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Art. XIV. ANALYSIS OF SCIENTIFIC BOOKS. 



i. Fumifugium ; or, the Inconvenience of the Aer and Smoake of 

 London dissipated. Together with some Remedies, humbly 

 proposed, by John Evelyn, Esq., to his sacred Majestic, and 

 to the Parliament now assembled. London, 1661. 



As we are not restricted to the notice of modern scientific 

 books, we have selected the above scarce tract for the purpose of 

 comparing the grievances occasioned by the smoake of London 

 160 years ago, when the metropolis was not one-sixth its pre- 

 sent extent, with those which are now matter of complaint ; and 

 of inquiring how far the evil was then, and is now, susceptible of 

 diminution, or removal. 



It is curious enough that Mr. Evelyn's attention was called to 

 the subject before us by " a presumptuous smoke issuing from 

 one or two tunnels neer Northumberland-house, and not far 

 from Scotland-yard," the very seat, if we are not misinformed, 

 of the plots of our modern fumifugists ; he therefore prepared 

 the " short discourse" before us, for the reformation of this 

 nuisance, and in the hope of rendering " London one of the 

 sweetest and most delicious habitations in the world, and this 

 with little or no expense;" being amazed, he says, " that where 

 there is so great an affluence of all things which may render the 

 people of this vast city the most happy upon earth, the sordid 

 and accursed avarice of some few particular persons should 

 be suffered to prejudice the health and felicity of so many." 



It is also not a little remarkable, that although Mr. Evelyn's 

 Fumifugium was written before the great fire of London, many 

 of the evils and nuisances, to which he adverts, are still extant, 

 and in full force : a few of them, though perhaps not the most 

 pressing, either have been remedied, or are likely to be amended. 

 This glorious and ancient city still wraps her stately head " in 

 clowds of smoake and sulphur, full of stink and darknesse," most 

 of our streets are still " narrow and incommodious in the very 

 centre, and busiest places of intercourse," and we still have to 

 deplore the " frequent wharfes and magazines of wood, coal, 

 boards, and other coarse materials, most of them imployingthe 

 places of the noblest aspect for the situation of palaces towards 

 the goodly river :" at the same time we need now no longer com- 

 plain, " of our streets being composed of a congestion of mis- 

 shapen and extravagant houses ; of the ill and uneasy form of 

 the paving under foot," nor of " the troublesome and malicious 

 disposure of the .spouts and gutters overhead." 



After adverting in the first part of this essay to the transcend- 

 ent situation of London, "i)uilt upon a sweet and most agreablo 

 cminetuy of ground at ll»; north side of a goodly and well-con- 



