tour through the eastern counties of england-第12章

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people　of　a　county　town。　　They　have　but　a　very　small　river；　or

rather　but　a　very　small　branch　of　a　small　river；　at　this　town；

which　runs　from　hence　to　Milden　Hall；　on　the　edge　of　the　fens。

However；　the　town　and　gentlemen　about　have　been　at　the　charge；　or

have　so　encouraged　the　engineer　who　was　at　the　charge；　that　they

have　made　this　river　navigable　to　the　said　Milden　Hall；　from　whence

there　is　a　navigable　dyke；　called　Milden　Hall　Drain；　which　goes

into　the　River　Ouse；　and　so　to　Lynn；　so　that　all　their　coal　and

wine；　iron；　lead；　and　other　heavy　goods；　are　brought　by　water　from

Lynn；　or　from　London；　by　the　way　of　Lynn；　to　the　great　ease　of　the

tradesmen。



This　town　is　famous　for　two　great　events。　　One　was　that　in　the　year

1447；　in　the　25th　year　of　Henry　VI。；　a　Parliament　was　held　here。



The　other　was；　that　at　the　meeting　of　this　Parliament；　the　great

Humphrey；　Duke　of　Gloucester；　regent　of　the　kingdom　during　the

absence　of　King　Henry　V。　and　the　minority　of　Henry　VI。；　and　to　his

last　hour　the　safeguard　of　the　whole　nation；　and　darling　of　the

people；　was　basely　murdered　here；　by　whose　death　the　gate　was

opened　to　that　dreadful　war　between　the　houses　of　Lancaster　and

York；　which　ended　in　the　confusion　of　that　very　race　who　are

supposed　to　have　contrived　that　murder。



From　St。　Edmund's　Bury　I　returned　by　Stowmarket　and　Needham　to

Ipswich；　that　I　might　keep　as　near　the　coast　as　was　proper　to　my

designed　circuit　or　journey；　and　from　Ipswich；　to　visit　the　sea

again；　I　went　to　Woodbridge；　and　from　thence　to　Orford；　on　the　sea

side。



Woodbridge　has　nothing　remarkable；　but　that　it　is　a　considerable

market　for　butter　and　corn　to　be　exported　to　London；　for　now　begins

that　part　which　is　ordinarily　called　High　Suffolk；　which；　being　a

rich　soil；　is　for　a　long　tract　of　ground　wholly　employed　in

dairies；　and　they　again　famous　for　the　best　butter；　and　perhaps　the

worst　cheese；　in　England。　　The　butter　is　barrelled；　or　often

pickled　up　in　small　casks；　and　sold；　not　in　London　only；　but　I　have

known　a　firkin　of　Suffolk　butter　sent　to　the　West　Indies；　and

brought　back　to　England　again；　and　has　been　perfectly　good　and

sweet；　as　at　first。



The　port　for　the　shipping　off　their　Suffolk　butter　is　chiefly

Woodbridge；　which　for　that　reason　is　full　of　corn　factors　and

butter　factors；　some　of　whom　are　very　considerable　merchants。



From　hence；　turning　down　to　the　shore；　we　see　Orfordness；　a　noted

point　of　land　for　the　guide　of　the　colliers　and　coasters；　and　a

good　shelter　for　them　to　ride　under　when　a　strong　north…east　wind

blows　and　makes　a　foul　shore　on　the　coast。



South　of　the　Ness　is　Orford　Haven；　being　the　mouth　of　two　little

rivers　meeting　together。　　It　is　a　very　good　harbour　for　small

vessels；　but　not　capable　of　receiving　a　ship　of　burden。



Orford　was　once　a　good　town；　but　is　decayed；　and　as　it　stands　on

the　land　side　of　the　river　the　sea　daily　throws　up　more　land　to　it；

and　falls　off　itself　from　it；　as　if　it　was　resolved　to　disown　the

place；　and　that　it　should　be　a　seaport　no　longer。



A　little　farther　lies　Aldborough；　as　thriving；　though　without　a

port；　as　the　other　is　decaying；　with　a　good　river　in　the　front　of

it。



There　are　some　gentlemen's　seats　up　farther　from　the　sea；　but　very

few　upon　the　coast。



From　Aldborough　to　Dunwich　there　are　no　towns　of　note；　even　this

town　seems　to　be　in　danger　of　being　swallowed　up；　for　fame　reports

that　once　they　had　fifty　churches　in　the　town；　I　saw　but　one　left；

and　that　not　half　full　of　people。



This　town　is　a　testimony　of　the　decay　of　public　things；　things　of

the　most　durable　nature；　and　as　the　old　poet　expresses　it；





〃By　numerous　examples　we　may　see；

That　towns　and　cities　die　as　well　as　we。〃





The　ruins　of　Carthage；　of　the　great　city　of　Jerusalem；　or　of

ancient　Rome；　are　not　at　all　wonderful　to　me。　　The　ruins　of

Nineveh；　which　are　so　entirety　sunk　as　that　it　is　doubtful　where

the　city　stood；　the　ruins　of　Babylon；　or　the　great　Persepolis；　and

many　capital　cities；　which　time　and　the　change　of　monarchies　have

overthrown；　these；　I　say；　are　not　at　all　wonderful；　because　being

the　capitals　of　great　and　flourishing　kingdoms；　where　those

kingdoms　were　overthrown；　the　capital　cities　necessarily　fell　with

them；　but　for　a　private　town；　a　seaport；　and　a　town　of　commerce；　to

decay；　as　it　were；　of　itself　（for　we　never　read　of　Dunwich　being

plundered　or　ruined　by　any　disaster；　at　least；　not　of　late　years）；

this；　I　must　confess；　seems　owing　to　nothing　but　to　the　fate　of

things；　by　which　we　see　that　towns；　kings；　countries；　families；　and

persons；　have　all　their　elevation；　their　medium；　their　declination；

and　even　their　destruction　in　the　womb　of　time；　and　the　course　of

nature。　　It　is　true；　this　town　is　manifestly　decayed　by　the

invasion　of　the　waters；　and　as　other　towns　seem　sufferers　by　the

sea；　or　the　tide　withdrawing　from　their　ports；　such　as　Orford；　just

now　named；　Winchelsea　in　Kent；　and　the　like；　so　this　town　is；　as　it

were；　eaten　up　by　the　sea；　as　above；　and　the　still　encroaching

ocean　seems　to　threaten　it　with　a　fatal　immersion　in　a　few　years

more。



Yet　Dunwich；　however　ruined；　retains　some　share　of　trade；　as

particularly　for　the　shipping　of　butter；　cheese；　and　corn；　which　is

so　great　a　business　in　this　county；　that　it　employs　a　great　many

people　and　ships　also；　and　this　port　lies　right　against　the

particular　part　of　the　county　for　butter；　as　Framlingham；　Halstead；

etc。　　Also　a　very　great　quantity　of　corn　is　bought　up　hereabout　for

the　London　market；　for　I　shall　still　touch　that　point　how　all　the

counties　in　England　contribute　something　towards　the　subsistence　of

the　great　city　of　London；　of　which　the　butter　here　is　a　very

considerable　article；　as　also　coarse　cheese；　which　I　mentioned

before；　used　chiefly　for　the　king's　ships。



Hereabouts　they　begin　to　talk　of　herrings　and　the　fishery；　and　we

find　in　the　ancient　records　that　this　town；　which　was　then　equal　to

a　large　city；　paid；　among　other　tribute　to　the　government；　fifty

thousand　of　herrings。　　Here　also；　and　at　Swole；　or　Southole；　the

next　seaport；　they　cure　sprats　in　the　same　manner　as　they　do

herrings　at　Yarmouth；　that　is　to　say；　speaking　in　their　own

language；　they　make　red　sprats；　or　to　speak　good　English；　they　make

sprats　red。



It　is　remarkable　that　this　town　is　now　so　much　washed　away　by　the

sea；　that　what　little　trade　they　have　is　carried　on　by　Walderswick；

a　little　town　near　Swole；　the　vessels　coming　in　there；　because　the

ruins　of　Dunwich　make　the　shore　there　unsafe　and　uneasy　to　the

boats；　from　whence　the　northern　coasting　seamen　a　rude　verse　of

their　own　using；　and　I　suppose　of　their　own　making；　as　follows；





〃Swoul　and　Dunwich；　and　Walderswick；

All　go　in　at　one　lousie　creek。〃





This　〃lousie　creek；〃　in　short；　is　a　little　river　at　Swoul；　which

our　late　famous　atlas…maker　calls　a　good　harbour　for　ships；　and

rendezvous　of　the　royal　navy；　but　that　by…the…bye；　the　author；　it

seems；　knew　no　better。



From　Dunwich　we　came　to　Southwold；　the　town　above…named：　this　is　a

small　port　town　upon　the　coast；　at　the　mouth　of　a　little　river

called　the　Blith。　　I　found　no　business　the　people　here　were

employed　in　but　the　fishery；　as　above；　for　herrings　and　sprats；

which　they　cure　by　the　help　of　smoke；　as　they　do　at　Yarmouth。



There　is　but　one　church　in　this　town；　but　it　is　a　very　large　one

and　well　built；　as　most　of　the　churches　in　this　county　are；　and　of

impenetrable　flint；　indeed；　there　is　no　occasion　for　its　being　so

large；　for　staying　there　one　Sabbath　day；　I　was　surprised　to　see　an

extraordinary　large　church；　capable　of　receiving　five　or　six

thousand　people；　and　but　twenty…seven　in　it　besides　the　parson　and

the　clerk；　but　at　the　same　time　the　meeting…house　of　the　Dissenters

was　full　to　the　very　doors；　having；　as　I　guessed；　from　six　to　eight

hundred　people　in　it。



This　town　is　made　famous　for　a　very　great　engagement　at　sea；　in　the

year　1672；　between　the　English　and　Dutch　fleets；　in　the　bay

opposite　to　the　town；　in　which；　not　to　be　partial　to　ourselves；　the

English　fleet　was　worsted；　and　the　brave　Montague；　Earl　of

Sandwich；　Admiral　under　the　Duke　of　York；　lost　his　life。　　The　ship

ROYAL　PRINCE；　carrying　one　hundred　guns；　in　which　he　was；　and　which

was　under　him；　commanded　by　Sir　Edward　Spragg；　was　burnt；　and

several　other　ships　lost；　and　about　six　hundred　seamen；　part　of

those　killed　in　the　fight　were；　as　I　was　told；　brought　on　shore

here　and　buried　in　the　churchyard　of　this　town；　as　others　also　were

at　Ipswich。



At　this　town　in　particular；　and　so　at　all　the　towns　on　this　coast；

from　Orfordness　to　Yarmouth；　is　the　ordinary　place　where　our　summer

friends　the　swallows　first　land　when　they　come　to　visit　us；　and

here　they　may　be　said　to　embark　for　their　return；　when　they　go　back

into　warmer　climates；　and　as　I　think　the　following　remark；　though

of　so　trifling　a　circumstance；　may　be　both　instructing　as　well　as

diverting；　it　may　be　very　proper　in　this　place。　　The　case　is　this；

I　was　some　years　before　at　this　place；　at　the　latter　end　of　the

year；　viz。；　about　the　beginning　of　October；　and　lodging　in　a　house

that　looked　into　the　churchyard；　I　observed　in　the　evening；　an

unusual　multitude　of　birds　sitting　on　the　leads　of　the　church。

Curiosity　led　me　to　go　nearer　to　see　what　they　were；　and　I　found

they　were　all　swallows；　that　there　was　such　an　infinite　number　that

they　covered　the　whole　roof　of　the　church；　and　of　several　houses

near；　and　perhaps　might　of　more　houses　which　I　did　not　see。　　This

led　me　to　inquire　of　a　grave　gentleman　whom　I　saw　near　me；　what　the

meaning　was　of　such　a　prodigious　multitude　of　swallows　sitting

there。　　〃Oh；　sir；〃　says　he；　turning　towards　the　sea；　〃you　may　see

the　reason；　the　wind　is　off　sea。〃　　I　did　not　seem　fully　informed　by

that　expression；　so　he　goes　on；　〃I　perceive；　sir；〃　says　he；　〃you

are　a　stranger　to　it；　you　must　then　understand　first；　that　this　is

the　season　of　the　year　when　the　swallows；　their　food　here　failing；

begin　to　leave　us；　and　return　to　the　country；　wherever　it　be；　from

whence　I　suppose　they　came；　and　this　being　the　nearest　to　the　coast

of　Holland；　they　come　here　to　embark〃　（this　he　said　smiling　a

little）；　〃and　now；　sir；〃　says　he；　〃the　weather　being　too　calm　or

the　wind　contrary；　they　are　waiting　for　a　gale；　for　they　are　all

wind…bound。〃



This　was　more　evident　to　me；　when　in　the　morning　I　found　the　wind

had　come　about　to　the　north…west　in　the　night；　and　there　was　not

one　swallow　to　be　seen　of　near　a　million；　which　I　believe　was　there

the　night　before。



How　those　creatures　know　that　this　part　of　the　Island　of　Great

Britain　is　the　way　to　their　home；　or　the　way　that　they　are　to　go；

that　this　very　point　is　the　nearest　cut　over；　or　even　that　the

nearest　cut　is　best　for　them；　that　we　must　leave　to　the　naturalists

to　determine；　who　insist　upon　it　that　brutes　cannot　t