small matter and it was a Large dish. Y^e town is full of Great Gardens
walled in all round on y^e outside of the town, on the Edge of y^e hill
so the Gardens runns down a great way, you descend with them by severall
stepps. Its a fruitfull place, fine flowers and trees with all sorts of
fruite, but that w^{ch} is mostly jntended is the Encreasing of
Liquorish w^{ch} y^e Gardens are all filled with, and any body that has
a Little ground improves it for the produce of Liquorish of w^{ch} there
is vast quantetyes, and it returns severall 100 pounds yearly to the
towns. The Leafe is not much unlike a Rose Leafe but some w^t narrower
and Longer, the Coullour is something a Yellower Green, Else the
branches grow Like it w^{th} double Leaves on a Stalke and severall all
down y^e Stalke, somewhat in the manner of Caliceily or Solomons Seale
and much of that smoothness of Leafe. Thence to Hemsworth 4 mile where
we Could meet w^{th} no Lodging, only Little ale houses to give one a
pot of beere, and so we went 2 mile ffarther but found it y^e same and
it being too farre to reach Rotheram we made use of ye hospitallity of a
Clergyman one M^r Fferrer w^{ch} was a very Genteele man and gave us a
Civil Entertainm^t and good beds—he has a very good house and Genteely
ffitted good Hall and parlour, and the Garden very neate. Its a very
ffruitfull Country w^{ch} Encourages jndustry and there is plenty of
Stone Like free Stone w^{ch} makes ffine houses and walls. Thence to
Rotheram 12 miles, its most in a deep Clay ground and now the wayes are
more difficult and narrow. Rotheram is a good market town well built all
of stone. The Church stands high in y^e middle of the town and Looks
finely, its all Stone and Carv’d very well all the out side. Thence to
Ackington 8 mile, a very Little place its 3 mile from Shellton town, but
that was thought out of our way, so we Lay here in a poor Sorry Inn.
There was one good bed for us Gentlewomen. Its a pretty Long Parish and
through it runns a Water which Came down a great banck at the End of y^e
town like a precipice with such violence y^t it makes a great noise, and
looks Extreamely Cleare in the Streame that gushes out and runns along:
it runns on off a deep yellow Coullour, they say it runns off of a
poisonous mine or Soile and from Coale pitts; they permit none to taste
it for I sent for a Cup of it and y^e people in y^e Streete Call’d out
to forbid y^e tasteing it, and it will beare no Soape so its useless.
Here we Entred Darbyshire and went to Chesterffield 6 mile, and Came by
y^e Coale mines where they were digging. They make their mines at y^e
Entrance Like a Well and so till they Come to y^e Coale, then they digg
all the Ground about where there is Coale and set pillars to support it,
and so bring it to y^e well where by a basket Like a hand barrow by
Cords they pull it up—so they Let down and up the miners with a Cord.
Chesterffield Looks Low when you approach it from the Adjacent hill
w^{ch} you descend, but then you ascend another to it. The Coale pitts
and quaraes of stone are all about, Even just at y^e town End, and in
the town its all built of stone. Y^e Church stands in a place of
Eminency, the town Looks well, the Streets good, y^e Market very Large.
It was Satturday w^{ch} is their market day and there was a great Market
Like some little ffaire, a great deale of Corne and all sorts of ware
and ffowles there. I bought my self 2 very good ffatt white (pullings as
they Call them) pullets for 6 pence both, and I am sure they were as
Large and as good as would have Cost 18 pence if not 2 shill^s a piece
in London—so said all my Company. In this town is y^e best ale in the
Kingdom Generally Esteem’d. All Derbyshire is full of Steep hills and
nothing but the peakes of hills as thick one by another is seen in most
of y^e County w^{ch} are very steepe, w^{ch} makes travelling tedious
and y^e miles Long. You see neither hedge nor tree but only Low drye
stone walls round some ground Else its only hills and Dales as thick as
you Can Imagine, but tho’ the Surface of y^e Earth Looks barren yet
those hills are impregnated w^{th} Rich marble stone metals, Iron and
Copper and Coale mines in their bowells, from whence we may see the
wisdom and benignitye of o^{er} greate Creator to make up the
Defficiency of a place by an Equivolent, and also the diversity of the
Creation w^{ch} Encreaseth its Beauty. We go from Chesterffield to y^e
Duke of Devonshires house and ascend a high hill at Least two or three
miles Long, we pass’d by a Cavity in one great Banck or Rock Called
Stonidge Hall all stone of about 12 yards long and about 4 or 5 broad,
its all Rock like an arch on y^e Roofe but its not ffenc’d so but y^e
beasts trample and ffowle it you Can scarce go into it. The same long
steep hill we had to descend w^{ch} Comes to Chattsworth ten mile. The
Duke’s house Lyes just at y^e foote of this steepe hill w^{ch} is like a
precipice just at y^e Last, notwithstanding the Dukes house stands on a
little riseing ground from y^e River Derwent w^{ch} runns all along y^e
front of y^e house, and by a Little fall made in y^e water w^{ch} makes
a pretty Murmurring noise. Before y^e gate there is a Large parke and
Severall ffine Gardens one w^{th} out another w^{th} Gravell walkes and
Squairs of Grass w^{th} stone statues in them, and in y^e middle of Each
Garden is a Large ffountaine full of Images, sea gods and Dolphins and
sea horses w^{ch} are full of pipes w^{ch} spout out water in the bason
and spouts all about the Gardens. 3 gardens just round the house. Out of
two of y^e Gardens you ascend by Severall Stepps into other Gardens
w^{ch} some have Gravell walks and squares Like y^e other w^{th} Statues
and Images in the bason. There is one bason in the Middle of one Garden
thats very Large and by sluces besides the Images Severall pipes plays
out y^e water—about 30 Large and small pipes altogether, some fflush it
up that it ffrothes Like snow. There is one Garden full of stone and
brass statues. So the Gardens Lyes one above another w^{ch} makes the
prospect very fine. Above these gardens is an ascent of 5 or 6 stepps up
to green walk and groves of firrs and a wilderness and Close arbours and
shady walks. On Each End of one Walke stands two piramidies full of
pipes spouting water that runns down one of them—runns on brass hollow
work w^{ch} looks like rocks and hollow stones.
Y^e other is all fflatts, stands one above another like Salvers so the
water rebounds one from another 5 or 6 one above the Other. There is
another green walke and about y^e Middle of it by y^e Grove stands a
fine Willow tree, the Leaves, Barke and all looks very naturall, y^e
roote is full of rubbish or great stones to appearance and all on a
Sudden by turning a sluce it raines from Each Leafe and from the
branches like a shower, it being made of Brass and pipes to Each Leafe,
but in appearance is Exactly like any Willow. Beyond this is a bason in
w^{ch} are y^e branches of two Artichock Leaves w^{ch} weeps at y^e End
of Each Leafe into the bason w^{ch} is placed at y^e foote of Lead steps
30 in number. The Lowest step is very deep, and between Every 4 stepps
is a half pace all made of Lead and are broad on Each side. On a little
banck stands blew balls 10 on a side, and between Each ball are 4 pipes
w^{ch} by a sluce spouts out water aCross y^e stepps to Each other like
an arbour or arch. While you are thus amused suddenly there runs down a
torrent of water out of 2 pitchers in y^e hands of two Large nimphs Cut
in stone that Lyes in the upper step w^{ch} makes a pleaseing prospect.
This is designed to be Enlarged and Steps made up to y^e top of y^e hill
w^{ch} is a vast ascent, but ffrom y^e top of it now they are Supply’d
w^{th} water for all their pipes so it will be the Easyer to have such a
fall of water Even from y^e top w^{ch} will add to the Curiositye. The
house is built all of Stone y^t is dugg out of the hills, its like free
stone—a flatt Roofe w^{th} Barristers and flower potts. In the ffront is
7 large windows, the glass is diamond Cutt and all off large Looking
glass, y^e panes bigg 4 in a breadth 7 in height, to the Garden ward was
12 windows of y^e same glass 4 panes broad 8 long, y^e Lowest windows
are made w^{th} Grates before them and are for birds—an Averye—and so
looking glass behind. Y^e stepps out of y^e Garden are on Either side 20
steps and Iron barrs painted blew and tipt w^{th} gold. Y^e steps meete
on y^e top in a halfe pace railed y^e same, but y^e front entrance is
not finished; there is a large Court w^{ch} is to be pas’d and so stepps
on Each side of stone w^{th} half paces up to a tarrass walke. Y^e large
gates of jron barrs are 3 at y^e Court and from this tarress you Enter.
The ffront is w^{th} Severall Large stone pillars Carv’d, at y^e
Entrance into another Court w^{ch} y^e house is built about, and here
are peaso’s supported w^{th} stone pillars, under w^{ch} you pass from
one place to another. Out of it is y^e Chappel w^{ch} is a very lofty
building and supported by 4 large pillars of black marble, two at y^e
alter, 2 just at y^e bottom to support y^e gallery for y^e Duke and
Dutches to sitt in. Y^e pillars are 14 foote, and so bigg that I could
not Compass one w^{th} my arms. These 4 and 2 stepps by y^e alter was
made out of one stone Cut out of y^e hill just by, so is all y^e marble
about the house and so finely polish’d like a Looking glass; the pavem^t
is black and white marble vein’d, Lay’d long wayes in large stones all
of y^e same. Y^e painting is very fine, on the top and on the sides y^e
history of Christ and y^e New testament. There is a very fine Carving of
wood and Stone, the Dove at the alter y^e Angels and Cherubims w^{th}
flowers, Leaves Laurell &c. &c. very Curiously Carv’d. The hall is very
Lofty, painted top and Sides with armory and there is 18 steps on Each
side goes up as an arch, w^{th} Iron Barristers tipt w^{th} gold w^{ch}
Meetes on y^e top Large steps of stone. Thence you Enter a dineing
roome, two drawing roomes, a bed Chamber and Closet w^{ch} opens quite
thro’ the house a visto, and at the End of the dineing roome is a Large
door all of Looking glass in great pannells all diamond Cutt. This is
just opposite to y^e doores that runs into y^e drawing roome and bed
Chamber and Closet so it shews y^e roomes to Look all double. Ye
ffloores of y^e Roomes are all finely Inlaid, there is very Curious
Carving over and Round the Chimney pieces, and Round the Looking-glasses
that are in y^e peers between the windows, and fine Carv’d shelves or
stands on Each side of y^e glass. Every roome is differing work and all
fine Carving and over y^e doores some of it is of y^e Natural Coull^r of
y^e wood and varnish’d only—others painted. Ye Dutchess’s Closet is
wanscoated w^{th} y^e hollow burnt japan, and at Each Corner are peers
of Looking glass; over the Chimney is Looking glass an oval and at the 4
Corners after this figure ⌘, and hollow Carving all round y^e glass. The
roomes are all painted very finely on y^e top; all y^e windows y^e
Squares of glass are so large and good they Cost 10s. a pannell. There
was sweete tapistry hangings with small figures and very much silk, they
Look’d as ffresh as if new tho’ bought severall yeares—there were no
beds up. There was as many roomes on the other side w^{ch} were not
ffinished, they were just painting y^e Ceilings and Laying the floores
w^{ch} are all jnlaid, these were the Duke and dutchess’s apartm^{ts}
besides which are a great number of roomes and severall offices. There
is a fine Grottoe all stone pavement Roofe and sides, this is design’d
to supply all y^e house w^{th} water besides severall ffanceyes to make
diversion. Within this is a batheing roome, y^e walls all w^{th} blew
and white marble—the pavement mix’d, one stone white, another black,
another of y^e Red vaned marble. The bath is one Entire marble all white
finely veined w^{th} blew and is made smooth, but had it been as finely
pollish’d as some it would have been the finest marble that Could be
seen. It was as deep as ones middle on the outside, and you went down
steps into y^e bath big enough for two people. At y^e upper End are two
Cocks to let in one hott, y^e other Cold water to attemper it as persons
please—the Windows are all private Glass. The Gallery we ascended out of
y^e hall into before we Came to y^e dineing roome, w^{ch} I should have
spoken off then, was delicately painted over head, and Round on the top
was a raile and Barristers so naturally drawn just round the Cornish,
that you would take it for a Railed walke round y^e top to looke down
into the gallery, There is another ffine staircase all stone and hangs
on it self on y^e outside, y^e support is from y^e wall and its own
building. Ye stone of y^e half paces are large and one Entire stone
makes Each. On the top of y^e Staires y^e space Leading to y^e roomes
are 3 large Stones, the Stones Cost 20^£ a piece, so large and thick you
would wonder how they should be raised up so high and be supported by
its own arch without any pillars on y^e outside. This is all of Stone
Cut out of y^e hills w^{ch} Looks like what we Call free stone. Y^e
house is all off the same and all the marble in y^e Windows, Chimneys
and pavements is all marble dug out of the hill above the house, both
black, white rance, and Curiously veined and polished, so fine as any I
ever saw w^{ch} Came from beyond sea. Thence we came to Bankwell a
pretty neate market town 2 mile; it Stands on a hill, yet you descend a
vast hill to it w^{ch} you would thinke impossible to go down, and we
was forced to fetch a Great Compass, and by reason of y^e steepness and
hazard of y^e wayes if you take a wrong Way there is no passing. You are
forced to have guides as in all parts of Darbyshire, and unless it be a
few y^t use to be guides y^e Common people know not above 2 or 3 mile
from their home, but they of y^e Country will Climbe up and down w^{th}
their horses those steep precipices. There are many fine springs of
water purling out of y^e Rock on these hills. At Bankwell there was an
Excellent Minister in y^e Publick who pray’d and preach’d very seriously
and his Life and Conversation is suitable, not very frequent in our
dayes to be found.
We went 3 mile off in the afternoone to heare another y^t was in a
meeteing and so 3 mile home againe. Y^e hills about y^e town and all
about y^e town is rocks of y^e finest marble of all sorts—huge Rock. I
took some of it and shewing it to severall they think it Comparable to
any beyond sea. Thence to Haddon Hall for so all y^e great houses are
called, as Chatsworth Hall, so this Haddon Hall the Earle of Rutlands
house 2 mile from Bankwell; its a good old house all built of stone on a
hill and behind it is a ffine grove of high trees and good Gardens, but
nothing very Curious as y^e mode now is. There is a large Parke upon a
great ascent from y^e house which is built round a Court, y^e parke is
one part of some of y^e highest hills w^{ch} gives a great prospect over
y^e Country. But Indeed all Darbyshire is but a world of peaked hills,
which from some of y^e highest you discover y^e Rest Like steeples or
tops of hills as thick as Can be, and tho’ they appear so Close yet y^e
steepness down and up takes up y^e tyme, y^t you go it as if so many
Miles, and were y^e ground measur’d would be in Length as much as miles
on a plaine. Thence to Buxton 9 mile over those Craggy hills Whose
Bowells are full of mines of all kinds off Black and white and veined
Marbles, and some have mines of Copper, others tinn and Leaden mines, in
w^{ch} is a great deale of silver. I have some w^{ch} Looks full of
silver, its so bright just brought up out of one of y^e mines. They digg
down their mines Like a well for one man to be let down w^{th} a Rope
and pulley, and so when they find oar they keep digging under ground to
follow the oar w^{ch} lies amongst the stone y^t Lookes like our fine
stones. In y^t mine I saw there was 3 or 4 at work and all let down
thro’ y^e well; they digg sometymes a great way before they Come to oar.
There is also a sort of stuff they dig out mixt w^{th} y^e oar and all
about the hills they Call Sparr, it looks like Crystal or white sugar
Candy, its pretty hard; y^e doctors use it in medicine for the Collick;
its smooth like glass but it looks all in Crack’s all over. They Wall
round the Wells to y^e mines to Secure their Mold’ring in upon them,
they Generally Look very pale and yellow that work Underground, they are
fforc’d to keep Lights w^{th} them and sometymes are forced to use
Gunpowder to break y^e stones, and y^t is sometymes Hazardous to the
people and destroys them at y^e work. Its very difficult to find the
Wayes here for you see only tops of hills and so many roads—by reason of
y^e best wayes up and down—that its impossible for Coach or Waggon to
pass some of y^m, and you scarce see a tree and No hedges all over y^e
Country, only dry stone walls y^t incloses ground no other ffence.
Buxton we Saw 2 or 3 tymes and then Lost y^e sight of it as often, and
at last did not See it till just you Came upon it—that 9 mile we were
above 6 hours going it. The house thats Call’d Buxton Hall w^{ch}
belongs to y^e Duke of Devonshire its where the warme bath is and well,
its the Largest house in the place tho’ not very good; they are all
Entertaining houses and its by way of an ordinary—so much a piece for
y^r dinners and suppers and so much for our Servants besides; all y^e
ale and wine is to be paid—besides, the beer they allow at the meales is
so bad y^t very Little Can be dranke. You pay not for y^r bed roome and
truely the other is so unreasonable a price and y^e Lodgings so bad, 2
beds in a Roome some 3 beds and 4 in one roome, so that if you have not
Company Enough of your own to fill a Room they will be ready to put
others into the same Chamber, and sometymes they are so Crowded that
three must Lye in a bed. Few people stay above two or three nights its
so Inconvenient. We staid two nights by reason one of our Company was
ill, but it was sore against our Wills for there is no peace nor quiet
with one Company and another going into the bath or Coming out; that
makes so many strive to be in this house because the bath is in it. Its
about 40 foot Long and about 20 or 30 ffoote broad being almost square.
There is 10 or 12 springs that bubble up that are a Little warme, its
not so warme as milke from y^e Cow, and not a quick spring, so y^t its
not Capable of being Cleansed after Everybody has been in. Its warme
Enough just to Open the pores of ones body, but not to Cause sweat, I
was in it and it made me shake, its farre from the heate that is in the
Somersetshire baths. Its Cover’d over the top, but not Ceiled and there
is an open place in the middle like a Tunnell w^{ch} pours the Cold down
on y^e head, it would in my thoughts be better if it were Exposed all to
y^e aire and sunn. There is a pavem^t of Stone on one side at y^e brim
to walke on, with benches of Stone to Sitt on. You must have a guide y^t
Swims with you, you may Stand in some place and hold by a Chaine and y^e
water is not above y^r Neck, but in other parts very deep and strong it
will turn you down. About 10 or 12 yards distant is a spring Called S^t
Anns Well w^{ch} is for drinking, they have arch’d it up y^t its much
hotter, it heates y^e Cup you take it up in but not or near so hot as
y^e Somersetshire baths and springs are, the taste is not unpleasant but
Rather like Milk, they say its Diaretick—I dranke a part of a Cup full.
Another wonder is that of Pooles hole, thats just at y^e towns End, a
Large Cavity under ground of a Great Length. Just at the Entrance you
must Creep, but presently you stand upright, its Roofe being very Lofty
all arched in the Rocks and sound with a great Ecchoe. Y^e Rocks are
Continually droping water all about, you pass over Loose stones and
Craggy Rocks. The dripping of the water wears impression on y^e Stones
that forms them into Severall Shapes, there is one Looks Like a Lyon
w^{th} a Crown on his head, y^e water trickling on it weares it into so
many shapes; another place Lookes just Like y^e shape of a Large organ
w^{th} ye severall Keys and pipes one above another as you see in a
great Cathedrall; there is also a Stone w^{ch} Looks white and in shape
Like a salted flitch of Bacon w^{ch} hangs down from the Roofe of y^e
Arch w^{ch} is very Lofty in this place. There is another Rock Looks
like a Chaire of State w^{th} y^e Canopy and all glistring like diamonds
or starrs; thus does all y^e sides of the Rock all shine Like Diamonds.
Y^e Rocks are very Large and Craggy and Indented, some Looks like y^e
outsides of Cockle shells, others are smooth all Caused I believe from
y^e dripping of y^e Water. I was as farre as y^e Queen of Scotts pillar,
w^{ch} is a Large white stone, and y^e top hangs over your head Like a
Cannopy all great white Stones and in spires or Large jceickles and
glistring as the other. They may go farther but I had no such Curiosity,
I had y^e Light Carry’d that shewed me to S^t Anns Needle after w^{ch}
is only sand. This white stone is very Like Chrystall of w^{ch} there is
a stone Like a Bason or Large ffont wherein drops Continually y^e water
w^{ch} runns over and trickling down does as it were Candy in jceickles
and points, under w^{ch} is a pillar of this white stone. We had some
broken off which Looks like y^e jnsides of oyster-shells or mother of
pearle, some Looks like alabaster. As I went I Clamber’d over the top of
all y^e stones and as I Came back I pass’d under severall of y^e arches
Like bridges; they are both wayes full of Loose stones and the water
dropping makes them slippery, it being also very uneven by reason of y^e
Craggs. How it should Come none Can give any good accō; its Call’d
Pooles hole from a man of that name that was a Robber and use to secure
himself in y^t place like a house, and so y^e Country people imagined he
made it, but some think it was dug to find mines or marble or Chrystal
because y^e mettle mines are full of stone as I s^d before; only this
Enters in y^e side whereas the mines they make now are as a well
perpendicular for severall yards before it spreads, and y^t not till
they Come to find metal, but y^e difficulty appears as to this hole how
so large a Cavity should be Left, as in some places y^e Roofe is as
lofty as you can see and all stone; now how it should be fixt so as not
to tumble in by y^e weight of y^e Earth or stone on y^e top: as to y^e
waters dropping y^t is but what is Customary among rocks and stones,
there are many springs w^{ch} run in y^e veines of y^e Earth and
allwayes are running in such subteraneus vaults in the Earth, w^{ch}
gather together and runns in a little Channell in y^e bottom of this
Cave as you may step one. The 4th wonder is that off Elden hole about 2
mile from Buxton; its on y^e side of a hill about 30 yards if not better
in length at y^e brimm, and half so broad, and just in sight is full of
Craggy stones like a Rock for about 2 or 3 yards down, w^{ch} Contracts
the Mouth of y^e hole to about 4 yards long and 2 broad or thereabouts;
w^{ch} hole is Suppos’d to run down directly a vast length and has been
try’d w^{th} a Line and plummet severall fathom and the bottom not
Sounded, tho’ some are of opinion its because the hole runns aslant so
the plummet and Line Could not pass, and what we observ’d gives some
strength to this notion, for Cast a stone down you hear it Strike a long
tyme at the sides of y^e hole, and if you go down below 100 y^{ds} or
more and Lay y^r head to the ground you shall hear the stone ring Much
longer than those that stand at the holes mouth, w^{ch} must discover
y^e ground to be hollow at Least much farther in Compass than the mouth
of y^e hole, but its Certain it must be of a great depth by reason of
the tyme you Can hear a stone strike and ring in its descending, and y^t
which Lessens the sound may be by its breaking against the sides. Its a
very hazardous place, for if a man or beast be too near the Edge of y^e
bank and trip they fall in w^{th} out retrieve. Y^e beasts graze in the
Grounds and hills but it must be some great force that drives them near
the hole; there is a sort of instinct in Nature, self preservation and a
great sence of danger in beasts; its reported that severall Attempts
have been made to ffence the whole round w^{th} a stone Wall as the
manner of the fences are all over y^t Country, but yet it has been all
in vaine. What they built up in the day would be pull’d down in y^e
night and so its vaine to trye y^e securing it round from any falling
in—this the people tell us. The Country here about is so full of moore
or quagmires and such precipices that one that is a stranger Cannot
travell w^{th} out a guide, and some of them are put to a Loss
sometymes.