ascend the house by Stone Steps—about 12—that all turn round; the upper
Stepp is at Least 20 foot steps in Compass; the door you enter is of
Iron Carv’d the ffinest I ever saw all sort of Leaves, flowers, figures,
birds, beasts, wheate in y^e Carving; very Large y^e doors are—there is
an Inside doore as Case to it. On the other side of the house is Such
another door that Leads into a Court. The hall is a noble roome painted
ffinely, y^e walls with armory and Battles; its Lofty and paved with
black and white Marble. You go thence into parlours, dineing rooms,
drawing roomes and bed Chambers one leading out of another, at Least 20
that were very Large and Lofty, and most fine Carving in the
Mantlepieces, and very fine paint in pictures, but they were all Without
Garments or very little, that was the only fault, the immodesty of y^e
Pictures, Especially in My Lords appartment. This bed Chamber was
ffurnish’d very Rich, the tapistry was all blew Silke and Rich Gold
thread, so that the Gold appeared for y^e Light part of all the worke.
There was a blew velvet bed with gold ffringe and very Richly
Embroidered, all the Inside with ovals on the head piece and tester,
where the figures are so finely wrought in Satten stitch it Looks Like
painting. There is also My Ladys appart^t, Severall roomes very Richly
ffurnished and very ffine tapistry with Silver and gold in Most; there
was at Least 4 velvet beds 2 plaine and 2 figured—Crimson—green—Severall
Coullours together in one; Severall Damaske beds and some tissue beds
all ffinely Embroydered. My Ladys Closet is very ffine, the wanscoate of
the best Jappan, the Cushons very Rich Work: there is a great deale of
fine worke under Glasses and a Glass case full of all Sorts of
Curiosityes of Amber stone Currall and a world of fine things. My Lord
Excetter in his travells was for all sorts of Curious things if it Cost
him never so much, and a great many of my Ladyes fine things were given
her by her Mother y^e Countess of Devonshire. There is a Chamber My Lady
used to Lye in in the Winter, a green velvet bed and the hangings are
all Embroydery of her Mothers work very ffine; the Silk Looks very fresh
and ffigures Look naturall.
There is a drawing room by that, w^{ch} has a great Curiosity that my
Lord brought from beyond sea, on the Mantlepiece under a glass; its
nunns work the ffinest Embroidery that it Looks just Like point or the
ffinest Linnen you can see; this Cost a great Sume. There are fine
Chimney pieces of Marble and the windows the same, there are at least 20
rooms very Large and Lofty that are all painted on the top; there are at
Least 20 on y^e other side of the house all w^{th} different ffrett work
on the Ceiling, besides almost as many more roomes that are a building.
Some the floores Not Laid, others Not ffinish’d y^t the house will be a
vast thing w^n done. The floores were Inlaid in severall roomes, the
Chapple is old and not to abide, the painting is good but the place is
not Suteable to any part Else. The great variety of the roomes and ffine
works tooke me up 2 full hours to go from one Roome to another over the
house. The Bowling-green, Wilderness, nor Walke I was not in, being so
great a tract of ground, but you see it all at a view on y^e top of y^e
house; it is Esteemed the ffinest house and scituation that is in
England and will be very Compleate when ffinish’d.
From thence we went to Streton 6 mile, a Little house of one Mr Horsman;
very good Plantations of trees about it—Stone building. Rutlandshire
seems more woody and Inclosed than some others. Thence to Colson where
Lincolnshire Comes in; 2 mile thence towards Lincoln we go on a fine
Champion Country much Like Salisbury plaine, and a Large prospect all
round—at a distance you See woods and towns. This is the best part of
this shire for most part is ffenny, and we went twenty six Miles all on
Such Way quite to Lincoln town. We pass by Grantum which is a good town
16 mile from Lincoln, all built with Stone, but Lies down in a Low
bottom. The Church has a very high Steeple, its Seen above a Great hill
that is by it of a great Length and its a long tyme w^n you see a great
part of the Steeple before you come to see the Church or town it Lies so
in a bottom. Lincoln opens to view at Least 6 miles off; it Stands on a
very high hill and Looks very ffine; at the Entrance the houses Stand
Compact together. The Streetes are but Little but its a vast hill to
ascend into the town where the Minster stands, by that Means its very
perspicious and Eminently in view a great Many Miles off. The tower,
that Great Thoms nest, is 250 steps up, 8 persons may very well Stand up
in the hollow of the bell together, its as much as a man Can Reach to
the top of the bell with his hand when he is in the Inside; its rarely
Ever rung but only by Ringing the Clapper to Each Side w^{ch} we did and
that sounds all over the town. The houses are but small and not lofty
nor y^e Streetes of any breadth. The Sea has formerly Come up to the
town and y^{re} has been very deep water where now great part of y^e
town is built, so y^t what was y^e town formerly is that w^{ch} stands
upon a precipice as it were of a hill. Y^e water is Choake up now and
y^e sea Comes not near in Severall Miles and what water they have is
Called Lincoln Dike—you pass it over on a bridge. We went thence by many
very ffine Seates, we pass by S^r John Brownlows and Severall others;
thence to Newark 12 mile in Nottinghamshire; just by it you see a very
pretty new house of brick building of the Lord Lexingtons, w^{th} the
walls and towers that Looks very Well. Newark is a very neate Stone
built town, the Market place is very Large and Look’d ffine; just by it
is the Great Church w^{ch} is Large and with a very high Spire, there is
prayers twice a day in it. There remaines the holes in the Church walls
that the bullets made which were shott into the town in the Siege Laid
to it by the Parliament army in the Civil warrs: the Castle was then
demolish’d so y^t only the ruinated walls remaine w^{ch} is washed by a
very pretty river. At this we Enter Nottinghamshire and here I met
w^{th} the strongest and best Nottingham ale that Looked very pale but
Exceeding Clear. Thence to Nottingham town, its 12 mile more and we
ffery’d over the Trent w^{ch} in some places is so deep, but waggons and
horses ffords it. I rode along 7 or 8 mile by the Trent w^{ch} is a
ffine River tho’ not so broad as the Thames is at Kingston, but it
look’d very pleasant to Ride by its bancks for so many miles, and on the
other side was a high Ridge of hills shaded over from the top to the
bottom w^{th} fine trees and this for Severall Miles. When on the other
hand you see a vast bottom Called Note Vale, y^e wood belongs to one M^r
Heckam. You pass by severall pretty houses by the river Side, Stone
buildings, good Gardens, and a Little farther you see the Lord Kingstons
house w^{ch} is Contigeous to Nottingham town, called Home Peirpoynt
w^{ch} Looks finely in woods. The town of Nottingham is the neatest town
I have seen, built of stone and delicate, Large and long Streetes much
like London, and y^e houses Lofty and well built. The Market place is
very broad, out of w^{ch} runns a very Large Streete much like Holborn
but the buildings ffine, and there is a Pyaza all along one side of one
of the Streetes, w^{th} Stone pillars for walking that runns the Length
of the Streetes w^{ch} is a mile long. All the Streetes are of a good
size all about y^e town and well pitch’d, there are severall good houses
in the town. There are 3 or 4 Large houses of the Duke of New-Castles
w^{th} the Castle w^{ch} is a fine thing—stands very high on a hill—and
when you Come to the Castle you ascend 40 Steps to the Court and hall.
The roomes are very Lofty and Large, 6 or 7 state roomes and a long
gallery hung with fine Pictures of the ffamily; the wanscoate is most of
Cedar. Some Roomes are hung with good tapistry. The Chamber of State is
hung w^{th} very Rich tapistry so much silver and gold in it that the 3
pieces that hung the Roome Cost 1500^£: the bed was rail’d in as y^e
presence Chamber used to be, y^e bed was damaske. The floore of the
roome was jnlay’d w^{th} Cyphers and the Corronet: here y^e Princess Ann
Lay when she fled in King James’s tyme when the prince of orange was
Coming over. On the Leads you have a very fine prospect of y^e whole
town and river; You see the Earle of Kingstones and S^r Thomas
Willoughby’s fine house on y^e other side of y^e town, and at a distance
we see Beavior Castle the Earle of Rutland’s house, and a prospect more
than 20 mile about, shewing the diversityes of Cultivation and produce
of the Earth. The land is very Rich and fruitfull, so the Green Meadows
w^{th} the fine Corrn ffields w^{ch} seemes to bring forth in handfulls.
They soe most of Barley and have great Encrease, there is all sorts of
Graine besides, and plaines and Rivers and Great woods and Little towns
all in view. They make brick and tile by y^e town—the Manufacture of the
town mostly Consists in weaving of Stockings w^{ch} is a very Ingenious
art. There was a man that spunn glass and made Severall things in
glass—birds and beasts. I spunn some of the glass and saw him make a
swan presently w^{th} divers Coull’d glass; he makes Buttons w^{ch} are
very strong and will not breake. Nottingham is ffamous for good ale, so
for Cellars, they are all dugg out of the Rocks and so are very Coole.
Att y^e Crown Inn is a Cellar of 60 stepps down, all in y^e Rock Like
arch worke over your head: in y^e Cellar I dranke good ale. We were very
well Entertained and very Reasonably att the Blackmoors head; thence we
went to Mansfield 12 mile and pass’d some part of the fine fforest of
Sherwood. Mansfield is a Little Market town built with Stone, there is a
Little river; they make and dye Tammy’s here. There is one pretty Stone
built house just by the water side of 40 Stepps ascent into it. At the
End of the town is an hospital built by a quaker for ancient people, its
a good neat building, they were to have 8 pound a year a piece and the
roomes and Gardens, but its Chiefly for their friends. There is nothing
remarkable here but the dearness of y^e Inns, tho’ in so plentifull a
Country. We went thence to Wursup and went through a parke of y^e Duke
of New-Castles and by his house Calld Welbeake. Ye house is but old and
Low buildings, but the parke is the Noblest wood I Ever saw, fine and
stately Straight. A mile thence is a fine pile of Buildings of Stone
very uniforme and high Called Worsup Mannour built by a Coe heir of the
Devonshire house—3 sisters built 3 noble buildings, this and Ardeck and
Chattsworth. A little beyond this is another Building the remaines of
Worsup Abby. All the way to Blith is a very heavy Sandy Way 12 miles. At
Blith was a very Sweete house and Gardens and Grounds, it was of Brick
work Coyn’d with Stones and the Windows with Stone, all sashes; the
building was so neate and Exact, it was Square w^{th} 4 juttings out at
Each Corner; it Stands high and Commands the Sight of the Country about.
The fine river by it with fish ponds and Meadows and fine woods beyond
makes it look very pleasant. The Gardens are very neate and after the
London Mode, of Gravel and Grass walks and Mount, and the Squaires with
dwarfes and Cyprus, ffirre and all sorts of Greens and fruite trees, its
very ffruitefull—I Eate good fruite there. Its just by the Church so
that a Large Arch w^{ch} did belong to the Church is now made a shady
Seate to the Garden with Greens over it, under w^{ch} is a Sepulchre for
y^e ffamily. It belongs to one M^r Mellish a Merchant in London, its in
all parts a most Compleate thing and its scituation most pleasant.
Almost all y^e road between this and DonCaster is sandy way, to Rosdin 3
mile, thence to DonCaster 6 miles—here Yorkshire beginns and here the
Musick wellcom’d us into Yorkshire. DonCaster is a pretty Large town of
Stone buildings, the streetes are good, there is a handsome Market Cross
advanc’d on 20 steps at Least. The Church is neate and pretty Large,
Severall Little Monuments. This town stands on the River Don, w^{ch}
gives name to the town, here is also a good Large Meeteing place. We
were here the Lord’s day and well Entertained at the Angel. Thence we
went to Wentbridge and pass’d by woods belonging to S^r Wentworth by his
house 7 mile to Wentbridge, where had been a fire the night before
Caused by the Lightening and thunder w^{ch} was remarkably great as we
took notice of, 2 barnes and a house was burnt.
Thence we ascended a very Steepe hill and so to Fferrybridge 3 mile
where we pass’d the fine River Called the Aire, Large for Barges as was
most of those Rivers I have mention’d.
From thence to TodCaster 8 mile, w^{ch} is a very good Little town for
travellers, mostly jnns and little tradesmens houses. This stands on a
very large River Called the Whart. Just before you Come to y^e town
there is some of y^e water w^{ch} on Great raines are not to be
pass’d—it was very deep when I went through. Thence we go much on a
Causey to Yorke 8 miles more, it stands high but for one of the
Metropolis and the see of y^e Archbishopp it Makes but a meane
appearance. The Streetes are Narrow and not of any Length, save one
w^{ch} you Enter of from the bridge that is over the Ouise which Lookes
like a fine River when full after much raine. It is but Low in
Comparison of Some Rivers, it bears Great Barges, it Looks muddy, its
full of good ffish. We Eate very good Cod fish and Salmon and that at a
pretty Cheape rate, tho’ we were not in the best jnn for the Angel is
the best in Cunny Streete. The houses are very Low and as jndifferent as
in any Country town and the Narrowness of y^e Streetes makes it appear
very mean.
Nottingham is so farre before it for its size—its true Nottingham is not
a quarter so bigg, Else y^e Streetes and buildings are so Much Nobler as
Can be jmagin’d; it Lookes better att the approach because you see the
towers off y^e gates and Severall Churches in Compassing y^e Minster and
all y^e Windmills round y^e town of w^{ch} there are many. Y^e River
runns through the town and so its divided, y^e buildings Look No better
than the outskirts off London Wappen &c. The Bridg is fine arches and
built on with houses; the Pavements w^{ch} is Esteem’d the Chiefe part
of town where y^e Market house and town hall stands is so mean that
Southwarke is much before it. There are a Great Many pretty Churches 16
in Number, but the minster is a noble building and holds in view at
Least 30 miles before you Come to it. I saw it and also at y^t distance,
and saw just by it a high hill or ffortification it appeared to be, but
when I Came to York I found it to be only a very high hill w^{th}
stately high trees on it as thick as Could be, a Noble Grove. The
Minster is very Large and fine of Stone, Carv’d all the outside, 3 high
towers above the Leads; I was in one of them, the highest, and it was
262 steps and those very Steep Steps, there is a Gallery round the
middle of the Church about halfe way that goes off these steps of the
tower, where you may go round and Looke down into the body of y^e Church
and y^t was so great a distance that the men and Ladyes that were
Walking below look’d like Pigmyes a very little to us above. On the
Leads of y^e tower Shews a vast prospect of the Country, at Least 30
mile round, you see all over the town y^t Lookes as a building too much
Cluster’d together, y^e Streetes being so narrow—some were pretty Long.
There is another river w^{ch} fills the ditches round the town Called
Ffosse. In the Minster there is the Greatest Curiosity for Windows I
ever saw, they are so large and so Lofty, those in the Quire at y^e End
and on Each side that is 3 storys high and painted very Curious with
History of y^e Bible; the painting is very fine such as was in Kings
Chapple in Cambridge, but the Loftyness of y^e windows is more than I
ever saw any Where Else and by all accounts is peculiar; There is such
another Window at the End of the Cross jsle just by y^e Quire—all y^e
other Windows are of y^e usual Size of other Cathedralls. Ye body of y^e
Church is large and I thinke Larger than any Cathedrall I have seen,
bigger than Winchester Cathedrall. All these Isles are broad the people
of ffashion use them to Walke in and on that account its much [something
left out] they keep it not Cleaner, the Quire has a very good Carving in
Wood about it, there is a very good Organ, the table cloth and Cushons
and books at y^e Comunion table was Crimson velvet and hangings, and its
Embroyder’d very Richly w^{th} gold of a Great depth, and Gold ffringe
at y^e bottom: this was Given y^e Church by Doctor Lamplue y^t was the
Arch-bishop whose Statue is in White Marble in y^e wall w^{th} Mitre and
shepherds Crook. Just by him is ye Effigy of another Bishop Laying along
cut in Stone, and by the aire and Mien he looks more Like a Soldier or
Beau than a Bishop and so it seemes he was in humour. The Embriodery at
the table is almost yard deep, that was given by Lamplue. In the vestry
there is a well of Sweet spring-water called S^t Peter’s well, y^e S^t
of the Church, so it is S^t Peters y^e Cathedrall is. There is a large
hunters horne tipt with Silver and Garnish’d over and Engraved ffinely
all double Gilt w^{th} a Chaine, the same given by a Gentleman that also
gave his Estate to add to the revenues of y^e Church, on a dislike to
disobedient Children; he used the horne When he hunted and drank in it
too. I saw there the ffine tissue Cannopy that was held over the head of
King James the first when he Came into England and y^e head of 2 mace
w^{ch} were Carry’d before him then. There I saw a Chest that was
Triangular fashion, the Shape of y^e Coapes when folded in y^e Middle
and so put into this Chest. The Chapter house is very finely Carv’d and
fine painting on the windows all round, its all arched Stone and
Supported by its own Work haveing no pillars to Rest on, tho’ its Length
and breadth be Equal and at Least 24 ffoot Each. Here was a mint for
Coyning the old money and plaite into new mill’d money; I saw them at
work and Stamp’d one halfe Crown my Self—they dispatch worke very fast
and have Coyn’d Severall 1000_£. I see all parts of the work about y^e
pounding, the boyling, defineing and makeing Barres and Cutting out in
y^e mill and Bakeing and Stamping, all but Milling which art they are
Sworne to keep private.
The Bishops Seate was 4 or 5 mile out of town on the River Ouise. Ffrom
thence we went over a marshy Comon to the Spaw at Marsborough 12 mile;
the town is a pretty stone building, in it a large Market place; there
is a River, the water Looks black, I ffancy it runns off from the Iron
and sulpher mines which Changes the Coull^r;—We pass it over on a large
bridge, tho’ in some places they may ford it, its all on a Rock and the
Sides of the hill by y^e River is all rock and the Little houses are all
built in the Rocks, there is a little Chapple cut out of the Rock and
arch’d and Carved w^{th} ffigures of Saints, I suppose its Called S^r
Robert Chapple he was Esteemed a very devout man, his Effigee is Carv’d
at the Entrance, there is an alter y^t was deck’d w^{th} flowers and the
Ground w^{th} Rushes for y^e devout that did frequent it. Severall
Papists there about and many that Came to y^e Spaw and S^t Mongers well
did say their prayers there. There was a Manuscript w^{th} a long story
of this S^r Robert. There is also the ruines of an abbey where there has
been many bones taken up and some preserv’d as Reliques—there was a
papist Lady Lodg’d where we did and our Land Lady at y^e Inn where we
were treated Civily she told us she went with this Lady among these
ruines where the Lady would say her prayers, and one day some had been
digging and brought up y^e bone of a mans arme and hand and y^e Ligature
of y^e Elbow held y^e bones together w^{ch} by Strikeing Came asunder,
and in y^e hollow part of y^e joynt was a jelly like blood that was
moist, this Lady dipp’d y^e End of her handkerchief in it and so Cut it
off and put it up as a Relique. There are y^e ruinated walls of the
Castle remaines but of no use, but some part is made a prison and some
vaults made Cellars. I dranke very Strong Clear ale in one of those
Cellars.
We were in a very pretty Garden of a Gentlemans of our LandLady Mason’s
acquaintance where was all manner of Curiosityes of fflowers and
Greens—Great variety—there is also a Cherry Garden with Green walkes for
y^e Company to walk in and a Great Seate in a high tree that gives a
pleasant prospect.
From thence we went over to Haragate w^{ch} is just by the Spaw, two
mile further over a Common that belongs to Knarsborough; its all marshy
and wett and here in the Compass of 2 miles is 4 very different springs
of water; there is the Sulpher or Stincking spaw, not Improperly term’d
for the Smell being so very strong and offensive that I could not force
my horse Near the Well; there are two Wells together with basons in them
that the Spring rises up in, which is ffurr’d with a White Scumm which
rises out of the water, if you keep it in a Cup but a few hours it will
have such a white Scumm on it, not withstanding it rises out of y^e
Spring very Cleare and so being a quick Spring itt Soone purges it Self
Cleare againe, it Comes from Brimstone mines, for the taste and smell is
much of Sulpher, tho’ it has an additionall offenciveness Like Carrion.
The Ground is Bitumus or the Like that it runns over, it has a quality
of Changing Silver into y^e Coull^r of Copper and that in a few minutes,
much quicker than the Baths in the West County in Somersetshire. Its a
quick purger and very good for all Scurbutick humours, some persons
drink a quart or two, I dranke a quart in a Morning for two dayes and
hold them to be a good Sort of Purge if you Can hold y^r breath so as to
drinke them down. Within a quarter of a mile is the sweete spaw or
Chalibiet, a Spring which rises off Iron and steele like Astrup or
Tunbridge and Like the German Spaw. This is a quick Spring and the Well
made up with a bason, and a Cover of Stone over it Like an arch; this
opperates as all jron springs does, tho I Could not find them so strong
or spiriteous as those at Tunbridge. One thing I observ’d of the
Stinking spaw tho’ its taste and opperation was like the Somersetshire
bathes, yet this was not warme in the Least as those Bathes are. Just
Between these two spaws is a fine Cleare and sweete Spring of Comon
water very good to wash Eyes and pleasant to Drinke. The ffourth Spring
w^{ch} is but two mile off these is of a petrifying quality turnes all
things into stone. It rises in a banck on y^e top of a hill and so runns
along in a little Channell about a foote over and all the Ground it
runns over is moorish and full of holes with water Standing in it,
w^{ch} stincks just like the Sulpher Spaw and will turn Silver to the
Coullour of Copper as y^t does. Notwithstanding this Clear spring runns
through it with a Swift Current to the brow of y^e hill and then it
spreads it Self all round y^e hill w^{ch} is a Rock, and so runns down
all over the brow of y^e hill Continually, like a Nasty shower of Small
and Great Raine, and so it meetes in y^e bottom and runns all into the
river Knarsborough, and this water as it runns—where it Lyes in the
hollows of y^e Rock does turn moss and wood into Stone or rather Crusts
or Candys wood. I saw some w^{ch} had a perfect Shell of stone about it,
but they tell me it does in tyme penetrate through the Wood. I took Moss
myself from thence which is all Crisp’d and perfect Stone; all the Grass
Straws or any thing that the water falls upon it does Convert to
hardness like Stone. Y^e Whole rock is Continually dropping with water
besides y^e Showering from the top w^{ch} ever runns and this is Called
the dropping well. There is an arbour and y^e Company used to Come and
Eat a Supper there in any Evening to have the pleaseing prospect and the
murmuring Shower to Divert their Eare; in a good Space of tyme it will
harden Ribon Like Stone or any thing Else.
Ffrom Harragate to Cockgrave is 6 mile where is a Spring of exceeding
Cold Water Called S^t Mongers Well; the Story is of a Child y^t was Laid
out in y^e Cold for the parishes Care and when the Church-Wardens found
it they took Care of it—a new born Infant—and when it was baptised they
gave it the Name of “Amongst” because they said the Child must be kept
among them, and as the papist sayes he was an Ingenious Child and so
attained Learning and was a very religious man and used this spring to
wash himself; after sometymes that he had gotten prefferrment and so
grew Rich he walled the Spring about and did many Cures on diseased
bodies by batheing in it, w^{ch} Caused after his death people to
frequent the Well w^{ch} was an Inconveniency to y^e Owners of y^e
ground, and so they forbad people Coming and Stopped up y^e Well; and
the Story sayes on that severall judgments Came on the owners of y^e
Ground and y^e Spring broke up all about his Ground w^{ch} forced him to
open it againe and render it usefull to all that would Come to Washe in
it—thus farre of y^e fable.