Brighton. 119 



fashion and continued by the wants of society. Brighton, like 

 Bath, is a town of enjoyment, and, in respect to its future 

 prospects, may be classed with that city. As the people of 

 England become more intellectual, they will feel the want of 

 such towns, and another age will see cottages and farm-houses 

 clustered together in villages for the sake of social enjoy- 

 ments, as they were formerly for the sake of personal security ; 

 and the tradesmen of commercial and manufacturing towns 

 retiring to watering places and towns of enjoyment, instead of 

 secluding themselves in Wales, or the Highlands of Scotland, 

 or attempting to establish large and extensive hereditary man- 

 sions and domains. It is this new and increasing want in the 

 middling classes of society, which is the principal cause of the 

 increase of London, and other large towns. Those of limited 

 incomes find they can procure more enjoyment there, because 

 enjoyment, like other articles, is cheapest where it is most in 

 demand ; in large towns, also, aristocratical influence, which, 

 as intelligence increases among the middling classes, is felt to 

 be an evil, and as the middling classes increase will naturally 

 be diminished, is less apparent ; talent and worth also have 

 a better chance of finding their level there ; and tastes of 

 every kind of finding those which are congenial. Our in- 

 creased intercourse with our more lively neighbours, has in- 

 creased our taste for the pleasures and amusements of society, 

 and, with other causes, has induced many individuals to join 

 the middle ranks, who by birth and education should have 

 belonged to the higher. The middle rank is also continually 

 increasing in numbers, in consequence of the superior education 

 now given to the sons and daughters of every description of 

 commercial men. Though the first impulse to the prosperity 

 and increase of Brighton, therefore, was given by the King 

 establishing a casual residence there, yet the permanent 

 support of so large an assemblage of dwellings will be owing 

 to the great increase in numbers, in intelligence, and in good 

 taste, of the middling classes of society. 



The Oriental Garden was the first object we sought for, and 

 we were not surprised to find that this establishment had been 

 long since broken up. The ground, about an acre in extent, 

 and the buildings, consisting of a conservatory and intended 

 public room, have been purchased by Sir James Scott, who has 

 added considerably to the buildings, and converted the whole 

 into a commodious residence, but who has not yet had time 

 to make the most of the garden. The conservatory is large, 

 with a curvilinear roof, but not elegant or well ventilated ; to 

 make the most of it and of the garden, a better gardener will 



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