1808. ] 
by a sort of tacit consent, each party 
returns one member, which, it is hoped, 
wiil for ever prevent the’ recurrence of 
those scenes of public dissipation and 
popular contest, that have so often torn 
the peace of the town. 
The principal trade is the making of 
boots and shoes for the army. Pgssess- 
Ing no manutacture carried on by com- 
plicated machinery, and great capital, 
there are none of those enermous for- 
lunes acquired, which are sometimes 
seen in great manufacturing towns; so 
that the general fruit, of this mediocrity 
of circumstances is an equality of con- 
dition, friendly to social intercourse with 
each other, amongst persons engaged in. 
trade, 
Nor is literature and the cultivation of 
the mind neglected, if we may judge 
from the appearance of three weil-stored 
and elegant booksellers’-shops, in full 
trade. Besides circulating book societies, 
there is one respectable institution, un- 
der the name of the General Library, 
supported by annual subscription, of 
which the stock is progressively increas- 
ing in value, as no books are sold from 
it, and all the best publications are con- 
tinually added, subject to the direction 
of a rotation committee. By this means 
the members, who are all proprietors, 
can boast of possessing several hundred 
volumes of the most valuable books, © 
which are under judicious regulations, in 
the charge of a librarian, subject to the 
controul of auditors and the committee. 
In addition to these advantages, two 
newspapers, the Northampten Mercury, 
and the County Press, are published every 
Saturday evening: the first is an exten- 
sive vehicle for advertisements, has a 
very large circulation, and has been 
many years established ; the last is a re- 
cent undertaking, whose successfui con- 
tinuance remainsto be ascertained. Nei- 
ther of these publications professes to 
_ take any decided line in politics, or dis- 
tnguished by superior literary merit. 
The transition from the literature of a 
town, to its religious opinions and par- 
ties, is obvious: of these there are con- 
siderable variety. The Dissenters from 
the established church are a numerous 
and respectable party. The two leading 
denominations are the Independents and 
Baptists, for whose use are three commo- 
dious chapels. The oldest building is 
Castle Hill Meeting, where the ‘pious and 
learned Dr. Doddridge long preached to 
a flourishing congregation, which is-still 
well supported. The Institution for the 
education of Dissenting Ministers, found- 
Monytury Mac. No. 171. 
Account of Northampton. . "409 
ed by him, was removed, at his death, to 
Daventry, and after experiencing various 
changes, is finally removed to’ another 
county. : 
in the meeting-house, a handsome 
cenotaph of marble is erected to his me- 
miory, imScribed with an elegant and 
faithtul recital of his ministerial labours, 
and the affection of his charge, from the 
pen of his respected triend Gilbert 
West. 
The Baptist meeting is a new building, 
in College-lane: the congregation is one 
of the largest of that denomination. 
The Rev. John Ryland, M.A. long pre- 
sided over it, and was succeeded by his 
son, John Ryland, D.D. who a few years 
back resigned, and took upon him the 
charge of the Bapust College, at Bristol, 
which he still conducts. ‘There is one 
other meeting-housein King’s Head-lane, 
having a small genteel congregation. Be- 
sides these places of worship, the Wes- 
leyan” Methodists have a chapel, and 
there are some Other obscure sectaries in 
the town. 
The long continuance of Dr. Dod- 
dridge’s academy here, and its subsee 
quent revival of late years, has contri- 
buted to spread a literary and liberal 
taste amongst the dissenting body, who 
have constantly been the supporters of 
every useful institution. | 
Taking all circumstances into consi- 
deration, few towns combine more con- 
veniencies than this. It enjoys good 
air; the neighbouring country Is extreme-: 
ly pleasant; a navigable river communi- 
cates with the sea, and supplies the inha- 
bitants with coal at a moderate. rate; 
and now that the Grand Junction Canal 
is completed, and is joined to the town 
by a rail-road, lately finished, the com- 
munication with London by water-car- 
riage, for every species of goods is easy 
and cheap. Every day, too, ‘coaches 
are passing and repassing to and from 
Manchester, Leeds, 
of the north. Besides these, the tewn 
itself supports two daily coaches to Lon- 
don, which arrive in town, a distance of: 
sixty-six miles, between three and four in 
the afternoon. 
the capital may certainly be reckoned 
amongst its first advantages, 
- The weekly market is held on Satur- 
day, and there are several fairs in the 
course of the year, in which cattle and 
horses are the predominant articles, ~ 
For the number and variety of the last, 
the faus havelong been celebrated. 
Your’s, &e. Wied: 
83H 2 
and. other parts. 
So speedy an access to’ 
