tour through the eastern counties of england-第10节

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to　the　Duchess　Dowager　of　Buckinghamshire；　the　present　Duke　of

Manchester　retiring　to　his　ancient　family　seat　at　Kimbolton　in

Huntingdonshire；　it　being　a　much　finer　residence。　　His　grace　is

lately　married　to　a　daughter　of　the　Duke　of　Montagu　by　a　branch　of

the　house　of　Marlborough。



Four　market　towns　fill　up　the　rest　of　this　part　of　the　country　…

Dunmow；　Braintree；　Thaxted；　and　Coggeshall　…　all　noted　for　the

manufacture　of　bays；　as　above；　and　for　very　little　else；　except　I

shall　make　the　ladies　laugh　at　the　famous　old　story　of　the　Flitch

of　Bacon　at　Dunmow；　which　is　this：



One　Robert　Fitzwalter；　a　powerful　baron　in　this　county　in　the　time

of　Henry　III。；　on　some　merry　occasion；　which　is　not　preserved　in

the　rest　of　the　story；　instituted　a　custom　in　the　priory　here：　That

whatever　married　man　did　not　repent　of　his　being　married；　or

quarrel　or　differ　and　dispute　with　his　wife　within　a　year　and　a　day

after　his　marriage；　and　would　swear　to　the　truth　of　it；　kneeling

upon　two　hard　pointed　stones　in　the　churchyard；　which　stones　he

caused　to　be　set　up　in　the　Priory　churchyard　for　that　purpose；　the

prior　and　convent；　and　as　many　of　the　town　as　would；　to　be　present；

such　person　should　have　a　flitch　of　bacon。



I　do　not　remember　to　have　read　that　any　one　ever　came　to　demand　it；

nor　do　the　people　of　the　place　pretend　to　say；　of　their　own

knowledge；　that　they　remember　any　that　did　so。　　A　long　time　ago

several　did　demand　it；　as　they　say；　but　they　know　not　who；　neither

is　there　any　record　of　it；　nor　do　they　tell　us；　if　it　were　now　to

be　demanded；　who　is　obliged　to　deliver　the　flitch　of　bacon；　the

priory　being　dissolved　and　gone。



The　forest　of　Epping　and　Hainault　spreads　a　great　part　of　this

country　still。　　I　shall　speak　again　of　the　former　in　my　return　from

this　circuit。　　Formerly；　it　is　thought；　these　two　forests　took　up

all　the　west　and　south　part　of　the　county；　but　particularly　we　are

assured；　that　it　reached　to　the　River　Chelmer；　and　into　Dengy

Hundred；　and　from　thence　again　west　to　Epping　and　Waltham；　where　it

continues　to　be　a　forest　still。



Probably　this　forest　of　Epping　has　been　a　wild　or　forest　ever　since

this　island　was　inhabited；　and　may　show　us；　in　some　parts　of　it；

where　enclosures　and　tillage　has　not　broken　in　upon　it；　what　the

face　of　this　island　was　before　the　Romans'　time；　that　is　to　say；

before　their　landing　in　Britain。



The　constitution　of　this　forest　is　best　seen；　I　mean　as　to　the

antiquity　of　it；　by　the　merry　grant　of　it　from　Edward　the　Confessor

before　the　Norman　Conquest　to　Randolph　Peperking；　one　of　his

favourites；　who　was　after　called　Peverell；　and　whose　name　remains

still　in　several　villages　in　this　county；　as　particularly　that　of

Hatfield　Peverell；　in　the　road　from　Chelmsford　to　Witham；　which　is

supposed　to　be　originally　a　park；　which　they　called　a　field　in

those　days；　and　Hartfield　may　be　as　much　as　to　say　a　park　for　doer；

for　the　stags　were　in　those　days　called　harts；　so　that　this　was

neither　more　nor　less　than　Randolph　Peperking's　Hartfield　…　that　is

to　say；　Ralph　Peverell's　deer…park。



N。B。　…　This　Ralph　Randolph；　or　Ralph　Peverell　（call　him　as　you

please）；　had；　it　seems；　a　most　beautiful　lady　to　his　wife；　who　was

daughter　of　Ingelrick；　one　of　Edward　the　Confessor's　noblemen。　　He

had　two　sons　by　her　…　William　Peverell；　a　famed　soldier；　and　lord

or　governor　of　Dover　Castle；　which　he　surrendered　to　William　the

Conqueror；　after　the　battle　in　Sussex；　and　Pain　Peverell；　his

youngest；　who　was　lord　of　Cambridge。　　When　the　eldest　son　delivered

up　the　castle；　the　lady；　his　mother；　above　named；　who　was　the

celebrated　beauty　of　the　age；　was　it　seems　there；　and　the　Conqueror

fell　in　love　with　her；　and　whether　by　force　or　by　consent；　took　her

away；　and　she　became　his　mistress；　or　what　else　you　please　to　call

it。　　By　her　he　had　a　son；　who　was　called　William；　after　the

Conqueror's　Christian　name；　but　retained　the　name　of　Peverell；　and

was　afterwards　created　by　the　Conqueror　lord　of　Nottingham。



This　lady　afterwards；　as　is　supposed；　by　way　of　penance　for　her

yielding　to　the　Conqueror；　founded　a　nunnery　at　the　village　of

Hatfield　Peverell；　mentioned　above；　and　there　she　lies　buried　in

the　chapel　of　it；　which　is　now　the　parish　church；　where　her　memory

is　preserved　by　a　tombstone　under　one　of　the　windows。



Thus　we　have　several　towns；　where　any　ancient　parks　have　been

placed；　called　by　the　name　of　Hatfield　on　that　very　account。　　As

Hatfield　Broad　Oak　in　this　county；　Bishop's　Hatfield　in

Hertfordshire；　and　several　others。



But　I　return　to　King　Edward's　merry　way；　as　I　call　it；　of　granting

this　forest　to　this　Ralph　Peperking；　which　I　find　in　the　ancient

records；　in　the　very　words　it　was　passed　in；　as　follows。　　Take　my

explanations　with　it　for　the　sake　of　those　that　are　not　used　to　the

ancient　English：





The　Grant　in　Old　English。



IChe　EDWARD　Koning；

Have　given　of　my　Forrest　the　kepen　of　the　Hundred　of　CHELMER　and

DANCING。

To　RANDOLPH　PEPERKING；

And　to　his　kindling。

With　Heorte　and　Hind；　Doe　and　Bocke；

Hare　and　Fox；　Cat　and　Brock；

Wild　Fowle　with　his　Flock；

Patrich；　Pheasant　Hen；　and　Pheasant　Cock；

With　green　and　wild　Stub　and　Stock；

To　kepen　and　to　yemen　with　all　her　might。

Both　by　Day；　and　eke　by　Night；

And　Hounds　for　to　hold；

Good　and　Swift　and　Bold：

Four　Greyhound　and　six　Raches；

For　Hare　and　Fox；　and　Wild　Cattes；

And　therefore　Iche　made　him　my　Book。

Witness　the　Bishop　of　WOLSTON。

And　Booke　ylrede　many　on；

And　SWEYNE　of　ESSEX；　our　Brother；

And　taken　him　many　other

And　our　steward　HOWLEIN；

That　BY　SOUGHT　me　for　him。





The　Explanation　in　Modern　English





I　Edward　the　king；

Have　made　ranger　of　my　forest　of　Chelmsford　hundred　and　Deering

hundred；

Ralph　Peverell；　for　him　and　his　heirs　for　ever；

With　both　the　red　and　fallow　deer。

Hare　and　fox；　otter　and　badger；

Wild　fowl　of　all　sorts；

Partridges　and　pheasants；

Timber　and　underwood　roots　and　tops；

With　power　to　preserve　the　forest；

And　watch　it　against　deer…stealers　and　others：

With　a　right　to　keep　hounds　of　all　sorts；

Four　greyhounds　and　six　terriers；

Harriers　and　foxhounds；　and　other　hounds。

And　to　this　end　I　have　registered　this　my　grant　in　the　crown　rolls

or　books；

To　which　the　bishop　has　set　his　hand　as　a　witness　for　any　one　to

read。

Also　signed　by　the　king's　brother　（or；　as　some　think；　the

Chancellor　Sweyn；　then　Earl　or　Count　of　Essex）。

He　might　call　such　other　witnesses　to　sign　as　he　thought　fit。

Also　the　king's　high　steward　was　a　witness；　at　whose　request　this

grant　was　obtained　of　the　king。





There　are　many　gentlemen's　seats　on　this　side　the　country；　and　a

great　assembly　set　up　at　New　Hall；　near　this　town；　much　resorted　to

by　the　neighbouring　gentry。　　I　shall　next　proceed　to　the　county　of

Suffolk；　as　my　first　design　directed　me　to　do。



From　Harwich；　therefore；　having　a　mind　to　view　the　harbour；　I　sent

my　horses　round　by　Manningtree；　where　there　is　a　timber　bridge　over

the　Stour；　called　Cataway　Bridge；　and　took　a　boat　up　the　River

Orwell　for　Ipswich。　　A　traveller　will　hardly　understand　me；

especially　a　seaman；　when　I　speak　of　the　River　Stour　and　the　River

Orwell　at　Harwich；　for　they　know　them　by　no　other　names　than　those

of　Manningtree　water　and　Ipswich　water；　so　while　I　am　on　salt

water；　I　must　speak　as　those　who　use　the　sea　may　understand　me；　and

when　I　am　up　in　the　country　among　the　inland　towns　again；　I　shall

call　them　out　of　their　names　no　more。



It　is　twelve　miles　from　Harwich　up　the　water　to　Ipswich。　　Before　I

come　to　the　town；　I　must　say　something　of　it；　because　speaking　of

the　river　requires　it。　　In　former　times；　that　is　to　say；　since　the

writer　of　this　remembers　the　place　very　well；　and　particularly　just

before　the　late　Dutch　wars；　Ipswich　was　a　town　of　very　good

business；　particularly　it　was　the　greatest　town　in　England　for

large　colliers　or　coal…ships　employed　between　Newcastle　and　London。

Also　they　built　the　biggest　ships　and　the　best；　for　the　said

fetching　of　coals　of　any　that　were　employed　in　that　trade。　　They

built；　also；　there　so　prodigious　strong；　that　it　was　an　ordinary

thing　for　an　Ipswich　collier；　if　no　disaster　happened　to　him；　to

reign　（as　seamen　call　it）　forty　or　fifty　years；　and　more。



In　the　town　of　Ipswich　the　masters　of　these　ships　generally　dwelt；

and　there　were；　as　they　then　told　me；　above　a　hundred　sail　of　them；

belonging　to　the　town　at　one　time；　the　least　of　which　carried

fifteen　score；　as　they　compute　it；　that　is；　300　chaldron　of　coals；

this　was　about　the　year　1668　（when　I　first　knew　the　place）。　　This

made　the　town　be　at　that　time　so　populous；　for　those　masters；　as

they　had　good　ships　at　sea；　so　they　had　large　families　who　lived

plentifully；　and　in　very　good　houses　in　the　town；　and　several

streets　were　chiefly　inhabited　by　such。



The　loss　or　decay　of　this　trade　accounts　for　the　present　pretended

decay　of　the　town　o