The Itinerary of John Leland in or about the Years 1535-1543 (Volume 1, Pts. 1-3); Parts 1 to 3. 1907

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1907 Excerpt: ...with 2. serpentes. I took, it for Laocoon. Betwixt the weste and the north gate. I saw 2. inscriptions, of the wich sum wordes were evident to the reader, the residew clene defacid. Then I saw the image of a nakid man. Then I saw a stone having cupidines & labruscas intercurrentes. Then I saw a table having at eche ende an image vivid and fiorishid above and beneth. In this table was an inscription of a tumbe or burial wher in I saw playnly these wordes: vixit annos xxx. This inscription was meately hole but very diffusely written, as letters for hole wordes, and 2. or 3. letters conveid in one. Then I saw a. 2 images, wherof one was of a nakid manne grasping a serpent in eche hand, as I tooke it: and this image was not far from the north gate. Such antiquites as were in the waulles from the north gate to the est, and from the est gate to the south, hath been defacid by the building of the monastery, and making new waulles. I much doubte wither these antique workes were sette in the tyme of the Romans dominion in Britayne in the waulles of Bath, as they stand now: or wither they were gatherid of old ruines ther, and sins set up in the walles reedified in testimonie of thantiquite of the toun. There be 2. springes of whote wather in the west south west part of the towne. Wherof the bigger is caullid the Crosse Bath, bycause it hath a cross erectid in the midle of it. This bath is much frequentid of people deseasid with Somerset. lepre, pokkes, scabbes, and great aches, and is temperate and pleasant, having a 11. or 12. arches of stone in the sides for men to stonde under yn tyme of reyne. Many be holp by this bathe from scabbes and aches. The other bathe is a 2. hunderith foote of, and is lesse in fo. 37. cumpace withyn the waulle then the other, having ...