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page 262

For, this great honor done to the barbarous Dane, could not reclaime and stay his minde, from rapine and spoiling still. From thence it runneth downe and receaveth from the East a brooke passing by Bullingdon, in whose parish is a place called Tibury hill, and containeth a square field by estimation of ten acres ditched about, in some places deeper than other, wherin hath beene found tokens of Wells, and about which the ploughmen have found squared stones, & Romane coines, as they report for the place I have not seene. This brooke entreth into Test neere Worwhell, where Queene Aelfrith built a Monasterie to expiate and make satisfaction for that most foule and hainous fact, wherwith so wickedly she had charged her soule by making away King Edward her husbands sonne: as also to wash out the murdering of her former husband Athelwold a most noble Earle, whom King Edgar trained forth hither a hunting and then strake him thorow with a dart, because hee had deluded him in his love secrets, and by deceitfull and naughty meanes prevented him and gotten for himself this same Aelfrith the most beautifull Ladie that was in those daies. After this Test having taken into it a little river from Wallop, or more truly Well-hop, that is, by interpretation out of our forefathers ancient lanaguage, A prety well in the side of of an hill, wherof that right worshipfull familie the Wallops of Knights degree dwelling hard by tooke name: seeketh for BRIGE or BRAGE an ancient towne likewise placed by Antonine nine miles from Sorbiodunum: at which distance betweene Salisburie and Winchester he findeth not farre from his banke, Broughton a small countrie towne: which if it were not that BRAGE, I verily beleeve that it was then utterly destroied when William of Normandie laid all even with the ground heere abouts to make that forrest, beforementioned. Then goeth this river to see Rumsey, in Saxon speech [Rumseg]. A nunnery founded by King Edgar, the large Church whereof yet standeth; out of the which Marie daughter of King Stephen being there Abbesse, & his only heire surviving, was conveied secretly by Mathew of Alsace sonne to the Earle of Flaunders, and to him married.
But after she had borne to him two daughters, was enforced by sentence of the Church to returne hither again according to her vow. Thence glideeth this water streight into Anton Haven, at Arundinis Vadum, as Bede called it and interpreteth it himselfe Reedeford: but now of the bridge where the foord was named, for Redeford, Redbridge: where, at the first springing up of the English Saxon Church, there flourished a Monasterie, the Abbat whereof Cymbreth as Beda writeth, baptised the two brethren being very little ones of Arvandus the pety King of Wight, even as they were ready to be put to death. For, when Cedwalla the Saxon set upon the Isle of Wight, these small children to save their lives fled to a little towne called Adlapidem, and hid themselves there, untill at length being betraied, they were at Cedwallaes commandement killed. If you aske me, what this litle towne, Adlapidem, should be, I would say it were Stoneham, a small village next to Redebridge, which the very signification of the name may evidently prove for me. The other river that runneth forth at the East-side of Southamton, may seeme to have been called Alre: For, the mercate towne standing upon the banke thereof, not farre from ponds out of which it issueth, is called Alres-ford, that is, The ford of Alre. This towne, (to use the words of an old Record of Winchester): Kinewalce the religious King instructed in the Sacraments of faith by the Bishop Birinus at the very beginning of Christian religion (in this tract,) with great devotion of heart gave unto the Church of God at Wenta. In the yeere of grace 1220. Godfrey Lucy Bishop of Winchester made a new market place heere and called it Novum forum that is, New mercate, in regard haply of old Alres-ford adjoining thereto. But this new name continued not long with the people, who in the matter of speech carrie the greatest strok. Neere heereunto is Tichborn, which I must not omit, for that it hath given name to a worshipfull and ancient familie.
Upon the West banke of this river is situate the most famous Citie of the British Belgians, called by Ptolomee and Antoninus Venta Belgarum, by the Britans of Wales even at this day, Caer Gwent: by the Saxons in old time Wintanceaster, in Latine commonely Wintonia, and by us in these daies of Winchester. Yet there be

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