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start of Cumberland |
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Page 170:-
RITATEM
CVLMINIS
INSTITVTI.
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MORBIUM. Hay c.
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But none has yet been found that determine it to have been
MORBIUM, where the Equites Cataphractarii were stationed,
which the name in some sort insinuates. Nor must I forget
that in this neighbourhood I saw Hay Castle,
respectable for its antiquity, which the people told me once
belonged to the noble families of Moresby and
Distinton.
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Derwent r. Copper mines.
Keswick. Skiddaw, an high mountain.
Scruffell in Annandale.
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Derwent, River
Borrowdale
copper mines
black lead mines
Derwent Water
Skiddaw
Keswick
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Behind this the river Derwent hides itself in the
sea. It rises in Borrodale, a valley surrounded with
crooked hills, winds among the hills called
Derwentfels, in which at Newlands and
elsewhere were rich veins of copper with some little gold
and silver, opened afresh in our time by Thomas Thurland and
Daniel Hotchstetter, a German, being well known before as
appears from the Close rolls of Henry III. n. 18. A
remarkable suit about them was carried on between the late
queen Elizabeth and Thomas Percy earl of Northumberland, on
whose estate [c] the land was; but it was determined in
favour of the queen, in regard of the royal prerogative and
the veins of gold and silver in these mines. So far from
truth is that observation of Cicero in his epistle to
Atticus [d]: "This is certain, that there is not a grain of
silver in the whole island of Britain." Nor would Caesar
have said, that the Britans imported all the copper they
used, had he known of these mines, these copper works not
only being sufficient for all England, but great quantities
of the copper exported every year. Here is also found in
several places that metallic earth or hard glittering stone,
which we call Black Lead, used by painters to draw
lines and drawings in black and white [e]. Whether it be
Dioscorides' Pnigitis [f], or Melanteria [g],
or ochre burnt black by the heat of the earth, or totally
unknown to the antients, I cannot determine, but shall leave
it to others. The Derwent running among these hills spreads
itself in a spacious lake, or as Bede [h] calls it a very
large pool, in which are three islands: one of them has
the seat of the knightly family of Ratcliffe, another was
inhabited by German miners, and the third is supposed to
have been that in which Bede [i] relates that St. Herbert
led a solitary life. On the edges of this lake in very rich
land, surrounded by dewy hills, and defended from the north
winds by Skiddaw a very high mountain, lies
Keswicke, a small market town, many years famous for
the copper works [k] as appears from a charter of king
Edward IV. and at present inhabited by miners [l]. Its
market was obtained of Edward I. by Thomas de
Derwentwater lord of the place, from whom it came by
inheritance to the Ratcliffes. Skiddaw the mountain
before-mentioned rears its double head so high among the
clouds like Parnassus, and looks towards Scruffell, a
mountain in Scotland, as if it meant to rival it; by the
ascent or descent of the clouds from both which the
inhabitants draw presages of the weather, and have this
common proverb,
--- If Skiddaw hath a cap
Scruffell wots full well of that.
And that other of the height of these and two other
mountains in these parts,
Skiddaw, Lawellin, and Casticand
Are the highest hills in all England.
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Cokar r.
Cokarmouth. Pap castle. Guasmoric.
St. Ambrose. A font. Bridkirk.
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Cockermouth
Papcastle
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From hence the Derwent sometimes in a narrow, sometimes in a
broad channel proceeds with rapidity to the north to meet
the Cokar. These two rivers at their confluence
almost surround Cokarmouth, a plentiful market town
and castle of the earls of Northumberland. The town is
handsomely built, but stands low between two hills, on one
of which is the church, and on the other overagainst it the
strong castle, over whose gate are the arms of Molton,
Humfranville, Lucy, and Percy. Opposite to this
two miles on the other side the river lies the shell of an
old castle called Pap castle, which several monuments
prove to have been of Roman antiquity. Whether this was
Guasmoric which Nennius says king Vortigern built
near Luguballium, and the old Britans called
Palmecastle, I do not presume to determine. Among
other monuments of antiquity here was found a large vase of
greenish stone, handsomely carved with small figures;
whether designed for the purpose of washing, or as St.
Ambrose calls it sacrarium regenerationis, that laver
of regeneration, for which use it now serves at the
neighbouring town of Bridkirk, q.d. St. Brigit's
church, I shall not pronounce. We find fonts adorned
with the figures of saints in order to set forth their
example to the imitation of the persons baptized [m]. On
this besides figures are these foreign characters: See
Pl.VIII. fig.I. What they mean or to what nation they belong
I do not take upon me to say. Let the learned determine. The
first and eighth are not very unlike the character used by
Christians after the time of Constantine for the name of
Christ. The rest in form but not in power come nearest those
which are to be seen on the tomb of Gormon king of Denmark,
at Jelling in Denmark, as published by Petrus Lindenbrogius
1591.
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Arms of the Lucies and
Percies.
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The towns last-mentioned, together with a 4th part of the
barony of Egremont, Wigton, Leusewater, Aspatric,
Uldal, &c. the fine estate of Maud Lucy (the
heiress of Anthony Molton or de Lucy her brother [n]), were
by her given to Henry Percy earl of Northumberland her
husband; and though she had no children by him she left the
Percy family her heirs, on condition they quartered with
their own arms those of the Lucies, 3 fish called Lucies in
a field G. or to borrow the words of the original deed, "on
condition that they bore for their arms G. 3 Lucies
quarterly with the arms of Percy O a lion Az. and the
condition enforced by a fine." The Derwent, afterwards in
one united
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[c]
at Derwent fells.
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[d]
IV. 16.
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[e]
monochromata.
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[f]
Lib. v. c.177.
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[g]
Lib. v. c.118.
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[h]
Eccl. Hist. IV. 29.
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[i]
Eccl. H. IV. c.29. Vit. Cuthb. c.28.
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[k]
aeraria sectura.
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[l]
Who have their smelting-house by Derwentside, which with his
forcible stream and their ingenious inventions serveth them
in notable stead for easy bellows works, hammer works, forge
works, and sawing of boards, not without admiration of those
that behold it. Holland.
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[m]
As saith Pontius Paulinus. For in the first plantation of
Christianity among the Gentiles such only as were of full
age after they were instructed in the principles of
Christian religion were admitted to baptism, and that but
twice a year at Easter and Whitsontide, except upon urgent
necessity; at which time those who were to be baptised were
attired in white garments, exorcised, and exsuffled with
sundry ceremonies, which I leave to the learned in Christian
antiquities. Id.
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[n]
Burn, II. 77.
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stream,
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gazetteer links
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-- (black lead mine, Seathwaite)
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-- "Borrodale" -- Borrowdale
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-- "Cokar, River" -- Cocker, River
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-- Cockermouth Castle
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-- "Cokarmouth" -- Cockermouth
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-- "Derwentfels" -- Derwent Fells
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-- Derwent Water
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-- "Derwent, River" -- Derwent, River
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-- Goldscope Mine
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-- "Hay Castle" -- Hayes Castle
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-- "Keswicke" -- Keswick
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-- Gabrosentum
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-- "Pap Castle" -- (roman fort, Papcastle)
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-- "Skiddaw" -- Skiddaw
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-- "St Brigit's Church" -- St Bridget's Church
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