'Norwich is the
capital of all the county and the centre of all the
trade and manufactures; an ancient, large, rich, and
populous city. If a stranger was
only to ride through or view the City of Norwich for a
day, he would have much more reason to think there was a
town without inhabitants, than there is really to say so
of Ipswich; but on the contrary, if he was to view the
city, either on a Sabbath-day, or on any public occasion,
he would wonder where all the people could dwell, the
multitude is so great. But the case is this; the
inhabitants being all busy at their manufactures, dwell
in their garrets at their looms, and in their
combing-shops, so they call them, twisting-mills, and
their other work-houses, almost all the works they are
employed in being done within doors. There are in this
city thirty-two parishes besides the cathedral, and a
great many meeting houses of Dissenters of all
denominations. The walls of this city are reckoned
three miles in circumference, taking in more ground than
the city of London; but much of that ground lying open
in pasture-fields and gardens; nor does it seem to be,
like some ancient places, a decayed declining town, and
that the walls mark out its ancient dimensions; but the
walls seem to be paced, as if they expected that the
city would in time increase sufficiently to fill them up
with buildings. The cathedral of this city is a fine
fabric, and the spire-steeple very high and beautiful.
It is not ancient, the bishop's see having been first at
Thetford; from whence it was not translated hither till
the twelfth century; yet the church has many antiquities
in it.' |