tour through the eastern counties of england-第15部分

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also　for　live　chickens　in　the　dear　seasons；　of　all　which　a　very

great　number　are　brought　in　this　manner　to　London；　and　more

prodigiously　out　of　this　country　than　any　other　part　of　England；

which　is　the　reason　of　my　speaking　of　it　here。



In　this　part；　which　we　call　High　Suffolk；　there　are　not　so　many

families　of　gentry　or　nobility　placed　as　in　the　other　side　of　the

country。　　But　it　is　observed　that　though　their　seats　are　not　so

frequent　here；　their　estates　are；　and　the　pleasure　of　West　Suffolk

is　much　of　it　supported　by　the　wealth　of　High　Suffolk；　for　the

richness　of　the　lands　and　application　of　the　people　to　all　kinds　of

improvement　is　scarce　credible；　also　the　farmers　are　so　very

considerable　and　their　farms　and　dairies　so　large　that　it　is　very

frequent　for　a　farmer　to　have　1；000　pounds　stock　upon　his　farm　in

cows　only。





NORFOLK。





From　High　Suffolk　I　passed　the　Waveney　into　Norfolk；　near　Schole

Inn。　　In　my　passage　I　saw　at　Redgrave　（the　seat　of　the　family）　a

most　exquisite　monument　of　Sir　John　Holt；　Knight；　late　Lord　Chief

Justice　of　the　King's　Bench　several　years；　and　one　of　the　most

eminent　lawyers　of　his　time。　　One　of　the　heirs　of　the　family　is　now

building　a　fine　seat　about　a　mile　on　the　south　side　of　Ipswich；

near　the　road。



The　epitaph　or　inscription　on　this　monument　is　as　follows：…





M。　S。

D。　Johannis　Holt；　Equitis　Aur。

Totius　Anglioe　in　Banco　Regis

per　21　Annos　continuos

Capitalis　Justitiarii

Gulielmo　Regi　Annoequr　Reginae

Consiliarii　perpetui：

Libertatis　ac　Legum　Anglicarum

Assertoris；　Vindicis；　Custodis；

Vigilis　Acris　&　intrepidi；

Rolandus　Frater　Uncius　&　Hoeres

Optime　de　se　Merito

posuit；

Die　Martis　Vto。　1709。　　Sublatus　est

ex　Oculis　nostris

Natus　30　Decembris；　Anno　1642。





When　we　come　into　Norfolk；　we　see　a　face　of　diligence　spread　over

the　whole　country；　the　vast　manufactures　carried　on　（in　chief）　by

the　Norwich　weavers　employs　all　the　country　round　in　spinning　yarn

for　them；　besides　many　thousand　packs　of　yarn　which　they　receive

from　other　countries；　even　from　as　far　as　Yorkshire　and

Westmoreland；　of　which　I　shall　speak　in　its　place。



This　side　of　Norfolk　is　very　populous；　and　thronged　with　great　and

spacious　market…towns；　more　and　larger　than　any　other　part　of

England　so　far　from　London；　except　Devonshire；　and　the　West　Riding

of　Yorkshire；　for　example；　between　the　frontiers　of　Suffolk　and　the

city　of　Norwich　on　this　side；　which　is　not　above　22　miles　in

breadth；　are　the　following　market…towns；　viz。：…





Thetford；　Hingham；　Harleston；

Diss；　West　Dereham；　E。　Dereham；

Harling；　Attleborough；　Watton；

Bucknam；　Windham；　Loddon；　etc。





Most　of　these　towns　are　very　populous　and　large；　but　that　which　is

most　remarkable　is；　that　the　whole　country　round　them　is　so

interspersed　with　villages；　and　those　villages　so　large；　and　so

full　of　people；　that　they　are　equal　to　market…towns　in　other

countries；　in　a　word；　they　render　this　eastern　part　of　Norfolk

exceeding　full　of　inhabitants。



An　eminent　weaver　of　Norwich　gave　me　a　scheme　of　their　trade　on

this　occasion；　by　which；　calculating　from　the　number　of　looms　at

that　time　employed　in　the　city　of　Norwich　only；　besides　those

employed　in　other　towns　in　the　same　county；　he　made　it　appear　very

plain；　that　there　were　120；000　people　employed　in　the　woollen　and

silk　and　wool　manufactures　of　that　city　only；　not　that　the　people

all　lived　in　the　city；　though　Norwich　is　a　very　large　and　populous

city　too：　but；　I　say；　they　were　employed　for　spinning　the　yarn　used

for　such　goods　as　were　all　made　in　that　city。　　This　account　is

curious　enough；　and　very　exact；　but　it　is　too　long　for　the　compass

of　this　work。



This　shows　the　wonderful　extent　of　the　Norwich　manufacture；　or

stuff…weaving　trade；　by　which　so　many　thousands　of　families　are

maintained。　　Their　trade；　indeed；　felt　a　very　sensible　decay；　and

the　cries　of　the　poor　began　to　be　very　loud；　when　the　wearing　of

painted　calicoes　was　grown　to　such　a　height　in　England；　as　was　seen

about　two　or　three　years　ago；　but　an　Act　of　Parliament　having　been

obtained；　though　not　without　great　struggle；　in　the　years　1720　and

1721；　for　prohibiting　the　use　and　wearing　of　calicoes；　the　stuff

trade　revived　incredibly；　and　as　I　passed　this　part　of　the　country

in　the　year　1723；　the　manufacturers　assured　me　that　there　was　not；

in　all　the　eastern　and　middle　part　of　Norfolk；　any　hand　unemployed；

if　they　would　work；　and　that　the　very　children；　after　four　or　five

years　of　age；　could　every　one　earn　their　own　bread。　　But　I　return

to　speak　of　the　villages　and　towns　in　the　rest　of　the　county；　I

shall　come　to　the　city　of　Norwich　by　itself。



This　throng　of　villages　continues　through　all　the　east　part　of　the

country；　which　is　of　the　greatest　extent；　and　where　the　manufacture

is　chiefly　carried　on。　　If　any　part　of　it　be　waste　and　thin　of

inhabitants；　it　is　the　west　part；　drawing　a　line　from　about　Brand；

or　Brandon；　south；　to　Walsinghan；　north。　　This　part　of　the　country

indeed　is　full　of　open　plains；　and　somewhat　sandy　and　barren；　and

feeds　great　flocks　of　good　sheep；　but　put　it　all　together；　the

county　of　Norfolk　has　the　most　people　in　the　least　tract　of　land　of

any　county　in　England；　except　about　London；　and　Exon；　and　the　West

Riding　of　Yorkshire；　as　above。



Add　to　this；　that　there　is　no　single　county　in　England；　except　as

above；　that　can　boast　of　three　towns　so　populous；　so　rich；　and　so

famous　for　trade　and　navigation；　as　in　this　county。　　By　these　three

towns；　I　mean　the　city　of　Norwich；　the　towns　of　Yarmouth　and　Lynn。

Besides　that；　it　has　several　other　seaports　of　very　good　trade；　as

Wisbech；　Wells；　Burnham；　Clye；　etc。



Norwich　is　the　capital　of　all　the　county；　and　the　centre　of　all　the

trade　and　manufactures　which　I　have　just　mentioned；　an　ancient；

large；　rich；　and　populous　city。　　If　a　stranger　was　only　to　ride

through　or　view　the　city　of　Norwich　for　a　day；　he　would　have　much

more　reason　to　think　there　was　a　town　without　inhabitants；　than

there　is　really　to　say　so　of　Ipswich；　but　on　the　contrary　if　he　was

to　view　the　city；　either　on　a　Sabbath…day；　or　on　any　public

occasion；　he　would　wonder　where　all　the　people　could　dwell；　the

multitude　is　so　great。　　But　the　case　is　this：　the　inhabitants　being

all　busy　at　their　manufactures；　dwell　in　their　garrets　at　their

looms；　and　in　their　combing　shops　（so　they　call　them）；　twisting…

mills；　and　other　work…houses；　almost　all　the　works　they　are

employed　in　being　done　within　doors。　　There　are　in　this　city

thirty…two　parishes　besides　the　cathedral；　and　a　great　many

meeting…houses　of　Dissenters　of　all　denominations。　　The　public

edifices　are　chiefly　the　castle；　ancient　and　decayed；　and　now　for

many　years　past　made　use　of　for　a　gaol。　　The　Duke　of　Norfolk's

house　was　formerly　kept　well；　and　the　gardens　preserved　for　the

pleasure　and　diversion　of　the　citizens；　but　since　feeling　too

sensibly　the　sinking　circumstances　of　that　once　glorious　family；

who　were　the　first　peers　and　hereditary　earl…marshals　of　England。



The　walls　of　this　city　are　reckoned　three　miles　in　circumference；

taking　in　more　ground　than　the　City　of　London；　but　much　of　that

ground　lying　open　in　pasture…fields　and　gardens；　nor　does　it　seem

to　be；　like　some　ancient　places；　a　decayed；　declining　town；　and

that　the　walls　mark　out　its　ancient　dimensions；　for　we　do　not　see

room　to　suppose　that　it　was　ever　larger　or　more　populous　than　it　is

now。　　But　the　walls　seem　to　be　placed　as　if　they　expected　that　the

city　would　in　time　increase　sufficiently　to　fill　them　up　with

buildings。



The　cathedral　of　this　city　is　a　fine　fabric；　and　the　spire　steeple

very　high　and　beautiful。　　It　is　not　ancient；　the　bishop's　see

having　been　first　at　Thetford；　from　whence　it　was　not　translated

hither　till　the　twelfth　century。　　Yet　the　church　has　so　many

antiquities　in　it；　that　our　late　great　scholar　and　physician；　Sir

Thomas　Brown；　thought　it　worth　his　while　to　write　a　whole　book　to

collect　the　monuments　and　inscriptions　in　this　church；　to　which　I

refer　the　reader。



The　River　Yare　runs　through　this　city；　and　is　navigable　thus　far

without　the　help　of　any　art　（that　is　to　say；　without　locks　or

stops）；　and　being　increased　by　other　waters；　passes　afterwards

through　a　long　tract　of　the　richest　meadows；　and　the　largest；　take

them　all　together；　that　are　anywhere　in　England；　lying　for　thirty

miles　in　length；　from　this　city　to　Yarmouth；　including　the　return

of　the　said　meadows　on　the　bank　of　the　Waveney　south；　and　on　the

River　Thyrn　north。



Here　is　one　thing　indeed　strange　in　itself；　and　more　so；　in　that

history　seems　to　be　quite　ignorant　of　the　occasion　of　it。　　The

River　Waveney　is　a　considerable　river；　and　of　a　deep　and　full

channel；　navigable　for　large　barges　as　high　as　Beccles；　it　runs　for

a　course　of　about　fifty　miles；　between　the　two　counties　of　Suffolk

and　Norfolk；　as　a　boundary　to　both；　and　pushing　on；　though　with　a

gentle　stream；　towards　the　sea；　no　one　would　doubt；　but；　that　when

they　see　the　river　growing　broader　and　deeper；　and　going　directly

towards　the　sea；　even　to　the　edge　of　the　beach　…　that　is　to　say；

within　a　mile　of　the　main　ocean　…　no　stranger；　I　say；　but　would

expect　to　see　its　entrance　into　the　sea　at　that　place；　and　a　noble

harbour　for　ships　at　the　mouth　of　it；　when　on　a　sudden；　the　land

rising　high　by　the　seaside；　crosses　the　head　of　the　river；　like　a

dam；　checks　the　whole　course　of　it；　and　it　returns；　bending　its

course　west；　for　two　miles；　or　thereabouts；　and　then　turning　north；

through　another　long　course　of　meadows　（joining　to　those　just　now

mentioned）　seeks　out　the　River　Yare；　that　it　may　join　its　water

with　hers；　and　find　their　way　to　the　sea　together



Some　of　our　historians　tell　a　long；　fabulous　story　of　this　river

being　once　open；　and　a　famous　harbour　for　ships　belonging　to　a　town

of　Lowestoft　adjoining；　but　that　the　town　of　Yarmouth　en