tour through the eastern counties of england-第14章

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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　envying　the

prosperity　of　the　said　town　of　Lowestoft；　made　war　upon　them；　and

that　after　many　bloody　battles；　as　well　by　sea　as　by　land；　they

came　at　last　to　a　decisive　action　at　sea　with　their　respective

fleets；　and　the　victory　fell　to　the　Yarmouth　men；　the　Lowestoft

fleet　being　overthrown　and　utterly　destroyed；　and　that　upon　this

victory；　the　Yarmouth　men　either　actually　did　stop　up　the　mouth　of

the　said　river；　or　obliged　the　vanquished　Lowestoft　men　to　do　it

themselves；　and　bound　them　never　to　attempt　to　open　it　again。



I　believe　my　share　of　this　story；　and　I　recommend　no　more　of　it　to

the　reader；　adding；　that　I　see　no　authority　for　the　relation；

neither　do　the　relators　agree　either　in　the　time　of　it；　or　in　the

particulars　of　the　fact；　that　is　to　say；　in　whose　reign；　or　under

what　government　all　this　happened；　in　what　year；　and　the　like；　so　I

satisfy　myself　with　transcribing　the　matter　of　fact；　and　then　leave

it　as　I　find　it。



In　this　vast　tract　of　meadows　are　fed　a　prodigious　number　of　black

cattle　which　are　said　to　be　fed　up　for　the　fattest　beef；　though　not

the　largest　in　England；　and　the　quantity　is　so　great；　as　that　they

not　only　supply　the　city　of　Norwich；　the　town　of　Yarmouth；　and

county　adjacent；　but　send　great　quantities　of　them　weekly　in　all

the　winter　season　to　London。



And　this　in　particular　is　worthy　remark；　that　the　gross　of　all　the

Scots　cattle　which　come　yearly　into　England　are　brought　hither；

being　brought　to　a　small　village　lying　north　of　the　city　of

Norwich；　called　St。　Faith's；　where　the　Norfolk　graziers　go　and　buy

them。



These　Scots　runts；　so　they　call　them；　coming　out　of　the　cold　and

barren　mountains　of　the　Highlands　in　Scotland；　feed　so　eagerly　on

the　rich　pasture　in　these　marshes；　that　they　thrive　in　an　unusual

manner；　and　grow　monstrously　fat；　and　the　beef　is　so　delicious　for

taste；　that　the　inhabitants　prefer　them　to　the　English　cattle；

which　are　much　larger　and　fairer　to　look　at；　and　they　may　very　well

do　so。　　Some　have　told　me；　and　I　believe　with　good　judgment；　that

there　are　above　forty　thousand　of　these　Scots　cattle　fed　in　this

county　every　year；　and　most　of　them　in　the　said　marshes　between

Norwich；　Beccles；　and　Yarmouth。



Yarmouth　is　an　ancient　town；　much　older　than　Norwich；　and　at

present；　though　not　standing　on　so　much　ground；　yet　better　built；

much　more　complete；　for　number　of　inhabitants；　not　much　inferior；

and　for　wealth；　trade；　and　advantage　of　its　situation；　infinitely

superior　to　Norwich。



It　is　placed　on　a　peninsula　between　the　River　Yare　and　the　sea；　the

two　last　lying　parallel　to　one　another；　and　the　town　in　the　middle。

The　river　lies　on　the　west　side　of　the　town；　and　being　grown　very

large　and　deep；　by　a　conflux　of　all　the　rivers　on　this　side　the

county；　forms　the　haven；　and　the　town　facing　to　the　west　also；　and

open　to　the　river；　makes　the　finest　quay　in　England；　if　not　in

Europe；　not　inferior　even　to　that　of　Marseilles　itself。



The　ships　ride　here　so　close；　and；　as　it　were；　keeping　up　one

another；　with　their　headfasts　on　shore；　that　for　half　a　mile

together　they　go　across　the　stream　with　their　bowsprits　over　the

land；　their　bows；　or　heads　touching　the　very　wharf；　so　that　one　may

walk　from　ship　to　ship　as　on　a　floating　bridge；　all　along　by　the

shore…side。　　The　quay　reaching　from　the　drawbridge　almost　to　the

south　gate；　is　so　spacious　and　wide；　that　in　some　places　it　is　near

one　hundred　yards　from　the　houses　to　the　wharf。　　In　this　pleasant

and　agreeable　range　of　houses　are　some　very　magnificent　buildings；

and　among　the　rest；　the　Custom　House　and　Town　Hall；　and　some

merchant's　houses；　which　look　like　little　palaces　rather　than　the

dwelling…houses　of　private　men。



The　greatest　defect　of　this　beautiful　town　seems　to　be　that；　though

it　is　very　rich　and　increasing　in　wealth　and　trade；　and

consequently　in　people；　there　is　not　room　to　enlarge　the　town　by

building；　wh