nevolent Mr. Nield, " does honour to the county, and is superior to most in this kingdom; whether we consider its construction to answer the three great purposes of security, health and morals, or the liberality of the magistrates in providing every comfort which can attend imprisonment."* This gaol which has a neat stone front, wrought in rustic, was completed in 1805. The buildings are inclosed by a boundary wall, twenty feet high, of an irregular octagon form, the diameter being two hundred and ninety-two feet. Four of the sides are one hundred and ninetytwo feet each, and the other four seventy feet and a half. The entrance is the turnkey's lodge, on the lead flat of which execu tions are performed. The keeper's house, also an irregular octagon building, is situated in the centre of the prison, raised six steps above the level of the other buildings, and so placed that all the court-yards as well as the entrance to the gaol are under constant inspection. The prison consists of four wings sixty-nine feet by thirty-two; three of these are divided by a partition wall along the centre, and the fourth is parted into three divisions; by which means the different classes of prisoners are cut off from all communication with each other. The chapel is in the centre of the keeper's house, up one pair of stairs; stone galleries lead to it from the several wings, and it is partitioned off, so that each class is separated the same as in the prison.

The House of Correction, nearly adjoining to the gaol, has by recent regulations, been in some measure consolidated with that establishment. It is bounded by a separate wall, inclosing about an acre of ground, and the prison stands in the centre. This is a square building, having the keeper's house in front, and contains two divisions, which, with the nine in the gaol, make eleven in all. These are appropriated according to the following arrangement: 1, and 2. Male debtors. 3. King's evidence, and occasionally other prisoners. 4. Convicted of misdemeanors. 5. Transports and convicted of atrocious felonies. 6. For trial for atrocious

• Gentleman's Mag. Dec. 1805, p. 1091.

cious felonies. 7. For trial for small offences. 8. Female debtors. 9. Female felons for trial, 10. Females convicted of misdemeanors. 11. Females convicted of felonies.

The rules and regulations for the government of these prisons are truly excellent. The earnings of the prisoners employed by the county are thus divided: two-fifths to the county, one-fifth to the governor, and two-fifths to the prisoner, one to be paid weekly, and the remainder on discharge. Their occupations are grinding corn, for which there are two mills, and spinning wool. The keeper of the gaol and house of correction has a salary of three hundred pounds per annum, besides perquisites and fees, * and they have a chaplain and a surgeon, with a yearly salary of sixty pounds each.

Within the bounds of Bury, a very elegant seat was built in 1773, from a plan of Mr. Adam, by John Symonds, LL. D. professor of modern history and languages, in the university of Cambridge, who gave it the appellation of St. Edmund's Hill, from the beautiful eminence on which it stands. Few spots in Suffolk, observes Mr. Gough,† command so extensive and pleasing a prospect.

A little to the southward of the town, a brick edifice, with two small detached buildings has been erected since the commencement of the present war, as a magazine for arms and ammunition. The necessity of such an establishment at Bury, where no troops are stationed, and where no apprehension certainly need be entertained of any sudden surprise, may justly be questioned. The truth seems to be, that the corporation of Bury wanted a place for one of their number, and in humble imitation of another assembly, recommended

* It would be an injustice to a deserving individual, not to quote the character given of the present keeper, Mr. John Orridge, by Mr. Nield, who says: " in the appointment of a gaoler, I consider the county particularly fortunate in their choice of Mr. Orridge; who, to great abilities, unites firm ness and humanity in the discharge of his important trust.”

+ Camden, Vol. IL. 161.

recommended this measure, that he might be gratified with the sinecure office of store-keeper.

Thetford road, are the

The town had five gates till about forty years ago, when they were all taken down by order of the corporation, to afford a more convenient passage for carriages; and at each of these gates there was formerly either an hospital or some religious foundation, or both, as at East, South, and Risby gates. Beyond the North gate, on the east side, and contiguous to the ruins of St. Saviour's Hospital, the most celebrated in Bury, and which must have been a very extensive building, if, as we are told, the parliament assembled here in 1446. The entrance seems to have been originally adorned with a stately portal; the space for the entrance, with the fragments of a large window above it, yet remain. Part of the wall which surrounded the hospital and its appurtenances, is also still standing.

The arches in the east wall of the monastery, described by Grose,* as well as the East gate itself, are now demolished. These arches were of considerable antiquity, being evidently as old as the wall itself, which was erected before 1221, by abbot Sampson, to inclose a piece of ground which he had purchased there for a vineyard. The use of them was to serve as a water-course, and perhaps to form an occasional foot-bridge, by means of planks laid from one projecting buttress to another, there being an arched passage left between them and the wall, to the west of which was another bridge for foot-passengers. Not far from the east gate stood St. Nicholas' hospital, some remains of which, such as the original entrance, and one window at present filled up on the north side, are yet to be seen. The edifice itself is now converted into a farm-house; and at a small distance to the west stands the old chapel, formerly belonging to the hospital, an extensive building, having seven buttresses on each side, but not remarkable either for beauty or elegance, now transformed into a barn and stable. On the north side of the road, between Eastbridge

. Antiq. Vol. V. p. 56.

bridge and this hospital, a few fragments of old wall mark the site of that of St. Stephen.

Just without the South gate was the hospital of St. Petronilla. Though this structure has long been demolished, the chapel which belonged to it is still pretty entire; its east window, of beautiful tracery, was to be seen in 1810, but is now walled up. This once sacred edifice is at present applied to the purposes of a malthouse. The hospital stood on the south side of this chapel, and from its site appears to have been an extensive building; part of the walls, now serving for fences, yet remain. A small piece of ground between the hospital and chapel, was probably the cemetery of the establishment, many human bones having been dug up

there.

At the West-gate formerly stood Our Lady's chapel, of which there are no visible remains. An hermitage contiguous to it is now transformed into a cow-house.

Close to Risby-gate was formerly a chantry, called Stone Chapel, the neatly cemented flint-stone walls of which excite admiration. It is now the Cock public-house. At a small distance from this spot is an octangular stone, which once served as the pedestal of a cross. Tradition reports, that about the year 1677, the cavity at the top, in which the cross was erected, being filled with water, the country-people who resorted to Bury-market, then held without Risby-gate, because the small-pox raged in the town, were accustomed to wash their money, lest it should convey the infec tion to the neighbouring villages.

At the time of the Reformation there was also in Bury a religious establishment, called Jesus College, which probably gave name to College-street, in which it was situated. It was founded by king Edward IV. in the 21st year of his reign, and consisted of a warden, and six associates or priests. This building is now converted into a work-house.

The Vine-fields, eastward of Bury, command a charming view of the town, and particularly of the church-gate, the abbey-gate, and grounds. This spot derives its name from the vineyard be

longing

1

longing to the abbey, which was situated on this declivity. It was purchased about the end of the 12th century, by Robert de Gravele, sacrist of the convent, as we are informed, "for the solace of invalids, and of his friends," and was by him inclosed with a stone wall. The vestiges of the parterres may still be traced here.*

Bury, although seated on two rivers, cannot boast of its communications by water. The river Larke has indeed been rendered navigable to within a mile of the town, but the inhabitants derive little benefit from it, in proportion to what they might receive from its extension. All hopes of this are however extinguished, by the exorbitant demands of the corporation for permission to carry it into their jurisdiction. A few years since, a project was formed for constructing another navigable canal from Bury to Manningtree, in Essex. The intended line was surveyed by Mr. Rennie; and, including a tunnel of two miles, which would have been required, near Bradfield, the expence was estimated at seventy thousand pounds. The plan met with the general approbation of the inhabitants of Bury, and the country through which the canal would have passed, as they were satisfied respecting the important advantages to be derived from its execution. This, however, was frustrated by the efforts of persons connected with the Larke navigation,

A late writer on the climate of Great Britain, contends that it has been gradually growing colder and less favorable for the production of those fruits which require a genial sun. This hypothesis he supports, by the fact, that some centuries ago the vineyards, belonging chiefly to abbeys and religious establishments, were highly flourishing, and yielded abundance of wine, with which the pious fathers of those times felt no repugnance to solace themselves. At present we know that nothing of the kind exists in the country, the climate of which is not considered sufficiently warm to mature the fruit for the purpose of making wine. It might perhaps be imagined, that our ancestors possessed some method of training and managing the vine, which has been lost in the lapse of ages, did not the prodigious progress since made in every branch of science, and agriculture among the rest, forbid such an idea. The more probable conjecture is, that the people of former times were contented with a Leverage which modern refinement in luxuries would reject with disdain.