ENGLAND. 165 



-public buildings ; beside the magnificent edifices raised by our nobi- 

 lity ; as lord Spencer's house, Marlborough-house, and Buckingham- 

 house, in St. James's-park ; the earl of Chesterfield's house near hyde- 

 park ; the duke of Devonshire's, and the late earl of Bath's in Pic- 

 cadiily ; the marquis of Lansdown's in Berkeley-square ; Northum- 

 berland-house in the Strand; Montague-house (the British Museum*) 

 in Bloomsbury ; Cariton-house, the residence of his royal highness 

 the prince of Wales, in Pail-Mall ; Foley-house, and Burlington-house ; 

 with a number of others of the nobility and gentry : but these would 

 be sufficient to fill a large volume. 



This great and populous city is supplied with abundance of fresh 

 water from the Thames and the New River, which is not only of in- 

 conceivable service to every family, but, by means of fire-plugs every 

 where dispersed, the keys of which are deposited with the parish- 

 officers, the city is in a great measure secured from the spreading of 

 fire. 



Before the conflagration in 1666, London (which, like most other 

 great cities, had arisen from small beginnings) was totally inelegant, 

 inconvenient, and unhealthy ; which latter misfortune, without doubt, 

 proceeded from the narrowness of the streets, and the unaccountable 

 projections of the buildings, that confined the putrid air, and, joined 

 with other circumstances, such as the want of water, rendered the 

 city seldom free from pestilential contagion. The fire, which con- 

 sumed the greatest part of the city, dreadful as it was to the inhabi- 

 tants at that time, was productive of consequences which made ample 1 

 amends for the losses sustained by individuals : a new city arose on 

 the ruins of the old ; but, though more regular, open, convenient, and 

 healthful than the former, yet it by no means had the character of 

 magnificence or elegance, in many particulars ; and it is ever to be 

 lamented that the magnificent, elegant, and useful plan of the great 

 sir Christopher Wren, was totally disregarded and sacrificed to the 

 mean and selfish views of private property. 



The plan of London, in its present state, will, in many instances, 

 appear, to very moderate judges, to be as injudicious a disposition as 

 can easily be conceived for a city of extensive commerce, on the border 

 of so noble a river as the Thames. The wharfs and quays on its 

 banks are extremely mean and inconvenient ; and the want of regu- 

 larity and uniformity in the streets of the city of London, and the 

 mean avenues to many parts of it, are also circumstances that greatly 

 lessen the grandeur of its appearance. Many of the churches, and 

 other public buildings, are likewise thrust up in corners, in such a 

 manner as might tempt foreigners to believe that they were design- 

 ed to be concealed. The improvements of the city of London for 

 some years past have however been very great ; and the new streets, 

 which are numerous, are spacious, and built with great regularity 

 and elegance. 



* Sir Hans Sloane, bart. (who died in 1753) may not improperly be called the 

 founder of the British Museum ; for its being established by parliament was only 

 in consequence of his leaving, by will, his noble collection of natural history, his 

 large library, and his numerous curiosities, which cost him 50,000/. to the use of 

 the public, on conditions that the parliament would pay 20,0007. to his executors. 

 To this collection were added the Cottonian library; the Harleian manuscripts, 

 collected by the Oxford family, and purchased likewise by the parliament ; and a 

 collection of books given by the late major Edwards. His late majesty, in consi- 

 deration of its great usefulness, was graciously pleased to add thereto the royal 

 libraries of books and manuscripts collected by the several kings of England. ' 



