Chapter V: Part 5

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.

The fifth wonder is Mamtour w^{ch} is a high hill that Looks Exactly 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.

Thence to great Horwood: this Country is fruitfull, full of woods, Enclosures and rich Ground. Y^e Little towns stand pretty thicke. You have many in view as you pass y^e Road. 6 mile to Horwood, thence we pass by a lofty pile of Building Called Salden, a gentlemans house, and by the Rich M^{rs} Bennets House, Remarkable for Coveteousness w^{ch} was y^e Cause of her death—her treasures tempted a Butcher to Cut her throate who hangs in Chains just against her house. She had 3 daughters, the two youngest are Living one married to a Benet, y^e other y^e Earle of Salisbury and are great fortunes by their mothers penuriousness. Thence to Oxborn and Enter Bedfordshire 13 mile. The duke of Bedfords house we saw w^{ch} stands in a fine parke full of deer and wood, and some off the trees are kept Cut in works and y^e shape of severall beasts. The house is an old Building, Low, there are very good stables and out offices, Landry yard &c. The gardens are fine, there is a Large bowling-green with 8 arbours kept Cut neately and seates in Each, there is a Seate up in a high tree that ascends from y^e green 50 steps that Commands the whole parke round to see the Deer hunted, as also a Large prospect of the Country. There are 3 Large Gardens, fine Gravell walks and full of fruite. I Eate a great quantety of y^e Red Coralina goosbery w^{ch} is a large thin skin’d sweete Goosebery. Ye walks are one above another w^{th} stone steps. In the square, just by the dineing roome window is all sorts of pots of flowers and Curious greens, fine orange, Cittron and Lemon trees and mirtles, striped ffilleroy and y^e fine aloes plant. On the side of this you pass under an arch into a Cherry garden in the midst of w^{ch} stands a figure of stone resembling an old weeder woman used in the garden, and my Lord would have her Effigie w^{ch} is done so like and her Clothes so well that at first I tooke it to be a Real Living body. On y^e other side of y^e house is another Large garden, severall gravell walks one above another, and on the flatts are fish ponds the whole length of the Walke; above y^t in the next flat is 2 fish ponds, here are dwarfe trees spread of a great bigness. Ffrom thence we Came to Dunstable 7 mile over a sad road Called Hockley in y^e Hole, as full of deep slows in y^e winter it must be Empasable. There is a very good pitch’d Causey for foote people and horse, that is raised up high from the Road, and a very steepe Chaulky hill, from whence it has its name—the Chalk hill just as you Enter Dunstable. Its a good town as you shall meete with on the Road, its full of Inns, there is a long Large streete with a great water in the streete—it Looks like a Large pond. Here I went to see two of my Relations Daughters to S^r Charles Woolsley, one marry’d there to a Doctor of physick D^r Marsh, w^{th} whome was a maiden sister my Cos’n Bridget Woolsley. Thence to S^t Albans and so we Enter Hartfordshire 12 mile. There is a very large streete to the Market place, its a pretty Large town takeing all the S^t Juliers and y^t at one End, and y^e other End is S^t Nicholas where is a handsome Church. The great Church w^{ch} is dedicated to S^t Albans is much out of repaire, I see the places in the pavement that was worn like holes for kneeling by the devotes of y^e Religion and his votery’s as they tell you, but the whole Church is so worn away that it mourns for some Charitable person to help repaire it. There are severall good houses about y^e town, one of y^e Earle off Maulberough (now Duke of Marlborough) and one of M^{rs} Gennings y^e Countess Mother.

Thence we Came to Barnet 8 mile, w^{ch} is in Middlesex and seemes to be a very sharpe aire; its a Large place and y^e houses are made Commodious to Entertain the Company y^t Comes to drink the water, w^{ch} Certainly if they be at the paines to go once and see would have but Little stomach to drink them. The well is a Large place walled in 8 square, its at Least two yards over and built 2 or 3 yards up from the water and over it is Lattices of wood round to Looke down into it and so Covered like a house above; below are staires down to a doore to go in to dip the water there. I stood at the Lowest step above the water to Look into it, its full of Leaves and Dirt and Every tyme they dip it troubles y^e water, not but what they take up and let stand—Looks Clear but I Could not taste it. Its very deep and not done at the bottom w^{th} a bason as Tunbridg, neither Can you see the bottom, so that it appears not to be a quick spring as Tunbridg or y^e Spaw or Hamstead waters w^{ch} have all fine stone basons in w^{ch} you see the springs bubble up as fast and by a pipe runs off as Clear and fast; it more resembles Epsom for w^{ch} reason I dislike that. Thence to Highgate 6 miles, thence to London 4 miles where I returned and all our Company Blessed be God very well w^{th} out any disaster or trouble in 7 weeks tyme about 635 miles that we went together.

My Journey to Canterberry and Dover in Kent the same year from Amwell in Hartfordshire. I went to Royston 1 mile, and Epin in Essex 9 mile, thence to Drumford through Lanes and much wood—that part of Essex is full of woods; y^t was 10 mile. Thence to Abnife 14 mile, thence to Tilbery 3 mile w^{ch} is a ffine ffort, a great flatt to y^e Land, full of Watry ditches and may be flooded all over. Here was the fight by y^e parliament in 1640. There are Severall Buildings by themselves of a Triangular form of Brickwork in w^{ch} y^e powder and amunition is kept. Here is a ferry over to Gravesend where we enter Kent, w^{ch} Lyes just over against it a little snugg town under a hill, the houses little and thick together fitt only for seamen and soldiers y^t are Employ’d in the water or the ffort. I saw severall Colliers pass by Laden towards London.

The Thames here is very Rough and Deep so as we fferry over in a boate like a Hoy. Thence I went to Rochester 7 mile most in lanes; we Enter the town over the Medway w^{ch} is the finest River I ever saw, it runs thence to the sea and meetes y^e Thames at y^e Boy in Nore and so they fall into y^e sea together, but it Ebbs and flows up a great way above Rochester and is very salt. The Bridg at Rochester is the finest in England—nay its said to Equal any in the world—it is not built upon w^{th} houses as London Bridge but its very Long and fine, Iron spikes Like a grate is on the top of the wall w^{ch} is breast high, and these jrons on the top w^{ch} are above a yard more. Its jndented at Each arch as all bridges are, there are 9 large Arches w^{th} y^e middle one w^{ch} is to be opened by drawing up to give passage to Barges and little vessells. When y^e tyde was out I saw the worke of the arches is w^{th} wood Cutt hollow, and stands a good distance into the water to keep the water from bearing too hard against the Bridge.

The town is large jncludeing the suburbs and all, for there is a large place before you pass the river w^{ch} washes quite round y^t side of y^e town to y^e Dockyards, thats a mile from it where are two large yards for building shipps.

I saw severall Large shipps building, others refitting. There was in one place a sort of arches like a bridge of Brickwork, they told me y^e use of it was to let in y^e water there, and so they put their masts in to season, besides this dock, here are severall streetes of houses on this hill w^{ch} is pretty high and is just against Rochester, and on y^e hill you have y^e best prospect of the town and see y^e severall good Churches in it, and the Castle w^{ch} is a pretty Little thing just by y^e Medway w^{ch} runs along by it, and so at foote of this hill is a Round and so onward to sea. There were severall shipps at anchor along y^e River. All behind the town is another hill w^{ch} is covered w^{th} fine woods y^t Looks very fine; thence to Sittingburn 11 mile all in sight of y^e Lovely Medway. This is a very good town for y^e Road and travellers as you shall meete w^{th}. The Church is all built w^{th} flints headed so Curiously that it Lookes like glass and shines with y^e suns Reflexion.

Thence to Canterbery 16 mile, we pass by great Hop yards on both sides of the Road, and this year was great quantetyes of that fruite here in Kent. We pass by Ffeversham just at y^e towns End w^{ch} is 9 mile from Canterbury, its a very large town and good buildings of Bricke. Canterbery opens to view 6 miles distant by y^e advantage of a high hill we pass over to it—its a noble Citty—y^e gates are high tho’ but narrow, the streetes are most of them Large and long, and y^e buildings handsome, very neate but not very Lofty, most are of Brickwork, its a flourishing town, good tradeing in y^e weaving of silks. I saw 20 Loomes in one house w^{th} severall fine flower’d silks, very good ones, and its a very Ingenious art to fix the warps and Chaine in their Loomes to Cast their work into such ffigures and flowers. There stands a boy by Every Loome and pulls up and down threads w^{ch} are fastened to the weaving, and so pulls the Chaine to the Exact form for y^e shuttle to work through.

There are also paper mills w^{ch} dispatches paper at a quick rate, they were then makeing brown paper w^n I saw it. The mill is set agoing by y^e water and at y^e same tyme it pounded the raggs to morter for y^e paper, and it beate out meale and Hemp and ground bread altogether—that is at y^e same tyme. When y^e substance for y^e paper is pounded Enough, they take it in a great tub and so with a frame just of y^e size of y^e sheetes of paper made all of small wire just as I have seen fine Screens to Screen Corne in, only this is much Closer wrought, and they Clap a frame of wood round y^e Edge and so dip it into y^e tub and what is too thinn runs through; then they turn this frame down on a piece of Coarse woollen just of y^e size of y^e paper and so give a Knock to it and it falls off; on w^{ch} they Clap another such a piece of woollen Cloth w^{ch} is ready to Lay y^e next frame of paper, and so till they have made a large heape w^{ch} they by a board on the bottom move to a press, and so Lay a board on y^e top and so Let down a great screw and weight on it, w^{ch} they force together into such a narrow Compass as they know so many sheets of paper will be reduced, and this presses out all y^e thinner part and Leaves the paper so firme as it may be taken up sheete by sheete and Laid together to be thoroughly dryed by the wind. They told me white paper was made in the same manner only they must take white woollen to put between. There is a great number of French people in this town w^{ch} are Employ’d in the weaving and silk winding, I meete them Every night going home in great Companyes, but then some of them were Employ’d in the Hopping, it being the season for pulling them. Here is a spring in the town that is dranke by many persons as Tunbridge and approv’d by them, but others find it an ill water, one Gentleman in y^e same house I was in Complained of a numbness in his Limbs after drinking it sometyme, w^{ch} is quite Contrary to Tunbridge waters whose property is to relieve Lost Limbs y^t are benumbed, and it Comeing from steele should have y^t Effect it raising the blood and gives it a new Circulation. The taste of the spring in this town seems to be from a mixt soyle and bears a Likeness to y^e Sulpher spaw Epsome and y^e Iron springs too w^{ch} are at Tunbridge; what its operation is I Cannot tell only tasteing halfe a Glass of it w^{ch} I did not Like. Y^e well is walled in and a raile round w^{th} stepps down and paved aboute for the Company to stand just at y^e head to drinke, but I like no spring y^t rises not quick and runs off apace that must have most spirit and good off the minerall it Comes from. There is fine walks and seates and places for the musick to make it acceptable and Comodious to y^e Company. There is a large Market house and a town Hall over it in the town, but the Cathedrall is the finest sight there, the Carving of stone is very fine on the outside as also within, but its not so Large as Salisbury; its a square tower—no spire running up from it—but the small ones at Each Corner of y^e tower for ornament.