tour through the eastern counties of england-第13节

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accommodate　the　town　for　building　of　ships；　is　an　inexhaustible

store…house　of　timber；　of　which；　now　their　trade　of　building　ships

is　abated；　they　send　very　great　quantities　to　the　king's　building…

yards　at　Chatham；　which　by　water　is　so　little　a　way　that　they　often

run　to　it　from　the　mouth　of　the　river　at　Harwich　in　one　tide。



From　Ipswich　I　took　a　turn　into　the　country　to　Hadleigh；

principally　to　satisfy　my　curiosity　and　see　the　place　where　that

famous　martyr　and　pattern　of　charity　and　religious　zeal　in　Queen

Mary's　time；　Dr。　Rowland　Taylor；　was　put　to　death。　　The

inhabitants；　who　have　a　wonderful　veneration　for　his　memory；　show

the　very　place　where　the　stake　which　he　was　bound　to　was　set　up；

and　they　have　put　a　stone　upon　it　which　nobody　will　remove；　but　it

is　a　more　lasting　monument　to　him　that　he　lives　in　the　hearts　of

the　people　…　I　say　more　lasting　than　a　tomb　of　marble　would　be；　for

the　memory　of　that　good　man　will　certainly　never　be　out　of　the　poor

people's　minds　as　long　as　this　island　shall　retain　the　Protestant

religion　among　them。　　How　long　that　may　be；　as　things　are　going；

and　if　the　detestable　conspiracy　of　the　Papists　now　on　foot　should

succeed；　I　will　not　pretend　to　say。



A　little　to　the　left　is　Sudbury；　which　stands　upon　the　River　Stour；

mentioned　above　…　a　river　which　parts　the　counties　of　Suffolk　and

Essex；　and　which　is　within　these　few　years　made　navigable　to　this

town；　though　the　navigation　does　not；　it　seems；　answer　the　charge；

at　least　not　to　advantage。



I　know　nothing　for　which　this　town　is　remarkable；　except　for　being

very　populous　and　very　poor。　　They　have　a　great　manufacture　of　says

and　perpetuanas；　and　multitudes　of　poor　people　are　employed　in

working　them；　but　the　number　of　the　poor　is　almost　ready　to　eat　up

the　rich。　　However；　this　town　sends　two　members　to　Parliament；

though　it　is　under　no　form　of　government　particularly　to　itself

other　than　as　a　village；　the　head　magistrate　whereof　is　a

constable。



Near　adjoining　to　it　is　a　village　called　Long　Melfort；　and　a　very

long　one　it　is；　from　which　I　suppose　it　had　that　addition　to　its

name；　it　is　full　of　very　good　houses；　and；　as　they　told　me；　is

richer；　and　has　more　wealthy　masters　of　the　manufacture　in　it；　than

in　Sudbury　itself。



Here　and　in　the　neighbourhood　are　some　ancient　families　of　good

note；　particularly　here　is　a　fine　dwelling；　the　ancient　seat　of　the

Cordells；　whereof　Sir　William　Cordell　was　Master　of　the　Rolls　in

the　time　of　Queen　Elizabeth；　but　the　family　is　now　extinct；　the

last　heir；　Sir　John　Cordell；　being　killed　by　a　fall　from　his　horse；

died　unmarried；　leaving　three　sisters　co…heiresses　to　a　very　noble

estate；　most　of　which；　if　not　all；　is　now　centred　on　the　only

surviving　sister；　and　with　her　in　marriage　is　given　to　Mr。

Firebrass；　eldest　son　of　Sir　Basil　Firebrass；　formerly　a

flourishing　merchant　in　London；　but　reduced　by　many　disasters。　　His

family　now　rises　by　the　good　fortune　of　his　son；　who　proves　to　be　a

gentleman　of　very　agreeable　parts；　and　well　esteemed　in　the

country。



From　this　part　of　the　country；　I　returned　north…west　by　Lenham；　to

visit　St。　Edmund's　Bury；　a　town　of　which　other　writers　have　talked

very　largely；　and　perhaps　a　little　too　much。　　It　is　a　town　famed

for　its　pleasant　situation　and　wholesome　air；　the　Montpelier　of

Suffolk；　and　perhaps　of　England。　　This　must　be　attributed　to　the

skill　of　the　monks　of　those　times；　who　chose　so　beautiful　a

situation　for　the　seat　of　their　retirement；　and　who　built　here　the

greatest　and；　in　its　time；　the　most　flourishing　monastery　in　all

these　parts　of　England；　I　mean　the　monastery　of　St。　Edmund　the

Martyr。　　It　was；　if　we　believe　antiquity；　a　house　of　pleasure　in

more　ancient　times；　or　to　speak　more　properly；　a　court　of　some　of

the　Saxon　or　East　Angle　kings；　and；　as　Mr。　Camden　says；　was　even

then　called　a　royal　village；　though　it　much　better　merits　that　name

now；　it　being　the　town　of　all　this　part　of　England；　in　proportion

to　its　bigness；　most　thronged　with　gentry；　people　of　the　best

fashion；　and　the　most　polite　conversation。　　This　beauty　and

healthiness　of　its　situation　was　no　doubt　the　occasion　which　drew

the　clergy　to　settle　here；　for　they　always　chose　the　best　places　in

the　country　to　build　in；　either　for　richness　of　soil；　or　for　health

and　pleasure　in　the　situation　of　their　religious　houses。



For　the　like　reason；　I　doubt　not；　they　translated　the　bones　of　the

martyred　king　St。　Edmund　to　this　place；　for　it　is　a　vulgar　error　to

say　he　was　murdered　here。　　His　martyrdom；　it　is　plain；　was　at　Hoxon

or　Henilsdon；　near　Harlston；　on　the　Waveney；　in　the　farthest

northern　verge　of　the　county；　but　Segebert；　king　of　the　East

Angles；　had　built　a　religions　house　in　this　pleasant　rich　part　of

the　county；　and　as　the　monks　began　to　taste　the　pleasure　of　the

place；　they　procured　the　body　of　this　saint　to　be　removed　hither；

which　soon　increased　the　wealth　and　revenues　of　their　house；　by　the

zeal　of　that　day；　in　going　on　pilgrimage　to　the　shrine　of　the

blessed　St。　Edmund。



We　read；　however；　that　after　this　the　Danes；　under　King　Sweno；

over…running　this　part　of　the　country；　destroyed　this　monastery　and

burnt　it　to　the　ground；　with　the　church　and　town。　　But　see　the　turn

religion　gives　to　things　in　the　world；　his　son；　King　Canutus；　at

first　a　Pagan　and　a　tyrant；　and　the　most　cruel　ravager　of　all　that

crew；　coming　to　turn　Christian；　and　being　touched　in　conscience　for

the　soul　of　his　father；　in　having　robbed　God　and　his　holy　martyr

St。　Edmund；　sacrilegiously　destroying　the　church；　and　plundering

the　monastery；　I　say；　touched　with　remorse；　and；　as　the　monks

pretend；　terrified　with　a　vision　of　St。　Edmund　appearing　to　him；　he

rebuilt　the　house；　the　church；　and　the　town　also；　and　very　much

added　to　the　wealth　of　the　abbot　and　his　fraternity；　offering　his

crown　at　the　feet　of　St。　Edmund；　giving　the　house　to　the　monks；

town　and　all；　so　that　they　were　absolute　lords　of　the　town；　and

governed　it　by　their　steward　for　many　ages。　　He　also　gave　them　a

great　many　good　lordships；　which　they　enjoyed　till　the　general

suppression　of　abbeys；　in　the　time　of　Henry　VIII。



But　I　am　neither　writing　the　history　or　searching　the　antiquity　of

the　abbey；　or　town；　my　business　is　the　present　state　of　the　place。



The　abbey　is　demolished；　its　ruins　are　all　that　is　to　be　seen　of

its　glory：　out　of　the　old　building；　two　very　beautiful　churches　are

built；　and　serve　the　two　parishes；　into　which　the　town　is　divided；

and　they　stand　both　in　one　churchyard。　　Here　it　was；　in　the　path…

way　between　these　two　churches；　that　a　tragical　and　almost　unheard…

of　act　of　barbarity　was　committed；　which　made　the　place　less

pleasant　for　some　time　than　it　used　to　be；　when　Arundel　Coke；　Esq。；

a　barrister…at…law；　of　a　very　ancient　family；　attempted；　with　the

assistance　of　a　barbarous　assassin；　to　murder　in　cold　blood；　and　in

the　arms　of　hospitality；　Edward　Crisp；　Esq。；　his　brother…in…law；

leading　him　out　from　his　own　house；　where　he　had　invited　him；　his

wife　and　children；　to　supper；　I　say；　leading　him　out　in　the　night；

on　pretence　of　going　to　see　some　friend　that　was　known　to　them

both；　but　in　this　churchyard；　giving　a　signal　to　the　assassin　he

had　hired；　he　attacked　him　with　a　hedge…bill；　and　cut　him；　as　one

might　say；　almost　in　pieces；　and　when　they　did　not　doubt　of　his

being　dead；　they　left　him。　　His　head　and　face　was　so　mangled；　that

it　may　be　said　to　be　next　to　a　miracle　that　he　was　not　quite

killed：　yet　so　Providence　directed　for　the　exemplary　punishment　of

the　assassins；　that　the　gentleman　recovered　to　detect　them；　who

（though　he　outlived　the　assault）　were　both　executed　as　they

deserved；　and　Mr。　Crisp　is　yet　alive。　　They　were　condemned　on　the

statute　for　defacing　and　dismembering；　called　the　Coventry　Act。



But　this　accident　does　not　at　all　lessen　the　pleasure　and　agreeable

delightful　show　of　the　town　of　Bury；　it　is　crowded　with　nobility

and　gentry；　and　all　sorts　of　the　most　agreeable　company；　and　as　the

company　invites；　so　there　is　the　appearance　of　pleasure　upon　the

very　situation；　and　they　that　live　at　Bury　are　supposed　to　live

there　for　the　sake　of　it。



The　Lord　Jermin；　afterwards　Lord　Dover；　and；　since　his　lordship's

decease；　Sir　Robert　Davers；　enjoyed　the　most　delicious　seat　of

Rushbrook；　near　this　town。



The　present　members　of　Parliament　for　this　place　are　Jermyn　Davers

and　James　Reynolds；　Esquires。



Mr。　Harvey；　afterwards　created　Lord　Harvey；　by　King　William；　and

since　that　made　Earl　of　Bristol　by　King　George；　lived　many　years　in

this　town；　leaving　a　noble　and　pleasantly　situated　house　in

Lincolnshire；　for　the　more　agreeable　living　on　a　spot　so　completely

qualified　for　a　life　of　delight　as　this　of　Bury。



The　Duke　of　Grafton；　now　Lord…Lieutenant　of　Ireland；　has　also　a

stately　house　at　Euston；　near　this　town；　which　he　enjoys　in　right

of　his　mother；　daughter　to　the　Earl　of　Arlington；　one　of　the　chief