Flanders had the French King in tutelage; fo as, no doubt, by her mediation he drew a great concurrence, from that Kingdom, and the adjacent Provinces. For these reasons he loved her well; and I find his life little taynted with extravagant luft, for his pleasures were more of the field, than of the chamber; yet he had one illegitimate child, to keep it in fashion, namely, Deverel Lord of Notingham and Derby.

He left the fucceffion upon his fecond fon, not because he bare his name, though that perhaps might be some motive, nor because he thought him the best timbred to fupport it: But Robert, his eldest son, having openly rebelled agaynft him, and having (as they write) at a cafual encounter given him his life, which was too great a gift either to be forgotten, or acknowledged, he had reafon to prefer the more obfequious child. And I think we shall need to feek no farther. As for Henry his third fon, albeit he was born after his father was King, and the two former were but the iffue of a Duke of Normandy, fo as by ancient examples (if examples could carry diadems) he might, and perchance did expect the Crown; yet he left him, by our best relations, a bare legacy of five thoufand pounds.

Note the fober measure of that age, when it was a King's younger Son's portion, which is now scant an Alderman's: fo much is either wealth increased or moderation decayed.

But let me conclude my notes upon this heroical champion. He died not in his acquifitive, but native foyl: Nature itself (as it were) clayming a final intereft in his body. When fortune had done with him, but one thing fell out to difquiet his obfequies; that the place where he fhould be laid was put in

fuit, as having formerly, in the time of his power, been wrefted from the true owner; which awhile fufpended his interment, and became the declamatory theame of the religious men of that age; that fo great a conqueror of foreign lands fhould at

laft want earth at home to cover him. But it was the last of his worldly felicity; that, for the better establishment of his heir, he furvived his victory twenty years, eight months, and fixteen days: for Tempus omnia concoquit.

N°. XXIII.

Mr. FULLER'S Obfervations of the Shires.

HE firft came forth Effex a Grazier; with

T Northamptonbirta

calfes,

faid Effex, are no fooner fat, but London confumes them. The fame is my grievance, faid Northamptonshire, with my fheep, no fooner fed, but London devours them. Next comes out Kent, a Yeoman: but he fwore his fon fhould be a Knight: Northumberlend, a Collier: Wiltshire a plain man; complayning that all the Gentry coacht it up to the City, leaving their houses in the country dead commodities; truly dead, hofpitality, their foul, being gone, as appears by the never breathing of their noftrils.

Hearing this, London enters with a Crown on her head. They fnatch it from her, and having tafted already too much of her tyranny, refuse any further fubjection, and kick her away. Then would

Kent

Kent have the Crown for Canterbury, famous for the feat of a Metropolitan, and fhrine of the Saint Traitour Becket: Effex for Colchester, ennobled with the birth of Conftantine, the firft Chriftian Emperour: Northamptonshire for Northampton, which being feated almost in the navel of England, and unpartially distant from any out corner, was fittest to be the chief City.

On a fudden comes in a Gyant, Yorkshire. The reft, wondring at the vaftnefs of his body, hold their peace: he calls for Madam York. In fhe comes, a good old woman in a freeze coat. What would you do with me? quoth fhe; fpeak quickly, for I have a great deal of ale to tun will be fower and malt to turn, will be burnt, if I depart not quickly. Fie, madam York (faid Yorkshire) fcorn, that thy Lord Maiors hereafter should dabble in muddy ale: thou art now to be the Queen of England. Then put he the Crown on her head: when instantly she was infected with proud thoughts, comparing her Coney Street with the Strand, Oufe with Thames, Pavement with Cheapfide, St. Peter's with Paul's.

In came the rest of the Shires, to do homage to their new Queen: Cheshire, the Gentleman; Rutland, the Dwarf; Norfolk, the Councellour: but many Shires were abfent, whom Norfolk, having had a fee, excused, as his Clients. Darbyshire was fo leaden heeld, it could make no speed: befides it was fufpicious to be undermined in its abfence. Warwickshire could not come, being the center of England, and therefore against the rules of Philofophy, that it should move. Leicestershire was fick of the wind chollick, it had eaten fuch abundance of beanes. And the fame was the difeafe of Worcesterfhire, it had drunk fuch a deal of Sider. Middlefex,

not

not knowing, whether to come in the cloaths of a man, or the shape of a woman, of fet purpose abfented herself. Other Shires had other excuses. At laft comes in a Dr. of Divinity, Dr. Oxford; and after him Dr. Cambridge, defiring to be excufed, that he came laft; for Oxford, being a young, and youthful Univerfity, did eafily over-run him; whereas he, being older, could not keep pace with him. Tush (said Oxford) I am the ancienter Univerfity and you, Cambridge, abstain from approaching neer our Queen with your dirty feet, and ftinking breath: dirty feet; the uncleanness of your ftreets; and ftinking breath; the badness of your air and yet if your ftinking breath proceeded from your bad teeth, from the coales, that are burnt in your chimnies, perchance it were curable: but it comes from the badness of your lungs, those ever panting Fenns on the north fide, that ne're will be mending. The truth was, Oxford and Cambridge were at fo high words, as that they had gone together, if long Northamptonshire had not come betwixt them, and parted them: and fo for that time all departed.

Up comes London, with two attendants, Weftminster and Southwark, complayning, that now the Terms being removed to York, they were not able to pay their great rents for their houfes. Southwark used to be against London, but now fhe was on the fame fide with her, joined with a bridge of a common calamity. These two agreed to make a new Thames of their own tears; and Westminster to make a monument for herfelf. Then came forth Cornwall, and Devonshire. I fcorn (faith Devonshire) to go 300 miles to the beggarly City of York. But how fhall we help it? faid Cornwall. Yorkshire is a mighty Gyant. Tis true, faid Devonshire, but fubftract

from

from Yorkshire the Wildernesses in Craven, the millions of barren acres in Pickering Heath, together with the drowned grounds in Marshland, which the Dutchmen have made worse by drayning, and I dare boldly fay, Devonshire may vie reafonable fouls, and good grounds, with York herself. Then in comes Yorkshire with Madam York; Cornwall aflifts Devonshire; both fnatch the Crown from York.

Then rush in all the Shires, with a confused tumult. Bristow, a Town well prized, when Letters of Mart were given, and well efteemed of itself ever fince, claimed the Crown for itfelf. Devanfhire challenged it for Exeter, a place, where the Theenes have a confecrated place to be buried in, and though a dozen Churches, never a Churchyard, but the Cathedral. Norfolk would have it for Norwich; and fwore he would make it good out of Littleton, that the thatcht houfes in Norwich Market Stead were as handfome, as if they were leaded.

In comes a grave matron, Mother England, whose presence commands all filence. She reftores the Crown to London, which for the antiquity, capacity, navigability of the river, was fittest to be the chief. And whereas (faid England) you object, that the country Gentry fo flock up to the City; I perceive his Majefty (careful that the City fhould not fwell to a tympany by the confumption of the country) will have a provident Atturney, who fhall an-Noy all thofe, who, contrary to the Proclamation, fhall live longer in the City. And the advised the Shires, not to fall out; which were fo many several rooms of that houfe, whereof the King was the housekeeper: conceive Cornwall for the porch, Devonshire for the hall, Somersetshire for the fummer parlour (for it is too cold, and wet for VOL. I. Ee

the