As to the north of England, they formerly used but few hops there,
their drink being chiefly pale smooth ale, which required no hops,
and consequently they planted no hops in all that part of England,
north of the Trent; nor did I ever see one acre of hop-ground
planted beyond Trent in my observation; but as for some years past,
they not only brew great quantities of beer in the north, but also
use hops in the brewing their ale much more than they did before;
so they all come south of Trent to buy their hops; and here being
quantities brought, it is great part of their back carriage into
Yorkshire, and Northamptonshire, Derbyshire, Lancashire, and all
these counties; nay, of late, since the Union, even to Scotland
itself; for I must not omit here also to mention, that the river
Grant, or Cam, which runs close by the north-west side of the fair
in its way from Cambridge to Ely, is navigable, and that by this
means, all heavy goods are brought even to the fair-field, by water
carriage from London and other parts; first to the port of Lynn,
and then in barges up the Ouse, from the Ouse into the Cam, and so,
as I say, to the very edge of the fair.
In like manner great quantities of heavy goods, and the hops among
the rest, are sent from the fair to Lynn by water, and shipped
there for the Humber, to Hull, York, etc., and for Newcastle-upon-
Tyne, and by Newcastle, even to Scotland itself.
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