HUNTINGDONSHIRE.

HUNTINGDONSHIRE is surrounded with Northampton, Bedford, and Cambridge-shires; and, being small in extent, hardly stretcheth twenty miles outright, though measured to the most advantage. The general goodness of the ground may certainly be collected from the plenty of convents erected therein, at St. Neot's, Hinchingbrook, Huntingdon, Sautrie, St. Ives, Ramsey, &c; so that the fourth foot at least in this shire was abbeyland, belonging to monks and friars; and such weeds, we know, would not grow but in rich ground. If any say that monks might not choose their own habitations (being confined therein to the pleasures of their founders), know, there were few founders that did not first consult some religious person in the erection of convents; and such would be sure to choose the best for men of their own profession. Sure I am it would set all England hard to show in so short a distance so pleasant a park as Waybridge, so fair meadow as Portsholme, and so fruitful a town for tillage as Godmanchester; all three within so many miles in this county.

No peculiar commodity or manufacture (save with others equally intercommoning) appearing in this county, let us proceed.

THE BUILDINGS.

KIMBOLTON CASTLE.-This, being part of the jointure of queen Katherine dowager, was chosen by her to retire thereunto; as neither too near to London, to see what she would not; nor so far off, but that she might hear what she desired. Here she wept out the remnant of her widowhood (while her husband was yet alive) in her devotions. This castle came afterwards by gift to the Wingfields; from them by sale to the Montagues; Henry late earl of Manchester sparing no cost which might add to the beauty thereof.

HINCHINBROOK, once a nunnery, and which I am confident will ever be a religious house whilst it relateth to the truly noble Edward Montague, earl of Sandwich, the owner thereof. It sheweth one of the most magnificent rooms which is to be beheld in our nation.

We must not forget the house and chapel in Little Gedding (the inheritance of Master Ferrar) which lately made a great

noise all over England. Here three numerous female families (all from one grandmother)+ lived together in a strict discipline of devotion. They rose at midnight to prayers; and other people most complained thereof, whose heads, I dare say, never ached for want of sleep. Sure I am, strangers by them were entertained, poor people were relieved, their children instructed to read, whilst their own needles were employed in learned and pious work, to bind Bibles; whereof one most exactly done was presented to king Charles. But their society was beheld by some as an embryo nunnery, suspecting that there was a Pope Joan therein; which causeless cavil afterwards confuted itself, when all the younger of those virgins practised the precept of St. Paul, to marry, bear children, and guide their houses.‡

MEDICINAL WATERS.

There is an obscure village in this county, near St. Neot's, called Haile-weston, whose very name soundeth something of sanativeness therein; so much may the adding of what is no letter, alter the meaning of a word; for, 1. Aile signifieth a sore or hurt, with complaining, the effect thereof. 2. Haile (having an affinity with Heile, the Saxon idol for Esculapius)§ importeth a cure, or medicine to a malady.

Now in the aforesaid village there be two fountain-lets, which are not far asunder: 1. One sweet, conceived good to help the dimness of the eyes: 2. The other in a manner salt, esteemed sovereign against the scabs and leprosy.

What saith St. James; "Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?" meaning in an ordinary way, without miracle. Now although these different waters flow from several fountains; yet, seeing they are so near together, it may justly be advanced to the reputation of a wonder.

PROVERBS.

"This is the way to Beggar's-bush."]

It is spoken of such who use dissolute and improvident courses, which tend to poverty; Beggar's-bush being a tree notoriously known, on the left hand of London road from Huntingdon to Caxton. I have heard how king James, being in progress in these parts with Sir Francis Bacon the lord chancellor, and having heard that morning how Sir Francis had prodigiously rewarded a mean man for a small present; "Sir Francis," said he, "you will quickly come to Beggar's-bush; and I may even go along with you, if both be so bountiful.”

"Ramsey the Rich."¶]

This was the Cresus, or Cræsus, of all our English abbeys;

* In the beginning of the Long Parliament.-F.

† See the Biographia Britannica, vol. vi.-ED.

§ Camden's Britannia, in Dorsetshire.

1 Tim. v. 14. James iii. 11.

¶ J. Speed (or Sir Robert Cotton rather), in the description of Huntingdonshire.

for, having but sixty monks to maintain therein, the revenues thereof, according to the standard of those times, amounted unto seven thousand pounds a year,* which, in proportion, was a hundred pounds for every monk, and a thousand for their abbot. Yet, at the dissolution of monasteries, the income of this abbey was reckoned but at one thousand nine hundred eighty-three pounds by the year,† whereby it plainly appears how much the revenues were under-rated in those valuations.

But how soon is Crassus made Codrus, and Ramsey the Rich become Ramsey the Poor! The wealth of the town, relative with the abbey, was dissolved therewith; and more the mendicants since in Ramsey than the monks were before. However, now there is great hope that Ramsey, after the two extremes of wealth and want, will at last be fixed in a comfortable mediocrity, the wish of Agur being granted unto him, "Give me neither poverty nor riches," especially since it is lately erected (or rather restored) to the dignity of a market-town. And surely the convenient situation thereof, since the draining of the fens, doth advantage it to be a staple place for the sale of fat and lean

cattle.

SAINTS.

ELFLED, daughter of Ethelwold earl of East Angles (founder of the monastery of Ramsey in this county) was preferred abbess of Ramsey, and confirmed by king Edgar therein. She is reported to excel in austerity and holiness of life. When her steward complained unto her, that she had exhausted her coffers with the profuseness of her charity, she with her prayers presently recruited them to their former fulness.§ When her candle, as she read the lesson, casually went out, there came such a brightness from the fingers of her right hand, that it enlightened the whole choir; which is as true as the new lights to which our modern sectaries do pretend; the one having miracles, the other revelations, at their fingers' ends. She died anno Domini 992, being buried in the Lady Church at Ramsey with high veneration.

PRELATES.

WILLIAM de WHITLESEY.-No printed author mentioning the place of his birth and breeding, he was placed by us in this county, finding Whitlesey a town therein (so memorable for the Mere), and presuming that this William did follow suit with the best of his coat in that age, surnamed from the places of their nativity. Mr. Parker (I tell you my story

* Camden's Britannia, in Huntingdonshire.

Speed's Catalogue of Religious Houses, folio 809.

Proverbs xxx. 8.

R. Buckland, in Vitis Sanctarum Mulierum Angliæ, p. 242.

and my story's man), an industrious antiquary,* collecteth out of the records of the church of Ely, that (after the resignation of Ralph de Holbeach) William de Whitlesey, archdeacon of Huntington 1340, was admitted third master of Peter House in Cambridge. Yet hath he left more signal testimony of his affection to Oxford, which he freed from the jurisdiction of the bishop of Lincoln, allowing the scholars leave to choose their own chancellor.†

He was kinsman to Simon Islip, archbishop of Canterbury, who made him vicar general, dean of the arches; and successively he was preferred bishop of Rochester, Worcester, London; archbishop of Canterbury. An excellent scholar, an eloquent preacher; and his last sermon most remarkable, to the Convocation, on this text, "Veritas liberabit vos," (the truth shall make you free.) It seems by the story, that in his sermon he had a particular reflection on the privileges of the clergy, as exempted by preaching the truth from payment of taxes, save with their own free consent. But all would not serve their turn; for, in the contemporary parliament, the clergy, unwillingly-willing, granted a yearly tenth to supply the pressing occasions of king Edward the Third. This William died anno Domini 1375.

SINCE THE REFORMATION.

FRANCIS WHITE was born at St. Neot's in this county, and not in Lancashire, as I and others have been misinformed; witness the admission book of Caius College, and the testimony of his brother's son,|| still alive (1661). The father to this Francis was a minister, and had five sons, who were divines, and two of them most eminent in their generation. Of these, this Francis was bred in Caius College, on the same token that when he was bishop of Ely (and came to consecrate the chapel of Peter-House) he received an entertainment at that college, where with a short speech he encouraged the young students to ply their books by his own example, who, from a poor scholar in that house, by God's blessing on his industry, was brought to that preferment.

By the Lord Grey of Grobie he was presented to Broughton Astley in Leicestershire, and thence (why should a candle be put under a bushel ?) he was brought to be lecturer of St. Paul's in London, and parson of St. Peter's in Cornhill: whence he was successively preferred, first dean, then bishop of Carlisle, after bishop of Norwich, and at last of Ely.

He had several solemn disputations with popish priests and jesuits (Father Fisher and others); and came off with such good success, that he reduced many seduced Romanists to our

MS. Scel. Cant. in the Masters of Peter House.

† Antiquit. Brit. p. 254.

John viii. 32.

§ By Master Holmes, his secretary, being himself deceived without intent to deceive.-F. Mr. White, druggist, in Lombard Street.-F.

Church. He often chose Daniel Featley, D.D. his assistant in such disputes; so that I may call this prelate and his doctor, Jonathan and his armour-bearer (being confident that the doctor, if alive, would not be displeased with the comparison as any disparagement unto him) jointly victorious over the Romish Philistines. He died anno 1638, leaving some of his learned works to posterity.

WRITERS.

The candid reader is here requested to forgive and amend what in them is of casual transposition.

HENRY SALTRY was born in this county,* and became a Cistercian monk in the monastery of Saltry, then newly founded by Simon Saint Liz, earl of Huntington. He was also instructed by one Florentian, an Irish bishop. He wrote a profitable book for his own religion in the maintenance of purgatory, which made him esteemed in that superstitious age. He flourished anno Domini 1140.

GREGORY of HUNTINGTON, So called from the place of his nativity, was bred a Benedictine monk in Ramsey, where he became prior, or vice-abbot,† a place which he deserved, being one of the most learned men of that age for his great skill in languages.

For he was thorough-paced in three tongues, Latin, Greek (as appears by his many comments on those grammarians), and Hebrew, which last he learned by his constant conversing with the Jews in England.

But now the fatal time did approach, wherein the Jews (full loath I assure you) must leave the land, and many precious books behind them. Our Gregory, partly by love, partly by the king's power, (both together will go far in driving a bargain) purchased many of those rarities, to dispose them in his convent of Ramsey; which, as it exceeded other English monasteries for a library, so for Hebrew books that monastery exceeded itself. After this Gregory had been prior of Ramsey no fewer than thirty-eight years,§ flourishing under king Henry the Third, he died in the reign of king Edward the First, about 1280.

HUGH of Saint Neot's was born in that well-known market-town; bred a Carmelite in Hitching in Hertfordshire; hence he went to study in Cambridge, where, for his worth, the degree of doctorship was by the university gratis (quære whether

J. Bale and J. Pits, de Scriptoribus Britannicis.

† Pits, de Scriptoribus Britannicis, Cent. iv. num. 22.

Vide infra, p. 103, Jo. YONG, in the "Writers since the Reformation." § Pits, de Angliæ Scriptoribus, in anno 1255.