tour through the eastern counties of england-第14节

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

ministers　of　State　in　the　reign　of　King　Charles　II。；　and　who　made

the　second　letter　in　the　word　〃cabal；〃　a　word　formed　by　that　famous

satirist　Andrew　Marvell；　to　represent　the　five　heads　of　the

politics　of　that　time；　as　the　word　〃smectymnus〃　was　on　a　former

occasion。



I　shall　believe　nothing　so　scandalous　of　the　ladies　of　this　town

and　the　country　round　it　as　a　late　writer　insinuates。　　That　the

ladies　round　the　country　appear　mighty　gay　and　agreeable　at　the

time　of　the　fair　in　this　town　I　acknowledge；　one　hardly　sees　such　a

show　in　any　part　of　the　world；　but　to　suggest　they　come　hither；　as

to　a　market；　is　so　coarse　a　jest；　that　the　gentlemen　that　wait　on

them　hither　（for　they　rarely　come　but　in　good　company）　ought　to

resent　and　correct　him　for　it。



It　is　true；　Bury　Fair；　like　Bartholomew　Fair；　is　a　fair　for

diversion；　more　than　for　trade；　and　it　may　be　a　fair　for　toys　and

for　trinkets；　which　the　ladies　may　think　fit　to　lay　out　some　of

their　money　in；　as　they　see　occasion。　　But　to　judge　from　thence

that　the　knights'　daughters　of　Norfolk；　Cambridgeshire；　and　Suffolk

…　that　is　to　say；　for　it　cannot　be　understood　any　otherwise；　the

daughters　of　all　the　gentry　of　the　three　counties　…　come　hither　to

be　picked　up；　is　a　way　of　speaking　I　never　before　heard　any　author

have　the　assurance　to　make　use　of　in　print。



The　assembly　he　justly　commends　for　the　bright　appearance　of　the

beauties；　but　with　a　sting　in　the　tail　of　this　compliment；　where　he

says　they　seldom　end　without　some　considerable　match　or　intrigue；

and　yet　he　owns　that　during　the　fair　these　assemblies　are　held

every　night。　　Now　that　these　fine　ladies　go　intriguing　every　night；

and　that　too　after　the　comedy　is　done；　which　is　after　the　fair　and

raffling　is　over　for　the　day；　so　that　it　must　be　very　late。　　This

is　a　terrible　character　for　the　ladies　of　Bury；　and　intimates；　in

short；　that　most　of　them　are　loose　women；　which　is　a　horrid　abuse

upon　the　whole　country。



Now；　though　I　like　not　the　assemblies　at　all；　and　shall　in　another

place　give　them　something　of　their　due；　yet　having　the　opportunity

to　see　the　fair　at　Bury；　and　to　see　that　there　were；　indeed；

abundance　of　the　finest　ladies；　or　as　fine　as　any　in　Britain；　yet　I

must　own　the　number　of　the　ladies　at　the　comedy；　or　at　the

assembly；　is　no　way　equal　to　the　number　that　are　seen　in　the　town；

much　less　are　they　equal　to　the　whole　body　of　the　ladies　in　the

three　counties；　and　I　must　also　add；　that　though　it　is　far　from

true　that　all　that　appear　at　the　assembly　are　there　for　matches　or

intrigues；　yet　I　will　venture　to　say　that　they　are　not　the　worst　of

the　ladies　who　stay　away；　neither　are　they　the　fewest　in　number　or

the　meanest　in　beauty；　but　just　the　contrary；　and　I　do　not　at　all

doubt；　but　that　the　scandalous　liberty　some　take　at　those

assemblies　will　in　time　bring　them　out　of　credit　with　the　virtuous

part　of　the　sex　here；　as　it　has　done　already　in　Kent　and　other

places；　and　that　those　ladies　who　most　value　their　reputation　will

be　seen　less　there　than　they　have　been；　for　though　the　institution

of　them　has　been　innocent　and　virtuous；　the　ill　use　of　them；　and

the　scandalous　behaviour　of　some　people　at　them；　will　in　time　arm

virtue　against　them；　and　they　will　be　laid　down　as　they　have　been

set　up　without　much　satisfaction。



But　the　beauty　of　this　town　consists　in　the　number　of　gentry　who

dwell　in　and　near　it；　the　polite　conversation　among　them；　the

affluence　and　plenty　they　live　in；　the　sweet　air　they　breathe　in；

and　the　pleasant　country　they　have　to　go　abroad　in。



Here　is　no　manufacturing　in　this　town；　or　but　very　little；　except

spinning；　the　chief　trade　of　the　place　depending　upon　the　gentry

who　live　there；　or　near　it；　and　who　cannot　fail　to　cause　trade

enough　by　the　expense　of　their　families　and　equipages　among　the

people　of　a　county　town。　　They　have　but　a　very　small　river；　or

rather　but　a　very　small　branch　of　a　small　river；　at　this　town；

which　runs　from　hence　to　Milden　Hall；　on　the　edge　of　the　fens。

However；　the　town　and　gentlemen　about　have　been　at　the　charge；　or

have　so　encouraged　the　engineer　who　was　at　the　charge；　that　they

have　made　this　river　navigable　to　the　said　Milden　Hall；　from　whence

there　is　a　navigable　dyke；　called　Milden　Hall　Drain；　which　goes

into　the　River　Ouse；　and　so　to　Lynn；　so　that　all　their　coal　and

wine；　iron；　lead；　and　other　heavy　goods；　are　brought　by　water　from

Lynn；　or　from　London；　by　the　way　of　Lynn；　to　the　great　ease　of　the

tradesmen。



This　town　is　famous　for　two　great　events。　　One　was　that　in　the　year

1447；　in　the　25th　year　of　Henry　VI。；　a　Parliament　was　held　here。



The　other　was；　that　at　the　meeting　of　this　Parliament；　the　great

Humphrey；　Duke　of　Gloucester；　regent　of　the　kingdom　during　the

absence　of　King　Henry　V。　and　the　minority　of　Henry　VI。；　and　to　his

last　hour　the　safeguard　of　the　whole　nation；　and　darling　of　the

people；　was　basely　murdered　here；　by　whose　death　the　gate　was

opened　to　that　dreadful　war　between　the　houses　of　Lancaster　and

York；　which　ended　in　the　confusion　of　that　very　race　who　are

supposed　to　have　contrived　that　murder。



From　St。　Edmund's　Bury　I　returned　by　Stowmarket　and　Needham　to

Ipswich；　that　I　might　keep　as　near　the　coast　as　was　proper　to　my

designed　circuit　or　journey；　and　from　Ipswich；　to　visit　the　sea

again；　I　went　to　Woodbridge；　and　from　thence　to　Orford；　on　the　sea

side。



Woodbridge　has　nothing　remarkable；　but　that　it　is　a　considerable

market　for　butter　and　corn　to　be　exported　to　London；　for　now　begins

that　part　which　is　ordinarily　called　High　Suffolk；　which；　being　a

rich　soil；　is　for　a　long　tract　of　ground　wholly　employed　in

dairies；　and　they　again　famous　for　the　best　butter；　and　perhaps　the

worst　cheese；　in　England。　　The　butter　is　barrelled；　or　often

pickled　up　in　small　casks；　and　sold；　not　in　London　only；　but　I　have

known　a　firkin　of　Suffolk　butter　sent　to　the　West　Indies；　and

brought　back　to　England　again；　and　has　been　perfectly　good　and

sweet；　as　at　first。



The　port　for　the　shipping　off　their　Suffolk　butter　is　chiefly

Woodbridge；　which　for　that　reason　is　full　of　corn　factors　and

butter　factors；　some　of　whom　are　very　considerable　merchants。



From　hence；　turning　down　to　the　shore；　we　see　Orfordness；　a　noted

point　of　land　for　the　guide　of　the　colliers　and　coasters；　and　a

good　shelter　for　them　to　ride　under　when　a　strong　north…east　wind

blows　and　makes　a　foul　shore　on　the　coast。



South　of　the　Ness　is　Orford　Haven；　being　the　mouth　of　two　little

rivers　meeting　together。　　It　is　a　very　good　harbour　for　small

vessels；　but　not　capable　of　receiving　a　ship　of　burden。



Orford　was　once　a　good　town；　but　is　decayed；　and　as　it　stands　on

the　land　side　of　the　river　the　sea　daily　throws　up　more　land　to　it；

and　falls　off　itself　from　it；　as　if　it　was　resolved　to　disown　the

place；　and　that　it　should　be　a　seaport　no　longer。



A　little　farther　lies　Aldborough；　as　thriving；　though　without　a

port；　as　the　other　is　decaying；　with　a　good　river　in　the　front　of

it。



There　are　some　gentlemen's　seats　up　farther　from　the　sea；　but　very

few　upon　the　coast。



From　Aldborough　to　Dunwich　there　are　no　towns　of　note；　even　this

town　seems　to　be　in　danger　of　being　swallowed　up；　for　fame　reports

that　once　they　had　fifty　churches　in　the　town；　I　saw　but　one　left；

and　that　not　half　full　of　people。



This　town　is　a　testimony　of　the　decay　of　public　things；　things　of

the　most　durable　nature；　and　as　the　old　poet　expresses　it；





〃By　numerous　examples　we　may　see；

That　towns　and　cities　die　as　well　as　we。〃





The　ruins　of　Carthage；　of　the　great　city　of　Jerusalem；　or　of

ancient　Rome；　are　not　at　all　wonderful　to　me。　　The　ruins　of

Nineveh；　which　are　so　entirety　sunk　as　that　it　is　doubtful　where

the　city　stood；　the　ruins　of　Babylon；　or　the　great　Persepolis；　and

many　capital　cities；　which　time　and　the　change　of　monarchies　have

overthrown；　these；　I　say；　are　not　at　all　wonderful；　because　being

the　capitals　of　great　and　flourishing　kingdoms；　where　those

kingdoms　were　overthrown；　the　capital　cities　necessarily　fell　with

them；　but　for　a　private　town；　a　seaport；　and　a　town　of　commerce；　to

decay；　as　it　were；　of　itself　（for　we　never　read　of　Dunwich　being

plundered　or　ruined　by　any　disaster；　at　least；　not　of　late　years）；

this；　I　must　confess；　seems　owing　to　nothing　but　to　the　fate　of

things；　by　which　we　see　that　towns；　kings；　countries；　families；　and

persons；　have　all　their　elevation；　their　medium；　their　declination；

and　even　their　destruction　in　the　womb　of　time；　and　the　course　of

nature。　　It　is　true；　this　town　is　manifestly　decayed　by　the

invasion　of　the　waters；　and　as　other　towns　seem　sufferers　by　the

sea；　or　the　tide　withdrawing　from　their　ports；　such　as　Orford；　just

now　named；　Winchelsea　in　Kent；　and　the　like；　so　this　town　is；　as　it

were；　eaten　up　by　the　sea；　as　above；　and　the　sti