50 



There is incleecl very little trustworthy contemporary history 

 of those times accessible to the ordinary reader. This is, I 

 believe, the case with the Bath Archives ; Inter arma silent leges et 

 imisce. Men wrote -svith caution and spoke A\'ith bated breath 

 when they knew not what the morrow would bring forth, or 

 which party was to rule in ere while " merrie" England. Until 

 a few days ago I was not aware of any source of information 

 beyond the notice in Clarendon and in CoUinson's "History 

 of Somerset." A friend, however, having suggested a reference 

 to the Eushworth collection of Papers, I was fortunate enough 

 to Uglit ou a passage which made the imperfect notices of the 

 action Avith Avliich I was acquainted more clearly intelligible. 



If we look at some of the old maps of Somerset we shall see 

 on a part of the map adjoining the Avon at Claverton the mark 

 of crossed swords, indicating the spot Avliere a battle was fought. 

 This is at the ferry and ford Avhich connects the opposite sides of 

 the valley. 



CoUinson thus describes Avhat took place : — " In the Civil Wai's 

 ftem}}. Car. 1.) while Sir William Basset, Sir Edward Hungerford 

 and other gentlemen were dining in this house (Claverton Manor) 

 a cannon ball diiected from the hill opposite pierced through the 

 outer waU of the house, and passing over the table at which they 

 sat, lodged in the breast wall of the chimney, without doing any 

 further mischief." * 



An old print of the house in my possession, dated 1734, marks 

 the spot where the ball struck the walls and an inscription states 

 that the house was at that date in possession of — Skrine, Esq., 

 and that Charles I. was in the house at the time the shot was 

 fired ! 



The cannon-ball is still preserved, set in a table in the posses- 

 sion of Colonel Vivian, whose father lately owned the property, 



* The authority for this story is supposed to be Woods "History of Bath," 

 vol. i.,p. 92. (Claverton.) 



