as he eared, an arming girdle, harnessed with pure gold, and a great
massie pomell with a crosse hilt for a sword of the same mettall,
beside studs and harnesse for spurs, and the huge long spurs of like
stuffe, whereof one doctor Ruthall got a part into his hands. The
boroughs or buries, wherof I spake before, were certeine plots of
ground, wherin the Romane souldiers did vse to lie when they kept in
the open fields as chosen places, from whence they might haue easie
accesse vnto their aduersaries, if anie outrage were wrought or
rebellion mooued against them. And as these were the vsuall aboads for
those able legions that serued dailie in the wars, so had they other
certeine habitations for the old and forworne souldiers, whereby
diuerse cities grew in time to be replenished with Romane colonies, as
Cairleon, Colchester, Chester, and such other, of which, Colchester
bare the name of Colonia long time, and wherein A. Plautius builded a
temple vnto the goddesse of Victorie (after the departure of Claudius)
which Tacitus calleth "Aram sempiternæ dominationis," a perpetuall
monument of that our British seruitude. But to returne vnto our
borowes, they were generallie walled about with stone wals, and so
large in compasse that some did conteine thirtie, fourtie, three
score, or eightie acres of ground within their limits: they had also
diuerse gates or ports vnto each of them, and of these not a few
remaine to be seene in our time, as one for example not far from great
Chesterford in Essex, néere to the limits of Cambridgshire, which I
haue often viewed, and wherein the compasse of the verie wall with the
places where the gates stood is easie to be discerned: the like also
is to be séene at a place within two miles south of Burton, called the
Borow hils. In these therefore and such like, and likewise at
Euolsburg, now S. Neots, or S. Needs, and sundrie other places,
especiallie vpon the shore and coasts of Kent, as Douer, Rie, Romneie,
Lid, &c: is much of their coine also to be found, and some péeces or
other are dailie taken vp, which they call Borow pence, Dwarfs monie,
Hegs pence, Feirie groats, Jewes monie, & by other foolish names not
woorthie to be remembred. At the comming of the Saxons, the Britons
vsed these holds as rescues for their cattell in the daie and night,
when their enimies were abroad; the like also did the Saxons against
the Danes, by which occasions (and now and then by carieng of their
stones to helpe forward other buildings néere at hand) manie of them
were throwne downe and defaced, which otherwise might haue continued
for a longer time, and so your honour would saie, if you should happen
to peruse the thickenesse and maner of building of those said wals and
borowes. It is not long since a siluer saucer of verie ancient making
was found néere to Saffron Walden, in the open field among the
[Sidenote: Sterbirie a place where an armie hath lien.]
Sterbirie hils, and eared vp by a plough, but of such massie
greatnesse, that it weighed better than twentie ounces, as I haue
heard reported. But if I should stand in these things vntill I had
said all that might be spoken of them, both by experience and
testimonie of Leland in his Commentaries of Britaine, and the report
of diuerse yet liuing, I might make a greater chapter than would be
either conuenient or profitable to the reader: wherefore so much
onelie shall serue the turne for this time as I haue said alreadie of
antiquities found within our Iland, especiallie of coine, whereof I
purposed chiefelie to intreat.
OF THE COINES OF ENGLAND.
CHAP. XXV.
The Saxon coine before the conquest is in maner vtterlie vnknowne to
me: howbeit if my coniecture be anie thing, I suppose that one
shilling of siluer in those daies did counterpeise our common ounce,
though afterward it came to passe that it arose to twentie pence, and
so continued vntill the time of king Henrie the eight, who first
brought it to thrée shillings and foure pence, & afterward our siluer
[Sidenote: Copper monie.]
coine vnto brasse & copper monies, by reason of those inestimable
charges, which diuerse waies oppressed him. And as I gather such
obscure notice of the shilling which is called in Latine Solidus, so I
read more manifestlie of another which is the 48 part of a pound, and
this also currant among the Saxons of our Ile, so well in gold as in
siluer, at such time as 240 of their penies made vp a iust pound, fiue
pence went to the shilling, and foure shillings to the ounce. But to
procéed with my purpose. After the death of K. Henrie, Edward his
sonne began to restore the aforesaid coine againe vnto fine siluer: so
quéene Marie his successour did continue his good purpose,
notwithstanding that in hir time the Spanish monie was verie c[=o]mon
in England, by reason of hir mariage with Philip king of Spaine.
[Sidenote: Siluer restored.]
After hir decease the ladie Elizabeth hir sister, and now our most
gratious quéene, souereigne and princesse, did finish the matter
wholie, vtterly abolishing the vse of copper and brasen coine, and
conuerting the same into guns and great ordinance, she restored
sundrie coines of fine siluer, as péeces of halfepenie farding, of a
penie, of three halfe pence, péeces of two pence, of thrée pence, of
foure pence (called the groat) of six pence vsuallie named the
testone, and shilling of twelue pence, whereon she hath imprinted hir
owne image, and emphaticall superscription. Our gold is either old or
[Sidenote: Old gold.]
new. The old is that which hath remained since the time of king Edward
the third, or béene coined by such other princes as haue reigned since
his deceasse, without anie abasing or diminution of the finesse of
that mettall. Therof also we haue yet remaining, the riall, the George
noble, the Henrie riall, the salut, the angell, and their smaller
peeces, as halfes or quarters, though these in my time are not so
common to be séene. I haue also beheld the souereigne of twentie
shillings, and the péece of thirtie shillings, I haue heard likewise
of péeces of fortie shillings, three pounds, fiue pounds, and ten
pounds. But sith there were few of them coined, and those onelie at
the commandement of kings, yearelie to bestow where their maiesties
thought good in lieu of new yeares gifts and rewards: it is not
requisit that I should remember them here amongst our currant monies.
[Sidenote: New gold.]
The new gold is taken for such as began to be coined in the latter
daies of king Henrie the eight, at which time the finesse of the
mettall began to be verie much alaied, & is not likelie to be restored
for ought that I can see: and yet is it such as hath béene coined
since by his successors princes of this realme, in value and goodnesse
equall and not inferiour to the coine and currant gold of other
nations, where each one dooth couet chiefelie to gather vp our old
finer gold: so that the angels, rials, and nobles, are more
plentifullie seene in France, Italie, and Flanders, than they be by a
great deale within the realme of England, if you regard the paiments
which they dailie make in those kinds of our coine. Our peeces now
currant are of ten shillings, fiue shillings, and two shillings and
six pence onelie: and those of sundrie stamps and names, as halfe
souereigns (equall in weight with our currant shilling, whereby that
gold is valued at ten times so much siluer) quarters of souereigns
(otherwise called crownes) and halfe crownes: likewise angels, halfe
angels, and quarters of angels, or if there be anie other, in good
sooth I know them not, as one scarselie acquainted with any siluer at
all, much lesse then (God it wot) with any store of gold.
The first currant shilling or siluer péeces of twelue pence stamped
within memorie, were coined by K. Henrie the eight in the twentith
yeare of his reigne, & those of fiue shillings, and of two shillings
and six pence, & the halfe shilling by king Edward the sixt: but the
od péeces aboue remembred vnder the groat by our high and mightie
princesse quéene Elizabeth, the name of the groat, penie, two pence,
halfe penie, and farding, in old time the greatest siluer monies if
you respect their denominations onelie, being more ancient than that I
can well discusse of the time of their beginnings. Yet thus much I
read, that king Edward the first in the eight yeare of his reigne, did
first coine the penie and smallest péeces of siluer roundwise, which
before were square, and woont to beare a double crosse with a crest,
in such sort that the penie might easilie be broken, either into
halfes or quarters: by which shift onelie the people came by small
monies, as halfe pence and fardings, that otherwise were not stamped
nor coined of set purpose.
Of forren coines we haue all the ducats, the single, double, and the
double double, the crusadoes, with the long crosse and the short: the
portigue, a péece verie solemnelie kept of diuerse, & yet oft times
abased with washing, or absolutelie counterfeited: and finallie the
French and Flemish crownes, onlie currant among vs, so long as they
hold weight. But of siluer coines, as the soules turnois, whereof ten
make a shilling, as the franke dooth two shillings, and thrée franks
the French crowne, &c: we haue none at all: yet are the dalders, and
such often times brought ouer, but neuerthelesse exchanged as bullion,
according to their finenesse and weight, and afterward conuerted into
coine, by such as haue authoritie.
In old time we had sundrie mints in England, and those commonlie kept
in abbaies and religious houses before the conquest, where true
dealing was commonlie supposed most of all to dwell: as at Ramseie, S.
Edmundsburie, Canturburie, Glassenburie, Peterborow, and such like,
sundrie exemplificats of the grants whereof are yet to be seene in
writing, especiallie that of Peterborow vnder the confirmation of pope
Eugenius: wherevnto it appeereth further by a charter of king Edgar
(which I haue) that they either held it or had another in Stanford.
But after the Normans had once gotten the kingdome into their fingers,
they trusted themselues best with the ouersight of their mints, and
therefore erected diuerse of their owne, although they afterward
permitted some for small péeces of siluer vnto sundrie of the houses
aforesaid. In my time diuerse mints are suppressed, as Southwarke,
Bristow, &c: and all coinage is brought into one place, that is to
saie, the Tower of London, where it is continuallie holden and
perused, but not without great gaine to such as deale withall. There
is also coinage of tin holden yearelie at two seuerall times, that is
to saie, Midsummer and Michaelmas in the west countrie; which at the
first hearing I supposed to haue béene of monie of the said mettall,
and granted by priuilege from some prince vnto the towns of
Hailestone, Trurie, and Lostwithiell. Howbeit, vpon further
examination of the matter, I find it to be nothing so, but an office
onlie erected for the prince, wherin he is allowed the ordinarie
customes of that mettall: and such blocks of tin as haue passed the
hands of his officers, are marked with an especiall stampe, whereby it
is knowne that the custome due for the same hath ordinarilie béene
answered. It should séeme (and in my opinion is verie likelie to be
true) that while the Romans reigned here, Kingstone vpon Thames
(sometime a right noble citie and place where the Saxon kings were
vsuallie crowned) was the chiefe place of their coinage for this
prouince. For in earing of the ground about that towne in times past,
and now of late (besides the curious foundation of manie goodlie
buildings that haue béene ripped vp by plowes, and diuerse coines of
brasse, siluer, and gold, with Romane letters in painted pots found
there) in the daies of cardinall Woolseie, one such huge pot was
discouered full as it were of new siluer latelie coined; another with
plates of siluer readie to be coined; and the third with chaines of
siluer and such broken stuffe redie (as it should appeere) to be
melted into coinage, whereof let this suffice to countenance out my
coniecture. Of coins currant before the comming of the Romans I haue
elsewhere declared, that there were none at all in Britaine: but as
the Ilanders of Scylira, the old Romans, Armenians, Scythians,
Seritans, Sarmatians, Indians, and Essences did barter ware for ware,
so the Britons vsed brasse or rings of iron, brought vnto a certeine
proportion, in steed of monie, as the Lacedemonians & Bisantines also
did, & the Achiui (as Homer writeth) who had (saith he) rough peeces
of brasse and iron in stéed of coine, wherewith they purchased their
wines.
[Illustration: Endpiece.]
* * * * *
THE
CONTENTS OF THE THIRD BOOKE.
1 _Of cattell kept for profit._
2 _Of wild and tame foules._
3 _Of fish vsuallie taken vpon our coasts._
4 _Of sauage beasts and vermines._
5 _Of hawkes and rauenous foules._
6 _Of venemous beasts._
7 _Of our English dogs and their qualities._
8 _Of our saffron, and the dressing thereof._
9 _Of quarries of stone for building._
10 _Of sundrie minerals._
11 _Of mettals to be had in our land._
12 _Of pretious stones._
13 _Of salt made in England._
14 _Of our accompt of time and hir parts._
15 _Of principall faires and markets._
16 _Of our innes and thorowfaires._
OF CATTELL KEPT FOR PROFIT.
CHAP. I.
There is no kind of tame cattell vsually to be séene in these parts of
the world, wherof we haue not some, and that great store in England;
as horsses, oxen, shéepe, goats, swine, and far surmounting the like
in other countries, as may be prooued with ease. For where are oxen
commonlie more large of bone, horsses more decent and pleasant in
pase, kine more commodious for the pale, shéepe more profitable for
wooll, swine more wholesome of flesh, and goates more gainefull to
their kéepers, than here with vs in England? But to speke of them
peculiarlie, I suppose that our kine are so abundant in yéeld of
milke, wherof we make our butter & chéese, as the like anie where
else, and so apt for the plough in diuerse places as either our
horsses or oxen. And albeit they now and then twin, yet herein they
séeme to come short of that commoditie which is looked for in other
countries, to wit, in that they bring foorth most commonlie but one
calfe at once. The gaines also gotten by a cow (all charges borne)
hath beene valued at twentie shillings yearelie: but now as land is
inhanced, this proportion of gaine is much abated, and likelie to
decaie more and more, if ground arise to be yet déerer, which God
forbid, if it be his will and pleasure. I heard of late of a cow in
Warwikshire, belonging to Thomas Bruer of Studleie, which in six
yéeres had sixtéene calfes, that is, foure at once in thrée caluings
and twise twins, which vnto manie may séeme a thing incredible. In
[Sidenote: Oxen.]
like maner our oxen are such as the like are not to be found in anie
countrie of Europe, both for greatnesse of bodie and swéetnesse of
flesh: or else would not the Romane writers haue preferred them before
those of Liguria. In most places our grasiers are now growen to be so
cunning, that if they doo but sée an ox or bullocke, and come to the
féeling of him, they will giue a ghesse at his weight, and how manie
score or stone of flesh and tallow he beareth, how the butcher may
liue by the sale, and what he may haue for the skin and tallow; which
is a point of skill not commonlie practised heretofore. Some such
grasiers also are reported to ride with veluet coats, and chaines of
gold about them: and in their absence their wiues will not let to
supplie those turnes with no lesse skill than their husbands: which is
an hard worke for the poore butcher, sith he through this means can
seldome be rich or wealthie by his trade. In like sort the flesh of
our oxen and kine is sold both by hand and by weight as the buier
will: but in yoong ware rather by weight, especiallie for the stéere
and heighfer, sith the finer béefe is the lightest, wheras the flesh
of buls and old kine, &c: is of sadder substance and therefore much
heauier as it lieth in the scale. Their hornes also are knowne to be
more faire and large in England than in anie other places, except
those which are to be séene among the Pæones, which quantitie albeit
that it be giuen to our bréed generallie by nature, yet it is now and
then helped also by art.
[Sidenote: _Athenæus bib. 10. cap. 8._]
For when they be verie yoong, manie grasiers will oftentimes annoint
their budding hornes, or tender tips with honie, which mollifieth the
naturall hardnesse of that substance, and thereby maketh them to grow
vnto a notable greatnesse. Certes, it is not strange in England, to
sée oxen whose hornes haue the length of a yard or thrée foot betweene
the tips, and they themselues thereto so tall, as the heigth of a man
of meane and indifferent stature is scarse equall vnto them.
Neuerthelesse it is much to be lamented that our generall bréed of
cattell is not better looked vnto: for the greatest occupiers weane
least store, bicause they can buie them (as they saie) far better
cheape than to raise and bring them vp. In my time a cow hath risen
from foure nobles to foure marks by this means, which notwithstanding
were no great price if they did yearelie bring foorth more than one
calfe a péece, as I heare they doo in other countries.
[Sidenote: Horsses.]
Our horsses moreouer are high, and although not commonlie of such huge
greatnesse as in other places of the maine: yet if you respect the
easinesse of their pase, it is hard to saie where their like are to be
had. Our land dooth yéeld no asses, and therefore we want the
generation also of mules and somers; and therefore the most part of
our cariage is made by these, which remaining stoned, are either
reserued for the cart, or appointed to beare such burdens as are
conuenient for them. Our cart or plough horsses (for we vse them
indifferentlie) are commonlie so strong that fiue or six of them (at
the most) will draw thrée thousand weight of the greatest tale with
ease for a long iourneie, although it be not a load of common vsage,
which consisteth onelie of two thousand, or fiftie foot of timber,
fortie bushels of white salt, or six and thirtie of baie, or fiue
quarters of wheat, experience dailie teacheth, and I haue elsewhere
remembred. Such as are kept also for burden, will carie foure hundred
weight commonlie, without anie hurt or hinderance. This furthermore is
to be noted, that our princes and the nobilitie haue their cariage
commonlie made by carts, wherby it commeth to passe, that when the
quéenes maiestie dooth remooue from anie one place to another, there
are vsuallie 400 carewares, which amount to the summe of 2400 horsses,
appointed out of the countries adioining, whereby hir cariage is
conueied safelie vnto the appointed place. Hereby also the ancient vse
of somers and sumpter horsses is in maner vtterlie relinquished, which
causeth the traines of our princes in their progresses to shew far
lesse than those of the kings of other nations.
[Sidenote: Geldings.]
Such as serue for the saddle are commonlie gelded, and now growne to
be verie déere among vs, especiallie if they be well coloured, iustlie
limmed, and haue thereto an easie ambling pase. For our countriemen,
séeking their ease in euerie corner where it is to be had, delight
verie much in these qualities, but chieflie in their excellent pases,
which besides that it is in maner peculiar vnto horsses of our soile,
and not hurtfull to the rider or owner sitting on their backes: it is
moreouer verie pleasant and delectable in his eares, in that the noise
of their well proportioned pase dooth yéeld comfortable sound as he
trauelleth by the waie. Yet is there no greater deceipt vsed anie
where than among our horssekeepers, horssecorsers, and hostelers: for
such is the subtill knauerie of a great sort of them (without
exception of anie of them be it spoken which deale for priuat gaine)
that an honest meaning man shall haue verie good lucke among them, if
he be not deceiued by some false tricke or other. There are certeine
notable markets, wherein great plentie of horsses and colts is bought
and sold, and wherevnto such as haue néed resort yearelie to buie and
make their necessarie prouision of them, as Rippon, Newport pond,
Wolfpit, Harborow, and diuerse other. But as most drouers are verie
diligent to bring great store of these vnto those places; so manie of
them are too too lewd in abusing such as buie them. For they haue a
custome to make them looke faire to the eie, when they come within two
daies iourneie of the market, to driue them till they sweat, & for the
space of eight or twelue houres, which being doone they turne them all
ouer the backs into some water, where they stand for a season, and
then go forward with them to the place appointed, where they make sale
of their infected ware, and such as by this meanes doo fall into manie
diseases and maladies. Of such outlandish horsses as are dailie
brought ouer vnto vs I speake not, as the genet of Spaine, the courser
of Naples, the hobbie of Ireland, the Flemish roile, and Scotish nag,
bicause that further spéech of them commeth not within the compasse of
this treatise, and for whose breed and maintenance (especiallie of the
greatest sort) king Henrie the eight erected a noble studderie and for
a time had verie good successe with them, till the officers waxing
wearie, procured a mixed brood of bastard races, whereby his good
purpose came to little effect. Sir Nicholas Arnold of late hath bred
the best horsses in England, and written of the maner of their
production: would to God his compasse of ground were like to that of
Pella in Syria, wherin the king of that nation had vsuallie a
studderie of 30000 mares and 300 stallions, as Strabo dooth remember
Lib. 16. But to leaue this, let vs sée what may be said of sheepe.
[Sidenote: Shéepe.]
Our shéepe are verie excellent, sith for sweetnesse of flesh they
passe all other. And so much are our woolles to be preferred before
those of Milesia and other places, that if Iason had knowne the value
of them that are bred, and to be had in Britaine, he would neuer haue
gone to Colchis to looke for anie there. For as Dionysius Alexandrinus
saith in his De situ orbis, it may by spinning be made comparable to
the spiders web. What fooles then are our countrimen, in that they
séeke to bereue themselues of this commoditie, by practising dailie
how to transfer the same to other nations, in carieng ouer their rams
& ewes to bréed & increase among them? The first example hereof was
giuen vnder Edward the fourth, who not vnderstanding the botome of the
sute of sundrie traitorous merchants, that sought a present gaine with
the perpetuall hinderance of their countrie, licenced them to carie
ouer certeine numbers of them into Spaine, who hauing licence but for
a few shipped verie manie: a thing commonlie practised in other
commodities also, whereby the prince and hir land are not seldome
times defrauded. But such is our nature, and so blind are we in déed,
that we sée no inconuenience before we féele it: and for a present
gaine we regard not what damage may insue to our posteritie. Hereto
some other man would ad also the desire that we haue to benefit other
countries, and to impech our owne. And it is so sure as God liueth,
that euerie trifle which commeth from beyond the sea, though it be not
woorth thrée pence, is more estéemed than a continuall commoditie at
home with vs, which far excéedeth that value. In time past the vse of
this commoditie consisted (for the most part) in cloth and woolsteds:
but now by meanes of strangers succoured here from domesticall
persecution, the same hath béene imploied vnto sundrie other vses, as
mockados, baies, vellures, grograines, &c: whereby the makers haue
reaped no small commoditie. It is furthermore to be noted, for the low
countries of Belgie know it, and dailie experience (notwithstanding
the sharpenesse of our lawes to the contrarie) dooth yet confirme it:
that although our rams & weathers doo go thither from vs neuer so well
headed according to their kind: yet after they haue remained there a
while, they cast there their heads, and from thencefoorth they remaine
[Sidenote: Shéepe without hornes.]
polled without any hornes at all. Certes this kind of cattell is more
cherished in England, than standeth well with the commoditie of the
commons, or prosperitie of diuerse townes, whereof some are wholie
conuerted to their féeding: yet such a profitable sweetnesse is their
fléece, such necessitie in their flesh, and so great a benefit in the
manuring of barren soile with their doong and pisse, that their
superfluous numbers are the better borne withall. And there is neuer
an husbandman (for now I speake not of our great shéepemasters of whom
some one man hath 20000) but hath more or lesse of this cattell
féeding on his fallowes and short grounds, which yéeld the finer
fléece, as Virgil (following Varro) well espied Georg. 3. where he
saith:
"Si tibi lanicium curæ, primum aspera sylua,
Lappæque tribulíque absint, fuge pabula læta."