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DRAYTON'S SONG OF SUSSEX. 163
The heauy Danish yoke, the feruile English bare.
And when at last she found, there was no way to leaue
Those, whom she had at first been forced to receiue;
And by her great resort, she was through very need,
Constrained to prouide her peopled Townes to feed.
She learn'd the churlish axe and twybill to prepare,
To Steele the coulters edge, and sharpe the furrowing share :
And more industrious still, and only hating sloth,
A huswife she became, most skild in making cloth.
That now the Draper comes from London euery yeare,
And of the Kentish forts, make his prouision there.
diruerunt, aliamque sibi firmiorem in loco qui dicitur Apultrea construxe-runt, (b) which are the syllables of Florence of Worcester; and with him in substance fully agrees Matthew of Westminster; nor can I think but that they imagined Rye (where now Rother hath its mouth) to be this Port of Limen, as the Muse here; if you respect her direct terms. Henry of Huntingdon names no River at all, but lands them ad Portum Limene cum 250 navibus, qui portus est in orientali parte Cent juxta magnum nemus Andredslaige. (c) How Rother's mouth can be properly said in the East (but rather in the South part) of Kent, I conceive not, and am of the adverse part, thinking clearly that Hith must be Portus Lemanis, which is that coast, as also learned Camden teaches, whose authority cited out of Huntingdon, being near the same time with Florence might be perhaps thought but as of equal credit; therefore I call another witness (d) (that lived not much past fifty years after the arrival) in these words: In Limneo portu constituunt puppes Apoldre (so I read, for the print is corrupted) loco condicto orientali Cantice parte, destruiintque ibi prisco opere castrum propter quod rustica mantis exigua quippe intrinsecus erat, Illicque hiberna castra confirtnant. (e) Out of which you note both that no River, but a Port only, is spoken of, and that the ships were left in the shore at the haven, and thence the Danes conveyed their companies to Apledowre. The words of this Ethelwerd I respect much more than these later Stories, and I would advise my reader to incline so with me.
(a.) Lemannis in Notit. Utr. Provinc.
(b) The Danes with 250 sail, came into the mouth of the River Limen, which runs out of Andredswald : from whence four miles into the wood they got in their ships, and built them a fort at Apledore, 893.
(c) At Port Limen by Andredswald in the East of Kent.
(d) Ethelwerd lib. 4, cap. 4.
(e) They leave their ships in Port-Limen, making their rendezvous at Appledoure in the East of Kent (for this may better endure that name) and there destroyed one Castle and built another. |
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