105 



HOLINGSHED^S DESCRIPTION OF ENGLISH 



ROADS AND INNS, IN THE TIME OF HENRY 



\ III., MARY, AND ELIZABETH : 



FROM A LECTURE DELIVERED, IN THE ATHEN^UM OF THE 



PLYMOUTH INSTITUTION, BY HENRY WOOLLCOMBE, ESQ., 



PRESIDENT. 



Now to speak generallie of our common high 

 ways through the EngUsh part of the He (for of the 

 lest I can say nothing) you shall understand, that 

 in the claie or cledgie soile they are often verie deepe 

 and troublesome in the winter halfe. Wherefore by 

 authoritie of Parliament an order is taken ^for their 

 yearlie amendment, whereby all sorts of the common 

 people doe imploie their travell for six daies in sum- 

 mer upon the same. And albeit that the intent of 

 the statute is verie profitable for the reparations of 

 the decaied places, yet the rich do so cancell their 

 portions, and the poore so loiter in their labour, that 

 of all the six, scarcelie two good days work are well 

 performed, and accomplished in a parish on these so 

 necessarie affaires. Besides this, such as have land 

 lieng upon the sides of the waies, doo utterlie neglect 

 to dich and* scowre their dranes and watercourses, 

 for better avoidance of the winter waters (except it 

 may be set off or cut from the meaning of the sta- 

 tute) whereby the streets doo grow to be much more 

 gulled than before, and thereby verie noisome for 

 such as travell by the same. Sometimes also, and 

 that verie often, these daies works are not imploied 

 upon those waies that lead from market to market, 

 but ech surveyor amendeth such by-plots and lanes 

 as seeme best for his own commoditie, and more 

 easie passage into his fields and pastures. And 

 whereas in some places there is such want of stones, 

 as thereby the inhabitants are driven to seeke them 

 farre ofFin other soils : the owners of the lands wherein 

 those stones are to be had, and which hitherto have 

 given monie to have them borne awaie, doo now reape 

 no small commoditie by raising the same to excessive 

 VOL. IV. — 1834. o 



