Transcribed from the 1812 W. G. Whittingham edition by DavidPrice,
THE
HISTORY
OF
LYNN,
Civil,Ecclesiastical, Political, Commercial,Biographical,
Municipal, and Military,
FROM
THE EARLIEST ACCOUNTS TO THE PRESENT TIME,
INTERSPERSED
With occasional remarks on such national occurrences as may serveto
elucidate the real state of the town, or the manners,character,
and condition of the inhabitants at different periods.
TO WHICH ISPREFIXED
A COPIOUS INTRODUCTORY ACCOUNT
OF ITS
Situation, Harbour, Rivers, Inland Tradeand Navigation,
the Ancient and Modern State
OF
Marshland, Wisbeach, and the Fens,
AND
Whatever is most remarkable, memorable, or interesting, inother
parts of the adjacent country.
IN TWO VOLUMES.
BY WILLIAM RICHARDS, M.A.
Honorary member of thePennsylvania Society, for promoting the Abolition
of Slavery, and the relief of free Negroes unlawfullyheld in bondage.
VOL. II.
LYNN:
PRINTED BY W. G. WHITTINGHAM,
AND SOLD BY R. BALDWIN; PATERNOSTER ROW;LONDON.
1812.
p. 623PARTIV.
From the Reformation to the presenttime.
CHAP. I.
Miscellaneous remarks on theReformation—its rise and progress on thecontinent—introduction into this island, and effects uponthis town.
The reformation formed a new era in the history of the world,and was one of those mighty revolutionary events which have amost extensive and lasting effect on the affairs and destinies ofmankind. But men have been ever since greatly divided intheir ideas and judgments concerning it. While some havehailed it as a most happy, admirable, and glorious event, fraughtwith heaven’s choicest blessings, it has been deemed byothers, and even by a large majority of the inhabitants ofchristendom, as an exceedingly unfortunate, pernicious, andexecrable occurrence, which has produced all manner of mischief,and, like the opening of Pandora’s box, filled the worldwith calamities and p. 624miseries innumerable. Thelearned and the wise, as well as the illiterate and fl