tour through the eastern counties of england-第12节

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the　mouth　of　the　haven；　is　fair　to　the　very　seas　of　Greenland。



I　could　say　much　more　to　this　point　if　it　were　needful；　and　in　few

words　could　easily　prove；　that　Ipswich　must　have　the　preference　of

all　the　port　towns　of　Britain；　for　being　the　best　centre　of　the

Greenland　trade；　if　ever　that　trade　fall　into　the　management　of

such　a　people　as　perfectly　understand；　and　have　a　due　honest　regard

to　its　being　managed　with　the　best　husbandry；　and　to　the　prosperity

of　the　undertaking　in　general。　　But　whether　we　shall　ever　arrive　at

so　happy　a　time　as　to　recover　so　useful　a　trade　to　our　country；

which　our　ancestors　had　the　honour　to　be　the　first　undertakers　of；

and　which　has　been　lost　only　through　the　indolence　of　others；　and

the　increasing　vigilance　of　our　neighbours；　that　is　not　my　business

here　to　dispute。



What　I　have　said　is　only　to　let　the　world　see　what　improvement　this

town　and　port　is　capable　of；　I　cannot　think　but　that　Providence；

which　made　nothing　in　vain；　cannot　have　reserved　so　useful；　so

convenient　a　port　to　lie　vacant　in　the　world；　but　that　the　time

will　some　time　or　other　come　（especially　considering　the　improving

temper　of　the　present　age）　when　some　peculiar　beneficial　business

may　be　found　out；　to　make　the　port　of　Ipswich　as　useful　to　the

world；　and　the　town　as　flourishing；　as　Nature　has　made　it　proper

and　capable　to　be。



As　for　the　town；　it　is　true；　it　is　but　thinly　inhabited；　in

comparison　of　the　extent　of　it；　but　to　say　there　are　hardly　any

people　to　be　seen　there；　is　far　from　being　true　in　fact；　and

whoever　thinks　fit　to　look　into　the　churches　and　meeting…houses　on

a　Sunday；　or　other　public　days；　will　find　there　are　very　great

numbers　of　people　there。　　Or　if　he　thinks　fit　to　view　the　market；

and　see　how　the　large　shambles；　called　Cardinal　Wolsey's　Butchery；

are　furnished　with　meat；　and　the　rest　of　the　market　stocked　with

other　provisions；　must　acknowledge　that　it　is　not　for　a　few　people

that　all　those　things　are　provided。　　A　person　very　curious；　and　on

whose　veracity　I　think　I　may　depend；　going　through　the　market　in

this　town；　told　me；　that　he　reckoned　upwards　of　six　hundred　country

people　on　horseback　and　on　foot；　with　baskets　and　other　carriage；

who　had　all　of　them　brought　something　or　other　to　town　to　sell；

besides　the　butchers；　and　what　came　in　carts　and　waggons。



It　happened　to　be　my　lot　to　be　once　at　this　town　at　the　time　when　a

very　fine　new　ship；　which　was　built　there　for　some　merchants　of

London；　was　to　be　launched；　and　if　I　may　give　my　guess　at　the

numbers　of　people　which　appeared　on　the　shore；　in　the　houses；　and

on　the　river；　I　believe　I　am　much　within　compass　if　I　say　there

were　20；000　people　to　see　it；　but　this　is　only　a　guess；　or　they

might　come　a　great　way　to　see　the　sight；　or　the　town　may　be

declined　farther　since　that。　　But　a　view　of　the　town　is　one　of　the

surest　rules　for　a　gross　estimate。



It　is　true　here　is　no　settled　manufacture。　　The　French　refugees

when　they　first　came　over　to　England　began　a　little　to　take　to　this

place；　and　some　merchants　attempted　to　set　up　a　linen　manufacture

in　their　favour；　but　it　has　not　met　with　so　much　success　as　was

expected；　and　at　present　I　find　very　little　of　it。　　The　poor　people

are；　however；　employed；　as　they　are　all　over　these　counties；　in

spinning　wool　for　other　towns　where　manufactures　are　settled。



The　country　round　Ipswich；　as　are　all　the　counties　so　near　the

coast；　is　applied　chiefly　to　corn；　of　which　a　very　great　quantity

is　continually　shipped　off　for　London；　and　sometimes　they　load　corn

here　for　Holland；　especially　if　the　market　abroad　is　encouraging。

They　have　twelve　parish　churches　in　this　town；　with　three　or　four

meetings；　but　there　are　not　so　many　Quakers　here　as　at　Colchester；

and　no　Anabaptists　or　Antipoedo　Baptists；　that　I　could　hear　of　…　at

least；　there　is　no　meeting…house　of　that　denomination。　　There　is

one　meeting…house　for　the　Presbyterians；　one　for　the　Independents

and　one　for　the　Quakers；　the　first　is　as　large　and　as　fine　a

building　of　that　kind　as　most　on　this　side　of　England；　and　the

inside　the　best　finished　of　any　I　have　seen；　London　not　excepted；

that　for　the　Independents　is　a　handsome　new…built　building；　but　not

so　gay　or　so　large　as　the　other。



There　is　a　great　deal　of　very　good　company　in　this　town；　and　though

there　are　not　so　many　of　the　gentry　here　as　at　Bury；　yet　there　are

more　here　than　in　any　other　town　in　the　county；　and　I　observed

particularly　that　the　company　you　meet　with　here　are　generally

persons　well　informed　of　the　world；　and　who　have　something　very

solid　and　entertaining　in　their　society。　　This　may　happen；　perhaps；

by　their　frequent　conversing　with　those　who　have　been　abroad；　and

by　their　having　a　remnant　of　gentlemen　and　masters　of　ships　among

them　who　have　seen　more　of　the　world　than　the　people　of　an　inland

town　are　likely　to　have　seen。　　I　take　this　town　to　be　one　of　the

most　agreeable　places　in　England　for　families　who　have　lived　well；

but　may　have　suffered　in　our　late　calamities　of　stocks　and　bubbles；

to　retreat　to；　where　they　may　live　within　their　own　compass；　and

several　things　indeed　recommend　it　to　such：…



1。　　Good　houses　at　very　easy　rents。



2。　　An　airy；　clean；　and　well…governed　town。



3。　　Very　agreeable　and　improving　company　almost　of　every　kind。



4。　　A　wonderful　plenty　of　all　manner　of　provisions；　whether　flesh

or　fish；　and　very　good　of　the　kind。



5。　　Those　provisions　very　cheap；　so　that　a　family　may　live　cheaper

here　than　in　any　town　in　England　of　its　bigness　within　such　a　small

distance　from　London。



6。　　Easy　passage　to　London；　either　by　land　or　water；　the　coach

going　through　to　London　in　a　day。





The　Lord　Viscount　Hereford　has　a　very　fine　seat　and　park　in　this

town；　the　house　indeed　is　old　built；　but　very　commodious；　it　is

called　Christ　Church；　having　been；　as　it　is　said；　a　priory　or

religious　house　in　former　times。　　The　green　and　park　is　a　great

addition　to　the　pleasantness　of　this　town；　the　inhabitants　being

allowed　to　divert　themselves　there　with　walking；　bowling；　etc。



The　large　spire　steeple；　which　formerly　stood　upon　that　they　call

the　tower　church；　was　blown　down　by　a　great　storm　of　wind　many

years　ago；　and　in　its　a　fall　did　much　damage　to　the　church。



The　government　of　this　town　is　by　two　bailiffs；　as　at　Yarmouth。

Mr。　Camden　says　they　are　chosen　out　of　twelve　burgesses　called

portmen；　and　two　justices　out　of　twenty…four　more。　　There　has　been

lately　a　very　great　struggle　between　the　two　parties　for　the　choice

of　these　two　magistrates；　which　had　this　amicable　conclusion　…

namely；　that　they　chose　one　of　either　side；　so　that　neither　party

having　the　victory；　it　is　to　be　hoped　it　may　be　a　means　to　allay

the　heats　and　unneighbourly　feuds　which　such　things　breed　in　towns

so　large　as　this　is。　　They　send　two　members　to　Parliament；　whereof

those　at　this　time　are　Sir　William　Thompson；　Recorder　of　London；

and　Colonel　Negus；　Deputy　Master　of　the　Horse　to　the　king。



There　are　some　things　very　curious　to　be　seen　here；　however　some

superficial　writers　have　been　ignorant　of　them。　　Dr。　Beeston；　an

eminent　physician；　began　a　few　years　ago　a　physic　garden　adjoining

to　his　house　in　this　town；　and　as　he　is　particularly　curious；　and；

as　I　was　told；　exquisitely　skilled　in　botanic　knowledge；　so　he　has

been　not　only　very　diligent；　but　successful　too；　in　making　a

collection　of　rare　and　exotic　plants；　such　as　are　scarce　to　be

equalled　in　England。



One　Mr。　White；　a　surgeon；　resides　also　in　this　town。　　But　before　I

speak　of　this　gentleman；　I　must　observe　that　I　say　nothing　from

personal　knowledge；　though　if　I　did；　I　have　too　good　an　opinion　of

his　sense　to　believe　he　would　be　pleased　with　being　flattered　or

complimented　in　print。　　But　I　must　be　true　to　matter　of　fact。　　This

gentleman　has　begun　a　collection　or　chamber　of　rarities；　and　with

good　success　too。　　I　acknowledge　I　had　not　the　opportunity　of

seeing　them；　but　I　was　told　there　are　some　things　very　curious　in

it；　as　particularly　a　sea…horse　carefully　preserved；　and　perfect　in

all　its　parts；　two　Roman　urns　full　of　ashes　of　human　bodies；　and

supposed　to　be　above　1；700　years　old；　besides　a　great　many　valuable

medals　and　ancient　coins。　　My　friend　who　gave　me　this　account；　and

of　whom　I　think　I　may　say　he　speaks　without　bias；　mentions　this

gentleman；　Mr。　White；　with　some　warmth　as　a　very　valuable　person　in

his　particular　employ　of　a　surgeon。　　I　only　repeat　his　words。　　〃Mr。

White；〃　says　he；　〃to　whom　the　whole　town　and　country　are　greatly

indebted　and　obliged　to　pray　for　his　life；　is　our　most　skilful

surgeon。〃　　These；　I　say；　are　his　own　words；　and　I　add　nothing　to

them　but　this；　that　it　is　happy　for　a　town　to　have　such　a　surgeon；

as　it　is　for　a　surgeon　to　have　such　a　character。



The　country　round　Ipswich；　as　if　qualified　on　purpose　to

accommodate　the　town　for　building　of　ships；　is　an　inexhaustible

store…house　of