| Share page |
|
THE FAR WEST 51 |
||
|
taining no less than an hundred and twentie miles in length, and thirtie in bredth, taking the name of Anderida, a Citie adioining : both which were wonne from the Britaines by Ella the first Saxon King of this Province and the place made fatall to Sigebert King of the West Saxons, who being deposed from his Royall Throne, was met in this Wood by a Swineheard and slaine in revenge of his Lord, whom Sigebert had murdered.
"The commodities of this Province are many and divers, both in corne, cattle, woods, iron and glasse, which two last, as they bring great gaine to their Possessors, so doe they impoverish the County of Woods, whose want will be found in ages to come, if not at this present in some sort felt.
" Great have beene the devotions of religious Persons in building and consecrating many houses unto the use and onely service of Christ, whose Beadmen abusing the intents of their Founders hath caused those Foundations to lament their owne Ruines: for in the tempestuous time of King Henry the eighth, eighteen of them in this County were blown down, whose fruit fell into the Lappes of some that never ment to restore them againe to the like use.
" This County is principally divided into six Rapes, every of them containing a River, a Castle and Forest in themselves."
On the far west border, flowing through a pleasant land not specially striking in its scenery, for a space forming the border with Hampshire, is the little river Ems; it was possibly called long ago after its more famous namesake near the sea border of the German Empire with Holland |
||