tour through the eastern counties of england-第11章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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　gentry；　people　of　the　best

fashion；　and　the　most　polite　conversation。　　This　beauty　and

healthiness　of　its　situation　was　no　doubt　the　occasion　which　drew

the　clergy　to　settle　here；　for　they　always　chose　the　best　places　in

the　country　to　build　in；　either　for　richness　of　soil；　or　for　health

and　pleasure　in　the　situation　of　their　religious　houses。



For　the　like　reason；　I　doubt　not；　they　translated　the　bones　of　the

martyred　king　St。　Edmund　to　this　place；　for　it　is　a　vulgar　error　to

say　he　was　murdered　here。　　His　martyrdom；　it　is　plain；　was　at　Hoxon

or　Henilsdon；　near　Harlston；　on　the　Waveney；　in　the　farthest

northern　verge　of　the　county；　but　Segebert；　king　of　the　East

Angles；　had　built　a　religions　house　in　this　pleasant　rich　part　of

the　county；　and　as　the　monks　began　to　taste　the　pleasure　of　the

place；　they　procured　the　body　of　this　saint　to　be　removed　hither；

which　soon　increased　the　wealth　and　revenues　of　their　house；　by　the

zeal　of　that　day；　in　going　on　pilgrimage　to　the　shrine　of　the

blessed　St。　Edmund。



We　read；　however；　that　after　this　the　Danes；　under　King　Sweno；

over…running　this　part　of　the　country；　destroyed　this　monastery　and

burnt　it　to　the　ground；　with　the　church　and　town。　　But　see　the　turn

religion　gives　to　things　in　the　world；　his　son；　King　Canutus；　at

first　a　Pagan　and　a　tyrant；　and　the　most　cruel　ravager　of　all　that

crew；　coming　to　turn　Christian；　and　being　touched　in　conscience　for

the　soul　of　his　father；　in　having　robbed　God　and　his　holy　martyr

St。　Edmund；　sacrilegiously　destroying　the　church；　and　plundering

the　monastery；　I　say；　touched　with　remorse；　and；　as　the　monks

pretend；　terrified　with　a　vision　of　St。　Edmund　appearing　to　him；　he

rebuilt　the　house；　the　church；　and　the　town　also；　and　very　much

added　to　the　wealth　of　the　abbot　and　his　fraternity；　offering　his

crown　at　the　feet　of　St。　Edmund；　giving　the　house　to　the　monks；

town　and　all；　so　that　they　were　absolute　lords　of　the　town；　and

governed　it　by　their　steward　for　many　ages。　　He　also　gave　them　a

great　many　good　lordships；　which　they　enjoyed　till　the　general

suppression　of　abbeys；　in　the　time　of　Henry　VIII。



But　I　am　neither　writing　the　history　or　searching　the　antiquity　of

the　abbey；　or　town；　my　business　is　the　present　state　of　the　place。



The　abbey　is　demolished；　its　ruins　are　all　that　is　to　be　seen　of

its　glory：　out　of　the　old　building；　two　very　beautiful　churches　are

built；　and　serve　the　two　parishes；　into　which　the　town　is　divided；

and　they　stand　both　in　one　churchyard。　　Here　it　was；　in　the　path…

way　between　these　two　churches；　that　a　tragical　and　almost　unheard…

of　act　of　barbarity　was　committed；　which　made　the　place　less

pleasant　for　some　time　than　it　used　to　be；　when　Arundel　Coke；　Esq。；

a　barrister…at…law；　of　a　very　ancient　family；　attempted；　with　the

assistance　of　a　barbarous　assassin；　to　murder　in　cold　blood；　and　in

the　arms　of　hospitality；　Edward　Crisp；　Esq。；　his　brother…in…law；

leading　him　out　from　his　own　house；　where　he　had　invited　him；　his

wife　and　children；　to　supper；　I　say；　leading　him　out　in　the　night；

on　pretence　of　going　to　see　some　friend　that　was　known　to　them

both；　but　in　this　churchyard；　giving　a　signal　to　the　assassin　he

had　hired；　he　attacked　him　with　a　hedge…bill；　and　cut　him；　as　one

might　say；　almost　in　pieces；　and　when　they　did　not　doubt　of　his

being　dead；　they　left　him。　　His　head　and　face　was　so　mangled；　that

it　may　be　said　to　be　next　to　a　miracle　that　he　was　not　quite

killed：　yet　so　Providence　directed　for　the　exemplary　punishment　of

the　assassins；　that　the　gentleman　recovered　to　detect　them；　who

（though　he　outlived　the　assault）　were　both　executed　as　they

deserved；　and　Mr。　Crisp　is　yet　alive。　　They　were　condemned　on　the

statute　for　defacing　and　dismembering；　called　the　Coventry　Act。



But　this　accident　does　not　at　all　lessen　the　pleasure　and　agreeable

delightful　show　of　the　town　of　Bury；　it　is　crowded　with　nobility

and　gentry；　and　all　sorts　of　the　most　agreeable　company；　and　as　the

company　invites；　so　there　is　the　appearance　of　pleasure　upon　the

very　situation；　and　they　that　live　at　Bury　are　supposed　to　live

there　for　the　sake　of　it。



The　Lord　Jermin；　afterwards　Lord　Dover；　and；　since　his　lordship's

decease；　Sir　Robert　Davers；　enjoyed　the　most　delicious　seat　of

Rushbrook；　near　this　town。



The　present　members　of　Parliament　for　this　place　are　Jermyn　Davers

and　James　Reynolds；　Esquires。



Mr。　Harvey；　afterwards　created　Lord　Harvey；　by　King　William；　and

since　that　made　Earl　of　Bristol　by　King　George；　lived　many　years　in

this　town；　leaving　a　noble　and　pleasantly　situated　house　in

Lincolnshire；　for　the　more　agreeable　living　on　a　spot　so　completely

qualified　for　a　life　of　delight　as　this　of　Bury。



The　Duke　of　Grafton；　now　Lord…Lieutenant　of　Ireland；　has　also　a

stately　house　at　Euston；　near　this　town；　which　he　enjoys　in　right

of　his　mother；　daughter　to　the　Earl　of　Arlington；　one　of　the　chief

ministers　of　State　in　the　reign　of　King　Charles　II。；　and　who　made

the　second　letter　in　the　word　〃cabal；〃　a　word　formed　by　that　famous

satirist　Andrew　Marvell；　to　represent　the　five　heads　of　the

politics　of　that　time；　as　the　word　〃smectymnus〃　was　on　a　former

occasion。



I　shall　believe　nothing　so　scandalous　of　the　ladies　of　this　town

and　the　country　round　it　as　a　late　writer　insinuates。　　That　the

ladies　round　the　country　appear　mighty　gay　and　agreeable　at　the

time　of　the　fair　in　this　town　I　acknowledge；　one　hardly　sees　such　a

show　in　any　part　of　the　world；　but　to　suggest　they　come　hither；　as

to　a　market；　is　so　coarse　a　jest；　that　the　gentlemen　that　wait　on

them　hither　（for　they　rarely　come　but　in　good　company）　ought　to

resent　and　correct　him　for　it。



It　is　true；　Bury　Fair；　like　Bartholomew　Fair；　is　a　fair　for

diversion；　more　than　for　trade；　and　it　may　be　a　fair　for　toys　and

for　trinkets；　which　the　ladies　may　think　fit　to　lay　out　some　of

their　money　in；　as　they　see　occasion。　　But　to　judge　from　thence

that　the　knights'　daughters　of　Norfolk；　Cambridgeshire；　and　Suffolk

…　that　is　to　say；　for　it　cannot　be　understood　any　otherwise；　the

daughters　of　all　the　gentry　of　the　three　counties　…　come　hither　to

be　picked　up；　is　a　way　of　speaking　I　never　before　heard　any　author

have　the　assurance　to　make　use　of　in　print。



The　assembly　he　justly　commends　for　the　bright　appearance　of　the

beauties；　but　with　a　sting　in　the　tail　of　this　compliment；　where　he

says　they　seldom　end　without　some　considerable　match　or　intrigue；

and　yet　he　owns　that　during　the　fair　these　assemblies　are　held

every　night。　　Now　that　these　fine　ladies　go　intriguing　every　night；

and　that　too　after　the　comedy　is　done；　which　is　after　the　fair　and

raffling　is　over　for　the　day；　so　that　it　must　be　very　late。　　This

is　a　terrible　character　for　the　ladies　of　Bury；　and　intimates；　in

short；　that　most　of　them　are　loose　women；　which　is　a　horrid　abuse

upon　the　whole　country。



Now；　though　I　like　not　the　assemblies　at　all；　and　shall　in　another

place　give　them　something　of　their　due；　yet　having　the　opportunity

to　see　the　fair　at　Bury；　and　to　see　that　there　were；　indeed；

abundance　of　the　finest　ladies；　or　as　fine　as　any　in　Britain；　yet　I

must　own　the　number　of　the　ladies　at　the　comedy；　or　at　the

assembly；　is　no　way　equal　to　the　number　that　are　seen　in　the　town；

much　less　are　they　equal　to　the　whole　body　of　the　ladies　in　the

three　counties；　and　I　must　also　add；　that　though　it　is　far　from

true　that　all　that　appear　at　the　assembly　are　there　for　matches　or

intrigues；　yet　I　will　venture　to　say　that　they　are　not　the　worst　of

the　ladies　who　stay　away；　neither　are　they　the　fewest　in　number　or

the　meanest　in　beauty；　but　just　the　contrary；　and　I　do　not　at　all

doubt；　but　that　the　scandalous　liberty　some　take　at　those

assemblies　will　in　time　bring　them　out　of　credit　with　the　virtuous

part　of　the　sex　here；　as　it　has　done　already　in　Kent　and　other

places；　and　that　those　ladies　who　most　value　their　reputation　will

be　seen　less　there　than　they　have　been；　for　though　the　institution

of　them　has　been　innocent　and　virtuous；　the　ill　use　of　them；　and

the　scandalous　behaviour　of　some　people　at　them；　will　in　time　arm

virtue　against　them；　and　they　will　be　laid　down　as　they　have　been

set　up　without　much　satisfaction。



But　the　beauty　of　this　town　consists　in　the　number　of　gentry　who

dwell　in　and　near　it；　the　polite　conversation　among　them；　the

affluence　and　plenty　they　live　in；　the　sweet　air　they　breathe　in；

and　the　pleasant　country　they　have　to　go　abroad　in。



Here　is　no　manufacturing　in　this　town；　or　but　very　little；　except

spinning；　the　chief　trade　of　the　place　depending　upon　the　gentry

who　live　there；　or　near　it；　and　who　cannot　fail　to　cause　trade

enough　by　the　expense　of　their　families　and　equipages　among　the

people　of　a　county　town。　　They　have　but　a　very　small　river；　or

rather　but　a　very　small　branch　of　a　small　r