DOVER; THIS celebrated sea-port has, of late, imitated many of its neighbours, in aspiring to the rank of a regular watering-place. It is a town of high antiquity, lying in the eastern part of the county of Kent, 72 miles from London, 16 from Canterbury, and 22 from Margate. Its situation is in a pleasant valley, and was once walled round, having ten gates, of which only three remain. The hill on which the castle stands, rises with a bold abrupt ascent, to the northward of the town; and the ve nerable fortress still seems to bid defiance to the power of France. Part of the castle is said to have been erected as early as the time of Julius Cæsar, and so great has been its reputation, that it was formerly called the key of the kingdom. It underwent a thorough repair in 1756, and there are now barracks in it, for a considerable garrison. Here is a fine brass cannon, twenty-two feet in length, and of most curious workmanship. It was presented to Queen Elizabeth, by the states of Utrecht, and still goes by the name of Queen Elizabeth's pocket pistol. By some recent regulations, it has become necessary to obtain permission to see the Castle, There are also, on the western heights, some new fortifications, erected at a great expence, but considered as necessary in case of an invasion. To return to Dover: the delightful situation of which, with the purity of the sea, and the alvantages of a fine beach for bathing, has caused it to be much resorted to of late, for that purpose. The variety of scenes which the place exhibits, its intercourse with the continent, especially in time of peace, the romantic and beautiful views, which in every situation around are displayed to the eye, and the salubrity of the air, make it equally desirable for those who visit the coast for bathing, and the valetudinarian who comes in quest of health. A little to the south of the town, is Shakespeare's Cliff, so called from the following appropriate description in the tragedy of Lear; There is a Cliff, whose high and bending head How dizzy 'tis to cast one's eyes so low! The crows and choughs, that wing the midway air, The samphire grows in abundance upon the chalky cliffs, and make a finely flavoured pickle. The poor people who gather it, fix a rope to an iron crow driven in the ground at the top of the cliff, then descend by the rope over the precipice, and in a basket gather the samphire; an employment which makes the spectator shudder. The original bathing-machines are conveniently stationed in the bay near Lord North's battery the new machines are placed higher up the bay, and have every convenience for bathing. There are also excellent hot-baths, which are heated at any time, on the shortest notice; or, in stormy weather, when it is impossible to go into the open sea, they are used as cold-baths, and the sea-water is shifted for each bather. Dover is one of the principal cinque ports,* and sends two members to parliament. It is of consi *The cinque-ports are of great antiquity. It appears that Dover, Sandwich, and Romney, were of most note before the Conquest: to these William the Conqueror added Hastings and Hythe, to complete the number, five (cinque), from which they derive their appellation; though after derable antiquity, and from its proximity to France has long been a place of great maritime importance. Here are two churches, St. Mary's and St. James's. The tower of the former was discovered, on digging a vault, to have been built upon the remains of a Roman bath. In this church are monuments to the memory of Charles Churchill the saty wards the ancient towns of Winchelsea and Rye were annexed to them. All these enjoy considerable privileges, and each port has its appendant members, which were called upon to aid their respective principals upon any emergency. These ports were first enfranchised by Edward the Confessor, on account of the services rendered by their fleets and armies during the invasions of the Danes. In the reign of Edward I. they received a charter of conformation, by which they were exempted de toto venditione achats et reachato, no less than ninety-nine years before the city of London obtained its charter of foreign bought and foreign sold. The same charter confirms all former privileges, and grants many important franchises, extending as far as Great Yarmouth, where the fishermen of the cinque-ports were allowed to deliver their herrings freely, and had lands assigned to dry their nets upon. In consequence of this, a quarrel arose between the denizons of the cinque-ports and those of Yarmouth, in which one of the former was killed; and, as a mulct, the town of Yarmouth is still obliged to pay a certain number of herrings yearly to Windsor castle, or a sum of money in lieu of them. The barons (or representatives) of the cinque-ports and two ancient towns, have the honour of bearing the canopies over the king and queen at their coronation, and to dine with the king on that day, when they sit at his majesty's right hand. The canopies, with the staves and silver bells, become afterwards the property of the cinque-ports.-In short, it would occupy too much space even to enumerate the privi. leges of these favoured ports: many of them indeed, are become obsolete, as are the services for which they were granted. Before large ships were introduced into the navy, these ports, on any emergency, were obliged to furnish fifty-seven vessels yearly, manned and equipped at their own cost, for the space of fifteen days; but if their services were longer required, they were victualled and paid by the king. Has tings provided twenty-one ships, armed, and manned with twenty-one men and a boy each; Dover the same number rist, and the British Aristophanes, Samuel Foote. The church of St. James forinerly belonged to the castle; and in it the court of chancery and admiralty for the cinque-ports, and their members, are still held. At the end of the town, in the reign of Henry III. a religious house was founded by Hubert de Burgh, Earl of Kent, for an hospital, called Maison Dieu (House of God). At the Reformation it was converted into a victualling-office, and is still applied to the same use. There were other religious edifices at and near Dover, but no vestiges of them now remain. Dover is incorporated by the name of the mayor, jurats, and commonalty of the town and port of Dover. It was formerly divided into twenty-one wards, but at present there are only thirteen. A free school was established here in 1771, by John Trevennion, esq. member of parliament for Dover. Here is also a charity school, founded in 1789, in which forty-five boys and thirty-four girls are educated, and supported by voluntary contributions. Sandwich five ships; New Romney five ships; and Hythe five ships-all equipped as above. Thus the whole number of men was one thousand one hundred and forty, and fiftyseven boys. In a word, for a long series of years the cinqueports formed the bulwark of England on this side, where the danger chiefly lay. Even as late as the time of Queen Elizabeth, they rendered essential services to the state. A sensible writer observes, that "the cinque-ports were an incorporated body enjoying an inferior jurisdiction within themselves, subordinate to the admiralty of England, but more intimately united in the same person, under the immediate command of the constable of Dover castle. From their local situation opposite, and their immediate vicinity to, Calais and the French coast, they were, from the highest antiquity, of great consideration and consequence, for the defence of the British Channel, and of the southern and eastern coasts of this kingdom; and under this idea they were invested with high honours, privileges, powers, and immunities, and erected into a bulwark and guard to defend our coasts, in order to repel the attacks of foreign enemies, whenever they might attempt an invasion." |