noble streetes, and a vast trade is Carryed on, as Norwitch is for
Coapes Callamanco and damaske, soe this is for serges. There is an
Increadible quantety of them made and sold in the town. There market day
is Fryday which supplys with all things Like a faire almost; the markets
for meate, fowle, ffish, garden things and the Dairy produce takes up 3
whole streetes besides the Large Market house set on stone pillars,
w^{ch} runs a great Length on w^{ch} they Lay their packs of serges.
Just by it is another walke w^{th} in pillars w^{ch} is for the yarne,
the whole town and Country is Employ’d for at Least 20 mile round in
spinning, weaveing, dressing and scouring, fulling and Drying of the
serges. It turns the most money in a weeke of any thing in England. One
weeke with another there is 10000 pound paid in ready money, Sometymes
15000 pound. The weavers brings in their serges and must have their
money w^{ch} they Employ to provide them yarne to goe to work againe.
There is alsoe a square Court with Penthouses round where the Malters
are w^{th} Mault and oat meal, but the serge is the Chief manufacture.
There is a prodigious quantety of their serges they never bring into the
market but are in hired roomes w^{ch} are noted for it, for it would be
impossible to have it altogether. The Carryers I met going w^{th} it, as
thick, all Entring into town w^{th} their Loaded horses, they bring them
all just from the Loome and soe they are put into the ffulling-mills,
but first they will Clean and Scour their roomes with them, w^{ch} by
the way gives noe pleasing perfume to a roome, the oyle and grease, and
I should think it would Rather foull a roome than Cleanse it because of
the oyles, but I perceive its otherwise Esteemed by them w^{ch} will
send to their acquaintances y^t are tuckers the dayes the serges Comes
in for a Rowle to Clean their house—this I was an Eye witness of. Then
they Lay them in soack in vrine, then they soape them and soe put them
into the ffulling-mills and soe worke them in the mills drye till they
are thick enough then they turne water into them and so scower them. Y^e
mill does draw out and gather in y^e serges, its a pretty divertion to
see it, a sort of huge notch’d timbers Like great teethe;—one would
thinke it should Injure the serges but it does not. Y^e mills draws in
w^{th} such a great violence that if one stands neere it and it Catch a
bitt of your Garments it would be ready to draw in y^e person even in a
trice. When they are thus scour’d they drye them in racks strained out
w^{ch} are as thick set one by another as will permitt y^e dresses to
pass between, and huge Large fields occupy’d this way almost all round
the town w^{ch} is to the river side; then when drye they pick out all
knots then fold them w^{th} a paper between Every fold and so sett them
on an jron plaite and screw down y^e press on them w^{ch} has another
jron plaite on the top under w^{ch} is a furnace of fire of Coales, this
is the hott press; then they fold them Exceeding Exact and then press
them in a Cold press, some they dye but the most are sent up for London
white.
I saw the severall ffatts they were a Dying in of black, yellow, blew
and Green w^{ch} two Last Coullours are dipp’d in the same fatt, that
w^{ch} makes it differ is what they were dipp’d in before w^{ch} makes
them Either green or blew; they hang the Serges on a great beame or
Great pole on the top of y^e fatt and so keep turning it from one to
another—as one turns it off into the ffatt y^e other Rowles it out of
it, soe they do it backwards and forwards till its tinged deep Enough of
the Coullour. Their ffurnace that keepes their dye panns boyling is all
under that roome made of Coale ffires. There was in a roome by itself a
ffatt for the Scarlet that being a very Changeable dye noe waste must be
allow’d in that, Indeed I think they make as fine a Coullour as their
bowdies are in London.
These Rolers I spake of two men does Continually role on and off y^e
pieces of serge till Dipp’d Enough, the length of these pieces are or
should hold out 26 yards. This Citty does Exceedingly resemble London
for besides these buildings I mention’d for y^e severall Markets, there
is an Exchange full of shopps Like our Exchanges are, only its but one
walke along as was the Exchange at Salisbury house in the Strand; there
is also a very Large space Railed in just by the Cathedrall with walks
round it w^{ch} is Called the Exchange for Merchants, that Constantly
meete twice a day just as they do in London. There are 17 Churches in
the Citty and 4 in the subburbs, there is some remaines of the Castle
walls, they make use of the roomes w^{ch} are inside for y^e assizes,
there is the two Barrs besides being Large rooms w^{th} seates and
places Convenient and jury roome, here is a Large walke at y^e Entrance
between Rowes of Pillars, there is besides this just at y^e market place
a Guild hall the Entrance of w^{ch} is a Large place set on stone
Pillars, beyond w^{ch} are y^e roomes for the session or any town
affaires to be adjusted. Behind this building there is a vast Cistern
w^{ch} holds upwards of 600 hodsheads of water which supplyes by pipes
the whole Citty; this Cistern is replenished from the river w^{ch} is on
purpose turned into a Little Channell by it self to turn the mill, and
ffills the Engine that Casts y^e water into the truncks w^{ch} Conveys
it to this Cistern. The water Engine is Like those at Islington and at
Darby as I have seen, and is what now they make use of in Diverse places
Either to supply them w^{th} water or to draine a marsh or overplus of
water. The river X is a fine streame, they have made severall bayes or
wires above the Bridge w^{ch} Casts y^e water into many Channells for
the Conveniencys of turning all their mills, by w^{ch} meanes they have
Composed a Little jsland, for at the End it againe returns into its own
united Channell. Those wires makes great falls into y^e water, it Comes
w^{th} great violence; here they Catch the Salmon as they Leap w^{th}
speares, the first of these Bayes is a very great one, there is one
below the bridge w^{ch} must be taken away when the navigation is
Compleate for they will need all their water together to fill it to a
Depth to Carry the shipps for just by the Bridge is the Key design’d, or
y^t w^{ch} now is already they will Enlarge to that place. Just by this
key is the Custome house, an open space below w^{th} rows of pillars
w^{ch} they Lay in goods just as its unladen out of the shipps in Case
of wet. Just by are Severall Little roomes for Land waiters &c, then you
ascend up a handsome pair of staires into a Large roome full of Desks
and Little partitions for the writers and accountants, it was full of
books and files of paper. By it are two other Roomes w^{ch} are used in
the same way when there is a great deale of Bussiness. There are
severall good Conduites to Supply y^e Citty w^{th} water besides that
Cistern, there is alsoe a very fine market Cross.
The Cathedrall at Exetter is preserv’d in its outside adornments beyond
most I have seen, there remaining more of y^e fine Carv’d worke in
stone, the ffigures and nitches full and in proportion, tho’ Indeed I
Cannot say it has that great Curiosity of work and variety as the great
Church at Wells. Its a Lofty building in y^e Inside, the Largest pair of
organs[1] I have Ever seen w^{th} fine Carving of wood w^{ch} runs up a
Great height, and made a magnificent appearance. The Quire is very
neate, but y^e Bishops seate or throne was Exceeding and very high and
y^e Carving very fine and took up a Great Compass full of all variety of
ffigures, something Like the worke over y^e arch Bishops throne in S^t
Pauls, London, but this was Larger if not so Curious. There was severall
good monuments and Effigies of Bishops; there was one of a judge and his
Lady that was very Curious, their Garments Embroyder’d all marble and
Gilt and painted. There was a very Large good Library in w^{ch} was a
press that had an anatomy of a woman. Y^e tower is 167 steps up on which
I had a view of y^e whole town w^{ch} is Generally well built. I saw y^e
Bishops pallace and Garden, there is a long walke as well as broad,
Enclosed w^{th} rows of Lofty trees which made it shady and very
pleasant, w^{ch} went along by the Ditch and banck on w^{ch} the town
wall stands. There are 5 gates to y^e town, there is alsoe another Long
walke within shady trees on y^e other side of the town, w^{ch} Leads to
the Grounds where the drying frames are set up for the serges.
Footnote 1:
The great pipe 15 inches diameter is two more y^n the celebrated one
at Coln.
Ffrom thence I pass’d the Bridge aCross the River Ex to Chedly w^{ch}
was 9 mile, mostly Lanes and a Continual going up hill and down, some of
them pretty steep hills and all these Lesser hills as I have observ’d
rises higher and higher till it advances you upon the high Ridge w^{ch}
discovers to view the Great valleys below full of those Lesser hills and
jnclosures w^{th} quicksett hedges and trees and Rich Land, but the
Roads are not to be seen being all along in Lanes Cover’d over with y^e
shelter of the hedges and trees. Then when I was on y^e top hill I went
3 or 4 miles on an open down w^{ch} brought me to the Edge of another
such a Ridge, w^{ch} was by some steps to be descended as it was gained
by y^e Lesser hills one below another till I Came to y^e bottom, and
then I had about 2 or 3 mile along on a plaine or Common w^{ch} for the
most part are a Little moorish by reason of their receiving the water
that draines from the severall Great hills on Either side, and so then I
am to rise up another such a Range of hills, and as neer as I Could
Compute in my Rideing it was 6 or 7 miles between one high Ridge of
hills to that over against it, whereas were there a Bridge over from one
top to the other it Could not be 2 mile distant; but this does give them
y^e advantage of severall acres of Land by reason of the many hills
w^{ch} if drawn out on plaines as in some other parts would appear much
vaster tracts of Land. On these hills as I said one Can discern Little
besides inclosures hedges and trees, rarely Can see houses unless you
are just descending to them, they allwayes are placed in holes as it
were and you have a precipice to go down to Come at them. Y^e Lanes are
full of stones and dirt for y^e most part because they are so Close the
sun and wind Cannot Come at them, soe that in many places you travell on
Causeys w^{ch} are uneven also for want of a Continued repaire.
From Chedly to Ashburton is 11 mile more, in all 20 mile from Exeter,
the Roads being much the same as before. This Ashburton is a poor Little
town—bad was the best Inn. Its a market town and here are a Great many
descenters and those of the most Considerable persons in the town; there
was a presbiterian, an anabaptist, and quakers meeteing. Thence I went
for Plymouth 24 long miles, and here the Roades Contract and y^e Lanes
are exceeding narrow and so Cover’d up you Can see Little about; an army
Might be marching undiscover’d by any body, for when you are on those
heights that shews a vast Country about you Cannot see one Road. The
wayes now become so difficult y^t one Could scarcely pass by Each other,
Even y^e single horses, and so Dirty in many places, and just a track
for one horses feete, and the Banks on Either side so neer, and were
they not well secured and mended w^{th} stones stuck Close Like a Drye
wall Everywhere when they discover the Bancks to Breake and molder down,
which Else would be in Danger of swallowing up the way quite; for on
these bancks (w^{ch} are some of them naturall Rocks and quarrys, others
mended w^{th} such stone or slate stuck Edgewayes to secure them) for
the quicksetts and trees that grow on these Bancks Loosen the mold and
so makes it molder downe sometymes. I pass’d through severall Little
places and over some stone Bridges. Y^e waters are pretty broad soe
these are 4 or 5 arches most Bridges, all stone. The running of y^e
waters is w^{th} a huge Rushing by reason of y^e stones w^{ch} Lye in
the water, some of them Great rocks w^{ch} gives some Interruption to
y^e Current w^{ch} finding another way Either by its sides or mounting
over part of it Causes y^e frothing of y^e water and y^e noise—the
rivers being full of stones bigger or Less. About 4 or 5 mile from
ashburton I Came to a Little place Called Dean and at y^e End of it
ascended a very steep hill, all rock almost; and so it was Like so many
steps up, this is Called Dean Clapperhill, it was an untoward place but
not soe fformidable to me as the people of y^e place where I Lay
described it, haveing gone much worse hills in the North. All along on
the road where the Lanes are a Little broader you ride by rowes of trees
on Each side, set and kept Exactly Even and Cut, y^e tops being for
shade and beauty and they in exact forme as if a Grove to some house. At
first I thought it was neer some houses till the frequency and Length
proved the Contrary, for there are very few if any houses neare the
Road, unless the Little villages you passe through. This Country being
almost full of stone the streetes and roades too have a naturall sort of
paveing or Pitching tho’ uneven. All their Carriages are here on y^e
Backs of horses, w^{th} sort of hookes Like yoakes stands upon Each side
of a good height, w^{ch} are the Receptacles of their goods Either wood,
ffurse or Lime or Coale or Corn or hay or straw or what Else they Convey
from place to place, and I Cannot see how two such horses Can pass Each
other or Indeed in some places how any horse Can pass by Each other, and
yet these are the roads y^t are all here abouts. Some Little Corners may
jutt out that one may a Little get out of y^e way of Each other, but
this but seldom. Two mile from Plymouth we Come to y^e river Plym just
by a Little town all built of stone and y^e tyleing is all flatt w^{ch}
with y^e Lime its Cemented, w^{ch} makes it Look white Like snow, and in
the sun shineing on the slatt it Glisters.
Here I Came in sight on y^e Right hand of a very Large house built all
with this sort of stone w^{ch} is a sort of marble. Even all quaryes
are, and some ffine marble. This house Look’d very finely in a thicket
of trees Like a Grove and was on the side of a hill and Led just down to
the head of y^e river Plym w^{ch} is fill’d with y^e tyde from the sea,
and here I Cross’d it on a stone bridge. Soe I Rode 2 miles mostly by
the river w^{ch} encreases and is a fine broad streame and at y^e town
w^{ch} is its mouth it falls into the sea. The sea here runs into
severall Creekes, one place it runs up to y^e Dock and Milbrook, another
arm of y^e sea goes up to Saltash and Port Eliot.
Plymouth is 2 Parishes Called y^e old town and y^e new, the houses all
built of this marble and y^e Slatt at the top Lookes Like Lead and
glisters in the sun. There are noe great houses in the town, the
streetes are good and Clean, there is a great many tho’ some are but
narrow, they are mostly inhabitted w^{th} seamen and those w^{ch} have
affaires on y^e sea, for here up to the town there is a Depth of water
for shipps of y^e first Rate to Ride. Its Great sea and Dangerous by
reason of y^e severall poynts of Land between w^{ch} the sea runs up a
Great way, and there are severall Little jslands alsoe all w^{ch} beares
the severall tydes hard one against y^e other. There are two keyes, the
one is a broad space w^{ch} Leads you up into the broad streete and is
used in manner of an exchange for the merchants meeteing, for in this
streete alsoe is a fine stone Crosse and alsoe a long market house set
on stone Pillars. There are severall good Cunduits to Convey the water
to the town w^{ch} Conveyance y^e famous S^r Ffrancis Drake (w^{ch} did
encompass y^e world in Queen Elizabeths dayes and Landed safe at
Plymouth) he gave this to y^e town. There are two Churches in the town
but nothing fine. I was in y^e best and saw only King Charles the firsts
Picture at Length at prayer just as its Cut on the frontispiece of the
jnenicum. This picture was Drawn and given the Church when he was in his
troubles, for some piece of service shewn him. The alter stands in the
Chancell or Railed place, but it stands table wise the Length and not up
against the wall. The ffont was of marble and Indeed soe is all
buildings here for their stone is all a sort of Marble, some Coarser
some finer. There are 4 Large meetings for the descenters in the town
takeing in the Quakers and anabaptists.
The mouth of y^e river just at y^e town is a very good Harbour for
Shipps, the Dockyards are about 2 mile from the town—by boate you goe to
it y^e nearest way—its one of y^e best in England. A Great many good
shipps built there, and the Great Depth of water w^{ch} Comes up to it
tho’ it runs for 2 mile between y^e Land, w^{ch} also shelters y^e
shipps. There is a great deale of Buildings on the Dock, a very good
house for the Masters and severall Lesser ones, and house for their
Cordage and makeing Ropes, and all sorts of things required in building
or Refitting ships, it Lookes Like a Little town. The Buildings are so
many and all of marble w^{th} ffine slate on y^e Rooffs and at a Little
Distance it makes all the houses shew as if they were Cover’d w^{th}
snow and Glisters in y^e sunn w^{ch} adds to their beauty. Y^e ffine and
only thing in Plymouth town is the Cittadell or Castle w^{ch} stands
very high above the town, the walls and battlements round it w^{th} all
their Works and Plattforms are in very good repaire and Lookes nobly,
all marble full of towers w^{th} stone Balls on the top and Gilt on the
top; the Entrance being by an ascent up a hill Looks very noble over 2
drawbridges and Gates, w^{ch} are Marble as is the whole, Well Carv’d,
the Gate w^{th} armory and statues all Gilt and on the top 7 Gold balls.
Ye buildings within are very neate, a Large appartment for the
Governour, w^{th} others that are Less for y^e severall officers. There
is a Long building alsoe w^{ch} is y^e arsnell for y^e arms and
amunition, and just by it a round building well secured w^{ch} was for
the powder round the works in the Plattform for the Gunns w^{ch} are
well mounted and very well kept. Walking round I had the view of all the
town and alsoe part off y^e Main Ocean in w^{ch} are some jslands. There
is S^t Nicholas jsland w^{th} a ffort in it, there it was Harry Martin
one of y^e Kings judges was banished Dureing Life. There you Can just
Discover a Light house w^{ch} is building on a meer Rock in the middle
of y^e sea, this is 7 Leagues off, it will be of Great advantage for y^e
Guide of y^e shipps y^t pass that way. From this you have a Good
refflection on y^e Great Care and provision y^e wise God makes for all
persons and things in his Creation, that there should be in some places
where there is any Difficulty rocks Even in the midst of y^e deep w^{ch}
Can be made use of for a Constant Guide and mark for the passengers on
their voyages, but the Earth is full of y^e goodness of y^e Lord and soe
is this Great sea wherein are jnumerable beings Created and preserv’d by
y^e same almighty hand Whose is the Earth and all things there in, he is
Lord of all. From the plattform I Could see y^e Dock and also just
ag^{st} it I saw mount EdgeComb a seate of S^r Richard EdgComes, it
stands on the side of a hill all bedeck’d w^{th} woods w^{ch} are
Divided into several Rowes of trees in walks, the house being all of
this white marble. Its built round a Court so the four sides are alike,
at y^e Corners of it are towers w^{ch} w^{th} y^e Lanthorne or Cupilow
in the middle Lookes well, the house is not very Lofty nor the windows
high but it Looked Like a very uniforme neate building and pretty Large.
There is a Long Walke from one part of y^e front down to y^e waterside,
w^{ch} is on a descent guarded w^{th} shady Rowes of trees, there is a
fine terrass walled in, at y^e water side is open gates in y^e middle
and a sumer house at Each End, from whence a wall is Drawn Round the
house and Gardens and a Large parck, the wall of which I Rode by a good
while; so y^t altogether and its scituation makes it Esteemed by me the
finest seate I have seen and might be more Rightly named mount pleasant.
From Plymouth I went 1 mile to Cribly Fferry w^{ch} is a very hazardous
passage by reason of 3 tydes meeting. Had I known y^e Danger before, I
should not have been very willing to have gone it, not but this is y^e
Constant way all people goe, and saved severall miles rideings, I was at
Least an hour going over, it was about a mile but Indeed in some places
notwithstanding there was 5 men Row’d and I sett my own men to Row alsoe
I do believe we made not a step of way for almost a quarter of an hour,
but blessed be God I Came safely over; but those fferry boates are soe
wet and then the sea and wind is allwayes Cold to be upon, that I never
faile to Catch Cold in a fferry boate as I did this day haveing 2 more
fferrys to Cross tho’ none soe bad or halfe soe Long as this. Thence to
Milbrooke 2 mile and went all along by the water and had the full view
of ye Dock yards. Here I entred into Cornwall and soe passed over many
very steep stony hills, tho’ here I had some 2 or 3 miles of Exceeding
good way on the downs, and then I Came to y^e steep precipices—Great
Rocky hills—ever and anon I Came down to the sea and Rode by its side on
the sand, then mounted up againe on y^e hills w^{ch} Carryed me along
Mostly in sight of y^e Southsea. Sometymes I was in Lanes full of Rowes
of trees and then I Came down a very steep stony hill to Lonn 13 mile,
and here I Crossed a Little arme of y^e sea on a Bridge of 14 arches.
This is a pretty bigg seaport, a Great many Little houses all of stone,
and steep hill much worse and 3 tymes as Long as Dean Clapper hill, and
soe I continued up and down hill. Here Indeed I met w^{th} more jnclosed
Ground and soe had more Lanes and a Deeper Clay Road w^{ch} by the raine
y^e night before had made it very Dirty and full of water in many
places, in the Road there are many holes and sloughs where Ever there is
Clay Ground, and when by raines they are filled with water its difficult
to shun Danger; here my horse was quite down in one of these holes full
of water but by y^e good hand of God’s providence w^{ch} has allwayes
been w^{th} me Even a present help in tyme of need, for giving him a
good strap he fflounc’d up againe tho’ he had gotten quite down his head
and all, yet did retrieve his ffeete and gott Cleer off y^e place w^{th}
me on his Back. Soe I Came to Hoile 8 mile more, they are very Long
miles y^e ffarther West but you have y^e pleasure of Rideing as if in a
Grove in most places, y^e Regular Rowes of trees on Each side y^e Roade
as if it were an Entrance into some gentlemans Ground to his house. I
fferryed over againe Cross an arme of y^e sea, here it was not broad but
Exceeding deep. This is y^e Southsea w^{ch} runs into many Little
Creekes for severall miles into y^e Land w^{ch} is all y^e rivers they
have. I observed this to be exceeding salt and as green as ever I saw
y^e sea when I have been a League or two out from y^e Land, w^{ch} shews
it must be very deep and Great tides. This Hoile is a narrow stony town,
y^e streetes very Close, and as I descended a Great steep into y^e town,
soe I ascended one up a stony Long hill farre worse and full of shelves
and Rocks and 3 tymes as Long as Dean Clapperhill, w^{ch} I Name because
when I was there they would have frighted me with its terribleness as
y^e most inaccessible place as Ever was and none Like it, and my opinion
is y^t it was but one or two steps, to other places forty steps and them
w^{th} more hazard than this of Dean Clapper. Well, to pass on, I went
over some Little heath Ground but mostly Lanes, and those stony and
Dirty, 3 mile and halfe to Parr; here I fferry’d over againe, not but
when the tyde is out you may ford it.