2.18. Of the Marueyles of Englande. Cap. 18.

Of the Marueyles of Englande. Cap. 18.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 SVch as haue written of the woonders of our countrie in olde time, haue ſpoken no doubt of many things which deſerue no cre|dite at all, and therefore in ſéeking thanckes of their poſteritie by their trauayle in thys behalfe, they haue reaped the rewarde of iuſt reproch, and in ſteade of fame purchaſed vn|to thẽſelues, nought elſe but méere diſcredit in theyr better Treatizes. The lyke commõ|lye happeneth alſo to ſuch as in reſpect of lu|cre doe publiſhe vnprofitable and pernicious volumes, whereby they doe conſume theyr tymes in vayne, and in manifolde wyſe be|come preiudicial vnto their cõmon we [...]thes: For my part therefore, hauing (I hope) the feare of God before my eyes, I purpoſe here to ſet downe no more, thẽ either I know my ſelfe to be true, or am credible informed to be ſo, by ſuch godly men, as to whom nothing is more deare then to ſpeake the truth, & not any thing more odious then to defile them|ſelues by lying. [...]oure [...]onders Eng| [...]de. In writing therefore of the woonders of England, I finde that there are foure notable thinges, which for their rare|neſſe amongſt the cõmon ſort, are takẽ for the foure myracles & woonders of the lande. The firſt of theſe, is a vehement & ſtrong wynde, which iſſueth out of certaine hilles called the Peke, ſo violent & ſtrong that certaine times if a man do caſt in his cote or cloake into the caue frõ whence [...] iſſueth, it driueth y^e ſame backe againe hoyſing it aloft into the open ayre with great force and vehemencie. Of this alſo Giraldus ſpeaketh. The ſeconde is the myraculous ſtanding or rather hanging of certaine ſtones vpon the playne of Saliſ|bury, wherof the place is called Stonehẽge, and to ſay the truth, they may well be woon|dered at, not onely for the maner of poſition, whereby they become very difficult to be nũ|bered, but alſo for their greatneſſe & ſtrong maner of lying of ſome of them one vpon an other, which ſéemeth to be with ſo ticle holde that fewe men go vnder them without feare of their preſent ruyne. Howe and when theſe ſtones were brought thyther, as yet I can not reade, howbeit it is moſt likely that they were rayſed there by the Brytons after the ſlaughter of their nobilitie at the deadly ban|ket, which Hengeſt and his Saxons prouided for them, where they were alſo buried and Vortigerme, their king apprehended & ledde away as captiue: I haue hearde that the like are to be ſéene in Irelande, but how true it is as yet I can not learne [...]the report goeth alſo that theſe were brought from thence but by what ſhippe on the ſea and caryage by land, I thinke few men can imagine. The third is an ample and large hole vnder the ground, which ſome call Carcer Eoli, but in Engliſh Chedderhole, where into many men haue en|tred and walked very farre. Howbeit, as the paſſage is large and nothing noyſome, ſo di|uers that haue aduentured to go into y^e ſame coulde neuer as yet find the end of that way, neyther ſée any other thing then pretie riue|rettes and ſtreames, which they often croſ|ſed as they went from place to place: Thys Chedderhole or Cheder rocke, is in Somer|ſetſhyre, and thence the ſayde waters runne til they méete with the ſecond aye that riſeth in Owky hole. The fourth is no leſſe nota|ble then any of the other, for weſtwarde vp|pon certaine hils a man ſhall ſée the clowdes of raine gather togither in faire weather vn|to a certaine thickeneſſe, & by & by to ſpreade themſelues abroade, and water their fieldes about them, as it were vpon the ſodaine, the cauſes of which diſperſion, as they are vtter|ly vnknowne, ſo many men coniecture great ſtore of water to be in thoſe hilles, and very néere at hand, if it were néedeful to be ſought for. Beſide theſe foure marueyles there is a litle rocky Iſle in Aber barry (a riueret that falleth into the Sauerne ſea) called Barry, which hath a rift or clift next the firſt ſhore, whereunto if a man doe lay his eare, he ſhall heare ſuch noyſes as are commonly made in ſmithes forges vz. clincking of yron barres, beating with hammers, blowing of bellow|ces, and ſuch like, whereof the ſuperſtitious ſorte doe gather many toyes, as the gentiles dyd in olde tyme of their lame God Vulca|nes potte. The riuer that runneth by Che|ſter chaungeth hir chanel euery moneth, the cauſe whereof as yet I cannot learne, ney|ther doth ſwell by force of any lande floude, but by ſome vehement winde, it oft ouerrũ|neth hir banckes. In Snowdony are twoo lakes, whereof one beareth a mooueable I|ſlande, which is caryed to & fro as the winde bloweth, the other hath thrée kindes of fiſhes in it, as éeles, trowtes, & perches, but herein reſteth the woonder, that all thoſe haue but one eye a péece onely, and the ſame ſcituate in the right ſide of their heades, & this I find to be confirmed by authours. There is a Well in the forreſt of Guareſborow, where|of the ſayd forreſt doth take the name, which in a certaine periode of time knowne, cõuer|teth wood, fleſh, leaues of trées, and moſſe in|to harde ſtone, without alteratiõ or chaung|ing EEBO page image 103 of ſhape. The lyke alſo is ſéene there in frogges, wormes, and ſuch lyke lyuing cre|atures as fall into the ſame, & find no ready iſſue. Of this ſpring alſo Lelãd writeth thus, a litle aboue March, but at the farder bank of Nidde ryuer as I came, I ſawe a Well of woonderfull nature, called Dropping wel, becauſe the water thereof Diſtilleth out of great rockes harde by into it continuallye, which is ſo colde, and thereto of ſuch nature, that what thing ſoeuer falleth out of y^e rocks into this pitte, or groweth néere thereto, or be caſt into it by mans hande, it turneth in|to ſtone. It maye be ſaith he, that ſome ſand or other fine groũd iſſueth out w^t this water, from theſe harde rockes, which cleauing vn|to thoſe thynges, gyueth them in tyme the fourme of ſtone &c. In parte of the hylles eaſt ſoutheaſt of Alderly, a myle frõ Kingeſ|woode, are ſtones daily founde, perfitly faſhi|oned like cocles, and mighty Oyſters, which ſome dreame to haue lyen there ſince y^e floud. In the cliftes betwéene the blacke heade and Trewardeth baie in Cornwal, is a certeine caue, where thinges appéere lyke ymages gilded, on the ſides of the ſame, which I take to be nothing elſe but the ſhining of y^e bright Ore of copper & ther mettals, redy at hãd to be foũd ther, if any diligẽce were vſed. How|beit bicauſe it is marueled at as a rare thing I do not think it vnmete to be placed amõgſt our woonders. M. Guiſe had of late and ſtyll hath for ought y^t I knowe, a maner in Glo|ceſter ſhyre, where certeine okes doe grow, whoſe rootes are verye harde ſtone. And be ſyde thys the grounde is ſo fertyll there as they ſaye, that if a man hews a ſtake of anye woode, and pitche it into the grounde, it wyll growe and take rooting beyond all expectati|on. Is it any woonder think you to tel of ſun|drye caues néere vnto Browham, on the weſt ſide of the ryuer Aymote, wherein are halles, chambers, and al offices of houſhold, cut out of the harde rocke. If it be, then maye we increaſe the number of marueyles very much by the rehearſall of other alſo, for wée haue many of y^e like, nere as of to ſ. Aſaphes, vpõ the bank of Elwy, and about the head of Vendrath vehan in Wales, whereinto men haue often entered and walked, & yet founde nothing but large rowmes, & ſandy ground vnder their féete, and other elſewhere. But ſith theſe thinges are not ſtrange, I let them alone, and go forward with the reſt.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 In the paryſhe of Landſarnam in wales, and in the ſide of a ſtony hil, is a place wher|in are foure and twentye ſeates, hewen out of the harde rockes, but who did cut them, & to what ende, as yet it is not learned. As for the huge ſtone that lyeth at Pember, in Guythery pariſh, and of the notable carkas that is affirmed to lye vnder the ſame, there is no cauſe to touch it here, yet were it well done to haue it remooued though it were but onely to ſée what it is, which the people haue in ſo greeat eſtimation & reuerence. There is alſo a poole in Logh Taw, among y^e black mounteines in Breknocke ſhyre, (where as ſome ſaye, is the head of Taw that commeth to Swanſey) which hath ſuch a property that it will bréede no fiſhe at all, and if any be caſt into it, they dye without recouerye. There is alſo a Linne in Wales, which in the one ſide beareth trowtes ſo redde as ſamons, and on the other which is the weſterlye ſide, ve|ry white and delicate.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 There is a Well not farre from ſtonye Stratforde, which conuerteth many things into the ſtone, and another in Wales, which is ſayde to double or trible, the force of any edge toole that is quenched in the ſame. In Tegeuia a percell of Wales, there is a no|ble Well, I meane in the paryſh of Kilken, which is of marueilous nature, for although it be ſixe myles from the Sea, it ebbeth and floweth, twiſe in one daye, alwayes ebbyng when the ſea doth vſe to flowe, & in flowing likewiſe when the ſea doth vſe ebbe, whereof ſome doe fable, that this Well is lady & my|ſterys of the Oceane. Not far from thence alſo is a medicinable ſpring, called Schy|naunt of olde time, but nowe Wenefrides Wel, in the edges wherof doth bréede a very odoriferous and delectable moſſe, wherewith the heade of the ſmeller is marueylouſlye re|freſhed. Other Welles we haue lykewiſe, which at ſome times burſt out into huge ſtreames, though at other ſeaſons they run but very ſoftly, whereby the people gather ſome alteratiõ of eſtate to be at hand. Some of the greater ſort alſo giue ouer to runne at all in ſuch times, whereof they conceyue the like opinion. What the fooliſh people dreame of the hell Kettles, it is not worthy the reher|ſall, yet to the ende the lewde opinion con|ceyued of them, maye growe into contempt, I will ſay thus much alſo of thoſe pits. Ther are certeine pittes or rather thrée litle poles, a myle from Darlington, and a quarter of a myle diſtant from the Theſe bankes, which y^e people call the Kettes of hell, or the deuils Ketteles, as if he ſhoulde ſée the ſoules of ſin|full men and women in them: they adde alſo that the ſpirites haue oft béene harde to crye and yell about them, wyth other like talke ſauouring altogether of pagane infidelitye. The truth is (& of this opiniõ alſo was Cuth|bert Tunſtall Byſhop of Durham) that the EEBO page image 94 Colemines, in thoſe places are kindled or if there be no coles, there may a mine of ſome other vnctuous matter be ſet on fire, which beyng here and there conſumed, the earth falleth in, and ſo doth leaue a pitte. In déede the water is nowe and then warme as they ſaye, and beſide that it is not cléere, the peo|ple ſuppoſe them to be an hundred faddame déepe, the byggeſt of them alſo hath an iſſue into the Theſe. But ynough of theſe woon|ders leaſt I doe ſéeme to be touched in thys deſcription, & thus much of the hel Kettles.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 There is a Well in Darby ſhyre, called Tiddeſwell, whoſe water often ſéemeth to ryſe and fall, as the Sea which is fortye mile from it: doth vſually accuſtome to ebbe and flowe, and hereof an opinion is grow|en, that it kéepeth an ordinary courſe, as the ſea doth, howbeit ſith dyuers are knowne to haue watched the ſame, it may be y^t at ſome|times it ryſeth but not continually, and that it ſo doth I am fullye perſwaded to beléeue. But ynough of the woonders leſt I do ſéeme by talking longer of them, woonderouſlye to ouerſhoote my ſelfe, and forget howe much doth reſt behynde of the dyſcription of my countrey.