tour through the eastern counties of england-第8章

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hard　as　a　stone　without　and　soft　as　clay　in　the　middle；　whereas

others　that　have　lain　a　due　time　shall　be　thorough　stone　to　the

centre；　and　as　exceeding　hard　within　as　without。　　The　same　spring

is　said　to　turn　wood　into　iron。　　But　this　I　take　to　be　no　more　or

less　than　the　quality；　which；　as　I　mentioned　of　the　shore　at　the

Naze；　is　found　to　be　in　much　of　the　stone　all　along　this　shore；

viz。；　of　the　copperas　kind；　and　it　is　certain　that　the　copperas

stone　（so　called）　is　found　in　all　that　cliff；　and　even　where　the

water　of　this　spring　has　run；　and　I　presume　that　those　who　call　the

hardened　pieces　of　wood；　which　they　take　out　of　this　well　by　the

name　of　iron；　never　tried　the　quality　of　it　with　the　fire　or

hammer；　if　they　had；　perhaps　they　would　have　given　some　other

account　of　it。



On　the　promontory　of　land　which　they　call　Beacon　Hill　and　which

lies　beyond　or　behind　the　town　towards　the　sea；　there　is　a

lighthouse　to　give　the　ships　directions　in　their　sailing　by　as　well

as　their　coming　into　the　harbour　in　the　night。　　I　shall　take　notice

of　these　again　all　together　when　I　come　to　speak　of　the　Society　of

Trinity　House；　as　they　are　called；　by　whom　they　are　all　directed

upon　this　coast。



This　town　was　erected　into　a　marquisate　in　honour　of　the　truly

glorious　family　of　Schomberg；　the　eldest　son　of　Duke　Schomberg；　who

landed　with　King　William；　being　styled　Marquis　of　Harwich；　but　that

family　（in　England；　at　least）　being　extinct　the　title　dies　also。



Harwich　is　a　town　of　hurry　and　business；　not　much　of　gaiety　and

pleasure；　yet　the　inhabitants　seem　warm　in　their　nests；　and　some　of

them　are　very　wealthy。　　There　are　not　many　（if　any）　gentlemen　or

families　of　note　either　in　the　town　or　very　near　it。　　They　send　two

members　to　Parliament；　the　present　are　Sir　Peter　Parker　and

Humphrey　Parsons；　Esq。



And　now　being　at　the　extremity　of　the　county　of　Essex；　of　which　I

have　given　you　some　view　as　to　that　side　next　the　sea　only；　I　shall

break　off　this　part　of　my　letter　by　telling　you　that　I　will　take

the　towns　which　lie　more　towards　the　centre　of　the　county；　in　my

return　by　the　north　and　west　part　only；　that　I　may　give　you　a　few

hints　of　some　towns　which　were　near　me　in　my　route　this　way；　and　of

which　being　so　well　known　there　is　but　little　to　say。



On　the　road　from　London　to　Colchester；　before　I　came　into　it　at

Witham；　lie　four　good　market　towns　at　equal　distance　from　one

another；　namely；　Romford；　noted　for　two　markets；　viz。；　one　for

calves　and　hogs；　the　other　for　corn　and　other　provisions；　most；　if

not　all；　bought　up　for　London　market。　　At　the　farther　end　of　the

town；　in　the　middle　of　a　stately　park；　stood　Guldy　Hall；　vulgarly

Giddy　Hall；　an　ancient　seat　of　one　Coke；　sometime　Lord　Mayor　of

London；　but　forfeited　on　some　occasion　to　the　Crown。　　It　is　since

pulled　down　to　the　ground；　and　there　now　stands　a　noble　stately

fabric　or　mansion　house；　built　upon　the　spot　by　Sir　John　Eyles；　a

wealthy　merchant　of　London；　and　chosen　Sub…Governor　of　the　South

Sea　Company　immediately　after　the　ruin　of　the　former　Sub…Governor

and　Directors；　whose　overthrow　makes　the　history　of　these　times

famous。



Brentwood　and　Ingatestone；　and　even　Chelmsford　itself；　have　very

little　to　be　said　of　them；　but　that　they　are　large　thoroughfare

towns；　full　of　good　inns；　and　chiefly　maintained　by　the　excessive

multitude　of　carriers　and　passengers　which　are　constantly　passing

this　way　to　London　with　droves　of　cattle；　provisions；　and

manufactures　for　London。



The　last　of　these　towns　is　indeed　the　county　town；　where　the　county

gaol　is　kept；　and　where　the　assizes　are　very　often　held；　it　stands

on　the　conflux　of　two　rivers　…　the　Chelmer；　whence　the　town　is

called；　and　the　Cann。



At　Lees；　or　Lee's　Priory；　as　some　call　it；　is　to　be　seen　an　ancient

house　in　the　middle　of　a　beautiful　park；　formerly　the　seat　of　the

late　Duke　of　Manchester；　but　since　the　death　of　the　duke　it　is　sold

to　the　Duchess　Dowager　of　Buckinghamshire；　the　present　Duke　of

Manchester　retiring　to　his　ancient　family　seat　at　Kimbolton　in

Huntingdonshire；　it　being　a　much　finer　residence。　　His　grace　is

lately　married　to　a　daughter　of　the　Duke　of　Montagu　by　a　branch　of

the　house　of　Marlborough。



Four　market　towns　fill　up　the　rest　of　this　part　of　the　country　…

Dunmow；　Braintree；　Thaxted；　and　Coggeshall　…　all　noted　for　the

manufacture　of　bays；　as　above；　and　for　very　little　else；　except　I

shall　make　the　ladies　laugh　at　the　famous　old　story　of　the　Flitch

of　Bacon　at　Dunmow；　which　is　this：



One　Robert　Fitzwalter；　a　powerful　baron　in　this　county　in　the　time

of　Henry　III。；　on　some　merry　occasion；　which　is　not　preserved　in

the　rest　of　the　story；　instituted　a　custom　in　the　priory　here：　That

whatever　married　man　did　not　repent　of　his　being　married；　or

quarrel　or　differ　and　dispute　with　his　wife　within　a　year　and　a　day

after　his　marriage；　and　would　swear　to　the　truth　of　it；　kneeling

upon　two　hard　pointed　stones　in　the　churchyard；　which　stones　he

caused　to　be　set　up　in　the　Priory　churchyard　for　that　purpose；　the

prior　and　convent；　and　as　many　of　the　town　as　would；　to　be　present；

such　person　should　have　a　flitch　of　bacon。



I　do　not　remember　to　have　read　that　any　one　ever　came　to　demand　it；

nor　do　the　people　of　the　place　pretend　to　say；　of　their　own

knowledge；　that　they　remember　any　that　did　so。　　A　long　time　ago

several　did　demand　it；　as　they　say；　but　they　know　not　who；　neither

is　there　any　record　of　it；　nor　do　they　tell　us；　if　it　were　now　to

be　demanded；　who　is　obliged　to　deliver　the　flitch　of　bacon；　the

priory　being　dissolved　and　gone。



The　forest　of　Epping　and　Hainault　spreads　a　great　part　of　this

country　still。　　I　shall　speak　again　of　the　former　in　my　return　from

this　circuit。　　Formerly；　it　is　thought；　these　two　forests　took　up

all　the　west　and　south　part　of　the　county；　but　particularly　we　are

assured；　that　it　reached　to　the　River　Chelmer；　and　into　Dengy

Hundred；　and　from　thence　again　west　to　Epping　and　Waltham；　where　it

continues　to　be　a　forest　still。



Probably　this　forest　of　Epping　has　been　a　wild　or　forest　ever　since

this　island　was　inhabited；　and　may　show　us；　in　some　parts　of　it；

where　enclosures　and　tillage　has　not　broken　in　upon　it；　what　the

face　of　this　island　was　before　the　Romans'　time；　that　is　to　say；

before　their　landing　in　Britain。



The　constitution　of　this　forest　is　best　seen；　I　mean　as　to　the

antiquity　of　it；　by　the　merry　grant　of　it　from　Edward　the　Confessor

before　the　Norman　Conquest　to　Randolph　Peperking；　one　of　his

favourites；　who　was　after　called　Peverell；　and　whose　name　remains

still　in　several　villages　in　this　county；　as　particularly　that　of

Hatfield　Peverell；　in　the　road　from　Chelmsford　to　Witham；　which　is

supposed　to　be　originally　a　park；　which　they　called　a　field　in

those　days；　and　Hartfield　may　be　as　much　as　to　say　a　park　for　doer；

for　the　stags　were　in　those　days　called　harts；　so　that　this　was

neither　more　nor　less　than　Randolph　Peperking's　Hartfield　…　that　is

to　say；　Ralph　Peverell's　deer…park。



N。B。　…　This　Ralph　Randolph；　or　Ralph　Peverell　（call　him　as　you

please）；　had；　it　seems；　a　most　beautiful　lady　to　his　wife；　who　was

daughter　of　Ingelrick；　one　of　Edward　the　Confessor's　noblemen。　　He

had　two　sons　by　her　…　William　Peverell；　a　famed　soldier；　and　lord

or　governor　of　Dover　Castle；　which　he　surrendered　to　William　the

Conqueror；　after　the　battle　in　Sussex；　and　Pain　Peverell；　his

youngest；　who　was　lord　of　Cambridge。　　When　the　eldest　son　delivered

up　the　castle；　the　lady；　his　mother；　above　named；　who　was　the

celebrated　beauty　of　the　age；　was　it　seems　there；　and　the　Conqueror

fell　in　love　with　her；　and　whether　by　force　or　by　consent；　took　her

away；　and　she　became　his　mistress；　or　what　else　you　please　to　call

it。　　By　her　he　had　a　son；　who　was　called　William；　after　the

Conqueror's　Christian　name；　but　retained　the　name　of　Peverell；　and

was　afterwards　created　by　the　Conqueror　lord　of　Nottingham。



This　lady　afterwards；　as　is　supposed；　by　way　of　penance　for　her

yielding　to　the　Conqueror；　founded　a　nunnery　at　the　village　of

Hatfield　Peverell；　mentioned　above；　and　there　she　lies　buried　in

the　chapel　of　it；　which　is　now　the　parish　church；　where　her　memory

is　preserved　by　a　tombstone　under　one　of　the　windows。



Thus　we　have　several　towns；　where　any　ancient　parks　have　been

placed；　called　by　the　name　of　Hatfield　on　that　very　account。　　As

Hatfield　Broad　Oak　in　this　county；　Bishop's　Hatfield　in

Hertfordshire；　and　several　others。



But　I　return　to　King　Edward's　merry　way；　as　I　call　it；　of　granting

this　forest　to　this　Ralph　Peperking；　which　I　find　in　the　ancient

records；　in　the　very　words　it　was　passed　in；　as　follows。　　Take　my

explanations　with　it　for　the　sake　of　those　that　are　not　used　to　the

ancient　English：





The　Grant　in　Old　English。



IChe　EDWARD　Koning；

Have　given　of　my　Forrest　the　kepen　of　the　Hundred　of　CHELMER　and

DANCING。

To　RANDOLPH　PEPERKING；

And　to　his　kindling。

With　Heorte　and　Hind；　Doe　and　Bocke；

Hare　and　Fox；　Cat　and　Brock；

Wild　Fowle　with　his　Flock；

Patrich；　Pheasant　Hen；　and　Pheasant　Cock；

With　green　and　wild　Stub　and　Stock；

To　kepen　and　to　yemen　with　all　her　might。

Both　by　Day；　and　eke　by　Night；

And　Hounds　for　to　hold；

Good　and　Swift　and　Bold：

Four　Greyhound　and　six　Raches；

For　Hare　and　Fox；　and　Wild　Cattes；

And　therefore　Iche　made　him　my　Book。

Witness　the　Bishop　of　WOLSTON。

And　Booke　ylrede　many　on；

And　SWEYNE　of　ESSEX；　our　Brother；

And　taken　him　many　other

And　our　steward　HOWLEIN；

That　BY　SOUGHT　me　for　him。





The　Explanation　in　Modern　English





I　Edward　the　king；

Have　made　ranger　of　my　forest　of　Chelmsford　hundred　and　Deering

hundred；

Ralph　Peverell；　for　him　and　his　heirs　for　ever；

With　both　the　red　and　fallow　deer。

Hare　and　fox；　otter　and　badger；

Wild　fowl　of　all　sorts；

Partridges　and　pheasants；

Timber　and　underwood　roots　and　tops；

With　power　to　preserve　the　forest；

And　watch　it　against　deer…stealers　and　others：

With　a　right　to　keep　hounds　of　all　sorts；

Four　greyhounds　and　six　terriers；

Harriers　and　foxhounds；　and　other　hounds。

And　to　this　end　I　have　registered　this　my　grant　in　the　crown　rolls

or　books；

To　which　the　bishop　has　set　his　hand　as　a　witness　for　any　one　to

read。

Also　signed　by　the　king's　brother　（or；　as　some　think；　the

Chancellor　Sweyn；　then　Earl　or　Count　of　Essex）。

He　might　call　such　other　witnesses　to　sign　as　he　thought　fit。

Also　the　king's　high　steward　was　a　witness；　at　whose　request　this

grant　was　obtained　of　the　king。





There　are　many　gentlemen's　seats　on　this　side　the　country；　and　a

great　assembly　set　up　at　New　Hall；　near　this　town；　much　resorted　to

by　the　neighbouring　gentry。　　I　shall　next　proceed　to　the　county　of

Suffolk；　as　my　first　design　directed　me　to　do。



From　Harwich；　therefore；　having　a　mind　to　view　the　harbour；　I　sent

my　horses　round　by　Manningtree；