description of the entertainment at Canterbury, did so lively set forth the matter, that in reading thereof, I almost thought myself to be one of your guests there, and as it were beholding the whole order of all things done there. Sir, I think it shall be hard for any of our coat to do the like for one hundred years, and how long after God knoweth."

In this progress Lord Treasurer Burghley was lodged with Mr. Pearson, the eleventh Prebendary, who, the Archbishop says, "had a fine house," [now Dr. Curteis's.] 1770, Aug.

LXVII. Account of the ancient Palaces and Houses belonging to the See of Canterbury, from Strype, Lambard, &c.

1. THE Manor of Bekesburn, anciently called Livingsburn, was given to Christ Church, Canterbury, after the year 1400. Thomas Goldstone, a Prior of that Church, and a great Builder, in 1508, built the Manor-house for a Mansion for the Priors, and a chapel annexed, and a new Hall adjoining to the Dormitory, and several other edifices there. At the dissolution this was alienated, and given to Sir John Gage, comptroller of the King's household, who exchanged it with Abp. Cranmer for the Manor of Bishopsburn, and so it returned to the church again from whence it had been for some time severed; only the owners changed. Bekesburn was healthfully and conveniently seated, lying an easy distance from Canterbury, whensoever the Archbishops were minded to be retired. Abp. Cranmer made considerable buildings there, and probably would have done more, had he continued in his prelacy. In the year 1552 he finished the Gate house, still standing, as appears from the north and south sides thereof, wherein are two stones, set in the brick-work, with the letters of his name, T. C. and coat of arms, and motto, Nosce te ipsum et DEUM: together with the date 1552. Abp. Cranmer appropriated his Manor-house and his parsonage-barn here for harbour and lodgings for the poor, sick, and maimed soldiers that came from the wars of Bologne, &c. appointing them an almoner, a physician, and a surgeon; besides the common alms of his household that were bestowed on the poor of the country. Archbishop Parker took great delight in this palace, and in 1572, added the last finishing strokes to it. On the great gate are the arms of Parker alone, and the date 1572,

this label about the crest, MUNDUS TRANSIT ET CONCUPISCENTIA EJUS; all of them cut in wood; which makes it probable, that this Archbishop, besides what buildings or reparations he made here, did the inward work, the gate, the doors, the wainscot, &c. Abp. Abbot, of later times, lived in Bekesburn some years, and preached in the parish-church there on Sunday mornings; of which they had a pleasant story; that there were two country fellows met; the one told the other he was making haste to Bekesburn church, where he was told a great man preached; he thought it was Sir Henry Palmer, who was the greatest man he knew in the parish. This palace was demolished in the year 1658, and no part of it is left standing at this day, but only a long row of plain brick buildings, called, THE GATE-HOUSE [now Mr. Peckham's] which was the entrance into the palace. The very foundations of all the rest are digged up. Out of the materials of this palace some other houses were built not far off; on some stones whereof still remain the arms of Christ Church, Canterbury; and in the glass windows may be seen the rebus of Thomas Goldstone, the prior.

2. FORD, in the parish of Chislet, the most ancient seat of the Archbishops, was also pulled down in 1658, and the brick, timber, and other materials sold. Here was also a large park. Archbishop Cranmer often resided there, though the situation is not healthy.

3. MAIDSTONE Palace was given by William de Cornwall, to Archbishop Langton. It now belongs to Lord Romney.

4. At CHARING was an ancient seat, much augmented by Archbishop Morton. The ruins are still remaining.

5. SALTWOOD-Castle, near Hythe, built by the Romans, was given to the See of Canterbury in 1036, and was much beautified and enlarged by Archbishop Courtney, who also inclosed a park about it, and made it his usual place of residence. It now belongs to Sir Brook Bridges, and is venerable in decay.

6. At ALDINGTON was a fair seat, much enlarged by Archbishop Morton. It had also a park and chace for deer, called ALDINGTON FRITH. The great Erasmus was rector of this parish, being presented to it by Archbishop Warham.

7. At WINGHAM was a good house, where Archbishop Winchelsea entertained and lodged King Edward I. And Archbishop Reynolds in 1324, entertained King Edward II. The Manor is now Earl Cowper's.

8. WROTHAM-House was pulled down by Archbishop Islip, and the materials employed in finishing Maidstone

palace. At this house, in 183, Archbishop Richard, (Becket's successor) had such a terrible dream, that the fright occasioned his death. The Manor annexed now belongs to William James, Esq.

9. At TEYNHAM was an ancient seat, where Archbishop Hubert died in 1221. The Manor is now Lord Teynham's. 10. KNOWLE (near Sevenoak) was left to the See of Canterbury by Archbishop Bourchier, who added much to its magnificence. Archbishop Morton also built here. It is now the seat of the Duke of Dorset.

11. OTFORD was a magnificent palace, built by Archbishop Warham, at 33,000l. expence, he having taken offence at the citizens of Canterbury, where otherwise he designed to have built such a stately palace as should have been a lasting monument of his great wealth and glory.

All the above, with the Manors belonging to them, (Bekesburn excepted) were exchanged by Archbishop Cranmer with King Henry VIII. for other lands, "To extinguish the passions of such as looked with regret and desire upon the patrimony of the church."

12. CANTERBURY-Palace, given to the See by Archbishop Lanfranc, and afterwards rebuilt by Archbishops Hubert, Boniface, Langton and Parker, was destroyed in the time of the usurpation.

So that the Archbishops have now no Palace or House remaining in their own Diocese, and only Lambeth and Croydon out of it, both of which are in the Diocese of Winchester.

1770, Nov.

LXVIII. On the ancient manner of taking refuge for Murder or Felony in the Cinque Ports. Extracted from Mr. James Hammond's Collections of the Antiquities of Dover, Folio 14 and 15. From the Customall of the Cinque Ports. Corrected and amended in the Reigns of Henry the 7th and 8th. AND when any shall flee into the church or church yard for felony, claiming thereof the privilege, for any action of his life, the head officer of the same liberty, where the said church or church yard is, with his fellow-jurats, or coroners of the same liberty, shall come to him, and shall ask him the cause of being there, and if he will not confess felony, he shall be had out of the said sanctuary; and if he will confess felony, immediately it shall be entered in record, and his goods and chattels shall be forfeited, and he shall tarry there forty days; or before, if he will, he shall make his abjuration in form following, before the head-officer, who

shall assign to him the port of his passage, and after his abjuration, there shall be delivered unto him by the headofficer, or his assignees, a cross, and proclamation shall be made, that while he be going by the highway towards the port to him assigned, he shall go in the King's peace, and that no man shall grieve him in so doing, on pain to forfeit his goods and chattels; and the said felon shall lay his right hand on the book and swear this :-"You hear Mr. Coroner, that I, A. B. a thief, have stolen such a thing, or have killed such a woman, or man, or a child, and am the King's felon; and for that I have done many evil deeds and felonies in this same his land, I do abjure and forsware the lands of the Kings of England, and that I shall haste myself to the port of Dover, which you have given or assigned me; and that I shall not go out of the highway; and if I do, I will that I shall be taken as a thief, and the King's felon; and at the same place I shall tarry but one ebb and flood, if I may have passage; and if I cannot have passage in the same place, shail go every day into the sea to my knees, and above, attempting myself to go every day to my knees, and above, crying, Passage for the love of God, and King N his sake; and if I may not within forty days together, I shall get me again into the church, as the King's felon.

So God me help and by this book according to your judgment.

And if a clerk, flying to the church for felony, affirming himself to be a clerk, he shall not abjure the realm, but yielding himself to the laws of the realm, shall enjoy the liberties of the church, and shall be delivered to the ordinary, to be safe kept in the convict prison, according to the laudable custom of the realm of England.

1771, Aug.

LXIX. Artifice of the Thong in founding Cities and Castle exploded.

MR. URBAN,

THE story goes, that Dido or Eliza, upon her arrival in Africa, after her flight from Tyre, purchased as much land of the natives of the former place as she could cover or ra ther inclose, with an ox's hide; and thereupon cut the hide into thongs, and included a much larger space than the sellers expected; and that from thence the place, which afterwards became the citadel of Carthage, was called Bursa, Bursa signifying an ox's hide. This tale, which is either related or alluded to by Appian and Dionysius the Geographer,

amongst the Greeks, and by Justin, Virgil, Silius Italicus, and others of the Latins, has no foundation, I apprehend, in the truth of history, and indeed is generally exploded by the learned. However, let us see how later writers have conducted themselves in respect thereof; it was a subtle pleasing artifice, and they were very unwilling not to make use of it, for the embellishment of their respective works. First, Sigebert, Monk of Gemblours, who flourished A. 1100, has applied it to Hengist, the first Saxon King of Kent, saying, that the place purchased of the British King, and inclosed by him, was called Castellum Corrigia or the Castle of the Thong; but now, there being several more of the name of Thong or Tong in England, as in Kent, Lincolnshire, Shropshire, and Yorkshire, (Doncaster being written in Saxon Thongeceaster,) the story has been applied to most, if not all of them;* and with equal justice, being probably false in regard to them all. It is true, Sigebert knew nothing of the Greek authors above-mentioned, but then he was well acquainted with Justin and Virgil; and the same may be said of Jeffrey of Monmouth, A. 1159, who has the same story, and, if he followed not Sigebert, which is highly probable, took it from one of the Latin authors.

Secondly, Saxo Grammaticus, who wrote about A. 1170, has applied the story to Ivarus,† making him use the same artifice in respect of Hella, and by that means getting a footing in Britain, which he became master of for two years. Saxo might take it either from Jeffrey or Sigebert; or Justin, if you please, as he made great use of this author. We can account very rationally, you observe, Mr. Urban, for the proceedings of these three authors, Sigebert, Jeffrey, and Saxo Grammaticus, but what shall we say, thirdly, to au affair of the like kind in the East Indies?" There is a tradition," Hamilton says, p. 136. that the Portuguese circumvented the King of Guzerat, as Dido did the Africans, when they gave her leave to build Carthage, by desiring no more ground to build their cities than could be circumscribed in an ox's hide, which having obtained, they cut into a fine thong of a great length, &c." The Indians knew nothing of the authors above-mentioned, nor probably did those Portuguese who first made the settlement at Diu. I am of opinion, therefore, that as Hamilton calls it only a

* See Lambarde's Topograph. Dict. p. 16. Camdeni Col. 569. It is a bad omen, that these authors do not agree in the person any more than others do in respect of the place.

Saxo Gram. p. 176.