wreathed pinnacles, and chimnies, flowers, and other decorations, according to the fashion of the times. At present it seems nodding to its fall, being much out of the perpendicular.

St. Mary Magdalen's Hospital, for lepers, was founded in the reign of King John, to which was afterwards annexed St. James's Hospital, for the same purpose. In the east part of the town was a house of Black friars, settled here in the reign of Henry the Third, said to have been founded by Henry Manesby and others, granted to William Sabyn. A house was founded for Carmelites, by Sir Richard de Loudham, or, according to Speed, by Lord Bandolph and others, about the year 1279, which was granted to John Eyre. In the west part of the town, the friars minors had a house and church in the reign of Edward the First, built by Sir Robert Tiptoft, of Nettlested.

Edmund Danby, some time bailiff and portman of the town, who died in the year 1515, built and endowed some almshouses here; but the lands settled for their support were, at the reformation, in the reign of Edward the Sixth, granted away, or assigned to other uses; for (though the houses remain) the income is lost.

This town formerly contained twenty-one parish churches, but at present it has but twelve, there are, however, two chapels in the corporated liberty, besides meeting-houses.

Ipswich had charters and a mint so early as the reign of King John; but the last charter was from Charles the Second. It is incorporated by the name of two bailiffs, a recorder, twelve portmen, (of whom the bailiffs are two) a town-clerk, two chamberlains, two coroners, and twenty-four common-council men. The bailiffs and four of the portmen are justices of the peace. It is the county town, and sends two members to Parliament: it has sent ab origine. The following resolutions have been made at dif

ferent

ferent times in the house relative to the right of elec◄ tion.-1710, 3d. February. It is the bailiffs, portmen, common-councilmen, and freemen at large, not receiving alms,-1714, 31st March. Portmen are an essential constituent part of the great court for making freemen of the said borough; without some of which portmen being present, the said court cannot be held.-1st April. A motion being made, and the question being put, that the personsvoted freemen at the pretended great courts held in the corporation of Ipswich, 15th June, 7th August, 25th and 28th September, 1711, without any legal portmen then present, were duly made, and have a right to vote for members to serve in parliament for the borough of Ipswich; it passed in the negative.-The number of voters are about 623; returning officers the two bailiffs.

This town enjoys several considerable privileges, as the passing of fines and recoveries, trying causes, both criminal and capital, and even crown causes among themselves. They appoint the assize of bread, wine, beer, &c. No freeman can be obliged against his consent to serve on juries out of the town, or bear any office for the king, sheriffs for the county excepted, nor are they obliged to pay any tithes or duties in any other part of the kingdom. They are entitled to all waifs, strays, and allgoods cast on shore, within their adiniralty jurisdiction, which extends on the Essex coast, beyond Harwich, and on both sides the Suffolk coast; and the bailiffs even hold their admiralty court beyond › Landguard-fort, &c. In the reign of Edward the Third it was determined at a trial, that the bailiffs and burgesses had the sole right to take the custom duties for goods coming into the port of Harwich.

Here is a convenient quay and custom-house ; and ao place in Britain is so well situated for the Greenland trade, for besides its conveniency for boiling the blubber, and erecting store-houses, &c.

the

the same wind, which carries them out of the mouth of the harbour, will carry them to the very seas of Greenland. Ships of 500 tons have been built here. The tide rises generally twelve feet, and brings large ships within a short distance of it, but flows a little way higher. At low water the harbour is almost dry.

The town-hall is one of the most ancient buildings in this town; before it was used as a guildhall, it was the parochial church of St. Mildred; and it appears to have continued so for near twenty years after the granting of the first charter by king John, in the year 1199, and was incorporated to the priory of St. Peter': there are three rooms under it, which are now let as warehouses. Some years ago a piece of the plastering in the middle of the front near the top, fell down, and discovered a stone on which were the arms of England and France, quartered, much defaced by time; a board has been put over it of the same shape, with the arms painted on it at the private expence of one of the portmen. Adjoining the hall is a spacious councilchamber, and under it are the kitchens, formerly used at the feast of the merchants-guild, &c. but now let as workshops; supposed to have been rebuilt or thoroughly repaired on the restoration of Charles the Second.

Here are, besides a shire hall for the county sessions; a palace for the Bishop of Norwich; a freeschool; a good library adjoining to a work-house, or hospital for poor lunatics, where rogues, vagabonds, &c. are kept to hard labour; and a noble foundation for poor old men and women. Here are other almshouses, three church schools, in two of which are 70 boys, and in the third 40 girls; and an. excellent charity was begun here, in the year 1704, for the relief of poor clergyman's widows and orphans of this county, by a subscription, which has risen to upwards of 5000%.

The

The place where the market is held is a large open square; in the middle of which is a fine cross, of curious workmanship. The market days are Tuesday and Thursday, for small meat; Wednesday and Friday for fish, and Saturday for provisions of all kinds.

This town is thought to be one of the cheapest places in England to live at, because of easy house rent, the best of inns, and great plenty of all kinds of provisions. The adjacent country is cultivated chiefly for corn; of which a great quantity is continually shipped off for London and other places.➖➖ This part of the country also abounds so much with timber, that since its trade of ship building has abated, the inhabitants send great quantities to the king's yard at Chatham; to which place they often run, from the mouth of Harwich river in one tide. The river here is best known by the name of Ipswich Water; there is a creek in it called Lavenham Creek, where there are prodigious shoals of muscles to be seen at low water.

The French refugees attempted formerly to erect a linen manufactory here, but it did not answer; however, the poor people are employed in spinning wool for other places where the manufactory is settled.

Ipswich is situated 69 miles from London, and contained, according to the late population act, 2,221 houses, and 11,277 inhabitants, viz; 4.984 males, and 6,293 females; of which number 1,810 were returned as being employed in various trades and manufacture, and 448 in agriculture.

Adjoining to this town is the fine seat and park of the Rev. Dr. Fonnereau; the house is built in the ancient taste, but is very commodious; it is called Christchurch, and was a priory, or religious house, in former times. The green and park are a great addition to the pleasantness of the town, the inha bitants being allowed to divert themselves there with

walking,

walking, bowling, &c. In this park are some of the most beautiful deer in the kingdom; they are of a fine white colour spotted with black, like harlequin dogs, with bald faces; these, intermixed with fale low deer, make a fine variety in the park.

Thomas Wolsey, a man, who, by the force of distinguished abilities, and a happy concurrence of circumstances, raised himself from a low condition, to the highest offices in the church and state, was born of mean parentage at Ipswich, in the year 1471.He had his education at the graminar-school at his native place, and at Magdalen College, in Oxford. He had begun to make a figure in the court of King Henry the Seventh, towards the latter end of that prince's reign; but his first introduction to the court of King Henry the Eighth was owing to the recommendation of Fox, bishop of Winchester, who hoped he would prove a rival to the Earl of Surrey, who had eclipsed that prelate in the king's good graces. And, in one sense, indeed, he was not disappointed. Wolsey soon acquired such an ascendency over the king, that he supplanted both Surrey in his favour, and Fox in his trust and confidence. From this time forward he rose, by rapid steps, first to be the king's chief favourite, and afterwards to be his sole and absolute minister: he was made bishop of Tournay, in Flanders, (which place the king had lately taken) cardinal of the holy Roman empire, by the title of cardinal of St. Cecile beyond the Tyber, bishop of Winchester, archbishop of York, and lord high chancellor of England. The revenue of these, and of other places which he held, was equal, it is said, to that of the king, and he spent it in a no less royal manner. His train consisted of eight hundred servants, many of whom were knights and gentlemen: some even of the nobility put their children into his family as a place of education; and, in order to ingratiate them the more with their patron, allowed them to bear offices as his servants. He