was called in Hebrew Keher, and in Greek κράββατος, α bed or death bed, unde Lat. Grabbatus, properly a bed to rest on in the after noone, metaphorically in the evening of this life, unde Belgick Graf, Saxon Gruf, English Grave, Teutonick Grab and Brabham, (i. e.) grave home, alias long home, and Anglo-Saxon and Darish Grabburroe, in which, after their furious fighting, they sleep quietly together. But as these 3 Grabburroes are to be looked on as sepulchres of the Anglo-Saxons and Danes, so also as Trophies of the Anglo-Saxons. It was the common practice of the ancients, to triumph in, or neare, the field, where the victorie was obtained, and to erect Trophies, (i. e.) huge Burrowes, Pillers, Arches, &c. in the places, where victories were obtained, to perpetuate the memory, both of the victorie and the triumphe. So that, as here was a funus as before, so a dominantur in loco funeris, a domineering or triumphing in the place of the funerall, and, consequently, these 3 Grabbucrowes were 3 Trophies also of the victorie here obtained, and the triumph here celebrated. 3. But there was another domineering or triumphing, be- 4. sides this, and consequently other Trophies also. Angli loco dominantur fluminis, the Anglo-Saxons triumph or domineere in the place of the River, not in the River, but in the place of the River, (i.e.) Williton, which adjoynes close to the River, and indeed here was the greatest cause of joy, triumphing and domineering, when the village was so seasonably preserved, when the Enemies, Vid. Minsh Dic. 2 Tropæum & trophæum, ex τροπὴ τρίπω, quo significatur fuga hostium. Goldm. Dic. Godwin Ant. p. 275. Rogerius de Hoveden Annal. pars prior, p. 427. 1 1 like hungry Lions, greedy of their prey, were so near at hand, with open mouths ready to devour them, and all theirs. If the King's armie dominantur in loco funeris, then much more Willitonians now dominantur in loco fluminis, and if the King's armie erected 3 Grabburrses, as Trophes of this Victorie and triumphe, the Willito*nians will erect 3 Crosses (in their Teutonicke language Kreutzes) in emulation of them. For what else could move them to erect 3 formall Corosses, so near together in one village, when scarcely one was to be found in a Royal City, but to perpetuate the memorie of this victorie and triumphe of the Christians over Pagans ? the originall of which partie was this; 2 Maxentius, a Pagan usurping the Roman Empire, Constantine, who was almost perswaded to be a Christian, raised an army to suppress him, and to that end marching towards Rome, where Maxentius tyrannized, there appeared unto him by the way, and to his army, at noone, the lively figure of a Cross in the heaven, with this inscription in it, In hoc vince; which Christ interpreted to him in a dream the night following, by which his Faith in Christ crucified being confirmed, he passed forward with much alacritie. Maxentius hearing of his approach, drew out his army into the field beyound the River, on which he made a bridge of boates, called Pons & Milvius, so fallaciously, that, when any considerable weight of men should come on it, it should break and sinke; but Ma F. the Willitonians. H. 2 Eusebius Pam: in vita Constant: 3 Constantine himselfe did, with an oath, confirme the truth hereof to Eusebius, who wrote this storie from his mouth. Eusebius Pamphil. lib. 10 de vita Const. Anno Domini 306. + Milinus MS. II. xentius xentius being routed, was necessitated to endeavour to fly out over that bridge, which he had contrived against Constantine, which sinking, he himself, and very many of the cheif of his army were drowned, whereupon Constantine entred into Rome, without resistance, was created the first Christian Emperour, erected multitudes of such Crosses in every place, as Trophies of this his victorie over the heathens, and afterwards Christians obtaining Victorie over Pagans did the like, and so the 3 Crosses of Williton might be erected, as such Trophies of Victorie over such Heathens. Of this Victorie of Constantine, Prudentius, a divine Poët of the same age, singeth an επινίκιον, thus englished by Dr. Meredith Hanmer, in the life of Constantine". The Christian Captaines coming to the wall My brother near. Bath had a stone Coffin diged up in his grounds, near which he found a brass Coyne, on one side with this Circumscription, Constantinopolis, which was the name of Constantine, and his imperiall Citty; on the other side, an Angel holding such a Crosse in his hand. Eusebius Pam: in vita Con, translated by Dr. M. H. They 5. They engraved Christ's name, that precious name of grace, And golden Crosses on their helmets place. A fift monument of this fatal battle, is a stone of 8 foot high above ground, but, before a part of it was broken away, I suppose, so much higher. It is now called, in the full of the mouth, hoore-stone, according to the dialect of Sommersett, which varies her into hurt, and where into whore and whoore; but I cannot believe any one to be so simple, as to think this to be an ancient monument of some whore; for then it would have been called Hyre stone. But, doubtless, the ancient name was either Hereston or Hewr-lrone, of hierstone, (i. e.) Duke's Stone or General's stone AngloSaxonice. For though a Generall at first was called Hertzug and Heretogh, (i.) a Lord Tugger (unde tonah,) because he went foremost, and tugged or drew his Army after him by his exhortation and example, as Julius Cæsar, who never said ite, but venite; yet Teutonice he was, and is, called Weld-here (i. e) Fied Generall, and for brevity Here Hewrursten, (i. e.) that is, first or prime Lord or Commander, and sometimes hewr. And if the right name of this stone is Heurston, it signifies the Generall's, or cheif 3 Commander's Stone, who Verst. Ant. p. 261. I know not with what reason some write whore, seeing the ancient name is byre, from the letting her body to hire. * Minish. Diction. Vers. Ant. p. 247. 3 In Corn. wall the chiefest of the Seamen, standing on the topp of the highest knoll, discerneth the notion, and directeth the taking of the Skull of herring, by signes and tokens, which he maketh with a long stemmed brush in the Aire: and he is also called the huer, because he is the chief Commander of fishermen, the other of Souldiers. being slain as aforesaid, was buried here. For to die and be buried in the feild was most honourable. and this stone, as I suppose, erected as a Piller or the Grave of Generall Godham, according to the practice of the Antients. As Deborah was buried under an Oake, instead of a Pillar, Gen. the 35. Rachell under a piller, ibid. so Absolom raised a Piller to this end, 2 Sam. 18. 18. though he could not be buried under it, but a heape of Stones. So many of the Roman Emperours, Popes and Potentates. See Burt. Com. on An. Itin. Sr. Inigo Jones, in his Stoneng restored. So at Stanton-Drue, near Bristoll, Zelburton hill in Wilts, Hocksnorton in Oxfordshire, battels fought &c. great stones erected, as pillers, on the graves of eminent men there slain and buried under them, fragments of bones yet remaining. Q. But what doth Godham signyfie, and why Q. was he so called? God signified with the Anglo-Saxons A. as now with us, and ham signified an house or home. So that Godham', (i.) Godshouse or Godhouse, and, as others took their names from Woods, Hills and Valleys, in, or near, where they dwelt, so this man, from such Church or Chappel, then called Godham, and what Godham more likely, then that most ancient Chappell of Williton, and so called in the Anglo-Saxons times? and why might not Godham take his name from his dwelling near this Chappell, as well as Streame-would, the other Champion, from his dwelling at, or near, Streame, as shall be shewed? It may be answered, that, if any Godham anciently had dwelt in that ancient Manor-house, there The Anglo-Saxons delighted in godly Names, as Godham Podard, (i.) Yodam Yeard, or Churchyeard; Godwine, (i.) God's love; Godfric, (i.) God's peace. had |