faid to have landed in his Invafion of England; tho' fome fay it was at Haftings, and others at Pevensey, an Harbour more Weftward, which has likewife been deftroyed by the Sea. But, be that as it will, it was at Haftings that he mustered his Army, after he had burnt his Ships, being determined to conquer or perish in the Attempt; or rather, as another Author has obferved, that he might not be obliged to divide his Army, which must have been the Cafe, if he had preferved his Ships; and probably, while he made an Advance into the Country, at the Head of Part of his Army, Harold might have ftepped in between, and cut off those who were left to guard the Ships, and then with more Eafe have attacked, and perhaps beat, that Part commanded by the Norman himself.

The decifive Battle which he fought Anno 1066. with King Harold, was upon a Plain called Heath-field, about feven Miles from Haftings, for an Account of which I fhall refer to the Hiftorians. In the Place where Harold's Body was found, the Norman inftituted an Abbey of Benedictine Monks, dedicating it to St. Martin; and from the Fight aforefaid, it is called Battle Abbey; and foon drew to it, by a Fair held every Sunday and Holiday, fuch a Refort, that it be. came an handfome Town. It ftill retains the Name of Battle, and fome Remains of the Abbey are yet to be feen, and make Part of the Houfe of the Lord Vifcount Montacute, a Roman-catholic Peer; of which more in another Place.

A little beyond Haftings to Bourn, we rode upon the Sands in a strait Line for 18 Miles, all upon the Coaft of Suffex, paffing by Pemfey or Pevensey Haven aforementioned, and the Mouth of the River, which comes from Battle, without fo much as knowing that there was a River, the Tide being out, and all the Water finking away in the Sands. This Town of Battle is remarkable for little now, but making Gunpowder, and the best perhaps in Europe, Near Battle they

fhew

Kent. fhew us an Hill with a Beacon upon it, now called Beacon hill, but was formerly called Standard bill; where the Norman fet up his great Standard of Defiance, the Day before the decifive Battle with Harold and the English.

From the Beginning of Romney-marsh, that is to fay, at Sandgate or Sandfoot Cattle, near Hythe, to this Place, the Country is a rich fertile Soil, full of feeding Grounds; and an incredible Number of large Sheep are fed every Year upon them, and fent up to London Market. Thefe Romney-marsh Sheep are counted rather larger than the Leicestershire and Lincolnshire Sheep, of which fo much is faid elsewhere

Befides the vaft Flocks of Sheep, as above, abundance of large Bullocks are fed in this Part of the Country; and especially thofe they call Stall'd or Houfe-ed Oxen, from their being kept within the Farmers Sheds or Yards all the latter Seafon, where they are fed for the Winter-market, and generally deemed the largest Beef in England.

In Romney-marfh, as in other Parts of England, are found great Timber-trees, lying at Length under Ground, as black as Ebony, and fit for Use, when

dried in the Sun.

From hence it was that, turning North, and traverfing the deep, dirty, but rich Part of thefe two. Counties, my Curiofity led me to fee the great Founderies, or Iron-works, which are in this County, and where they are carried on at fuch a prodigious Expence of Wood, that even in a Country almost all over run with Timber, they begin to complain of the great Confumption of it by thofe Furnaces, and the Apprehenfion of leaving the next Age to want Timber for building their Navies.

After I had been fatigued in paffing this deep and heavy Part of the Country, I thought it would not be foreign to my Defign, if I refreshed myfelf with a View

of

of Tunbridge-wells, which were not then above 12 Miles out of my Way.

When I came to the Wells, which were about four Miles nearer to me than the Town, fuppofing me then at Battle, to the Southward of them, I found a great deal of good Company there; and particularly made an Obfervation, that thofe People who have nothing to do any-where elfe, are the busiest People at Tunbridge.

After the Appearance is over at the Wells (where the Ladies are all in Defhabille), and at the Chapel, the Company go home; and, as if it was another Species of People, or a Collection from another Place, you are furprised to see the Walks covered with Ladies completely dreffed, and gay to Profufion; where rich Cloaths, Jewels, and Beauty, dazle the Eyes from one End of the Range to the other.

The Air here is excellent, and the Provifions of all Sorts very reasonable: particularly they are fupplied with excellent Fish, of almost all Sorts, from Rye, and other Towns on the Sea-coaft; and I faw a Turbut of near 20 Pounds Weight fold there for three Shillings. In the Mackrel Season, they have them here from Haftings, within three Hours of their being taken out of the Sea; and the Difference which that makes in their Goodness, I need not mention.

They have likewife here abundance of Wild-fowl of the beft Sorts; such as Pheasants, Partridges, Woodcocks, Snipes, Quails, &c. particularly they have from the South-downs the Bird called a Wheat-ear, or which I think I may call the English Ortolan, the moft delicious Taste for one Mouthful (for it is hardly more) that can be imagined: but these are very dear at Tunbridge; they are much cheaper at Seaford, Lewes, and that Side of the Country.

Tunbridge is fituated upon the little River Tunn which runs into the Medway hard by. On the Southern Bank of the River are to be feen the Ruins of an old Cafle, built by a natural Son of Richard I. Duke

of

"

Kent. of Normandy, who, as Mr. Camden tells us, exchanged his Lordship of Bryany in that Duchy for Tunbridge. The Church is a modern Building; the Houses in the Town are moftly ill-built, and the Streets forrily paved.

The Wells are about four Miles from the Town, and the Rocks a few Miles from them, and worth a Tra veller's Curiofity, as they are feveral prodigious Heaps of firm Stone Rocks, though fome Miles diftant from the Sea.

The Buildings at the Wells have much the Advantage of those in Tunbridge, and may be faid to conftiftute a large and populous Town themfelves. There is a Church, or rather a Chapel of Eafe, which is very neat. This new Town, as I may call it, stands in a Bottom between two Hills, one of which is called Mount Sion, and the other Mount Ephraim, which are generally covered with good Houses, fine Gardens, and Fruit-trees. The Wells might be more properly called Spelburft Wells; for the Water rifes in a Parish of that Name. The Well which contains them is paved, and furrounded with a low Wall, with Stairs to go down. Near the Well is a long Walk, paved, and covered over, wherein to walk in bad Weather, and while they are taking the Waters, and where likewife the Band of Mufick have Place. There are also Rooms to drink Chocolate, or Coffee, and to play at Cards, &c. likewife an Hall to dance in. Not far off the Well is a Market well stored with Provifions of all Sorts.

A very eminent Phyfician is of Opinion, that the Waters of Bath, Tunbridge, Cheltenham (or Scarborough, which partake of the fame Qualities), and Bristol, make the general Kinds of most of the various Mineral Waters on the Globe; and that he therefore who understands these, cannot be much at a Lofs to determine the Virtues and Efficacy of any new Kind. And as this learned Gentlemen has favoured me with his Opinion

Opinion of these feveral Waters, I fhall communicate the fame in their refpective Places.

And, first, this is what he fays of the Nature, Efcacy, and Qualities, of thefe of Tunbridge.

Tunbridge Waters (fays he) are nothing but an • Impregnation of Rain, or compreffed Cloud-waters, in fome of the Eminences of the neighbouring Country. And indeed all Hills, and confpicuous Elevations, are mere hollow Nefts of fome Minerals. Iron and Sulphur are the most common and univerfal Minerals; and almoft all Kinds of Stone fit for making • Fences or Edifices have in their Compofition one or both of them. All the Varieties of hard, black, dark, or greyish Stones, abound with ferrugineous Particles; and Iron is so neceffary, especially in Countries be- · tween the Tropics and the Poles, for Hufbandry, ⚫ that there is fcarce a Mile fquare within the Compass, • where it may not be found with its impregnated Waters. This is demonftrable by the Action of the Load• ftone on most Minerals, the Magnet itfelf feeming to be scarce any thing but a purer Clod of Iron: and · pure polished Iron, we know, with very fimple Management, becomes highly magnetic. Hence we account for the Frequency of chalybeat Mineral Waters, of fome Degree of Strength or other, fo readily to be found between the Poles and Tropics. And this is a bountiful Provifion of Nature to those 'colder Climates, where animal Food, and ferment❝ed Liquors are so neceffary for the Support, Comfort, and greater Proportion of animal Force required in them, for their Defence from the Swarming of ravenous Animals, and for hunting animal Food, where the Vegetable is neither fo proper, nutritive, nor abounding, as in these kindlier Climates between. the Tropics towards each Side of the Equator. Mi⚫neral chalybeat Waters brace the Solids, which animal Food, and fermented Liquors, in any Plenty, are apt to relax; and wind up the Springs of animal

Motion,