友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!
合租小说网 返回本书目录 加入书签 我的书架 我的书签 TXT全本下载 『收藏到我的浏览器』

tour through the eastern counties of england-第11部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完,想下次继续接着阅读,可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能!



convenient a port to lie vacant in the world; but that the time

will some time or other come (especially considering the improving

temper of the present age) when some peculiar beneficial business

may be found out; to make the port of Ipswich as useful to the

world; and the town as flourishing; as Nature has made it proper

and capable to be。



As for the town; it is true; it is but thinly inhabited; in

comparison of the extent of it; but to say there are hardly any

people to be seen there; is far from being true in fact; and

whoever thinks fit to look into the churches and meeting…houses on

a Sunday; or other public days; will find there are very great

numbers of people there。  Or if he thinks fit to view the market;

and see how the large shambles; called Cardinal Wolsey's Butchery;

are furnished with meat; and the rest of the market stocked with

other provisions; must acknowledge that it is not for a few people

that all those things are provided。  A person very curious; and on

whose veracity I think I may depend; going through the market in

this town; told me; that he reckoned upwards of six hundred country

people on horseback and on foot; with baskets and other carriage;

who had all of them brought something or other to town to sell;

besides the butchers; and what came in carts and waggons。



It happened to be my lot to be once at this town at the time when a

very fine new ship; which was built there for some merchants of

London; was to be launched; and if I may give my guess at the

numbers of people which appeared on the shore; in the houses; and

on the river; I believe I am much within compass if I say there

were 20;000 people to see it; but this is only a guess; or they

might come a great way to see the sight; or the town may be

declined farther since that。  But a view of the town is one of the

surest rules for a gross estimate。



It is true here is no settled manufacture。  The French refugees

when they first came over to England began a little to take to this

place; and some merchants attempted to set up a linen manufacture

in their favour; but it has not met with so much success as was

expected; and at present I find very little of it。  The poor people

are; however; employed; as they are all over these counties; in

spinning wool for other towns where manufactures are settled。



The country round Ipswich; as are all the counties so near the

coast; is applied chiefly to corn; of which a very great quantity

is continually shipped off for London; and sometimes they load corn

here for Holland; especially if the market abroad is encouraging。

They have twelve parish churches in this town; with three or four

meetings; but there are not so many Quakers here as at Colchester;

and no Anabaptists or Antipoedo Baptists; that I could hear of … at

least; there is no meeting…house of that denomination。  There is

one meeting…house for the Presbyterians; one for the Independents

and one for the Quakers; the first is as large and as fine a

building of that kind as most on this side of England; and the

inside the best finished of any I have seen; London not excepted;

that for the Independents is a handsome new…built building; but not

so gay or so large as the other。



There is a great deal of very good company in this town; and though

there are not so many of the gentry here as at Bury; yet there are

more here than in any other town in the county; and I observed

particularly that the company you meet with here are generally

persons well informed of the world; and who have something very

solid and entertaining in their society。  This may happen; perhaps;

by their frequent conversing with those who have been abroad; and

by their having a remnant of gentlemen and masters of ships among

them who have seen more of the world than the people of an inland

town are likely to have seen。  I take this town to be one of the

most agreeable places in England for families who have lived well;

but may have suffered in our late calamities of stocks and bubbles;

to retreat to; where they may live within their own compass; and

several things indeed recommend it to such:…



1。  Good houses at very easy rents。



2。  An airy; clean; and well…governed town。



3。  Very agreeable and improving company almost of every kind。



4。  A wonderful plenty of all manner of provisions; whether flesh

or fish; and very good of the kind。



5。  Those provisions very cheap; so that a family may live cheaper

here than in any town in England of its bigness within such a small

distance from London。



6。  Easy passage to London; either by land or water; the coach

going through to London in a day。





The Lord Viscount Hereford has a very fine seat and park in this

town; the house indeed is old built; but very commodious; it is

called Christ Church; having been; as it is said; a priory or

religious house in former times。  The green and park is a great

addition to the pleasantness of this town; the inhabitants being

allowed to divert themselves there with walking; bowling; etc。



The large spire steeple; which formerly stood upon that they call

the tower church; was blown down by a great storm of wind many

years ago; and in its a fall did much damage to the church。



The government of this town is by two bailiffs; as at Yarmouth。

Mr。 Camden says they are chosen out of twelve burgesses called

portmen; and two justices out of twenty…four more。  There has been

lately a very great struggle between the two parties for the choice

of these two magistrates; which had this amicable conclusion …

namely; that they chose one of either side; so that neither party

having the victory; it is to be hoped it may be a means to allay

the heats and unneighbourly feuds which such things breed in towns

so large as this is。  They send two members to Parliament; whereof

those at this time are Sir William Thompson; Recorder of London;

and Colonel Negus; Deputy Master of the Horse to the king。



There are some things very curious to be seen here; however some

superficial writers have been ignorant of them。  Dr。 Beeston; an

eminent physician; began a few years ago a physic garden adjoining

to his house in this town; and as he is particularly curious; and;

as I was told; exquisitely skilled in botanic knowledge; so he has

been not only very diligent; but successful too; in making a

collection of rare and exotic plants; such as are scarce to be

equalled in England。



One Mr。 White; a surgeon; resides also in this town。  But before I

speak of this gentleman; I must observe that I say nothing from

personal knowledge; though if I did; I have too good an opinion of

his sense to believe he would be pleased with being flattered or

complimented in print。  But I must be true to matter of fact。  This

gentleman has begun a collection or chamber of rarities; and with

good success too。  I acknowledge I had not the opportunity of

seeing them; but I was told there are some things very curious in

it; as particularly a sea…horse carefully preserved; and perfect in

all its parts; two Roman urns full of ashes of human bodies; and

supposed to be above 1;700 years old; besides a great many valuable

medals and ancient coins。  My friend who gave me this account; and

of whom I think I may say he speaks without bias; mentions this

gentleman; Mr。 White; with some warmth as a very valuable person in

his particular employ of a surgeon。  I only repeat his words。  〃Mr。

White;〃 says he; 〃to whom the whole town and country are greatly

indebted and obliged to pray for his life; is our most skilful

surgeon。〃  These; I say; are his own words; and I add nothing to

them but this; that it is happy for a town to have such a surgeon;

as it is for a surgeon to have such a character。



The country round Ipswich; as if qualified on purpose to

accommodate the town for building of ships; is an inexhaustible

store…house of timber; of which; now their trade of building ships

is abated; they send very great quantities to the king's building…

yards at Chatham; which by water is so little a way that they often

run to it from the mouth of the river at Harwich in one tide。



From Ipswich I took a turn into the country to Hadleigh;

principally to satisfy my curiosity and see the place where that

famous martyr and pattern of charity and religious zeal in Queen

Mary's time; Dr。 Rowland Taylor; was put to death。  The

inhabitants; who have a wonderful veneration for his memory; show

the very place where the stake which he was bound to was set up;

and they have put a stone upon it which nobody will remove; but it

is a more lasting monument to him that he lives in the hearts of

the people … I say more lasting than a tomb of marble would be; for

the memory of that good man will certainly never be out of the poor

people's minds as long as this island shall retain the Protestant

religion among them。  How long that may be; as things are going;

and if the detestable conspiracy of the Papists now on foot should

succeed; I will not pretend to say。



A little to the left is Sudbury; which stands upon the River Stour;

mentioned above … a river which parts the counties of Suffolk and

Essex; and which is within these few years made navigable to this

town; though the navigation does not; it seems; answer the charge;

at least not to advantage。



I know nothing for which this town is remarkable; except for being

very populous and very poor。  They have a great manufacture of says

and perpetuanas; and multitudes of poor people are employed in

working them; but the number of the poor is almost ready to eat up

the rich。  However; this town sends two members to Parliament;

though it is under no form of government particularly to itself

other than as a village; the head magistrate whereof is a

constable。



Near adjoining to it is a village called Long Melfort; and a very

long one it is; from which I 
返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0
快捷操作: 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!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!