-4gii.) 
well on the south; between which places 
and London, there now are open spaces 
Jarger than London itself. 
“I confess I have my doubts about the 
alleged size of ancient Rome; and I sus- 
pect there never existed so large and po- 
pulous a city as London, or as London 
will be, within seven years, when the new 
Streets and squares are erected which 
have lately been planned on every side of 
the town, Twenty thousand houses are 
already projected in various situations ; 
and, judging from the demand for new 
houses, and the uniform success which 
has attended building-speculations for 
several years past, I entertain no doubt 
that they will be completed and occupied 
within the period abovesnamed. If we 
retain our foreign colonies, and the con- 
tinent of Europe continues to be dis- 
turbed by revolutions and military con- 
quest, as it has been for the last twenty 
years, I have no doubt but in another 
wenty or thirty years, the fields and 
toads between London and the above- 
mentioned villages, will be filled with 
houses, and the population increased 
from three quarters of a million to a 
million and a half. This is the necessary 
consequence of increased empire, of in- 
sular security, of civil and religious li- 
berty, and of public confidence. 
“It is idle to talk of limiting the extent 
or size of the town by law, unless you 
could prevent colonists, aliens, and an- 
Huitants, from coming to dwell among 
us. Whether the increased population 
should be provided for by improvements 
in the internal parts of the town, or 
whether by indefinite enlargement, is 
however a question worthy of consider- 
ation. Already the town is found to be 
f inconvenient size for social and 
Be tin purposes; the foreign or country 
trader, whu has many calls to make, finds 
his time and labour wasted in going from 
_ one end of so large a town to the other, 
There has long ceased to be any common 
terest between the remote parts of so 
mmense a city,: the inhabitant of Mary- 
le-bone is a foreigner in Wapping; and 
60 is the inhabitant of Spital Fields, in 
Vestminster. ‘There are thousands who 
ave arrived at old age in one half of 
London, who never visited the other 
alf; and other thousands who never saw 
a ship, though London is the first port in 
the world. Of course, these are beings of 
ery diflerent habits and characters ; and 
they possess even a varied pronunciation 
gid peculiar idioms. For convenience of 
teade and association, it would be desirs 
3 
Causes of the Increase of London. 3 
able that the town should be more com. 
pact; but it is desirable in regard to 
health, that it should spread itself to the 
neighbouring villages. It is however 
worthy of consideration, whether the in- 
terior of the town does not draw more 
attention, and there can be no doubt but 
good streets near the centre of business, 
would be preferred like Finsbury Square 
and Chatham Place, to similar streets in 
remote parts of the town. A grand mall, 
on the plan of the Adelphi, might be 
built on the south side of the Tliames, 
from London to Westminster-bridge; 
Smithfield might be converted into an 
elegant square, and some elegant streets 
built in its neighbourhood, on the present 
scites of disease and misery.. A grand 
cross street, from Blackfriar’s-bridge to 
Pentonville, with good collateral streets, 
is much wanted. In short, most of the 
old streets in the centre of the town, 
are as worthy of building-speculation ag 
scites in the suburbs. Cross streets are 
every where wanted; and halfa dozen 
squares northward of the city, would 
answer as well as Finsbury Square: St. 
Martin’s-le-Grand should be pulled down, 
and Aldersgate-street carried straight, 
and of equal width, to meet Newyatee 
street, at the area which terminates 
Cheapside. Bartholomew Close might 
be converted into another elegant squares 
and Charterhouse-square would be a de- 
sirable residence, if connected with the 
town by Aldersgate-street; as would St, 
John’s-square, if united by a good street 
with Smithfield-square. It is impolitic and 
senseless to carry the town to Highgate, 
Hampstead,’ and Clapham, when so bad 
a use is made of its internal parts; where 
whole districts consist almost of waste 
ground, or are occupied by beggary and 
wretchedness. 
I have often marvelled at the want of 
concert and general plan with which the 
extensive suburbs are raised, after read~ 
ing the lamentations of writers in regard 
tothe neglect of all plan, in rebuilding the 
city after the great fire. Wesee street on 
street rising every where, without any 
general design; every undertaker build- 
ing after his own fancy, and to suit the 
patch of ground of which he is the mas. 
ter. Perhaps it is now too late for par- 
liament to prescribe the plan of future’ 
¢rections; or rather, in this free country 
magnificence must yield to convenience, 
and a fancied public good, to private’ 
literest, : ; 
In conclusion, I shall observe, 
that great cities contain in their very 
" greatness, 
