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 belonging 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 beverage which modern refinement in luxuries would reject with disdain. vigation, whose interests would have been materially affected by such an undertaking. They found means to gain over the duke of Grafton and the earl of Bristol, who had at first been disposed to patronize the project, and also to obtain the support of a majority of the corporate body; so that any attempt to counteract such a formidable opposition, could only have been attended with fruitless expence and ultimate disappointment. King James I. in the fourth year of his reign, granted this town a charter of incorporation. Two years afterwards he gave the reversion of the houses, tythes, and glebes, called the Almoner's Barns, and of the fairs and markets of the town in fee-farm, the reversion of the gaol, with the office of gaoler belonging to the liberty of Bury; and also the toll-house now the market-cross, in present possession. In the twelfth year of his reign, the same monarch was farther pleased to give the churches, with the bells, libraries, and other appurtenances, also the rectories, oblations, and profits of the same churches, not formerly granted; and much enlarged the liberties of the corporation for the better government of the town. At the same time he confirmed to the feoffees of Bury, all lands and possessions given by former benefactors. The donations in lands, houses, and money, for public and charitable purposes, are very considerable in this town. A few have already been mentioned, but the remainder are by far too numerous to be here particularized. Bury has three annual fairs, the first on the Tuesday, and two following days in Easter week; the second for three days before and three days after the feast of St. Matthew, September 21; and the third on the 2d of December, for two or three days. The alderman for the time being, who is lord of the fairs, has a right to prolong them at pleasure. The second, which is the principal, and probably the most ancient, usually continues three weeks. The charter for it was granted to the abbot in 1272, by king Henry III: and it was formerly one of the most celebrated marts in the kingdom. It was then held, as it is still, on the extensive space called the Angel-hill, where different rows of booths were assigned assigned to the manufacturers of Norwich, Ipswich, Colchester, London, and other towns, and even to some foreigners, especially the Dutch. On this occasion Bury was the resort of persons of the highest distinction, for whom the abbot kept an open table; while those of inferior rank were entertained in the refectory by the monks. We are told that the widowed queen of France, sister to Henry VIII. came every year from her residence at Westhorp, with her noble consort, the duke of Suffolk, to attend this fair, where she had a magnificent tent for the reception of the numerous people of rank who resorted thither to pay their respects to her, and a band of music for their diversion. This fair, in regard to the business transacted at it, has been on the decline for half a century past, and become rather a place of fashionable resort than a temporary mart, as most of the merchandise and goods now brought hither, are articles of luxury and fancy. Bury has two weekly markets on Wednesday and Saturday. They are both abundantly supplied with provisions of every kind: but the first is far the most considerable. The annals of Bury record the visits of many royal and noble personages, drawn thither by motives of piety, or by the fame and splendor of its monastic establishment. Besides these circumstances of local interest, the town and its immediate vicinity have been the theatre of important national events. It has already been observed, that Bury was frequently honored with the presence of king Edward the Confessor, who was perhaps the most eminent of the benefactors of the convent, and some of the fruits of whose liberality are still enjoyed by this town. In 1132, Henry I. returning to England after his interview at Chartres with Pope Innocent III. was overtaken by a violent tempest. Considering it as a judgment of Providence for his sins. he made in the hour of danger a solemn vow to amend his life, in pursuance of which, as soon as he had landed, he repaired to Bury to perform his devotions at the shrine of St. Edmund. Soon after the treaty concluded by king Stephen, with Henry, son of the empress Maud, by which the latter was acknowledged his successor, Stephen's son, Eustace came to Bury, and demanded of the abbey and convent considerable supplies of money and provisions, to enable him to assert his claim to the throne. On the refusal of the abbot to comply with this requisition, the prince ordered the granaries of the monastery to be plundered, and many of the farms belonging to it to be ravaged and burned.* In the midst of these violent proceedings, he was seized with a fever, and expired at Bury on St. Lawrence's day 1153, in the eighteenth year of his age. During the unnatural contest in which Henry II. was engaged with his sons, instigated by their mother, and aided by the king of France, a considerable army was assembled at Bury, by Richard de Lucy, lord chief justice; Humphrey de Bohun, high constable; Reginald, earl of Cornwall, and other noblemen, to support the cause of their rightful sovereign. Robert de Beaumont, earl of Leicester, the general of the rebellious princes, having landed with a large body of Flemings at Walton in this county, proceeded to Framlingham Castle, where he was received by Hugh Bigod, earl of Norfolk, who had espoused the same cause. Here he was joined by a reinforcement of foreign troops; and after ravaging the adjacent country, he set out for Leicestershire with his Flemings, who, as we are told by an old writer, thought England their own; for when they came into any large plain, where they rested, taking one another by the hand, and leading a dance, they would sing in their native language: Hop, hop, Wilkine, hop Wilkine, Their mirth, however, was soon converted into mourning; for on their way they were met by the royal army at Fornham St. Genoveve, where, on the 27th of October, 1173, a bloody engage ment • A few years since an ancient leaden seal, supposed to have been hidden during these troubles, was dug up under the pavement of the principal aisle of St. Edmund's church. It is conjectured to have been the great seal of Ranulph earl of Chester, a zealous opponent of Stephen. |