tour through the eastern counties of england-第23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！



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

in　its　way　from　Cambridge　to　Ely；　is　navigable；　and　that　by　this

means；　all　heavy　goods　are　brought　even　to　the　fair…field；　by　water

carriage　from　London　and　other　parts；　first　to　the　port　of　Lynn；

and　then　in　barges　up　the　Ouse；　from　the　Ouse　into　the　Cam；　and　so；

as　I　say；　to　the　very　edge　of　the　fair。



In　like　manner　great　quantities　of　heavy　goods；　and　the　hops　among

the　rest；　are　sent　from　the　fair　to　Lynn　by　water；　and　shipped

there　for　the　Humber；　to　Hull；　York；　etc。；　and　for　Newcastle…upon…

Tyne；　and　by　Newcastle；　even　to　Scotland　itself。　　Now　as　there　is

still　no　planting　of　hops　in　the　north；　though　a　great　consumption；

and　the　consumption　increasing　daily；　this；　says　my　friend；　is　one

reason　why　at　Stourbridge　fair　there　is　so　great　a　demand　for　the

hops。　　He　added；　that　besides　this；　there　were　very　few　hops；　if

any　worth　naming；　growing　in　all　the　counties　even　on　this　side

Trent；　which　were　above　forty　miles　from　London；　those　counties

depending　on　Stourbridge　fair　for　their　supply；　so　the　counties　of

Suffolk；　Norfolk；　Cambridge；　Huntingdon；　Northampton；　Lincoln；

Leicester；　Rutland；　and　even　to　Stafford；　Warwick；　and

Worcestershire；　bought　most　if　not　all　of　their　hops　at　Stourbridge

fair。



These　are　the　reasons　why　so　great　a　quantity　of　hops　are　seen　at

this　fair；　as　that　it　is　incredible；　considering；　too；　how　remote

from　this　fair　the　growth　of　them　is　as　above。



This　is　likewise　a　testimony　of　the　prodigious　resort　of　the

trading　people　of　all　parts　of　England　to　this　fair；　the　quantity

of　hops　that　have　been　sold　at　one　of　these　fairs　is　diversely

reported；　and　some　affirm　it　to　be　so　great；　that　I　dare　not　copy

after　them；　but　without　doubt　it　is　a　surprising　account；

especially　in　a　cheap　year。



The　next　article　brought　thither　is　wool；　and　this　of　several

sorts；　but　principally　fleece　wool；　out　of　Lincolnshire；　where　the

longest　staple　is　found；　the　sheep　of　those　countries　being　of　the

largest　breed。



The　buyers　of　this　wool　are　chiefly　indeed　the　manufacturers　of

Norfolk　and　Suffolk　and　Essex；　and　it　is　a　prodigious　quantity　they

buy。



Here　I　saw　what　I　have　not　observed　in　any　other　county　of　England；

namely；　a　pocket　of　wool。　　This　seems　to　be　first　called　so　in

mockery；　this　pocket　being　so　big；　that　it　loads　a　whole　waggon；

and　reaches　beyond　the　most　extreme　parts　of　it　hanging　over　both

before　and　behind；　and　these　ordinarily　weigh　a　ton　or　twenty…five

hundredweight　of　wool；　all　in　one　bag。



The　quantity　of　wool　only；　which　has　been　sold　at　this　place　at　one

fair；　has　been　said　to　amount　to　fifty　or　sixty　thousand　pounds　in

value；　some　say　a　great　deal　more。



By　these　articles　a　stranger　may　make　some　guess　at　the　immense

trade　carried　on　at　this　place；　what　prodigious　quantities　of　goods

are　bought　and　sold　here；　and　what　a　confluence　of　people　are　seen

here　from　all　parts　of　England。



I　might　go　on　here　to　speak　of　several　other　sorts　of　English

manufactures　which　are　brought　hither　to　be　sold；　as　all　sorts　of

wrought…iron　and　brass…ware　from　Birmingham；　edged　tools；　knives；

etc。；　from　Sheffield；　glass　wares　and　stockings　from　Nottingham　and

Leicester；　and　an　infinite　throng　of　other　things　of　smaller　value

every　morning。



To　attend　this　fair；　and　the　prodigious　conflux　of　people　which

come　to　it；　there　are　sometimes　no　less　than　fifty　hackney　coaches

which　come　from　London；　and　ply　night　and　morning　to　carry　the

people　to　and　from　Cambridge；　for　there　the　gross　of　the　people

lodge；　nay；　which　is　still　more　strange；　there　are　wherries　brought

from　London　on　waggons　to　ply　upon　the　little　river　Cam；　and　to　row

people　up　and　down　from　the　town；　and　from　the　fair　as　occasion

presents。



It　is　not　to　be　wondered　at；　if　the　town　of　Cambridge　cannot

receive；　or　entertain　the　numbers　of　people　that　come　to　this　fair；

not　Cambridge　only；　but　all　the　towns　round　are　full；　nay；　the　very

barns　and　stables　are　turned　into　inns；　and　made　as　fit　as　they　can

to　lodge　the　meaner　sort　of　people：　as　for　the　people　in　the　fair；

they　all　universally　eat；　drink；　and　sleep　in　their　booths　and

tents；　and　the　said　booths　are　so　intermingled　with　taverns；

coffee…houses；　drinking…houses；　eating…houses；　cook…shops；　etc。；

and　all　in　tents　too；　and　so　many　butchers　and　higglers　from　all

the　neighbouring　counties　come　into　the　fair　every　morning　with

beef；　mutton；　fowls；　butter；　bread；　cheese；　eggs；　and　such　things；

and　go　with　them　from　tent　to　tent；　from　door　to　door；　that　there

is　no　want　of　any　provisions　of　any　kind；　either　dressed　or

undressed。



In　a　word；　the　fair　is　like　a　well…fortified　city；　and　there　is　the

least　disorder　and　confusion　I　believe；　that　can　be　seen　anywhere

with　so　great　a　concourse　of　people。



Towards　the　latter　end　of　the　fair；　and　when　the　great　hurry　of

wholesale　business　begins　to　be　over；　the　gentry　come　in　from　all

parts　of　the　county　round；　and　though　they　come　for　their

diversion；　yet　it　is　not　a　little　money　they　lay　out；　which

generally　falls　to　the　share　of　the　retailers；　such　as　toy…shops；

goldsmiths；　braziers；　ironmongers；　turners；　milliners；　mercers；

etc。；　and　some　loose　coins　they　reserve　for　the　puppet　shows；

drolls；　rope…dancers；　and　such　like；　of　which　there　is　no　want；

though　not　considerable　like　the　rest。　　The　last　day　of　the　fair　is

the　horse…fair；　where　the　whole　is　closed　with　both　horse　and　foot

races；　to　divert　the　meaner　sort　of　people　only；　for　nothing

considerable　is　offered　of　that　kind。　　Thus　ends　the　whole　fair；

and　in　less　than　a　week　more；　there　is　scarce　any　sign　left　that

there　has　been　such　a　thing　there；　except　by　the　heaps　of　dung　and

straw　and　other　rubbish　which　is　left　behind；　trod　into　the　earth；

and　which　is　as　good　as　a　summer's　fallow　for　dunging　the　land；　and

as　I　have　said　above；　pays　the　husbandman　well　for　the　use　of　it。



I　should　have　mentioned　that　here　is　a　court　of　justice　always

open；　and　held　every　day　in　a　shed　built　on　purpose　in　the　fair；

this　is　for　keeping　the　peace；　and　deciding　controversies　in

matters　deriving　from　the　business　of　the　fair。　　The　magistrates　of

the　town　of　Cambridge　are　judges　in　this　court；　as　being　in　their

jurisdiction；　or　they　holding　it　by　special　privilege：　here　they

determine　matters　in　a　summary　way；　as　is　practised　in　those　we

call　Pye　Powder　Courts　in　other　places；　or　as　a　Court　of

Conscience；　and　they　have　a　final　authority　without　appeal。



I　come　now　to　the　town　and　university　of　Cambridge；　I　say　the　town

and　university；　for　though　they　are　blended　together　in　the

situation；　and　the　colleges；　halls；　and　houses　for　literature　are

promiscuously　scattered　up　and　down　among　the　other　parts；　and　some

even　among　the　meanest　of　the　other　buildings；　as　Magdalene　College

over　the　bridge　is　in　particular；　yet　they　are　all　incorporated

together　by　the　name　of　the　university；　and　are　governed　apart　and

distinct　from　the　town　which　they　are　so　intermixed　with。



As　their　authority　is　distinct　from　the　town；　so　are　their

privileges；　customs；　and　government；　they　choose　representatives；

or　members　of　Parliament　for　themselves；　and　the　town　does　the　like

for　themselves；　also　apart。



The　town　is　governed　by　a　mayor　and　aldermen；　the　university　by　a

chancellor；　and　vice…chancellor；　etc。　　Though　their　dwellings　are

mixed；　and　seem　a　little　confused；　their　authority　is　not　so；　in

some　cases　the　vice…chancellor　may　concern　himself　in　the　town；　as

in　searching　houses　for　the　scholars　at　improper　hours；　removing

scandalous　women；　and　the　like。



But　as　the　colleges　are　many；　and　the　gentlemen　entertained　in　them

are　a　very　great　number；　the　trade　of　the　town　very　much　depends

upon　them；　and　the　tradesmen　may　justly　be　said　to　get　their　bread

by　the　colleges；　and　this　is　the　surest　hold　the　university　may　be

said　to　have　of　the　townsmen；　and　by　which　they　secure　the

dependence　of　the　town　upon　them；　and　consequently　their

submission。



I　remember　some　years　ago　a　brewer；　who　being　very　rich　and　popular

in　the　town；　and　one　of　their　magistrates；　had　in　several　things　so

much　opposed　the　university；　and　insulted　their　vice…chancellor；　or

other　heads　of　houses；　that　in　short　the　university　having　no　other

way　to　exert　themselves；　and　show　their　resentment；　they　made　a

bye…law　or　order　among　themselves；　that　for　the　future　they　would

not　trade　with　him；　and　that　none　of　the　colleges；　halls；　etc。；

would　take　any　more　beer　of　him；　and　what　followed？　　The　man　indeed

braved　it　out　a　while；　but　when　he　found　he　could　not　obtain　a

revocation　of　the　order；　he　was　fain　to　leave　off　his　brewhouse；

and　if　I　remember　right；　quitted　the　town。



Thus　I　say；　interest　gives　them　authority；　and　there　are　abundance

of　reasons　why　the　town　should　not　disoblige　the　university；　as

there　are　some　also　on　the　other　hand