LONDON. 



w«.kb, not merely of the metropolis, but of the whole 

 country. Hence the builciiiigs themfelves bear ample tcf- 

 tiraony to th? objedl tor which they were raifed. Al- 

 moft. every houfe is a (hop, or a couiitiiig-houfe, and fo 

 clofely are thev huddled together, that in many places 

 room is fcarcely left for the paflage of a fingle cart. 

 Ground is valuable, and is fally occupied. This renders 

 it certainly a matter of regret, and the remark is appli- 

 cable to every part of the town, that there exift no re- 

 gulations, or general plan authorized by aft of parliament, 

 to which all builders fliould be obliged to conform. Such 

 a plan, it is believed, was fugo;eiled by fir Chrillopher 

 Wren after the great fire in 1666, and fince by Gwynn, 

 in a quarto volume, entitled " London and Weftminfter 

 improved. Sec." 



in a political point of view, London bears a mod im- 

 portant Iway in deciding the opinions of the country at large. 

 It is the centre from which all information, civil or military, 

 emanates. The number of newfpapers andx)tlier political 

 vehicles diftributed here, and hence over the united king- 

 dom, is prodigioudy great. The foreigner who perufes 

 a few of theie, cannot but be aftonilhed at the oppofite fen- 

 timenti they contain, and the freedom with which they 

 praife or cer.fure the meafures of government. This is the 

 confequence of liberty, and is doubtlefs one of its chief fup- 

 ports. The ruling magiftrate of the kingdom is not exempt 

 from public cenfure and critical animadverfion. At the com- 

 mencement of the year 1812, this is more notorious than at 

 any former period ; and future hiftorians will have occafion 

 to explain the caufe and lament the efFecl. Not only has 

 London a powerful influence over the political fentiments 

 of the country, but it has likewife no inconfiderable (hare 

 in direfting the conduft of the higher powers. This it 

 effetls in fome degree by the members it returns to par- 

 liament, which are Cm in number, but much more by the 

 influence and riches of fome of its chartered companii s, 

 as well as ind'viduals. The bank of England, moftly 

 a body of merchants, is clofely identified w'ith govern- 

 ment. The miniller is compelled to have rccourfe to the 

 citizens for fupplying the deficiences in the revenue, by 

 loan, all which circumftances render it neceflary for the 

 government to pay peculiar attention to the interefts of the 

 tity in general. 



London may further be charaderized as the grand thea- 

 tre for the difplay of talents either in the arts or fciences. 

 It is here alone, perhaps, of all the cities in the united 

 kingdom, that literary ability will receive any adequate 

 reward. The artift of genius will likewife in general meet 

 here with fupport and encouragement. He will here find 

 the fincft produftions of the mod celebrated mailers in 

 every department of art, by the ftudy of which alone it 

 is poffible for him to attain the praife of excellence. In 

 London are to be feen the beil aflors, and the mod: 

 fplendid theatres. Great Britain can boa ft of. The talents 

 of the vocal and inftrumental performers at the opera and 

 concerts are unrivallcdl, and probably no city in Europe 

 pofTelTes a place of public amnfement more brilliant and 

 magnificent than Vauxliall. London likewife abounds with 

 mufeurr.s, alfo various fci-ntific, literary, and rational efta- 

 blifnments. 



The rrerchants, bankers, and higher clalTes of tradefmen, 

 bear a ftrong rcfemblance in manners to the gentry vvith 

 whom, from their immenfe wealth, they are generally ac- 

 cuftomod to aflbciate. The fame wealth, and the greater fccu- 

 rity they pofTcfs for its enjoyment than the merchants of 

 other countries, ccafer upon them a fpirit of real indepen- 



dence, to which the latter are totally ftrangers. From th'i 

 fpirit of independence many advantages have undoubtedly 

 arifen both to the political condition and commercial pro- 

 fperity of England. Reacling as it were upon the fprings of 

 our free conilituticn, from which it proceeds, it tends to 

 render them vigorous and cfiettive. Britons juftly boaft of 

 their trial by jury as the bulwark of their freedom, but 

 of what ufe would juries be, if the individuals uho 

 compofc them were dependent and fubmiflive. It is to 

 the fpirit of the people rather than to any particular 

 forms of adminiftratioa that a country is indebted for its 

 freedom. 



The nobility and gentry of London are of a very dif- 

 ferent complexfon from the fame clafTes in other coun'ries. 

 They poffefs the highed polifh of manr.cr.s, but unite with 

 their accomphlliments a degree of man'inefs and moderation, 

 the refult of the freedom of the Englidi, conditiition and the 

 general difi^ufion of riches. A for-;igTi nobleman confiders 

 himfelf as a didincl fpecies of being from thofe who are his 

 inferior in rank and itation, and confequcntly treats them 

 with arrogance and contempt. An Englidi nobleman, on 

 the other hand, while fufiiciently confcious of his own fupe- 

 riority, behaves towards thofe whom fortune has placed be- 

 neath him with real attention and civility ; even in the ar- 

 ticle of drefs he is fcarcely to be diftinguiftied from the or- 

 dinary tradefman or mechanic, while the higher clafs of 

 merchants fully equals him in the fplendourof his equipages 

 and eilabliibments. He is almoft wholly a dranger to that 

 indolence which ufually refults from excelTive wealth and 

 hereditary title?. Even the ladies of high rank are much 

 lefs enervated and feeble than mod of the fame clafs abroad. 

 They are accullomed to much exercife, and to mix in the 

 psiblic world. 



The beneficial operation of this fpirit on our commerce 

 is the confequence of that honour and integrity, which are 

 uniformly found to accompany elevation of mind. That 

 honefty is the bed policy, has long been an undifputed 

 dogma in commercial tranfaclions in London. Hence it is 

 that an Englidi merchant can often obtain credit even in 

 foreign countries, where it is little pradtifed, and bills of 

 immenfe value are fometimes cntrufted to him without re- 

 ceipt or acknowledgment. But thefe remarks ought not 

 to be confidered as applicable to the higher orders of 

 traders only. The fame freedom of conduA and fterling 

 integrity are prominent features in the character of the ge- 

 nerality of edablilhed fliop-keepers, particularly thofe of. 

 the city. 



With refpedl: to phyficians, furgeons, and barriiters, they 

 may be ranked with the gentry, though influenced by fome 

 little peculiarity of habits and manners. Apotliecari s 

 and attornies may be clafTed with the better fort of ihop-, 

 keepers. 



The labouring clafTes in London are uliially of indi^;-' 

 trious and frugal habits. Their drefs and appearance 

 are far more decent and refpcftable than in any other- 

 city in the world, and this alone is a fufficient evidence of 

 its great trade and wealth. The fame thing- may be faid- 

 of the poorer fort of fliop-keepers, wIk), from the rate 

 of their earnings, may be placed in the raiik of labour- 

 ing people. Male and female fervants, in plain and hone% 

 families, may likewife be thrown into this rank with a fimi- 

 lar charafler. 



Among many cflential improvements recently made in 

 London, the following are worthy of notice and commenda- 

 tion. In the city, and at the ead end of the town, we find 

 that new docks have been made on a vail fcale, whereby 



the 



