This place was built anew and first made a corporation by king Stephen, who granted it to his son for an appendage; but Henry II. took it from him, though Henry his son, then aspiring to the crown, had fully promised it to Hugh Bigot, earl of Norfolk, who miserably harrassed the city, and is thought to have rebuilt the castle on the hill, which is encompassed with a very deep trench, over which there is a strong bridge, of one very large arch; but Lewis of France, under whom the barons confederated against king John, besieged and took it. This city having been all along governed by bailiffs, Henry IV. made it a county of itself, and gave the inhabitants leave to chuse a mayor and two sheriffs; and they built a beautiful town-house near the market-place. In 1348, near 58,000 people died here of a pestilence; and in 1505, it was almost entirely consumed by fire. Though, as it has been said, it is a populous city, yet there is void enough in it for another colony; and from the intermixture of its houses with trees, it is called “a city in an orchard.” It adds much to the trade of Yarmouth by the vast cargoes of coal, wine, fish, oil, and all other heavy goods, which come to it from thence by the river Yare. Its manufactures are generally sent to London, though considerable quantities are exported from Yarmouth to Holland, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Spain, &c. It had a flint-stone wall, now much decayed, three miles in compass, which was finished in 1309, and had 40 towers. The city is now reckoned six miles in compass: it has twelve gates, and six bridges over the Yare; above 7500 houses, and 45,000 inhabitants. It had 58 parochial churches and chapels formerly, besides monasteries, and now has 34 churches, besides the cathedral, chapels, and four dissenting meeting-houses. The roof of the cathedral (whose steeple is 509 feet high) is adorned with historical passages of the Bible, expressed in little images. St. Peter’s of Mancroft is esteemed one of the handsomest parish churches in England. There are two churches for the Dutch and French-Flemings, who have singular privileges, which are strictly preserved. Most of the churches are crusted with flints curiously cut. The castle is the common goal for the county. Its Guildhall was formerly a monastery, and afterwards the toll-booth. In 1413, the present fabric was finished, and the city records deposited therein. It is an irregular but commodious building, having many suitable apartments, and some good pictures. The Bridewell, which is a very large and curious building, is of square flint and stone; and in 1736, the lofty market-cross, of free-stone, was taken down.—Here is that called the King’s School, founded by Edward VI. for teaching grammar learning to boys that are nominated by the mayor and aldermen.