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a kind of new ale or beer, which, as soon as you have emptied, suddenly whelm it upside down, and set it up again, and presently put in the metheglen, and let it stand three days a-working. And then tun it up in barrels, tying at every tap-hole (by a pack-thred) a little bag of beaten cloves and mace, to the value of an ounce. It must stand half a year before it be drunk,

THE BUILDINGS.

The Holy Spirit complaineth, that "great men build desolate places for themselves;"* therein taxing their avarice, ambition, or both.

Avarice, "they join house to house [by match, purchase, or oppression], that they may be alone in the land;" that their covetousness may have elbow-room, to lie down at full length, and wallow itself round about. These love not, because they need not neighbours, whose numerous families can subsist of themselves.

Or else their ambition is therein reproved, singling out desolate places for themselves, because scorning to take that fruitfulness which nature doth tender, and desiring as it were to be petty creators, enforcing artificial fertility on a place where they found none before.

I well knew that wealthy man, who, being a great improver of ground, was wont to say, "that he would never come into that place which might not be made better;" on the same token, that one tartly returned, "that then he would never go to heaven, for that place was at the best." But the truth is, fertilizing of barren ground may be termed a charitable curiosity employing many poor people therein.

It is confessed that Wales affordeth plenty of barren places; (yielding the benefit of the best air); but the Italian humour of building hath not affected, not to say infected, the British nation-I say the Italian humour, who have a merry proverb, "Let him that would be happy for a day, go to the barber; for a week, marry a wife; for a month, buy him a new horse; for a year, build him a new house; for all his life time, be an honest-man." But it seems that the Welch are not tempted to enjoy such short happiness for a year's continu

ance.

For their buildings, generally, they are like those of the old Britons, neither big nor beautiful, but such as their ancestors in this Isle formerly lived in: for when Caractacus, that valiant British general (who for nine years resisted here the Romans' puissance), after his captivity and imprisonment, was enlarged, and carried about to see the magnificence of Rome; "Why do you," said he," so greedily desire our poor cottages, whereas you have such stately and magnificent palaces of your own?"§ The simplicity of their common building for private persons

Tacitus.

Job iii. 14. + Isaiah v. 8.
Zonaras, and out of him Camden in his Remains, p. 245,

may be conjectured by the palaces of their princes; for Hoell Dha prince of Wales, about the year 800, built a house, for his own residence, of white hurdles, or watling; therefore called TyGwin, that is, the White-house, or White-hall if you please.

However there are brave buildings in Wales, though not Welch buildings, many stately castles, which the English erected therein. And though such of them as survive at this day may now be beheld as beauties, they were first intended as bridles to their country. Otherwise their private houses are very mean indeed. Probably they have read what Master Camden writes, "that the building of great houses was the bane of good house-keeping in England;" and therefore they are contented with the worse habitations, as loath to lose their beloved hospitality; the rather, because it hath been observed, that such Welch buildings as conform to the English mode have their chimneys, though more convenient, less charitable, seeing as fewer eyes are offended, fewer bellies are fed, with the smoking thereof.

But, though the lone houses in Wales be worse than those in England; their market towns generally are built better than ours; the gentry, it seems, having many of their habitations therein.

PROVERBS.

These are twofold: 1. Such as the English pass on the Welch: 2. Such as the Welch make on the English. The latter come not under my cognizance, as being in the British tongue, to me altogether unknown. Besides, my friend Master James Howel, in a treatise on that subject, hath so feasted his reader, that he hath starved such as shall come after him, for want of new provisions.

As for the former sort of proverbs, we insist on one or two of them.

"His Welsh blood is up."]

A double reason may be rendered, why the Welch are subject to anger.

1. Moral.-Give losers leave to speak, and that passionately too. They have lost their land, and we Englishmen have driven their ancestors out of a fruitful country, and pent them up in barren mountains.

2. Natural.-Choler having a predominancy in their constitution, which soundeth nothing to their disgrace. Impiger iracundus is the beginning of the character of Achilles himself.* Yea, valour would want an edge, if anger were not a whetstone unto it. And as it is an increaser of courage, it is an attendant on wit: "Ingeniosi sunt cholerici." The best is, the anger of the Welch doth soon arise, and soon abate; as if it were an emblem of their country, up and down, chequered with elevations and depressions.

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"As long as a Welsh pedigree."]

Men (who are made heralds in other countries) are born heralds in Wales; so naturally are all there inclined to know and keep their descents, which they derive from great antiquity: so that any Welch, gentleman (if this be not a tautology) can presently climb up, by the stairs of his pedigree, into princely extraction. I confess, some Englishmen make a mock of their long pedigree (whose own, perchance, are short enough if well examined.) I cannot but commend their care in preserving the memory of their ancestors, conformable herein to the custom of the Hebrews. The worst I wish their long pedigree, is broad possessions, that so there may be the better symmetry betwixt their extractions and estates.

Give your horse a Welsh-bait."]

It seems it is the custom of the Welch travellers, when they have climbed up a hill (whereof plenty in these parts), to rein their horses backward, and stand still a while, taking a prospect (or respect rather) of the country they have passed. This they call a bait; and, though a peck of oats would do the palfrey more good, such a stop doth (though not feed) refresh. Others call this a Scottish bait; and I believe the horses of both mountainous countries eat the same provender, out of the same manger, on the same occasion.

Proceed we now to our DESCRIPTION, and must make use, in the first place, of a general catalogue; of such who were undoubtedly Welsh, yet we cannot with any certainty refer them to their respective counties; and no wonder: 1. Because they carry not in their surnames any directions to their nativities, as the ancient English generally (and especially the clergy) did, till lately, when, conquered by the English, some conformed themselves to the English custom: 2. Because Wales was anciently divided but into three great provinces, North-Wales, Powis, and South-Wales; and was not modelled into shires, according to the modern division, till the reign of king Henry the Eighth.

Of such, therefore, who succeed herein, though no county of Wales (perchance) can say "this man is mine," Wales may avouch" All these are ours. "" Yet I do not despair but that, in due time, this my common may (God willing) be inclosed (and fair inclosures, I assure you, is an enriching to a country); mean, that, having gained better intelligence from some Welch antiquaries (whereof that Principality affordeth many) these persons may be un-generalled, and impaled in their particular counties.

I

PRINCES.

I confess there were many in this Principality; but I crave

leave to be excused from giving a list of their nativities. They are so ancient I know not where to begin; and so many, know not where to end. Besides, having in the fundamentals of this book confined princes to the children of sovereigns, it is safest for me, not to sally forth, but to entrench myself within the aforesaid restrictions.

Only I cannot but insert the following note, found in so authentic an author, for the rarity thereof in my apprehension:*

"As for the Britains, or Welch, whatsoever jura majestatis their princes had, I cannot understand that they ever had any coin of their own; for no learned of that nation have at any time seen any found in Wales or elsewhere."

Strange that, having so much silver digged out, they should have none coined in, their country; so that trading was driven on, either by the bartery or change of wares and commodities, or else by money imported out of England and other countries.

CONFESSORS.

WALTER BRUTE was born in Wales; and if any doubt thereof, let them peruse the ensuing protestation, drawn up with his own hand:

"I Walter Brute, sinner, layman, husbandman, and a Christian (having mine offspring of the Britains both by father's and mother's side), have been accused to the bishop of Hereford, that I did err in many matters concerning the Catholic Christian Faith: by whom I am required, that I should write an answer in Latin to all those matters; whose desire I will satisfy to my power, &c.Ӡ

Observe herein a double instance of his humility; that, being Welchman (with which Gentleman is reciprocal) and a scholar graduated in Oxford, contented himself with the plain addition of Husbandman.‡

He was often examined by the aforesaid bishop, by whom he was much molested and imprisoned, the particulars whereof are in master Fox most largely related. At last he escaped, not creeping out of the window by any cowardly compliance, but going forth at the door fairly set open for him by Divine Providence; for he only made such a general subscription, which no Christian man need to decline, in form following:

"I Walter Brute submit myself principally to the Evangely of Jesus Christ, and to the determination of Holy Kirk, and to the General Councils of Holy Kirk; and to the sentence and determination of the four doctors of Holy Writ, that is, Austin, Ambrose, Jerome, and Gregory. And I meekly submit me to your correction, as a subject ought to his bishop."§

• Camden's Remains, p. 181.

+ Fox, ibidem, p. 475.

Fox, Acts and Monuments, p. 477. § Idem, p. 501.

It seems the popish prelates were not as yet perfect in their art of persecution (Brute being one of the first who was vexed for Wickliffism); so that as yet they were loose and favourable in their language of subscription. But soon after they grew so punctual in their expressions, and so particular in penning abjurations and recantations, that the persons to whom they were tendered must either strangle their consciences with acceptance, or lose their lives for refusal thereof.

[AMP.] NICHOLAS HEREFORD.-I have presumptions to persuade myself (though possibly not to prevail with the reader) to believe him of British extraction. He was bred doctor of divinity in Oxford, and a secular priest, betwixt whose profession and friary there was an ancient antipathy. But our Hereford went higher, to defy most popish principles, and maintain, 1. That in the Eucharist, after the consecration of the elements, bread and wine still remained; 2. That, bishops and all clergymen ought to be subject to their respective princes; 3. That monks and friars ought to maintain themselves by their own labour; 4. That all ought to regle their lives, not by the Pope's decrees, but Word of God.

From these his four cardinal positions many heretical opinions were by his adversaries deduced (or rather detracted); and no wonder they did rack his words, who did desire to torture his person.

From Oxford he was brought to London; and there, with Philip Repington, was made to recant his opinions publicly at Saint Paul's Cross, 1382.* See their several success?

REPINTON, like a violent renegado, proved a persecutor of his party; for which he was rewarded, first with the bishopric of Lincoln, then with a cardinal's cap.

HEREFORD did too much to displease his conscience, and yet not enough to please his enemies; for the jealousy of archbishop Arundel persecuted and continued him always a prisoner.

The same with the latter was the success of John Purvey, his partner in opinions, whom T. Walden termeth The Lollards' Library. But they locked up this library, that none might have access unto it, keeping him and Hereford in constant durance. I will say nothing in excuse of their recantation; nor will I revile them for the same: knowing there is more requisite to make one valiant under a temptation, than only to call him coward who is foiled therewith. Yet I must observe, that such as consult carnal councils to avoid afflictions (getting out by the window of their own plotting, not the door of Divine Providence) seldom enjoy their own deliverance. In such cases our Saviour's words are always (without the parties' repentance) spiritually and often literally true: "He that findeth his

See the story at large in Mr. Fox's Acts and Monuments,

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