an ordinarie making (I saie flat, bicause dishes and platters in my
time begin to be made déepe like basons, and are indéed more
conuenient both for sawce, broth, and kéeping the meat warme) is
estéemed almost so pretious, as the like number of vessels that are
made of fine siluer, and in maner no lesse desired amongst the great
estates, whose workmen are nothing so skilfull in that trade as ours,
neither their mettall so good, nor plentie so great, as we haue here
in England. The Romans made excellent looking glasses of our English
tin, howbeit our workemen were not then so exquisite in that feat as
the Brundusiens: wherefore the wrought mettall was carried ouer vnto
them by waie of merchandize, and verie highlie were those glasses
estéemed of till siluer came generallie in place, which in the end
brought the tin into such contempt, that in manner euerie dishwasher
refused to looke in other than siluer glasses for the attiring of hir
head. Howbeit the making of siluer glasses had béene in vse before
Britaine was knowne vnto the Romans, for I read that one Praxiteles
deuised them in the yoong time of Pompeie, which was before the
comming of Cæsar into this Iland.
There were mines of lead sometimes also in Wales, which indured so
long till the people had consumed all their wood by melting of the
same (as they did also at Comeristwith six miles from Stradfleur) and
I suppose that in Plinies time the abundance of lead (whereof he
speaketh) was to be found in those parts, in the seauentéenth of his
thirtie fourth booke: also he affirmeth that it laie in the verie
swart of the earth, and dailie gotten in such plentie, that the Romans
made a restraint of the cariage thereof to Rome, limiting how much
should yearelie be wrought and transported ouer the sea. And here by
the waie it is worthie to be noted, of a crow which a miner of tin,
dwelling néere Comeristwith (as Leland saith) had made so tame, that
it would dailie flie and follow him to his worke and other places
where soeuer he happened to trauell. This labourer working on a time
in the bottome or vallie, where the first mine was knowne to be, did
laie his pursse and girdle by him, as men commonlie doo that addresse
themselues to applie their businesse earnestlie, and he himselfe also
had vsed from time to time before. The crow likewise was verie busie
flittering about him, and so much molested him, that he waxed angrie
with the bird, & in his furie threatened to wring off his necke, if he
might once get him into his hands; to be short, in the end the crow,
hastilie caught vp his girdle and pursse, and made awaie withall so
fast as hir wings could carrie hir. Héerevpon the poore man falling
into great agonie (for he feared to lose peraduenture all his monie)
threw downe his mattocke at aduenture and ran after the bird, curssing
and menacing that he should lose his life if euer he got him againe:
but as it fell out, the crow was the means whereby his life was saued,
for he had not béene long out of the mine, yer it fell downe and
killed all his fellowes. If I should take vpon me to discourse and
search out the cause of the thus dealing of this bird at large, I
should peraduenture set my selfe further into the briers than well
find which waie to come out againe: yet am I persuaded, that the crow
was Gods instrument herein, wherby the life of this poore labourer was
preserued. It was doone also in an other order than that which I read
of another tame crow, kept vp by a shoomaker of Dutch land in his shop
or stoue: who séeing the same to sit vpon the pearch among his shoone,
verie heauilie and drousie, said vnto the bird: What aileth my iacke,
whie art thou sad and pensiue? The crow hearing his maister speake
after this sort vnto him, answered (or else the diuell within him) out
of the psalter: "Cogitaui dies antiquos & æternos in mente habui." But
whither am I digressed, from lead vnto crowes, & from crowes vnto
diuels? Certes it is now high time to returne vnto our mettals, and
resume the tractation of such things as I had earst in hand.
[Sidenote: Iron.]
Iron is found in manie places, as in Sussex, Kent, Weredale, Mendip,
Walshall, as also in Shropshire, but chéeflie in the woods betwixt
Beluos and Willocke or Wicberie néere Manchester, and elsewhere in
Wales. Of which mines diuerse doo bring foorth so fine and good
stuffe, as anie that commeth from beyond the sea, beside the infinit
gaines to the owners, if we would so accept it, or bestow a little
more cost in the refining of it. It is also of such toughnesse, that
it yéeldeth to the making of claricord wire in some places of the
realme. Neuerthelesse, it was better cheape with vs when strangers
onelie brought it hither: for it is our qualitie when we get anie
commoditie, to vse it with extremitie towards our owne nation, after
we haue once found the meanes to shut out forreners from the bringing
in of the like. It breedeth in like manner great expense and waste of
wood, as dooth the making of our pots and table vessell of glasse,
wherein is much losse sith it is so quicklie broken; and yet (as I
thinke) easie to be made tougher, if our alchumists could once find
the true birth or production of the red man, whose mixture would
induce a metallicall toughnesse vnto it, whereby it should abide the
hammer.
[Sidenote: Copper.]
Copper is latelie not found, but rather restored againe to light. For
I haue read of copper to haue béene heretofore gotten in our Iland;
howbeit as strangers haue most commonly the gouernance of our mines,
so they hitherto make small gains of this in hand in the north parts:
for (as I am informed) the profit dooth verie hardlie counteruaile the
charges; whereat wise men doo not a litle maruell, considering the
abundance which that mine dooth séeme to offer, and as it were at
hand. Leland our countrieman noteth sundrie great likelihoods of
naturall copper mines to be eastwards, as betwéene Dudman and
Trewardth in the sea cliffes, beside other places, whereof diuerse are
noted here and there in sundrie places of this booke alreadie, and
therefore it shall be but in vaine to repeat them here againe: as for
that which is gotten out of the marchasite, I speake not of it, sith
it is not incident to my purpose. In Dorsetshire also a copper mine
latelie found is brought to good perfection.
[Sidenote: Stéele.]
As for our stéele, it is not so good for edge-tooles as that of
Colaine, and yet the one is often sold for the other, and like tale
vsed in both, that is to saie, thirtie gads to the sheffe, and twelue
sheffes to the burden. Our alchumie is artificiall, and thereof our
spoones and some salts are commonlie made, and preferred before our
pewter with some, albeit in truth it be much subiect to corruption,
putrifaction, more heauie and foule to handle than our pewter; yet
some ignorant persons affirme it to be a mettall more naturall, and
the verie same which Encelius calleth _Plumbum cinereum_, the Germans,
wisemute, mithan, & counterfeie, adding, that where it groweth, siluer
can not be farre off. Neuerthelesse it is knowne to be a mixture of
brasse, lead, and tin (of which this latter occupieth the one halfe)
but after another proportion than is vsed in pewter. But alas I am
persuaded that neither the old Arabians, nor new alchumists of our
time did euer heare of it, albeit that the name thereof doo séeme to
come out of their forge. For the common sort indeed doo call it
alchumie, an vnwholsome mettall (God wot) and woorthie to be banished
and driuen out of the land. And thus I conclude with this discourse,
as hauing no more to saie of the mettals of my countrie, except I
should talke of brasse, bell mettall, and such as are brought ouer for
merchandize from other countries: and yet I can not but saie that
there is some brasse found also in England, but so small is the
quantitie, that it is not greatlie to be estéemed or accounted of.
OF PRETIOUS STONES.
CHAP. XII.
The old writers remember few other stones of estimation to be found in
[sidenote: Geat.]
this Iland than that which we call geat, and they in Latine _Gagaies_:
wherevnto furthermore they ascribe sundrie properties, as vsuallie
[Sidenote: Laon.]
[Sidenote: Chalchondile.]
practised here in times past, whereof none of our writers doo make
anie mention at all. Howbeit whatsoeuer it hath pleased a number of
strangers (vpon false surmise) to write of the vsages of this our
countrie, about the triall of the virginitie of our maidens by
drinking the powder hereof against the time of their bestowing in
mariage: certeine it is that euen to this daie there is some plentie
to be had of this commoditie in Darbishire and about Barwike, whereof
rings, salts, small cups, and sundrie trifling toies are made,
although that in manie mens opinions nothing so fine as that which is
brought ouer by merchants dailie from the maine. But as these men are
drowned with the common errour conceiued of our nation, so I am sure
that in discerning the price and value of things, no man now liuing
can go beyond the iudgement of the old Romans, who preferred the geat
of Britaine before the like stones bred about Luke and all other
countries wheresoeuer. Marbodeus Gallus also writing of the same among
other of estimation, saith thus:
Nascitur in Lycia lapis & propè gemma Gagates,
Sed genus eximium fæcunda Britannia mittit,
Lucidus & niger est, leuis & leuissimus idem,
Vicinas paleas trahit attritu calefactus,
Ardet aqua lotus, restinguitur vnctus oliuo.
The Germane writers confound it with amber as it were a kind therof:
but as I regard not their iudgement in this point, so I read that it
taketh name of Gagas a citie and riuer in Silicia, where it groweth in
plentifull maner, as Dioscorides saith. Nicander in Theriaca calleth
it Engangin and Gangitin, of the plentie thereof that is found in the
place aforesaid, which he calleth Ganges, and where they haue great
vse of it in driuing awaie of serpents by the onelie perfume thereof.
Charles the fourth emperour of that name glased the church withall
that standeth at the fall of Tangra, but I cannot imagine what light
should enter therby. The writers also diuide this stone into fiue
kinds, of which the one is in colour like vnto lion tawnie, another
straked with white veines, the third with yellow lines, the fourth is
garled with diuerse colours, among which some are like drops of bloud
(but those come out of Inde) and the fift shining blacke as anie
rauens feather.
Moreouer, as geat was one of the first stones of this Ile, whereof
anie forren account was made, so our pearles also did match with it in
renowme; in so much that the onelie desire of them caused Cæsar to
aduenture hither, after he had séene the quantities and heard of our
plentie of them, while he abode in France, and whereof he made a
taberd which he offered vp in Rome to Venus, where it hoong long after
as a rich and notable oblation and testimonie of the riches of our
countrie. Certes they are to be found in these our daies, and thereto
of diuerse colours, in no lesse numbers than euer they were in old
time. Yet are they not now so much desired bicause of their smalnesse,
and also for other causes, but especiallie sith churchworke, as copes,
vestments, albes, tunicles, altarclothes, canopies, and such trash,
are worthilie abolished; vpon which our countrimen superstitiously
bestowed no small quantities of them. For I thinke there were few
churches or religious houses, besides bishops miters, bookes and other
pontificall vestures, but were either throughlie fretted, or notablie
garnished with huge numbers of them. Marbodeus likewise speaking of
pearles, commendeth them after this maner:
Gignit & insignes antiqua Britannia baccas, &c.
Marcellinus also Lib. 23, "in ipso fine," speaketh of our pearls and
their generation, but he preferreth greatlie those of Persia before
them, which to me dooth séeme vnequallie doone. But as the British
geat or orient pearle were in old time estéemed aboue those of other
countries; so time hath since the conquest of the Romans reuealed
manie other: insomuch that at this season there are found in England
the Aetites (in English called the ernestone, but for erne some
pronounce eagle) and the hematite or bloodstone, and these verie pure
and excellent: also the calcedonie, the porphyrite, the christall, and
those other which we call calaminares and speculares, besides a kind
of diamond or adamant, which although it be verie faire to sight, is
yet much softer (as most are that are found & bred toward the north)
than those that are brought hither out of other countries. We haue
also vpon our coast the white corall, nothing inferiour to that which
is found beyond the sea in the albe, néere to the fall of Tangra, or
to the red and blacke, whereof Dioscorides intreateth, Lib. 5. cap. 8.
We haue in like sort sundrie other stones dailie found in cliffes and
rocks (beside the load stone which is oftentimes taken vp out of our
mines of iron) whereof such as find them haue either no knowledge at
all, or else doo make but small account, being seduced by outlandish
lapidaries, whereof the most part discourage vs from the searching and
séeking out of our owne commodities, to the end that they maie haue
the more frée vtterance of their naturall and artificiall wares,
whereby they get great gaines amongst such as haue no skill.
[Sidenote: Triall of a stone.]
I haue heard that the best triall of a stone is to laie it on the
naile of the thombe, and so to go abroad into the cleare light, where
if the colour hold in all places a like, the stone is thought to be
naturall and good: but if it alter, especiallie toward the naile, then
is it not sound, but rather to be taken for an artificiall péece of
practise. If this be true it is an experiment woorthie the noting.
[Sidenote: Lib. 7.]
Cardan also hath it in his "De subtilitate;" if not, I haue read more
lies than this, as one for example out of Cato, who saieth, that a cup
of iuie will hold no wine at all. I haue made some vessels of the same
wood, which refuse no kind of liquor, and therefore I suppose that
there is no such _Antipathia_ betweene wine and our iuie, as some of
our reading philosophers (without all maner of practise) will seeme to
infer amongst vs: and yet I denie not but the iuie of Gréece or Italie
may haue such a propertie; but why should not the iuie then of France
somewhat participat withall in the like effect, which groweth in an
hotter soile than ours is? For as Baptista porta saith, it holdeth not
also in the French iuie, wherfore I can not beléeue that it hath anie
such qualitie at all as Cato ascribeth vnto it. What should I say more
of stones? Trulie I can not tell, sith I haue said what I may
alreadie, and peraduenture more than I thinke necessarie: and that
causeth me to passe ouer those that are now & then taken out of our
oisters, todes, muskels, snailes and adders, and likewise such as are
found vpon sundrie hils in Glocestershire, which haue naturallie such
sundrie proportions, formes & colours in them, as passe all humane
possibilitie to imitate, be the workeman neuer so skilfull and
cunning, also those that are found in the heads of our perches and
carps much desired of such as haue the stone, & yet of themselues are
no stones but rather shels or gristles, which in time consume to
nothing. This yet will I ad, that if those which are found in muskels
(for I am vtterlie ignorant of the generation of pearls) be good
pearle in déed, I haue at sundrie times gathered more than an ounce of
them, of which diuerse haue holes alreadie entered by nature, some of
them not much inferiour to great peason in quantitie, and thereto of
sundrie colours, as it happeneth amongst such as are brought from the
esterlie coast to Saffron Walden in Lent, when for want of flesh,
stale stinking fish and welked muskels are thought to be good meat;
for other fish is too déere amongst vs when law dooth bind vs to vse
it. Sée more for the generation of pearls in the description of
Scotland, for there you shall be further informed out of Boetius in
that behalfe. They are called orient, because of the cléerenesse,
which resembleth the colour of the cléere aire before the rising of
the sun. They are also sought for in the later end of August, a little
before which time the swéetnesse of the dew is most conuenient for
that kind of fish, which dooth ingender and conceiue them, whose forme
is flat, and much like vnto a lempet. The further north also that they
be found the brighter is their colour, & their substances of better
valure, as lapidaries doo giue out.
OF SALT MADE IN ENGLAND.
CHAP. XIII.
There are in England certein welles where salt is made, whereof Leland
hath written abundantlie in his c[=o]mentaries of Britaine, and whose
words onlie I will set downe in English as he wrote them, bicause he
seemeth to haue had diligent consideration of the same, without adding
anie thing of mine owne to him, except it be where necessitie dooth
inforce me for the méere aid of the reader, in the vnderstanding of
his mind. Directing therefore his iournie from Worcester in his
peregrination and laborious trauell ouer England, he saith thus: From
Worcester I road to the Wich by inclosed soile, hauing meetlie good
corne ground, sufficient wood and good pasture, about a six miles off,
Wich standeth somewhat in a vallie or low ground, betwixt two small
hils on the left ripe (for so he calleth the banke of euerie brooke
through out all his English treatises) of a pretie riuer which not far
beneath the Wich is called Salope brooke. The beautie of the towne in
maner standeth in one stréet, yet be there manie lanes in the towne
besides. There is also a meane church in the maine stréet, and once in
the wéeke an indifferent round market. The towne of it selfe is
somewhat foule and durtie when anie raine falleth by reason of much
cariage through the stréets, which are verie ill paued or rather not
paued at all. The great aduancement also hereof is by making of salt.
And though the commoditie thereof be singular great, yet the burgesses
be poore generallie, bicause gentlemen haue for the most part gotten
the great gaine of it into their hands, whilest the poore burgesses
[Sidenote: A common plague in all things of anie great commoditie,
for one beateth the bush but another catcheth the birds,
as we may sée in bat-fowling.]
yeeld vnto all the labour. There are at this present time thrée
hundred salters, and thrée salt springs in the towne of Wich, whereof
the principall is within a butshoot of the right ripe (or banke) of
the riuer that there commeth downe: and this spring is double so
profitable in yéelding of salt liquor, as both the other. Some saie
(or rather fable) that this salt spring did faile in the time of
Richard de la Wich bishop of Chichester, and that afterwards by his
intercession it was restored to the profit of the old course (such is
the superstition of the people) in remembrance whereof, or
peraduenture for the zeale which the Wich men and salters did beare
vnto Richard de la Wich their countriman, they vsed of late times on
his daie (which commeth once in the yeare) to hang this salt spring or
well about with tapistrie, and to haue sundrie games, drinkings, and
foolish reuels at it. But to procéed. There be a great number of salt
cotes about this well, wherein the salt water is sodden in leads, and
brought to the perfection of pure white salt. The other two salt
springs be on the left side of the riuer a pretie waie lower than the
first, and (as I found) at the verie end of the towne. At these also
be diuerse fornaces to make salt, but the profit and plentie of these
two are nothing comparable to the gaine that riseth by the greatest. I
asked of a salter how manie fornaces they had at all the three
springs, and he numbred them to eightéene score, that is, thrée
hundred and sixtie, saieng how euerie one of them paied yearelie six
shillings and eight pence to the king. The truth is that of old they
had liberties giuen vnto them for three hundred fornaces or more, and
therevpon they giue a fee farme (or _Vectigal_) of one hundred pounds
yearelie. Certes the pension is as it was, but the number of fornaces
is now increased to foure hundred. There was of late search made for
another salt spring there abouts, by the meanes of one Newport a
gentleman dwelling at the Wich, and the place where it was appéereth,
as dooth also the wood and timber which was set about it, to kéepe vp
the earth from falling into the same. But this pit was not since
occupied, whether it were for lacke of plentie of the salt spring, or
for letting or hindering of the profit of the other three. Me thinke
that if wood and sale of salt would serue, they might dig and find
more salt springs about the Wich than thrée, but there is somewhat
[Sidenote: Priuileges doo somtimes harme.]
else in the wind. For I heard that of late yeares a salt spring was
found in an other quarter of Worcestershire, but it grew to be without
anie vse, sith the Wich men haue such a priuilege, that they alone in
those quarters shall haue the making of salt. The pits be so set about
with gutters, that the salt water is easilie turned to euerie mans
house, and at Nantwich verie manie troughs go ouer the riuer for the
commoditie of such as dwell on the other side of the same. They séeth
also their salt water in fornaces of lead, and lade out the salt some
in cases of wicker, through which the water draineth, and the salt
remaineth. There be also two or thrée but verie little salt springs at
Dertwitch, in a low bottome, where salt is sometime made.
Of late also a mile from Cumbremere abbaie a peece of an hill did
sinke, and in the same pit rose a spring of salt water, where the
abbat began to make salt; but the men of the citie compounded with the
abbat & couent that there should be none made there, whereby the pit
was suffered to go to losse. And although it yéelded salt water still
of it selfe, yet it was spoiled at the last and filled vp with filth.
The Wich men vse the c[=o]moditie of their salt springs in drawing and
decocting the water of them onlie by six moneths in the yeare, that
is, from Midsummer to Christmas, as (I gesse) to mainteine the price
of salt, or for sauing of wood, which I thinke to be their principall
reason. For making of salt is a great and notable destruction of wood,
and shall be greater hereafter, except some prouision be made for the
better increase of firing. The lacke of wood also is alreadie
perceiued in places néere the Wich, for whereas they vsed to buie and
take their wood neere vnto their occupiengs, those woonted springs are
now decaied, and they be inforced to seeke their wood so far as
Worcester towne, and all the parts about Brenisgraue, Alchirch, and
Alcester. I asked a salter how much wood he supposed yearelie to be
spent at these fornaces? and he answered that by estimation there was
consumed about six thousand load, and it was round pole wood for the
most, which is easie to be cleft, and handsomelie riuen in péeces. The
people that are about the fornaces are verie ill coloured, and the
iust rate of euerie fornace is to make foure loads of salt yearelie,
and to euerie load goeth fiue or six quarters as they make their
accounts. If the fornace men make more in one fornace than foure
loads, it is (as it is said) imploied to their owne auaile. And thus
much hath Leland left in memorie of our white salt, who in an other
booke, not now in my hands, hath touched the making also of baie salt
in some part of our countrie. But sith that booke is deliuered againe
to the owner, the tractation of baie salt can not be framed in anie
order, bicause my memorie will not serue to shew the true maner and
the place. It shall suffice therfore to haue giuen such notice of it,
to the end the reader may know that aswell the baie as white are
wrought and made in England, and more white also vpon the west coast
toward Scotland, in Essex and else where, out of the salt water
betwéene Wire and Cokermouth, which commonlie is of like price with
our wheat. Finallie, hauing thus intermedled our artificiall salt with
our minerals, let vs giue ouer, and go in hand with such mettals as
are growing here in England.
OF OUR ACCOMPT OF TIME & HIR PARTS.
CHAP. XIV.