第 15 节
作者:西门在线      更新:2021-02-20 18:43      字数:9322
  now named; Winchelsea in Kent; and the like; so this town is; as it
  were; eaten up by the sea; as above; and the still encroaching
  ocean seems to threaten it with a fatal immersion in a few years
  more。
  Yet Dunwich; however ruined; retains some share of trade; as
  particularly for the shipping of butter; cheese; and corn; which is
  so great a business in this county; that it employs a great many
  people and ships also; and this port lies right against the
  particular part of the county for butter; as Framlingham; Halstead;
  etc。  Also a very great quantity of corn is bought up hereabout for
  the London market; for I shall still touch that point how all the
  counties in England contribute something towards the subsistence of
  the great city of London; of which the butter here is a very
  considerable article; as also coarse cheese; which I mentioned
  before; used chiefly for the king's ships。
  Hereabouts they begin to talk of herrings and the fishery; and we
  find in the ancient records that this town; which was then equal to
  a large city; paid; among other tribute to the government; fifty
  thousand of herrings。  Here also; and at Swole; or Southole; the
  next seaport; they cure sprats in the same manner as they do
  herrings at Yarmouth; that is to say; speaking in their own
  language; they make red sprats; or to speak good English; they make
  sprats red。
  It is remarkable that this town is now so much washed away by the
  sea; that what little trade they have is carried on by Walderswick;
  a little town near Swole; the vessels coming in there; because the
  ruins of Dunwich make the shore there unsafe and uneasy to the
  boats; from whence the northern coasting seamen a rude verse of
  their own using; and I suppose of their own making; as follows;
  〃Swoul and Dunwich; and Walderswick;
  All go in at one lousie creek。〃
  This 〃lousie creek;〃 in short; is a little river at Swoul; which
  our late famous atlas…maker calls a good harbour for ships; and
  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; w