tour through the eastern counties of england-第20节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



of　smuggling　was　so　much　in　practice：　what　it　is　now；　is　not　to　my

present　purpose。



Near　this　town　lie　The　Seven　Burnhams；　as　they　are　called；　that　is

to　say；　seven　small　towns；　all　called　by　the　same　name；　and　each

employed　in　the　same　trade　of　carrying　corn　to　Holland；　and

bringing　back；　…　etc。



From　hence　we　turn　to　the　south…west　to　Castle　Rising；　an　old

decayed　borough　town；　with　perhaps　not　ten　families　in　it；　which

yet　（to　the　scandal　of　our　prescription　right）　sends　two　members　to

the　British　Parliament；　being　as　many　as　the　City　of　Norwich　itself

or　any　town　in　the　kingdom；　London　excepted；　can　do。



On　our　left　we　see　Walsingham；　an　ancient　town；　famous　for　the　old

ruins　of　a　monastery　of　note　there；　and　the　Shrine　of　our　Lady；　as

noted　as　that　of　St。　Thomas…e…Becket　at　Canterbury；　and　for　little

else。



Near　this　place　are　the　seats　of　the　two　allied　families　of　the

Lord　Viscount　Townsend　and　Robert　Walpole；　Esq。；　the　latter　at　this

time　one　of　the　Lords　Commissioners　of　the　Treasury　and　Minister　of

State；　and　the　former　one　of　the　principal　Secretaries　of　State　to

King　George；　of　which　again。



From　hence　we　went　to　Lynn；　another　rich　and　populous　thriving

port…town。　　It　stands　on　more　ground　than　the　town　of　Yarmouth；　and

has；　I　think；　parishes；　yet　I　cannot　allow　that　it　has　more　people

than　Yarmouth；　if　so　many。　　It　is　a　beautiful；　well　built；　and　well

situated　town；　at　the　mouth　of　the　River　Ouse；　and　has　this

particular　attending　it；　which　gives　it　a　vast　advantage　in　trade；

namely；　that　there　is　the　greatest　extent　of　inland　navigation　here

of　any　port　in　England；　London　excepted。　　The　reason　whereof　is

this；　that　there　are　more　navigable　rivers　empty　themselves　here

into　the　sea；　including　the　washes；　which　are　branches　of　the　same

port；　than　at　any　one　mouth　of　waters　in　England；　except　the　Thames

and　the　Humber。　　By　these　navigable　rivers；　the　merchants　of　Lynn

supply　about　six　counties　wholly；　and　three　counties　in　part；　with

their　goods；　especially　wine　and　coals；　viz。；　by　the　little　Ouse；

they　send　their　goods　to　Brandon　and　Thetford；　by　the　Lake　to

Mildenhall；　Barton　Mills；　and　St。　Edmundsbury；　by　the　River　Grant

to　Cambridge；　by　the　great　Ouse　itself　to　Ely；　to　St。　Ives；　to　St。

Neots；　to　Barford　Bridge；　and　to　Bedford；　by　the　River　Nyne　to

Peterborough；　by　the　drains　and　washes　to　Wisbeach；　to　Spalding；

Market　Deeping；　and　Stamford；　besides　the　several　counties；　into

which　these　goods　are　carried　by　land…carriage；　from　the　places；

where　the　navigation　of　those　rivers　end；　which　has　given　rise　to

this　observation　on　the　town　of　Lynn；　that　they　bring　in　more　coals

than　any　sea…port　between　London　and　Newcastle；　and　import　more

wines　than　any　port　in　England；　except　London　and　Bristol；　their

trade　to　Norway　and　to　the　Baltic　Sea　is　also　great　in　proportion；

and　of　late　years　they　have　extended　their　trade　farther　to　the

southward。



Here　are　more　gentry；　and　consequently　is　more　gaiety　in　this　town

than　in　Yarmouth；　or　even　in　Norwich　itself　…　the　place　abounding

in　very　good　company。



The　situation　of　this　town　renders　it　capable　of　being　made　very

strong；　and　in　the　late　wars　it　was　so；　a　line　of　fortification

being　drawn　round　it　at　a　distance　from　the　walls；　the　ruins；　or

rather　remains　of　which　works　appear　very　fair　to　this　day；　nor

would　it　be　a　hard　matter　to　restore　the　bastions；　with　the

ravelins；　and　counterscarp；　upon　any　sudden　emergency；　to　a　good

state　of　defence：　and　that　in　a　little　time；　a　sufficient　number　of

workmen　being　employed；　especially　because　they　are　able　to　fill

all　their　ditches　with　water　from　the　sea；　in　such　a　manner　as　that

it　cannot　be　drawn　off。



There　is　in　the　market…place　of　this　town　a　very　fine　statue　of

King　William　on　horseback；　erected　at　the　charge　of　the　town。　　The

Ouse　is　mighty　large　and　deep；　close　to　the　very　town　itself；　and

ships　of　good　burthen　may　come　up　to　the　quay；　but　there　is　no

bridge；　the　stream　being　too　strong　and　the　bottom　moorish　and

unsound；　nor；　for　the　same　reason；　is　the　anchorage　computed　the

best　in　the　world；　but　there　are　good　roads　farther　down。



They　pass　over　here　in　boats　into　the　fen　country；　and　over　the

famous　washes　into　Lincolnshire；　but　the　passage　is　very　dangerous

and　uneasy；　and　where　passengers　often　miscarry　and　are　lost；　but

then　it　is　usually　on　their　venturing　at　improper　times；　and

without　the　guides；　which　if　they　would　be　persuaded　not　to　do；

they　would　very　rarely　fail　of　going　or　coming　safe。



From　Lynn　I　bent　my　course　to　Downham；　where　is　an　ugly　wooden

bridge　over　the　Ouse；　from　whence　we　passed　the　fen　country　to

Wisbeach；　but　saw　nothing　that　way　to　tempt　our　curiosity　but　deep

roads；　innumerable　drains　and　dykes　of　water；　all　navigable；　and　a

rich　soil；　the　land　bearing　a　vast　quantity　of　good　hemp；　but　a

base　unwholesome　air；　so　we　came　back　to　Ely；　whose　cathedral；

standing　in　a　level　flat　country；　is　seen　far　and　wide；　and　of

which　town；　when　the　minster；　so　they　call　it；　is　described；

everything　remarkable　is　said　that　there　is　room　to　say。　　And　of

the　minster；　this　is　the　most　remarkable　thing　that　I　could　hear

it；　namely；　that　some　of　it　is　so　ancient；　totters　so　much　with

every　gust　of　wind；　looks　so　like　a　decay；　and　seems　so　near　it；

that　whenever　it　does　fall；　all　that　it　is　likely　will　be　thought

strange　in　it　will　be　that　it　did　not　fall　a　hundred　years　sooner。



From　hence　we　came　over　the　Ouse；　and　in　a　few　miles　to　Newmarket。

In　our　way；　near　Snaybell；　we　saw　a　noble　seat　of　the　late　Admiral

Russell；　now　Earl　of　Orford；　a　name　made　famous　by　the　glorious

victory　obtained　under　his　command　over　the　French　fleet　and　the

burning　their　ships　at　La　Hogue　…　a　victory　equal　in　glory　to；　and

infinitely　more　glorious　to　the　English　nation　in　particular；　than

that　at　Blenheim；　and；　above　all；　more　to　the　particular　advantage

of　the　confederacy；　because　it　so　broke　the　heart　of　the　naval

power　of　France　that　they　have　not　fully　recovered　it　to　this　day。

But　of　this　victory　it　must　be　said　it　was　owing　to　the　haughty；

rash；　and　insolent　orders　given　by　the　King　of　France　to　his

admiral；　viz。；　to　fight　the　confederate　fleet　wherever　he　found

them；　without　leaving　room　for　him　to　use　due　caution　if　he　found

them　too　strong；　which　pride　of　France　was　doubtless　a　fate　upon

them；　and　gave　a　cheap　victory　to　the　confederates；　the　French

coming　down　rashly；　and　with　the　most　impolitic　bravery；　with　about

five…and…forty　sail　to　attack　between　seventy　and　eighty　sail；　by

which　means　they　met　their　ruin。　　Whereas；　had　their　own　fleet　been

joined；　it　might　have　cost　more　blood　to　have　mastered　them　if　it

had　been　done　at　all。



The　situation　of　this　house　is　low；　and　on　the　edge　of　the　fen

country；　but　the　building　is　very　fine；　the　avenues　noble；　and　the

gardens　perfectly　finished。　　The　apartments　also　are　rich；　and　I

see　nothing　wanting　but　a　family　and　heirs　to　sustain　the　glory　and

inheritance　of　the　illustrious　ancestor　who　raised　it　…　SED　CARET

PEDIBUS；　these　are　wanting。



Being　come　to　Newmarket　in　the　month　of　October；　I　had　the

opportunity　to　see　the　horse　races　and　a　great　concourse　of　the

nobility　and　gentry；　as　well　from　London　as　from　all　parts　of

England；　but　they　were　all　so　intent；　so　eager；　so　busy　upon　the

sharping　part　of　the　sport　…　their　wagers　and　bets　…　that　to　me

they　seemed　just　as　so　many　horse…coursers　in　Smithfield；

descending　（the　greatest　of　them）　from　their　high　dignity　and

quality　to　picking　one　another's　pockets；　and　biting　one　another　as

much　as　possible；　and　that　with　such　eagerness　as　that　it　might　be

said　they　acted　without　respect　to　faith；　honour；　or　good　manners。



There　was　Mr。　Frampton　the　oldest；　and；　as　some　say；　the　cunningest

jockey　in　England；　one　day　he　lost　one　thousand　guineas；　the　next

he　won　two　thousand；　and　so　alternately　he　made　as　light　of

throwing　away　five　hundred　or　one　thousand　pounds　at　a　time　as

other　men　do　of　their　pocket…money；　and　as　perfectly　calm；

cheerful；　and　unconcerned　when　he　had　lost　one　thousand　pounds　as

when　he　had　won　it。　　On　the　other　side　there　was　Sir　R　Fagg；　of

Sussex；　of　whom　fame　says　he　has　the　most　in　him　and　the　least　to

show　for　it　（relating　to　jockeyship）　of　any　man　there；　yet　he　often

carried　the　prize。　　His　horses；　they　said；　were　all　cheats；　how

honest　soever　their　master　was；　for　he　scarce　ever　produced　a　horse

but　he　looked　like　what　he　was　not；　and　was　what　nobody　could

expect　him　to　be。　　If　he　was　as　light　as　the　wind；　and　could　fly

like　a　meteor；　he　was　sure　to　look　as　clumsy；　and　as　dirty；　and　as

much　like　a　cart…horse　as　all　the　cunning　of　his　master　and　the

grooms　could　make　him；　and　just　in　this　manner　he　beat　some　of　the

greatest　gamesters　in　the　field。



I　was　so　sick　of　the　jockeying　part　that　I　left　the　crowd　about　the

posts　and　pleased　myself　with　observing　the