tour through the eastern counties of england-第14章

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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　suppose　it　had　that　addition　to　its

name；　it　is　full　of　very　good　houses；　and；　as　they　told　me；　is

richer；　and　has　more　wealthy　masters　of　the　manufacture　in　it；　than

in　Sudbury　itself。



Here　and　in　the　neighbourhood　are　some　ancient　families　of　good

note；　particularly　here　is　a　fine　dwelling；　the　ancient　seat　of　the

Cordells；　whereof　Sir　William　Cordell　was　Master　of　the　Rolls　in

the　time　of　Queen　Elizabeth；　but　the　family　is　now　extinct；　the

last　heir；　Sir　John　Cordell；　being　killed　by　a　fall　from　his　horse；

died　unmarried；　leaving　three　sisters　co…heiresses　to　a　very　noble

estate；　most　of　which；　if　not　all；　is　now　centred　on　the　only

surviving　sister；　and　with　her　in　marriage　is　given　to　Mr。

Firebrass；　eldest　son　of　Sir　Basil　Firebrass；　formerly　a

flourishing　merchant　in　London；　but　reduced　by　many　disasters。　　His

family　now　rises　by　the　good　fortune　of　his　son；　who　proves　to　be　a

gentleman　of　very　agreeable　parts；　and　well　esteemed　in　the

country。



From　this　part　of　the　country；　I　returned　north…west　by　Lenham；　to

visit　St。　Edmund's　Bury；　a　town　of　which　other　writers　have　talked

very　largely；　and　perhaps　a　little　too　much。　　It　is　a　town　famed

for　its　pleasant　situation　and　wholesome　air；　the　Montpelier　of

Suffolk；　and　perhaps　of　England。　　This　must　be　attributed　to　the

skill　of　the　monks　of　those　times；　who　chose　so　beautiful　a

situation　for　the　seat　of　their　retirement；　and　who　built　here　the

greatest　and；　in　its　time；　the　most　flourishing　monastery　in　all

these　parts　of　England；　I　mean　the　monastery　of　St。　Edmund　the

Martyr。　　It　was；　if　we　believe　antiquity；　a　house　of　pleasure　in

more　ancient　times；　or　to　speak　more　properly；　a　court　of　some　of

the　Saxon　or　East　Angle　kings；　and；　as　Mr。　Camden　says；　was　even

then　called　a　royal　village；　though　it　much　better　merits　that　name

now；　it　being　the　town　of　all　this　part　of　England；　in　proportion

to　its　bigness；　most　thronged　with　g