Curiosities of Great Britain: England and Wales Delineated Vol.1-11 Historical, Entertaining & Commercial; Alphabetically Arranged. 11 Volume set.

Part 9

Chapter 93,284 wordsPublic domain

[D] APPLETON. This village was the birth place of the famous physician and chemist, Edmund Dickinson, who was born in the year 1624. At 20 years of age he went to the university of Oxford; in 1655, (he published a work to prove) that the Greeks borrowed the story of the Pythian Apollo, and all that related to the Oracle of Delphos, from the Holy Scriptures. In consequence of some excellent cures, he was appointed Physician to Charles II., and afterwards became a convert to the doctrine of the Transmutation of Metals; and wrote a work, the object of which is to prove, "that the method and mode of the creation of the universe, (according to the principles of true philosophy,) are strictly and concisely laid down by Moses." He died in 1707.

[Sidenote: Birth place of the learned Edmund Dickinson]

[E] APPLETREWICK. In this village was born William Craven, the founder of the noble House of Craven, who by his industry and good conduct arose from an humble station to the dignity of Lord Mayor of London--a proof of the advantages attendant on industry.

[Sidenote: House of Craven.]

[A] ARBORFIELD, in the hundred of Sonning. In this parish, near the church, is an ancient Manor-house, well worthy of the observation of the Antiquary; it was built by the family of the Standens, who were Lords of the Manor in the 17th century. The last male heir of this ancient family was Edward Standen, the person alluded to in the popular ballad of Molly Mogg.

_Fair_, October 5, cattle.

[Sidenote: Molly Mogg.]

[B] ARDINGLEY. In the parish church are several monuments of the ancient families of the Wakehursts and Culpeppers; one of which is a tomb to the memory of Nicholas Culpepper and his lady, who died in the beginning of the sixteenth century. This monument bears his portraiture with that of his wife and eighteen children. Nicholas Culpepper, the celebrated herbalist and astrologer, was born in London in 1616, and after receiving his education at the university of Cambridge, was apprenticed to an apothecary. He came to London and settled in Spitalfields about 1642. He commenced a war with the College of Physicians, by accusing them of deceit and ignorance, and published a translation of their "Dispensary," giving an account of the supposed virtues of each drug, and the complaints in which they were used. He was also author of the "Herbal," which is written with much clearness, and distinctly explained. It passed through many editions. From the tenor of his writings, it may be gathered that he joined or at least favoured the Jesuits.

_Fair_, May 30, Pedlary.

[Sidenote: Culpepper, the herbalist and astrologer.]

[C] ARDSLEY. The birth place of James Nayler, a Quaker, who was remarkable both on account of the extravagance of the delusions which for some time possessed him and his followers, and the excessive severity of the punishment which was inflicted upon him. He was the son of an industrious little farmer, who supported his family by the cultivation of his own estate. About the age of twenty-two he married, and removed into the parish of Wakefield, where he continued till the breaking out of the civil wars in 1641. He then entered into the parliament army, and served as a soldier eight or nine years, at first under Lord Fairfax, and afterwards as quarter-master in major-general Lambert's troop in Scotland; till, being disabled by sickness, he returned home about the year 1649. At this time he was a member of the Independent party, and continued so till the year 1651, when the preaching of George Fox made him a convert to the communion of the Quakers, as they are called. Among them he soon commenced preacher, and, according to their judgment, acquitted himself well both in speaking and writing.

[Sidenote: J. Nayler, the Quaker, a remarkable fanatic;]

[Sidenote: becomes a soldier.]

In the beginning of the following year he imagined he heard a voice, calling upon him to renounce his kindred and his father's house, and go into the west, promising that God would be with him. In obedience to this voice, which he believed to be the voice of God, he went about preaching from place to place, and greatly increased the numbers of the new sect. Towards the close of the year 1654, or early in 1655, he came to London, where he found a meeting of Friends which had been established by Edward Burrough and Francis Howgill, among whom he so greatly distinguished himself by his preaching, that many drew invidious comparisons between him and his brethren, which created uneasiness and differences in the society. To such a length did these proceed, that some women, admirers of Nayler, assumed the liberty of interrupting and disputing with Howgill and Burrough in the midst of their preachings, and thus disturbed the peace of the meetings. For this conduct they were reproved by these preachers; upon which they complained so loudly and passionately to Nayler, that he was weak enough to take their part, and was so intoxicated with their flattering praises, that he became estranged from his best friends, who strongly disapproved of and lamented his conduct. In the year 1658 we find him in Devonshire, where he was committed to Exeter jail for propagating his opinions. Here he received letters from some of his female admirers and others, written in the most extravagant strains, calling him the everlasting Son of righteous--the Prince of peace--the only begotten Son of God--the fairest among ten thousand, &c., and some of his followers kneeled before him in the prison, and kissed his feet. It is but justice, however, to the Quakers in general to mention, that they had now disowned Nayler and his adherents.

[Sidenote: Committed to Exeter Jail for blasphemy.]

Soon afterwards Nayler was released from imprisonment, and intended to return to London, but, taking Bristol in his way, as he passed through Glastonbury and Wells, his deluded attendants strewed their garments before him. When they came to Bedminster, about a mile from Bristol, they carried their extravagance to the highest pitch; for they formed a procession in imitation of our Saviour's entrance into Jerusalem, in which a man walked bare-headed before Nayler, and a woman led his horse, while other women spread their scarfs and hankerchiefs in the road, and the company sung, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of hosts; Hosanna in the highest! holy, holy is the Lord God of Israel!" In this manner these mad people made their entrance into Bristol, marching through the mire and dirt, to the amazement of some, and the diversion of others; but the magistrates thought proper to interfere, and, after what had passed, committed them to prison. Soon afterwards they were sent to London and a committee was appointed by parliament to examine witnesses against Nayler, upon a charge of blasphemy, for admitting religious worship to be paid ti him, and for assuming the names and incommunicable titles and attributes of our blessed Saviour. Before the committee, he did not deny what was alleged concerning the extraordinary proceeding in Exeter jail, and at his entrance into Bristol; while defending himself by maintaining that the honours which he received were not shown to him, but to Christ who dwelt within him; and if they were offered to any other than to Christ, he disowned them.

[Sidenote: Extravagant conduct of his admirers.]

However, the committee having made a report to the house on the fifth of December, declaring the charge well founded, on the following day he was sent for, and heard at the bar; and on the eighth they resolved that "James Nayler is guilty of horrid blasphemy, and that he is a grand impostor, and a great seducer of the people." The next business to be determined on was, the nature of the punishment to be inflicted on him; which occupied the debate of the house, both on forenoons and afternoons, till the 16th of December, many members being for putting him to death, (and losing their vote, as secretary Thurloe informs us, only by fourteen voices,) while many other members totally disapproved of the severity which was used against him. At length, on the following day, after a considerable debate, the majority came to the resolution, "That James Nayler be set in the pillory, in the Palace-yard, Westminster, during the space of two hours, on Thursday next; and be whipt by the hangman through the streets from Westminster to the Old Exchange, and there likewise be set with his head in the pillory, for the space of two hours, between the hours of eleven and one on Saturday next; in each place wearing a paper, containing an inscription of his crimes: And that at the Old Exchange, his tongue be bored through with a hot iron; and that he be there also stigmatized in the forehead with the letter B: That he be afterwards sent to Bristol, and be conveyed into and through the said city on horseback, with his face backward, and there also publicly whipt the next market-day after he comes thither: And that from thence he be committed to prison in Bridewell, London, and there to labour hard till he be released by parliament; and, during that time, be debarred the use of pen, ink, and paper, and shall have no relief but what he earns by his daily labour."

[Sidenote: Condemned by the House of Commons for blasphemy.]

[Sidenote: Cruel sentence--his tongue bored with a hot iron.]

On the eighteenth of December, the first part of it was carried into execution with the greatest rigour; but he was brought into a state of such extreme weakness by his cruel whipping, that, upon repeated applications to the parliament, his punishment was respited for one week. The Protector was then addressed, and wrote a letter to the house, which, though it occasioned some debate, obtained no resolution in favour of the prisoner. On this the petitioners presented a second address to Cromwell; but, it is said the influence of the ministers prevented its effect.

[Sidenote: His punishment respited]

On the twenty-seventh of December, the remainder of Nayler's sentence was executed at the Old Exchange. Afterwards he was sent to Bristol, where he was publicly whipt, from the middle of Thomas-street, over the bridge to Broad-street. From Bristol, he was brought back to Bridewell, London, where he was confined about two years; during which his mind recovered from the frenzy which had governed it, and he felt deep humiliation and sincere repentance on account of his past conduct.

After the protector's death, Nayler was released from prison, and went to Bristol, where, in a public meeting, he made a confession of his offence and fall, in a manner so affecting as to draw tears from most of those who were present, and having afforded satisfactory evidence of his unfeigned contrition, was again received into the communion of his friends.

[Sidenote: His contrition and death.]

Nayler did not long survive his enlargement, for having left London in October 1660, with the intention of going home to his wife and children at Wakefield, he was taken ill in Huntingdonshire, where, it is said, he was robbed and left bound in a field. Whether he received any personal injury is not known, but being found towards evening by a countryman, he was carried to a friend's house, at Holm, near King's Ripon, where he expired in the month of December, when about 44 years of age. The expressions uttered by him about two hours before his death, both in justice to his name, which is so conspicuous in the history of the reveries of the human imagination, and on account of their own excellence, ought not to be omitted in the memoirs of his life.

"There is a spirit which I feel," said he, "that delights to do no evil, nor to revenge any wrong, but delights to endure all things, in hopes to enjoy its own in the end. Its hope is to outlive all wrath and contention, and to weary out all exaltation and cruelty, or whatever is of a nature contrary to itself. It sees to the end of all temptation: as it bears no evil in itself, so it conceives none in thoughts to any other. If it be betrayed, it bears it, for its ground and spring is the mercies and forgiveness of God. Its crown is meekness, its life is everlasting love unfeigned, and takes its kingdom with entreaty and not with contention, and keeps it by lowliness of mind."

His writings were collected together, and published in an octavo volume in 1716.

[A] ARKENGARTH-DALE contains lead mines, which were worked in the reign of King John, and they are still so valuable, that a few years ago the produce was estimated at 2000 tons annually; the inhabitants are chiefly miners.

[Sidenote: Valuable lead mines.]

[B] ARLSEY, or ARSLEY. This village was anciently a market town. In "Doomsday Book," (a book made by order of William the Conqueror, in which all the estates of the kingdom were registered;) its market on Wednesday is recorded, and the tolls valued at 10s. per annum. A fair was held here so long past as the year 1270; but both the market and fair have long been disused. An ancient entrenchment near the road to Baldock, called Etonbury, was probably the original site of the castle occupied by the Lords of the Manor. This castle appears to have a place of considerable strength. Amongst the ancient monuments in the church is one erected to the memory of Richard Edwards, who is called on his epitaph, the last Grand Reader of the Temple.

[Sidenote: An ancient entrenchment.]

[C] ARMATHWAITE. Near this village is a castle, situated on the of the delightful river Eden, in a deep vale; the building from its monastic gloom, appears rather to have been calculated for seclusion than security. The front has been modernized, and is built of hewn stone. Its antiquity has not been ascertained, certain it is the Skeltons resided here as early as the reign of Henry VIII. The most romantic and picturesque scenery surrounds this lovely spot. A magnificent hill throws its solemn shade on the tranquil surface of the river, here broadened into a lake like form. Amongst other grand masses of rock is a projecting crag of a bold and grotesque form called the Cat Glent, the rendezvous of many wild inhabitants of the feline tribe; beyond these is a mill and a few sequestered cottages. From this spot the river Eden is no longer tranquil, but rushing down a cataract pours in sonorous violence over a bed of opposing rock, whose immovable crags whirl the stream into eddies as it passes them in its fury. Near this place a nunnery was established by William Rufus, who like other profligates, "trembled amidst his impiety," and was willing enough to secure a chance of heaven, provided it could be obtained by any other means than virtuous practice. At the dissolution of Monasteries, owing to the frequent hostilities between the Scots and English, their income amounted to only 18 guineas per annum.

[Sidenote: Rendezvous of wild cats]

[Sidenote: Nunnery founded by William II.]

[D] ARMITAGE is situated on the river Soar, in the hundred of Offlow, South, including the hamlet of Handsacre. The entrance to the church is very curiously built in the Saxon style, and the chapel is separated from the nave by a handsome arch. The Grand Trunk Canal passes through a very noble subterraneous cavern or tunnel, in this parish. The town received its name from having been the residence of a hermit.

[Sidenote: A remarkable tunnel.]

[E] ARMLEY. This township is in the parish of St. Patrick, and the liberty of Leeds. It is situated on the banks of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, and of the river Aire, on which there are a number of mills employed in various branches of the clothing trade. An object once of great antiquarian curiosity, called Giants Hill, which was a Danish fortification, is now scarcely traceable, in consequence of its having been cut through to form the Leeds and Liverpool canal.