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of his own merit deferve to be recorded. fume not," fays he, "to expect the applaufe of my contemporaries; but I hope, that when favour and malevolence are no more, I fhall receive from impartial pofterity the character of an induftrious though not an eloquent historiographer." In his hiftory, he bears ftrong teftimony to the existence of English wines.

This vale" (fpeaking of the vale of Gloucester, where he had chiefly fpent his days)" is more abundant in vineyards than any other part of England. They produce great quantities of fweet grapes, the wine of which is hardly inferior in flavor to that of France."

The

In 1148, Geoffrey de Magnaville was made earl of Effex. Being afterwards ill-treated by king Stephen, he was driven to revolt, committed many acts of violence, and died in a fate of excommunication. templars, having wrapped his body in lead, hung it on a tree in the garden, in which fituation it remained till he was abfolved. He lies in the temple church in London; his ftatue is armed, and has a monk's cowl round the neck.

Geoffrey of Monmouth, bishop of St. Afaph, was a famous hiftorian, in the reign of Henry I. Too much ridicule has been thrown on his hiftory. It was not his own. The greateft part of it was tranflated from an Armorican manufcript. The whole is a romance; and, in those days, romance was a species of writing much honoured.

Henry of Huntingdon, a prieft, poet, and hiftorian, died in 1170. Mr. Warton has published a long letter of this author to a friend, on the contempt of the world, which contains many curious anecdotes of the kings, nobles, prelates, and other great men, who were his contemporaries.

William Little, better known by his Latin name Gulielmus Neubrigienfis, compofed a history of England in five books, from the Norman conqueft to 1197, which, for veracity, regularity of difpofition, and purity of language, is one of the most valuable productions of this period.

John

John of Salisbury, who died in 1128, was a man of fuch learning, that when his adherence to the turbu. lent Becket forced him into exile, his inerit gained him the fee of Chartres, in France. His work "De nugis curialium, et viftigiis philofophorum," is the most curious and valuable monument of the English literature of the 12th century.

Giraldus Cambrenfis, who died in 1198, wrote "A Hiftory of the World," in which his information refpecting ecclefiaftical affairs is extremely valuable. In 1172, he was put in poffeffion of feveral benefices, one of which he obtained by convicting the incumbent of keeping a concubine. Being vain and conceited, he expatiates on the exquifite delight which he gave at Oxford, by publicly reading his books. He alfo fpeaks of his Latin fermons, which excited the honeft Welshmen to take the crofs for the recovery of Jerufalem, though they did not understand a word of the language in which he had preached. He dwells with transport on his own princely lineage, which, he avers, made Henry II. fo jealous of him, as to hinder his prefer

ment.

This æra alfo boafted the Anacreon of England, Walter Mapes, the witty archdeacon of Oxford, and chaplain to Henry II. He fupported the caufe of the married clergy against pope Innocent, in the following humourous verfes :

"Prifcian's head to break 'tis faid
It is your intention;

Hic and hæc he bids us take
To the priest's declenfion.

One of these you harshly seize
And rob us of our treasure,

Hic alone for had must moan,
'Tis our pontiff's pleasure."

of the fopperies of courts, and the footsteps of philofophers.

CHAP. VII.

COMMERCE. A. D. 1066-1216.

THE commerce of England, which had not been contemptible even during the ravages of her various fpoilers, began in this period to increase with fome rapidity. Befides London, whofe opulent traders were ftyled barons, York, Bristol, Canterbury, Exeter, and many other towns, grew rich and respectable by their attention to trade and navigation. It is painful to relate that for fome years after the Roman invafion, flaves continued to compofe a part of the exports from England, notwithstanding the decree iffued by the great council againft this odious traffic. More laudable exports were horfes, wool, leather, cloth, corn, lead and tin. The imports were gold, precious ftones, filk, tapeftry, furs, wines and fpices. So important did the regulation of their wines appear to the Anglo-Normans, that a jury was appointed in every city to examine, the merits and fettle the value of this enticing commodity. Spices were favourite ingredients in their meat, drink, and medicines. The Sabæans imported to London their frankincenfe and other spices; and from the rich country about Babylon they brought oil of palms.

Little alteration was made by the Norman invaders in the coins used by the Anglo-Saxons. In the course of this period, the filver penny is fometimes called an efterling or fterling; and good money in general is fometimes called efterling, or sterling money. It is unneceffary to mention the various conjectures of antiquaries about the origin and meaning of this appellation. The most probable opinion feems to be that some artists from Germany, who were called Efterlings, from the fituation of their country, had been employed in fabricating our money, which confifted chiefly of filver pennies; and that from them the penny was called an efterling, and our money efterling or sterling money.

CHAP.

CHAP. VIII.

MANNERS. A. D. 1066-1216.

THE very fingular spirit of chivalry which began to display itself about the beginning of this period, and was introduced into England by the Normans, gave a new turn to the education of the young nobility and gentry, in order to fit them for obtaining the honour of knighthood, which was then an object of am-, bition to the greatest princes.

Thofe noble youths, who were defigned for the profeffion of arms and the honours of knighthood, were early taken out of the hands of the women, and. placed in the family of fome great prince or baron.

At their firft entrance into this fchool of chivalry, they acted in the capacity of Pages or Valets. For thofe names, which are now appropriated to domeftic, fervants, were then fometimes given to the fons and brothers of kings. In this ftation they were inftructed in the laws of courtefy and politenefs, and in the first, rudiments of chivalry, and martial exercifes, to fit, them for fhining in courts, at tournaments, and on the field of battle. Henry II. received this part of his education in the family of his uncle, Robert earl of. Gloucefter, who was one of the moft accomplished knights of the age in which he flourished. After they had fpent a competent time in the ftation of pages, they were advanced to the more honourable rank of efquires. Then they were admitted into more familiar intercourfer with the knights and ladies of the court, and perfected in dancing, riding, hawking, hunting, tilting, and other accomplishments. necellary to fit them for performing the offices of knighthood, to which they afpired. In a word the courts of kings, princes, and great barons, were a kind of colleges of chivalry, as the universities were of the arts and fciences; and the youth in both advanced through feveral degrees to the highest honours.

G 3

The

The exercifes of the youth in these schools of chivalry are thus defcribed by a celebrated writer in the reign of Henry II. Every Sunday in lent, immediately after divine fervice, crowds of noble and fprightly youths, mounted on war horfes, admirably trained to perform all their turnings and evolutions, ride into the fields in diftinct bands, armed with lances and shields, and exhibit representations of battles, and go through all their martial exercifes. Many of the young nobility, who have not yet received the honour of knighthood, iffue from the king's court, and from the houfes of bilhops, earls, and barons, to make trial of their courage, frength, and fkill in arms. The hope of victory roufes the fpirits of these noble youths; their fiery horfes neigh and prance, and champ their foaming bits. At length the fignal is given, and the fports begin. The youths, divided into oppofite bands, encounter one another. In one place fome flee, and others purfue, without being able to overtake them. In another place, one of the bands overtakes and overturns the other.""

11

The martial sports, commonly called tournaments, were very favorite diverfions in thofe ages. When a prince had refolved to hold a tournament, he fent heralds to the neighbouring courts and countries to pub. lifn his defign, and to invite all brave and loyal knights to honour the intended folemnity with their prefence. This invitation was accepted with the greatest joy, and a vaft number of ladies and gentlemen commonly af fembled. All the knights, who propofed to enter the lifts, ung up their fhields in the cloister of a neighbouring monaftery, where they were viewed by the ladies and knights. If a lady touched one of the fhields, it was confidered as an accufation of its owner, who was immediately brought before the judges of the tournament, tried with great folemnity, and if found guilty of having defamed a lady, or of Having done any thing unbecoming the character of a true and courteous knight, he was degraded, and ex. pelled the affembly with every mark of infamy. The