tour through the eastern counties of england-第23章

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standing　in　a　level　flat　country；　is　seen　far　and　wide；　and　of

which　town；　when　the　minster；　so　they　call　it；　is　described；

everything　remarkable　is　said　that　there　is　room　to　say。　　And　of

the　minster；　this　is　the　most　remarkable　thing　that　I　could　hear

it；　namely；　that　some　of　it　is　so　ancient；　totters　so　much　with

every　gust　of　wind；　looks　so　like　a　decay；　and　seems　so　near　it；

that　whenever　it　does　fall；　all　that　it　is　likely　will　be　thought

strange　in　it　will　be　that　it　did　not　fall　a　hundred　years　sooner。



From　hence　we　came　over　the　Ouse；　and　in　a　few　miles　to　Newmarket。

In　our　way；　near　Snaybell；　we　saw　a　noble　seat　of　the　late　Admiral

Russell；　now　Earl　of　Orford；　a　name　made　famous　by　the　glorious

victory　obtained　under　his　command　over　the　French　fleet　and　the

burning　their　ships　at　La　Hogue　…　a　victory　equal　in　glory　to；　and

infinitely　more　glorious　to　the　English　nation　in　particular；　than

that　at　Blenheim；　and；　above　all；　more　to　the　particular　advantage

of　the　confederacy；　because　it　so　broke　the　heart　of　the　naval

power　of　France　that　they　have　not　fully　recovered　it　to　this　day。

But　of　this　victory　it　must　be　said　it　was　owing　to　the　haughty；

rash；　and　insolent　orders　given　by　the　King　of　France　to　his

admiral；　viz。；　to　fight　the　confederate　fleet　wherever　he　found

them；　without　leaving　room　for　him　to　use　due　caution　if　he　found

them　too　strong；　which　pride　of　France　was　doubtless　a　fate　upon

them；　and　gave　a　cheap　victory　to　the　confederates；　the　French

coming　down　rashly；　and　with　the　most　impolitic　bravery；　with　about

five…and…forty　sail　to　attack　between　seventy　and　eighty　sail；　by

which　means　they　met　their　ruin。　　Whereas；　had　their　own　fleet　been

joined；　it　might　have　cost　more　blood　to　have　mastered　them　if　it

had　been　done　at　all。



The　situation　of　this　house　is　low；　and　on　the　edge　of　the　fen

country；　but　the　building　is　very　fine；　the　avenues　noble；　and　the

gardens　perfectly　finished。　　The　apartments　also　are　rich；　and　I

see　nothing　wanting　but　a　family　and　heirs　to　sustain　the　glory　and

inheritance　of　the　illustrious　ancestor　who　raised　it　…　SED　CARET

PEDIBUS；　these　are　wanting。



Being　come　to　Newmarket　in　the　month　of　October；　I　had　the

opportunity　to　see　the　horse　races　and　a　great　concourse　of　the

nobility　and　gentry；　as　well　from　London　as　from　all　parts　of

England；　but　they　were　all　so　intent；　so　eager；　so　busy　upon　the

sharping　part　of　the　sport　…　their　wagers　and　bets　…　that　to　me

they　seemed　just　as　so　many　horse…coursers　in　Smithfield；

descending　（the　greatest　of　them）　from　their　high　dignity　and

quality　to　picking　one　another's　pockets；　and　biting　one　another　as

much　as　possible；　and　that　with　such　eagerness　as　that　it　might　be

said　they　acted　without　respect　to　faith；　honour；　or　good　manners。



There　was　Mr。　Frampton　the　oldest；　and；　as　some　say；　the　cunningest

jockey　in　England；　one　day　he　lost　one　thousand　guineas；　the　next

he　won　two　thousand；　and　so　alternately　he　made　as　light　of

throwing　away　five　hundred　or　one　thousand　pounds　at　a　time　as

other　men　do　of　their　pocket…money；　and　as　perfectly　calm；

cheerful；　and　unconcerned　when　he　had　lost　one　thousand　pounds　as

when　he　had　won　it。　　On　the　other　side　there　was　Sir　R　Fagg；　of

Sussex；　of　whom　fame　says　he　has　the　most　in　him　and　the　least　to

show　for　it　（relating　to　jockeyship）　of　any　man　there；　yet　he　often

carried　the　prize。　　His　horses；　they　said；　were　all　cheats；　how

honest　soever　their　master　was；　for　he　scarce　ever　produced　a　horse

but　he　looked　like　what　he　was　not；　and　was　what　nobody　could

expect　him　to　be。　　If　he　was　as　light　as　the　wind；　and　could　fly

like　a　meteor；　he　was　sure　to　look　as　clumsy；　and　as　dirty；　and　as

much　like　a　cart…horse　as　all　the　cunning　of　his　master　and　the

grooms　could　make　him；　and　just　in　this　manner　he　beat　some　of　the

greatest　gamesters　in　the　field。



I　was　so　sick　of　the　jockeying　part　that　I　left　the　crowd　about　the

posts　and　pleased　myself　with　observing　the　horses：　how　the

creatures　yielded　to　all　the　arts　and　managements　of　their　masters；

how　they　took　their　airings　in　sport；　and　played　with　the　daily

heats　which　they　ran　over　the　course　before　the　grand　day。　　But

how；　as　knowing　the　difference　equally　with　their　riders；　would

they　exert　their　utmost　strength　at　the　time　of　the　race　itself！

And　that　to　such　an　extremity　that　one　or　two　of　them　died　in　the

stable　when　they　came　to　be　rubbed　after　the　first　heat。



Here　I　fancied　myself　in　the　Circus　Maximus　at　Rome　seeing　the

ancient　games　and　the　racings　of　the　chariots　and　horsemen；　and　in

this　warmth　of　my　imagination　I　pleased　and　diverted　myself　more

and　in　a　more　noble　manner　than　I　could　possibly　do　in　the　crowds

of　gentlemen　at　the　weighing　and　starting…posts　and　at　their　coming

in；　or　at　their　meetings　at　the　coffee…houses　and　gaming…tables

after　the　races　were　over；　where　there　was　little　or　nothing　to　be

seen　but　what　was　the　subject　of　just　reproach　to　them　and　reproof

from　every　wise　man　that　looked　upon　them。



N。B。　…　Pray　take　it　with　you；　as　you　go；　you　see　no　ladies　at

Newmarket；　except　a　few　of　the　neighbouring　gentlemen's　families；

who　come　in　their　coaches　on　any　particular　day　to　see　a　race；　and

so　go　home　again　directly。



As　I　was　pleasing　myself　with　what　was　to　be　seen　here；　I　went　in

the　intervals　of　the　sport　to　see　the　fine　seats　of　the　gentlemen

in　the　neighbouring　county；　for　this　part　of　Suffolk；　being　an　open

champaign　country　and　a　healthy　air；　is　formed　for　pleasure　and　all

kinds　of　country　diversion；　Nature；　as　it　were；　inviting　the

gentlemen　to　visit　her　where　she　was　fully　prepared　to　receive

them；　in　conformity　to　which　kind　summons　they　came；　for　the

country　is；　as　it　were；　covered　with　fine　palaces　of　the　nobility

and　pleasant　seats　of　the　gentlemen。



The　Earl　of　Orford's　house　I　have　mentioned　already；　the　next　is

Euston　Hall；　the　seat　of　the　Duke　of　Grafton。　　It　lies　in　the　open

country　towards　the　side　of　Norfolk；　not　far　from　Thetford；　a　place

capable　of　all　that　is　pleasant　and　delightful　in　Nature；　and

improved　by　art　to　every　extreme　that　Nature　is　able　to　produce。



From　thence　I　went　to　Rushbrook；　formerly　the　seat　of　the　noble

family　of　Jermyns；　lately　Lord　Dover；　and　now　of　the　house　of

Davers。　　Here　Nature；　for　the　time　I　was　there；　drooped　and　veiled

all　the　beauties　of　which　she　once　boasted；　the　family　being　in

tears　and　the　house　shut　up；　Sir　Robert　Davers；　the　head　thereof；

and　knight　of　the　shire　for　the　county　of　Suffolk；　and　who　had

married　the　eldest　daughter　of　the　late　Lord　Dover；　being　just

dead；　and　the　corpse　lying　there　in　its　funeral　form　of　ceremony；

not　yet　buried。　　Yet　all　looked　lovely　in　their　sorrow；　and　a

numerous　issue　promising　and　grown　up　intimated　that　the　family　of

Davers　would　still　flourish；　and　that　the　beauties　of　Rushbrook；

the　mansion　of　the　family；　were　not　formed　with　so　much　art　in　vain

or　to　die　with　the　present　possessor。



After　this　we　saw　Brently；　the　seat　of　the　Earl　of　Dysert；　and　the

ancient　palace　of　my　Lord　Cornwallis；　with　several　others　of

exquisite　situation；　and　adorned　with　the　beauties　both　of　art　and

Nature；　so　that　I　think　any　traveller　from　abroad；　who　would　desire

to　see　how　the　English　gentry　live；　and　what　pleasures　they　enjoy；

should　come　into　Suffolk　and　Cambridgeshire；　and　take　but　a　light

circuit　among　the　country　seats　of　the　gentlemen　on　this　side　only；

and　they　would　be　soon　convinced　that　not　France；　no；　not　Italy

itself；　can　outdo　them　in　proportion　to　the　climate　they　lived　in。



I　had　still　the　county　of　Cambridge　to　visit　to　complete　this　tour

of　the　eastern　part　of　England；　and　of　that　I　come　now　to　speak。



We　enter　Cambridgeshire　out　of　Suffolk；　with　all　the　advantage　in

the　world；　the　county　beginning　upon　those　pleasant　and　agreeable

plains　called　Newmarket　Heath；　where　passing　the　Devil's　Ditch；

which　has　nothing　worth　notice