THE CERTAIN TRAVAILES of an uncertain JOURNEY, Begun on Tuesday the 9. of August, and ended on Saturday the 3. of September following, 1653.
Wherein the Readers may take notice, that the Authors purpose was to Travell, and Write this following Relation, for no other intent or purpose, but to pleasure himself, and to please his Friends in the first place.
By JOHN TAYLOR, at the Signe of the Poets Head, in Phoeniz Alley, near the Globe Tavern, in the middle of Long-Acre, nigh the Covent-Garden.
Those twelve following lines I gave to divers Gentlemen and Friends, before I went, and as they have kindly subscribed to my Bill, I [...]o humbly expect their courteous acceptation of this Booke.
[...]
A merry Bill of an uncertaine Journey, to bee performed by John Taylor, by Land, with his Aqua Musa.
TO all my Friends, and courteous Gentlemen,
Know, that my journey is, I know not when:
Unto the parts I goe, I know not where,
Or of my entertainement far or neare;
Thus neither knowing when, or where, or whether,
Begun, or done, or both ends brought together,
When I this unknowne Walke have put in print,
Each man to's pocket, put your fingers in't,
And, for my Booke then give me what you list,
To which end, to this Bill, take pen in fist,
And write your names and habitations down,
I'le finde you when againe I come to Towne.
The certainty of the uncertaine Travels of John Taylor, performed in this yeere 1653.
TIs laudable to read well pen'd Relations
Of foreign Countries, & their situations,
That by the judgement of the eie & brain
Some knowledge to discourse we may attain.
For Histories, and learn'd Cosmographers,
And diligent acute Geographers;
One hath survay'd celestiall lofty sphears,
How all the Planets run in their carriers:
The stars, the signes, and every influence
In every Heavenly Orbs circumference,
And were it not for high Astronomy
(Whose lofty painfull steps have scal'd the sky)
For times and seasons we might grope and seek,
Not knowing yeers, or quarters, month, or week,
Or houres, or minutes, nor the Sabbath day,
Nor when to eat, or sleep, or debts to pay.
Millions of people would this knowledge lack
Except directed from the Almanack.
Thus Art, (with pains and travell of the mind)
Taught mean capacities, these things to find.
He travels far that goes beyond the Moone,
Or thinks this skill may be attayned soone.
Their overweening thoughts flie high and quick
But such mad fooles are only lunatick.
Geographers have travel'd land and seas
Each coast, and opposite Antipodes;
And the description of all lands and parts
Described are, in severall Maps and Charts.
The Sun & Moon have seldom shewd their faces
On any Empire, Kingdom, place, or places,
Which Travellers have not viewd and survayd,
And by rare Geographique Art displayd.
By either sea or land, by night or day,
Geography hath chalk'd us out the way:
That with Maps, Compas, & indifferent weather
True men or Thieves may travell any whither.
And thus throgh thick & thin, ways hard or soft,
Thousand and thousand miles I travel'd oft.
Some men do travell in their contemplations,
In reading Histories and strange Relations:
Some few do travell in the wayes Divine,
Some wander wildly with the Muses nine;
For every man would be a Poet gladly,
Although he write and Rime but badly madly.
Sometimes the wits and tongues do, most unfit,
Travell, when tongues do run before the wit.
But if they both keep company together,
Delight and profit is in both, or eyther.
Discretion gravely goes a gentle pace,
When speech, a gallop, runs a heedles race:
Mans earthly portion 's travell, paine, and care,
(Of which I make a shift to get my share.)
Some do disdain, and hold it in high scorn
To know thatcht cottages where they were born
Some crosse the sea to see strange lands unknown
And heer, like strangers, do not know their own.
Their own, 'tis fit work for a golden pen
To write the names down of such knowing men:
Should ech on know & have his own, 'twere rare
Right owners wold be rich, & knaves stark bare.
Hee's counted wise, with the Italians,
That knows his own wife from another mans.
But hee's more wise that knows himselfe to be
Fraile, mortall, and a map of Misery.
But wisest he, that patient takes his lot,
And use the world as if he us'd it not.
Some seem to know most, yet know almost nothing,
For man, in knowledge, is a very slow thing.
Nosce teipsum, Know thy selfe, and then
Each one will know himselfe the worst of men.
Many of forreign travels boast and vant,
When they, of
England, are most ignorant.
But yeerly I survey my Country Native,
And, mongst 6. cases, live upon the
Dative.
I travell hard, and for my lifes supply,
I every yeere receive a Subsidie.
(Or else to come more neer unto the sence)
'Tis fit to call it a Benevolence.
Thus (travelling) a toyling trade I drive,
By reason of mine age, neer seventy five:
It is my earthly portion and my lot,
(The Proverb says,
Need makes the old wife trot.)
Seven times at sea I serv'd
Elizabeth,
And 2. Kings forty five yeers, untill death
Of both my Royall Masters quite bereft me,
That nothing now but age and want is left me.
This makes me travell, and my friends to trie,
Else I might (like my fellowes) sterve and die.
Had the last State, had consciences so tender
To think on Oxford siedge, with that surrender,
Had they kept Articles and Covenants,
In some sort, then they had releev'd our wants.
But they were in the land of Promise borne,
Perform'd, and paid us nothing, but their scorn.
Camelion like we had
Ayre, Words, and
Wind,
With these three empty dishes oft we din'd.
And with light Suppers, and such breaking Fast,
With meagre Famine, many breath'd their last.
we nere bare arms, but houshold servants menial
We waited, if 'twere sin, it was but veniall.
These thirteen yeers no wages I could get,
Which makes me thus to try my friends & wit.
Unto the Kings Revenews great Committee
We oft Petitiond, and implor'd their pitty;
And first and last, we gave Petitions plenty,
I'm sure, in number, neer two hundred twenty.
Two thousand Books & Bils then printed were,
Wherein our woes and wants wee did declare:
Lord
Fairfax was himselfe Lord Generall then,
He pitied us (poor miserable men;)
And he in person, more then one time went
And told our griefes unto the Parliament.
Besides, for us, to them he Letters wrot,
For all which, only, promises we got.
I will not curse those men, but this I say,
If need and want afflict them, I doe pray
They may be comforted, and fed, and clad
With promises, as we from them have had.
TH' yeer sixteen hundred fifty, with 3. added,
Old
Tib my Mare, and I, a journy gadded:
I
London left, the 9. day I remember
Of August, neer 3. weeks before September.
In 4. houres riding Post I got to
Croydon,
And so hath many a man, and many a boy done.
There was the George a horseback day & night,
And there I, from my mares back did alight.
At Water there wine was, but that's a Riddle,
At
Croydon, you may know both ends & middle.
To
Micham, from my way full 3. miles wide,
A Gentleman, I thank him, was my guide.
Holland my sheets, and
Holland was mine Host,
My entertainment good for little cost,
August the tenth, my bonny Beast and I,
From Surrey traveld to South Saxony,
Now called Sussex, where at
Bellinshurst
Six dayes I felt no hunger, cold, or thirst.
There at a sign, and no sign but a Frame,
Twas the Kings arms, but shatering shot & flame
Did beat them down, as useles, of small stead,
For armes are of no use without a Head.
Mine Host was mighty good, and great withall,
And, amongst Hosts, may be a Generall.
Hee's friendly, curteous, although big and burly,
A right good fellow, no way proud or surly.
Six nights at
Bellinshurst I freely stayd,
And all the charge of mare and man was payd
By a Gentleman, to name whom Ile refrain,
Whose love, my thankfull mind shall stil retain.
Thus in one week I rode Post 30. mile,
And neither man or mare tyr'd all that while.
A Reverend Preacher preach'd on Sunday twice
Directing souls to th' Heavenly Paradice.
And if we could but do as he did say,
His Doctrine told us all the ready way.
Thus
Billinshurst thy bounty I extoll,
Thou feastedst me in body and in soule.
There was rare Musick, sweet and gentile
Ayres,
For undeserved favours,
I am theirs.
My love to Mr.
Fist, and to mine Host,
But love and thanks
T. H. deserveth most.
From
Billinshurst, August the sixteenth day,
I took my leave, before I took my way.
The way indifferent good, the welk in smiles,
I rode to
Petworth, 7. good Sussex miles.
To set forth
Petworth, its worth more worth is,
Then I am worth, or worthy; but know this,
Northumberland the Noble, there doth dwell,
Whose good housekeeping, few Lords parallell.
There Honourable bounty is exprest,
With daily charity to th' poor distrest.
I speak not this for any thing I got
Of that great Lord, I felt or saw him not:
For had I seen him, my beliefe is such,
I should have felt and found his bounties tutch:
But I, for my part, never was so rude
To flatter, fawn, or basely to intrude,
Yet I declare him liberall, Honourable,
And there I din'd well, at his Stewards Table.
Thanks Mr.
Williams there, the Cook exact
By his good friendship there, I nothing lackd.
Thanks to my Hostesse kind, good Mrs.
Martin,
who welcom'd me with good whit wine a quart in.
And last of all, but not of all the least,
I was kind Mr.
Barnards costly Guest:
To me he shew'd his bounty from the Mint,
For which I give him heer my thanks in Print.
He payd the chinque, and freely gave me drink,
And I returne my gratitude with Inke.
August the 18. twelve long miles to
Stenning
I rode, and nothing saw there worth the kenning,
But that mine Host there was a joviall Wight,
My Hostess fat and fair; a goodly sight:
The signe the Chequer, eighteen pence to pay;
My Mare eat mortal meat, good Oats and Hay.
Twelve miles from
Stenning I jogd on to
Lewes,
And there I found no Beggars, Scolds, or Shrews;
Lewes hath no Bayliff, Mayor, or Magistrate,
For every one there lives in quiet state:
They quarrell not for wagging of a straw,
For each man is unto himselfe a Law;
They need no bridle (like the Horse or Mule)
Where every one himselfe can wisely rule.
At the terrestriall Star (a glistring Signe)
I lodg'd, and found good Diet, and good Wine;
Mine Host and Hostess courteous, free, and kind,
And there I sip'd and sup'd, but seldom din'd:
Lewes is an ancient Town, as may be seen
In
Cambden, page three hundred and thirteen:
Twelve men they chuse, the most substantiallest,
Most rich and wise, to govern all the rest;
And out of that discreet and honest dozen,
Two (as it were) high Constables are chosen:
These have no pow'r themselvs to hang or draw,
Or on offendors to inflict the Law;
But to a Justice of the Peace, or
Coram
They bring the parties, & their cause before am.
From Friday unto Friday I did stay,
But in the mean time I did take my way
Five miles to
Torring where my old friend there,
The Parson welcom'd me with Country cheer;
His name is
John, or honest Master
Rice,
Six meals he meated me, and lodgd me thrice.
He Preachd on Sunday,
Augusts twenty one,
Two Sermons, tending to salvation:
His Doctrine's good, & he himselfe doth frame
To live in conversation like the same.
I thank him, and his Wife and Family,
For making of so much (too much) of me:
Thus when he could no longer me retaine,
With love and thanks, I rode to
Lewes againe.
This Town contains six Churches, and at least
It is a mile in length from West to East:
A strong and spacious Castle there hath been,
As by its moldred ruines may be see
[...]e.
Thence 12 miles I was on my female beast born,
T'an unknown feast born, at a Towne cal'd East
Bourne;
I at an Inne alighted, and found there
Unlook'd for welcome, and good
Sussex cheer:
Sir
Thomas Dike, Sir
Thomas Parker, Knights,
With kinde Esquires, whose names & Epithites
I mention not, because I know them not;
But to them all my thanks is unforgot,
For undeserv'd, unlook'd for, and unthought,
From thē my purse & person both were fraught;
This was on
Augusts twenty sixt, a Friday,
Near
Dog dayes end, a very fair and drie day.
The next day, and the next I felt the bounty
Of the high Sheriff of
Sussex famous County;
He entertain'd me Saturday and Sunday,
And would have kept me 20 dayes past Monday.
There was a high and mighty drink call'd
Rug,
Sure since the Reigne of great King
Gorbodug
Was never such a rare infus'd confection,
Injection, operation, and ejection,
Are
Hogen Mogen Rugs, great influences
To provoke sleep, and stupifie the sences.
No cold can ever pierce his flesh or skin
Of him who is well lin'd with
Rug within:
Rug is a Lord beyond the Rules of Law;
It conquers hunger in the greedy maw:
And (in a word) of all the drinks potable,
Rug is most puisant, potent, notable.
Rug was the Capitall Commander there,
And his Lievtenant Generall was strong Beere.
Wine plenteous both in Bottles and in flaggons.
whose strēgth would quel S.
George & 20 draggōs
But
Asshuerus Laws were there inrol'd,
No man was forc'd to drink more then he would.
There was good
Will, good
Wills son, & good
Williā
As free as was the Emp'rour
Maximilian:
Beasts, fowls and fish, from earth, & sea & ayre
Unto the Table, well Cook'd, did repair,
There were rare Birds I never saw before
The like of them, I think to see no more:
Th'are called
Wheat ears, less then Lark or Sparrow,
Wel roasted, in the mouth they tast like marow.
When once tis in the teeth it is involv'd,
Bones, flesh, and all, is lushiously dissolv'd.
The name of
Wheat ears, on them is ycleap'd,
Because they come when wheat is yeerly reap'd.
Six weeks, or therabouts, they are catch'd there,
And are welnigh 11. months, God knows where.
My humble gratitude is heer exprest
To Mr. Sheriffe, and his beloved best;
His kindnes joind with hers, and hers with his,
Doth merit my unfaigned thankfulnes.
Unto my Cozen
Thomas Taylor there
My love remembred, and for my Samphiere
He promis'd me, I thank't him thrice before,
And when I have it, I will thank him more.
Twelve miles on Augusts 9. and 20. day,
From
Bourne to
Battell, 4. miles on my way
At
Pemsey doth a ruin'd Castle stand,
And there the Norman Conqueror did land.
Since his invading power arived there,
'Tis
[...]ow 500, 60, and 6. yeere.
Eight miles from thence, the Battel fierce was strook
Where bloud of 70000, like a Brook,
Or rather I may say like
Sanguin Rivers
Which down hills, it impetuously delivers
Into the Vales: and where that bloud was spilt
The Conqueror caus'd an Abbey to be built
Of stately structure, and what it hath been,
By great extended ruines may be seen.
VVhen Norman forces
England overcame,
From bloudy Battell,
Battell had its name.
This Abbey now is kept, by right and due,
By the Honourable Viscount
Montague.
That Lord repair'd some part magnificent,
And ther's good house kept, when hees resident.
That noble Lord is, in account most famous,
Though many miserable Lords doe shame us.
At th' Empereall crest, or Eagle spred,
My selfe and mare, were stabled, lodg'd and fed.
About the reckoning I did not contend,
My friend
T. H. paid all, and ther's an end.
August the thirtith, I rode on to
Hastings,
Wher was relief for men of severall tastings,
Or sundry pallats, put them altogether,
Or relisht appetites, take all or neither.
At
Hastings I staid not, but hastily
I ambled 6. miles unto
Winchelsey:
Which hath been counted in the dayes of yore,
(Untill the seas contended with the shore)
A famous sea Town, rich in merchandise,
But buried in the Ocean now it lies.
A Castle stands i'th sands, enduring flawes,
Gusts, tempests, storms, & times devouring jaws:
In twice twelve hours, 'tis twice embraced round
In th' arms of
Neptune, seeming to be drownd:
And when the flouds are eb'd into the main,
Three miles in sands 'tis compast round again.
In
Winchelsey that now is I could ken
Nothing worth observation of my pen.
Two miles from thence, upon a hill, stands
Rye,
And there I, at the Star, did lodge and lie:
More ods there is 'twixt singing songs and crying
Then was betwixt my lodging, and my lying.
I lodg'd by night, and I did lie by day,
And as upon a bed I musing lay,
The chamber hang'd with painted cloth, I found
My selfe with sentences beleaguerd round.
There was Philosophy and History,
Poetry Aenigmatick mystery.
I know not what the Town in wealth may be,
But sure, I on that chambers walls did see
More wit then al the town had, and more worth
Then my unlearned Muse can well set forth.
I will not hold my Reader in dilemma,
Thus truly, lying, I transcribed them a.
NO flower so fresh, but frost may it deface,
None fits so fast, but hee may lose his place:
Tis Concord keeps a Realme in Stable stay,
But Discord brings all Kingdomes to decay.
No Subject ought (for any kinde of Cause)
Resist his Prince, but yeeld him to the Lawes.
Sure God is just, whose stroake, delayed long,
Doth light at last, with paine more sharp, and strong
Time never was, nor n'ere I thinke shall be,
That Truth (unshent) might speake, in all things free.
This is the Sum, the Marrow and the Pith
My lying Chamber was Adorned with:
And 'tis supposed, those lines written there
Have in that Roome bin, more then 40 yeare.
Now, Reader take this notice more of
Rye,
'Tis worth Remembring, and I'le tell you why:
If to unloade your Bellies, Nature drive ye,
In all the Towne you'se scarcely finde a Privie.
For as our Sectaries, in Tubbs preach heere,
They make (Sir Reverence) Reverend Iakeses there,
Of Pulpets of Prophanity, and these
When they are full, are empti'd in the Seas.
My fare was good at
Rye, my Reck'ning small,
I thanke my noble friend, that payd for all,
Neete unto
Rye, 2 dirty Ferryes bee
So Muddy, that they mir'de my Mare and mee:
I past them, And on
vltima Augusti,
well meated, Mounted, man and beast both lusty;
I cross'd or'e
Gulford ferry, and I went
From
Rye in
Sussex unto
Hide in
Kent;
Septembers first day,
Sol, with golden eye
Gilt
Neptune with celestiall Alcaymie:
With sovereign splendor, kissing medows green,
And mantled hills tops were coruscant seen.
VVhen
Phoebus mounted was in glorious pride,
I mounted too, and rode away from
Hide.
Still as I past through sea Towns first and last,
I did enquire how businesses had past.
The people said that Guns did bounce & thump,
Betwixt our
English ships, and Dutch
Van Trump.
At
Rumney, and at
Hide, they were in sight,
Folks heard the drums to beat, and saw the fight.
Thus, little was the newes from sea or shore,
Our weekly News books will tel 3. times more.
From
Hide to
Dover, and to
Canterbury
Full 25. miles, dirty, wet and weary,
I took my lodging up, and down I lay
Till Friday came, Septembers second day.
Then with the Lamb I arose, and with the Lark
I got to
Gravesend when 'twas almost dark;
But I mistake, from sleep I rowz'd my head,
And rose with th'Lark, but went with Lamb to bed.
On th' way I was not vext with Gates or Stiles,
But three and thirty dirty Kentish miles,
With washing dashing ways, & rain wel sous'd,
It made my Mare and I glad to be hous'd:
The signe was
Welsh his pie-bald english
Bull;
I there was welcome empty, welcome full:
But at the high and mighty
Gravesend Whale,
I found most potent admirable Ale,
'Tis second to no drink, but
East-Bourne Rug,
Put it in Pot or Flaggon, Can or Jug;
You'le finde it is the grand Ale, and you'l grant,
That 'tis Ale Parramount, Predominant:
'Twas given me by a Friend; but let him end
With hanging, that loves
Ale more then his friēd
From
Gravesend (Satudray
Septembers third)
I rode without sputs, as I had been spurr'd:
I came to
London when the Clock struck one;
And so my Journey and my Booke is
DONE.
Amongst the Muses where the number Nine is,
The learned Poets end their Works with
Finis:
But when unlearned I have Volumes pen'd,
Finis is Latine, English Done's an End.
A POSTSCRIPT, Of some parts of SUSSEX and KENT that I Travelled, which I have borrowed out of Mr. SPEED.
SUSSEX
THE North part of this Shire confronts upon Surrey, and Kent: the West butteth upon Hamshire; and all the rest of the County lieth stretched along the British sea. The City of most account within this County is Chichester, a beautifull, and large Towne; yet for the statelinesse of buildings Lewes doth seeme to contend with it, where William de Warron built a strong Castle, whereunto the Barons, in time of those civill brotles resorted in warlike manner, and fought a great Battell against their Soveraigne and his sonne, wherein the King, [Page 26] Henry the third, had his horse slaine under him; Richard King of the Romans the Kings Brother was surprized, and taken in a Wind-mill; and Prince Edward (who was after that King Edward the first, or Longshankes) delivered vnto them upon unequall termes of peace.
Places of other note are these. Shore whence King Harold going upon the Sea for his pleasure in a small boate was driven upon the Coast of Normandy, where, by Duke William he was surprized, and retained, untill he swore to make him King after Edward the Confessor his death. West-Wittering where Ella the Saxon Landed when he came to conquer those partes, and gave the name to the Shoare from Cimen his Sonne. Finally Gromebridge where Charles Duke of Orleance father to Lewis the twelfth King of Fraunce, was long detained, being taken Prisoner at Agincourt. Yet I have beene in the Castle of Starborough where I was shewed the said Dukes Chamber, in Kent or the edge of Surrey.
KENT.
THis is the first Province that appeareth in the South of this Kingdome, and is bounded upon the North with the famous River Thamisis: on the East with the German sea, and Ocean: on the south with Sussex and the narrowe seas: and upon the West with Sussex and Surrey.
The cheifest City within this County is Canterbury which became famous, both for the conversion of the Saxons by St. Augustine, whereof eight of their Kings were there inter'd; as also was Thomas Becket Arch-Bishop of Canterbury.
The invincible Castle of Dover is a place of the greatest strength not onely of this County, but of the whole Kingdome, being the Key of the Realme; and as Iohn Rosse, and Lidgate affirme, was built by Julius Cesar. The chiefest and onely thing of admiration in this shire is a hole at Mottingame eight yards about, and a line of fiftie sadomes plummed into it, doth finde [Page 28]no bottome, where suddenly the ground sunke, and three greate Elmes therein growing, were swallowed vp into the earth. This shire claimeth the preeminence of Christianity before all places of England: for Lucius the first Christian British King in this Jland, built a Church within the Castle of Dover.
There is no other memory or token of the great Battell, which was fought at Ailesford, betweene Hengist the ambitious Saxon, and Vortimer the valiant Britaine, wherein Horsa, and Catigern, brethren to both Generalls were slaine, then a monument of Catigern, which is nothing else but foure stones pitched in the manner of the Stone henge, on Salsbury Plaine, and is vulgarly called Ciscoatehouse which is upon the plaine there.
Englands Kings have had two seats in this County, wherein they were went to make some aboade, in the Summer time: the one for their Court which is Greenwitch, the other for their pleasure, which is Eltham, very convenient for pastimes, and game for hunting.
There is also a place in this Shire called Tunbridge whither there is great concourse of infirms people, who finde present remedy for their maladies, by vertue of some Wells lately found out, which prove verie so [...]eraigne.
To all my Friends that have subscribed their Names and dwellings to my Bill.
ACcording as you pay, or pay me not;
So is my lucky or unlucky Lot:
I have made use of many friends before
Age tels me now I shall do so no more.
Some friends I have, and some small share of wit,
And want hath forc'd me to vse them, and it.
I, in my best of wishes will include
Their kindnesse, and my humble gratitude.
FINIS.