fhaking fen*, is a curious monument of the infuperable zeal of the times it was erected in; as the beautiful tower of Boston church, vifible from all parts, is a magnificent fpecimen of a fine gothic taste.

Paffed near the fite of Swineshead Abby, of which there are not the left remains. In the walls of a farm-house, built out of the ruins, you are fhewn the figure of a Knight Templar, and told it was the monk who poisoned King John; a fact denied by our best historians. This abby was founded in 1134, by Robert de Greflei, and filled with Ciftertian monks.

Returned thro' Lincoln; went out of town under the NewportGate, a curious Roman work; paffed over part of the heath; changed horfes at Spittle, and at Glanford Bridge; dined at the ferry-house on the banks of the Humber; and after a paffage of about five-miles, with a brifk gale, landed at Hull, and reached that night BurtonConftable, the feat of Mr. Conftable, in that part of Yorkshire called Holderness; a rich flat country, but excellent for producing large cattle, and a good breed of horses, whofe prices are near doubled fince the French have grown so fond of the English kind.

Made an excurfion to Hornfea, a fmall town on the coaft, remarkable only for its mere, a piece of water about two miles long, and one broad, famous for its pike and eels; it is divided from the fea

This monaftery was founded by Ethelbald, king of Mercia, A. D. 716. The ground being too marfhy to admit a weighty building of ftone, he made a foundation, by driving into the ground vaft piles of oak; and caufed more compac earth to be brought in boats nine miles off to lay on them, and form a more found foundation.

JUNE 29. SWINESHEADABBY.

by

AMBER.

JULY 2.
SKIPSEY.

by a very narrow bank, fo is in much danger of being fome time or other loft.

The cliffs on the coaft of Holderness are high, and compofed of clay which falls down in vaft fragments. Quantity of amber is washed out of it by the tides, which the country people pick up and fell: it is found fometimes in large maffes, but I never faw any so pure fo and clear as that from the Baltic. It is ufually of a pale yellow color within, and prettily clouded; the outfide covered with a thin coarfe coat.

After riding fome miles over a flat grazing country, paffed through the village of Skipfey, once under the protection of a castle founded by Drugon or Drugan, a valiant Flandrian, who came over at the time of the conqueft. The Conqueror gave him in marriage one of his near relations; and as a portion, made him Lord of Holderness. Drugon by fome unlucky accident killed his fpoufe: but having his wits about him, haftened to the King, and informing his Majefty, that his Lady and he had a great defire to vifit their native country, requested a fum of money for that purpose: the Conqueror immediately fupplied the wants of Drugon; who had fcarcely embarked, when advice was brought from Skipfey of the death of the Lady: purfuit was inftantly made, but in vain; the artful Flandrian evaded all attempts to bring him to juftice*

Near this village is a confiderable camp; but I paffed too hastily to determine, of what nation.

A few miles farther is Burlington Quay, a finall town close to the fea. There is a defign of building a pier, for the protection of

MS. at Burton-Conftable.

shipping;

fhipping; at prefent there is only a large wooden quay, which projects into the water, from which the place takes its name. In February 1642, Henrietta, the fpirited confort of Charles I. landed here, with arms and ammunition, from Holland. Batten, a parlement admiral, had in vain tried to intercept her majesty; but coming foon after into the bay, brutally fired for two hours at the house where fhe lay, forcing her to take fhelter, half-dreffed, in the fields. Nor parlement nor admiral were ashamed of this unmanly deed; but their hiftorian, the moderate Whitelock, feems to blush for both, by omitting all mention of the affair. From hence is a fine view of the white cliffs of Flamborough- Head, which extends far to the Eaft, and forms one fide of the Gabrantvicorum finus portuofus of Ptolemy, a name derived from the British Gyfr, on account of the number of goats found there, according to the conjecture of Camden. Perhaps, Ευλιμεν, the epithet which Ptolemy adds to the bay, is ftill preserved in Sureby, or Sure-bay, a village a little north of Burlington Quay. That the Romans had a naval ftation here, is more strongly confirmed by the road called the Roman Ridge, and the Dikes, which go by Malion to York, are visible in many places, and ended here t.

A mile from hence is the town of Burlington. The body of the church is large, but the fteeple, by fome accident, has been destroyed; near it is a large gateway, with a noble gothic arch, the remains of a priory of black canons, founded by Walter de Camden, II. 899.

fire.

+ Drake's Hift. York. 34. Confult also his map of the Roman roads in York

VOL. I.

D

Gant,

JULY 3. FLAMBOROUGH HEAD.

Gant, in the beginning of the reign of Henry I. In that of Ri chard II, in the year 1388, the canons got liberty of inclofing their house with strong walls, to defend them from the attacks of pirates. I cannot help mentioning a proof of the manners of the clergy in early times, by relating a complaint of the prior to Innocent III. against the archdeacon of Richmond, who calling at this house with ninety seven-horses, twenty-one dogs, and three hawks, devoured in one hour, more provifion than would have lafted the monks a long time. The grievance was redreffed. William Wode, the laft prior, was executed for rebellion in 1537. At that time, according to Speed, the revenue was 6821. 13s. 9d. according to Dugdale, 5471. 6s. Id.

This coaft of the kingdom is very unfavorable to trees, for, except fome woods in the neighborhood of Burton-Conftable, there is a vaft nakedness from the Humber, as far as the extremity of Cathness, proper with a very few exceptions, which fhall be noted in their places.

Went to Flamborough-Head. This was the Fleamburg of the Saxons, poffibly from the lights made on it to direct the landing of Ida, who, in 547, joined his countrymen in these parts with a large reinforcement from Germany; and founded the kingdom of Northumberland. In the time of Edward the Confeffor, Flamborough was one of the manors of Harold, Earl of the Weft Saxons, afterwards King of England. On his death, the Conqueror gave it to Hugh Lupus, who, in perpetual alms, bestowed it on the monastery of Whitby +.

• Dugdale, Baron. I. 20.

↑ Dugdale, Monaft. I. 73.

The