From A Perambulation of Kent, 2nd edn, London, 1596; pp. 68–70 and fold-out facing p. 70.
Lambarde wrote most of A Perambulation of Kent in 1570. The first edition was in 1576 and dismissed the subject of beacons in a few lines (see below). The text and map that were republished in British Geomantic Pioneers in 1982 first appeared in the “increased and altered” edition of 1596.
A reprint of the 1596 edition was published in 1826 and can be viewed online.
(text of the Lambarde Map)
THE PERAMBULATION OF KENT
by William Lambarde
{68} AS in warre, celeritie availeth no lesse, than force it selfe: So the Right honorable Sir William Brooke, Lord Cobham, and Lorde Chamberlaine of hir Majesties houshold (who hath been sole Lieutenant of this shire, since the first of hir Majesties Raigne) foreseeing how necessarie it was to have the forces of the countrie speedily draw togither, for the encounter of any hostilitie: and finding, that upon the fiering of the Beacons (which are erected for that service) not only the common sort, but even men of place and honour, were ignorant which way to direct their course, & therby {69} (through amasednesse) as likely to run from the place affected, as to make to the succour of it: caused the true places of the Beacons to be plotted in Carde, with directorie lines, so many sundrie waies, as any of them did respect the other: By which, any man, with little labour may be assured, where the danger is, and thereof informe his neighbours. For example: suppose our first Beacon, standing on Shooters hill, to be light: he that will go thither may know by the watchmen from whence they received their light, which must be either from the West neare London, or Hamstede: or else from the East, by warrant of the fiered Beacon at Stone neare Dartford, or of that which is neare to Gravesende. The like of the rest: and so much for use.
Touching the Antiquitie, and name: it seemeth they came from the Saxons: for of their worde Becnian, which is to call by signe (or to becken, as we yet speake) they are named Beacons: and I find, that before the time of king Edward the third they were made of great stacks of wood (of which sort I my selfe have seene som in Wiltshire) but about the xj. yeere of his Raigne, it was ordeined that in our shire they should be high Standards with their Pitchpots.
And now, if any man shall thinke, that this laying open of the Beacons, is a point not meete to bee made publike: I pray him to give me leave to dissent in that opinion from him. For, as the profit to the Realme & subject is manifest, in that it spee- {70} deth service, where speed is most profitable: So there is no secret hereby disclosed, whereof the enimie may take advantage, seeing that Beacons stand open to the eie, and all men know the end for which they be advanced, though few know the best use and advantage of them. Yea rather, the enimie is prevented, when he seeth that we can & do make so good and readie use of our Beacons. If it be replied, that peradventure the common people shall not be permitted to run to the shore, Tumultuaria manu, as the old maner was: but shall stay till they be called upon, & that the trained companies only shall resort to the places of their appointed Rendevous: the answere is, that whatsoever course be directed, yet the speedie knowledge of the danger, is all alike profitable, which without this cannot bee discerned. And otherwise it must follow, that there will be no use of the Beacons at all: which if it be, the countrie might well be delivered of that continuall and great charge, which it sustaineth by the watching of them. But as (no doubt) the necessitie of them is apparent: so were it good, that for the more speedie spreading of the knowledge of the enimies coming, they were assisted with some horsemen (anciently called of their Hobies, or nags, Hobeliers) that besides the fire (which in a bright shining day is not so well descried) might also run from Beacon to Beacon, and supply that notice of the danger at hande.
Added in the 1982 edition
This is from the 1596 edition of a book originally published in 1570Written 1570, published 1576, and which was criticized at the time for revealing State Secrets to a potential enemy. However, it effected the restoration of the English Beacon system, which was put to good use in combatting the Spanish Armada in 1588. – ed.
Added in this Web edition, October 2009
The 1576 edition of Lambarde (not available for British Geomantic Pioneers in 1982) contains the following passage about beacons on pp. 160–1. (In the copy consulted, pp. 161–8 are misnumbered 169–176.)
{160} And nowe having thus viewed suche places along the Sea shoare, as auncient Hystories have put me in remembraunce of: I might readely take occasion, bothe to recommend unto you, the vigilant studie of our Auncestors, in providing for the defence of the Sea Coastes, and withall shewe you a President= precedent, example or two of theirs, containing the assesse= assessment of suche particular Watche and Warde, as they used there in the Reigne of King Edward the third, in whose time also it was first ordered, that Beacons in this Countrie should have their pitche pots, and that they should be no longer made of woodstackes or piles, as they be yet in Wilshire, and elsewhere. But because those assesses were not permanent, and alwaies alike (as not growing by reason of any tenure) but arbitrable from time to time, at the discretion of suche, as it liked the Prince to set over the Countrie in time, of warres, And for that also we at this day {161} (God be thanked therefore) have besides the like watchefull indevour of our present governours, sundrie standing platformes (as you have seene) erected to the very end, & mainteined at the continual charge of the Prince, I will not here stand upon that matter, but forsaking the shore, betake me Northward to passe along the River Rother, whiche divideth this Shyre from Sussex: where after that I shall have shewed you Apledore, Stone, & Newenden, I wil pearce through the Weald, to Medwey, and so laboure to perfourme the rest of my purpose.
