118 | Account of Cambridge: 
upon aplan at once original, commodious, 
and extenfive. Near the caftle is an arti- 
ficial hill, from the top of which a plea- 
fant view may be taken of the town and 
the adjacent country. The town has al- 
ready been faid to have been incorporated 
in rror 3 and it is now govertied by a 
mayor, high-fteward, recorder, twelve 
aldermen, twenty-four common-council- 
men, a town-clerk, and other officers. It 
contains nearly 1700 houfes, and, accord- 
ing to the late returns, more than 10,000 
inhabitants, exclufive of the uniyerfity. 
The river on which it is fituated, and 
from which its name is derived, is formed 
of feveral fmall ftreams, which unite 
about four miles above the town: it is 
navigable for lighters as far as Cambridge, 
from all the lower country, through Ely, 
nezr which it meets with the Oufe, and 
Lynn, where it falls into the fea. Poets 
have fung of ‘* Cam’s infpiring banks ;” 
and, therefore, weought to conclude they 
were infpiring to them: but the ftream 
itfelf is ‘* long, winding, melancholy, 
flow’’—and the molt unlikely that can be 
imagined to infpire poetical ideas, except 
when the rains have made it turbid by in- 
creafing its velocity ; and then it is poffi- 
ble the fluggifh mind may be roufed into 
aétion by feeing an image of itfelf. To 
return to the town—it is at prefent about 
a mile in length, and its greateft breadth 
about half as much. ‘Moft of the ftreets, 
as well as the buildings, ate irregular. 
The three principal ftreets are Bridge- 
fireet, St. Andrew's, and Trumpington- 
ftreet: the two latter are broad, airy, 
and pleafant. The whole town is well 
paved, and would be well hghted if the 
injudicious plan of ufing lenfes in the 
Jamps, were relinguifhed. It cannot be 
pretended that thefe lenfes increase the 
quantity of light; they only throw more 
in fome directions, by decreafing it in 
others: and thus the light, which ought 
to be generally diffufed on all fides, at 
leaft from the walls, is rendered glaring 
in fome directions, and fcarcely percepti- 
ble in others. Here are fourteen parifhes, 
and as many parifh-churches ; the largeft 
of which is St. Mary’s. This is ufed alfo 
‘as the univerfity church, where the dif- 
ferent members attend on Sundays and 
holidays to hear fermons, after having 
prayers in their refpective college chapels. 
The parifhioners have the ufe of it, for 
prayers, at different times of the day ; 
and may return if they pleafe to hear the 
fermon. Thefe fermons ought to be 
preached, in turn, by bachelors of di- 
yinity, and mafters of arts, who haye 
[ March 1, 
completed their firft year; but as they 
are allowed to provide fubftitutes, which 
they generally do, it is feldom that the 
univerfity pulpit is filled by a good 
preacher; excepton Commencement Sun- 
day, and a few other remarkable days, 
when the preachers are appointed by the 
Vice-chancellor. The moft populous pa- 
rifh is that of Trinity; the lanes, ftreets, . 
and alleys of which are fully crowded 
with houfes and inhabitants. Its parifle 
‘church is better attended than any other 
in Cambridge, ‘for the purpofe of hearing 
Mr. Simeon, the vicar and lecturer, who 
is well known as a zealous and ufeful 
preacher. Befides the parifh-churches, 
and college-chapels, there are feveral 
other places of worfhip:—a Quakers* 
meeting-houfe, which is feldom ufed, as 
there is not a fingle Quaker refiding in 
the town; a Jews’ fynagogue, where 
worfhip is weekly performed; three Dif- 
fenters’ meeting-houfes, one of which is — 
occupied by Baptilts, and the other two 
by Independents: the firft of thefe con- 
gregations is in a very flourifhing ftate, 
having for their preacher Mr. Robert 
Hall, whois fo much diftinguifhed for his 
mafterly and imprefiive eloquence. The 
Diffenters, upon the whole, are numerous, 
and highly refpeétable : liberal themfelves, 
and treated with liberality by the unt- 
verfity.. 
The police of the town is formed 
jointly by the univerfity and town ; the 
Vice-chancellor being always a magiftrate, 
by virtue of his office: two progtors are 
alfo appointed by the univerfity, to at- 
tend to the difcipline and behaviour of 
the ftudents, fearch houfes of ill fame, 
commit women of loofe and abandoned 
chardéters, and even thofe who are fuf- 
pected to be fuch. It 1s much to be 
wiihed that more vigilance were employed 
in thefe particulars; and that all parties 
would unite to fupprefs the impudence 
and indecency of thofe pefts of fociety; 
who wait not for the darknefs of the 
night, but in broad day-light parade the © 
ftreets, in contempt of all authority, and 
to the difgult of every virtuous mind. 
There is no watch, except in one parifh, 
(St. Mary’s) where two men are ftationed 
from eleven o’clock every evening till fix - 
the next morning. It was once thought 
impoffible to maintain a watch againft the . 
high fpirits and wild conduct of fome of 
the ruder gownfmen; but this inftance, 
produced by the frequency of robberies 
the winter before the laft, fhews ‘the fal- 
lacy ef the opinion, even when fo fall a - 
force is ufed:; much more groundlefs 
would 
