General History of Bath. 7 7 



Edinburgh, but when the baths are useless, so are their houses. 

 The baths I can compare to nothing but the boilers in Fleet- 

 lane or old Bedlam, for they have a reeking steam all the year. 

 In a word, 'tis a valley of pleasure, yet a sink of iniquity, nor is 

 there any intreague or debauch practised at London, but is 

 mimicked here." 



Another writer gives as an illustration of the dreariness 

 of Bath out of the season : — 



" A person might charge a culverin with grape-shot and fire it from 

 the ' Bear Inn ' down Stall street without killing anything but 

 a turnspit dog or a pig." 



The Renaissance of the City in the Eighteenth 

 Century. 



It has been our endeavour to depict a decaying city, 

 -small, ill-built, ill-smelling, ill-governed. We have now to 

 describe how the old order gave place to the new, and how 

 a town which had dwindled to a village, rose to be one of 

 the most beautiful, as well as one of the most fashionable, 

 resorts in the kingdom. 



The great work was carried out by a Triumvirate — Beau 

 Nash, Ralph Allen, and John Wood. Each played a pro- 

 minent and distinct part, and each was willing to encourage 

 and to aid the achievements of his plans. 



In the later years of the seventeenth century the number 

 of casual visitors to Bath had increased, but at the com- 

 mencement of the eighteenth, circumstances gave its popu- 

 larity a very decided impetus. In the year 1692 the 

 Princess Anne was here, and received royal honours from 

 the citizens. Her name was include'd in the Liturgy, and 

 she was escorted to church by the Mayor and aldermen. 

 King William III., her royal brother-in-law, objected to 



