On y^e Castle hill you see y^e whole Citty at once, being built round it: its a vast place and takes up a Large tract of ground, its 6 miles in Compass. Here is the County hall and Goale where y^e assizes are held and y^e Sessions. Nothing of y^e Castle remaines but a green space, and under it is also a Large space for y^e beast market, and 3 tymes in y^e year is there a very great faire kept to w^{ch} resort a vaste Concourse of people, and wares—a full trade. Y^e whole Citty Lookes Like what it is, a Rich thriveing Industrious place; Satturday is their great market day. They have beside y^e town hall a hall distinct w^{ch} is the scaleing hall where their stuffs are all measured, and if they hold their breadths and Lengths they are scaled, but if they are deffective there is a fine Layd on y^e owner and a private marke on y^e stuff w^{ch} shews its defficiency. There was also y^e mint which they Coyn’d, but since the old money is all new Coyn’d into mill’d money, that Ceases. Here there is a ffine large Cathedrall and very Loftly, but nothing remarkable of monuments or else: by it is 3 hospitalls for boys girls and old people who spinn yarne, as does all y^e town besides for y^e Crapes, Callimancos and damaskes w^{ch} is y^e whole business of the place. Indeed they are arrived to a great perfection in worke, so fine and thinn and glossy; their pieces are 27 yards in Length and their price is from 30 shillings to 3 pound as they are in ffineness. A man Can weave 13 yards a day, I saw some weaveing; they are all Employ’d in spinning, knitting weaveing, dying, scouring or bleaching stuffs. Their hospitalls are well provided for; there are 32 women in one as many men in y^e other, there is also a good free schoole. There is a great many Cerimonyes in y^e Choice and Swearing their major: they Elect him the first day of May and y^n prepare for his being sworne on Holly Thursday. They new washe and plaister their houses w^{th} in and without w^{ch} they strike out in squares like free stone. All y^e streete in w^{ch} this mayor Elect’s house, is very exact in beautifying themselves and hanging up flaggs y^e Coull^{rs} of their Companyes, and dress up pageants and there are playes and all sorts of show that day—in Little what is done at y^e Lord major of London show. Then they have a great feast w^{th} fine flaggs and scenes hung out, musick and danceing. I was in y^e hall they keep their feast in and saw some of their preparations: for that day being about a fortnight to it. The town is a mile and a halfe from y^e North to y^e South gate. Just by one of y^e Churches there is a wall made of flints that are headed very finely and Cut so exactly square and Even to shutt in one to another that y^e whole wall is made without Cement at all they say, but it appears to be very little if any morter; it Looks well, very smooth shineing and black.