Part I. Shaftesbury. Shaftesbury, or Shafton, has a fair Profpect, and has been formerly a Place of Importance, when it had ten Parishes, now reduced into three. There are in it about 500 Houses, all built of Stone. And it gives the Title of an Earl to Anthony Ashley Cooper, derived to him from his great Grand-father of that Name, created Earl of Shaftesbury by the late King Charles in 1672.

Sherborn.

Ifles of Portland and Purbeck.

Sherborn is noted for the fine Structure of its Church; and Bindon for the Title of an Earldom, conferred on Henry Howard, Lord Walden, now Earl of Suffolk.

These Isles I fubjoin here, as belonging to Dorfetfhire. Portland, fome Miles South of Dorchester, is of no great Extent, but very fruitful, and of chief Note for its Quarries of Free-Stone, almost as durable as Marble. There is in it a Castle, call'd Portland Castle, built by Henry VIII. and on the Land-fide another, call'd Sandford-Castle. These two Caftles command all the Ships that pass into this Road, call'd the Race of Portland, the Sea having a strong Current here. This Island gives the Title of a Duke to William Bentinck, whofe Grand-father was created Earl of Portland by King William III.

Purbeck, Eaft of Portland, is about ten Miles long, and fix broad. Here is found the Marble, commonly call'd Purbeck Stone; and excellent Clay for making Tobacco-Pipes, fold at Londen for 30s. a Tun. In this Ifland is the Town of Corf, with a Caftle upon a Hill.

DURHAM.

A

Maritime and Northern County, commonly call'd the Bi-
As it lies not far from Scot-

610000 Acres, and 15984 Houfes.
land, fo the Air of it is the colder, and the Soil leís fruitful. The
Eaft Side is the best, the South full of Marshes, and the Weft
full of Rocks. The greatest Advantage this County has, con-
fifts in its Coal, Iron, and Lead Mines.

This is a County Palatine, the Bishop whereof had formerly a
Right of Sovereignty, keeping his Courts of Justice, both Civil
and Criminal: But most of thofe Rights are returned to the
Crown. The Bishop however is ftill Earl of Sadberg in this
County, and takes Place in the Epifcopal College next to the
Bishop of London.

Market-Towns.

DURHA M, the Capital, Saturd.
Darlington, Mand. Bernard-Castle, Wed.

Aukland, Thurfd.

Stockton,

Hartlepool,

Sunderland, Frid.

Stainthorp,

Wolfingham.

Durham,

Durham, upon the Ware, is 200 Miles from London. It Durham. flands upon feveral Hills, enjoys a pure Air, and has plenty of Provifions. Here excellent Bread is made. Its greatest Ornaments are the Castle, in which the Bishop refides, and the Cathedral near it, both on the Top of a Hill.

Aukland, or Bishop's-Aukland, on the Ware, is pleasantly fitu- Aukland. ated, in a good Air, upon the Afcent of a Hill. The Bishop has here a ftately Palace, and a fine Chapel, raised from its Ruins by Dr. Cofins, late Bishop of Durham.

Sunderland, at the Ware's Mouth, is furrounded with the Sea, Sunderland. at high Water, whence the Name of Sunderland. A Town noted for its Sea-Coal Trade. The fame gave the Title of an Earl to Robert Spencer, Father to the prefent Charles Spencer, Duke of Marlborough and Marquifs of Blandford, Great Grandfon of Henry Lord Spencer, created Earl of Sunderland by King Charles I. in 1643. but flain the fame Year in the first Battle of Newbury.

Hartlepool, upon a narrow Neck of Land fhooting forth into Hartlepoo'. the Sea, by which 'tis invironed on all Sides but the Weft.

Bernard-Caftle, gives the Title of a Baron to the Lord Gilbert Bernard-
Vant, as Raby-Caftle (alfo in this County) gives the fame Title to atte
Thomas Wentworth, Lord Raby, now Earl of Strafford, promo-
ted to that Dignity by Queen Anne.

At the Mouth of the Tine, which parts Durham from Nor-Sheals.
thumberland, is Sheals, the Station of the Sea-Coal Fleets.
Farrow, the Birth-Place of Venerable Bede, ftands a little higher Jarrow.
on the fame River. And over-against Newcastle in Northumber-
land, Gateshead, the Receptacle of the Coal-Pit Men in thefe Gateshead,
Parts. Between thefe two Towns there is a Stone-Bridge upon
the River, with an Iron Gate in the middle, ferving as a Boun-
dary between these two Counties.

ESSEX.

Maritime County in the Eaft Parts of England, and the

A Diocese of London, call'd Effex from the Eaft-Saxons, by

whom it was inhabited. It is 146 Miles in Circumference, contains about 1240000 Acres, and 34819 Houfes. Here the Air is temperate, but near the Sea and the Thames very moist, and the Inhabitants in thofe Parts fubject to Agues. The Soil yields plenty of Corn, Cattle, and Wood. Here is alfo abundance of Fib, and Wild Fowl. In the North Parts Saffron grows to Admiration. And there are fome Parts, the, Soil of which is fo rank, that after three Crops of Saffron, it yields good Barley for near 20 Years together, without Compoft.

This County is water'd by a great Ñumber of Rivers, befides the Thames that parts it from Kent, the Stoure from Suffolk, the Lea from Middlefex, and the little Stoure from Hartfordshire;

D 3

here's

here's the Coln, Chelmer, Crouch, Roding, and many other Rivers, all yielding Plenty and Variety of Fish.

Laftly, This County has given the Title of an Earldom to several Families, particularly the Mandevilles, Bohuns, and Bourchiers. Alfo to Thomas Lord Cromwell, to William Lord Parr, and the Devereux. Robert Devereux, Earl of Effex, and Viscount Hereford, was General of the Parliament's Forces in the Reign of Charles I. which Title being extinct by the Death of that Earl's Son, King Charles II. reviv'd it in the Person of Arthur Capel, Baron of Wadham, whom he created Earl of Effex, and Viscount Malden. His Grandfon William Capel is now poffeffed of the Title,

Colchester.

Harwich.

Malden.

Thaxted, Frid.
Witham,

Sudbury, Sat.

Its

Colchester, on the Coln, lies 43 Miles North-Eaft from London, and feven Miles from the Sea. This is a Town of great Antiquity, if the Tradition be true, viz. that it was built by Coilus, a British Prince, who reigned in the fecond Age. "Tis also pretended to be the Birth-place of Lucius the first Chriftian King; of Conftantine the Great, the first Chriftian Emperor; and of Helena, the firft Chriftian Emprefs. The Town is large, and populous, and drives a good Trade in Woollen Manufacture. large and excellent Oysters, fo much in request among the Antient Romans, are to this Day accounted the belt in England. Its Walls and Caffle thew it to be antient. This Town was very feverely used by the Parliament's Forces in the Reign of King Charles I. It was reduced to great Streights by Famine, and the chief Commanders thereof, Sir Charles Lucas, and Sir George Lifle, fhot to Death for having held out to the laft. Laftly, 'tis noted for giving the Title of Viscount to the Earl Rivers.

Harwich is a Sea-Port Town, at the Stoure's Mouth, upon the Borders of Suffolk. This is the Station of our Pacquet-Boats for Holland. Its Situation is very advantageous, being almoft furrounded with the Sea; but the Harbour is not fit for great Ships. It once gave the Title of a Marquis to D. Schomberg, which is now extinct.

Malden, the Antients Camalodunum, ftands upon the Chelmer, 10 or 12 Miles from Colchester, and much about the fame Distance

from

from the Sea. Claudius, a Roman Emperor, took this Town, made it a Roman Colony, and caufed Money to be coined with this Infcription, COL. CAMALODUN. The fame gives the Title of a Vifcount to the Earl of Effex.

Rochford gave the Title of an Earl to William Zuleftein, crea-Rochford. ted Earl of Rochford by King William, and lately fucceeded by his Son Frederick Zuleftein.

At Chelmsford the Affixes are ufually kept. Walden is noted Chelmsford. for the plenty of Saffron that grows in its Neighbourhood, and Waiden. for the Title of a Viscount it gives to the Earl of Suffolk.

Fort.

Upon the Thames, against Gravefend in Kent, there is a Fort, Tilbury call'd Tilbury Fort, which commands the River there.

But Ithancefter muft not be forgotten, the Othona of the An-thancefter. tients, long fince fallen to Ruin; in which the Romans kept a firong Garrifon for the Security of thefe Parts, infefted by Saxon Pyrates.

GLOUCESTERSHIRE.

N Inland County in the Diocese of Gloucester, contains

fruitful, and delightful Country. There are Hills on the Eaftfide of it, call'd Cotswold, which feed innumerable Flocks of Sheep, the Wool whereof is very much efteemed. The middle Parts are level, and water'd by the Severn, which contributes very much to their Fertility. Weftward 'tis a woody Country, and there is Dean-Foreft, which formerly was much more stocked with Wood than at prefent, the Iron Mines having confum'd a good Part of it.

Befides the Severn, which croffes this County from North to South, here is the Avon that parts it from Somerfetfhire, the Wye that partly divides it from Monmouthshire, befides the Stroud, and the Is; all very fishy Rivers, and the Severn chiefly yields great plenty of Salmon.

Formerly the Vales of this County were full of Vineyards, which have been fince converted into Orchards, yielding Plenty of Apples for Cyder.

In short, this County abounds chiefly in Corn, Wool, Wood, Iron and Steel, Cyder and Salmon. Among its Manufactures, the Woollen is the most confiderable. Here is alfo very good Cheefe made.

Market-Towns.

GLOUCESTER, the Capital, Wed. and Sat. Cirencefter, Mon. Tewksbury, Sat.

and Frid,

Blackley, Wed.

D 4

Durfley, Thurfd,

Cambden, Weda.

Newn

Gloucefter.

Cireneefter.

Colford,
Dean,

Gloucefter, the Claudia Cafira, or Glervum of the Antients, flands upon the Severn, 80 Miles from London, Weft and by North. 'Tis a moft antient City, large and populous, containing 12 Parishes; fortify'd of old with a good Wall, and a Caftle of Free-Stone, but both fallen to Ruin. Henry VIII. made it an Epifcopal Sce, or rather re-establish'd it, for it was a Bishop's See in the Time of the Antient Britons. The Cathedral is stately, in which Robert, eldest Son of William the Conqueror, and King Edward II. two unfortunate Princes, lie buried. City has given the Title of a Dukedom to feveral Princes of the Blood. The laft was William, Duke of Gloucester (Queen Anne's only Son) who died, aged 11 Years, July 29, 1700.

This

Cirencefter, the Corinium, or Durocornoveum of the Antients, is feated upon the Churn, 12 Miles South-East of Gloucester. In the Time of the Romans this was an important Place, but the Saxons and Danes fo defaced it, that it could never recover its antient I uttre.

Tewksbury. Towlbury, the Thepicuria of the Antients, is fituate at the Influx of the Avon into the Severn, nine or ten Miles North of Gloucefter, and drives a confiderable Trade with its Woollen Manufacture.

Stroid.

Berkley.

Duility.

Stroud is a goodly Town, upon the River of that Name, over which it has a Bridge, and on the Banks of it many FullingMills for Scarlet, the Stroud Water having a peculiar Quality to give the right Tincture.

Berkley and Dufley do not lie far afunder, nor far from the Severn. Berkley gives the Title of an Earl, and Durley that of a Vilcount to James Earl of Berkley, Grandfon of George, created Earl of Berkley by King Charles II. in the Year 1679.

HAMPSHIRE, or HANTSHIRE, otherwife call'd the County of SOUTHAMPTON.

HIS is a Maritime County, upon the Channel, between Suffex on the Egg, and Dorfet/pire on the Weft, in the Diocefe of Winchester, 100 Miles in Circuit, contains about 1312500 Acres, and 26851 Houfes. It is a pleafant and fruitful Country, yielding Plenty both of Corn and Grafs, Wool, Wood, and fron, and particularly noted for the Excellency of its Honey and