But whatever we make of poor Cam, Bridge is clearly Saxon (BRIGA), and Grantabrige and Cambridge, both Dover; Circencester, Ciceter; Catwarabyrig, Canterbury. See Lambarde's Perambulations of Kent, p. 174. In like manner, Cantabrigia, as we find it in Bede and Gildas, Grantabrigia, as in the Saxon Chronicle, and Grentabrigia, as in Doomsday Book, might shorten itself into Cambridge;-for C and G very commonly interchange, and we still abbreviate, in pronunciation, names which we lengthen in writing: thus, Woster, Worcester; Toster, Towcester; Ciceter, Cirencester. This turn for abbreviating was expedited in manuscripts, thus: Catuaria was Canterbury; Islad, Island; Grātabreg', Cantebreg, Cabridge, for the hyphen supplied the place of n as well as m, and Cabrigia, Cantabrigia, might, perhaps, bring out Cambridge. But as I am not aware that others have hit upon this device, I do not insist upon it, but present the other side of the argument, in Camden's words: Quæ nempe Cantabrigia, a Cambridge antiqui Camboriti vel pars vel proles fuit, adeo et situ et nomine est confinis. Nec facile crediderim Cam a Grant deflexum, utpote duriuscula videatur hæc deflexio in qua præter unam omnes literæ absorbentur. Existimarim potius vulgus antiqui nominis Camboriti vel Cami fluvii vocabulum retinuisse, licet scriptores Saxonico nomine Granbridge sæpius usi fưerint. Britan. p. 431, ed. 1600. To carry this matter a little further than Camden: in bridge, uniting with the river, the analogy is exactly the same (both in British and Saxon) as in many other towns; for as Caeresk (British) was Exeter exancesrep (Saxon) Caermedweg (British), a town on the Medway, or Medwaystown (I do not mean Maidstone); so was Caer Grant, a castled town on the Grant: and Cambridge is exactly the same as Tonbridge, the bridge town, or the bridge in the town; and so Beaulbridge, from the small brook called Beaul. And as I here allude to Kent, I am reminded, out of Lambarde, the famous river Medway has taken its name insensibly from crossing the county, and dividing the two bishoprics of Canterbury; for otherwise, he observes, the river itself is properly called Egle, or Eyle, of which both the town of Ailesford, and the castle of Alington (or rather Eylington), do take their name. So Grant, as we have seen, was the British as well as the Saxon name, afterward; and it might insensibly take the name of the Cam, or the Winding River, for the river was much more winding hereabout, before its course was altered. F2 in that word, follow the analogy of our language. As to Granta, that was unquestionably the name of the ancient It should not, however, be passed over, that in the 5th Iter of Antonine's Itinerary, we meet, as already observed, with Camborico. This word is more generally translated Cambridge: Camden thought it was Cambridge, as did also Burton. Burton's manuscript Commentary on Antonine's Itinerary is of the greatest authority. In speaking of Camborito, as Cambridge, Camden had his eye on this commentary: the editions of Semlerus, Aldus, and Sureta, that is, the best editions, read it Camborico. Langolius has it Camboricum: but Burton's manuscript has it Camborico. Camden, and the rest, were evidently mistaken in the letter, t and c being scarcely distinguishable in ancient manuscripts: and Camborico is certainly more to the purpose of those who derive Cambridge from it. Cam, in the old British, as still in the Welsh, signified a winding river, and Rith, a ford; which the very nature of the place seems to shew, as Burton observes, for it was in the καμπη το ποταμε, in the very winding and compass of the river, as Ptolemy speaks of the Euphrates: " so that it was called Grant-cester by the Saxons." Let it, however, be observed, that the etymological meaning of Granta, as deduced by Camden and Burton, from the Saxon word Gron, a marshy ground, does not correspond to Cam, which, as before hinted, signifies winding. Add to this, after all, it is not clear that the ancient Camborico, in Antonine's Itinerary, is Cambridge. Dr. Fulke, a Cambridge antiquary of some note, makes Camborico, or Camboricum, Comberton, three miles from Cambridge; which, however, on the face of it, cannot be true, for the Roman road did not pass near Comberton. Others, as Dr. Stukely, still maintaining, that Cambridge and Grantchester are different places, call Camborico Grantchester. Burton does not affirm his positive belief that it was Cambridge: Cambridge (says he) esse puto, nec affirmo. Burton's manuscript Commentary of Antonine's Itinerary is in the Library of Caius College, Cambridge. But I leave these matters for the learned to decide. For myself, I conclude, with Mr. Lambarde, in his Perambulations of Kent, in a similar case-" If I fail in this derivation, the fault, is, for the first part, his, who made the chart of this shire, and then the folly is mine, that follows him." After so much said on the name of Cambridge, I cannot forbear no river; and, to speak freely, I incline to the opinion of Leland, though it is against that of our own antiquary. Olim Granta fuit titulis urbs inclyta multis, ticing an inscription, mentioned by Mr. Blomefield, as being, in his time, in St. Clement's Church, on a stone, with a double circumscription: it was broken in pieces, part lying in the nave, and part in the south isle: ILI: GIST: IOVN: De: HELVSINGHAM: CLERK: IADIS MEVRE : De: ĽAVNBRIDGE, &c. That is, Here lies John of Helysingham, formerly mayor of Cambridge. The inscription is Norman French, the date 1329. |