Page:History of Manchester (1771), Volume 1, by John Whitaker.djvu/238

 Ch^cTII. O.F; M A N;Q;H ESTER. 207 tcred info H6opton. So Aldport itfclf, being once made a park, has the name of Aldparc in Camden. » » < * « « > * 1 . 1 *, 1 ... , • .. ., n. TO this period the. Siftuntii of the neighbouring diftrift had lived as the unconquered Britons of the fouthern countries had J^ve^ before^ and as the unconquered Britons of the northern continued, to live. /They were divided info little clans or fami* l$$ 9 and ejich acknowledged the ' authority of its proper chief! The number of amba&on or clients in each was different in different families, and was naturally greater or lefler acconjipgto the refpe&ive wealth of the chiefs. And thefe re- tainers always attended the car of their lord. to war, and were always fettled around his habitation in peace *. The lord's habitation was fometimes fixed confpicuoufly upon .the fummit of a hill, peeping over the tops of the furrounding trees, and commanding all the neighbouring country More commonly it tya? pladed Within the cavity of a valley, and ei- ther upon the margin of one ftream or at the confluence of two, Jbr the convehiericy of water and the fecurity from winds 3 * In both cafes the amba&on lived either more immediately about the perfon of their chief, or in little booths along the windings of the vale ;' the latter however being always within reach of the ufual fignals from the manfion, the ftriking the fhield or the blowing the horn of the chief 4 * The manfion was all conftrufted of wood, was all oneground- ftory, anld all compofed a large oblong and quadrangular court A considerable portion of this was taken up by the apart- ments oFfirch as were retained more immediately in the fervice of the feighkwv And as the reft was more particularly his own habitation, fo it confifted of one great and feveral little rooms 6 , In the great room was the armoury of the lord ; the arms of his fathers, the gifts o£ friends and the fpoils of enemies, being dif- pofed in order around the walls?. In the great room fat the loud .» >»■