Chronicles (1 of 6): The Description of BritaineHolinshed, Raphael
History
Chronicles (1 of 6): The Description of Britaine
Holinshed, Raphael
Great Britain -- History -- To 1485; Great Britain -- History -- Tudors, 1485-1603
In like sort they want venemous beasts, chéefelie such as doo delight in
hotter soile, and all kinds of ouglie creatures. Their ewes also are so
full of increase, that some doo vsuallie bring foorth two, three, or
foure lambes at once, whereby they account our anelings (which are such
as bring foorth but one at once) rather barren than to be kept for anie
gaine. As for wild and tame foules, they haue such plentie of them, that
the people there account them rather a burthen to their soile, than a
benefit to their tables: they haue also neat and gotes, whereby they
abound in white meat, as butter and cheese: wherein, next vnto fish, the
chéefe part of their sustenance dooth consist. There is also a bishop of
the Orchades, who hath his see in Pomona the chéefe of all the Ilands,
wherein also are two strong castels, and such hath béene the
superstition of the people here, that there is almost no one of them,
that hath not one church at the least dedicated to the mother of Christ.
Finallie, there is little vse of physicke in these quarters, lesse store
of éeles, and least of frogs. As for the horsses that are bred amongst
them, they are commonlie not much greater than asses, and yet to labour
and trauell, a man shall find verie few else-where, able to come neere,
much lesse to match with them, in holding out their iournies. The seas
about these Ilands are verie tempestuous, not onelie through strong
winds, and the influences of the heauens and stars; but by the contrarie
méetings and workings of the west ocean, which rageth so vehementlie in
the streicts, that no vessell is able to passe in safetie amongst them.
Some of these Ilands also are so small and low, that all the commoditie
which is to be reaped by anie of them, is scarselie sufficient to
susteine one or two men: and some of them so barren and full of rocks,
that they are nothing else but mosse or bare shingle. Wherefore onelie
thirtéene of them are inhabited and made account of, the rest being left
vnto their sheepe and cattell. Of all these Ilands also Pomona is the
greatest, and therfore called the continent, which conteineth thirtie
miles in length, and is well replenished with people: for it hath twelue
parish churches, and one towne which the Danes (sometime lords of that
[Sidenote: Kirkwa.]
Iland) called Cracouia: but now it hight Kirkwa. There are also two
pretie holds, one belonging to the king, the other to the bishop: and
also a beautifull church, and much building betweene the two holds, and
about this church, which being taken as it were for two townes, the one
is called the kings and the other the bishops towne. All the whole Iland
is full of cliffes and promontories, whereby no small number of baies
and some hauens are producted.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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