Ann Taylor

“ The privilege of working as a waterman on the river Thames, is only to be obtained by servitude or birth-right; and freemen only can work as porters in the city, for which they wear a ticket as a badge of privilege, and on which their names are stamped and numbered; but the privilege of bringing salt, fish, coals, fruit, and other goods on shore, from ships, boats, or barges, belongs to the Company of Fellowship Porters. All the firemen in London must be watermen or lightermen. ”

“ Nothing can exceed the noise, bustle, and hurry, of the streets of London, where carriages are passing backward and forward during the whole day, and most of the night. Carts are creaking under heavy loads of merchandise, mail-coaches are driving to and from the post-office with the letter-bags, and more than a thousand hackney-coaches and chariots are sometimes in motion at once on a rainy day. These are a great convenience in London ”

“ The post-office is one of the most busy spots in London, and is the most perfect system of commercial convenience which has ever been formed under any government. It receives letters from all parts of our own country, as well as from every civilized nation in the world, and forwards them to their destination with the utmost regularity.
In front of the central portico, I see, there is one of the mail-coaches for the conveyance of letters. These coaches travel at the rate of eight miles an hour, including stoppages: they carry also passengers and parcels. ”

“ It is said that a foreign ambassador happening to enter London in the evening, after the lamps were lighted, was so struck with the brilliancy of the scene, that he imagined the streets had been illuminated expressly in honour of his arrival. What would he have thought, had he passed through the lustre which is shed at present by the gas lights, from so many of our shops, and from the lamps in the streets? The Lamplighters are a useful set of men; and they are liable to many accidents while engaged in their dangerous occupation. ”

“ They do not forget to hold their hats to those who make use of this convenience; and good-natured people seldom fail to drop a halfpenny into them, like the gentleman in the picture.
Though some persons may be incommoded by wet weather, yet the poor little street-sweeper, the hackney-coachman, the dealer in umbrellas, and various other tradesmen in London, are much benefited by it; and in the country it is often welcome to the farmer, whose corn and grass are made to grow by the timely succession of wet and dry, heat and cold. ”

“ It is truly interesting to behold the busy scene that daily passes in the rotunda, amongst the buyers and sellers of stock, or those who are engaged in transferring it, all so eagerly occupied with their affairs, and showing their anxiety by their countenances. Where money is, there the crowd will be; and persons who go to the Bank should be careful lest their pockets be picked of such money as they may have received. ”

“ Every parish in England formerly used to have its Pope or Guy carried about by idle men and boys on the 5th of November, who usually went from house to house, begging for money to make a bonfire and a feast. In many of the villages near London, there used to be two or more parties of large boys from different parts of the parish; and it frequently happened, that when one of them thought the other had encroached, by visiting such houses for money as were deemed out of their bounds, that battles were fought between them. ”

“ Is a landing place by the side of a river, for the convenience of boats, barges, or ships. At these wharfs many casks of fruit, plums, currants, figs, oranges, and lemons, are brought on shore, to be taken away in carts to grocers, fruiterers, and orange-merchants. It is the business of a merchant to bring over these things for our use, and for which we are obliged to him. The West and East India Docks receive now, most of the shipping used to and from those countries, and are considered more secure from robberies, than the open wharfs by the sides of the river Thames used to be. ”

“ Let us hope they will all receive some benefit from their morning excursion; for a walk, and a draught of new milk, must contribute greatly to the health of children who are confined for the rest of the day in a crowded city. The old gentleman on the bench seems also to have had his draught, and is contemplating the fine shape of the gentle cow. ”

“ If I’d as much money as I could spend,
I’d leave off crying, old chairs to mend!
Perhaps so, but then you might not be more healthy, useful, or happy, than at present. Exercise and sobriety contribute to health, and industry produces the means of procuring wealth sufficient to live in a comfortable manner. A chair-bottomer is a very useful man: he contributes to the ease and comfort of many of his employers ”

“ Here merchants meet from all parts of the world. The traffic on the seas being very great, to and from every nation, in time of peace, it must afford great convenience to the ship-owners, ship-captains, and traders, to have one spot where they can meet to transact their business. Sir Thomas Gresham, a merchant, laid the foundation in 1566, and Queen Elizabeth was so pleased with the building, that she dignified it with the title of Royal Exchange, by sound of trumpet. ”

“ It is too late now to be dutiful to her, for she cannot open her eyes to look at you, they are shut for ever; it is too late to do as she bid you, for her lips are closed, and she cannot speak: it is too late to wait upon her now, for she no longer requires your assistance! ”

“ How intent every one appears to be on business, and what a general buzz and din we hear: yet the figure of one individual stands very silently in the midst of all, I mean the statue of Charles the Second, on a pedestal. ”

“ These are two busy men, indeed; one cries food for the mind, and the other p. 46food for the body. Neither of these tradesmen keep long in one place. The news-boy would be very glad to have a hot plumcake, but he has not time to eat it; nor will the pieman wait to hear what the news is. So that they are not only busy men, but what is very different, men of business. They are passing by The Obelisk, in Fleet Street, built by the City of London, on the spot which was once the centre of Fleet Ditch, which flowed as high as Holborn Bridge, under that part which Fleet Market is now built upon. ”

“ The little boy blows his fingers to make them warmer: and there is a man throwing the snow off the house, that it may not soak through to the chamber ceiling when a thaw comes. What a blessing to have a good house and a comfortable fire-side, when the weather is so severe. ”

“ These charity children are coming from church, with the two parish-beadles before them. Several thousands of poor children are taught to read, work, and write, in the different charity-schools of London, and to do their duty to God and to their neighbours; which will enable them to become respectable in this world, and tend to make them happy in the next. ”

“ An engine is a very clever contrivance: the pipes convey the water over the tops of the houses; and if an engine arrives in time, it frequently prevents the flames from spreading further. [29]
p. 3027. Drawing Goods in a Truck.
Well done, my good boy! and well done, my good dog! Why the dog works as hard as the boy, and seems to do it with quite as much ease.
In drawing that truck, boy, you now feel a part
Of what ev’ry horse feels, when drawing a cart.
Come, my lad, haste away, to make room for a fine coach, full of gay people, coming to the East India House. ”

“ That lady and her children, who have gone from Cheapside to Islington, may fancy themselves at a farm in the country; the fields look so green, the fresh air is so reviving, and the warm milk so delightfully sweet. ”

“ In a few years, every one of these active merchants will be as motionless as this marble statue. It may be of service to the busy Englishman, sprightly Frenchman, lazy Spaniard, plodding-Dutchman, rough Russian, proud Turk, and rich Jew, to reflect on this; and to endeavour, with all their gettings, to get understanding.
26. The Fire-engine.
We know of no place better supplied with engines for putting out fire, than London; and though fires are very frequent, they seldom do so much damage as formerly, when houses were built of wood, or without party-walls. ”

“ If they cannot find a convenient spring, sufficiently high, they force the water to a proper height by pumps and steam-engines; and by these inventions, do with ease, what the best ancient philosophers might have thought impossible. When one of the great pipes, which run through the streets of London, happens to burst, the water soon forces up the pavement, and a fountain is produced.
85. The London Docks
Are situated in Wapping, between Ratcliffe Highway and the Thames. One of the docks is so large, that it covers more than twenty acres of ground, being 1262 feet long, and 699 feet wide. ”

“ Not far from the bridge, in old Palace Yard, stands Westminster Hall.
p. 5354. Westminster Hall
Is thought to be the largest room in Europe unsupported by pillars, being two hundred and seventy feet in length, and seventy-four in breadth. The roof is of curious workmanship in oak, and reminds the beholders of a grove of trees, whose top branches extend toward each other till they unite. A great feast was held in this vast apartment, and other rooms of the palace, in the days of King Richard the Second, who is said to have entertained ten thousand guests, with his usual hospitality. ”

“ The stones for paving London are mostly brought from the quarries of Scotland, by ships; p. 50and very few towns or cities in Europe are better paved than the City of London. Indeed, every year seems to add improvements, for the health and comfort of the inhabitants. ”

“ The buildings at each place are more like palaces than hospitals, and great care is taken to render the objects of the institution comfortable in their situations. The hospital at Chelsea, with its appendages, covers above forty acres of ground. There are three hundred and thirty-six in-door pensioners, and an unlimited number of out-door pensioners, who receive an annual allowance of seven pounds twelve shillings and sixpence each. ”

“ The order with which each school finds its own situation, and the union of so many voices, all raised at one moment to the praise of their great Creator, as they chant the hundredth psalm on the entrance of the clergyman, cause a most delightful and affecting sensation in the minds of the spectators. ”

“ Not far from the Tower is Rosemary Lane, where Rag Fair is daily held. To describe the great variety there sold, would exceed all bounds; we would, however, advise every country customer who visits that place, to take particular care of his pockets, that the money depart not without his consent; and, if he takes change, to see well that the silver be good. A word to the wise is sufficient. But as many dealers in old clothes know that an industrious disposition is worth more than good opportunities without it ”

“ This bridge consists of five arches: the centre one is 150, those next to it 140 feet, the extreme arches 130 feet. The roadway is nearly level, and the parapet is plain, with buttresses rising from the piers,
5. Billingsgate,
The only fish-market in London, to which the fishing-smacks bring their cargoes. Whoever goes to Billingsgate, at market-time, must expect to be pushed about and dirtied. The crowd is generally very great, and the people very noisy, and some are quite abusive to strangers. ”

“ What a pity that all this expense and trouble should be wasted in contriving to kill our neighbours and destroy their property; when it might be employed to the advantage of both parties by promoting a friendly intercourse with each other. ”

“ The trial of peers, or of any person impeached by the Commons, has been usually held here; and the coronation feasts have been celebrated therein for many ages.
The ground on which the hall stands is so near to the water, that on several high tides p. 54the Thames has overflowed the hall, the courts of justice have been broken up prematurely, and the people conveyed away in boats.
55. The Lamplighter.
Perhaps the streets of no city in the world are so well lighted as those of London, there being lamps on each side of the way, but a few yards distant from each other. ”

“ That gentleman and lady have called to a coachman to take them home; and the waterman, who attends on hackney-coaches and their employers, seems to be enquiring where they are going. We would recommend every person who hires a hackney coach in London, to notice what number is on the door, which, on many occasions, has been found very useful. ”

“ The Londoners cannot take a country walk whenever they please, and enjoy the green fields and wild hedge-flowers, in the open air; but they may supply themselves here with every kind of beautiful plants, for a garden within doors ”

“ This office is a strong stone room, in which are kept the crown, ball, and sceptre, used by the kings of England at their coronation, all richly set with jewels; besides other crowns and regal ornaments, and some pieces of curious old plate. The crown worn by the king when he goes in state to the House of Lords, is enriched p. 20with an emerald seven inches round, with other gems of great value. Great precautions are taken to secure the regalia, the whole being enclosed within a grate. ”

“ By four o’clock in a summer’s morning, it is completely full of the most rare and beautiful plants that can be grown in England, either in open nurseries, or in the hot-house and green-house: and, what with the number of busy people buying and selling ”

“ So, as he wants his money more than he does his goods, he sells them to those who p. 22want the goods more than they want their money. Thus both parties are accommodated. This is the business of a trader; and his customers are as much obliged to him for letting them have his things, as he is to them for letting him have their money.
18. Ship-building.
Now we have a distant view of a man-of-war (which is a great fighting ship) building at Deptford. You may see, by the boats in the front, how large it must be; for the further off any thing is, the smaller it looks ”

“ The number of children who have at times been stolen from their homes, has caused great alarm to many parents. It was not far from London Bridge that little Tommy Dellow was taken away, which caused the parish-officers to advertise a reward of one hundred guineas for his recovery ”

“ It is a beautiful sight to see the sun setting from this place: it shines upon the great dome of St. Paul’s, in all its glory, and makes it look as if it were made of gold. The watermen are always waiting about the bridges, and keep a brisk cry of Boat! boat, who wants a boat? Oars, Sir! sculler, Sir!
49. Temple Bar.
Temple Bar is a noble gateway of stone, with a large arch in the centre for carriages, and a covered path on each side for foot-passengers. ”