Cambridge possesses several charitable institutions. among which the principal is Addcnbrook•'s Hospital. which is the general infirmary for the town and country. It received its name from John Addenbrooke, an emi nent physician, who bequeathed, in 1719, about .t"UtIl. for its erection, and was first intended merely for the gratuitous cure of the indigent sick. Its original design, however, was changed in 1766, when it was converted into a general hospital; and since that time it has been calculated, that 700 persons have been annually admit ted and relieved. The free grammar school, which was founded in 1615, in pursuance of the will of Stephen Perse, for the accommodation of 100 boys, is now so miserably mismanaged, that the school is deserted, and two or three scholars receive their lesson at the lodg ings of the master. There are, however, a number of charity schools in Cambridge, which are well supported by endowments, benefactions, and voluntary subscrip tions ; and several alms-houses have been endowed by generous and humane individuals, for the reception of the aged and infirm poor, who are comfortably lodged and maintained.
On the site of the old castle of Cambridge, a county jail has been lately erected, from a convenient and ex tensive plan of the celebrated Howard. This castle was built, or, according to Fuller, " re-edified," by William the Conqueror, in order to ensure the submission of the monks of Ely, who had attempted to resist his au thority. The gate-house is the only part now standing, the rest of it having been demolished in the reigns of Henry IV. and Queen Mary, and its materials appro priated to other buildings. Near it, and within the bounds of the intrenehments, is a high artificial hill, which is supposed by many to have been raised by the Britons before the Roman invasion. It commands a fine view of the town and the surrounding villages ; and the prospect is terminated by Ely cathedral, which is about 17 miles distant, and can be clearly distin guished by the naked eye. The town jail, with a bride well contiguous to it, stands on the opposite side of the town.
Cambridge has no manufactures of any consequence, and very little business is carried on here, except what is immediately or remotely connected with the universi ty. Its numerous shops furnish the different colleges with every necessary ; and the tutors are answerable for the payment of the bills of their respective pupils. The markets arc abundantly supplied, and arc under the ju risdiction of the university. From its convenient situa tion, however,as the head of inland navigation from Lynn, it has a considerable trade in oil, iron, coals, and corn. Great quantities of butter are brought every week from Norfolk and the Isle of Ely to this city, from whence it is sent to London. What is sold in Cambridge is made up in rather a singular way, every pound being rolled out to the length of a yard, for the convenience of di viding it into small portions, called sizes, for the use of the students. It has two annual fairs ; Midsummer, or Pot Fair, as it is called, from the great quantity of earthen ware which is then exposed to sale, is held on a com mon, near Jesus' College ; it commences on Midsum mer day, and continues a fortnight. Sturbridge Fair begins on the 18th of September, and continues the same time. It is held in a field, about a mile from the city, and was formerly a celebrated mart of trade, and the largest fair in England. Though greatly declined, it still retains a large trade in wool, hops, leather, cheese, and iron ; and two days are appropriated to the sale of horses Cambridge, since its first establishment as a scat of learning, has been exposed to various changes of for t me The first school for the instruction of youth in place, is supposed to have been instituted by Sigc beet, king of East Anglia, about the year 631. It would appear, however, that in the time of Alfred, this institution no longer existed, as that prince complained, " that he could find no teachers when he had youth and leisure to be instructed ;" and we learn from the chroni cle of the Hyde-Abbey, that Edward the Elder erected " halls for the students, and chairs and seats for the doctors, at his own charge." In 1010, the town was plundered and burnt by the Danes; and in the reign of William II. it underwent a similar misfortune from Roger de Montgomery, in retaliation for some affront given him by the king, when the university was for some time abandoned. Though Henry I. in order to induce the students to return, invested the town with several valuable privileges, yet it continued in a very languid state, until " Joffrid, abbot of Croyland," ac cording to Peter •Blerensis, in his Appendix to Ingul phus, " sent to his manor of Cottenham, near Cam bridge, Gilbert. his fellow monk, and professor of di
vinity, who, with three other monks that had followed him to England, and were well versed in philosophical theorems, and other primitive sciences, repaired daily to Cambridge, and having hired a public barn, made open profession of those sciences, and soon collected a great number of scholars."—" Out of this little foun taM, increased to a great river," continues the same author, " we see how the city of God has become en riched, and England rendered fruitful by the many mas ters and teachers going forth from Cambridge as from paradise." Its prosperity, however, was again checked by a dreadful fire in 1174, which destroyed most of the churches and houses, and stopt," says Fuller, for want of fuel to feed its fury." During the contest between King John and his barons, the town was succes sively pillaged by their forces; and in 1281, some very serious disputes arose between the members of the uni versity and the townsmen, concerning their respective rights, which terminated in open hostility. The towns people having assembled in a tumultuous manner, com mitted many flagrant acts of violence against the uni versity.. They carried off its charters, records, and other papers, which they'burnt in the market-place, and compelled the chancellor and other officers to renounce, under pain of death, all the privileges that had ever been granted to it, and to sign a bond, investing its entire fu ture government in the of the town. But these daring proceedings were scion stopped by the ap pearance of the Bishop of Norwich, who having entered the town with a few soldiers, restored for a time tran quillity to the city, and punished the principal offenders, The mayor was deprived of his office, the liberties of the town were forfeited, and given to the lice-chancellor; and though the corporation was afterwards restored in the reign of Henry V111., many of its former privileges remained with the university. The animosity between the two parties, however, continued, which often burst forth in acts of hostility and commotion ; and peace was not completely restored to this university until the reign of Elizabeth. About six years after her accession, this princess visited Cambridge, where she was entertained with various dramatic exhihitions, besides orations, dis potations, and other academical exercises; and, at her departure, she recommended to the university, in an elegant Latin speech, " to make the result of their studies public, and lamented that her predecessors su provided them with splendid buildings, that she was. placed in the situation of Alexander, who was. grieved when he had no more provinces to bestow; but pro mised to retain their interest in her memory till circum stances admitted of her making a provision for them adequate to her intentions." Iu 1630, this city was vi sited with a dreadful plague, which carried of between three and four hundred of its inhabitants. The students were obliged to retire to their respective homes, and the assizes were removed to Royston. In the contest be tween Charles I. and his parliament, the university of Cambridge took part with the king, and sent a quantity of their plate to be converted into money for his use. This exposed them to the displeasure of Cromwell, who deprived them of some of their privileges, and levied heavy contributions upon the city. Upon the restora tion, however, these lieges were restored, and many new improvements and regulations were adopted, which have greatly contributed to the peace and prosperity of the university. Since that time, the advancement of its reputation as a scat of learning has been uniform and uninterrupted.
The government of the city of Cambridge is vested in the officers of the university and the corporation, the being always a magistrate by virtue of his office. The corporation consists of a mayor, high steward, recorder, twelve aldermen, twenty-four com mon council men, four bailin, a town-clerk, and other officers. It scuds four members to parliament, two for the university, who are chosen by the senate, and two for the city, who are elected by the mayor, bailiffs, and freemen not receiving alms, amounting in all to about 200 voters. According to the census of 1801, Cam bridge contained 1691 houses, and 10,087 inhabitants, of whom 130(3 were returned as employed in trade and manufactures, and 811 as belonging to the university ; and in 1811, the total population was 11,108. North lat. L.' 36"; East long. 0° 4' 15". See Beauties of England and frales, vol. ii. p. 21-109 ; Ilarraden's Cantabrigia delacta, Camb. 1811 ; and the Cambridge Guides, Lond. 179 I. (I.)