In the Red Cliff, near Suckley, Mr. Allies states, is a hole called
"Black Jack's Cave," said to have been inhabited, about ninety years
ago, by a convict named Farnham, who had returned from transportation
before his time, and who used to climb up this cliff with all the
agility of a cat, even when laden with the spoils of the neighbourhood.
The parish of Stone contains a rock in which is a cave called "The
Devil's Den," and some horrifying tales are told of the fatal results
which happened to persons who attempted to penetrate therein.
There is a hole in a rock, called "The Fairies' Cave," in the hamlet of
Alfrick.
WORCESTERSHIRE DESCRIBED BY A ROUNDHEAD.
In the Essex papers published three or four years ago the following
description is given of this county and city, and also of Hereford:
"On the 30th, Wharton writes again--'Worcestershire is a pleasant,
fruitful, and rich country, abounding in corn, woods, pasture, hills,
and valleys, every hedge and highway beset with fruit, but especially
with pears, whereof they make that pleasant drink called perry, which
they sell for a penny a quart, though better than ever you tasted
at London. The city is more large than any I have seen since I left
London; it abounds in outward things, but for the want of the Word
the people perish. It is pleasantly seated, exceeding populous,
and doubtless very rich, on the east bank of that famous river the
Severn, the walls in a form of a triangle, the gates seven. There is
a very stately Cathedral called St. Mary's, in which there are many
stately monuments; amongst the rest, in the middle of the quire, is
the monument of King John, all of white marble, with his picture
thereon to the life. Sir, our army did little think ever to have seen
Worcester, but the Providence of God hath brought us thither, and
had it not, the city is so vile, resembles Sodom, and is the very
emblem of Gomorrah, and doubtless it would have been worse than either
Algiers or Malta--a very den of thieves, and a receptacle and refuge
for all the hell-hounds of the country.' From Worcester, Essex sent a
detachment under the Earl of Stamford to surprise Hereford, in which
Nehemiah Wharton served. He states that they got into Hereford by
telling the Mayor that Essex was at hand with all his army. 'The city
is well situated on the Wye, environed with a strong wall, better than
I have seen before, with five gates, and a strong stone bridge of six
arches, surpassing Worcester. In this place there is the stateliest
market-place in the kingdom, built with columns after the manner of the
Exchange; the Minster every way exceeding Worcester; the city not so
large; the inhabitants totally ignorant of the ways of God, and much
addicted to drunkenness and other vices, but principally unto swearing,
so that the children that have scarce learnt to speak, do universally
swear stoutly. Many here speak Welsh. Sabbath-day, the time of morning
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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