It hath béene of long time a question in controuersie, and not yet
determined, whether holds and castels néere cities or anie where in
the hart of common-wealths, are more profitable or hurtfull for the
benefit of the countrie? Neuertheles it séemeth by our owne experience
that we here in England suppose them altogither vnnéedfull. This also
is apparent by the testimonie of sundrie writers, that they haue béene
the ruine of manie a noble citie. Of Old Salisburie I speake not, of
Anwarpe I saie nothing more than of sundrie other, whereof some also
in my time neuer cease to incroch vpon the liberties of the cities
adioining, thereby to hinder them what and wherin they may. For my
part I neuer read of anie castell that did good vnto the citie
abutting theron, but onelie the capitoll of Rome: and yet but once
good vnto the same, in respect of the nine times whereby it brought it
into danger of vtter ruine and confusion. Aristotle vtterlie denieth
that anie castle at all can be profitable to a common wealth well
gouerned. Timotheus of Corinthum affirmeth, that a castle in a common
wealth is but a bréeder of tyrants. Pyrhus king of Epire being
receiued also on a time into Athens, among other courtesies shewed
vnto him, they led him also into their castell of Pallas, who at his
departure gaue them great thanks for the fréendlie intertainment; but
with this item, that they should let so few kings come into the same
as they might, least (saith he) they teach you to repent too late of
your great gentlenesse. Caietanus in his common-wealth hath finallie
no liking of them, as appéereth in his eight booke of that most
excellent treatise. But what haue I to deale whether they be
profitable or not, sith my purpose is rather to shew what plentie we
haue of them, which I will performe so far as shall be néedfull?
There haue béene in times past great store of castels and places of
defense within the realme of England, of which some were builded by
the Britons, manie by the Romans, Saxons, and Danes, but most of all
by the barons of the realme, in & about the time of king Stephan, who
licenced each of them to build so manie as them listed vpon their owne
demeasnes, hoping thereby that they would haue imploied their vse to
his aduantage and commoditie. But finallie when he saw that they were
rather fortified against himselfe in the end, than vsed in his
defense, he repented all too late of his inconsiderate dealing, sith
now there was no remedie but by force for to subdue them. After his
decease king Henrie the second came no sooner to the crowne, but he
called to mind the inconuenience which his predecessour had suffered,
and he himselfe might in time sustaine by those fortifications.
Therefore one of the first things he did was an attempt to race and
deface the most part of these holds. Certes he thought it better to
hazard the méeting of the enimie now and then in the plaine field,
than to liue in perpetuall feare of those houses, and the rebellion of
his lords vpon euerie light occasion conceiued, who then were full so
strong as he, if not more strong; and that made them the readier to
withstand and gainesaie manie of those procéedings, which he and his
successours from time to time intended. Herevpon therefore he caused
more than eleuen hundred of their said castels to be raced and
ouerthrowne, whereby the power of his nobilitie was not a little
restreined. Since that time also, not a few of those which remained
haue decaied, partlie by the commandement of Henrie the third, and
partlie of themselues, or by conuersion of them into the dwelling
houses of noble men, their martiall fronts being remooued: so that at
this present, there are verie few or no castels at all mainteined
within England, sauing onelie vpon the coasts and marches of the
countrie for the better kéeping backe of the forren enimie, when
soeuer he shall attempt to enter and annoie vs.
The most provident prince that euer reigned in this land, for the
fortification thereof against all outward enimies, was the late prince
of famous memorie king Henrie the eight, who beside that he repared
most of such as were alreadie standing, builded sundrie out of the
ground. For hauing shaken off the more than seruile yoke of popish
tyrannie, and espieng that the emperour was offended for his diuorce
from quéene Catharine his aunt, and thereto vnderstanding that the
French king had coupled the Dolphin his sonne with the popes neece,
and maried his daughter to the king of Scots (whereby he had cause
more iustlie to suspect than safelie to trust anie one of them all as
Lambert saith) he determined to stand vpon his owne defense, and
therefore with no small spéed, and like charge, he builded sundrie
blockehouses, castels, and platformes vpon diuerse frontiers of his
realme, but chieflie the east and southeast parts of England, whereby
(no doubt) he did verie much qualifie the conceiued grudges of his
aduersaries, and vtterlie put off their hastie purpose of inuasion.
But would to God he had cast his eie toward Harwich, and the coasts of
Norffolke and Suffolke, where nothing as yet is doone! albeit there be
none so fit and likelie places for the enimie to enter vpon, as in
those parts, where, at a full sea they may touch vpon the shore and
come to land without resistance. And thus much brieflie for my purpose
at this present. For I néed not to make anie long discourse of
castels, sith it is not the nature of a good Englishman to regard to
be caged vp as in a coope, and hedged in with stone wals, but rather
to meet with his enimie in the plaine field at handstrokes, where he
maie trauaise his ground, choose his plot, and vse the benefit of
sunne shine, wind and weather, to his best aduantage & commoditie.
Isocrates also saith that towres, walles, bulworkes, soldiers, and
[Sidenote: The best kéepers of kingdomes.]
plentie of armour, are not the best kéepers of kingdomes; but freends,
loue of subiects, & obedience vnto martiall discipline, which they
want that shew themselues either cruell or couetous toward their
people. As for those tales that go of Beston castell, how it shall
saue all England on a daie, and likewise the brag of a rebellious
baron in old time named Hugh Bigot, that said in contempt of king
Henrie the third, and about the fiftith yeare of his reigne:
If I were in my castell of Bungeie,
Vpon the water of Waueneie,
I wold not set a button by the king of Cockneie,
I repute them but as toies, the first méere vaine, the second fondlie
vttered if anie such thing were said, as manie other words are and
haue béene spoken of like holds (as Wallingford, &c:) but now growen
out of memorie, and with small losse not heard of among the common
sort. Certes the castell of Bungeie was ouerthrowen by the aforesaid
prince, the same yeare that he ouerthrew the walles and castell of
Leircester, also the castels of Treske and Malesar, apperteining to
Roger Mowbraie, and that of Fremlingham belonging likewise to Hugh
Bigot, wherof in the chronologie following you may read at large. I
might here in like sort take occasion to speake of sundrie strong
places where camps of men haue lien, and of which we haue great
plentie here in England in the plaine fields: but I passe ouer to
talke of any such néedlesse discourses. This neuerthelesse concerning
[Sidenote: The Wandles in time past were called Windles.]
two of them is not to be omitted, to wit, that the one néere vnto
Cambridge now Gogmagogs hill, was called Windleburie before time, as I
read of late in an old pamphlet. And to saie the truth I haue often
heard them named Winterburie hilles, which difference may easilie grow
by corruption of the former word: the place likewise is verie large
and strong. The second is to be séene in the edge of Shropshire about
two miles from Colme, betwéene two riuers, the Clun or Colunus, and
the Tewie otherwise named Themis, wherevnto there is no accesse but at
one place. The Welshmen call it Cair Carador, and they are of the
opinion, that Caractatus king of the Sillures was ouercome there by
Ostorius, at such time as he fled to Cartimanda quéene of the Brigants
for succour, who betraied him to the Romans, as you may sée in
Tacitus.