Fitz-Stephen's Description of the City of London, Newly Translated from the Latin Original

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1772 edition. ... to the drudgery of drawing at this time, and the gelding to have been but little used. It is suggested indeed, that our clergy formerly rode upon mares. Of the custom of our clergy formerly, (as to riding) fee 'Bede, Eccl. Hist. 1. Hi. c. 14. 1. rv. c.3. and that they first began te ride on mares. Ibid. I. H. c. 13. unless there be some error in the print ' fays the late Garter, Mr. Anstis the Father, in that curious paper of his inserted in Dr. Fiddes's Collections to the Life of Cardinal tVolsey. Now the reading in Bede is undoubted, for it is not only confirmed by that most authentic manuscript used by Dr. Smith in his sine edition of the Author, but also by the Saxon version. Henry of Huntingdon, moreover, writing from this passage, gives the fame, p. 328; as does Ran. Higden in Polychron. p. 23O j but then this has nothing to do with the Christian Clergy,, for the person spoken of in Bede is Coifi, a chiefpriest of the Pagan Saxons.. For King Æduuini, upon the resolution taken by himself and council of becoming Christians, asked his chief priest Coifi, who should be the person that should first pollute the altars and temples of their old Deities; he replied he Coifi was the proper person, 'statimque abjecta supersti (ione vanitatis, rogavit sibi regem armadare et equum emissarium, quern. : ascendens, ad idola destruenda veniret. Non enim licuerat pontisiceny foergrum veLarma scrre, vel prseter in equa equitare.' And immediately; discarding.; merchants repair from every nation in the world, bringing their commodities by it Arabia's gold, Sahæa's spice and incense52; Scythia's keen weapons 53; and the oil of palms discarding their Pagan vanities, he desired the King to give him arms andajlonehorse, mounted...