
doo not thinke to heare a iust redresse, because the error is so common,
and the benefit thereby so swéet and profitable to manie, by such houses
and cotages as are raised vpon the same.
OF THE GENERALL CONSTITUTION OF THE BODIES OF THE BRITONS.
CHAP. XX.
Such as are bred in this Iland are men for the most part of a good
complexion, tall of stature, strong in bodie, white of colour, and
thereto of great boldnesse and courage in the warres. As for their
generall comelinesse of person, the testimonie of Gregorie the great, at
such time as he saw English capteins sold at Rome, shall easilie
confirme what it is, which yet dooth differ in sundrie shires and
soiles, as also their proportion of members, as we may perceiue betwéene
Herefordshire and Essex men, or Cambridgeshire and the Londoners for the
one, and Pokington and Sedberrie for the other; these latter being
distinguished by their noses and heads, which commonlie are greater
there than in other places of the land. As concerning the stomachs also
of our nation in the field, they haue alwaies beene in souereigne
admiration among forren princes: for such hath béene the estimation of
our souldiers from time to time, since our Ile hath béene knowne vnto
the Romans, that wheresoeuer they haue serued in forren countries, the
cheefe brunts of seruice haue beene reserued vnto them. Of their
conquests and bloudie battels woone in France, Germanie, and Scotland,
our histories are full: & where they haue beene ouercome, the victorers
themselues confessed their victories to haue béene so déerelie bought,
that they would not gladlie couet to ouercome often, after such
difficult maner. In martiall prowesse, there is little or no difference
betwéene Englishmen and Scots: for albeit that the Scots haue beene
often and verie gréeuouslie ouercome by the force of our nation, it hath
not béene for want of manhood on their parts, but through the mercie of
God shewed on vs, and his iustice vpon them, sith they alwaies haue
begun the quarels, and offered vs méere iniurie with great despite and
crueltie.
Leland noting somewhat of the constitution of our bodies, saith these
words grounding (I thinke vpon Aristotle, who writeth that such as dwell
neere the north, are of more courage and strength of bodie than
skilfulnesse or wisdome.) The Britons are white in colour, strong of
bodie, and full of bloud, as people inhabiting neere the north, and
farre from the equinoctiall line, where the soile is not so fruitfull,
and therefore the people not so feeble: whereas contrariwise such as
dwell toward the course of the sunne, are lesse of stature, weaker of
bodie, more nice, delicate, fearefull by nature, blacker in colour, &
some so blacke in déed as anie crow or rauen. Thus saith he. Howbeit, as
those which are bred in sundrie places of the maine, doo come behind vs
in constitution of bodie, so I grant, that in pregnancie of wit,
nimblenesse of limmes, and politike inuentions, they generallie exceed
vs: notwithstanding that otherwise these gifts of theirs doo often
degenerate into méere subtiltie, instabilitie, vnfaithfulnesse, &
crueltie. Yet Alexander ab Alexandro is of the opinion, that the
fertilest region dooth bring foorth the dullest wits, and contrariwise
the harder soile the finest heads. But in mine opinion, the most fertile
soile dooth bring foorth the proudest nature, as we may see by the
Campanians, who (as Cicero also saith) had "Penes eos ipsum domicilium
superbiæ." But nether of these opinions do iustlie take hold of vs, yet
hath it pleased the writers to saie their pleasures of vs. And for that
we dwell northward, we are commonlie taken by the forren
historiographers, to be men of great strength and little policie, much
courage and small shift, bicause of the weake abode of the sunne with
vs, whereby our braines are not made hot and warmed, as Pachymerus
noteth lib. 3: affirming further, that the people inhabiting in the
north parts are white of colour, blockish, vnciuill, fierce and warlike,
which qualities increase, as they come neerer vnto the pole; whereas the
contrarie pole giueth contrarie gifts, blacknesse, wisdome, ciuilitie,
weakenesse, and cowardise, thus saith he. But alas, how farre from
probabilitie or as if there were not one and the same conclusion to be
made of the constitutions of their bodies, which dwell vnder both the
poles. For in truth his assertion holdeth onelie in their persons that
inhabit néere vnto and vnder the equinoctiall. As for the small tariance
of the sunne with vs, it is also confuted by the length of our daies.
[Sidenote: Non vi sed virtute, non armis sed ingenio vincuntur Angli.]
Wherefore his reason seemeth better to vphold that of Alexander ab
Alexandro afore alledged, than to prooue that we want wit, bicause our
brains are not warmed by the tariance of the sunne. And thus also dooth
Comineus burden vs after a sort in his historie, and after him, Bodinus.
But thanked be God, that all the wit of his countriemen, if it may be
called wit, could neuer compasse to doo so much in Britaine, as the
strength and courage of our Englishmen (not without great wisedome and
forecast) haue brought to passe in France. The Galles in time past
contemned the Romans (saith Cæsar) bicause of the smalnesse of their
stature: howbeit, for all their greatnesse (saith he) and at the first
brunt in the warres, they shew themselues to be but féeble, neither is
their courage of any force to stand in great calamities. Certes in
accusing our wisedome in this sort, he dooth (in mine opinion) increase
our commendation. For if it be a vertue to deale vprightlie with
singlenesse of mind, sincerelie and plainlie, without anie such
suspicious fetches in all our dealing, as they commonlie practise in
their affaires, then are our countrimen to be accompted wise and
vertuous. But if it be a vice to colour craftinesse, subtile practises,
doublenesse, and hollow behauiour, with a cloake of policie, amitie and
wisedome: then are Comineus and his countrimen to be reputed vicious, of
whome this prouerbe hath of old time beene vsed as an eare marke of
their dissimulation,
Galli ridendo fidem frangunt. &c.
How these latter points take hold in Italie, I meane not to discusse.
How they are dailie practised in manie places of the maine, & he
accompted most wise and politike, that can most of all dissemble; here
is no place iustlie to determine (neither would I wish my countrimen to
learne anie such wisedome) but that a king of France could saie; "Qui
nescit dissimulare, nescit regnare, _or_ viuere," their owne histories
are testimonies sufficient. Galen, the noble physician, transferring the
forces of our naturall humors from the bodie to the mind, attributeth to
the yellow colour, prudence; to the blacke, constancie; to bloud, mirth;
to phlegme, courtesie: which being mixed more or lesse among themselues,
doo yéeld an infinit varietie. By this meanes therefore it commeth to
passe, that he whose nature inclineth generallie to phlegme, cannot but
be courteous: which joined with strength of bodie, and sinceritie of
behauiour (qualities vniuersallie granted to remaine so well in our
nation, as other inhabitants of the north) I cannot see what may be an
hinderance whie I should not rather conclude, that the Britons doo
excell such as dwell in the hoter countries, than for want of craft and
subtilties to come anie whit behind them. It is but vanitie also for
some to note vs (as I haue often heard in common table talke) as
barbarous, bicause we so little regard the shedding of our bloud, and
rather tremble not when we sée the liquor of life to go from vs (I vse
their owne words.) Certes if we be barbarous in their eies, bicause we
be rather inflamed than appalled at our wounds, then are those obiectors
flat cowards in our iudgement: sith we thinke it a great péece of
manhood to stand to our tackling, vntill the last drop, as men that may
spare much bicause we haue much: whereas they hauing lesse are afraid to
lose that little which they haue: as Frontinus also noteth. As for that
which the French write of their owne manhood in their histories, I make
little accompt of it: for I am of the opinion, that as an Italian
writing of his credit; A papist intreating of religion, a Spaniard of
his méekenesse, or a Scot of his manhood, is not to be builded on; no
more is a Frenchman to be trusted in the report of his owne affaires,
wherein he dooth either dissemble or excéed, which is a foule vice in
such as professe to deale vprightlie. Neither are we so hard to
strangers as Horace wold séeme to make vs, sith we loue them so long as
they abuse vs not, & make accompt of them so far foorth as they despise
vs not. And this is generallie to be verified, in that they vse our
priuileges and commodities for diet, apparell and trade of gaine, in so
ample manner as we our selues enioy them: which is not lawfull for vs to
doo in their countries, where no stranger is suffered to haue worke, if
an home-borne be without. But to procéed with our purpose.
With vs (although our good men care not to liue long, but to liue well)
some doo liue an hundred yéers, verie manie vnto foure score: as for
thrée score, it is taken but for our entrance into age, so that in
Britaine no man is said to wax old till he draw vnto thrée score, at
which time God spéed you well commeth in place; as Epaminondas sometime
[Sidenote: Salutations according to our ages.]
said in mirth, affirming that vntill thirtie yeares of age, You are
welcome is the best salutation; and from thence to thréescore, God kéepe
you; but after thréescore, it is best to saie, God spéed you well: for
at that time we begin to grow toward our iournies end, whereon manie a
one haue verie good leaue to go. These two are also noted in vs (as
things apperteining to the firme constitutions of our bodies) that there
hath not béene séene in anie region so manie carcasses of the dead to
remaine from time to time without corruption as in Britaine: and that
after death by slaughter or otherwise, such as remaine vnburied by foure
or fiue daies togither, are easie to be knowne and discerned by their
fréends and kindred; whereas Tacitus and other complaine of sundrie
nations, saieng, that their bodies are "Tam fluidae substantiæ," that
within certeine houres the wife shall hardlie know hir husband, the
mother hir sonne, or one fréend another after their liues be ended. In
like sort the comelinesse of our liuing bodies doo continue from midle
age (for the most) euen to the last gaspe, speciallie in mankind. And
albeit that our women through bearing of children doo after fortie begin
to wrinkle apace, yet are they not commonlie so wretched and hard
fauoured to looke vpon in their age, as the French women, and diuerse of
other countries with whom their men also doo much participate; and
thereto be so often waiward and peeuish, that nothing in maner may
content them.
I might here adde somewhat also of the meane stature generallie of our
women, whose beautie commonlie excéedeth the fairest of those of the
maine, their comlinesse of person and good proportion of limmes, most of
theirs that come ouer vnto vs from beyond the seas. This neuerthelesse I
vtterlie mislike in the poorer sort of them, for the wealthier doo
sildome offend herein: that being of themselues without gouernement,
they are so carelesse in the education of their children (wherein their
husbands are also to be blamed) by means whereof verie manie of them
neither fearing God, neither regarding either maners or obedience, doo
oftentimes come to confusion, which (if anie correction or discipline
had béene vsed toward them in youth) might haue prooued good members of
their common-wealth & countrie, by their good seruice and industrie. I
could make report likewise of the naturall vices and vertues of all
those that are borne within this Iland, but as the full tractation herof
craueth a better head than mine to set foorth the same, so will I giue
place to other men that list to take it in hand. Thus much therefore of
the constitutions of our bodies: and so much may suffice.
HOW BRITAINE AT THE FIRST GREW TO BE DIUIDED INTO THREE PORTIONS.
CAP. XXI.
After the comming of Brutus into this Iland (which was, as you haue read
in the foresaid treatise, about the yeare of the world, 2850, or 1217
before the incarnation of Christ, although Goropius after his maner doo
vtterlie denie our historie in this behalfe) he made a generall surueie
of the whole Iland from side to side, by such means to view and search
out not onelie the limits and bounds of his dominions, but also what
commodities this new atchiued conquest might yéeld vnto his people.
Furthermore, finding out at the last also a conuenable place wherin to
erect a citie, he began there euen the verie same which at this daie is
called London, naming it Trenouanton, in remembrance of old Troie, from
whence his ancestors proceeded, and for which the Romans pronounced
afterward Trinobantum, although the Welshmen doo call it still
Trenewith. This citie was builded (as some write) much about the tenth
yeare of his reigne, so that he liued not aboue fiftéene yeares after he
had finished the same. But of the rest of his other acts attempted and
doone, before or after the erection of this citie, I find no certeine
report, more than that when he had reigned in this Iland after his
arriuall by the space of foure and twentie yeares, he finished his daies
at Trenouanton aforesaid, being in his yoong and florishing age, where
his carcase was honourablie interred. As for the maner of his death, I
find as yet no mention thereof among such writers as are extant; I meane
whether it grew vnto him by defect of nature, or force of gréeuous
wounds receiued in his warres against such as withstood him from time to
time in this Iland, and therefore I can saie nothing of that matter.
Herein onelie all agree, that during the time of his languishing paines,
he made a disposition of his whole kingdome, diuiding it into three
parts or portions, according to the number of his sonnes then liuing,
whereof the eldest excéeded not eight and twentie yeares of age, as my
coniecture giueth me.
[Sidenote: Locrine.]
To the eldest therefore, whose name was Locrine, he gaue the greatest
and best region of all the rest, which of him to this daie is called
[Sidenote: Lhoegria.]
Lhoegres among the Britons, but in our language England: of such English
Saxons as made conquest of the same. This portion also is included on
the south with the British sea, on the est with the Germane Ocean, on
the north with the Humber, and on the west with the Irish sea, and the
riuers Dee and Sauerne, whereof in the generall description of this
[Sidenote: Camber.]
[Sidenote: Cambri.]
Iland I haue spoken more at large. To Camber his second sonne he
assigned all that lieth beyond the Sauerne and Dée, toward the west
(which parcell in these daies conteineth Southwales and Northwales) with
sundrie Ilands adiacent to the same, the whole being in maner cut off
and separated from England or Lhoegria by the said streams, wherby it
séemeth also a peninsula or by-land, if you respect the small hillie
portion of ground that lieth indifferentlie betwéene their maine
courses, or such branches (at the least) as run and fall into them. The
Welshmen or Britons call it by the ancient name still vnto this day, but
we Englishmen terme it Wales: which denomination we haue from the
Saxons, who in time past did vse the word Walsh in such sort as we doo
Strange: for as we call all those strangers that are not of our nation,
so did they name them Walsh which were not of their countrie.
[Sidenote: Albanact.]
The third and last part of the Iland he allotted vnto Albanact his
youngest sonne (for he had but three in all, as I haue said before)
whose portion séemed for circuit to be more large than that of Camber,
and in maner equall in greatnesse with the dominions of Locrinus. But if
you haue regard to the seuerall commodities that are to be reaped by
each, you shall find them to be not much discrepant or differing one
from another: for whatsoeuer the first & second haue in plentie of
corne, fine grasse, and large cattell, this latter wanteth not in
excéeding store of fish, rich mettall, quarries of stone, and abundance
of wild foule: so that in mine opinion, there could not be a more equall
partition than this made by Brute, and after the aforesaid maner. This
later parcell at the first, tooke the name of Albanactus, who called it
Albania. But now a small portion onelie of the region (being vnder the
regiment of a duke) reteineth the said denomination, the rest being
called Scotland, of certeine Scots that came ouer from Ireland to
inhabit in those quarters. It is diuided from Lhoegres also by the Solue
[Sidenote: Albania.]
and the Firth, yet some doo note the Humber; so that Albania (as Brute
left it) conteined all the north part of the Iland that is to be found
beyond the aforesaid streame, vnto the point of Cathnesse.
To conclude, Brute hauing diuided his kingdome after this maner, and
therein contenting himselfe as it were with the generall title of the
whole, it was not long after yer he ended his life; and being solemnelie
interred at his new citie by his thrée children, they parted each from
other, and tooke possession of their prouinces. But Scotland after two
[Sidenote: Locrine king also of Scotland.]
yeares fell againe into the hands of Locrinus as to the chiefe lord,
by the death of his brother Albanact, who was slaine by Humber king of
the Scithians, and left none issue behind him to succéed him in that
kingdome.
AFTER WHAT MANER THE SOUEREIGNTIE OF THIS ILE DOOTH REMAINE TO THE
PRINCES OF LHOEGRES OR KINGS OF ENGLAND.
CHAP. XXII.