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Page 189:-
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erratum
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APPENDIX.
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Northumberland
Westmorland
Cumberland
Scotland
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MY Printer having, by accident, missed a page in the
manuscript, which being an illustration of the history I
shall here insert it; it ought to be read in page the 20. -
At the time of the Norman conquest, the counties of
Northumberland, Westmorland, and Cumberland, were in the
possession of the Scots, but soon after taken from them.
However, the Scots, for a long time after, continued to
claim the said three counties, and we find William King of
Scotland demanding them of John King of England. In the
1209, when John was greatly distressed for want of money, he
ceded them to William for a 15,000 marks of silver, or, as
the Scots Historians say, 11,000, and other conditions, none
of which were ever performed. Afterwards Alexander, son of
William, demanded of Henry, son of John, the said counties,
or to fulfil their father's bargain: after divers messengers
being sent from the one to the other, the two Kings
themselves met at York in 1237 and settled the differences;
Alexander giving up his pretensions to the counties on
condition of Henry giving him a pension of 800 marks and 200
librates of land: But Henry neglecting to perform some other
part of the agreements, (viz) that Henry's brother, Richard,
should marry Alexander's sister, the Court of Scotland grew
uneasy, and Henry was obliged again, in the same year, to
meet Alexander at York, and bring with him the Pope's
legate.
After much conversation and debate, a new convention was
drawn up by the legate, to the following purport: That the
King of Scots do quit all his pretensions in England, upon
the counties of Northumberland, Westmorland, and Cumberland;
and grant a full acquitance for fifteen thousand marks
borrowed from the late King of Scotland by King John, in
consideration of two hundred pounds in land yearly, with the
counties of Northumberland, Cumberland, and Westmorland,
with this remarkable provision, That if the revenues
of the said counties did not make up two hundred pounds
a-year, (exclusive of those towns which had castles in
them,) then the King of Scots was to receive the balance in
proper lands, out of the adjoining counties; the King of
Scots paying, by way of redendo, every year a soar-hawk to
the constable of Carlisle. The fide jussor on the part of
Henry was the Earl of Warren; on the part of Alexander, the
Earl of Monteith. This agreement being made and ratified,
the legate signified to Alexander, that he intended to pay
him a visit in Scotland: That prince told him, with the true
spirit of a Scotsman, that he had never seen a legate in
Scotland, either in his father's time or his own; neither
would he suffer any to set his foot upon his dominions, if
he could prevent it; adding, that if the legate should
persist in his resolution, he must take the consequences,
since he could not answer for the treatment he might find
from his subjects.
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beasts
birds of prey
eagle
buzzard
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Having spoke of the inhabitants, their manners and customs,
likewise the mines, minerals, and waters, it remains to say
something of the botanical plants. In that I confess myself
very ignorant, and can only say, that our plants are such as
are common to other hilly countries. I shall make a few
observations on the beasts, (fera naturae) and the birds of
prey. The eagle deserves first place: here are several sizes
of them, differing in colour; the largest is of a very dark
brown, inclining to black on the back and upper part of the
neck; the largest I ever knew shot was 6 feet 8 inches
between the tip of the wings when extended: This sort is
very daring and bold.
Some persons about four years ago, being a
woodcock-shooting, one of them shot at a hare, but did not
hit her, as he believed; keeping his eye upon her, he saw an
eagle seize her, and fly across Ulswater with her in his
talons, and light upon the other side. I once shot at one of
them at about 30 yards distances; it flew abut 90 or 100,
when I got near it and fired at him again, and so a third
time, but did not kill it; I had shot No.4, but durst not
attempt it again, for whilst I was loading my gun the fourth
time, it came within six or seven yards of me, so fierce as
if to begin an attack, so I left it. One thing is remarkable
of these large eagles, that so soon as they hear the report
of a gun, they immediately fly to the place, and often seize
the fowlers victim, if he hath not taken it up before their
arrival: they have often been known to seize a dead and
wounded bird within a few yards of the person who has shot
it, and one of them actually fought a sportsman for a
widgeon he had killed. Some of the eagle species are
fishers, indeed most of them will occasionally catch fish;
and, strange to tell! I have seen them fall quick upon the
Lake and bring out a fish: This is a fact on which, (if need
be,) I will place my credit as an author. It seems odd that
the fish, whose sight and motion are so quick in their own
element, cannot escape these huge animals whose element is
so widely different. At the robbing of an eagle's nest at
Wallow Cragg near Haws-water in Westmorland, there
were found 35 fish, besides 7 lambs, and other provisions
for the young ones; they never have more than two at a time,
and many of them breed in these mountains every year. It
hath been said by some that they come from Ireland hither to
breed, and when the young one are of sufficient strength,
they return with them to Ireland again: this assertion I
deny, as I have seen them at every season of the year,
though they are seldomer seen in Summer than in Winter, when
the snow forces them down to the vallies to seek provisions.
The lesser eagles are not so common, and are known from the
buzzard by their head being less, their neck longer, and
their voice. We have only two
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kinds
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gazetteer links
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-- "Cumberland" -- (Cumberland (CL13inc)2)
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-- "Ulswater" -- (Ullswater (CL13inc)6)
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-- "Wallow Cragg" -- Wallow Crag
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-- "Westmorland" -- (Westmorland (CL13inc)2)
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