tour through the eastern counties of england-第22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！



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　this　latter　part　of　the　year　appear　also　covered

with　fogs；　so　that　when　the　downs　and　higher　grounds　of　the

adjacent　country　were　gilded　with　the　beams　of　the　sun；　the　Isle　of

Ely　looked　as　if　wrapped　up　in　blankets；　and　nothing　to　be　seen　but

now　and　then　the　lantern　or　cupola　of　Ely　Minster。



One　could　hardly　see　this　from　the　hills　and　not　pity　the　many

thousands　of　families　that　were　bound　to　or　confined　in　those　fogs；

and　had　no　other　breath　to　draw　than　what　must　be　mixed　with　those

vapours；　and　that　steam　which　so　universally　overspreads　the

country。　　But　notwithstanding　this；　the　people；　especially　those

that　are　used　to　it；　live　unconcerned；　and　as　healthy　as　other

folks；　except　now　and　then　an　ague；　which　they　make　light　of；　and

there　are　great　numbers　of　very　ancient　people　among　them。



I　now　draw　near　to　Cambridge；　to　which　I　fancy　I　look　as　if　I　was

afraid　to　come；　having　made　so　many　circumlocutions　beforehand；　but

I　must　yet　make　another　digression　before　I　enter　the　town　（for　in

my　way；　and　as　I　came　in　from　Newmarket；　about　the　beginning　of

September）；　I　cannot　omit；　that　I　came　necessarily　through

Stourbridge　Fair；　which　was　then　in　its　height。



If　it　is　a　diversion　worthy　a　book　to　treat　of　trifles；　such　as　the

gaiety　of　Bury　Fair；　it　cannot　be　very　unpleasant；　especially　to

the　trading　part　of　the　world；　to　say　something　of　this　fair；　which

is　not　only　the　greatest　in　the　whole　nation；　but　in　the　world；

nor；　if　I　may　believe　those　who　have　seen　the　mall；　is　the　fair　at

Leipzig　in　Saxony；　the　mart　at　Frankfort…on…the…Main；　or　the　fairs

at　Nuremberg；　or　Augsburg；　any　way　to　compare　to　this　fair　at

Stourbridge。



It　is　kept　in　a　large　corn…field；　near　Casterton；　extending　from

the　side　of　the　river　Cam；　towards　the　road；　for　about　half　a　mile

square。



If　the　husbandmen　who　rent　the　land；　do　not　get　their　corn　off

before　a　certain　day　in　August；　the　fair…keepers　may　trample　it

under　foot　and　spoil　it　to　build　their　booths；　or　tents；　for　all

the　fair　is　kept　in　tents　and　booths。　　On　the　other　hand；　to

balance　that　severity；　if　the　fair…keepers　have　not　done　their

business　of　the　fair；　and　removed　and　cleared　the　field　by　another

certain　day　in　September；　the　ploughmen　may　come　in　again；　with

plough　and　cart；　and　overthrow　all；　and　trample　into　the　dirt；　and

as　for　the　filth；　dung；　straw；　etc。　necessarily　left　by　the　fair…

keepers；　the　quantity　of　which　is　very　great；　it　is　the　farmers'

fees；　and　makes　them　full　amends　for　the　trampling；　riding；　and

carting　upon；　and　hardening　the　ground。



It　is　impossible　to　describe　all　the　parts　and　circumstances　of

this　fair　exactly；　the　shops　are　placed　in　rows　like　streets；

whereof　one　is　called　Cheapside；　and　here；　as　in　several　other

streets；　are　all　sorts　of　trades；　who　sell　by　retail；　and　who　come

principally　from　London　with　their　goods；　scarce　any　trades　are

omitted　…　goldsmiths；　toyshops；　brasiers；　turners；　milliners；

haberdashers；　hatters；　mercers；　drapers；　pewterers；　china…

warehouses；　and　in　a　word　all　trades　that　can　be　named　in　London；

with　coffee…houses；　taverns；　brandy…shops；　and　eating…houses；

innumerable；　and　all　in　tents；　and　booths；　as　above。



This　great　street　reaches　from　the　road；　which　as　I　said　goes　from

Cambridge　to　Newmarket；　turning　short　out　of　it　to　the　right

towards　the　river；　and　holds　in　a　line　near　half　a　mile　quite　down

to　the　river…side：　in　another　street　parallel　with　the　road　are

like　rows　of　booths；　but　larger；　and　more　intermingled　with

wholesale　dealers；　and　one　side；　passing　out　of　this　last　street　to

the　left　hand；　is　a　formal　great　square；　formed　by　the　largest

booths；　built　in　that　form；　and　which　they　call　the　Duddery；　whence

the　name　is　derived；　and　what　its　signification　is；　I　could　never

yet　learn；　though　I　made　all　possible　search　into　it。　　The　area　of

this　square　is　about　80　to　100　yards；　where　the　dealers　have　room

before　every　booth　to　take　down；　and　open　their　packs；　and　to　bring

in　waggons　to　load　and　unload。



This　place　is　separated；　and　peculiar　to　the　wholesale　dealers　in

the　woollen　manufacture。　　Here　the　booths　or　tents　are　of　a　vast

extent；　have　different　apartments；　and　the　quantities　of　goods　they

bring　are　so　great；　that　the　insides　of　them　look　like　another

Blackwell　Hall；　being　as　vast　warehouses　piled　up　with　goods　to　the

top。　　In　this　Duddery；　as　I　have　been　informed；　there　have　been

sold　one　hundred　thousand　pounds　worth　of　woollen　manufactures　in

less　than　a　week's　time；　besides　the　prodigious　trade　carried　on

here；　by　wholesale　men；　from　London；　and　all　parts　of　England；　who

transact　their　business　wholly　in　their　pocket…books；　and　meeting

their　chapmen　from　all　parts；　make　up　their　accounts；　receive　money

chiefly　in　bills；　and　take　orders：　These　they　say　exceed　by　far　the

sales　of　goods　actually　brought　to　the　fair；　and　delivered　in　kind；

it　being　frequent　for　the　London　wholesale　men　to　carry　back　orders

from　their　dealers　for　ten　thousand　pounds'　worth　of　goods　a　man；

and　some　much　more。　　This　especially　respects　those　people；　who

deal　in　heavy　goods；　as　wholesale　grocers；　salters；　brasiers；　iron…

merchants；　wine…merchants；　and　the　like；　but　does　not　exclude　the

dealers　in　woollen　manufactures；　and　especially　in　mercery　goods　of

all　sorts；　the　dealers　in　which　generally　manage　their　business　in

this　manner。



Here　are　clothiers　from　Halifax；　Leeds；　Wakefield　and　Huddersfield

in　Yorkshire；　and　from　Rochdale；　Bury；　etc。；　in　Lancashire；　with

vast　quantities　of　Yorkshire　cloths；　kerseys；　pennistons；　cottons；

etc。；　with　all　sorts　of　Manchester　ware；　fustiains；　and　things　made

of　cotton　wool；　of　which　the　quantity　is　so　great；　that　they　told

me　there　were　near　a　thousand　horse…packs　of　such　goods　from　that

side　of　the　country；　and　these　took　up　a　side　and　half　of　the

Duddery　at　least；　also　a　part　of　a　street　of　booths　were　taken　up

with　upholsterer's　ware；　such　as　tickings；　sackings；　kidderminster

stuffs；　blankets；　rugs；　quilts；　etc。



In　the　Duddery　I　saw　one　warehouse；　or　booth　with　six　apartments　in

it；　all　belonging　to　a　dealer　in　Norwich　stuffs　only；　and　who；　they

said；　had　there　above　twenty　thousand　pounds　value　in　those　goods；

and　no　other。



Western　goods　had　their　share　here　also；　and　several　booths　were

filled　as　full　with　serges；　duroys；　druggets；　shalloons；

cantaloons；　Devonshire　kerseys；　etc。；　from　Exeter；　Taunton；

Bristol；　and　other　parts　west；　and　some　from　London　also。



But　all　this　is　still　outdone　at　least　in　show；　by　two　articles；

which　are　the　peculiars　of　this　fair；　and　do　not　begin　till　the

other　part　of　the　fair；　that　is　to　say　for　the　woollen　manufacture

begins　to　draw　to　a　close。　　These　are　the　wool　and　the　hops；　as　for

the　hops；　there　is　scarce　any　price　fixed　for　hops　in　England；　till

they　know　how　they　sell　at　Stourbridge　fair；　the　quantity　that

appears　in　the　fair　is　indeed　prodigious；　and　they；　as　it　were；

possess　a　large　part　of　the　field　on　which　the　fair　is　kept　to

themselves；　they　are　brought　directly　from　Chelmsford　in　Essex；

from　Canterbury　and　Maidstone　in　Kent；　and　from　Farnham　in　Surrey；

besides　what　are　brought　from　London；　the　growth　of　those　and　other

places。



Enquiring　why　this　fair　should　be　thus；　of　all　other　places　in

England；　the　centre　of　that　trade；　and　so　great　a　quantity　of　so

bulky　a　commodity　be　carried　thither　so　far；　I　was　answered　by　one

thoroughly　acquainted　with　that　matter　thus：　the　hops；　said　he；　for

this　part　of　England；　grow　principally　in　the　two　counties　of

Surrey　and　Kent；　with　an　exception　only　to　the　town　of　Chelmsford

in　Essex；　and　there　are　very　few　planted　anywhere　else。



There　are　indeed　in　the　west　of　England　some　quantities　growing：　as

at　Wilton；　near　Salisbury；　at　Hereford　and　Broomsgrove；　near　Wales；

and　the　like；　but　the　quantity　is　inconsiderable；　and　the　places

remote；　so　that　none　of　them　come　to　London。



As　to　the　north　of　England；　they　formerly　used　but　few　hops　there；

their　drink　being　chiefly　pale　smooth　ale；　which　required　no　hops；

and　consequently　they　planted　no　hops　in　all　that　part　of　England；

north　of　the　Trent；　nor　did　I　ever　see　one　acre　of　hop…ground

planted　beyond　Trent　in　my　observation；　but　as　for　some　years　past；

they　not　only　brew　great　quantities　of　beer　in　the　north；　but　also

use　hops　in　the　brewing　their　ale　much　more　than　they　did　before；

so　they　all　come　south　of　Trent　to　buy　their　hops；　and　here　being

quantities　brought；　it　is　great　part　of　their　back　carriage　into

Yorkshire；　and　Northamptonshire；　Derbyshire；　Lancashire；　and　all

these　counties；　nay；　of　late；　since　the　Union；　even　to　Scotland

itself；　for　I　must　not　omit　here　also　to　mention；　that　the　river

Grant；　or　Cam；　which　runs　close　by　the　north…west　side　of　the　fa