tour through the eastern counties of england-第17章

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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　think。



Certain　it　is　that　the　swallows　neither　come　hither　for　warm

weather　nor　retire　from　cold；　the　thing　is　of　quite　another　nature。

They；　like　the　shoals　of　fish　in　the　sea；　pursue　their　prey；　they

are　a　voracious　creature；　they　feed　flying；　their　food　is　found　in

the　air；　viz。；　the　insects；　of　which　in　our　summer　evenings；　in

damp　and　moist　places；　the　air　is　full。　　They　come　hither　in　the

summer　because　our　air　is　fuller　of　fogs　and　damps　than　in　other

countries；　and　for　that　reason　feeds　great　quantities　of　insects。

If　the　air　be　hot　and　dry　the　gnats　die　of　themselves；　and　even　the

swallows　will　be　found　famished　for　want；　and　fall　down　dead　out　of

the　air；　their　food　being　taken　from　them。　　In　like　manner；　when

cold　weather　comes　in　the　insects　all　die；　and　then　of　necessity

the　swallows　quit　us；　and　follow　their　food　wherever　they　go。　　This

they　do　in　the　manner　I　have　mentioned　above；　for　sometimes　they

are　seen　to　go　off　in　vast　flights　like　a　cloud。　　And　sometimes

again；　when　the　wind　grows　fair；　they　go　away　a　few　and　a　few　as

they　come；　not　staying　at　all　upon　the　coast。



Note。　…　This　passing　and　re…passing　of　the　swallows　is　observed

nowhere　so　much；　that　I　have　heard　of；　or　in　but　few　other　places；

except　on　this　eastern　coast；　namely；　from　above　Harwich　to　the

east　point　of　Norfolk；　called　Winterton　Ness；　North；　which　is　all

right　against　Holland。　　We　know　nothing　of　them　any　farther　north；

the　passage　of　the　sea　being；　as　I　suppose；　too　broad　from

Flamborough　Head　and　the　shore　of　Holderness　in　Yorkshire；　etc。



I　find　very　little　remarkable　on　this　side　of　Suffolk；　but　what　is

on　the　sea…shore　as　above。　　The　inland　country　is　that　which　they

properly　call　High　Suffolk；　and　is　full　of　rich　feeding　grounds　and

large　farms；　mostly　employed　in　dairies　for　making　the　Suffolk

butter　and　cheese；　of　which　I　have　spoken　already。　　Among　these

rich　grounds　stand　some　market　towns；　though　not　of　very

considerable　note；　such　as　Framlingham；　where　was　once　a　royal

castle；　to　which　Queen　Mary　retired　when　the　Northumberland

faction；　in　behalf　of　the　Lady　Jane；　endeavoured　to　supplant　her。

And　it　was　this　part　of　Suffolk　where　the　Gospellers；　as　they　were

then　called；　preferred　their　loyalty　to　their　religion；　and

complimented　the　Popish　line　at　expense　of　their　share　of　the

Reformation。　　But　they　paid　dear　for　it；　and　their　successors　have

learned　better　politics　since。



In　these　parts　are　also　several　good　market　towns；　some　in　this

county　and　some　in　the　other；　as　Beccles；　Bungay；　Harlston；　etc。；

all　on　the　edge　of　the　River　Waveney；　which　parts　here　the　counties

of　Suffolk　and　Norfolk。　　And　here　in　a　bye…place；　and　out　of　common

remark；　lies　the　ancient　town　of　Hoxon；　famous　for　being　the　place

where　St。　Edmund　was　martyred；　for　whom　so　many　cells　and　shrines

have　been　set　up　and　monasteries　built；　and　in　honour　of　whom　the

famous　monastery　of　St。　Edmundsbury；　above　mentioned；　was　founded；

which　most　people　erroneously　think　was　the　place　where　the　said

murder　was　committed。



Besides　the　towns　mentioned　above；　there　are　Halesworth；

Saxmundham；　Debenham；　Aye；　or　Eye；　all　standing　in　this　eastern

side　of　Suffolk；　in　which；　as　I　have　said；　the　whole　country　is

employed　in　dairies　or　in　feeding　of　cattle。



This　part　of　England　is　also　remarkable　for　being　the　first　where

the　feeding　and　fattening　of　cattle；　both　sheep　as　well　as　black

cattle；　with　turnips；　was　first　practised　in　England；　which　is　made

a　very　great　part　of　the　improvement　of　their　lands　to　this　day；

and　from　whence　the　practice　is　spread　over　most　of　the　east　and

south　parts　of　England　to　the　great　enriching　of　the　farmers　and

increase　of　fat　cattle。　　And　though　some　have　objected　against　the

goodness　of　the　flesh　thus　fed　with　turnips；　and　have　fancied　it

would　taste　of　the　root；　yet　upon　experience　it　is　found　that　at

market　there　is　no　difference；　nor　can　they　that　buy　single　out　one

join