Page:A tour through the northern counties of England, and the borders of Scotland - Volume I.djvu/55

 that its beauties had never met the protection of taste till within these six years.

Tewksbury enjoys a situation similar to that of Glocester. A wide and flat extent of productive meadow, pasture, and arable land, stretches round it on all sides, intersected by four rivers, which nearly insulate the town. Of these the Severn is the chief, who follows the curvature of a meadow to the west of the town; but the little classical Avon, more affectionate, washes its walls, and admits in its channel vessels of seventy tons burthen. Its waters, together with those of the Swilyate, which are united to them, lose themselves in the Severn a small distance below the town. An active cotton-stocking manufactory finds employment for a great portion of the lower order of females here, who are animated to industry by the considerable profits which reward their exertions. Those who weave the plain stocking, make from 9s. to 12s. per week; and the manufacturers of the striped goods from 21s. to 25s. To the honour of the working classes of the fair sex, it must be admitted, that if their earnings do not amount to so large a sum as those of the male manufacturer, yet their exemplary management of them renders the pittance of more use to their families than the greater gains of the husband; and