the life of thomas telford-第12章

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and　funnel　for　the　smoke；　was　so　roomy　in　old　cottages　as　to

accommodate　almost　the　whole　family　sitting　around　the　fire　of　logs

piled　in　the　reredosse　in　the　middle；　and　there　they　carried　on

their　winter's　work。



Such　was　the　domestic　occupation　of　women　in　the　rural　districts　in

olden　times；　and　it　may　perhaps　be　questioned　whether　the

revolution　in　our　social　system；　which　has　taken　out　of　their　hands

so　many　branches　of　household　manufacture　and　useful　domestic

employment；　be　an　altogether　unmixed　blessing。



Winter　at　an　end；　and　the　roads　once　more　available　for　travelling；

the　Fair　of　the　locality　was　looked　forward　to　with　interest。　　Fairs

were　among　the　most　important　institutions　of　past　times；　and　were

rendered　necessary　by　the　imperfect　road　communications。　The　right

of　holding　them　was　regarded　as　a　valuable　privilege；　conceded　by

the　sovereign　to　the　lords　of　the　manors；　who　adopted　all　manner　of

devices　to　draw　crowds　to　their　markets。　　They　were　usually　held　at

the　entrances　to　valleys　closed　against　locomotion　during　winter；

or　in　the　middle　of　rich　grazing　districts；　or；　more　frequently；　in

the　neighbourhood　of　famous　cathedrals　or　churches　frequented　by

flocks　of　pilgrims。　　The　devotion　of　the　people　being　turned　to

account；　many　of　the　fairs　were　held　on　Sundays　in　the　churchyards；

and　almost　in　every　parish　a　market　was　instituted　on　the　day　on

which　the　parishioners　were　called　together　to　do　honour　to　their

patron　saint。



The　local　fair；　which　was　usually　held　at　the　beginning　or　end　of

winter；　often　at　both　times；　became　the　great　festival　as　well　as

market　of　the　district；　and　the　business　as　well　as　the　gaiety　of

the　neighbourhood　usually　centred　on　such　occasions。　　High　courts

were　held　by　the　Bishop　or　Lord　of　the　Manor；　to　accommodate　which

special　buildings　were　erected；　used　only　at　fair　time。　　Among　the

fairs　of　the　first　class　in　England　were　Winchester；　St。　Botolph's

Town　（Boston）；　and　St。　Ives。　　We　find　the　great　London　merchants

travelling　thither　in　caravans；　bearing　with　them　all　manner　of

goods；　and　bringing　back　the　wool　purchased　by　them　in　exchange。



Winchester　Great　Fair　attracted　merchants　from　all　parts　of　Europe。

It　was　held　on　the　hill　of　St。　Giles；　and　was　divided　into　streets

of　booths；　named　after　the　merchants　of　the　different　countries　who

exposed　their　wares　in　them。　　〃The　passes　through　the　great　woody

districts；　which　English　merchants　coming　from　London　and　the　West

would　be　compelled　to　traverse；　were　on　this　occasion　carefully

guarded　by　mounted　'serjeants…at…arms；'　since　the　wealth　which　was

being　conveyed　to　St。　Giles's…hill　attracted　bands　of　outlaws　from

all　parts　of　the　country。〃*＇4＇　　Weyhill　Fair；　near　Andover；　was

another　of　the　great　fairs　in　the　same　district；　which　was　to　the

West　country　agriculturists　and　clothiers　what　Winchester　St。

Giles's　Fair　was　to　the　general　merchants。



The　principal　fair　in　the　northern　districts　was　that　of

St。　Botolph's　Town　（Boston）；　which　was　resorted　to　by　people　from

great　distances　to　buy　and　sell　commodities　of　various　kinds。

Thus　we　find；　from　the　'Compotus'　of　Bolton　Priory；*＇5＇　that　the

monks　of　that　house　sent　their　wool　to　St。　Botolph's　Fair　to　be　sold；

though　it　was　a　good　hundred　miles　distant；　buying　in　return　their

winter　supply　of　groceries；　spiceries；　and　other　necessary

articles。　That　fair；　too；　was　often　beset　by　robbers；　and　on　one

occasion　a　strong　party　of　them；　under　the　disguise　of　monks；

attacked　and　robbed　certain　booths；　setting　fire　to　the　rest；　and

such　was　the　amount　of　destroyed　wealth；　that　it　is　said　the　veins

of　molten　gold　and　silver　ran　along　the　streets。



The　concourse　of　persons　attending　these　fairs　was　immense。

The　nobility　and　gentry；　the　heads　of　the　religions　houses；　the

yeomanry　and　the　commons；　resorted　to　them　to　buy　and　sell　all

manner　of　agricultural　produce。　　The　farmers　there　sold　their　wool

and　cattle；　and　hired　their　servants；　while　their　wives　disposed　of

the　surplus　produce　of　their　winter's　industry；　and　bought　their

cutlery；　bijouterie；　and　more　tasteful　articles　of　apparel。

There　were　caterers　there　for　all　customers；　and　stuffs　and　wares

were　offered　for　sale　from　all　countries。　　And　in　the　wake　of　this

business　part　of　the　fair　there　invariably　followed　a　crowd　of

ministers　to　the　popular　tastes　quack　doctors　and　merry　andrews；

jugglers　and　minstrels；　singlestick　players；　grinners　through

horse…collars；　and　sportmakers　of　every　kind。



Smaller　fairs　were　held　in　most　districts　for　similar　purposes　of

exchange。　　At　these　the　staples　of　the　locality　were　sold　and

servants　usually　hired。　　Many　were　for　special　purposescattle

fairs；　leather　fairs；　cloth　fairs；　bonnet　fairs；　fruit　fairs。

Scatcherd　says　that　less　than　a　century　ago　a　large　fair　was　held

between　Huddersfield　and　Leeds；　in　a　field　still　called　Fairstead；

near　Birstal；　which　used　to　be　a　great　mart　for　fruit；　onions；　and

such　like；　and　that　the　clothiers　resorted　thither　from　all　the

country　round　to　purchase　the　articles；　which　were　stowed　away　in

barns；　and　sold　at　booths　by　lamplight　in　the　morning。*＇6＇　　Even

Dartmoor　had　its　fair；　on　the　site　of　an　ancient　British　village　or

temple　near　Merivale　Bridge；　testifying　to　its　great　antiquity；　for

it　is　surprising　how　an　ancient　fair　lingers　about　the　place　on

which　it　has　been　accustomed　to　be　held；　long　after　the　necessity

for　it　has　ceased。　　The　site　of　this　old　fair　at　Merivale　Bridge　is

the　more　curious；　as　in　its　immediate　neighbourhood；　on　the　road

between　Two　Bridges　and　Tavistock；　is　found　the　singular…looking

granite　rock；　bearing　so　remarkable　a　resemblance　to　the　Egyptian

sphynx；　in　a　mutilated　state。　　It　is　of　similarly　colossal

proportions；　and　stands　in　a　district　almost　as　lonely　as　that　in

which　the　Egyptian　sphynx　looks　forth　over　the　sands　of　the

Memphean　Desert。*＇7＇



＇Image＇　Site　of　an　ancient　British　village　and　fair　on　Dartmoor。



The　last　occasion　on　which　the　fair　was　held　in　this　secluded　spot

was　in　the　year　1625；　when　the　plague　raged　at　Tavistock；　and　there

is　a　part　of　the　ground；　situated　amidst　a　line　of　pillars　marking

a　stone　avenuea　characteristic　feature　of　the　ancient　aboriginal

worshipwhich　is　to　this　day　pointed　out　and　called　by　the　name　of

the　〃Potatoe　market。〃



But　the　glory　of　the　great　fairs　has　long　since　departed。　　They

declined　with　the　extension　of　turnpikes；　and　railroads　gave　them

their　death…blow。　　Shops　now　exist　in　every　little　town　and

village；　drawing　their　supplies　regularly　by　road　and　canal　from

the　most　distant　parts。　　St。　Bartholomew；　the　great　fair　of

London；*＇8＇　and　Donnybrook；　the　great　fair　of　Dublin；　have　been

suppressed　as　nuisances；　and　nearly　all　that　remains　of　the　dead

but　long　potent　institution　of　the　Fair；　is　the　occasional

exhibition　at　periodic　times　in　country　places；　of　pig…faced

ladies；　dwarfs；　giants；　double…bodied　calves；　and　such…like

wonders；　amidst　a　blatant　clangour　of　drums；　gongs；　and　cymbals。

Like　the　sign　of　the　Pack…Horse　over　the　village　inn　door；　the

modern　village　fair；　of　which　the　principal　article　of　merchandise

is　gingerbread…nuts；　is　but　the　vestige　of　a　state　of　things　that

has　long　since　passed　away。



There　were；　however；　remote　and　almost　impenetrable　districts　which

long　resisted　modern　inroads。　　Of　such　was　Dartmoor；　which　we　have

already　more　than　once　referred　to。　　The　difficulties　of

road…engineering　in　that　quarter；　as　well　as　the　sterility　of　a

large　proportion　of　the　moor；　had　the　effect　of　preventing　its

becoming　opened　up　to　modern　traffic；　and　it　is　accordingly　curious

to　find　how　much　of　its　old　manners；　customs；　traditions；　and

language　has　been　preserved。　　It　looks　like　a　piece　of　England　of

the　Middle　Ages；　left　behind　on　the　march。　　Witches　still　hold

their　sway　on　Dartmoor；　where　there　exist　no　less　than　three

distinct　kinds　white；　black；　and　grey；*＇9＇and　there