LONDON. 



"Knight, of Solio.fquarc ; lord Radftock, in Portland- 

 place. Befulcs thefi.-, there are many other collections of 

 tine piftures in various parts of the metropolis. For much 

 ufeful information refpecling the fine arts in London, &c. 

 fee Hoare's " Inquiry into tlic prefent State of the Arts «f 

 Defign in England," 8vo. iSo6; alfo two other volumes 

 in 4to. edited by the fame intelligent and liberal writer, en- 

 tilled " The Artiil, in a Series of Eilays ;" alfo, " The 

 fnie Arts of the Englilh School," 4to. 1S12 ; Britten's 

 Preface to an Account of the Cordiam-Houfe Colledion ; 

 and Edwards's Anecdotes of Painters m England, 410. 

 1808. 



Courts. — For an account of the various courts of I^ondon, 

 the reader is referred to a former volume, under the head 

 Couirr of Comincn Pleas, of Chancery, of Exchequer, of 

 Huflings, (f King's Bench, of Marfhalfca, Mayor's, uf Par- 

 liament, (fee Paklia.mknt,} of the Houfe of Peers, of Star 

 Chamber; •A[o,\-&s^ of Court. 



Literature and literary PubUcations. — To give a view of 

 the literature of this metropolis, and to point out its prefent 

 (late, compared with that of any former period, would be 

 to develope one of the mod intereiling traits, not only of 

 London, but of the prefent age. The number and variety 

 of works which annually iffue from the metropolitan prels 

 are truly allonifliing ; while in point of ability and ufefuhiefs 

 they were probably never exceeded. There is not indeed a 

 department, either in fciencc or general literature, which 

 has not made confiderable progrefs within thefe few years. 

 The publilhing and bookfelling bufinefles are at prefent 

 conduded upon very large i'cales ; and, in fpite of a long 

 and devaltating war, a fucceffion of new and interelling vo- 

 lumes is continually ilTuing from the prcfs. It is con- 

 jeftured that nearly 800 new books and pamphlets have.been 

 annually publi(hed in London, during the laft ten years : 

 the grofs annual returns anting from the printing and felling 

 of \\^iicli cannot be much fliort of one million llcrhng. It 

 is alfo eilimated that 2000 perfons at Icalt are dn-cftly and 

 collaterally employed in the various branches ot the book 

 bufinefs. The charafter and extent of periodical literature 

 form a prominent feature of the prefent age : for tiie number 

 of reviews, magazines, uewfpapers, and other periodical 

 journals, far exceed thole of any former period. Hence 

 much political and general knowledge lias been dlfleminated 

 through the country ; a fpirit of inquiry and invelligation 

 has been excited ; and a literary turn has been given to tlie 

 higher and middle claffes of fociety. Even the lower chides 

 of mechanics and fervants are now much accullomed to 

 reading ; one of the confequences ariling h-om which is that 

 %ve frequently hear of men of genius and talents itarting up 

 from humble Uations, and difplaying to the a lonifhed w<n-ld 

 much originality of thinking. Many inllances cf tiiis might 

 be adduced ; but it will be fufficient to name two or three, 

 to prove the affertion : Burns, Dermody, and Bloomfield, 

 the poets; and Drewe, tlie metaphyfician of Cornwallr 

 Nothing can more plainly ihew the reading character of the 

 prefent times, than a knowledge of the number of newf- 

 papers printed and circulated ; and which number is thus 

 Itated in " The Picture of London for 181 2:" " Of the 

 morning papers, there are fold about 17,000 of thefe pub- 

 lications ; of the daily evening papers, about 1 2,000 ; and 

 of ihofe publifhcd every otlier day, about 10,000. There 

 are alfo about 26,000 fold of the various Sunday papers ; 

 and about 20,000 of the other weekly papers : in all, the 

 enormous number of 232,000 copies per week ; yielding to 

 their proprietors from tiie fale 5800/., and from advertife- 

 nunts 2000L more ; of which the revenue to government is 

 full 4OC0/. and the net proceeds to the proprietors about 

 1000/. ; the remaininjj 2800/. allords employment and fub- 



fiflencc to about jo writers and reporters, ^oo printers, 

 100 vendors, and 100 clerks and affiltants ; befides paper- 

 makers, ftationers, type-founders, &c. full 200 more. If 

 to thele be added the weekly calcuhjtion of 2jc,ooo copies 

 of provincial papers, yielding 10,000/. per week, and fup- 

 jiorting the indullry of ijooperlons; — what a wonderful 

 idea is aflorded of the agency and influence of the prtfs in 

 this empire ; and how cafily is it accounted for, that vie are 

 the niwll free and n.oll ii.telligent people on the face of the 

 earth." Under the words Macjazine, Newsi'Avkr, and 

 Rkview, we fliall have oi)portunilies of dctailmg many 

 fafts and peculiarities refpeCting thefe different publications. 

 See alfo Jouunal, Literary. London ahiuinds with book- 

 fellers' fliops avd circulating libraries. It is adertcd that 

 tlie iirll circulating library iliabliihed in this town was by a 

 Mr. Baths, about tlie year 1740; but Alan Ranifay had 

 founded one at Edinburgh as early as the year 1725. In 

 London there are j-jubiiflicd feventcen newfpapers daily, and 

 eighteen or nineteen every Sunday, befides eighteen once or 

 twice a week. The nu.aiber of monthly magazines and re- 

 views amounts to fifty ; m addition to which, there are 

 feveral works pnbhflicd ojuarterly, or at irregular periods. 

 • Societies for the Encouragement of the Arts, Sciences, fs'f. — 

 London pofleifes a variety of inllitutions fcn-med with a view 

 to the advancement cf the different branches of art and 

 fcience ; among thefe the Royal Society undoubtedly takes 

 the lead, being compofed of the ir.oil diilinguifhed hterarjt 

 and fcientific charafters of the prefent age. It was firlt iii- 

 ftitu'ed at the clofe of Cromwell's rebellion, at which time 

 its meetings were held at Oxford. In 1659 they were ad- 

 journed to Gre (ham college, London ; but ot late years have 

 been held at an apartment in Somerfet honfe. This fociety 

 was incorporated in 1 C6j, when the celebrated fir Ifaap New- 

 ton was prefident, and has, through the medium of its 

 Tranfattions, and by its patronage, probably contributed, 

 more than any fimilar body in the world, to promote ufelul 

 and praftical knowledge. (See Royal Society.) The fo- 

 ciety of Antiqu;:ries, «liich holds its n.eetings in the fame 

 place with the Royal Society, was incorporated by Geo. II. 

 in the year 1751. The ubjetl of this fociety is to eiiconragc 

 refearch in the elucidation, not only of our national anti- 

 quities, but ot the antiquities of other countries. It has 

 publifhed fixteen volumes, called the Ai"cha:ologia, contain- 

 ing many cu.'iou.s and interelling etfays and prints, alio a 

 large work illnllrative of our eeclelialHcal architedure. (See 

 Society of ylutiquaries, and Anthjuaky.) The fociety 

 for the eiicouragcinent of arts, manufadtures, ard commerce, 

 inltituted in 1733, and holding its meetings in the Adelplii, 

 propotes theattainnicnt of its ubjedt by giving premiums for 

 all inventions and difcoveries which may prove, and are cal- 

 culated to be, beneficial to the arts, commerce, or manu- 

 factures of the kingdom, the Britith colonies, or the Eatl 

 India fettlements. A volume of the Society's tranfaitions is 

 publilhcd occafionally. The walls of the great room, in 

 which its meetings take p ace, are adorned with a variety of 

 paintings from the pencil ot Mr. Barry, 'the llyle and exe- 

 cution of which have ininred him deferved immortality, and 

 are really an honour to tb.e country. The Llnna;an fo- 

 ciety was founded in 178^, and incorporated in 1S02. 

 (See Limiican Society.) The Royal lulUtution, fituated 

 in Albemarle ilreet, owes its foundation chiefly to the 

 fchemes and exertions of count Rumford. Its charter 

 of incorporation is dated in 1 8co. The original objcft 

 of this intlitution was to facilitate the introdudlion of uteful 

 difcoveries and improvements in praftical mechanics, and 

 to point out, by philofophical lectures and experiments, the 

 application of fcitnce to the common purpofcs of life. Tlie 

 iuveltigations and important difcoveries of Dr. Davy, the 



« lecturer 



