As almightie GOD hath in most plentifull maner bestowed infinit, and
those verie notable benefits vpon this Ile of Britaine, whereby it is
not a little inriched: so in hot and naturall baths (whereof we haue
diuerse in sundrie places) it manifestlie appéereth that he hath not
forgotten England. There are sundrie baths therefore to be found in
this realme, of which the first is called saint Vincents, the second
Halliewell; both being places (in my opinion) more obscure than the
other two, and yet not seldome sought vnto by such as stand in need.
For albeit the fame of their forces be not so generallie spread, yet
in some cases they are thought to be nothing inferior to the other, as
diuerse haue often affirmed by their owne experience and triall. The
third place wherein hot baths are to be found is néere vnto Buxston, a
towne in Darbishire, situat in the high Peke, not passing sixtéene
miles from Manchester, or Markechesterford, and twentie from Darbie,
where, about eight or nine seuerall welles are to be séene; of which
thrée are counted to be most excellent: but of all, the greatest is
the hotest, void of corruption, and compared (as Iones saith) with
those of Summersetshire, so cold indéed, as a quart of boiling water
would be made if fiue quartes of running water were added therevnto;
whereas on the other side, those of Bath likened vnto these, haue such
heat appropriated vnto them, as a gallon of hot water hath when a
quart of cold is mixed with the same. Herevpon the effect of this bath
worketh more temperatlie and pleasantlie (as he writeth) than the
other. And albeit that it maketh not so great spéed in cure of such as
resort vnto it for helpe: yet it dealeth more effectuallie and
commodiouslie than those in Summersetshire, and infer with all lesse
greeuous accidents in the restreining of naturall issues,
strengthening the affeebled members, assisting the liuelie forces,
dispersing annoious oppilations, and qualifieng of sundrie griefes, as
his experience hath oft confirmed. The like vertues haue the other
two, but not in such measure: and therefore their operation is not so
speedilie perceiued. The fourth place where baths are, is kings
Newnam, and within certeine miles of Couentrie, the water wherof (as
it is thought) procéedeth from some rocke of allume, and this I
vnderstand by diuerse glouers which haue béene there, and also by mine
owne experience, that it hath a tast much like to allume liquor, and
yet nothing vnplesant nor vnsauorie in the drinking. There are thrée
welles in all, but the chiefest and best of them riseth out of an
hill, and runneth toward the south, & from thence infinit plentie of
water without anie notable diminution of the spring is dailie caried
into sundrie parties of the realme, & droonke by such as haue néed to
occupie the same. Of the other two, one is reserued for such as be
comelie personages and void of lothsome diseases: the other is left
common for tag and rag; but clensed dailie as the other is, whereby it
becommeth the wholesomer. Manie diseases also are cured in the same,
as the palsie, dimnesse of sight, dulnesse of hearing, but especiallie
the collike and the stone, old sores and gréene wounds; so that I
suppose there was neuer anie compound medicine of greater and more
spéedie force in these behalfes, than the vse of this simple liquor is
to such as doo frequent it. The said water hath a naturall propertie
also following it which is rare, for if a leafe, or sticke of ash,
oke, &c: doo fall into the same, within a short space, such store of
fine sand (comming no doubt out of the earth with the water) will
congeale and gather about it, that the forme being reserued, and the
inner part not lightlie altered, it will seeme to become an hard
stone, and much like vnto that which is ingendred in the kidneis of a
man, as I haue séene by experience. At the first entrance it is verie
cold, but after a season it warmeth the goer in, casting him into an
indifferent heat. And this is furthermore remembred of it, that no man
hath yet susteined anie manner of impeachment through the coldnesse of
the same. The vertue thereof was found 1579 about Whitsuntide, by a
man who had wounded himselfe, & comming by the same water, thought
onelie to wash the blood from his hand therewith, and so to go home
and séeke for helpe by surgerie: finallie finding the paine well
asswaged, & the wound faire clensed, he departed, and misliking his
vsuall medicins, he eftsoones came againe, and so often indéed vnto
the said water till his hand was healed outright without anie other
practise. By this meanes also he became a counsellor to other being
hurt or in paine, that they should trie the vertue of this spring, who
finding ease also, gaue out such commendation of the said water, that
now at this present their fame is fullie equall, and the resort vnto
them nothing inferior to that of the old baths. Beside this, the cures
of such diseases as their forces do extend vnto, is much more speedie
than we may haue at the other; and this is one commoditie also not
smallie to be considered of. The fift place of baths or medicinable
welles is at an hamlet called Newton, a little from saint Neots, or
(as we pronounce it) saint Needs, which is ten or twelue miles from
Cambridge, where two springs are knowne to be, of which the one is
verie sweet and fresh, the other brackish & salt; this is good for
scabs and leaperie (as it is said) the other for dimnesse of sight.
Verie manie also doo make their repaire vnto them for sundrie
diseases, some returning whole, and some nothing at all amended,
bicause their cure is without the reach and working of those waters.
Neuer went people so fast from the church, either vnto a faire or
market, as they go to these wels, and those neere Rugbie, both places
being discouered in this 1579 of Grace. I heare of another well to be
found also about Ratcliffe néere London, euen at the same season. But
sith rumors are now spred almost of euerie spring, & vaine tales flie
about in maner of euerie water, I surcease to speake at all of anie
other, till further experience doo trie whether they be medicinable or
not: and yet I doubt not but most of these alredie mentioned haue
heretofore bin knowne & remembred also, though confusedlie by the
writers of old time; & yet in processe of time either neglected or
forgotten, by meanes of sundrie troubles and turmoiles made in this
realme by Danes, and other outward enimies, whereby their manifold
benefit hath woonderfullie béene missed.
The last place of our baths, is a citie in Summersetshire, which
taketh his name of the hot waters there to be séene and vsed. At the
first it was called Cair Bledud, and not Cair Bledune, as some would
haue it, for that is the old name of the ancient castell at
Malmesburie, which the Saxons named Yngleburne. Ptolomie afterward
called it Thermæ, other Aquæ solis, or Scamannia, or Acmancester, but
now it hight generallie Bath in English, and vnder that name it is
likelie to continue. The citie of it selfe is a verie ancient thing,
no doubt, as may yet appeare by diuerse notable antiquities ingraued
in stone, to be séene in the wals thereof; and first of all betweene
the south gate and the west, and betwixt the west gate and the north.
The first is the antike head of a man, made all flat, with great locks
of haire, much like to the coine that I haue seene of Antius the
Romane. The second betweene the south and the north gate is an image,
as I take it, of Hercules, for he held in each hand a serpent, and so
dooth this. Thirdlie there standeth a man on foot with a sword in his
one hand, and a buckler stretched out in the other. There is also a
branch that lieth folded and wreathed into circles, like to the wreath
of Alcimedon. There are moreouer two naked images, whereof the one
imbraceth the other, beside sundrie antike heads, with ruffled haire,
a greiehound running, and at his taile certeine Romane letters, but so
defaced that no man liuing can read them at this present. There is
moreouer the image of Lacaon, inuironed with two serpents, and an
other inscription, and all these betwéene the south and the west
gates, as I haue said before.
Now, betweene the west and north gate are two inscriptions, of which
some words are euident to be read, the residue are cleane defaced.
There is also the image of a naked man, and a stone in like sort,
which hath "Cupidines & labruscas intercurrentes," and a table hauing
at each hand an image vined and finelie florished both aboue and
beneath. Finallie (sauing that I saw afterward the image of a naked
man grasping a serpent in each hand) there was an inscription of a
toome or buriall, wherein these words did plainelie appeare, "Vixit
annos xxx" but so defusedlie written, that letters stood for whole
words, and two or thrée letters combined into one. Certes I will not
saie whether these were set into the places where they now stand by
the gentiles, or brought thither from other ruines of the towne it
selfe, and placed afterward in those wals, in their necessarie
reparations. But howsoeuer the matter standeth, this is to be gathered
by our histories, that Bladud first builded that citie there, and
peraduenture might also kindle the sulphurous veines, of purpose to
burne continuallie there in the honour of Minerua: by which occasion
the springs thereabout did in processe of time become hot & not
vnprofitable, for sundrie kinds of diseases. Indeed the later Pagans
dreamed, that Minerua was the chéefe goddesse and gouernesse of these
[Sidenote: Chap. 25.]
waters, bicause of the néerenesse of hir temple vnto the same. Solinus
addeth furthermore, how that in hir said temple, the fire which was
continuallie kept, did neuer consume into dead sparkles; but so soone
as the embers thereof were cold, they congealed into clots of hard
stone: all which I take to be nothing else than the effect of the
aforesaid fire, of the sulphurous veine kindled in the earth, from
whence the waters doo come. That these baths or waters are deriued
[Sidenote: The Pyritis is found almost in euerie veine of mettall
in great plentie, diuersities and colour, and somtimes mixed
with that mettall of whose excrements it consisteth.]
from such, the marchasites, which the Grecians call Pyritis, per
antonomasiam (for being smit with the iron, it yéeldeth more sparkes
than anie flint or calcedonie, and therefore seemeth to deserue the
name aboue the rest) and besides these other stones mixed with some
copper, and dailie found vpon the mounteins thereabouts will beare
sufficient witnesse, though I would write the contrarie. Doctor Turner
also the father of English physicke, and an excellent diuine,
supposeth that these springs doo draw their forces from sulphur: or if
there be anie other thing mingled withall, he gesseth that it should
be salt peter, bicause he found an obscure likelihood of the same,
euen in the crosse bath. But that they participate with anie allume at
all, he could neuer till his dieng daie be induced to beléeue. I might
here (if I thought it necessarie) intreat of the notable situation of
the citie, which standeth in a pleasant bottome, inuironed on euerie
side with great hils, out of the which come so manie springs of pure
water by sundrie waies vnto the citie, and in such abundance, as that
euerie house is serued with the same by pipes of lead, the said
mettall being the more plentious and lesse of value vnto them, bicause
it is not had far off from those quarters. It should not be amisse
also to speake of the foure gates, number of parish churches, bridges,
religious houses dissolued, and their founders, if place did serue
therefore: but for so much as my purpose is not to deale in this
behalfe, I will omit the mention of these things, and go in hand with
the baths themselues, wherof in the title of this chapiter I protested
to intreat.
There are two springs of water (as Leland saith) in the west south
[Sidenote: Crosse bath.]
west part of the towne, whereof the biggest is called the crosse bath,
of a certeine crosse that was erected sometime in the middest thereof.
This bath is much frequented by such as are diseased with leaprie,
pockes, scabs, and great aches: yet of it selfe it is verie temperate
and pleasant, hauing eleuen or twelue arches of stone in the sides
thereof, for men to stand vnder, when raine dooth ought annoie them.
[Sidenote: Common bath.]
The common bath, or as some call it, the hot bath, is two hundred
foot, or thereabout from the crosse bath, lesse in compasse within the
wall than the other, and with onelie seauen arches, wrought out of the
maine inclosure. It is worthilie called the hot bath, for at the first
comming into it, men thinke that it would scald their flesh, and lose
it from the bone: but after a season, and that the bodies of the
commers thereto be warmed throughlie in the same, it is more
tollerable and easie to be borne. Both these baths be in the middle of
a little stréet, and ioine to S. Thomas hospitall, so that it may be
thought that Reginald bishop of Bath made his house néere vnto these
common baths, onelie to succour such poore people as should resort
vnto them.
[Sidenote: Kings bath.]
The kings bath is verie faire and large, standing almost in the middle
of the towne, at the west end of the cathedrall church. It is
compassed about with a verie high stone wall, and the brims thereof
are mured round about, where in be two and thirtie arches for men and
women to stand in separatlie, who being of the gentrie for the most
part, doo resort thither indifferentlie, but not in such lasciuious
[Sidenote: Hot houses in some countries little better than brodels.]
sort as vnto other baths and hot houses of the maine, whereof some
write more a great deale than modestie should reueale, and honestie
performe. There went a sluce out of this bath, which serued in times
past the priorie with water, which was deriued out of it vnto two
places, and commonlie vsed for baths, but now I doo not thinke that
they remaine in vsage.
[Sidenote: Colour of the water of the baths.]
As for the colour of the water of all the bathes, it is most like to a
déepe blew, and reeketh much after the maner of a seething pot,
[Sidenote: Taste of the water.]
commonlie yéelding somwhat a sulpherous taste, and verie vnpleasant
sauour. The water also that runneth from the two small baths, goeth by
a dyke into the Auon by west, and beneath the bridge: but the same
that goeth from the kings bath turneth a mill, and after goeth into
Auon aboue Bath bridge, where it loseth both force and tast, and is
like vnto the rest. In all the three baths a man maie euidentlie see
[Sidenote: Fall or issue of the water.]
how the water bubbleth vp from the springs. This is also to be noted,
that at certeine times all entrances into them is vtterlie prohibited,
that is to saie, at high noone, and midnight: for at those two
seasons, and a while before and after, they boile verie feruentlie,
and become so hot that no man is able to indure their heat, or anie
while susteine their force and vehement working. They purge themselues
furthermore from all such filth as the diseased doo leaue in each of
them, wherfore we doo forbeare the rash entrance into them at that
time: and so much the rather, for that we would not by contraction of
anie new diseases, depart more gréeuouslie affected than we came vnto
the citie, which is in déed a thing that each one should regard. For
[Sidenote: Not good to enter into baths at all seasons.]
these causes therefore they are commonlie shut vp from halfe an houre
after ten of the clocke in the forenoone, to halfe an houre after one
in the afternoone, and likewise at midnight: at which times the kéeper
of them resorteth to his charge, openeth the gates, and leaueth (or
should leaue) frée passage vnto such as come vnto them. Hitherto
Leland.
What cost of late hath béene bestowed vpon these baths by diuerse of
the nobilitie, gentrie, communaltie, and cleargie, it lieth not in me
to declare: yet as I heare, they are not onelie verie much repared and
garnished with sundrie curious péeces of workemanship, partlie
touching their commendation, and partlie for the ease and benefit of
such as resort vnto them; but also better ordered, clenlier kept, &
more friendlie prouision made for such pouertie as dailie repaireth
thither. But notwithstanding all this, such is the generall estate of
things in Bath, that the rich men maie spend while they will, and the
poore beg whilest they list for their maintenance and diet so long as
they remaine there: and yet I denie not but that there is verie good
order in that citie for all degrées. But where shall a man find anie
equall regard of poore and rich, though God dooth giue these his good
gifts fréelie, & vnto both alike? I would here intreat further of the
customs vsed in these baths, what number of physicians dailie attend
vpon those waters, for no man (especiallie such as be able to
interteine them) dooth enter into these baths before he consult with
the physician; also, what diet is to be obserued, what particular
diseases are healed there, and to what end the commers thither doo
drinke oftimes of that medicinable liquor: but then I should excéed
the limits of a description. Wherefore I passe it ouer to others,
hoping that some man yer long will vouchsafe to performe that at
large, which the famous clearke Doctor Turner hath brieflie yet
happilie begun, touching the effects & working of the same. For
hitherto I doo not know of manie that haue trauelled in the natures of
those baths of our countrie, with anie great commendation; much lesse
of anie that hath reuealed them at the full for the benefit of our
nation, or commoditie of strangers that resort vnto the same.