Proceeding towards Hitchen, we arrive at LILLEY, which was granted by William I. to Godfrey de Bech. In the reign of Edward I. it was possessed by Robert de Hoo, in whose family it continued till Thomas Hoo sold it to Nicholas de Vaux, whose family had lost the whole of their estate for their adherence to the house of Lancaster. On the advancement of Henry, earl of Richmond, to the throne, this gentleman had restitution of all the estates of which he had been deprived. He signalized himself in the battle of Stoke against the earl of Lincoln, who had set up a counterfeit Plantagenet against Henry VII.; and De Vaux was knighted by the king on that occasion. In the seventeenth of this reign he appeared at the marriage of prince Arthur, dressed in a gown of purple velvet, adorned with silk, furs, and massy gold; the last article amounted to 1000%. He had also a collar of SS. weighing eight hundred pounds in nobles. "This," says Salmon, “was magnificent; but it was making himself a packhorse to his own treasure." He was afterwards ambassador to France, to confirm the articles of peace; and in the fifteenth of Henry VIII. was raised to the dignity of a baron; the solemnity being performed at Bridewell palace. Lilly House is now the property of John Sowerby, Esq. This place is also called Lilly Hoo; and here have been horse races.

Great Offley is on the south-west side of Hitchin; here Offa, the Mercian king, had a palace, in which he died. On the east side of it, there is a fine seat, with a park, called Offley Place, the property of Sir Robert Salusbury, bart. Here is a charity school.

Little Offley, is on the north side of Great Offley, of which it was a hamlet, stands on the ledge of hills on the north side of the county, called by some the Alps of England. The Roman Ickenild-way, which divides this county from Bedfordshire, till it comes hither, passes between this place and Hexton.

In the church are many fine monuments, particularly for Sir Henry Penrice, and Sir Thomas Salusbury, both judges of the high court of admiralty.

HITCHIN,

HITCHIN,

is a large populous town, pleasantly situated at the foot of a great hill, which secures it from the cold easterly winds; the air is reckoned salubrious, and it has many respectable inhabitants. It is governed by a bailiff and four constables, two for the town and two for the suburbs.

This town was parcel of the possession of the Mercian kings; it was called Hiz, from the name of the river which passes through it, but was afterwards changed to Hitchin. Norden says, it is properly called Hitchend, because of its former situation at the end of a wood called Hitch. The town is reckoned the second in the county for number of streets, houses, and inhabitants. It was formerly famous for the staple commodities of the kingdom, and divers merchants of the staple of Calais resided here, since which that trade is lost; yet the market, which is held on Tuesday, (by prescription free from the payment of toll for any sort of corn or grain,) has long been, and still is, accounted one of the first in the county for corn, but more particularly for the quantity and quality of its wheat. Here is no manufactory, but the inhabitants make a great deal of malt. The fairs are kept on Easter Tuesday and Whit Tuesday, for a few cattle, sheep, and pedlary ware.

This was a place of consequence when king Alfred divided the county into hundreds; it remained in possession of the Saxon kings, and continued in the crown until king Edward the Confessor gave it, with several other places, to earl Harold, who held and enjoyed it till he was slain in battle, when it came to king William the Conqueror, who reserved this manor in the crown, and it has occasionally been esteemed part of the queen's dower.

Henry the Eighth bestowed the vicarage (which was then valued in the king's books at 351. 6s. 8d.) on his foundation, to Trinity College, in Cambridge, and the master and fellows of Trinity college are the present patrons. Here were formerly two priories, one of which is turned into a school,

The church, is an antient and noble building, situated nearly in the centre of the town; it is one hundred and fifty-three feet long, and sixty-seven broad, has a ring of eight bells, and is dedicated to St. Andrew. It consists of the nave and two aisles, with two chapels or chancels. In the north aisle window are paintings of Faith, Hope, and Charity, and the Four Cardinal Virtues; and, in the next north window, the Beatitudes. The front hath the twelve Apostles round it, but they are much defaced. In the north and south chancels are some antient and curious monuments. One of which, to the memory of a gentleman, who, by his many benefactions to this town and neighbourhood, in his life time and at his death, has left to the poor many comforts, and to the wealthy a great example of true Christian charity, is in the north chancel, with the following inscription:

"To the pious memory of Ralph Skynner, Gent. who died June 17, 1697, in the 90th year of his age. Ile was for many years a public blessing, not only to his parish, but the neigh bourhood. So truly good, that the most censorious could spy out no occasion for detraction: his charity so great, public and private, and so well placed, that he was indeed the patron of the poor; the widow and the fatherless were his wife and children, for whom, as in his life, so at his death, he made a bountiful provision. In the communion of the church of England he lived sincerely up to his profession, and deserved the character of a true primitive Christian, and as such he died, in modest, humble, and longing, expectation of eternal bliss, through the merits of Jesus. Oh, Saviour! may we live and die like him!"*

At the east end of the middle chancel stands the communion table, and over it is placed an altar piece, said to be done by Rubens, the subject, the offerings of the wise men; it was given by the late John Radcliffe, Esq,

*This gentleman gave at his death 2001. to buy land for the augmentation of the vicarage; 8001. for building and endowing eight almshouses, 601. for apprenticing ten poor children; and 201. as a legacy to the poor; the whole arising from estates at ikleford,

The

The Quakers, the Presbyterians, and the Anabaptists, have each a meeting house in this town.

In this town John Blomvill, Adam Rouse, and John Cobham, founded a priory of White Carmelites of the order of St. Benedict, dedicated it to the honour of our alone Saviour and the blessed Virgin, and king Edward II. confirmed the grant. These friars held the house until the 9th of May, in the 21st of Henry VIII. when they surrendered it into the hands of that king, who suppressed the fraternity of the Carmelites, and granted, by patent, dated the 22d of July, 38th of the same king; the site of the house to Edward Watson and Henry Herdson in fee, who conveyed it, in or about the year 1536, to Ralph Radcliffe, son of Thomas Radcliffe, descended from a younger brother, sprung from Radcliffe Tower, or, as some say, from Ordshall in Lancashire. The last of the descendants of the said Ralph Radcliffe was the late John Radcliffe, Esq. who, dying without issue December 23, 1783, the family, after having resided in Hitchiu nearly two hundred and fifty years, became extinct. The only gentleman's seat in the town was built by the above named John Radcliffe, Esq. on the site of the old family mansion; it is now inhabited by the right hon. the earl of Beverley.

Hitchin has a free school for the education of forty-five poor boys; adjoining to which is a house for the residence of the master. Also a charity school for the education (and clothing in part) of thirty-six girls. Here are sixteen almshouses for the residence of as many antient men or women; eight of which were built and endowed by Mr. John Skynner, gent. and the other eight by Mr. Ralph Skynner, gent. both of whom gave several other sums to be applied to the benefit of the poor of Hitchin. Near the church stand six other little houses, which in 1760 were rebuilt by Daniel Warner, of this town, turner, for the resi dence of six poor widows belonging to Hitchin.

At five miles south-east from Hitchin, and thirty-one from London, is the small market town of

STEVENAGE,

.: STEVENAGE.

This was antiently written STIGENHAUGHT, which implies on the highway, probably a vicinal way from the Ermine to the Watling Street. The six hills at this place, whether Celtic, Roman, or Danish, are upon this road. They may have been British or Saxon, as the bounds of some dominion; they may have been Danish barrows for victory and terror; and they might serve as monuments of the dead, and also the division of the country. So much is certain, if they were Danish for victory, or Celtic for sacrifice, they are not set upon an eminence, as was the practice of both those people. Roman it is hard to make them, since whatever has been said upon the subject, it does not appear that the Romans used here that sepulture, or that token of victory which the northern nations did. If it were once pronounced Stigenhaught, it might mean the hills on the highway; and whoever erected them, or for whatever purpose, they are remarkable enough to have the vill take a new name from them, though it should have had another before*.

In Domesday Book the name is corrupted to Stigenhace, and it is stated to have belonged to the abbey of Westminster. When the abbey was constituted a bishoprick, this estate continued with the new foundation. Edward VI. in consequence of bishop Thirlby's delapidations, and other abuses, having dissolved it; that monarch gave the manors of Stevenach, Ashwell, Holwell, Cadwell, and Datchworth, to Dr. Ridley, bishop of London, and his succes. sors, on paying a rent of 100l. per annum. Queen Mary voided Edward's grant, for want of papal confirmation; but having obtained a bull from the pope, she re-granted the whole to bishop Bonner, and it has continued in the possession of his successors. King James I. granted to bishop Monteine, the privilege of a market here on Monday, and three fairs. William and Mary, granted a market on Friday.

The church, dedicated to St. Nicholas, is situated on a hill, and has a nave and two aisles, a large chancel, and