Dover, the other port remaining to be noticed, is certainly a
flourishing town at present; but to what does it owe its prosperity? Not
to any of its advantages as one of the Cinque Ports, but to the
circumstances of its being the port of communication with out Gallic
neighbours, and to its having become frequented for the purpose of
sea-bathing, which latter is a recent event. As a sea-bathing place it
is likely it may appear cheerful and gay, even when the Continent is
closed against us; but before it became a candidate for the favour of
the migratory hordes of the summer months, it was, during the period of
a war with France, one of the dullest towns in the kingdom.

The last calamity which I shall notice, is the attack which was made
upon their home trade. They were, by their charter, to have full liberty
of buying and selling, which privilege was opposed by the citizens of
London, who disputed their right to buy and sell freely their woollens
in Blackwell Hall. The charter of the ports is one hundred years older
than that of London, but, notwithstanding this priority of right, the
citizens of London prevailed. The result was indeed calamitous, for
after the decay of the haven, the chief source of prosperity to the town
of Sandwich consisted in the woollen manufactures, and as the freedom of
buying and selling was now denied, the manufacturers immediately
removed, and were soon followed by the owners of the trading vessels,
and the merchants; and thus basely deprived of those advantages from
which arose their ancient opulence and splendour, they sank with
rapidity into that insignificance and poverty which have unfortunately
remained their inseparable companions up to the present hour. Among the
princes who have executed the high and honourable office of Lord Warden
of the Cinque Ports, we find the names of the brave and unfortunate
Harold, in the time of the Confessor, and Edward, Prince of Wales, in