“the insults on the T—rs family, the ladies not excepted, were prodigious, especially from young *—*, who exceeded every thing that was heard of, to my old lady and the margeries. The poor madams zealously espousing S. J—n’s cause were most grievously abused by him and others, with their s—rs drunkenness, their own fat a—s, and even much worse upon their spitting in young *’s face, in the heat of their passion out of a window, on the Election day. So that they have had fevers.—Dr. B— has declared eternal war, in those very words, against every branch of the T—s family, and supported Mr. F’s interest with the rage of a madman: his W. and D. did the same, and are yet the most billingsgate beasts imaginable.—A. T. purely for the sake of mischief reconciled himself to his Bro. and supported his cause with all the might of his tongue and purse.—S—*— after going about the town with the gentlemen to promote L—d O. and S. J’s interest, upon Mr. F’s breaking his promise he had made not to meddle, turned to him, and was as violent as any body.—T * voted for S. J. but did him privately all the mischief he could, and went out of town one day, that his W. might entertain F at Supper. J. * was a fury, and his W. the queen of furies, and to this hour is fit only for Bedlam. All others stood tight to S. J. But he and his * have had all their faults ript up and laid open.—At length Monday came; and after an expense of near 2000l. on each side, the dear bought poll stood thus W. 199. T. 184 F. 131.—There were players in town at the time; so the triumphant party gave their friends an entertainment of that sort. To ridicule D—r B— the Busy Body was the play, and a farce was added called the Mock D—r, which mock Dr. was dressed as like Dr. B— as could be. F—’s people on their part tho’ beaten, would shew they had good hearts; so they bespoke Pasquin, which is, you know, written to ridicule corporation Elections; there is a m—r and m—r—ss &c. They took care to dress the m—r and cripple him, so as to resemble poor P—, and Madam m—r—ss was most specially drunk. The shouting and insolence were prodigious, calling out, F— for ever! between the acts, and drinking his health throughout the house, and ending with an Epilogue made by Dr. B— comparing Sr. J—n to Tom Thumb. They keep up a most indecent rage yet, and swear they’ll never have done, till they’ve thrown out Sr. J—n. F. is coming again in a few days, and here’s to be dainty-doings. Upon the whole, they say, Sr. J—n was brought in upon L—d O’s shoulders, which, tho’ better than not brought in at all, sits not pleasantly upon his stomach, any more than the expense of 2000l. suits his temper and pocket.—I have been guilty of an unpardonable omission in saying nothing of your friend madam M—x—n, who espoused Sr. J—n’s cause with mighty warmth, and did him great service. She kept open house for all freemen, and waited on ’em herself, and look’d exactly like a woman that keeps a booth in a Fair, with, roast pork, bottled ale, cider, &c. When her husband was at home, she went abroad to outlyers, with presents, to keep them tight: and several of ’em she had at bed and board in her house, for fear of the enemy. Dr. B— came to her, and demanded the release of the men: she withstood him, and defended her castle, as bravely as Joan of Arc could have done, had she been raised from the dead, against the D—r, parson M—y, and other hussars, who were scouring every hole and corner of the town. The close of her gallant conduct was in free conference, or rather a pitched battle with Dr—B—’s W. upon what had passed, which was of some hours continuance, and better worth all the money you have in your pocket, to have seen and heard, than Pasquin, or the Busy Body was worth 6d.—Next to this Heroine deserves to be mentioned Harvey the ’Pothecary, who because Sr. J— gave a relation of his a place lately, turned against him, and against his own express promise; drank himself into a fever, and is dead and buried. He has left all he had to his wife, who seems very glad of her loss, as well as her gain. Nic. Elstobb was wild on the same side, and raved till he spit blood, and was at death’s door, and is not far from it at this time. Martin Sand—r on the other side lost his senses without a joke, and was given over for a week, but is now as well as ever.—There never was such a funeral at Lynn as Harvey’s. The number of persons invited was very great, but the volunteers made the chief figure. All F’s party met at the Dog, and joined the procession, going 2 and 2, and returned to the same place, in the same manner, where they spent the night in drinking F for ever, and to Harvey’s pious memory.—The next night after the Busy Body was played, my L—d and S. J. gave a Ball to all the freemen’s wives and daughters—After a few dances by the better sort of Ladies they sat down, and L—d *’s Son, (who rode for his cousin,) S. J, the C—r, Mr. B— and Sr. Wm. H—b—d and the rest took shopkeepers wives and daughters, and twirl’d ’em about all the rest of the night. This gave great content.—In return for Mr. M—x—n’s seal in S. J—’s service, the other party have played him a trick, by getting Johnson R—s D—r, who has a right in what remains above the mortgage in M—x—n’s House, to set it to sale; and so, by underhand management, they forced him to buy it at a dear rate, or he must have gone out of it.”
This long and striking extract gives a curious, but very unfavourable idea of the state of society here, or of the character and manners of our townsmen 64 years ago. The reader will hardly suppose the picture to be overcharged, when he is informed that the writer was no other than the revd. Edm. Pyle D.D. then Lecturer of this town, who would not be likely to represent his own flock as more unruly, mischievous, and graceless than what they really were.
[955] It is hardly necessary to observe here, that all the wars, and calamities, and revolutions, that have within the last twenty years agitated and devastated the European world, are pretty generally thought to have sprung from the American war, or those wrongheaded principle which occasioned it.
[957] Small as the above number may appear, yet, if the whole of what is now called the united kingdom had armed in equal proportion, it would have produced a very large force, consisting, if we are not mistaken, of no less than 200,000 men.
[959] Proverbs. 30. 20.
[960a] It is said to be already between 8 and 900 millions—a continuance of the war for a very few years more will probably complete the sum.
[960b] In the autumn or winter of 1782, the north mail was robbed one evening soon after 11 o’clock, a little beyond the long Bridge, by a lawless youth of the name of Beeton. A few days after he was apprehended and committed to prison, whence he made his escape on the 7th. of November, but was again taken on the 11th. at Rising. He was executed Febr. 17. 1783.
[962] The ancient usage seems to have been for the mayor to name and authorize twelve of his brethren of the Hall to elect two burgesses to represent the town in parliament. Hence we read in an old record, that in the year 1487 Robert Pillye, then mayor, called and empowered the following twelve men to elect two persons to represent this borough in the parliament which was to meet that year: viz. John Massingham, John Bilney, Tho. Carter, Wm. Yates, Robt. Powdich, Andr. Woley, John Thorisby, Hen. Gardyner, Robt. Umfrey, Tho. Symkenson, John Trunche, and Tho. Archer: who accordingly chose Robert Thorisbye and John Tygo.—Two years before (1485,) Robert Braybroke and William Munke had been chosen in like manner:—and the year following, (1488,) in the mayoralty of John Tyge, twelve men, called and authorised by him, chose John Gryndell and Thomas Carter to sit in the parliament called that year.—It seems by this that elections were then very frequent; annual perhaps, or nearly so: and each parliament continuing but one session.—The same old record mentions several other subsequent elections, always made by 12 persons called thereto by the mayor—only once, but it does not appear in what year, he seems to have nominated but eight, which eight are said to have called unto them four more, so making up the number of 12; which 12 chose for burgesses of parliament Robt. Braybroke and John Beels. This might be in 1486—If so, we have here an account of four annual parliaments at that period.—Let us not, however, blame our ancestors for leaving the election of their members in the hands of 12 persons; for we do not appear to have at all mended the matter yet: our efficient or real electors are even now less than 12.
[964] Unless we should choose so to denominate the following occurrence.—“At our quarter Sessions held Nov. 15. 1785, the recorder being absent by reason of illness, sentence of transportation was passed upon one Bradley and another convict by the then mayor, the late Mr. Wm. Bagge.”
[965] See New Annual Register for 1788, page (32.)