Spenser's English Rivers. 79 



The Rother is perhaps thirty miles long", and flows southeast 

 into the Channel. Thus Holinshed, who calls it 'a noble river' : 

 'This Rother separateth Sussex from Kent, and hath his head in 

 Sussex, not farre from Arg'as hill neere to Waterden forrest.' 

 He then traces its old course, to a point in its lower waters ; 

 'hence also growing into some greatnesse, it runneth to Rie' (i. 

 92). The interior of Sussex, the region of Ashdown Forest, 

 where the Rother takes its rise, was famous for its woods. 

 Camden says : 'Citerior et Borealis tractus sylvarum opacitate 

 amoenissimvis uti olim universa liajc regio, sylvis invia fuerat' 

 (1590, Sussex, p. 22'/). 



'The Sture or Stoure parteth Essex from Suffolke, as Hove- 

 den saith, and experience confirmeth' (Hoi. i. 177). And Cam- 

 den : 'This is the Stour, that running betweene Essex and 

 Suffolke serveth as a bound to them both, and on this side [Essex] 

 watereth nothing else but rich and fruitfull fields' (Essex, p. 

 451). Camden mentions its mouth, 'where now lieth Harezvich 

 a most safe road.' Harrison, in describing the river's course, 

 mentions both Clare and Harwich. 



The Yar is modern Yare, Norfolk. Strictly speaking the 

 Yare does not come within a mile or two of 'soft washing Nor- 

 witch wall,' but it generally encircles the southern half of the 

 town at about that distance, from west to east, where it receives 

 the Wensum, just below the city to the east. On Saxton's map 

 it appears to touch the city. The Yare is described by Camden 

 as 'Ruft'o pisce admodum foecundus' (1590, Norfolk, p. 374). 

 In Holland's version of 1610 this phrase is expanded into a 

 description of the ruff, as a kind of perch, 'much commended 

 for holsomnesse; and for eating tender & short' (Norfolk, p. 

 476). That Spenser was an angler and curious about varieties of 

 fish none of his readers can doubt. The Nezu English Diction- 

 ary records the form 'ruffin' as 'obs. rare,' and the line in 

 Spenser is the first of only two quotations. 



Next these the plenteous Ouse came far from land. 



By many a city, and by many a towne, 



And many rivers taking under hand 



Into his waters, as he passeth downe, 



The Cle, the Were, the Grant, the Sture, the Rowne, 



Thence doth by Huntingdon and Cambridge flit, 



My mother Cambridge, whom as with a crowne 



He doth adorne, and is adorn'd of it 



With many a gentle muse, and many a learned wit.^' 



" St. 34- 



