tour through the eastern counties of england-第21节

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posts　and　pleased　myself　with　observing　the　horses：　how　the

creatures　yielded　to　all　the　arts　and　managements　of　their　masters；

how　they　took　their　airings　in　sport；　and　played　with　the　daily

heats　which　they　ran　over　the　course　before　the　grand　day。　　But

how；　as　knowing　the　difference　equally　with　their　riders；　would

they　exert　their　utmost　strength　at　the　time　of　the　race　itself！

And　that　to　such　an　extremity　that　one　or　two　of　them　died　in　the

stable　when　they　came　to　be　rubbed　after　the　first　heat。



Here　I　fancied　myself　in　the　Circus　Maximus　at　Rome　seeing　the

ancient　games　and　the　racings　of　the　chariots　and　horsemen；　and　in

this　warmth　of　my　imagination　I　pleased　and　diverted　myself　more

and　in　a　more　noble　manner　than　I　could　possibly　do　in　the　crowds

of　gentlemen　at　the　weighing　and　starting…posts　and　at　their　coming

in；　or　at　their　meetings　at　the　coffee…houses　and　gaming…tables

after　the　races　were　over；　where　there　was　little　or　nothing　to　be

seen　but　what　was　the　subject　of　just　reproach　to　them　and　reproof

from　every　wise　man　that　looked　upon　them。



N。B。　…　Pray　take　it　with　you；　as　you　go；　you　see　no　ladies　at

Newmarket；　except　a　few　of　the　neighbouring　gentlemen's　families；

who　come　in　their　coaches　on　any　particular　day　to　see　a　race；　and

so　go　home　again　directly。



As　I　was　pleasing　myself　with　what　was　to　be　seen　here；　I　went　in

the　intervals　of　the　sport　to　see　the　fine　seats　of　the　gentlemen

in　the　neighbouring　county；　for　this　part　of　Suffolk；　being　an　open

champaign　country　and　a　healthy　air；　is　formed　for　pleasure　and　all

kinds　of　country　diversion；　Nature；　as　it　were；　inviting　the

gentlemen　to　visit　her　where　she　was　fully　prepared　to　receive

them；　in　conformity　to　which　kind　summons　they　came；　for　the

country　is；　as　it　were；　covered　with　fine　palaces　of　the　nobility

and　pleasant　seats　of　the　gentlemen。



The　Earl　of　Orford's　house　I　have　mentioned　already；　the　next　is

Euston　Hall；　the　seat　of　the　Duke　of　Grafton。　　It　lies　in　the　open

country　towards　the　side　of　Norfolk；　not　far　from　Thetford；　a　place

capable　of　all　that　is　pleasant　and　delightful　in　Nature；　and

improved　by　art　to　every　extreme　that　Nature　is　able　to　produce。



From　thence　I　went　to　Rushbrook；　formerly　the　seat　of　the　noble

family　of　Jermyns；　lately　Lord　Dover；　and　now　of　the　house　of

Davers。　　Here　Nature；　for　the　time　I　was　there；　drooped　and　veiled

all　the　beauties　of　which　she　once　boasted；　the　family　being　in

tears　and　the　house　shut　up；　Sir　Robert　Davers；　the　head　thereof；

and　knight　of　the　shire　for　the　county　of　Suffolk；　and　who　had

married　the　eldest　daughter　of　the　late　Lord　Dover；　being　just

dead；　and　the　corpse　lying　there　in　its　funeral　form　of　ceremony；

not　yet　buried。　　Yet　all　looked　lovely　in　their　sorrow；　and　a

numerous　issue　promising　and　grown　up　intimated　that　the　family　of

Davers　would　still　flourish；　and　that　the　beauties　of　Rushbrook；

the　mansion　of　the　family；　were　not　formed　with　so　much　art　in　vain

or　to　die　with　the　present　possessor。



After　this　we　saw　Brently；　the　seat　of　the　Earl　of　Dysert；　and　the

ancient　palace　of　my　Lord　Cornwallis；　with　several　others　of

exquisite　situation；　and　adorned　with　the　beauties　both　of　art　and

Nature；　so　that　I　think　any　traveller　from　abroad；　who　would　desire

to　see　how　the　English　gentry　live；　and　what　pleasures　they　enjoy；

should　come　into　Suffolk　and　Cambridgeshire；　and　take　but　a　light

circuit　among　the　country　seats　of　the　gentlemen　on　this　side　only；

and　they　would　be　soon　convinced　that　not　France；　no；　not　Italy

itself；　can　outdo　them　in　proportion　to　the　climate　they　lived　in。



I　had　still　the　county　of　Cambridge　to　visit　to　complete　this　tour

of　the　eastern　part　of　England；　and　of　that　I　come　now　to　speak。



We　enter　Cambridgeshire　out　of　Suffolk；　with　all　the　advantage　in

the　world；　the　county　beginning　upon　those　pleasant　and　agreeable

plains　called　Newmarket　Heath；　where　passing　the　Devil's　Ditch；

which　has　nothing　worth　notice　but　its　name；　and　that　but　fabulous

too；　from　the　hills　called　Gogmagog；　we　see　a　rich　and　pleasant

vale　westward；　covered　with　corn…fields；　gentlemen's　seats；

villages；　and　at　a　distance；　to　crown　all　the　rest；　that　ancient

and　truly　famous　town　and　university　of　Cambridge；　capital　of　the

county；　and　receiving　its　name　from；　if　not；　as　some　say；　giving

name　to　it；　for　if　it　be　true　that　the　town　takes　its　name　of

Cambridge　from　its　bridge　over　the　river　Cam；　then　certainly　the

shire　or　county；　upon　the　division　of　England　into　counties；　had

its　name　from　the　town；　and　Cambridgeshire　signifies　no　more　or

less　than　the　county　of　which　Cambridge　is　the　capital　town。



As　my　business　is　not　to　lay　out　the　geographical　situation　of

places；　I　say　nothing　of　the　buttings　and　boundings　of　this　county。

It　lies　on　the　edge　of　the　great　level；　called　by　the　people　here

the　Fen　Country；　and　great　part；　if　not　all；　the　Isle　of　Ely　lies

in　this　county　and　Norfolk。　　The　rest　of　Cambridgeshire　is　almost

wholly　a　corn　country；　and　of　that　corn　five　parts　in　six　of　all

they　sow　is　barley；　which　is　generally　sold　to　Ware　and　Royston；

and　other　great　malting　towns　in　Hertfordshire；　and　is　the　fund

from　whence　that　vast　quantity　of　malt；　called　Hertfordshire　malt；

is　made；　which　is　esteemed　the　best　in　England。　　As　Essex；　Suffolk；

and　Norfolk　are　taken　up　in　manufactures；　and　famed　for　industry；

this　county　has　no　manufacture　at　all；　nor　are　the　poor；　except　the

husbandmen；　famed　for　anything　so　much　as　idleness　and　sloth；　to

their　scandal　be　it　spoken。　　What　the　reason　of　it　is　I　know　not。



It　is　scarce　possible　to　talk　of　anything　in　Cambridgeshire　but

Cambridge　itself；　whether　it　be　that　the　county　has　so　little　worth

speaking　of　in　it；　or；　that　the　town　has　so　much；　that　I　leave　to

others；　however；　as　I　am　making　modern　observations；　not　writing

history；　I　shall　look　into　the　county；　as　well　as　into　the

colleges；　for　what　I　have　to　say。



As　I　said；　I　first　had　a　view　of　Cambridge　from　Gogmagog　hills；　I

am　to　add　that　there　appears　on　the　mountain　that　goes　by　this

name；　an　ancient　camp　or　fortification；　that　lies　on　the　top　of　the

hill；　with　a　double；　or　rather　treble；　rampart　and　ditch；　which

most　of　our　writers　say　was　neither　Roman　nor　Saxon；　but　British。

I　am　to　add　that　King　James　II。　caused　a　spacious　stable　to　be

built　in　the　area　of　this　camp　for　his　running　homes；　and　made　old

Mr。　Frampton；　whom　I　mentioned　above；　master　or　inspector　of　them。

The　stables　remain　still　there；　though　they　are　not　often　made　use

of。　　As　we　descended　westward　we　saw　the　Fen　country　on　our　right；

almost　all　covered　with　water　like　a　sea；　the　Michaelmas　rains

having　been　very　great　that　year；　they　had　sent　down　great　floods

of　water　from　the　upland　countries；　and　those　fens　being；　as　may　be

very　properly　said；　the　sink　of　no　less　than　thirteen　counties　…

that　is　to　say；　that　all　the　water；　or　most　part　of　the　water；　of

thirteen　counties　falls　into　them；　they　are　often　thus　overflowed。

The　rivers　which　thus　empty　themselves　into　these　fens；　and　which

thus　carry　off　the　water；　are　the　Cam　or　Grant；　the　Great　Ouse　and

Little　Ouse；　the　Nene；　the　Welland；　and　the　river　which　runs　from

Bury　to　Milden　Hall。　　The　counties　which　these　rivers　drain；　as

above；　are　as　follows：…





Lincoln；　Warwick；　Norfolk；

*　Cambridge；　Oxford；　Suffolk；

*　Huntingdon；　Leicester；　Essex；

*　Bedford；　*　Northampton

Buckingham；　*　Rutland。



Those　marked　with　（*）　empty　all　their　waters　this　way；　the　rest　but

in　part。





In　a　word；　all　the　water　of　the　middle　part　of　England　which　does

not　run　into　the　Thames　or　the　Trent；　comes　down　into　these　fens。



In　these　fens　are　abundance　of　those　admirable　pieces　of　art　called

decoys　that　is　to　say；　places　so　adapted　for　the　harbour　and

shelter　of　wild　fowl；　and　then　furnished　with　a　breed　of　those　they

call　decoy　ducks；　who　are　taught　to　allure　and　entice　their　kind　to

the　places　they　belong　to；　that　it　is　incredible　what　quantities　of

wild　fowl　of　all　sorts；　duck；　mallard；　teal；　widgeon；　&c。；　they

take　in　those　decoys　every　week　during　the　season；　it　may；　indeed；

be　guessed　at　a　little　by　this；　that　there　is　a　decoy　not　far　from

Ely　which　pays　to　the　landlord；　Sir　Thomas　Hare；　500　pounds　a　year

rent；　besides　the　charge　of　maintaining　a　great　number　of　servants

for　the　management；　and　from　which　decoy　alone；　they　assured　me　at

St。　Ives　（a　town　on　the　Ouse；　where　the　fowl　they　took　was　always

brought　to　be　sent　to　London）　that　they　generally　sent　up　three

thousand　couple　a　week。



There　are　more　of　these　about　Peterborough；　who　send　the　fowl　up

twice　a　week　in　waggon…loads　at　a　time；　whose　waggons　before　the

late　Act　of　Parliament　to　regulate　carriers　I　have　seen　drawn　by

ten　and　twelve　horses　a…piece；　they　were　laden　so　heavy。



As　these　fens　appear　covered　with　water；　so　I　observed；　too；　that

they　generally　at