is in Form of a Cross, with a large Tower in the Middle, and two Spires at the Weft End. It is a plain Gothic Building without painted Windows, Images or Niches. 'Tis 306 Feet long and 59 broad. Here is a Free School, with two Fellowships and two Scholarships. appropriated thereto, in St. John's College, Cambridge. Near this Town are the Ruins of a Structure called Southwell Palace, built in the Reign of Henry VIII. by Cardinal Wolfey.

Bingham, a fmall Town, but noted for a Parfonage of great Value.

Blith, has a large Church and Parish.

Gotham, in regard of the trite Proverb, viz..a wife Man of Gotham, must not be paffed by, though this only appears to be a Sarcafin without any Foundation, it being known to be the Birth Place of Perfons of diftinguished Parts. It lies in the Hundred of Rufhcliff, on a Rivulet that falls a little below it into the Trent.

Thurgarten Priory, near Newark, was founded and endowed by Radulphus de Ayncourt, in the Reign of Henry II.

Littleborough, in Nottinghamshire, three Miles from Gainsborough, is the Agelocum, or Segelocum of the Romans. An Urn full of Domitian's Coin was found here, and great Numbers of the Coins called Swine-pennies ploughed up here.

The chief Antiquity found here was at Tyln, in the Parish of Hayton, viz. a Druid Amulet of an aqueous transparent Colour, with Streaks of yellow, and many Cornelians with Roman Engraving, befides Roman Coins,. have been dug up in many other Parts.

The principal Seats of the Nobility and Gentry are, Haughton, the Duke of Newcastle's, also at Nottingham Cafile.

Duke of Norfolk, at Workfop-Manour.

Duke of King fton, at Thoresby; burnt down fome Years ago, and not yet rebuilt: but the Duke, when there, refides in the Offices, which escaped.

Earl

Earl of Chesterfield, at Shelford-Abbey, 5 Miles from Nottingham.

Portland, at Welbeck, in Shirwood Forest.

Lord Middleton, at IVollaton-hall, three Miles from Nottingham.

Lord Byron, at Newstead Abbey, and at Bulwell Park, each 7 M. from Nottingham, and at Linby, five from it. Newstead Abbey was founded by Henry II.

Lord George Sutton, at Renham, and Haram Park, both near Newark.

I

DERBYSHIRE

S bounded on the E. by Nottinghamshire and a Part of Leicestershire, which alfo, with a small Part of Warwickshire, bounds it on the S. on the W. by Staffordshire and Part of Cheshire; and on the N. by Yorkshire. 'Tis about 40 M. in Length from S. to N. 30 in Breadth on the N. Side; though but fix on the S. Side, and about 130 in Circumference; contains, befides Derby, 11 Market Towns, 500 Villages, 106 Parishes, and fix Hundreds. The Soil in the E. and S. Parts, which are full of Gentlemen's Seats and Parks, is beautiful in Grain, especially Barley, which makes many of the Inhabitants Maltfters, who have a good Trade for Malt and Ale. The W. Part on the other Side of the Derwent is barren, confifting whol→ ly of bleak Hills, except fome Fields of Oats; nevertheless there is fome Grafs on the Hills, and Plenty in the Vales, which feed great Flocks of Sheep and other Cattle. Its Mountains and Quarries yield large Quantities of Lead, Antimony, Mill-ftones and Grind-ftones, Marble, Alabafter, a coarfe Crystal, Azure, Spar, green and white Vitriol, Allum, Pit Coal and Iron, for form ing which here are Forges.

The bleak Mountains called the Peak, from the Saxon Paeland, an Eminence, abound with many wonderful Curiosities, which are generally reduced to these seven : 1. Chatfworth House, the magnificent Palace of the Duke of Devonshire, which we shall speak of in another Place On the E. Side of it rifes a prodigious high Mountain,

fo thick planted with fine Trees, that it seems a Wood rifing gradually. Upon the Top of this Mountain they dig Mill-ftones, and here begins a vaft large Moor, which for 13 Miles together due N. has neither Hedge, Houfe nor Tree, so that Strangers are obliged to have Guides. On this Plain is a large Body of Water, which takes up near 30 Acres, and from the Afcents round it receives as it were into a Ciftern all the Water that falls, which through Pipes fupplies the Cascades, Water Works, Ponds and Canals in the Gardens.

2. The fecond Wonder is the Mountain called MamTor, or Mother Tower, on the N. Side of the Road from Buxton to Cafleton, under which are several Lead Mines; great Quantities of Earth, and large Stones are always falling down from it, be the Weather ever fo calm, and with fo loud a Noife as often to frighten the Inhabitants.

3. Elden Hole, a vaft terrible Chafm in the Side of a Mountain, feven Yards in Breadth, and about twice as long. Its Mouth is very wide and craggy, but the inner Parts contracted, and 'tis reckoned bottomless, because the Depth could never be fathom'd; though a Plummet let down by Mr. Cotton, Author of the Wonders of the Peak, once drew 884 Yards after it, whereof 80 were wet; but it not being perpendicular, on a fecond Trial, he could not make the Plummet fink half fo far.

4. Buxton Wells, lie in an open healthy Country, 16 M. from Manchester, with a fine Down and a Variety of Profpects. There are at least nine fo called, from a Village near the Head of the River Wye, where they rife; the Water does not tinge Silver, nor is it Purgative; when drank it creates a good Appetite, opens Obstructions; and if mixed with Chalybeat Waters, that are there alfo, would answer all the Ends of the Bath Waters, or those of the hot Well near Bristol, which is fo famous for curing the Diabetes and bloody Urine. This Bath is of a temperate Heat; the Vafe out of which thefe Wells fpring is like Marble, and they are inclosed with a fair Stone Building.

Thefe

These Fountains daily purge themselves by running out in a continual Current into the adjacent Meadows, where they colour the other Waters with which they mix their reeking Streams. 'Tis very remarkable that within five Feet of one of the hot Springs, there rifes a cold one; but the Partition being fmall, and not kept up, they intermix, yet the hot feems predominant. The Bath Room being arched over Head is made very delightful, and the Bath itself will receive 20 People at a Time to walk and fwim in it. The Temper of the Water is Blood-warm, and may be raised at Pleafure to any Height. Near thefe Wells are Marble Stones wonderfully disposed in several Rows by Nature; and at Caftleton, not far off, is an ancient Caftle upon a Rock, the Afcent to which is fo full of Windings, that 'tis not lefs than two Miles, to the top.

5. Tides Well, is a Spring that ebbs and flows irregu larly, as the Air is fuppofed to agitate or prefs the Water from the fubterraneous Cavities. It lies near the little Town of Tiddefwal, 147 M. from London, in which are a fine Church and a Free School.

6. Pool's Hole, is a Cave at the Foot of a large Mountain, called Coitmofs, with an Entrance by a small Arch fo low, that fuch as venture into it are forced to creep on all fours for feveral Paces; but then it opens for above a quarter of a Mile to a confiderable Height, not unlike the Roof of a Cathedral; and in a hollow Cavern to the right, called Pool's Chamber, there is a confiderable Echo. In this Cavity are great Ridges and Rocks of Stone, and many furprizing Representations both of Art and Nature, produced by the petrifying Water continually dropping from the Rock. Here is a Column as clear as Alabafter, called Mary Queen of Scots Pillar, because 'tis pretended she went in fo far. Beyond it is a very steep Aícent, which terminates in the Roof in a Hollow, called the Needle's Eye, in which when the Guide places his Candle, it represents a Star in the Firmament. If a Pistol be fired near the Queens Pillar, it makes a Report like a Cannon. People go out by another Way over many finall Currents of Water.

1

-Near

-Near this Place are two fmall Brooks of hot and cold Water, fo united into one Stream, that a Man may put his Thumb and Finger into both at once.

7. The Devil's Ae, or Peak's Ae, is a Cavern under a steep Hill near Caftleton, with a horizontal Entrance above 30 Feet Perpendicular, and at least twice as broad at the Bottom. The Top resembles a graceful Arch chequered with Stones of different Colours, from which Water continually drops that petrifies. Here are feveral Huts like a Town in a Vault, where poor Peo-ple live, who are always ready with their Lanterns and Candles to fhew Strangers the Place. The Cave, a little beyond the Entrance, is very dark and flippery, because of a Current of Water under Foot, and the Rock hangs fo low, that one is forced to ftoop; but having paffed this Place and a Brook adjoining, which is not to be waded fometimes, the Arch opens again to a fecond Current, with large Banks of Sand in and near it: But this too is paffable, till one comes to a third Current, where the Rock clofes.

Thefe Wonders are poetically defcribed by Mr. Hobbes, and as wittily by Mr. Cotton.

Befides these there are other Rarities. Near a VilJage called Byrchover, is a large Rock with two tottering Stones upon it; one of them four Yards high and twelve round; and yet refts on a Point fo equally poised, that it may be moved with a Finger.

In finking a Lead Groove near Brudwal, a Tooth was found, which though one fourth of it was broke off, was 13 Inches and a half in Compafs, and weighed near four Pounds; and among other Pieces of Bones a large Skull which held feven Pecks of Corn. These Reprefentations of Creatures and their Parts, and other Modifications of Matter found in Pool's Hole and the Mines here, are fuppofed by fome to be human and elephantine, but more justly by Dr. Leigh to proceed from the Lufus Nature in the Fluor Stalactites, caufed by different Mixtures of bituminous, faline and terrene Particles.

At the Bottoms of feveral Mountains of this Country are Cavities, called by the Inhabitants Swallows, because