tour through the eastern counties of england-第7章

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8　Lieut。…Colonels。

9　Majors。

30　Captains。

72　Lieutenants。

69　Ensigns。

183　Serjeants　and　Corporals。

3；067　Private　Soldiers。

65　Servants　to　the　Lords　and　General　Officers　and　Gentlemen。

3；526　in　all。





The　town　of　Colchester　has　been　supposed　to　contain　about　40；000

people；　including　the　out…villages　which　are　within　its　liberty；　of

which　there　are　a　great　many　…　the　liberty　of　the　town　being　of　a

great　extent。　　One　sad　testimony　of　the　town　being　so　populous　is

that　they　buried　upwards　of　5；259　people　in　the　plague　year；　1665。

But　the　town　was　severely　visited　indeed；　even　more　in　proportion

than　any　of　its　neighbours；　or　than　the　City　of　London。



The　government　of　the　town　is　by　a　mayor；　high　steward；　a　recorder

or　his　deputy；　eleven　aldermen；　a　chamberlain；　a　town　clerk；

assistants；　and　eighteen　common　councilmen。　　Their　high　steward

（this　year；　1722）　is　Sir　Isaac　Rebow；　a　gentleman　of　a　good　family

and　known　character；　who　has　generally　for　above　thirty　years　been

one　of　their　representatives　in　Parliament。　　He　has　a　very　good

house　at　the　entrance　in　at　the　south；　or　head　gate　of　the　town；

where　he　has　had　the　honour　several　times　to　lodge　and　entertain

the　late　King　William　of　glorious　memory　in　his　returning　from

Holland　by　way　of　Harwich　to　London。　　Their　recorder　is　Earl

Cowper；　who　has　been　twice　Lord　High　Chancellor　of　England。　　But

his　lordship　not　residing　in　those　parts　has　put　in　for　his　deputy；

…　Price；　Esq。；　barrister…at…law；　and　who　dwells　in　the　town。　　There

are　in　Colchester　eight　churches　besides　those　which　are　damaged；

and　five　meeting…houses；　whereof　two　for　Quakers；　besides　a　Dutch

church　and　a　French　church。





Public　Edifices　are　…





1。　　Bay　Hall；　an　ancient　society　kept　up　for　ascertaining　the

manufacture　of　bays；　which　are；　or　ought　to　be；　all　brought　to　this

hall　to　be　viewed　and　sealed　according　to　their　goodness　by　the

masters；　and　to　this　practice　has　been　owing　the　great　reputation

of　the　Colchester　bays　in　foreign　markets；　where　to　open　the　side

of　a　bale　and　show　the　seal　has　been　enough　to　give　the　buyer　a

character　of　the　value　of　the　goods　without　any　further　search；　and

so　far　as　they　abate　the　integrity　and　exactness　of　their　method；

which　I　am　told　of　late　is　much　omitted；　I　say；　so　far；　that

reputation　will　certainly　abate　in　the　markets　they　go　to；　which

are　principally　in　Portugal　and　Italy。　　This　corporation　is

governed　by　a　particular　set　of　men　who　are　called　governors　of　the

Dutch　Bay　Hall。　　And　in　the　same　building　is　the　Dutch　church。



2。　　The　guildhall　of　the　town；　called　by　them　the　moot　hall；　to

which　is　annexed　the　town　gaol。



3。　　The　workhouse；　being　lately　enlarged；　and　to　which　belongs　a

corporation　or　a　body　of　the　inhabitants；　consisting　of　sixty

persons　incorporated　by　Act　of　Parliament　Anno　1698　for　taking　care

of　the　poor。　　They　are　incorporated　by　the　name　and　title　of　the

governor；　deputy　governor；　assistants；　and　guardians　of　the　poor　of

the　town　of　Colchester。　　They　are　in　number　eight…and…forty；　to

whom　are　added　the　mayor　and　aldermen　for　the　time　being；　who　are

always　guardians　by　the　same　charter。　　These　make　the　number　of

sixty；　as　above。　　There　is　also　a　grammar　free…school；　with　a　good

allowance　to　the　master；　who　is　chosen　by　the　town。



4。　　The　castle　of　Colchester　is　now　become　only　a　monument　showing

the　antiquity　of　the　place；　it　being　built　as　the　walls　of　the　town

also　are；　with　Roman　bricks；　and　the　Roman　coins　dug　up　here；　and

ploughed　up　in　the　fields　adjoining；　confirm　it。　　The　inhabitants

boast　much　that　Helena；　the　mother　of　Constantine　the　Great；　first

Christian　Emperor　of　the　Romans；　was　born　there；　and　it　may　be　so

for　aught　we　know。　　I　only　observe　what　Mr。　Camden　says　of　the

Castle　of　Colchester；　viz。：　In　the　middle　of　this　city　stands　a

castle　ready　to　fall　with　age。



Though　this　castle　has　stood　one　hundred　and　twenty　years　from　the

time　Mr。　Camden　wrote　that　account；　and　it　is　not　fallen　yet；　nor

will　another　hundred　and　twenty　years；　I　believe；　make　it　look　one

jot　the　older。　　And　it　was　observable　that　in　the　late　siege　of

this　town；　a　common　shot；　which　the　besiegers　made　at　this　old

castle；　were　so　far　from　making　it　fall；　that　they　made　little　or

no　impression　upon　it；　for　which　reason；　it　seems；　and　because　the

garrison　made　no　great　use　of　it　against　the　besiegers；　they　fired

no　more　at　it。



There　are　two　charity　schools　set　up　here；　and　carried　on　by　a

generous　subscription；　with　very　good　success。



The　title　of　Colchester　is　in　the　family　of　Earl　Rivers；　and　the

eldest　son　of　that　family　is　called　Lord　Colchester；　though　as　I

understand；　the　title　is　not　settled　by　the　creation　to　the　eldest

son　till　he　enjoys　the　title　of　earl　with　it；　but　that　the　other　is

by　the　courtesy　of　England；　however；　this　I　take　AD　REFERENDUM。



From　Colchester　I　took　another　step　down　to　the　coast；　the　land

running　out　a　great　way　into　the　sea；　south　and　south…east　makes

that　promontory　of　land　called　the　Naze；　and　well　known　to　seamen

using　the　northern　trade。　　Here　one　sees　a　sea　open　as　an　ocean

without　any　opposite　shore；　though　it　be　no　more　than　the　mouth　of

the　Thames。　　This　point　called　the　Naze；　and　the　north…east　point

of　Kent；　near　Margate；　called　the　North　Foreland；　making　what　they

call　the　mouth　of　the　river　and　the　port　of　London；　though　it　be

here　above　sixty　miles　over。



At　Walton…under…the…Naze　they　find　on　the　shore　copperas…stone　in

great　quantities；　and　there　are　several　large　works　called　copperas

houses；　where　they　make　it　with　great　expense。



On　this　promontory　is　a　new　mark　erected　by　the　Trinity　House　men；

and　at　the　public　expense；　being　a　round　brick　tower；　near　eighty

feet　high。　　The　sea　gains　so　much　upon　the　land　here　by　the

continual　winds　at　south…west；　that　within　the　memory　of　some　of

the　inhabitants　there　they　have　lost　above　thirty　acres　of　land　in

one　place。



From　hence　we　go　back　into　the　county　about　four　miles；　because　of

the　creeks　which　lie　between；　and　then　turning　east　again　come　to

Harwich；　on　the　utmost　eastern　point　of　this　large　country。



Harwich　is　a　town　so　well　known　and　so　perfectly　described　by　many

writers；　I　need　say　little　of　it。　　It　is　strong　by　situation；　and

may　be　made　more　so　by　art。　　But　it　is　many　years　since　the

Government　of　England　have　had　any　occasion　to　fortify　towns　to　the

landward；　it　is　enough　that　the　harbour　or　road；　which　is　one　of

the　best　and　securest　in　England；　is　covered　at　the　entrance　by　a

strong　fort　and　a　battery　of　guns　to　the　seaward；　just　as　at

Tilbury；　and　which　sufficiently　defend　the　mouth　of　the　river。　　And

there　is　a　particular　felicity　in　this　fortification；　viz。；　that

though　the　entrance　or　opening　of　the　river　into　the　sea　is　very

wide；　especially　at　high…water；　at　least　two　miles；　if　not　three

over；　yet　the　Channel；　which　is　deep；　and　in　which　the　ships　must

keep　and　come　to　the　harbour；　is　narrow；　and　lies　only　on　the　side

of　the　fort；　so　that　all　the　ships　which　come　in　or　go　out　must

come　close　under　the　guns　of　the　fort　…　that　is　to　say；　under　the

command　of　their　shot。



The　fort　is　on　the　Suffolk　side　of　the　bay　or　entrance；　but　stands

so　far　into　the　sea　upon　the　point　of　a　sand　or　shoal；　which　runs

out　toward　the　Essex　side；　as　it　were；　laps　over　the　mouth　of　that

haven　like　a　blind　to　it；　and　our　surveyors　of　the　country　affirm

it　to　be　in　the　county　of　Essex。　　The　making　this　place；　which　was

formerly　no　other　than　a　sand　in　the　sea；　solid　enough　for　the

foundation　of　so　good　a　fortification；　has　not　been　done　but　by

many　years'　labour；　often　repairs；　and　an　infinite　expense　of

money；　but　it　is　now　so　firm　that　nothing　of　storms　and　high　tides；

or　such　things　as　make　the　sea　dangerous　to　these　kind　of　works；

can　affect　it。



The　harbour　is　of　a　vast　extent；　for；　as　two　rivers　empty

themselves　here；　viz。；　Stour　from　Manningtree　and　the　Orwell　from

Ipswich；　the　channels　of　both　are　large　and　deep；　and　safe　for　all

weathers；　so　where　they　join　they　make　a　large　bay　or　road　able　to

receive　the　biggest　ships；　and　the　greatest　number　that　ever　the

world　saw　together；　I　mean　ships　of　war。　　In　the　old　Dutch　war

great　use　has　been　made　of　this　harbour；　and　I　have　known　that

there　has　been　one　hundred　sail　of　men…of…war　and　their　attendants

and　between　three　and　four　hundred　sail　of　collier　ships　all　in

this　harbour　at　a　time；　and　yet　none　of　them　crowding　or　riding　in

danger　of　one　another。



Harwich　is　known　for　being　the　port　where　the　packet　boats；　between

England　and　Holland；　go　out　and　come　in。　　The　inhabitants　are　far

from　being　famed　for　good　usage　to　strangers；　but；　on　the　contrary；

are　blamed　for　being　extravagant　in　their　reckonings　in　the　public…

houses；　which　has　not　a　little　encouraged　the　setting　up　of　sloops；

which　they　now　call　passage　boats；　to　Holland；　to　go　directly　from

the　River　Thames；　this；　though　it　may　be　something　the　longer

passage；　yet　as　they　are　said　to　be　more　obliging　to　passengers　and

more　reasonable　in　the　expense；　and；　as　some　say；　also；　the　vessels

are　better　sea　boats；　has　been　the　reason　why　so　many　passengers　do

not　go　or　come　by　the　way　of　Harwich　as　formerly　were　wont　to　do；

insomuch　that　the　stage　coaches　between　this　place　and　London；

which　ordinarily　went　twice　or　three　times　a　week；　are　now　entirely

laid　down；　and　the　passengers　are　left　to　hire　coaches　on　purpose；

take　post…horses；　or　hire　horses　to　Colchester；　as　they　find　most

convenient。



The　account　of　a　petrifying　quality　in　the　earth　here；　though　some

will　have　it　to　be　in　the　water　of　a　spring　hard　by；　is　very

strange。　　They　boast　that　their　town　is　walled　and　their　streets

paved　with　clay；　and　yet　that　one　is　as　strong　and　the　other　as

clean　as　those　that　are　built　or　paved　with　stone。　　The　fact　is

indeed　true；　for　there　is　a　sort　of　clay　in　the　cliff；　between　the

town　and　the　Beacon　Hill　adjoining；　which；　when　it　falls　down　into

the　sea；　where　it　is　beaten　with　the　waves　and　the　weather；　turns

gradually　into　stone。　　But　the　chief　reason　assigned　is　from　the

water　of　a　certain　spring　or　well；　which；　rising　in　the　said　cliff；

runs　down　into　the　sea　among　those　pieces　of　clay；　and　petrifies

them　as　it　runs；　and　the　force　of　the　sea　often　stirring；　and

perhaps　turning；　the　lumps　of　clay；　when　storms　of　wind　may　give

force　enough　to　the　water；　causes　them　to　harden　everywhere　alike；

otherwise　those　which　were　not　quite　sunk　in　the　water　of　the

spring　would　be　petrified　but　in　part。　　These　stones　are　gathered

up　to　pave　the　streets　and　build　the　houses；　and　are　indeed　very

hard。　　It　is　also　remarkable　that　some　of　them　taken　up　before　they

are　thoroughly　petrified　will；　upon　breaking　them；　appear　to　be

hard　as　a　stone　without　and　soft　as　clay　in　the　middle；　whereas

others　that　have　lain　a