THE

HE next improvement of the town was effected by the Market-House A&t, obtained in 1768. The market was formerly held in the center of the town, on a triangular fpot of ground, called the Ifland and the Cornhill; on which tood the Guildhall, an affembly-room, several rows of ftalls and ftandings, and fome old houses; most, if not all of which, to the number of fourteen, were occupied as public-houfes. Under the powers and authority of the Market-Houfe Act" thefe edifices were taken down, an opening was left at once beautiful and falubrious, and on the scite was erected and finished, in 1772, a new market-house, on a model formed by the late Coplestone Warre Bamfylde, efq. This is an elegant build. ing, the front of which looks to the north. The houfe is laid out into different apartments, for the purpofes of juftice, amufement, and pleasure. Two large wings, called arcades, accommodate the farmers and tradesmen; while the butchery is conftituted by moveable ftandings, placed in rows, on the area before the market houfe. This area, which is open and fpacious, is inclofed with pofts and chains, and in the middle of it runs to the north a large pavement of broad ftones, 216 feet long and 18 feet wide, called the Parade. Another advantage arifing from the Act was lighting the town, by erecting glafs lamps in the four principal ftreets, according to a power invefted by it in the

truftces.

A more recent and confiderable alteration in the state of a principal part of the town, at once highly commodious and ornumental, has been effected by the operation of a bill, which Sir Benjamin Hammet obtained to be carried into an act of parliament in 1788; by which he was au hoiled to purchafe and pull down two houfes in the Fore-treet, with feveral other contiguous buildings, and to lay open a paffage in a direct line to St. Mary Magdalen's church, not lefs than 36 feet

wide, and to form a new ftreet. Before this, the curious and elegant tower of St. Mary Magdalen's church was almost hid from view by buildings, and the access to the church was through a narrow lane, which did not permit a carriage to pass, without incommoding and endangering the foot-paffengers; and oppofite to the great entrance to the church stood an old ruinous alms-houfe, difpleafing to the eye and offensive to the fiell. Sir Benjamin Hammet, under the fanction of this Act, at his own colt and risk, has opened a spacious avenue to the church, and built a street, called Hammet-Street, of handsome houses, terminating in a large area, before the great door, and exhibiting the fine Gothic tower, to the full view of the spectator, from the Parade. The accommodation to the public is great, and the effect does honour to the taste that defigned it.

The improvements which have been thus given to the town are fo commodious and beautiful, fo pleafing to the eye and fo conducive to health; fo agreeable and ufeful, in point of convenience and morals; and fo captivating to the traveller; that pofterity must hold in grateful respect the taste which conceived them, and the public fpirit from which they originated.The town, by these improvements, now affords what for many years it wanted, houfes for the reception of genteel families out of trade. Many circumftances invite the fettlement of fuch in it: principally a large market on Saturday, well furnifhed with fish, both from the fouth and north channels, and plentifully ftored with poultry, and all kinds of provifions, of the quality fo rich a vale as TauntonDean may be expected to produce; which, at the advanced prices to which the articles of food have arifen, are cheap in proportion compared with many markets in other parts of the kingdom. The tolls of the market are farmed at more than 100l. per annum, which ferves to give the reader an idea of the number of standings occupied by the butchers, and of the quantity of other provifions, fold out of baskets or at ftalls. Another market, chiefly confifting of fim, butcher's meat, vegetables and fruits, is held on Wednesday. The produce of the rich and extenfive gardens near the town, and the flesh of the cattle fattened on its paftures, are expofed to fale almost every day in the week. But it is an agreeable and fingular circumftance, that there is not one butcher's fhop in the town; all the meat being fold from moveable ftandings.

The

The fairs of Taunton are two : one held on the 17th of June, in the middle of the town, for all forts of cattle and horfes, for one day only; the other is kept on the north bridge and in the north town, on the 7th of July, and lafts for three days. The first of these opens very early in the morning, with the fale of confiderable quantities of garlic, from barges. To this fucceeds the fair for horfes and cattle: the other two days are folely for pedlary and confectionary wares. The tolls of both fairs belong to the bishop of Winchefter. On the first Saturday in November, 1789, commenced a “great market" for live cattle, to be hell in future on the first Saturday in every month.-Befides the two ftages directly from Taunton to London, which fet out on Monday, Wednefday, and Friday, at feven in the morning, and return on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday; there run through the town, every day, from Exeter, the mail coach, through Bath, to London; a ftage to Britol, and another to Bath. On Sunday and Thursday evenings arrives a coach from Barnstaple, in Devonshire, and leaves it, for that place, on Monday and Friday mornings. Within thirty years, there was only one fedan chair in the whole town, and that was the property of a private family there are now fix, at leaft, kept for hire. In 1765, was formed an annuitant foci ty for the benefit of widows. Sunday fchools were opened in March 1788, to be fupported from one common fund, arising from the joint fubfcriptions of the members of the established church, and of the diffenters from it, for the inAtruction of 200 children. The pen records, with concern, that this generous plan did not long preferve its force, nor does the inftitution exift to the extent on which it commenced. The fchools that attended the worship of the parish churches, were in a few years broken up; but the diffenters continued to support a fchool for each congregation; and the method ifts of Mr. Wefley's clafs have, lately, formed a large fchool of this defcription; in which, with a laudable attention and zeal, fome of the principal members of their fociety give their gratuitous attendance as teachers. It is an agreeable proof of the increafing tafte for literature, that there are three reading-focieties in this town: whereas, when the firft was formed, in 1766, it was difficult to meet with even twelve gentlemen inclined to enter into fuch a literary affociation. In 1789, an attempt was made by a medical gentleman, of ardour

and benevolence of mind, Dr. Cox, who died in 1796, to establish a difpenfary for the indigent fick; but, as he opened it at his own expence, and fought not the concurrence of other medical gen lemen, except that of a particular friend, Mr. Trott, a furgeon, the humane defign foon failed, for want of fubfcriptions and iupport, when nearly 300 patients had been relieved by it; a number, indeed, fufficient to fhew the expediency, utility, and efficacy, of fuch an inftitution; and to recommend it to the humane and benevolent to resume it with vigour, and with the united concur rence of the professors of medicine, and the aids of the compaffionate.

This account of Taunton must not close without fome notice of its population. In 1689, when the poll-tax was laid on, the inhabitants, it is faid, amounted to 20,000. In the reign of Queen Anne, it was called her" nurtery for foldiers." The greatest number, that ever were polled, at elections, was in 1714, when 1017 were admitted to vote; but this great number, it appeared, was formed by the illegal conduct of the mayor. It is undoubted. ly certain, that fince the year 1715, the the number of inhabitants has greatly decreased. In or about the year 1790, the number of inhabitants was afcertained by going from house to houfe. The refult was as follows: The amount of the number of

Houfes inhabited, exclufively of Gray's, Huifh's, Henley's, and Pope's almshouses, was 1118.

Houfes uninhabited, inclufively of dwellings in Hammet's-ftreet, not then finished, 47.

The families, 1199.

vious flight from the town fuperfeded an engagement, and left the king to the enjoyment of an unbloody triumph, In the unhappy civil wars under the reign of Charles I. it became, being confidered as a key to the weft of England, the object of a vigorous struggle between the Royal and Parliamentary forces, which fhould poffefs its fortress. In August, 1642, it was taken by the latter. In the next year, the Marquis of Hertford drove them from hence, and took poffeffion of it in favour of the King. In 1644, Colonel Blake and Sir Robert Pye retook it for the Parliament. Early in the fpring of 1645, a large body of forces to the amount of 10,000, marched to the attack of the town under Lord Young. By the length of the fiege the town was reduced to great extremities; fo that a French writer called Taunton, "the Saguntum of the Parliament," in allufion to the Saguntum in Spain. On the 11th of May the town was relieved by the approach of a brigade of Sir Thomas Fairfax's army; and the royal army, under an apprehenfion that the whole force of General Fairfax was on the march to wards them, withdrew. This deliverance was celebrated for fome years by acts of public devotion and anniversary sermons; and even within the memory of fome living, the 11th of May has been obferved with joy, as the mercies of it have been perpetuated in an hiftorical fong.

In the fubfequent reign, the town became again the fcene of popular commotions, and of royal revenge. The Duke of Monmouth, when he entered the town on June 18, 1685, was received with unufual demonstrations of joy. The streets were thronged with people; the houfes and doors were garnished with boughs and flowers; and twenty fix young ladies prefented him with colours at the expence of the townfmen: the captain preceding them, with a naked fword in one hand, and a fmall curious bible in the other.

After the defeat of the rash and unhap py duke, when Lord Chief Justice Jeffries, "breathing death like a destroying angel, fanguined his v ry cruelties with blood," and fat out with a special commiffion to try all who had aided the duke, Taunton became the theatre of his warmeft rage and cruelty. In this town and at Wells were more than 500 prisoners. Here 19 were executed among whom were fome very diftinguished characters. The maidens who carried the colours before the duke, though fome of them were children of eight or ten years old, were not fuffered to efcape the rigor of the MONTHLY MAG. No. 116.

Chief Juftice's inquifition. One was committed to Dorchefter gaol, where fhe died of the fmall-pox: another, terrified by the fierce countenance with which, on being produced before him, the judge looked at her, died not many hours after with fear. The furvivors were excepted from the general pardon, which was afterwards iffued. The sum of 7000l. as a Christmas-box to the maids of honour, was demanded of their parents for their ranfom; and proceedings were not dropt, till the fums of 100l. or 50l. had been gained from the parents of fome of them.

But the cruelties of which, under the cloak of a judicial process, this town was the scene, were furpassed by the violence and barbarity of Colonel Kirk's military executions. He came to Taunton with a number of prifoners, and two cart-loads of wounded men. Of these he immediately hanged nineteen, on the Cornhill, by military law, their wounds yet bleeding: endeavouring to overpower their dying cries, and the lamentations of the people and relatives, by the playing of pipes, the found of the trumpet, and the beat of the drum. He one day, after a dinner given to his officers, commanded thirty men to be executed on the fign poft of the inn; by ten at a time, while the glafs went round in three healths; one to the king, a fecond to the queen, and a third to judge Jefferies. The mangled bodies of the victims of his cruelty were immediately ftripped, their breafts cleaved afunder, and their hearts, while warm, were feparately thrown inco a large fire; and, as each was caft in, a great fhout was raifed, faying, "There goes the heart of a traitor." When their hearts were burnt, their quarters were boiled in pitch, and hung up in all the crofs ways and public parts of the town and neighbourhood. For a full, particular, and interesting detail of thefe tranfactions, and of many particulars connected with a review of the state of the town, and of the tranfactions that have taken place in it, I refer to the "History of the town of Taunton," published in 1791. 4to. It fhall be added here, that as the inhabitants of Taunton had feverely fuffered under the rod of cppreffion, no place, no town, hailed the revolution effected by William III. with greater adour and gladness.-They flocked to the fandard of the Prince of Orange; and the generofi y of their zeal entailed on their poterity a burdenfome and difproportioned quota towards the land tax.

JOSHUA TOULMIN.
Birmingham, May 24, 1804.

3 Z

To

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

PERMIT

me to point out a confiderable error in the Statement of the net Produce of the Duties of Excife and Malt, &c. given in your number for May, P. 371, in the article of vinegar, which is there fet down at 783,3051. but which fun, I prefume, must have been meant for wine in the following line; and as the preceding fam 26,8611. fet oppofite to Verjuice is very probably the amount of the duty on Vinegar during the period mentioned, I apprehend the fum of 5600l. fet oppofite to Wine must have been intended for the article Verjuice, and that the mistake as far as refpects thefe particular items, may have been only a tranfpofition of the fums; but on cafting up the total by the figures in the ftatement, you will find another error of upwards of 70,000l.; as it appears there, to be 14,590,5251. but in fact is only 14,520, 5041. As the value of thefe com munications (of which it feems a continuation is intended) muft depend on their accuracy, and the reputation of your Ma. gazine may fuffer by a repetition of fimilar mistakes, you will no doubt readily excufe the liberty taken in these remarks, by

tion to be most prevalent, are (unless we muft adopt an universal scepticism on the fubject of national character) decidedly fuperior in their general morality, and particularly in what relates to the intercourfe of the fexes, to the reft of Europe; nor are they at all inferior to their neighbours in those domeftic virtues that arife from a prudent gratification of the paffion which leads to a matrimonial union. the country of the Grifons, I have been credibly informed that an instance of an illegitimate child is fearcely known, and in fuch a cafe the father would share the fame difgrace with the mother.

In

The refult of the Population Act tends ftrikingly to confirm the evidence afforded by the facts mentioned above: it appears that the preventive check to population (calculating from the proportion of annual marriages to the whole population) is greatest, not (as theory would lead us to expect) in the metropolis, or the large manufacturing towns, where vicious habits are most prevalent, but in the mountainous diftricts of Wales and the North of England, and in the more healthy parts of the country, where the inhabitants are chiefly employed in agriculture, and where we naturally look for greater purity of man

London, May 15, 1804.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

T

SIR,

HE immenfe importance of the fub. ject of Mr. Malthus's Effay on Population, induces me to hope for the admiffion of a few obfervations on the criticism on that work, inferted in your Jaft Appendix.

Your reviewer remarks (fee note to p. 614) that Mr. Malthus's reafoning (in answer to the objection that the urging the duty of moral reftraint on the poor may ultimately tend to increase the vicious intercourfe of the fexes) is not quite fatis. factory. As, however, Mr. Malthus appeals to facts, I should not have imagined, from the candour with which the Monthly Magazine has ufually been conducted, that fuch an argument would have been difmiffed with fo flight a notice. The *countries in which Mr. Malthus has proved the preventive check to popula.

England, Scotland, Norway, and Switzerland-perhaps, in fpeaking of this laft country, the paft tenfe may now with more propriety be ufed than the prefent.

All this feems to confirm the suppofition of Mr. Malthus, that the temptations arifing from the restraint of natural paffions in a state of celibacy, are not so difficult to be withstood as thofe from extreme poverty. I believe it will be allowed that it is the latter caufe, together with the degradation of mind ufually attending it, that chiefly contributes to fill our streets with prostitutes; and thus renders the virtue of moral reftraint fo unusual among the other fex. The example of America proves, that early and univerfal marriages, even where they do not produce poverty, are not fo compleat a remedy for the evils of an illicit intercourfe of the fexes, as from theory might have been fuppofed : their towns feem, from the accounts of travellers, to be not inferior in licentioufnefs to those of the Old World; and even in the country, the manners are by no means fo pure as in many parts of Europe, fince the birth of an illegitimate child is not at all uncommon, nor is it confidered as bringing any indelible difgrace on either of its parents.

I fhal. conclude thefe defultory remarks with the mention of a circumftance which is of importance, as it fully refutes the vulgar notion of the phyfical bad confequences of protracting the ufual term of celibacy; and proves that late marriages

do