round, but on the side next Castleton w^{ch} is a Little town in the
High Peake on that side its all broken that it Looks just in resemblance
as a great Hay-Ricke y^{ts} Cut down one halfe on one side—that
describes it most naturall. This is all sand, and on that broken side
the sand keeps trickling down allwayes Especially when there is the
Least wind of w^{ch} I believe this Country scarce Ever is w^{th}out;
many places of the hill Looks hollow and Loose w^{ch} makes it very
dangerous to ascend and none does attempt it, y^e sand being Loose slips
y^e foote back againe.
The 6^{th} wonder is at Casleton 4 mile from Elderhole; its a town Lyes
at y^e foote of an Exceeding steep hill w^{ch} Could not be descended by
foote or horse, but in a Compass and y^t by y^e Roads returning to and
agen on y^e side of y^e hill at Least 4 tymes before we Could gaine y^e
bottom or top of s^d Hill. This is w^{ch} they Call the Devills Arse a
peake, the hill on one End jutting out in two parts and joyns in one at
y^e top, this part or Cleft between you Enter a great Cave w^{ch} is
very Large, and severall poor Little houses in it built of Stone and
thatch’d Like Little Styes, one seemed a Little bigger in which a
Gentleman Liv’d and his wife y^t was worth above 100^£ a year w^{ch} he
left to his brother, Chooseing rather Like a hermite to Live in this
sorry Cell. One M^r Midleton who was w^{th} us s^d he had dined w^{th}
them there on Carrots and Herbs, and y^t he was dead and his wife a year
or two since. Now none but very poor people Live there w^{ch} makes some
small advantage by begging and by Lighting the strangers into the Cave
w^{ch} beyond this you Enter so straight a passage. At the mouth you
stoop very Low Even upon y^r Breast and Creep in, when you are about a
yard or two’s Length you stand upright, it being Lofty in manner of
Poole’s Hole only the Rock hangs down in so many places that there is
often Cause of Stooping very Low to pass by y^m, and here y^e ground you
tread on is all sand and firme, only y^e Rocks do drip water in many
places w^{ch} makes it damp and strikes Cold to you, but Excepting the
pillars of Rock in some places that hang down y^e most of it is very
Lofty and a great Ecchoe like a Church. You pass a good way by y^e Light
of many Candles haveing Lost y^e sight of day from y^e first stooping
Entrance. At Last you Come to a river they Call it, a great water it is
and very deep, they say its about 12 yards over and some do go on it
w^{th} a Little boate to y^e other side but I would not venture. There
was one Gentlewoman in our Company s^d she had once been Carry’d over on
2 mens shoulders, but they waded above their waste in water, so I would
not be for so dangerous I was sure it was a difficult Enterprise, and
when you are over y^t side they go over but such places as was pass’d
before w^{ch} Leads to another such a water w^{ch} some men have pass’d
over and so have gone on to a third water, but there y^e Rocks hung so
Low as almost to touch y^e water w^{ch} hindred their proceeding. That
water I saw was strange, so deep and large and look’d like a standing
water but whether it were or not Could not tell, no Doubt but it has a
passage thro’ the veines of y^e Earth or Else would swell so as to Cause
a bursting out of y^e Earth—it seemed to have a motion w^{th} it, All
these things shewes the great wisdom and power of our blessed Creator to
make and maintaine all things within its own Bounds and Limits w^{ch}
have a tendency to worke out ruine to y^e whole frame of y^e world if
not bridled by Gods Command.
The seventh wonder is a flowing and Ebbing Well between this town and
Buxton w^{ch} Ceases its miraculous motion but on Great raines which
Raises the springs, and then, the man w^{ch} was w^{th} us told me he
had seen it severall tymes in y^e winter when y^e springs were high to
Ebb and flow severall tymes in a hour, w^{ch} appear’d by y^e Rise and
fall of y^e water from y^e Edge of ye well, and the man seem’d to be a
good sober man, M^r Middleton it was, so that its Likely when the
springs are high the water from the sea may have a quicker flux and
Reflux thro’ the Channells of y^e Earth, but this is a good distance
from y^e sea or Ebbing and flowing Rivers.
From Castleton to Buxton is 6 mile, but they are very long. You might go
10 of miles near London as soon as you are going halfe so many here.
Thence we went to Ashburn 16 miles where I saw some of their Copper
mines where they dig them like a well, but secure y^e side w^{th} wood
and turffe bound w^{th} ye wood like Laths or frames aCross and long
wayes to secure it. This is a pretty neate market town; thence to Uxeter
8 mile, and we Cross a River on a long Bridge and so we enter
Staffordshire w^{ch} has quite a different soyle, sand and gravell and
some Clay, and very pretty sort of pebbles in the ground—some of a
bright green like an Emerald, others vein’d, some Clear like Christall.
This Country is well wooded and full of Enclosures, good Rich Ground, is
Extreamely differing from Darbyshire. Just before we Came to Uxeter we
pass by a very Exact house and Gardens of one M^r Cotten a justice of
peace, its Brick and Coyn’d w^{th} stone, the Gardens or Courts very
Compleate, but it stands in a Low moorish ground to show this worlds
good is not perfect but has its foule as well as faire Side and with all
its Conveniency’s Must Labour under some difficultyes. We pass thro’ a
deep and Long water just by, but y^e bottom was hard gravell, this
supply’s severall mills w^{ch} are used for their prepareing y^e metal
they take out of y^e mines. I had a piece of Copper given me by One of
y^e managers of y^m.
Thence we Came to Woolsley 7 mile, to a Relations house S^r Charles
Woolsley whose Lady was my Aunt, where we dined. Y^e house stands in a
fine parke; y^e house is an old building and but Low, its built round a
Court: there is a Large Lofty hall in y^e Old fashion, a dineing and
drawing roome on y^e one hand, and a little parlour on the other, the
best roomes were newer built w^{th} Chambers over them, and a very good
staircase well wanscoated and Carv’d w^{th} good pictures. Y^e Rest of
the house is all old and Low and must be new built. Y^e Gardens are
good, both gravell and Green walks; there is a good River runns by it
w^{ch} has dwarfe trees and honysuckles and binds on the Bancks, there
is a great deale of good fruite and there are severall walks, one shady
w^{th} high trees w^{ch} my Aunt told me my mother liked to walke in and
so was Call’d her walke. I eate a sort of flatt strawbery like a button,
w^{ch} grew in a second Crop from y^e same strawberys Roote w^{ch}
produces its first Crop a sort of Large garden Strawberries and this
sort afterwards. In this Country they burn all this tyme of y^e year
July, their ffern and make y^e ashes up in balls and so keep to make Lye
for driveing their Ruck of Cloth’s w^{ch} whitens them much. Not farre
from hence they have y^e mines of the fine sort of Coale that is hard
and will be pollished like black marble, for salts or boxes or such
Like, y^e only difference it will not bear ye fire as marble does, Else
it resembles it very much; there were of these mines just by but now
they have Come to y^e End of this veine and so there is none within 6 or
7 mile.
This is y^e pitt Coale, y^{ts} Cloven and burns Like a Candle, and makes
white ashes Like y^e Scotch-Coale. Y^e same sort is in Nottinghamshire.
From hence we went to Litchfield 7 mile, a sandy Road full of fine
pebbles; Litchfield stands Low, there is a greate standing water as I
have seen just by y^e town, w^{ch} does often flow y^e grounds after
Raines, so the Road is secured w^{th} a banck and a breast wall of a
good Length into y^e town—as a Long Causy or bridge y^e Road is, and
there are some few Arches here and there to Carry off y^e water. Y^e
water has very good ffish in it but it must be muddy; its the privilege
of y^e Magistrates only to have fishing or to go about it w^{th} a
little boate. The town has good houses, y^e Close has y^e Bishops and
Deanes and prebends houses w^{ch} are good; the streetes are very neate
and handsome, y^e Breadth and length very well and the building
handsome. The minster is a stately structure but old, y^e outside has
been finely Carv’d and full of Images as appears by the nitches and
pedistalls w^{ch} remaine very Close all over the walls, and still just
at ye front remaines some Statues of y^e Kings of Jerusalem and some
angels and Cherubims. At y^e door is a Large statue of King Charles y^e
Second, and all about y^e door is fine Carving of flowers Leaves, birds
and beasts and some saints and apostles statues. The Inside of y^e
Church is very neate being new but there is but Little painting; there
are two Quires, one old one w^{th} organs and seates, y^e other new
w^{ch} is very Large w^{th} Organs and fine Carving in y^e wood; here
are 2 organs. There is a painting over the Communion table of peach
Collour satten Like a Cannopy w^{th} gold fringe, and its drawn so well
that it lookes like a Reall Cannopy. There is some remaines of a Castle,
y^e walls and some of the towers remaine. The wall that Encompasses y^e
town is what Encompasses the Church and goes from thence.
We went thence to Colehill 12 mile, and pass’d by severall good houses.
Here I saw y^e way of makeing Runnet as they do in Cheshire—they take
y^e Reed bag and Curd and haveing washed it Clean, salt it and breake
y^e Curd small about y^e bag, so drye them, being stretch’d out with
sticks like a glove, and so hang them in a Chimney till you need it,
then Cut a piece off this as big as halfe a Crown and boyle it in a
little water w^{ch} water will turn y^e milke better than any made
runnet and its freshe. This is a pretty little market town and stands on
a hill.
Thence to Coventry all on a Levell 8 mile. I Came by severall pretty
seates, one on the Left hand of S^r Andrew Hacket stands in a parke and
good gardens walled in, and on the Right hand we Came Close to a very
pretty new built house w^{th} severall Rows of firrs, the outward Court
Came in a Compass w^{th} open Barrgates just to the Road, and a brick
bridge from the Court at one side quite Cross y^e highway: we drove
under it w^{ch} Leads to a parke that runs along on the other hand. The
house was brick and Coyn’d with stone and the windows the same, 8
windows in the front and y^e Lawrells and greens look’d very pretty.
Coventry stands on the side of a pretty high hill and as you approach it
from the adjacent hill you have the full prospect. The spire and steeple
of one of the Churches is very high and is thought the third highest in
England. In the same Church yard stands another large Church w^{ch} is
something unusuall two such great Churches together; their towers and
the Rest of y^e Churches and high buildings make the town appear very
fine, the streetes are broad and very well pitch’d w^{th} small stone.
The Cross is noted and y^e finest building in England for such a thing,
and in my phancy it very much resembles y^e picture of y^e tower of
Babel, its all stone Carv’d very Curiously, and there are 4 divisions
Each being less than another to y^e top, and so its Piramidy forme. In
Each partition is severall nitches for statues quite round it where are
kings and queens, and just on Each side before Each statute is their
arms and y^e arms of England and the arms of y^e town, and so its
adorn’d w^{th} Coullours and gilding in their proper places as in the
garments and Crowns or Coronets, and finely Carv’d w^{th} angels and
Cherubims and all sorts of beasts, Birds, flowers in garlands, and
Leaves—this in Every division; there is variety quite up to the top
w^{ch} is finely Carv’d and Gilt. This is y^e biggest place in y^e town,
and y^e streete very broad and runs off a great length, and most of y^e
streetes are very good. Y^e buildings are mostly of timber work and old.
There is a water house at the End of y^e town w^{ch} from springs does
supply by pipes y^e whole town w^{th} water in y^e manner that London
is. There is also a water w^{ch} serves severall mills y^t belong to the
town; it seems to be a thriveing good trading town and is very Rich.
They have a great publick stock belonging to y^e Corporation above 3
thousand pound a year for publick schooles, Charity and y^e maintenance
of their severall publick Expences, of their Magistrates and Companyes,
the majority of the heads are now in y^e sober men, so its Esteem’d a
ffanatick town, and there is Indeed the largest Chapple and y^e greatest
number of people I have ever seen of y^e Presbiterian way. There is
another meeteing place in y^e town of y^e Independants w^{ch} is nott so
bigg, but tho’ they may differ in some small things, in y^e maine they
agree and seeme to Love one another w^{ch} was no small sattisfaction to
me, Charity and Love to y^e brethren being y^e Characteristicall marke
of Christs true Disciples.
Coventry has one thing remains Remarkable not to be omitted, the statue
of a man Looking out of a window w^{th} his Eyes out, and is a monument
as history tells us of some priviledges obtein’d by a Lady wife, to the
nobleman who was lord of y^e town, and she was to purchase them by
passing on horse back through y^e town naked w^{ch} he thought she would
not do, but out of zeale to relieve y^e town from some hard bondage she
did, and Commanded all windows and doores to be shutt and none to appear
in the streete on pain of death w^{ch} was obey’d by all; but one man
would open a window and Looke out and for his impudence had this
judgment on him to be struck blind; this statute is his resemblance and
one day in a year they Remember y^e good Lady by some rejoyceing. There
are severall good walks about y^e town, and a large parke above y^e town
w^{ch} most people walk in: thence we went to Warwick. Coventry is
joyn’d to Litchfield under one Bishop and y^t w^{ch} I wonder at that
the Bishop and most of y^e dignatorys and abundance of Gentry Rather
Chooses to Live at and near all about Litchfield tho’ it stands so low
and waterish, than at Coventry w^{ch} is a pleasanter scituation and
better buildings. There is S^r Tho: Nortons house at y^e end of y^e town
and a large parke. From Coventry to Warwick going about to see an
acquaintance of our Company we made it 10 mile, and went in sight of y^e
Lord Liegh on y^e Left hand, w^{ch} Lay all along by y^e River Aven; it
stands Low very well wooded.
We ascended a very steep hill to take a view of y^e Country and so Could
see Coventry, and were just by Hillingworth Castle on y^e Right
hand—much of y^e Ruines of y^e walls remaine still—and so Enter
Warwickshire. The town of Warwick by means of a sad fire about 4 or 5
years since y^t Laid y^e greatest part in ashes, its most now new built,
w^{ch} is w^{th} brick and Coyn’d w^{th} stone and y^e windows y^e same.
There still remaines some few houses of y^e old town w^{ch} are all
built of stone. Ye streetes are very handsome and y^e buildings Regular
and fine, not very Lofty being Limited by act of partliam^t to such a
pitch and size to build y^e town. Y^e ruines of y^e Church still
remaines, y^e repairing of which is y^e next worke design’d; Y^e
Chancell stands still in w^{ch} was all the fine monuments y^t were
preserv’d from the fire; there is one monument of y^e great Earle of
Leisters and his Ladyes in stone Curiously wrought, w^{th} their
Garments, and painted and Gilded. There is another in marble of y^e
Earle of Warwick, y^e statue Cut very finely, y^e face hands and forme
very Lively, and under his head is a Role of Straw matting as you would
suppose being Exceeding naturall Cut in Stone. In y^e middle stands y^e
monument of y^e Earle y^t was regent in Ffrance and dyed there and was
brought and buried here, his statue at Length in armour, but y^e Lines
of his face and hands w^{th} y^e veines and sinews were so finely Cast
and y^e very aire of his Countenance much to y^e Life or Like a Liveing
man all Cast brass and Burnish’d very delicately y^t it Looks like Gold,
all his armour very Exact and his arms are Cut finely at his head, and
supporters at his feete, w^{th} ffigures and Images to adorne it; round
the tombstone on y^e one side and Each End is 4 : and 2 y—at the End
statues of y^e great men y^t were of his family, sons and
Grand-Children, and on the other side are 4 Ladies of the family all
Cast in the same Burnish’d Brass; they are in little and all in
Religious habits w^{ch} formerly in ye tymes of popery and superstition
most persons Coveted to dye in; their garments are folded in differing
shapes and w^{th} many wrinklings and gathers w^{ch} is very exact and
y^e more to be noted being all in such a stiff mettle as Brass and yet
it Lookes Easye and natural. On y^e other side y^e Church in a little
Chapple is a Large monument of Black and White Marble in manner of a bed
w^{th} pillars, and its grated round—the pillars black marble—of some
Nobleman w^{th} a Large Inscription round it, and one thing is noted of
him there that he thought it his greatest Character to be Esteem’d a
great ffriend and Companion of S^r Philip Sidney’s w^{ch} is but of poor
availe to him now dead if he was not y^e friend of y^e great Jehovah—but
such is y^e folly and vanity of y^e most of y^e world to be in Esteeme
w^{th} y^e wise and great men of this world. There is delicate Carving
about y^e walls and round y^e windows in stone all manner of Birds
beasts, Laurells flowers &c &c, and Cherubims, and Gilded and painted in
severall parts. Warwick Castle is a stately building, its now the Lord
Brooke’s house. You Enter thro’ two Large Courts into a noble Hall
wanscoated, w^{th} in it is a Large parlour all wanscoated w^{th} Cedar,
w^{ch} is full of fine pictures of the family and beyond that is a
drawing roome and bed Chamber w^{th} good tapistry hangings; they are
old but so good worke and so beautifull the Coullours still, you would
admire it, and the worke so Curious all of silk that y^e very postures
and faces Look Extreame lively and naturall, and the groves streames and
Rivers Look’s very well on it. There was good velvet Chaires in y^e
roomes and good Pictures. Within y^e bed Chamber is Closets, out of one
you Looke to y^e river even at y^e End window, there is so greate a
Levell you may see near 20 mile. Stowe in y^e Old you see w^{ch} is as
farre, its all full of Enclosures and woods most of the Country. All
these roomes are very Lofty and large and larger than most houses I have
seen, the Gardens fine and many without Each other, w^{th} good gravell
and grass walks, squares of dwarfe trees of all sorts and steps to
descend from one walke to another, y^e whole of w^{ch} I saw at one view
on y^e top of y^e mount, together with y^e whole town and a vast
prospect all about, y^e mount being very high and y^e ascent is round to
an agen securred by Cut hedges on y^e side y^e path. At y^e Entrance of
y^e first Court y^e porter diverts you w^{th} a history of Guy Earle of
Warwick, there is his walking staff 9 foote long and y^e staff of a
Gyant w^{ch} he kill’d thats 12 ffoote long; his sword, Helmet and
shield and breast and back all of a prodigious size, as is his wives
jron slippers and also his horses armour and the pottage-pott for his
supper—it was a yard over the top; there is also the bones of severall
Beasts he kill’d, the Rib of y^e Dun-Cow as bigg as halfe a great Cart
Wheele: 2 miles from the town is his Cave dugg out by his own hands just
y^e dimention of his body as the Common people say, there is also his
will Cut out on stone, but y^e letters are much defaced; these are the
storyes and meer ffiction, for the true history of Guy was that he was
but a Little man in stature tho’ great in mind and valour, which
tradition describes to posterity by being a Gyant. Such will the account
be of our Hero King William the third tho’ Little in stature yet Great
in atchievements and valour. Ffrom Warwick we went towards Daventry all
along part of the vale of y^e Red horse w^{ch} was very heavy way, and
Could not reach thither being 14 mile. About 11 mile we Came to a place
Called Nether Sugar—a sad village, we Could have no Entertainment. Just
by it on the top of a steep hill is Shuggbery Hall a seate of S^r
Charles Shuggberys who seeing our distress being just night and y^e
horses weary w^{th} y^e heavy way he very Curteously tooke Compassion on
us and treated us very handsomely that night, a good supper serv’d in
plaite and very good wine and good beds. My Lady Shuggbery was the lord
Leigh’s Daughter and that day dineing there her Coach drove by us when
in distress Enquireing for Lodging w^{ch} Caused S^r Charles to Come out
to meete us, shewed a generous hospitable spirit to strangers, and with
a great deale of good humour My Lady Entertained us. The house stands
within a good parke, the deer so tame as to Come up near y^e gate w^{ch}
ascends steps to a Court of Broad stone. The house looks very handsome
built of Brick and Stone, good hall and large parlour and drawing roome
well wanscoated, neately ffurnish’d and a little parlour on the other
side with good pictures; the Butlery Kitchen and offices very
Convenient, two good staircases and 3 or 4 good Chambers very well
ffurnish’d tho’ not very Rich; but in the Generall all things were very
well as any private Gentleman has whatever. he has severall good houses.
He ordered one of his Daughters to get me a Curiosity they dig up in
most part of the hill there about, they Call them Arms, its just Like
Mullets that they have in an Eschuteon to difference the third son from
the first and second in a family. Thence we went to Daventry 3 miles, a
pretty large Market town and good houses all of stone and so we Enter
into Northamptonshire. To Northampton town is 8 mile w^{ch} opens a
noble prospect to y^e sight a mile distant, a large town well built, y^e
streetes as large as most in London Except Holborn and the Strand, the
houses well built of brick and stone, some all stone, very regular
buildings.
The town hall is new built all stone and resembles Guildhall in Little
tho’ it is a good Lofty spacious place. There is two Barrs in it w^{th}
y^e benches and seat distinct, over one of the Barrs is King William and
Queen Mary’s pictures at Length. The Church is new built, its very
neate, there is two Rows of stone pillars at the Entrance of the Church
on y^e outside, and it is to be paved w^{th} broad stone but y^t was not
quite ffinished, they were at worke on some adornments at the ffront.
There is abundance of new buildings which adds to the beauty of y^e
town. We enter the town from Daventry over a large Bridge, and the water
runs twineing about y^e grounds w^{th} rows of Willows on Each side of
it w^{ch} looks very pretty.
Y^e way out of town towards London you go by a Cross a mile off the town
Call’d High-Cross, it stands just in the middle of England, its all
stone 12 stepps w^{ch} runs round it, above that is the stone Carv’d
ffinely and there are 4 Large Nitches about y^e Middle, in Each is the
statue of some queen at Length which Encompasses it w^{th} other
Carvings as garnish, and so it rises less and less to y^e top like a
tower or Piramidy. Thence to Stony Stratford, so Cross y^e river Aven
again 12 mile, and Enter Buckinghamshire. At Stony Stratford w^{ch} is a
little place built of stone they make a great deale of bonelace and so
they do all here about, its the manuffactory of this part of y^e
Country, they sit and worke all along y^e streete as thick as Can be.