Land about the Springs almost all over-run with Brambles, like a Bog, into which the Pigs directly immerged themTelves; and fo delighted were they in wallowing in their warm ouzy Bed, that BLADUD was unable to get them away, 'till exceffive Hunger made them glad to follow the Prince for Food: Then by a Sachel of Acorns fhook, and flightly ftrew'd before them, BLADUD drew his Herd to a convenient Place to wash and feed them by Day, as well as to fecure them by Night; and there he made diftinct Crues for the Swine to lie in; the Prince concluding, that by keeping the Pigs clean and feparate, the Infection would foon be over among the whole Herd: And in this Pufuit he was much encouraged, when, upon washing them clean of the Filth with which they were covered, he obferved fome of the Pigs to have shed their hoary Marks. "BLAUDUD had not been fettled many Days at this Place (which from the Number of Crues took the Name of Swinefwick) before he, by driving his Herd into the Woods for Food, loft one of his best Sows; nor could he find her during a whole Week's diligent Search; but at last accidentally paffing by the hot Springs, he obferved the ftrayed Animal walJowing in the Mire about the Waters; and on washing her, the appeared perfectly cured of the Leprofy. "The Prince ftruck with Astonishment at this, and confidering with himfelf, that if the Cure of the Sow was owing to her wallowing in the Mud and Waters, why he fhould not receive the fame Benefit, by the fame Means, inftantly refolved to try the Experiment; and thereupon tripping himfeif naked, plunged himself in the Sedge and Waters; wallowing in them as the Sow and his other Pigs had done; and repeated it every Morning before he turned out his Herd to feed, and every Night after crueing them up: So that in a few Days his white Scales began to fail of; and then BLADUD was convinced that the hot Waters had Virtues of the greatest Efficacy for his Diforder. "The Prince therefore, with the ftrongest Hopes of obtaining a perfect Cure for himfelf and Pigs, came daily from Swinewick to the hot Springs, bringing Part of his Herd with him, and bathed in the Mud and Waters alternately 'till they had all received the Cure he hop'd and prayed for: After which which BLADUD drove his Swine Home, and not only told his Mafter who he was; but gave him a particular Account of his late Disorder, and that he by a Miracle of Heaven was restored again to his Health; the Prince, at the fame Time, affuring the Swineherd, that as soon as he should come to the Crown he would make him a Gentleman, and give him an Eftate fuitable to his Dignity. "The Swineherd liftened with great Attention to what his Servant faid; and notwithstanding he faw a wonderful Change in his Counterance from what he had obferved before, yet he could not avoid looking upon him as a Madman, and more efpecially for faying he was the King's only Son: But BLADUD, by the Uniformity of his Behaviour, and the Politenefs of his Converfation, fo far removed his Master's Suspicion, that at last he gave fuch Credit to what he said, as made him refolve upon conducting him to Court, to be fatisfied of the Truth of it. "As foon as Matters were prepared for the Journey, the Prince and his Mafter fat out for the Palace of LUD HUDIBRAS and after their Arrival there, it was not long before BLADUD found an Opportunity, while the King and Queen were dining in Public, of putting the Ring his Mother had given him into a Glafs of Wine that was prefented to her; which the Queen, after drinking the Liquor, no fooner perceived at the Bottom of the Glafs, than the knew it to be the Token he had given her Son; and with Raptures cried out, Where is BLADUD, my Child "At thefe Words an univerfal Confternation overfpread the whole Affembly; and while thePeople were looking at one another with Surprize and Amazement, the Prince made his Way through the Crowd; and proftrating himself before. the King and Queen, he was thereupon, to the great Aftonishment and Satisfaction of his Master, received by them, and all the Nobles prefent, though in his Shepherd's Cloaths, with the utmoft Tranfports of Joy, as the Heir Apparent to the British Crown; but could not be prevailed upon to tell where or how he got his Cure. "When the Rejoicings were over on the happy Event of BLADUD's Return from Exile, and the young Prince had fent his his Mafter Home, loaded with Prefents, he began to folicit his Father for Leave to take a Journey into foreign Parts, not only to improve himself in the Knowledge of Things, but to be out of the Way of those who had been the Caufe of his Banishment from Court, the better to stifle his Refentment for fuch cruel Ufage; and the King approving of his Son's Designs and Reasons, refolved upon sending him to Greece, as he was a Youth of a very extraordinary Genius, to be inftructed in the Learning which the Grecians were then eminent for all over the World.. "Embaffadors were therefore immediately appointed to go to thofe learned People, and notify to them the King's Intention; LUD HUDIBRAS, at the fame Time, ordering a numerous Retinue, arrayed in the moft fplendid Manner, to attend his Son: But BLADUD befeeched his Father to omit all this, and instead of sending him Abroad as the Heir Apparent of the British Crown, to permit him to fet out on his Travels as a private Perfon, dreffed in the Habit of a Student, delirous of nothing but the Attainment of Knowledge. "The King, after many perfuafive Arguments, complied with his Son's Defire; and BLADUD fet out for Greece, chufing Athens for his chief Place of Abode; and continuing eleven Years Abroad, learned Philofophy, Mathematics, and Necromacy: So that at at his Return to Britain, he was of great Service to his Father in the Management of the Government; whereby he learned the Art of Ruling fo well, that when LUD HUDIBRAS died, and BLADUD fucceeded him, no Monarch could be more capable of governing a Nation than he was. "BLADUD had no fooner afcended the British Throne, than he went to the hot Springs where he had got his miracu lous Cure, when in Exile, and made Cifterns about them; built himself a Palace near thofe Cifterns, with Houfes for the Chief of his Subjects; and then removed, with his whole Court, to the Palace and Houfes he had erected; which from thence-forward went under the Title of Caeibren, and became the capital Seat of the British Kings. "After this BLADUD fent for his old Mafter, and gave him a handfome Eftate near the Place where he lived; which he fettled fettled upon him and his Heirs forever; building thereon a Manfion-Houfe for him, Habitations for his Family and Servants, and proper Crues for his Herds of Swine: Thefe together made a Town, divided into two Parts, the NorthTown and the South-Town, to which the Swineherd affixed the Name of thofe Animals that had been the Cause of his good Fortune; and, to this Day, the North Part of the Town is called Hogs-Norton; but by fome Norton-Small-Reward, from a Tradition that the King's Bounty was looked upon, by the Swineherd, but as a finall Reward for what he had done for him." When thefe Works were compleated, BLADUD applied himfelf to nothing but ingenious Studies, which he purfued with fo much Affiduity, that he taught Necromancy in his Kingdom; pursuing his magical Operations, 'till he attempted to fly to the upper Regions of the Air, with Wings he had invented for that Purpofe; but unfortunately falling on aTemple in the City of Trinovantum, dedicated to APOLLO, was thereby dashed to Pieces. After his Death his Body was depofited at New Troy, as the Rev. Mr. Jofeph Glanville, formerly Rector of Bath, declares it was found recorded in a Couple of old Manufcript Chronicles, one of which Chronicles Doctor PEIRCE acknowledges to have been in his Poffeffion when he published his Bath Memoirs in the Year 1697. New Troy, mentioned in thiefe Chronicles, as well as Trinovantum, where BLADUD met with his tragical Death, appears (as handed down to us and explained by fome ancient Hiftorians) to have been one and the fame Place, and that no other than the City of Bath. This City being furrounded with an ampitheatrical Circle of Hills, and likewife fituated to the Weft, is a confiderable Addition to its Delights: For HIPPOCRATES was of Opinion, that a City fo advantageously placed, and fo much shelteredfrom the North-easterly Winds, must be the most healthiest Place of Habitation. Although its Situation is low, yet the Salubriousness of the Air, from the Vapours of the boiling Springs, greatly con tributes tributes to the Health of the Place. The late Mrs. CHANDLER, in her Poem, entitled, A Defcription of Bath, (printed for Mr. LEAKE) makes the following just Observation: "The min'ral Steams which from the Baths arife, "From noxious Vapours clear the neighb'ring Skies: "When Fevers bore an epidemic Sway, Unpeopled Towns, fwept Villages away; "While Death Abroad dealt Terror and Defpair, It is here proper to give fome Account of the Bath Waters, the Caufe of their Heat, the many Disorders they are of infinite Service in, the beft Time of drinking them, and the Quantity generally taken. The Bath Waters certainly owe their Original to a Mixture and Fermentation of two different Sources, diftilling from the Tops of two Mountains (Claverton and Lansdown) meeting in the Valley where the Town ftands; for all Hills are a Neft of Metals or Minerals, and their Bowels are cavernous and hollow. It is not therefore impoffible, that on Claverton-Down there fhould lie the fulphureous Matter, which must rise by Impregnation from that excellent Stone lying in feveral Parts of the Mountain, which hardens in the Air, and grows cafed with a nitrous Coat by Time and. cold Weather; for all Mineral Waters owe their Virtue to an Impregnation of Rain Water, generated from the Clouds, which are compreffed in their Courfe by Mountains or Eminences, and fall on the refpective included Mineral. And it's very well known that a due Mixture of Sulphur, and Filings of Iron, moistened with Water, will produce any Degree of Heat. This Stone, therefore, must have a large Quantity of fulphureous or bituminous Matter in its Compofition, as will be evident to a natural Philofopher, from thefe mentioned Qualities; neither is it improbable, that the ferruginous or Iron- tinctured Water takes its Rife from Lanfdown; the Stone of it being hard, and on the Top flinty, black, and acrimonious, as Iron Ore is known to be.— Thefe |