marriage to Harold; she died before he attained the kingdom, for which cause he held himself discharged of that oath which he had made to the Duke her father. Eleanor was betrothed to Alphonso, King of Gallicia; but she desired much to die a virgin: for this she daily prayed, and this in the end she did obtain. After her death, her knees appeared brawny and hard, with much kneeling at her devotions. Assuredly it will be hard to find, in any one family, both greater valour in sons, and more virtue in daughters.

In the beginning of this King's reign, either no great accidents did fall, or else they were obscured with the greatness of the change: none are reported by the writers of that time.'

In the fourth year of his reign, Lanfrank, Abbot of Caen, in Normandy, but born in Pavia, a city of Lombardy, was made Archbishop of Canterbury; and Thomas, a Norman, and Canon, of Bayonne, was placed in the See of York. Between these two a controversy did arise, at the time of their consecration, for priority in place: but this contention was quieted by the King, and Thomas, for the time, subscribed obedience to the Archbishop of Canterbury. After this they went to Rome for their palls, where the question for primacy was again renewed, or, as as some affirm, first moved before Pope Alexander. The Pope used them both with honourable respect, and especially Lanfrank, to whom he gave two palls, one of honour, and the other of love; but their controversy he referred to be determined in England.

About two years after it was brought before the King and the clergy at Windsor. The Archbishop of York alledged, that, when the Britons received the Christian faith, in the time of Lucius, their King, Eleutherius, then Bishop of Rome, sent Faganus and Damianus unto them, who ordained twenty-eight bishops, and two archbishops, within the realm, one of London, and the other of York. Under these the church of Britain was governed almost three hundred years, until they were subdued by the Saxons. The Saxons remained infidels, until Gre gory, Bishop of Rome, sent Augustin unto them. By his preaching, Ethelbert, King of Kent, was first converted to the Christian faith by reason whereof Augustine was made Archbishop of Dover, by appointment of Pope Gregory, who sent unto him certain palls, with his letter from Rome. By this letter it is evident, that Gregory intended to reduce the church of the Saxons to the same order wherein it was among the Britons; namely, to be under twelve bishops, and two archbishops, one of London and the other of York. Indeed he gave to Augustine, during his life, authority and jurisdiction over all. bishops and priests in England: but after his decease he joineth these two metropolitans in equal degree, to constitute bishops to oversee the church, to consult and dispose of such things as appertain to the government thereof, as in former times among the Britons.. Between these he put no distinction in honour, but only as they were in priority of time and as he appointeth London to be consecrated by no bishop, but of his own synod, so he expresseth, that the Bishop of York should not be subject to the Bishop of London. And albeit Augustine, for the reason before-mentioned, translated the see from

London to Dover; yet, if Gregory had intended to give the same authority to the successors of Augustine, which he gave unto him, he would have expressed it in his epistle: but, in that he maketh no mention of his successors, he concludeth, or rather excludeth, them by his silence.

The Archbishop of Canterbury alledged, that from the time of Augustine, until the time of Bede (which was about a hundred and forty years) the bishops of Canterbury, which, in ancient time, said he, was called Dover, had the primacy over the whole land of Britain, and of Ireland; that they did call the Bishops of York to their councils, which divers times they kept within the province of York; that some Bishops of York they did constitute, some excommunicate, and some remove. He alledged also divers privileges granted by princes for the primacy of that see; divers granted from the Apostolick see, to confirm this dignity in the successors of Augustine; that it is reason to receive directions of well living, from whence we first received directions of right believing; and therefore as the Bishop of Canterbury was subject to the Bishop of Rome, because he had his faith from thence; for the very same cause the Bishop of York should be in subjection to the Bishop of Canterbury: that like as the Lord said that to all the Bishops of Rome, which he said to St. Peter; so that, which Gregory said to Augustine, he said likewise to all his successors. And whereas much is spoken of the Bishop of London, what is that to the Archbishop of Canterbury? For neither is it certain that Augustine was ever resident at London, neither that Gregory appointed

him so to be.

In the end, it was decreed, that York, for that time, should be subject to Canterbury; that, wheresoever within England the Archbishop of Canterbury should hold his council, the Archbishop of York should come unto it, with the bishops of his province, and be obedient to his decrees; that, when the Archbishop of Canterbury should decease, the Archbishop of York should go to Canterbury, to consecrate him that should succeed; that, if the Archbishop of York should decease, his successor should go to Canterbury, or to such place as the Archbishop of Canterbury should appoint, there to receive his consecration, making first his oath of canonical obedience. And thus was the contention for this first time taken up; but in succeeding times it was often renewed, and much busied the clergy of the realm. In the ninth year of the reign of King William, a council was holden at London, where another matter of like quality and nature was decreed; namely, that bishops should translate their sees from villages to cities; whereupon, in a short time after, bishops sees were removed, from Selese to Chichester, from Cornwall to Exeter, from Wells to Bath, from Sherbourn to Salisbury, from Dorchester to Lincoln, from Lichfield to Chester, and from thence again to Coventry. And albeit the Archbishop of York did oppose against the erecting of a cathedral church in Lincoln, becaue he challenged that city to be of his province; yet Remigius Bishop of Dorchester, being strong both in resolution and in friends, did prosecute his purpose to effect. Not long before the bishoprick of Lindaf

P

ferne, otherwise called Holy Land, upon the river Tweed, had been translated to Durham.

In the tenth year of his reign the cold of winter was exceeding memorable, both for sharpness and for continuance: for the earth remained hard frozen from the beginning of November, until the midst of April then ensuing.

In the fifteenth year a great earthquake happened in the month of April; strange for the strong trembling of the earth, but more strange for the doleful and hideous roaring which it yielded forth.

In the twentieth year there fell such abundance of rain, that the rivers did greatly overflow in all parts of the realm. The springs also, rising plentifully in divers hills, so softened and decayed the foundations of them, that they fell down, whereby some villages were overthrown. By this distemperature of weather much cattle perished, much corn upon the ground was either destroyed, or greatly impaired. Hereupon ensued first a famine, and afterwards a miserable mortality of men.

And, that all the elements might seem to have conspired the calamity of the realm, the same year most of the principal cities in England were lamentably deformed with fire. At London a fire began at the entry of the Westgate*, which apprehending certain shops and warehouses, wherein was merchandise apt to burn, it was at once begun and suddenly at the highest. Then being carried with a strong wind, and the city apt to maintain the flame, as well by reason of the crooked and narrow streets, as for that the buildings at that time had open and wide windows, and were covered with base matter, fit to take fire, the mischief spread more swiftly than the remedies could follow. So it raged until it came to the East-gate, and prostrated houses and churches all the way, being the most grievous that ever as yet || hath happened to that city. The church of St. Paul was at that time fired; whereupon Maurice, then bishop of London, began the foundation of the new church of St. Paul. A work so admirable, that many did judge, it would never have been finished; yet all might easily esteem thereby his magnanimity, his high erected hopes, his generous love and honour to religion. The King gave towards the building of the east end of this church, the choice stones of his castle§, at the west end of the city, upon the bank of the river Thames; which castle at the same time was also fired; in place whereof Edward Killwarby, Archbishop of Canterbury, did afterwards found a monastery of Black Friars. The King also gave the castle of Storford, and all the lands which thereto belonged, to the same Maurice, and to his successors in that see. And doubtless nothing more than either parcimonious or prophane expending the treasures of the church hath, since those times, much dried up those fountains, which first did fill them,

After the death of Maurice, Richard his next successor, as well in virtue as in dignity, bestowed all the rents rising out of this bishoprick, to advance the building of this church; maintaining himself by his patrimony and friends; and yet all, which he could do, made no

• Now called Ludgate.

+ Thatch, viz. straw, &c. + Aldgate. Viz, anno 1613. § In the precinct now called Black Friars.

great shew; so that the finishing of this work was left to many other succeeding bishops. He purchased the ground about the church whereupon many buildings did stand, and inclosed the same with a strong wall of stone for a place of burial. It seemeth that this wall was afterwards either battered and torn in some civil wars, or else by negligence suffered to decay; for that a grant was made by King Edward the Second, that the churchyard of St. Paul's should be inclosed with a wall, because of the robberies and murthers that were there committed. Many parts of this wall remain at this time, on both sides of the church, but covered for the most part with dwellinghouses.

The same year in Whitsun-week, the King honoured his son Henry with the order of knighthood. What ceremonies the King then used, it is not certainly known; but before his time the custom among the Saxons was thus:

First, he, who should receive the order of knighthood, confessed himself in the evening to a priest.

Secondly, Then he continued all that night in the church, watching and applying himself to his private devotions.

Thirdly, The next morning he heard mass, and offered his sword upon the altar.

Fourthly, After the gospel was read, the sword was hallowed, and with a benediction put about his neck.

Fifthly and Lastly, He communicated of the mysteries of the blessed body of Christ, and from that time remained a lawful soldier or knight. This custom of consecrating knights the Normans did not only abrogate, but abhor; not for any evil that was therein, but because it was not altogether their own.

This year in a province of Wales called Ross, the sepulchre of Wawyn, otherwise called Gawen, was found upon the sea-shore. He was sister's son to Arthur the Great, King of the Britons; a man famous in our British histories, both for civil courtesy, and for courage in the field. I cannot but esteem the report for fabulous, that his body was fourteen feet in length. I do rather conjecture that one credulous writer did take that for the length of his body, which haply might be the length of his tomb.

It is constantly affirmed that the ground, whereon the English and the Normans did combate, doth shew, after every rain, manifest marks of blood upon the grass; which if it was not a property of the soil before*, it is hard now to assign, either from what natural cause it doth proceed, or what it should supernaturally portend.

Anno 1613. + For it is remarkable that some soils always look reddish after rain.

A RELATION

OF A

VOYAGE TO GUIANA:

Describing the

CLIMATE, SITUATION, FERTILITY, PROVISIONS, & COMMODITIES,
OF THAT COUNTRY,

Containing seven Provinces, and other Signories, within that Territory:
Together with the

Manners, Customs, Behaviours, and Dispositions of the People.

PERFORMED BY ROBERT HARCOURT,

OF STANTON HARCOURT, ESQ.

The Patent for the Plantation of which Country, his Majesty hath granted to the said Robert Harcourt, under the Great Seal.

The Land, which we walked through to search it, is a very good Land: If the Lord love us, he will bring us into this Land, and will give it us, Numb. xiv. 7, 8.

At London, Printed by John Beale, for W. Welby, and are to be sold at his shop, in Paul's Churchyard, at the Sign of the Swan, 1613. Quarto, containing eighty-eight Pages.

To the High and Mighty Prince, Charles, Prince of Great Britain. HAVING had trial, most worthy Prince, of your most renowned brother, Prince Henry, his many favours towards me, and princely furtherance of my humble suit, unto his Majesty, your royal father, and our dread Sovereign, for obtaining for me his gracious letters patents, for the planting and inhabiting of all that tract of land, and part of Guiana, between the river of Amazones and Dessequebe, situate in America, under the Equinoctial Line; whereof I have taken possession to his Majesty's use, and discovered the maritime parts I was greatly thereby encouraged to proceed in the enterprise, and had, under his Majesty's favour, devoted myself unto his service. But now seeing, by God's permission, your excellent brother's princely honour, by right of succession, is fallen upon your Highness, and verily hoping, that you will not only equal, but also exceed him in virtuous exercises, and advancing all honourable actions, and worthy enterprises: I have, in like manner, religiously

:

* Vide the 230th article in the Catalogue of Pamphlets in the Harleian Library.