other two: but the silver dish, and the cloth in Westminster-hall, to the west door of the abbey-church, only, were allowed. Bedford was made a dukedom by Henry the Fifth. The first who possessed the title was John Plantagenet, third son of Henry the Fourth. The illustrious actions of this great and memorable character are particularly detailed in our histories. He was several times constituted Lieutenant of the whole realm of England, during the absence of the King, while employed in the conquest of France. He defeated the French fleet at the mouth of the Seine; and was afterwards Regent of France during the minority of Henry the Sixth. In this situation the exertion of his splendid talents rendered the superiority of his country manifest, in a season pregnant with misfortune, and teeming with difficulty. He died at Rouen, in 1435, and was buried in the cathedral of that city. His death operated like a mildew on the English banner, stopping the progress of its success, and dimming the lustre of its glory. His monument was visited by Charles the Eighth of France: on that occasion, a nobleman, who accompanied the King, solicited him to give orders for the demolition of the tomb: but his Majesty refused, with this remarkable answer: "Let him rest in peace, now he is dead: it was when he was alive, and in the field, that FRANCE dreaded him." The second duke was George Nevil, second surviving son to the earl of Salisbury. He was advanced to this dignity about the the tenth of Edward the Fourth; but in the seventeenth of the same King was deprived of his honors by authority of parliament, under pretence, that his income was not equal to his rank, and that needy nobles are always burdensome or oppressive to their neighbours. The true reason of the King's displeasure, by which the parliament was induced to pass this act, is supposed to have originated with the Marquis Montacute, the duke's father, who had sided with the house of Lancaster. Jasper de Hatfield, Earl of Pembroke, was the third duke. He was honored with this title by his nephew, Henry the Seventh, whom he had rescued from imminent danger at the battle of Bosworth Field. It It afterwards reverted to an earldom, and was bestowed by King Edward the Sixth upon John Russel, of whose origin the reader will find some particulars annexed to our account of the family seat at Woburn. At ELSTOW, about one mile from Bedford, and opposite to Newenham, was an abbey of Benedictine nuns, founded by Judith, niece to the Conqueror, and wife to Waltheof, Earl of Huntingdon. It was dedicated to the Holy Trinity, the Virgin Mary, and Helena, the mother of Constantine the Great. At the dissolution its revenues were valued at 2841. 12s. 112d. The church is a very fine structure, with a detached tower on the north-west. The arch at the north door is beautifully ornamented in the zigzag manner. The three arches of the chancel are round with square pillars. In the church are several shields in stone, with the cross and memorials of the passion: these, it is probable, were the abbey arms. The celebrated, ingenious and pious writer, Mr. John Bunyan, was born in this village in 1628. Having received the rudiments of a common education, he was bred to the business of a brazier, and worked as a journeyman at Bedford. At the breaking out of the civil wars, he entered into the parliament army, where he was converted, and became a baptist. He commenced preaching about 1656, and continued that avocation till the year 1660, when the mistaken policy of the times caused him to be arrested, and thrown into prison, where he remained twelve years. During that time he supported himself and his family by the making and tagging of long thread laces. The friendly offices of Bishop Barlow, of Lincoln, released him from confinement. After this he went through various parts of the kingdom, practising the duties of an itinerant minister. On the issuing of the famous declaration by James the Second for liberty of conscience, Mr. Bunyan settled at Bedford, where his exertions procured him an extensive congregation. He died in 1688 at London. This author's works have been printed in two volumes folio. His writings are ingenious, but strongly tinctured with the debasing debasing spirit of Calvinism. His allegory of the Pilgrim's Progress has, perhaps, gone through more editions than any book in the world, excepting the Bible. It was written during his confinement in the county goal. DUNSTAPLE, OR DUNSTABLE.* The origin of this town lies buried, with many others, in the ruins of antiquity. That it was a British settlement prior to the invasion of the Romans, the derivation of the name given to it by Antoninus renders extremely probable: and that it was a principal station of the latter people, the intersection of the two main roads, and the stupendous earth-work in the vicinity, are unquestionable testimonies. The words Maes Gwyn, or the White Field, which, according to Mr. Baxter, become Magionuinion in the plural, agree so well with its situation on a chalky soil, that a doubt of its being the Magiocinium of the Itinerary can hardly be entertained. The etymology of the name Dunstaple must be deduced from other sources. From the monkish record quoted by Camden, it appears that the structure at the meeting of the Watling and Ikening ways was first raised by Henry the Elder to curb the practices of DUN, a famous robber, and his associates; and from him the place was called Dunstaple. This ridiculous derivation is undeserving of credit. That the residence or stable of a notorious freebooter should have been left undisturbed, after the establishment of a regular government, and the vengeance of the laws contented by only circumscribing the scope of his knavery, cannot be believed for a single moment. Yet, as most stories, however absurd, are founded on realities, we may conclude, that, after the town had been ruined by the Danes, it was neglected, and became an harbour for thieves, who easily eluded pursuit in the woods * The latter name is generally adopted, though the former is more ancient, and better corresponds with its etymology. woods with which the country is reported to have been overrun; and that this circumstance induced Henry the First to attempt a second colonization of this spot. To effectuate his purpose, the Monarch issued a proclamation, offering great privileges to such of his subjects as chose to settle at Dunstable: and, in order to destroy the shelter of the robbers, he directed the woods to be grubbed up, and established both a fair and a market. The most obvious etymology, therefore, is from Dunum, or Dun, a Hill, (explanatory of its situation,) and Staple, Merchandise, or Mart for Commerce, as it was rendered by Henry's market. Dunstable is seated near the entrance of the Chiltern hills, at the junction of the Icknield and Watling streets. The name of the former is still preserved in that of Hickmill, which issues from the town on the north side of the church, and is said to connect the cities of Oxford and Cambridge. The town consists of four principal streets, intersecting each other at right angles, and running nearly in the direction of the cardinal points. The houses are mostly of brick, and some of them have the appearance of considerable antiquity. As the soil is destitute of springs, the inhabitants are supplied from four large ponds, in which the rain-water from the hills is collected, and prevented soaking into the earth by chalky bottoms. No water can be obtained from wells, but at the depth of one hundred and sixteen feet, whence it is commonly drawn by the aid of machinery. The inhabitants may be computed at about 1000; a number that, from the register of births and marriages, appears to have been but little varied for the last hundred years. Their religion is chiefly that of the established church; though there is one small congregation of Quakers, and another of Anabaptists. VOL. I. C Dunstable, * These woods (if any considerable ones ever existed near this place) must have been formed of the smaller species of trees and underwood, as the more mighty tenants of the forest could not have found sufficient nutriment; the foil in this neighbourhood being only a few inches in depth, with a hard chalk be low it. Dunstable, Market-Street, Hochliffe, &c. are principally supported by the passage of travellers; being situated on the great thoroughfare to the north and north-west counties. The inns are thickly clustered; and several of them very large and commodious. Many of the poor derive sustenance from the manufacture of straw hats, baskets, and other articles of the same fashionable substance. And some additional employment is furnished by the whiting manufactory, which stands at the southern extremity of the town. In the straw work, which is the staple manufacture of this place, a woman can earn from 6s. to 12s. a week; children, from 3s. to 4s. in the same time. The earnings in this line, within the last twenty years, have been very great. A few women in the town make lace. Formerly the breweries established here raised many of the inhabitants to affluence; but most of the trade is now concentrated in the metropolis. Hollinshed informs us, that an eminent brewer of this town, named William Murlie, sallied out in the reign of Henry the Fifth, to join the foolish insurrection of the Lollards, near London. He took with him a pair of gilt spurs, and was followed by two led horses with rich trappings. This gave colour to the report of his expecting to receive the honour of knighthood from Lord Cobham; but, instead of this, he had the hard luck to be taken, and hung with the spurs about his neck. The * Such is the effect of fashion, that what was deemed by our forefathers, only fit to be trampled on in the cow barken, is now very commonly converted into ornaments for the ladies' heads. This circumstance gave rise to the following witty and satirical lines, by M. P. Andrews, Efq. -Some ladies' heads appear like stubble fiolds— Old maids and young ones-all are in the STRAW! |