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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..23f1693 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #61122 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/61122) diff --git a/old/61122-0.txt b/old/61122-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index a9875e7..0000000 --- a/old/61122-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,6405 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Letters from England, Volume 1 (of 3), by -Don Manuel Alvarez Espriella - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Letters from England, Volume 1 (of 3) - -Author: Don Manuel Alvarez Espriella - -Translator: Robert Southey - -Release Date: January 6, 2020 [EBook #61122] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LETTERS FROM ENGLAND, VOLUME 1 *** - - - - -Produced by MWS, Barry Abrahamsen, and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) - - - - - - - - - - LETTERS - - FROM - - ENGLAND - - - BY - - DON MANUEL ALVAREZ ESPRIELLA. - - - TRANSLATED FROM THE SPANISH. - - - ------- - - IN THREE VOLUMES. - - VOL. I. - - ------- - - - THIRD EDITION. - - - ------- - - - LONDON: - - PRINTED FOR LONGMAN, HURST, REES, ORME, AND - BROWN, PATERNOSTER-ROW. - - --- - - 1814. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - --------------------- - - EDINBURGH: - Printed by James Ballantyne and Co. - - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - PREFACE - - BY THE TRANSLATOR. - - -------------- - - -The remarks of Foreign Travellers upon our own country have always been -so well received by the Public, that no apology can be necessary for -offering to it the present Translation, The Author of this work seems to -have enjoyed more advantages than most of his predecessors, and to have -availed himself of them with remarkable diligence. He boasts also of his -impartiality: to this praise, in general, he is entitled; but there are -some things which he has seen with a jaundiced eye. It is manifest that -he is bigotted to the deplorable superstitions of his country; and we -may well suppose that those parts of the work in which this bigotry is -most apparent, have not been improved by the aid for which he thanks his -Father Confessor. The Translator has seldom thought it necessary to -offer any comments upon the palpable errors and mis-statements which -this spirit has sometimes occasioned: the few notes which he has annexed -are distinguished by the letters TR. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - PREFACE. - - -------------- - - -A volume of Travels rarely or never, in our days, appears in Spain: in -England, on the contrary, scarcely any works are so numerous. If an -Englishman spends the summer in any of the mountainous provinces, or -runs over to Paris for six weeks, he publishes the history of his -travels; and if a work of this kind be announced in France, so great a -competition is excited among the London booksellers, that they import it -sheet by sheet as it comes from the press, and translate and print it -piece-meal. The greater number of such books must necessarily be of -little value: all, however, find readers, and the worst of them adds -something to the stock of general information. - -We seldom travel; and they among us who do, never give their journals to -the public. Is it because literature can hardly be said to have become a -trade among us, or because vanity is no part of our national character? -The present work, therefore, is safe from comparison, and will have the -advantage of novelty. If it subject me to the charge of vanity myself, I -shall be sorry for the imputation, but not conscious of deserving it. I -went to England under circumstances unusually favourable, and remained -there eighteen months, during the greater part of which I was -domesticated in an English family. They knew that it was my intention to -publish an account of what I saw, and aided me in my enquiries with a -kindness which I must ever remember. My remarks were communicated, as -they occurred, in letters to my own family, and to my Father Confessor; -and they from time to time suggested to me such objects of observation -as might otherwise perhaps have been overlooked. I have thought it -better to revise these letters, inserting such matter as further -research and more knowledge enabled me to add, rather than to methodize -the whole; having observed in England, that works of this kind wherein -the subjects are presented in the order wherein they occurred, are -always better received than those of a more systematical arrangement: -indeed, they are less likely to be erroneous, and their errors are more -excusable, in those letters which relate to the state of religion, I -have availed myself of the remarks with which my Father Confessor -instructed me in his correspondence. He has forbidden me to mention his -name; but it is my duty to state, that the most valuable observations -upon this important subject, and, in particular, those passages in which -the Fathers are so successfully quoted, would not have enriched these -volumes, but for his assistance. - -In thus delineating to my countrymen the domestic character and habits -of the English, and the real state of England, I have endeavoured to be -strictly impartial; and, if self-judgment may in such a case be trusted, -it is my belief that I have succeeded. Certainly, I am not conscious of -having either exaggerated or extenuated any thing in any the slightest -degree—of heightening the bright or the dark parts of the picture for -the sake of effect—of inventing what is false, nor of concealing what is -true, so as to lie by implication. Mistakes and misrepresentations there -may, and, perhaps, must be: I hope they will neither be found numerous -nor important, as I know they are not wilful; and I trust that whatever -may be the faults and errors of the work, nothing will appear in it -inconsistent with that love of my country, which I feel in common with -every Spaniard; and that submission, which, in common with every -Catholic, I owe to the Holy Church. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CONTENTS - - OF THE - - FIRST VOLUME. - - -------------- - - LETTER I. - - Page - - Arrival at Falmouth.—Custom House.—Food 1 - of the English.—Noise and Bustle at - the Inn - - - LETTER II. - - Mode of 8 - Travelling.—Penryn.—Truro.—Dreariness - of the Country.—Bodmin.—Earth-Coal the - common Fuel.—Launceston.—Excellence of - the Inns and Roads.—Okehampton.—Exeter - - - LETTER III. - - Exeter Cathedral and public 24 - Walk.—Libraries.— Honiton.—Dangers of - English Travelling, and Cruelty with - which it is - attended.—Axminster.—Bridport - - - LETTER IV. - - Dorchester.—Gilbert Wakefield.—Inside of 37 - an English Church.—Attempt to rear - Silk-worms.—Down-country.—Blandford.—Salisbury.—Execrable - Alteration of the Cathedral.—Instance - of public Impiety - - - LETTER V. - - Old Sarum.—Country thinly 54 - peopled.—Basingstoke.—Ruins of a - Catholic Chapel.—Waste Land near - London.—Staines.—Iron Bridges.—Custom - of exposing the dead Bodies of - Criminals.—Hounslow - Brentford.—Approach to London.—Arrival - - - LETTER VI. - - Watchmen.—Noise in London Night and 65 - Morning.—An English Family.—Advice to - Travellers - - - LETTER VII. - - General Description of London.—Walk to 72 - the Palace.—Crowd in the - Streets.—Shops.—Cathedral of St - Paul.—Palace of the Prince of - Wales.—Oddities in the Shop Windows - - - LETTER VIII. - - Proclamation of Peace.—The English do 85 - not understand - Pageantry.—Illumination.—M. Otto’s - House.—Illuminations better managed at - Rome - - - LETTER IX. - - Execution of Governor Wall 97 - - - LETTER X. - - Martial Laws of England.—Limited Service 109 - advised.—Hints for Military Reform - - - LETTER XI. - - Shopmen, why preferred to Women in 119 - England.—Division of London into the - East and West Ends.—Low State of - domestic - Architecture.—Burlington-House - - - LETTER XII. - - Causes of the Change of Ministry not 127 - generally understood.—Catholic - Emancipation.—The Change acceptable to - the Nation.—State of Parties.—Strength - of the new Administration.—Its good - Effects.—Popularity of Mr Addington - - - LETTER XIII. - - Dress of the English without Variety.— 137 - Coal-heavers.—Post-men.—Art of - knocking at the Door.—Inscriptions - over the Shops.—Exhibitions in the - Shop-windows.—Chimney-sweepers.—May-day.—These - Sports originally religious - - - LETTER XIV. - - Description of the Inside, and of the 149 - Furniture, of an English House - - - LETTER XV. - - English Meals.—Clumsy Method of 164 - Butchery.—Lord Somerville.—Cruel - Manner of killing certain - Animals.—Luxuries of the - Table.—Liquors - - - LETTER XVI. - - Informers.—System upon which they 173 - act.—Anecdotes of their - Rascality.—Evil of encouraging - them.—English Character a Compound of - Contradictions - - - LETTER XVII. - - The Word _Home_ said to be peculiar to 180 - the English.—Propriety of the - Assertion questioned.—Comfort.—Curious - Conveniences.—Pocket-fender.—Hunting-razors - - - LETTER XVIII. - - Drury-Lane Theatre.—The Winter’s 187 - Tale.—Kemble.—Mrs Siddons.—Don Juan - - - LETTER XIX. - - English Church Service.—Banns of 200 - Marriage.—Inconvenience of having the - Sermon a regular Part.—Sermons an - Article of Trade.—Popular - Preachers.—Private Chapels - - - LETTER XX. - - Irreverence of English towards the 215 - Virgin Mary and the Saints.—Want of - Ceremonies in their Church.—Festival - Dainties.—Traces of Catholicism in - their Language and Oaths.—Disbelief of - Purgatory.—Fatal Consequences of this - Error.—Supposed Advantages of the - Schism examined.—Clergy not so - numerous as formerly - - - LETTER XXI. - - Show of Tulips.—Florists.—Passion for 228 - Rarities in England Queen Anne’s - Farthings.—Male Tortoise-shell - Cat.—Collectors.—The King of - Collectors - - - LETTER XXII. - - English Coins.—Paper Currency.—Frequent 241 - Executions for Forgery.—Doctor - Dodd.—Opinion that Prevention is the - End of Punishment.—This End not - answered by the Frequency of - Executions.—Plan for the Prevention of - Forgery rejected by the Bank - - - LETTER XXIII. - - Westminster Abbey.—Legend of its 256 - Consecration.—Its single Altar in bad - Taste.—Gothic or English - Architecture.—Monuments.—Banks the - Sculptor.—Wax-work.—Henry the - Seventh’s Chapel.—Mischievous - Propensity of the People to mutilate - the Monuments - - - LETTER XXIV. - - Complexion of the English contradictory 274 - to their historical - Theories.—Christian Names, and their - Diminutives.—System of Surnames.—Names - of the Months and Days.—Friday the - unlucky Day.—St Valentine.—Relics of - Catholicism - - - LETTER XXV. - - Vermin imported from all 285 - Parts.—Fox-Hunting.— - Shooting.—Destruction of the - Game.—Rural Sports - - - LETTER XXVI. - - Poor-Laws.—Work-Houses.—Sufferings of 294 - the Poor from the Climate.—Dangerous - State of England during the - Scarcity.—The Poor not bettered by the - Progress of Civilization - - - LETTER XXVII. - - Saint Paul’s.—Anecdote of a female 307 - Esquimaux.—Defect of Grecian - Architecture in cold - Climates.—Nakedness of the - Church.—Monuments.—Pictures offered by - Sir Joshua Reynolds, &c. and - refused.—Ascent.—View from the Summit - - - LETTER XXVIII. - - State of the English Catholics.—Their 322 - prudent Silence in the Days of - Jacobitism.—The Church of England - jealous of the Dissenters.—Riots in - 1780.—Effects of the French - Revolution.—The Re-establishment of - the Monastic Orders in England.—Number - of Nunneries and Catholic - Seminaries.—The Poor easily - converted.—Catholic Writers.—Dr Geddes - - - LETTER XXIX. - - Number of Sects in England, all 333 - appealing to the - Scriptures.—Puritans.—Nonjurors.—Rise - of Socinianism, and its probable - Downfall - - - LETTER XXX. - - Watering Places.—Taste for the 346 - Picturesque.—Encomiendas - - - LETTER XXXI. - - Journey to Oxford.—Stage-Coach 354 - Travelling and Company - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - ESPRIELLA’S - - LETTERS FROM ENGLAND. - - --------------------- - - - - - LETTER I. - -_Arrival at Falmouth.—Custom House.—Food of the English.—Noise and - Bustle at the Inn._ - - - Wednesday, April 21, 1802. - -I write to you from English ground. On the twelfth morning after our -departure from Lisbon we came in sight of the Lizard, two light-houses -on the rocks near the Land’s End, which mark a dangerous shore. The day -was clear, and showed us the whole coast to advantage; but if these be -the white cliffs of England, they have been strangely magnified by -report: their forms are uninteresting, and their heights diminutive; if -a score such were piled under Cape Finisterre, they would look like a -flight of stairs to the Spanish mountains. I made this observation to -J—, who could not help acknowledging the truth, but he bade me look at -the green fields. The verdure was certainly very delightful, and that -not merely because our eyes were wearied with the gray sea: the -appearance was like green corn, though approaching nearer I perceived -that the colour never changed; for the herb, being kept short by cattle, -does not move with the wind. - -We passed in sight of St Maurs, a little fishing-town on the east of the -bay, and anchored about noon at Falmouth. There is a man always on the -look-out for the packets; he makes a signal as soon as one is seen, and -every woman who has a husband on board gives him a shilling for the -intelligence. I went through some troublesome forms upon landing, in -consequence of the inhospitable laws enacted at the beginning of the -war. There were then the vexatious ceremonies of the custom-house to be -performed, where double fees were exacted for passing our baggage at -extraordinary hours. J— bade me not judge of his countrymen by their -sea-ports: it is a proverb, said he, “that the people at these places -are all either birds of passage, or birds of prey”; it is their business -to fleece us, and ours to be silent.—Patience where there is no -remedy!—our own aphorism, I find, is as needful abroad as at home. But -if ever some new Cervantes should arise to write a mock heroic, let him -make his hero pass through a custom-house on his descent to the infernal -regions. - -The inn appeared magnificent to me; my friend complained that it was -dirty and uncomfortable. I cannot relish their food: they eat their meat -half raw; the vegetables are never boiled enough to be soft; and every -thing is insipid except the bread, which is salt, bitter, and -disagreeable. Their beer is far better in Spain, the voyage and the -climate ripen it. The cheese and butter were more to my taste; _manteca_ -indeed is not butter, and the Englishman[1] who wanted to call it so at -Cadiz was as inaccurate in his palate as in his ideas. Generous wines -are inordinately dear, and no others are to be procured; about a dollar -a bottle is the price. What you find at the inns is in general miserably -bad; they know this, and yet drink that the host may be satisfied with -their expences: our custom of paying for the house-room is more -economical, and better. - -Footnote 1: - - This blunder has been applied to the French word _eau_. Which ever may - be original, it certainly ought not to be palmed upon an - Englishman.—TR. - -Falmouth stands on the western side of the bay, and consists of one long -narrow street which exhibits no favourable specimen either of the -boasted cleanliness or wealth of the English towns. The wealthier -merchants dwell a little out of the town upon the shore, or on the -opposite side of the bay at a little place called Flushing. The harbour, -which is very fine, is commanded by the castle of Pendennis; near its -mouth there is a single rock, on which a pole is erected because it is -covered at high tide. A madman not many years ago carried his wife here -at low water, landed her on the rock, and rowed away in sport; nor did -he return till her danger as well as fear had become extreme. - -Some time since the priest of this place was applied to to bury a -certain person from the adjoining country. “Why, John,” said he to the -sexton, “we buried this man a dozen years ago:” and in fact it appeared -on referring to the books of the church that his funeral had been -registered ten years back. He had been bed-ridden and in a state of -dotage during all that time; and his heirs had made a mock burial, to -avoid certain legal forms and expenses which would else have been -necessary to enable them to receive and dispose of his rents. I was also -told another anecdote of an inhabitant of this town, not unworthy of a -stoic:—His house was on fire; it contained his whole property; and when -he found it was in vain to attempt saving any thing, he went upon the -nearest hill and made a drawing of the conflagration:—an admirable -instance of English phlegm! - -The perpetual stir and bustle in this inn is as surprising as it is -wearisome. Doors opening and shutting, bells ringing, voices calling to -the waiter from every quarter, while he cries “Coming,” to one room, and -hurries away to another. Every body is in a hurry here; either they are -going off in the packets, and are hastening their preparations to -embark; or they have just arrived, and are impatient to be on the road -homeward. Every now-and-then a carriage rattles up to the door with a -rapidity which makes the very house shake. The man who cleans the boots -is running in one direction, the barber with his powder-bag in another; -here goes the barber’s boy with his hot water and razors; there comes -the clean linen from the washer-woman; and the hall is full of porters -and sailors bringing in luggage, or bearing it away;—now you hear a horn -blow because the post is coming in, and in the middle of the night you -are awakened by another because it is going out. Nothing is done in -England without a noise, and yet noise is the only thing they forget in -the bill! - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - LETTER II. - -_Mode of Travelling.—Penryn.—Truro.—Dreariness of the - Country.—Bodmin.—Earth-Coal the common Fuel.—Launceston.—Excellence - of the Inns and Roads.—Okehampton.—Exeter._ - - - Thursday, April 22. - -Early in the morning our chaise was at the door, a four-wheeled carriage -which conveniently carries three persons. It has glass in front and at -the sides, instead of being closed with curtains, so that you at once -see the country and are sheltered from the weather. Two horses drew us -at the rate of a league and a half in the hour;—such is the rapidity -with which the English travel. Half a league from Falmouth is the little -town of Penryn, whose ill-built and narrow streets seem to have been -contrived to make as many acute angles in the road, and take the -traveller up and down as many steep declivities as possible in a given -distance. In two hours we reached Truro, where we breakfasted: this meal -is completely spoilt by the abominable bitterness of the bread, to which -I shall not soon be able to reconcile myself. The town is clean and -opulent; its main street broad, with superb shops, and a little gutter -stream running through it. All the shops have windows to them; the -climate is so inclement that it would be impossible to live without -them. J— showed me where some traveller had left the expression of his -impatience written upon the wainscot with a pencil—“Thanks to the Gods -another stage is past”—for all travellers are in haste here, either on -their way home, or to be in time for the packet. When we proceeded the -day had become dark and overclouded;—quite English weather:—I could -scarcely keep myself warm in my cloak: the trees have hardly a tinge of -green, though it is now so late in April. Every thing has a coarse and -cold appearance: the heath looks nipt in its growth, and the -hedge-plants are all mean and insignificant: nettles, and thistles, and -thorns, instead of the aloe, and the acanthus, and the arbutus, and the -vine. We soon entered upon a track as dreary as any in Estremadura; mile -after mile the road lay straight before us; up and down long hills, -whose heights only served to show how extensive was the waste. - -Mitchel-Dean, the next place to which we came, is as miserable as any of -our most decayed towns; it is what they call a rotten borough: that is, -it has the privilege of returning two members to parliament, who -purchase the votes of their constituents, and the place has no other -trade:—it has indeed a very rotten appearance. Even the poorest houses -in this country are glazed: this, however, proves rather the inclemency -of the climate than the wealth of the people. Our second stage was to a -single house called the Indian Queens, which is rather a post-house than -an inn. These places are not distinguished by a bush, though that was -once the custom here also, but by a large painting swung from a sort of -gallows before the door, or nailed above it, and the house takes its -name from the sign. Lambs, horses, bulls, and stags, are common; -sometimes they have red lions, green dragons, or blue boars, or the head -of the king or queen, or the arms of the nearest nobleman. One -inconvenience attends their mode of travelling, which is, that at every -stage the chaise is changed, and of course there is the trouble of -removing all the baggage. - -The same dreary country still lay before us; on the right there was a -wild rock rising at once from the plain, with a ruin upon its summit. -Nothing can be more desolate than the appearance of this province, where -most part of the inhabitants live in the mines. “I never see the greater -part of my parishioners,” said a clergyman here, “till they come up to -be buried.” We dined at Bodmin, an old town which was once the chief -seat of religion in the district, but has materially suffered since the -schism; ill-built, yet not worse built than situated, being shadowed by -a hill to the south; and to complete the list of ill contrivances, their -water is brought through the common burial-place. They burn earth-coal -every where; it is a black shining stone, very brittle, which kindles -slowly, making much smoke, and much ashes: but as all the houses are -built with chimneys, it is neither unwholesome nor disagreeable. An -Englishman’s delight is to stir the fire; and I believe I shall soon -acquire this part of their manners, as a means of self-defence against -their raw and chilly atmosphere. The hearth is furnished with a round -bar to move the coals, a sort of forceps to arrange them, and a small -shovel for the cinders; all of iron, and so shaped and polished as to be -ornamental. Besides these, there is what they call the fender, which is -a little moveable barrier, either of brass or polished steel, or -sometimes of wire painted green and capt with brass, to prevent the live -embers from falling upon the floor. The grates which confine the fire -are often very costly and beautiful, every thing being designed to -display the wealth of the people; even the bars, though they are -necessarily blackened every day by the smoke, are regularly brightened -in the morning, and this work is performed by women. In good houses the -chimneys have a marble frontal, upon the top of which vases of alabaster -or spar, mandarins from China, flower-stands, or other ornaments, are -arranged. - -After dinner we proceeded to Launceston; the country improved upon us, -and the situation of the place as we approached, standing upon a hill, -with the ruins of the castle which had once commanded it, reminded me of -our Moorish towns. We arrived just as the evening was closing; our -chaise wheeled under the gateway with a clangor that made the roof ring; -the waiter was at the door in an instant; by the time we could let down -the glass, he had opened the door and let the steps down. We were shown -into a comfortable room; lights were brought, the twilight shut out, the -curtains let down, the fire replenished. Instead of oil, they burn -candles made of tallow, which in this climate is not offensive; wax is -so dear that it is used by only the highest ranks. - -Here we have taken our tea; and in the interval between that and supper, -J— is reading the newspaper, and I am minuting down the recollections of -the day. What a country for travelling is this! such rapidity on the -road! such accommodations at the resting-places! We have advanced -fourteen leagues to-day without fatigue or exertion. When we arrive at -the inn there is no apprehension lest the apartments should be -pre-occupied; we are not liable to any unpleasant company; we have not -to send abroad to purchase wine and seek for provisions; every thing is -ready; the larder stored, the fire burning, the beds prepared; and the -people of the house, instead of idly looking on, or altogether -neglecting us, are asking our orders and solicitous to please. I no -longer wonder at the ill-humour and fastidiousness of Englishmen in -Spain. - - * * * * * - - Friday, April 23. - -Launceston castle was formerly used as a state prison. There were -lazar-houses here and at Bodmin when leprosy was common in England. They -attributed this disease to the habit of eating fish, and especially the -livers; the fresher they were the more unwholesome they were thought. -Whatever has been the cause, whether change of diet, or change of dress, -it has totally disappeared. - -The Tamar, a clear shallow and rapid stream, flows by Launceston, and -divides Cornwall from Devonshire. The mountainous character of the -river, the situation of the town rising behind it, its ancient -appearance, and its castle towering above all, made so Spanish a scene, -that perhaps it pleased me the more for the resemblance; and I would -willingly for a while have exchanged the chaise for a mule, that I might -have loitered to enjoy it at leisure. The English mode of travelling is -excellently adapted for every thing, except for seeing the country. - -We met a stage-waggon, the vehicle in which baggage is transported, for -sumpter-beasts are not in use. I could not imagine what this could be; a -huge carriage upon four wheels of prodigious breadth, very wide and very -long, and arched over with cloth, like a bower, at a considerable -height: this monstrous machine was drawn by eight large horses, whose -neck-bells were heard far off as they approached; the carrier walked -beside them, with a long whip upon his shoulder, as tall again as -himself, which he sometimes cracked in the air, seeming to have no -occasion to exercise it in any other manner; his dress was different -from any that I had yet seen, it was a sort of tunic of coarse linen, -and is peculiar to this class of men. Here would have been an adventure -for Don Quixote! Carrying is here a very considerable trade: these -waggons are day and night upon their way, and are oddly enough called -flying waggons, though of all machines they travel the slowest, slower -than even a travelling funeral. The breadth of the wheels is regulated -by law, on account of the roads, to which great attention is paid, and -which are deservedly esteemed objects of national importance. At certain -distances gates are erected and toll-houses beside them, where a regular -tax is paid for every kind of conveyance in proportion to the number of -horses and wheels; horsemen and cattle also are subject to this duty. -These gates are rented by auction; they are few or frequent, as the -nature of the soil occasions more or less expense in repairs: no tax can -be levied more fairly, and no public money is more fairly applied. -Another useful peculiarity here is, that where the roads cross or branch -off a directing post is set up, which might sometimes be mistaken for a -cross, were it in a Catholic country. The distances are measured by the -mile, which is the fourth of a league, and stones to mark them are set -by the way-side, though they are often too much defaced by time or by -mischievous travellers to be of any use. - -The dresses of the peasantry are far less interesting than they are in -our own land; they are neither gay in colour, nor graceful in shape; -that of the men differs little in make from what the higher orders wear. -I have seen no goats; they are not common, for neither their flesh nor -their milk is in use; the people seem not to know how excellent the milk -is, and how excellent a cheese may be made from it. All the sheep are -white, and these also are never milked. Here are no aqueducts, no -fountains by the way-side. - -Okehampton, which we next came to, stands in the county of Devonshire; -here also is a ruined castle on its hill, beautifully ivyed, and -standing above a delightful stream. There was in our room a series of -prints, which, as they represented a sport peculiar to England, -interested me much: it was the hunting the hare. The first displayed the -sportsmen assembled on horseback, and the dogs searching the cover: in -the second they were in chace, men and dogs full speed, horse and -horseman together leaping over a high gate,—a thing which I thought -impossible, but J— assured me that it was commonly practised in this -perilous amusement: in the third they were at fault, while the poor hare -was stealing away at a distance: the last was the death of the hare, the -huntsman holding her up and winding his horn, while the dogs are leaping -round him. - -This province appears far more fertile than the one we have quitted; the -wealth of which lies under ground. The beauty of the country is much -injured by inclosures, which intercept the view, or cut it into patches; -it is not, however, quite fair to judge of them in their present -leafless state. The road was very hilly, a thick small rain came on, and -prevented us from seeing any thing. Wet as is the climate of the whole -island, these two western provinces are particularly subject to rain; -for they run out between the English and Bristol channels, like a -peninsula; in other respects their climate is better, the temperature -being considerably warmer; so that sickly persons are sent to winter -here upon the south coast. Much cyder is made here: it is a far -pleasanter liquor than their beer, and may indeed be considered as an -excellent beverage by a people to whom nature has denied the grape. I -ought, perhaps, to say, that it is even better than our country wines; -but what we drank was generous cyder, and at a price exceeding that -which generous wine bears with us; so that the advantage is still ours. - -We only stopped to change chaises at our next stage; the inn was not -inviting in its appearance, and we had resolved to reach Exeter to a -late dinner. There were two busts in porcelain upon the chimney-piece, -one of Buonaparte, the other of John Wesley, the founder of a numerous -sect in this land of schismatics; and between them a whole-length figure -of Shakespeare, their famous dramatist. When J— had explained them to -me, I asked him which of the three worthies was the most popular. -“Perhaps,” said he, “the Corsican just at present; but his is a -transient popularity; he is only the first political actor of the day, -and, like all other stage-players, must one day give way to his -successors, as his predecessors have given way to him. Moreover, he is -rather notorious than popular; the king of Prussia was a favourite with -the people, and they hung up his picture as an alehouse sign, as they -had done prince Eugene before him, and many a fellow gets drunk under -them still; but no one will set up Buonaparte’s head as an invitation. -Wesley, on the contrary, is a saint with his followers, and indeed with -almost all the lower classes. As for Shakespeare, these people know -nothing of him but his name; he is famous in the strictest sense of the -word, and his fame will last as long as the English language; which by -God’s blessing will be as long as the habitable world itself.” “He is -your saint!” said I, smiling at the warmth with which he spake. - -At length we crossed the river Exe by a respectable bridge, and -immediately entered the city of Exeter, and drove up a long street to an -inn as large as a large convent. Is it possible, I asked, that this -immense house can ever be filled by travellers? He told me in reply, -that there were two other inns in the city nearly as large, besides many -smaller ones; and yet, that the last time he passed through Exeter, they -were obliged to procure a bed for him in a private dwelling, not having -one unoccupied in the house. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - LETTER III. - -_Exeter Cathedral and Public Walk.—Libraries.—Honiton.—Dangers - of English Travelling, and Cruelty with which it is - attended.—Axminster.—Bridport._ - - - Saturday, April 24. - -If the outside of this New London Inn, as it is called, surprised me, I -was far more surprised at the interior. Excellent as the houses appeared -at which we had already halted, they were mean and insignificant -compared with this. There was a sofa in our apartment, and the sideboard -was set forth with china and plate. Surely, however, these articles of -luxury are misplaced, as they are not in the slightest degree necessary -to the accommodation of a traveller, and must be considered in his bill. - -Exeter is an ancient city, and has been so slow in adopting modern -improvements that it has the unsavoury odour of Lisbon. One great street -runs through the city from east to west; the rest consists of dirty -lanes. As you cross the bridge, you look down upon a part of the town -below, intersected by little channels of water. The cathedral is a fine -object from those situations where both towers are seen, and only half -the body of the building, rising above the city. It cannot be compared -with Seville, or Cordova, or Burgos; yet certainly it is a noble pile. -Even the heretics confess that the arches, and arched windows, and -avenues of columns, the old monuments, the painted altar, and the -coloured glass, impress them with a feeling favourable to religion. For -myself, I felt that I stood upon ground, which, desecrated as it was, -had once been holy. - -Close to our inn is the entrance of the Norney or public walk. The trees -are elms, and have attained their full growth: indeed I have never seen -a finer walk; but every town has not its Norney[2] as with us its -_alameda_. I was shown a garden, unique in its kind, which has been made -in the old castle ditch. The banks rise steeply on each side; one of the -finest poplars in the country grows in the bottom, and scarcely overtops -the ruined wall. Jackson, one of the most accomplished men of his age, -directed these improvements; and never was accident more happily -improved. He was chiefly celebrated as a musician; but as a man of -letters, his reputation is considerable; and he was also a painter: few -men, if any, have succeeded so well in so many of the fine arts. Of the -castle itself there are but few remains; it was named Rougemont, from -the colour of the red sandy eminence on which it stands, and for the -same reason the city itself was called by the Britons The Red City. - -Footnote 2: - - The author seems to have mistaken this for a general name.—TR. - -In most of the English towns they have what they call circulating -libraries: the subscribers, for an annual or quarterly payment, have two -or more volumes at a time, according to the terms; and strangers may be -accommodated on depositing the value of the book they choose. There are -several of these in Exeter, one of which, I was told, was considered as -remarkably good, the bookseller being himself a man of considerable -learning and ability. Here was also a literary society of some -celebrity, till the French revolution, which seems to have disturbed -every town, village, and almost every family in the kingdom, broke it -up. The inhabitants in general are behindhand with their countrymen in -information and in refinement. The streets are not flagged, neither are -they regularly cleaned, as in other parts of the kingdom; the -corporation used to compel the townspeople to keep their doors clean, as -is usual in every English town; but some little while ago it was -discovered, that, by the laws of the city, they had no authority to -insist upon this; and now the people will not remove the dirt from their -own doors, because they say they cannot be forced to do it. Their -politics are as little progressive as their police: to this day, when -they speak of the Americans, they call them the rebels. Everywhere else, -this feeling is extinguished among the people, though it still remains -in another quarter. When Washington died, his will was published in the -newspapers; but in those which are immediately under ministerial -influence, it was suppressed by high authority. It was not thought -fitting that any respect should be paid to the memory of a man whom the -Sovereign considered as a rebel and a traitor. - -The celebrated Priestley met with a singular instance of popular hatred -in this place. A barber who was shaving him heard his name in the midst -of the operation;—he dropt his razor immediately, and ran out of the -room exclaiming, “that he had seen his cloven foot.” - -I bought here a map of England, folded for the pocket, with the roads -and distances all marked upon it. I purchased also a book of the roads, -in which not only the distance of every place in the kingdom from -London, and from each other, is set down, but also the best inn at each -place is pointed out, the name mentioned of every gentleman’s seat near -the road, and the objects which are most worthy a traveller’s notice. -Every thing that can possibly facilitate travelling seems to have been -produced by the commercial spirit of this people. - -As the chief trade of Exeter lies with Spain, few places have suffered -so much by the late war. We departed about noon the next day; and as we -ascended the first hill, looked down upon the city and its cathedral -towers to great advantage. Our stage was four leagues, along a road -which, a century ago, when there was little travelling, and no care -taken of the public ways, was remarkable as the best in the West of -England. The vale of Honiton, which we overlooked on the way, is -considered as one of the richest landscapes in the kingdom: it is indeed -a prodigious extent of highly cultivated country, set thickly with -hedges and hedge-row trees; and had we seen it either in its full summer -green, or with the richer colouring of autumn, perhaps I might not have -been disappointed. Yet I should think the English landscape can never -appear rich to a southern eye: the verdure is indeed beautiful and -refreshing, but green fields and timber trees have neither the variety -nor the luxuriance of happier climates. England seems to be the paradise -of sheep and cattle; Valencia of the human race. - -Honiton, the town where we changed chaises, has nothing either -interesting or remarkable in its appearance, except that here, as at -Truro, a little stream flows along the street, and little cisterns or -basons, for dipping places, are made before every door. Lace is -manufactured here in imitation of the Flanders lace, to which it is -inferior because it thickens in washing; the fault is in the thread. I -have reason to remember this town, as our lives were endangered here by -the misconduct of the innkeeper. There was a demur about procuring -horses for us; a pair were fetched from the field, as we afterwards -discovered, who had either never been in harness before, or so long out -of it as to have become completely unmanageable. As soon as we were shut -in, and the driver shook the reins, they ran off—a danger which had been -apprehended; for a number of persons had collected round the inn door to -see what would be the issue. The driver, who deserved whatever harm -could happen to him, for having exposed himself and us to so much -danger, had no command whatever over the frightened beasts; he lost his -seat presently, and was thrown upon the pole between the horses; still -he kept the reins, and almost miraculously prevented himself from -falling under the wheels, till the horses were stopped at a time when we -momently expected that he would be run over and the chaise overturned. -As I saw nothing but ill at this place, so have I heard nothing that is -good of it: the borough is notoriously venal; and since it has become so -the manners of the people have undergone a marked and correspondent -alteration. - -This adventure occasioned considerable delay. At length a chaise -arrived; and the poor horses, instead of being suffered to rest, weary -as they were, for they had just returned from Exeter, were immediately -put-to for another journey. One of them had been rubbed raw by the -harness. I was in pain the whole way, and could not but consider myself -as accessory to an act of cruelty: at every stroke of the whip my -conscience upbraided me, and the driver was not sparing of it. It was -luckily a short stage of only two leagues and a quarter. English -travelling, you see, has its evils and its dangers. The life of a -post-horse is truly wretched:—there will be cruel individuals in all -countries, but cruelty here is a matter of calculation: the post-masters -find it more profitable to overwork their beasts and kill them by hard -labour in two or three years, than to let them do half the work and live -out their natural length of life. In commerce, even more than in war, -both men and beasts are considered merely as machines, and sacrificed -with even less compunction. - -There is a great fabric of carpets at Axminster, which are woven in one -entire piece. We were not detained here many minutes, and here we left -the county of Devonshire, which in climate and fertility and beauty is -said to exceed most parts of England: if it be indeed so, England has -little to boast of. Both their famous pirates, the Drake and the -Raleigh, were natives of this province; so also was Oxenham, another of -these early Buccaneers, of whose family it is still reported, that -before any one dies a bird with a white breast flutters about the bed of -the sick person, and vanishes when he expires. - -We now entered upon Dorsetshire, a dreary country. Hitherto I had been -disposed to think that the English inclosures rather deformed than -beautified the landscape, but I now perceived how cheerless and naked -the cultivated country appears without them. The hills here are ribbed -with furrows, just as it is their fashion to score the skin of roast -pork. The soil is chalky and full of flints: night was setting-in, and -our horses struck fire at almost every step. This is one of the most -salubrious parts of the whole island: it has been ascertained by the -late census, that the proportion of deaths in the down-countries to the -other parts is as 65 to 80,—a certain proof that inclosures are -prejudicial to health.[3] After having travelled three leagues we -reached Bridport, a well-built and flourishing town. At one time all the -cordage for the English navy was manufactured here; and the -neighbourhood is so proverbially productive of hemp, that when a man is -hanged, they have a vulgar saying, that he has been stabbed with a -Bridport dagger. It is probable that both hemp and flax degenerate in -England, as seed is annually imported from Riga. - -Footnote 3: - - The dryness of soil is a more probable cause.—TR. - -Here ends our third day’s journey. The roads are better, the towns -nearer each other, more busy and more opulent as we advance into the -country; the inns more modern though perhaps not better, and travelling -more frequent. We are now in the track of the stage-coaches; one passed -us this morning, shaped like a trunk with a rounded lid placed -topsy-turvy. The passengers sit sideways; it carries sixteen persons -withinside, and as many on the roof as can find room; yet this -unmerciful weight, with the proportionate luggage of each person, is -dragged by four horses, at the rate of a league and a half within the -hour. The skill with which the driver guides them with long reins, and -directs these huge machines round the corners of the streets, where they -always go with increased velocity, and through the sharp turns of the -inn gateways, is truly surprising. Accidents, nevertheless, frequently -happen; and considering how little time this rapidity allows for -observing the country, and how cruelly it is purchased, I prefer the -slow and safe movements of the calessa. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - LETTER IV. - -_Dorchester.—Gilbert Wakefield.—Inside of an English Church.—Attempt to - rear Silkworms.—Down-country.—Blandford.—Salisbury.—Execrable - Alteration of the Cathedral.—Instance of public Impiety._ - - - Sunday, April 25. - -We started early, and hurried over four leagues of the same open and -uninteresting country, which brought us to Dorchester, the capital of -the province, or county town, as it is called, because the provincial -prison is here, and here the judges come twice a-year to decide all -causes civil and criminal. The prison is a modern building: the height -and strength of its walls, its iron-grated windows, and its strong -gateway, with fetters hanging over the entrance, sufficiently -characterise it as a place of punishment, and render it a good -representation of a giant’s castle in romance. - -When J— passed through this town on his way to Spain, he visited Gilbert -Wakefield, a celebrated scholar, who was confined here as a favourer of -the French Revolution. One of the bishops had written a book upon the -state of public affairs, just at the time when the minister proposed to -take from every man the tithe of his income: this the bishop did not -think sufficient; so he suggested instead, that a tenth should be levied -of all the capital in the kingdom; arguing, that as every person would -be affected in the same proportion, all would remain relatively as -before, and in fact no person be affected at all. This curious argument -he enforced by as curious an illustration; he said, “That if the -foundation of a great building were to sink equally in every part at the -same time, the whole pile, instead of suffering any injury, would become -the firmer.”—“True,” said Wakefield in his reply, “and you, my lord -bishop, who dwell in the upper apartments, might still enjoy the -prospect from your window;—but what would become of me and the good -people who live upon the ground floor?” - -Wakefield was particularly obnoxious to the government, because his -character stood very high among the Dissenters for learning and -integrity, and his opinions were proportionately of weight. They brought -him to trial for having in his answer to the bishop’s pamphlet applied -the fable of the Ass and his Panniers to existing circumstances. Had it -indeed been circulated among the poor, its tendency would certainly have -been mischievous; but in the form in which it appeared it was evidently -designed as a warning to the rulers, not as an address to the mob. He -was, however, condemned to two years confinement in this prison, this -place being chosen as out of reach of his friends, to make imprisonment -more painful. The public feeling upon this rigorous treatment of so -eminent a man was strongly expressed, and a subscription was publicly -raised for him which amounted to above fifteen hundred pieces-of-eight, -and which enabled his family to remove to Dorchester and settle there. -But the magistrates, whose business it was to oversee the prison, would -neither permit them to lodge with him in his confinement, nor even to -visit him daily. He was thus prevented from proceeding with the -education of his children, an occupation which he had ever regarded as a -duty, and which had been one of his highest enjoyments. But, in the -midst of vexations and insults, he steadily continued to pursue both his -literary and christian labours; affording to his fellow prisoners what -assistance was in his power, endeavouring to reclaim the vicious, and -preparing the condemned for death. His imprisonment eventually proved -fatal. He had been warned on its expiration to accustom himself slowly -to his former habits of exercise, or a fever would inevitably be the -consequence; a fact known by experience. In spite of all his precautions -it took place; and while his friends were rejoicing at his deliverance -he was cut off. As a polemical and political writer he indulged an -asperity of language which he had learnt from his favourite -philologists, but in private life no man was more generally or more -deservedly beloved, and he had a fearless and inflexible honesty which -made him utterly regardless of all danger, and would have enabled him to -exult in martyrdom. When J— had related this history to me, I could not -but observe how far more humane it was to prevent the publication of -obnoxious books than to permit them to be printed and then punish the -persons concerned. “This,” he said, “would be too open a violation of -the liberty of the press.” - -By the time we had breakfasted the bells for divine service were -ringing, and I took the opportunity to step into one of their churches. -The office is performed in a desk immediately under the pulpit, not at -the altar: there were no lights burning, nor any church vessels, nor -ornaments to be seen. Monuments are fixed against the walls and pillars, -and I thought there was a damp and unwholesome smell, perhaps because I -involuntarily expected the frankincense. They have an abominable custom -of partitioning their churches into divisions which they call pews, and -which are private property; so that the wealthy sit at their ease, or -kneel upon cushions, while the poor stand during the whole service in -the aisle. - -An attempt was made something more than a century ago to rear silkworms -in this neighbourhood by a Mr Newberry; a man of many whimsies he was -called, and whimsical indeed he must have been; for the different -buildings for his silkworms and his laboratories were so numerous that -his house looked like a village, and all his laundry and dairy work was -done by men, because he would suffer no women servants about him. - -The road still lay over the downs; this is a great sheep country, above -150,000 are annually sold from Dorsetshire to other parts of England; -they are larger than ours, and I think less beautiful, the wool being -more curled and less soft in its appearance. It was once supposed that -the thyme in these pastures was so nourishing as to make the ewes -produce twins, a story which may be classed with the tale of the -Lusitanian foals of the wind; it is however true that the ewes are -purchased by the farmers near the metropolis, for the sake of fattening -their lambs for the London market, because they yean earlier than any -others. The day was very fine, and the sight of this open and naked -country, where nothing was to be seen but an extent of short green turf -under a sky of cloudless blue, was singular and beautiful. There are -upon the downs many sepulchral hillocks, here called barrows, of -antiquity beyond the reach of history. We past by a village church as -the people were assembling for service, men and women all in their clean -Sunday clothes; the men standing in groups by the church-yard stile, or -before the porch, or sitting upon the tombstones, a hale and ruddy race. -The dresses seem every where the same, without the slightest provincial -difference: all the men wear hats, the least graceful and least -convenient covering for the head that ever was devised. I have not yet -seen a cocked hat except upon the officers. They bury the dead both in -town and country round the churches, and the church-yards are full of -upright stones, on which the name and age of the deceased is inscribed, -usually with some account of his good qualities, and not unfrequently -some rude religious rhyme. I observe that the oldest churches are always -the most beautiful, here as well as every where else; for as we think -more of ourselves and less of religion, more of this world and less of -the next, we build better houses and worse churches. There are no storks -here: the jackdaw, a social and noisy bird, commonly builds in the -steeples. Little reverence is shown either to the church or the -cemetery; the boys play with a ball against the tower, and the priest’s -horse is permitted to graze upon the graves. - -At Blandford we changed chaises; a wealthy and cheerful town. The -English cities have no open centre like our _plazas_; but, in amends for -this, the streets are far wider and more airy: indeed they have never -sun enough to make them desirous of shade. The prosperity of the kingdom -has been fatal to the antiquities, and consequently to the picturesque -beauty of the towns. Walls, gates, and castles have been demolished to -make room for the growth of streets. You are delighted with the -appearance of opulence in the houses, and the perfect cleanliness every -where when you are within the town; but without, there is nothing which -the painter would choose for his subject, nothing to call up the -recollections of old times, and those feelings with which we always -remember the age of the shield and the lance. - -This town and Dorchester, but this in particular, has suffered much from -fire; a tremendous calamity which is every day occurring in England, and -against which daily and dreadful experience has not yet taught them to -adopt any general means of prevention. There are large plantations about -Blandford:—I do not like the English method of planting in what they -call belts about their estates; nothing can be more formal or less -beautiful, especially as the fir is the favourite tree, which precludes -all variety of shape and colour. By some absurdity which I cannot -explain, they set the young trees so thick that unless three-fourths be -weeded out, the remainder cannot grow at all; and when they are weeded, -those which are left, if they do not wither and perish in consequence of -the exposure, rarely attain to any size or strength. - -Our next stage was to the episcopal city of Salisbury; here we left the -down-country, and once more entered upon cultivated fields and -inclosures. The trees in these hedge-rows, if they are at all lofty, -have all their boughs clipt to the very top; nothing can look more naked -and deplorable. When they grow by the way-side, this is enjoined by law, -because their droppings after rain injure the road, and their shade -prevents it from drying. The climate has so much rain and so little sun, -that over-hanging boughs have been found in like manner injurious to -pasture or arable lands, and the trees, therefore, are every where thus -deformed. The approach to Salisbury is very delightful;—little rivers or -rivulets are seen in every direction; houses extending into the country, -garden-trees within the city, and the spire of the cathedral -over-topping all; the highest and the most beautiful in the whole -kingdom. - -We visited this magnificent building while our dinner was getting ready: -like all such buildings, it has its traditional tales of absurdity and -exaggeration—that it has as many private chapels as months in a year, as -many doors as weeks, as many pillars as days, as many windows as hours, -and as many partitions in the windows as minutes: they say also, that it -is founded upon wool-packs, because nothing else could resist the -humidity of the soil. It has lately undergone, or, I should rather say, -suffered a thorough repair in the true spirit of reformation. Every -thing has been cleared away to give it the appearance of one huge room. -The little chapels, which its pious founders and benefactors had erected -in the hope of exciting piety in others, and profiting by their prayers, -are all swept away! but you may easily conceive what wild work a -protestant architect must make with a cathedral, when he fits it to his -own notions of architecture, without the slightest feeling or knowledge -of the design with which such buildings were originally erected. The -naked monuments are now ranged in rows between the pillars, one opposite -another, like couples for a dance, so as never monuments were placed -before, and, it is to be hoped, never will be placed hereafter. Here is -the tomb of a nobleman, who, in the reign of our Philip and Mary, was -executed for murder, like a common malefactor, with this difference -only, that he had the privilege of being hanged in a silken halter; a -singularity which, instead of rendering his death less ignominious, has -made the ignominy more notorious. The cloisters and the chapter-house -have escaped alteration. I have seen more beautiful cloisters in our own -country, but never a finer chapterhouse; it is supported, as usual, by -one central pillar, whose top arches off on all sides, like the head of -a spreading palm. The bishop’s palace was bought during the reign of the -presbyterians by a rich tailor, who demolished it and sold the -materials. - -The cemetery has suffered even more than the church, if more be -possible, from the abominable sacrilege, and abominable taste of the -late bishop and his chapter. They have destroyed all memorials of the -dead, for the sake of laying it down as a smooth well-shorn grass plat, -garnished with bright yellow gravel walks! This suits no feeling of the -mind connected with religious reverence, with death, or with the hope of -immortality; indeed it suits with nothing except a new painted window at -the altar, of truly English design, (for England is not the country of -the arts,) and an organ, bedecked with crocketed pinnacles, more than -ever was Gothic tower, and of stone colour, to imitate masonry! This, -however, it should be added, was given in a handsome manner by the King. -A subscription was raised through the diocese to repair the cathedral, -the King having enquired of the bishop how it succeeded, proceeded to -ask why he himself had not been applied to for a contribution. The -prelate, with courtly submission, disclaimed such presumption as highly -improper. I live at Windsor, said the King, in your diocese, and, though -I am not rich, can afford to give you an organ, which I know you want; -so order one in my name, and let it be suitable to so fine a cathedral. - -The soil here abounds so much with water, that there are no vaults in -the churches, nor cellars in the city; a spring will sometimes gush up -when they are digging a grave. Little streams flow through several of -the streets, so that the city has been called the English Venice; but -whoever gave it this appellation, either had never seen Venice, or -grossly flattered Salisbury. Indeed, till the resemblance was invented, -these streamlets were rather thought inconvenient than beautiful; and -travellers complained that they made the streets not so clean and not so -easy of passage, as they would have been otherwise. The place is famous -for the manufactory of knives and scissars, which are here brought to -the greatest possible perfection. I am sorry it happened to be Sunday; -for the shops, which form so lively a feature in English towns, are all -fastened up with shutters, which give the city a melancholy and mourning -appearance. I saw, however, a priest walking in his cassock from the -church,—the only time when the priests are distinguished in their dress -from the laity. - -A remarkable instance of insolent impiety occurred lately in a village -near this place. A man, in derision of religion, directed in his will, -that his horse should be caparisoned and led to his grave, and there -shot, and buried with him, that he might be ready to mount at the -resurrection, and start to advantage. To the disgrace of the country -this was actually performed; the executors and the legatees probably -thought themselves bound to obey the will; but it is unaccountable why -the clergyman did not interfere, and apply to the bishop. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - LETTER V. - -_Old Sarum.—Country thinly peopled,—Basingstoke.—Ruins of a Catholic - Chapel.—Waste Land near London.—Staines.—Iron Bridges.—Custom of - exposing the dead Bodies of Criminals.—Hounslow.—Brentford.—Approach - to London.—Arrival._ - - - Monday, April 26. - -Half a league from Salisbury, close on the left of the London road, is -Old Sarum, the Sorbiodunum of the Romans, famous for many reasons. It -covered the top of a round hill, which is still surrounded with a mound -of earth and a deep fosse. Under the Norman kings it was a flourishing -town, but subject to two evils; the want of water, and the oppression of -the castle soldiers. The townsmen, therefore, with one consent, removed -to New Sarum, the present Salisbury, where the first of these evils is -more than remedied; and the garrison was no longer maintained at Old -Sarum when there was nobody to be pillaged. So was the original city -deserted, except by its right of representation in parliament; not a -soul remaining there. Seven burgage tenures, in a village westward of -it, produce two burgesses to serve in parliament for Old Sarum; four of -these tenures (the majority) were sold very lately for a sum little -short of 200,000 _peso-duros_. - -From this place Salisbury Plain stretches to the north, but little of it -is visible from the road which we were travelling: much of this wide -waste has lately been inclosed and cultivated. I regretted that I could -not visit Stonehenge, the famous druidical monument, which was only a -league and a half distant: but as J— was on his way home, after so long -an absence, I could not even express a wish to delay him. - -Stockbridge and Basingstoke were our next stages: the country is mostly -down, recently enclosed, and of wonderfully thin population in -comparison of the culture. Indeed harvest here depends upon a temporary -emigration of the western clothiers, who come and work during the -harvest months. The few trees in this district grow about the villages -which are scattered in the vallies—beautiful objects in an open and -naked country. You see flints and chalk in the fields, if the soil be -not covered with corn or turnips. Basingstoke is a town which stands at -the junction of five great roads, and is of course a thriving place. At -the north side is a small but beautiful ruin of a chapel once belonging -to a brotherhood of the Holy Ghost. J— led me to see it as a beautiful -object, in which light only all Englishmen regard such monuments of the -piety of their forefathers and of their own lamentable apostasy. The -roof had once been adorned with the history of the prophets and the holy -apostles; but the more beautiful and the more celebrated these -decorations, the more zealously were they destroyed in the schism. I -felt deeply the profanation, and said a prayer in silence upon the spot -where the altar should have stood. One relic of better times is still -preserved at Basingstoke: in all parishes it is the custom, at stated -periods, to walk round the boundaries; but here, and here only, is the -procession connected with religion: they begin and conclude the ceremony -by singing a psalm under a great elm which grows before the -parsonage-house. - -Two leagues and a half of wooded country reach Hertford Bridge, a place -of nothing but inns for travellers: from hence, with short and casual -interruptions, Bagshot Heath extends to Egham, not less than fourteen -miles. We were within six leagues of London, a city twice during the -late war on the very brink of famine, and twice in hourly dread of -insurrection from that dreadful cause:—and yet so near it is this tract -of country utterly waste! Nothing but wild sheep, that run as fleet as -hounds, are scattered over this dreary desert: flesh there is none on -these wretched creatures; but those who are only half-starved on the -heath produce good meat when fatted: all the flesh and all the fat being -_laid on_, as graziers speak, anew, it is equivalent in tenderness to -lamb, and in flavour to mutton, and has fame accordingly in the -metropolis. - -At Staines we crost the Thames,—not by a new bridge, now for the third -time built, but over a crazy wooden one above a century old. We enquired -the reason, and heard a curious history. The river here divides the -counties of Middlesex and Surrey; and the magistrates of both counties, -having agreed upon the necessity of building a bridge, did not agree -exactly as to its situation; neither party would give way, and -accordingly each collected materials for building a half-bridge from its -respective bank, but not opposite to the other. Time at length showed -the unfitness of this, and convinced them that two half bridges would -not make a whole one: they then built three arches close to the old -bridge; when weight was laid on the middle piers, they sunk considerably -into an unremembered and untried quicksand, and all the work was to be -undone. In the meanwhile, an adventurous iron bridge had been built at -Sunderland, one arch of monstrous span over a river with high rocky -banks, so that large ships could sail under. The architect of this work, -which was much talked of, offered his services to throw a similar but -smaller bridge over the Thames. But, alas! his rocky abutments were not -there, and he did not believe enough in mathematics to know the mighty -lateral pressure of a wide flat arch. Stone abutments, however, were to -be made; but, from prudential considerations, the Middlesex abutment, of -seeming solidity, was hollow, having been intended for the wine-cellar -of a large inn; so as soon as the wooden frame-work was removed, the -flat arch took the liberty of pushing away the abutment—alias the -wine-cellar—and after carriages had passed over about a week, the fated -bridge was once more closed against passage. - -I know not how these iron bridges may appear to an English eye, but to a -Spaniard’s they are utterly detestable. The colour, where it is not -black, is rusty, and the hollow, open, spider work, which they so much -praise for its lightness, has no appearance of solidity. Of all the -works of man, there is not any one which unites so well with natural -scenery, and so heightens its beauty, as a bridge, if any taste, or -rather if no bad taste, be displayed in its structure. This is -exemplified in the rude as well as in the magnificent; by the stepping -stones or crossing plank of a village brook, as well as by the immortal -works of Trajan: but to look at these iron bridges which are bespoken at -the foundries, you would actually suppose that the architect had studied -at the confectioner’s, and borrowed his ornaments from the sugar temples -of a desert. It is curious that this execrable improvement, as every -novelty is called in England, should have been introduced by the -notorious politician, Paine, who came over from America, upon this -speculation, and exhibited one as a show upon dry ground in the -metropolis.[4] - -Footnote 4: - - The great Sunderland bridge has lately become liable to tremendous - vibrations, and thereby established the unfitness of building any more - such.—TR. - -Staines was so called, because the boundary stone which marked the -extent of the city of London’s jurisdiction up the river formerly stood -here. The country on the London side had once been a forest; but has now -no other wood remaining than a few gibbets; on one of which, according -to the barbarous custom of this country, a criminal was hanging in -chains. Some five-and-twenty years ago, about a hundred such were -exposed upon the heath; so that from whatever quarter the wind blew, it -brought with it a cadaverous and pestilential odour. The nation is -becoming more civilized; they now take the bodies down after reasonable -exposure; and it will probably not be long before a practice so -offensive to public feeling, and public decency, will be altogether -discontinued. This heath is infamous for the robberies which are -committed upon it, at all hours of the day and night, though travellers -and stage-coaches are continually passing: the banditti are chiefly -horsemen, who strike across with their booty into one of the roads, -which intersect it in every direction, and easily escape pursuit; an -additional reason for inclosing the waste. We passed close to some -powder-mills, which are either so ill-contrived, or so carelessly -managed, that they are blown up about once a-year: then we entered the -great Western road at Hounslow; from thence to the metropolis is only -two leagues and a half. - -Three miles further is Brentford, the county town of Middlesex, and of -all places the most famous in the electioneering history of England. It -was now almost one continued street to London. The number of travellers -perfectly astonished me, prepared as I had been by the gradual increase -along the road; horsemen and footmen, carriages of every description and -every shape, waggons and carts and covered carts, stage-coaches, long, -square, and double, coaches, chariots, chaises, gigs, buggies, -curricles, and phaetons; the sound of their wheels ploughing through the -wet gravel was as continuous and incessant as the roar of the waves on -the sea beach. Evening was now setting in, and it was dark before we -reached Hyde Park Corner, the entrance of the capital. We had travelled -for some time in silence; J—’s thoughts were upon his family, and I was -as naturally led to think on mine, from whom I was now separated by so -wide a tract of sea and land, among heretics and strangers, a people -notoriously inhospitable to foreigners, without a single friend or -acquaintance, except my companion. You will not wonder if my spirits -were depressed; in truth, I never felt more deeply dejected; and the -more I was surprised at the length of the streets, the lines of lamps, -and of illuminated shops, and the stream of population to which there -seemed to be no end,—the more I felt the solitariness of my own -situation. - -The chaise at last stopped at J—’s door in ——. I was welcomed as kindly -as I could wish: my apartment had been made ready: I pleaded fatigue, -and soon retired. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - LETTER VI. - -_Watchmen.—Noise in London Night and Morning.—An English Family.—Advice - to Travellers._ - - - Tuesday, April 27, 1802. - -The first night in a strange bed is seldom a night of sound rest;—one is -not intimate enough with the pillow to be quite at ease upon it. A -traveller, like myself, indeed, might be supposed to sleep soundly any -where; but the very feeling that my journey was over was a disquieting -one, and I should have lain awake thinking of the friends and parents -whom I had left, and the strangers with whom I was now domesticated, had -there been nothing else to disturb me. To sleep in London, however, is -an art which a foreigner must acquire by time and habit. Here was the -watchman, whose business it is, not merely to guard the streets and take -charge of the public security, but to inform the good people of London -every half hour of the state of the weather. For the three first hours I -was told it was a moonlight night, then it became cloudy, and at half -past three o’clock was a rainy morning; so that I was as well acquainted -with every variation of the atmosphere as if I had been looking from the -window all night long. A strange custom this, to pay men for telling -them what the weather is, every hour during the night, till they get so -accustomed to the noise, that they sleep on and cannot hear what is -said. - -Besides this regular annoyance, there is another cause of disturbance. -The inhabitants of this great city seem to be divided into two distinct -casts,—the Solar and the Lunar races,—those who live by day, and those -who live by night, antipodes to each other, the one rising just as the -others go to bed. The clatter of the night coaches had scarcely ceased, -before that of the morning carts began. The dustman with his bell, and -his chaunt of dust ho! succeeded to the watchman; then came the -porter-house boy for the pewter-pots which had been sent out for supper -the preceding night; the milkman next, and so on, a succession of cries, -each in a different tune, so numerous, that I could no longer follow -them in my enquiries. - -As the watchman had told me of the rain, I was neither surprised nor -sorry at finding it a wet morning: a day of rest after the voyage and so -long a journey is acceptable, and the leisure it allows for clearing my -memory, and settling accounts with my journal, is what I should have -chosen. More novelties will crowd upon me now than it will be easy to -keep pace with. Here I am in London, the most wonderful spot upon this -habitable earth. - -The inns had given me a taste of English manners; still the domestic -accommodations and luxuries surprised me. Would you could see our -breakfast scene! every utensil so beautiful, such order, such curiosity! -the whole furniture of the room so choice, and of such excellent -workmanship, and a fire of earth-coal enlivening every thing. But I must -minutely describe all this hereafter. To paint the family group is out -of my power; words may convey an adequate idea of deformity, and -describe with vivid accuracy what is grotesque in manner or costume; but -for gracefulness and beauty we have only general terms. Thus much, -however, may be said; there is an elegance and a propriety in the -domestic dress of English women, which is quite perfect, and children -here and with us seem almost like beings of different species. Their -dress here bears no resemblance to that of their parents; I could not -but feel the unfitness of our own manners, and acknowledge that our -children in full dress look like colts in harness. J—’s are fine, -healthy, happy-looking children; their mother educates them, and was -telling her husband with delightful pride how they had profited, how -John could spell, and Harriet tell her letters. She has shown me their -books, for in this country they have books for every gradation of the -growing intellect, and authors of the greatest celebrity have not -thought it beneath them to employ their talents in this useful -department. Their very playthings are made subservient to the purposes -of education; they have ivory alphabets with which they arrange words -upon the table, and dissected maps which they combine into a whole so -much faster than I can do, that I shall not be ashamed to play with -them, and acquire the same readiness. - -J— has a tolerable library; he has the best Spanish authors; but I must -not keep company here with my old friends. The advice which he has given -me, with respect to my studies, is very judicious. Of our best books, he -says, read none but such as are absolutely necessary to give you a -competent knowledge of the land you are in; you will take back with you -our great authors, and it is best to read them at leisure in your own -country, when you will more thoroughly understand them. Newspapers, -Reviews, and other temporary publications will make you best acquainted -with England in its present state; and we have bulky county histories, -not worth freight across the water, which you should consult for -information concerning what you have seen, and what you mean to see. But -reserve our classics for Spain, and read nothing which you buy.[5] - -Footnote 5: - - Having taken his advice, I recommend it to future - travellers.—_Author’s note._ - -The tailor and shoemaker have made their appearance. I fancied my figure -was quite English in my pantaloons of broad-striped fustian, and large -coat buttons of cut steel; but it seems that although they are certainly -of genuine English manufacture, they were manufactured only for foreign -sale. To-morrow my buttons will be covered, and my toes squared, and I -shall be in no danger of being called Frenchman in the streets. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - LETTER VII. - -_General Description of London.—Walk to the Palace.—Crowd in the - Streets.—Shops.—Cathedral of St Paul.—Palace of the Prince of - Wales.—Oddities in the Shop Windows._ - - - Wednesday, April 28. - -My first business was to acquire some knowledge of the place whereof I -am now become an inhabitant. I began to study the plan of London, though -dismayed at the sight of its prodigious extent,—a city a league and a -half from one extremity to the other, and about half as broad, standing -upon level ground. It is impossible ever to become thoroughly acquainted -with such an endless labyrinth of streets; and, as you may well suppose, -they who live at one end know little or nothing of the other. The river -is no assistance to a stranger in finding his way. There is no street -along its banks, and no eminence from whence you can look around and -take your bearings. - -London, properly so called, makes but a small part of this immense -capital, though the focus of business is there. Westminster is about the -same size. To the east and the north is a great population included in -neither of these cities, and probably equal to both. On the western side -the royal parks have prevented the growth of houses, and form a gap -between the metropolis and its suburb. All this is on the north side of -the river. Southwark, or the Borough, is on the other shore, and a town -has grown at Lambeth by the Primate’s palace, which has now joined it. -The extent of ground covered with houses on this bank is greater than -the area of Madrid. The population is now ascertained to exceed nine -hundred thousand persons, nearly a twelfth of the inhabitants of the -whole island. - -Having studied the way to the palace, I set off. The distance was -considerable: the way, after getting into the main streets, tolerably -straight. There were not many passers in the by-streets; but when I -reached Cheapside the crowd completely astonished me. On each side of -the way were two uninterrupted streams of people, one going east, the -other west. At first I thought some extraordinary occasion must have -collected such a concourse; but I soon perceived it was only the usual -course of business. They moved on in two regular counter currents, and -the rapidity with which they moved was as remarkable as their numbers. -It was easy to perceive that the English calculate the value of time. -Nobody was loitering to look at the beautiful things in the shop -windows; none were stopping to converse, every one was in haste, yet no -one in a hurry; the quickest possible step seemed to be the natural -pace. The carriages were numerous in proportion, and were driven with -answerable velocity. - -If possible, I was still more astonished at the opulence and splendour -of the shops: drapers, stationers, confectioners, pastry-cooks, -seal-cutters, silver-smiths, booksellers, print-sellers, hosiers, -fruiterers, china-sellers,—one close to another, without intermission, a -shop to every house, street after street, and mile after mile; the -articles themselves so beautiful, and so beautifully arranged, that if -they who passed by me had had leisure to observe any thing, they might -have known me to be a foreigner by the frequent stands which I made to -admire them. Nothing which I had seen in the country had prepared me for -such a display of splendour. - -My way lay by St Paul’s church. The sight of this truly noble building -rather provoked than pleased me. The English, after erecting so grand an -edifice, will not allow it an open space to stand in, and it is -impossible to get a full view of it in any situation. The value of -ground in this capital is too great to be sacrificed to beauty by a -commercial nation: unless, therefore, another conflagration should lay -London in ashes, the Londoners will never fairly see their own -cathedral. The street which leads to the grand front has just a -sufficient bend to destroy the effect which such a termination would -have given it, and to obstruct the view till you come too close to see -it. This is perfectly vexatious! Except St Peter’s, here is beyond -comparison the finest temple in Christendom, and it is even more -ridiculously misplaced than the bridge of Segovia appears, when the -mules have drank up the Manzanares. The houses come so close upon one -side, that carriages are not permitted to pass that way lest the -foot-passengers should be endangered. The site itself is well chosen on -a little rising near the river; and were it fairly opened as it ought to -be, no city could boast so magnificent a monument of modern times. - -In a direct line from hence is Temple Bar, a modern, ugly, useless gate, -which divides the two cities of London and Westminster. There were iron -spikes upon the top, on which the heads of traitors were formerly -exposed: J— remembers to have seen some in his childhood. On both sides -of this gate I had a paper thrust into my hand, which proved to be a -quack doctor’s notice of some never-failing pills. Before I reached home -I had a dozen of these. Tradesmen here lose no possible opportunity of -forcing their notices upon the public. Wherever there was a dead wall, a -vacant house, or a temporary scaffolding erected for repairs, the space -was covered with printed bills. Two rival blacking-makers were standing -in one of the streets, each carried a boot, completely varnished with -black, hanging from a pole, and on the other arm a basket with the balls -for sale. On the top of their poles was a sort of standard, with a -printed paper explaining the virtue of the wares;—the one said that his -blacking was the best blacking in the world; the other, that his was so -good you might eat it. - -The crowd in Westminster was not so great as in the busier city. From -Charing Cross, as it is still called, though an equestrian statue has -taken place of the cross, a great street opens toward Westminster Abbey, -and the Houses of Parliament. Most of the public buildings are here: it -is to be regretted that the end is not quite open to the abbey, for it -would then be one of the finest streets in Europe. Leaving this for my -return, I went on to the palaces of the Prince of Wales, and of the -King, which stand near each other in a street called Pall Mall. The game -from whence this name is derived is no longer known in England. - -The Prince of Wales’s palace is no favourable specimen of English -architecture. Before the house are thirty columns planted in a row, two -and two, supporting nothing but a common entablature, which connects -them. As they serve for neither ornament nor use, a stranger might be -puzzled to know by what accident they came there; but the truth is, that -these people have more money than taste, and are satisfied with any -absurdity if it has but the merit of being new. The same architect was -employed[6] to build a palace, not far distant, for the second prince of -the blood, and in the front towards the street he constructed a large -oven-like room completely obscuring the house to which it was to serve -as an entrance-hall. These two buildings being described to the late -Lord North, who was blind in the latter part of his life, he facetiously -remarked, Then the Duke of York, it should seem, has been sent to the -round-house, and the Prince of Wales is put into the pillory.[7] - -Footnote 6: - - The author must have been misinformed in this particular, for the Duke - of York’s house at Whitehall, now Lord Melbourne’s, was not built by - his Royal Highness; but altered, with some additions, of which the - room alluded to made a part.—TR. - -Footnote 7: - - There is an explanation of the jest in the text which the translator - has thought proper to omit, as, however necessary to foreign readers, - it must needs seem impertinent to an English one.—TR. - -I had now passed the trading district, and found little to excite -attention in large brick houses without uniformity, and without either -beauty or magnificence. The royal palace itself is an old brick -building, remarkable for nothing, except that the sovereign of Great -Britain should have no better a court; but it seems that the king never -resides there. A passage through the court-yard leads into St James’s -Park, the Prado of London. Its trees are not so fine as might be -expected in a country where water never fails, and the sun never -scorches; here is also a spacious piece of water; but the best ornament -of the park are the two towers of Westminster Abbey. Having now reached -the proposed limits of my walk, I passed through a public building of -some magnitude and little beauty, called the Horse Guards, and again -entered the public streets. Here, where the pavement was broad, and the -passengers not so numerous as to form a crowd, a beggar had taken his -seat, and written his petition upon the stones with chalks of various -colours, the letters formed with great skill, and ornamented with some -taste. I stopped to admire his work, and gave him a trifle as a payment -for the sight, rather than as alms. Immediately opposite the Horse -Guards is the Banqueting House at Whitehall; so fine a building, that if -the later architects had had eyes to see, or understandings to -comprehend its merit, they would never have disgraced the opposite side -of the way with buildings so utterly devoid of beauty. This fragment of -a great design by Inigo Jones is remarkable for many accounts; here is -the window through which Charles I. came out upon the scaffold; here -also, in the back court, the statue of James II. remains undisturbed, -with so few excesses was that great revolution accompanied; and here is -the weathercock which was set up by his command, that he might know -every shifting of the wind when the invasion from Holland was expected, -and the east wind was called Protestant by the people, and the west -Papist. - -My way home from Charing Cross was varied, in as much as I took the -other side of the street for the sake of the shop windows, and the -variety was greater than I had expected. It took me through a place -called Exeter Change, which is precisely a _Bazar_, a sort of street -under cover, or large long room, with a row of shops on either hand, and -a thoroughfare between them; the shops being furnished with such -articles as might tempt an idler, or remind a passenger of his -wants,—walking-sticks, implements for shaving, knives, scissars, -watch-chains, purses, &c. At the further end was a man in splendid -costume, who proved to belong to a menagerie above stairs, to which he -invited me to ascend; but I declined this for the present, being without -a companion. A maccaw was swinging on a perch above him, and the outside -of the building hung with enormous pictures of the animals which were -there to be seen. - -The oddest things which I saw in the whole walk were a pair of shoes in -one window floating in a vessel of water, to show that they were -water-proof; and a well-dressed leg in another, betokening that legs -were made there to the life. One purchase I ventured to make, that of a -travelling caissette; there were many at the shop-door, with the prices -marked upon them, so that I did not fear imposition. These things are -admirably made and exceedingly convenient. I was shown some which -contained the whole apparatus of a man’s toilet, but this seemed an ill -assortment, as when writing you do not want the shaving materials, and -when shaving as little do you want the writing desk. - -In looking over the quack’s notices after my return, I found a fine -specimen of English hyperbole. The doctor says that his pills always -perform, and even exceed whatever he promises, as if they were impatient -of immortal and universal fame. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - LETTER VIII. - -_Proclamation of Peace.—The English do not understand - Pageantry.—Illumination.—M. Otto’s House.—Illuminations better - managed at Rome._ - - - Friday, April 30. - -The definitive treaty has arrived at last; peace was proclaimed -yesterday, with the usual ceremonies, and the customary rejoicings have -taken place. My expectations were raised to the highest pitch. I looked -for a pomp and pageantry far surpassing whatever I had seen in my own -country. Indeed every body expected a superb spectacle. The newspaper -writers had filled their columns with magnificent descriptions of what -was to be, and rooms or single windows in the streets through which the -procession was to pass, were advertised to be let for the sight, and -hired at prices so extravagant, that I should be suspected of -exaggeration were I to say how preposterous. - -The theory of the ceremony, for this ceremony, like an English suit at -law, is founded upon a fiction, is, that the Lord Mayor of London, and -the people of London, good people! being wholly ignorant of what has -been going on, the king sends officially to acquaint them that he has -made peace: accordingly the gates at Temple Bar, which divide London and -Westminster, and which stand open day and night, are on this occasion -closed; and Garter king at arms, with all his heraldic peers, rides up -to them and knocks loudly for admittance. The Lord Mayor, mounted on a -charger, is ready on the other side to demand who is there. King Garter -then announces himself and his errand, and requires permission to pass -and proclaim the good news; upon which the gates are thrown open. This, -which is the main part of the ceremony, could be seen only by those -persons who were contiguous to the spot, and we were not among the -number. The apartment in which we were was on the Westminster side, and -we saw only the heraldic part of the procession. The heralds and the -trumpeters were certainly in splendid costume; but they were not above -twenty in number, nor was there any thing to precede or follow them. The -poorest brotherhood in Spain makes a better procession on its festival. -In fact, these functions are not understood in England. - -The crowd was prodigious. The windows, the leads, or unrailed balconies -which project over many of the shops, the house tops, were full, and the -streets below thronged. A very remarkable accident took place in our -sight. A man on the top of a church was leaning against one of the stone -urns which ornament the balustrade; it fell, and crushed a person below. -On examination it appeared that the workmen, instead of cramping it with -iron to the stone, or securing it with masonry, had fitted it on a -wooden peg, which having become rotten through, yielded to the slightest -touch. A Turk might relate this story in proof of predestination. - -If, however, the ceremony of the morning disappointed me, I was amply -rewarded by the illuminations at night. This token of national joy is -not, as with us, regulated by law; the people, or the mob, as they are -called, take the law into their own hands on these occasions, and when -they choose to have an illumination, the citizens must illuminate to -please them, or be content to have their windows broken; a violence -which is winked at by the police, as it falls only upon persons whose -politics are obnoxious. During many days, preparations had been making -for this festivity, so that it was already known what houses and what -public buildings would exhibit the most splendid appearance. M. Otto’s, -the French ambassador, surpassed all others, and the great object of -desire was to see this. Between eight and nine the lighting-up began, -and about ten we sallied out on our way to Portman Square, where M. Otto -resided. - -In the private streets there was nothing to be remarked, except the -singular effect of walking at night in as broad a light as that of -noon-day, every window being filled with candles, arranged either in -straight lines, or in arches, at the fancy of the owner, which nobody -stopped to admire. None indeed were walking in these streets except -persons whose way lay through them; yet had there been a single house -unlighted, a mob would have been collected in five minutes, at the first -outcry. When we drew near Pall Mall, the crowd, both of carriages and of -people, thickened; still there was no inconvenience, and no difficulty -in walking, or in crossing the carriage road. Greater expense had been -bestowed here. The gaming-houses in St James’s street were magnificent, -as they always are on such occasions; in one place you saw the crown and -the G. R. in coloured lamps; in another the word Peace in letters of -light; in another some transparent picture, emblematical of peace and -plenty. Some score years ago, a woman in the country asked a higher -price than she had used to do for a basket of mushrooms, and when she -was asked the reason, said, it was because of the American war. As war -thus advances the price of every thing, peace and plenty are supposed to -be inseparably connected; and well may the poor think them so. There was -a transparency exhibited this night at a pot-house in the city, which -represented a loaf of bread saying to a pot of porter, I am coming down; -to which the porter-pot made answer, So am I. - -The nearer we drew the greater was the throng. It was a sight truly -surprising to behold all the inhabitants of this immense city walking -abroad at midnight, and distinctly seen by the light of ten thousand -candles. This was particularly striking in Oxford-street, which is -nearly half a league in length;—as far as the eye could reach either way -the parallel lines of light were seen narrowing towards each other. -Here, however, we could still advance without difficulty, and the -carriages rattled along unobstructed. But in the immediate vicinity of -Portman square it was very different. Never before had I beheld such -multitudes assembled. The middle of the street was completely filled -with coaches, so immoveably locked together, that many persons who -wished to cross passed under the horses’ bellies without fear, and -without danger. The unfortunate persons within had no such means of -escape; they had no possible way of extricating themselves, unless they -could crawl out of the window of one coach into the window of another; -there was no room to open a door. There they were, and there they must -remain, patiently or impatiently; and there, in fact, they did remain -the greater part of the night, till the lights were burnt out, and the -crowd clearing away left them at liberty. - -We who were on foot had better fortune, but we laboured hard for it. -There were two ranks of people, one returning from the square, the other -pressing on to it. Exertion was quite needless; man was wedged to man, -he who was behind you pressed you against him who was before; I had -nothing to do but to work out elbow room that I might not be squeezed to -death, and to float on with the tide. But this tide was frequently at a -stop; some obstacle at the further end of the street checked it, and -still the crowd behind was increasing in depth. We tried the first -entrance to the square in vain; it was utterly impossible to get in, and -finding this we crossed into the counter current, and were carried out -by the stream. A second and a third entrance we tried with no better -fortune; at the fourth, the only remaining avenue, we were more -successful. To this, which is at the outskirts of the town, there was -one way inaccessible by carriages, and it was not crowded by walkers, -because the road was bad, there were no lamps, and the way was not -known. By this route, however, we entered the avenue immediately -opposite to M. Otto’s, and raising ourselves by the help of a garden -wall, overlooked the crowd, and thus obtained a full and uninterrupted -sight, of what thousands and tens of thousands were vainly struggling to -see. To describe it, splendid as it was, is impossible; the whole -building presented a front of light. The inscription was Peace and -Amity; it had been Peace and Concord, but a party of sailors in the -morning, whose honest patriotism did not regard trifling differences of -orthography, insisted upon it that they were not _conquered_, and that -no Frenchman should say so; and so the word Amity, which can hardly be -regarded as English, was substituted in its stead. - -Having effected our object, meaner sights had no temptation for us, and -we returned. It was three in the morning before we reached home; we -extinguished our lights and were retiring to bed, believing ourselves at -liberty so to do. But it did not please the mob to be of the same -opinion; they insisted that the house should be lit up again, and John -Bull was not to be disobeyed. Except a few such instances of -unreasonableness, it is surprising how peaceably the whole passed off. -The pickpockets have probably made a good harvest; but we saw no -quarrelling, no drunkenness, and, what is more extraordinary, prodigious -as the crowd was, have heard of no accident. - -So famous is this illumination of M. Otto, that one of the minor -theatres has given notice to all such persons as were not fortunate -enough to obtain sight of it, that it will be exactly represented upon -the stage for their accommodation, and that the same number of lamps -will be arranged precisely in the same manner, the same person being -employed to suspend them. Hundreds will go to see this, not recollecting -that it is as impossible to do it upon a stage of that size, as it is to -put a quart of water into a pint cup. - -Illuminations are better managed at Rome. Imagine the vast dome of St -Peter’s covered with large lamps so arranged as to display its fine -form; those lamps all kindled at the same minute, and the whole dome -emerging, as it were, from total darkness, in one blaze of light. After -this exhibition has lasted an hour, the dome as rapidly assumes the -shape of a huge tiara, a change produced by pots of fire so much more -powerful than the former light as at once to annihilate it. This, and -the fireworks from St Angelo, which, from the grandeur, admit of no -adequate description, as you may well conceive, effectually prevent -those persons who have beheld them from enjoying the twinkling light of -half-penny-candles scattered in the windows of London, or the crowns and -regal cyphers which here and there manifest the zeal, the interest, or -emulation of individuals. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - LETTER IX. - - _Execution of Governor Wall._ - - -Nothing is now talked of in London but the fate of Governor Wall, who -has just been executed for a crime committed twenty years ago. He -commanded at that time the English settlement at Goree, an inactive and -unwholsome station, little reputable for the officers, and considered as -a place of degradation for the men. The garrison became discontented at -some real or supposed mal-practices in the distribution of stores; and -Wall seizing those whom he conceived to be the ringleaders of the -disaffected, ordered them, by his own authority, to be so dreadfully -flogged, that three of them died in consequence; he himself standing by -during the execution, and urging the executioner not to spare, in terms -of the most brutal cruelty. An indictment for murder was preferred -against him on his return to England; he was apprehended, but made his -escape from the officers of justice, and got over to the Continent, -where he remained many years. Naples was at one time the place of his -residence, and the countenance which he received there from some of his -countrymen of high rank perhaps induced him to believe that the public -indignation against him had subsided. Partly, perhaps, induced by this -confidence, by the supposition that the few witnesses who could have -testified against him were dead, or so scattered about the world as to -be out of reach, and still more compelled by the pressure of his -circumstances, he at length resolved to venture back. - -It is said, that some years before his surrender he came to Calais with -this intent, and desired one of the king of England’s messengers to take -him into custody, as he wished to return and stand his trial. The -messenger replied, that he could not possibly take charge of him, but -advised him to signify his intention to the Secretary of State, and -offered to carry his letter to the office. Wall was still very -solicitous to go, though the sea was at that time so tempestuous that -the ordinary packets did not venture out; and the messenger, whose -dispatches would not admit of delay, had hired a vessel for himself: -finding, however, that this could not be, he wrote as had been -suggested; but when he came to subscribe his name, his heart failed him, -his countenance became pale and livid, and in an agony of fear or of -conscience he threw down the pen and rushed out of the room. The -messenger put to sea; the vessel was wrecked in clearing out of the -harbour, and not a soul on board escaped. - -This extraordinary story has been confidently related with every -circumstantial evidence; yet it seems to imply a consciousness of guilt, -and a feeling of remorse, noways according with his after conduct. He -came over to England about twelve months ago, and lived in London under -a fictitious name: here also a circumstance look place which touched him -to the heart. Some masons were employed about his house, and he took -notice to one of them that the lad who worked with him appeared very -sickly and delicate, and unfit for so laborious an employment. The man -confessed that it was true, but said that he had no other means of -supporting him, and that the poor lad had no other friend in the world, -“For his father and mother,” said he, “are dead, and his only brother -was flogged to death at Goree, by that barbarous villain Governor Wall.” - -It has never been ascertained what were his motives for surrendering -himself; the most probable cause which can be assigned is, that some -property had devolved to him, of which he stood greatly in need, but -which he could not claim till his outlawry had been reversed. He -therefore voluntarily gave himself up, and was brought to trial. One of -the persons whom he had summoned to give evidence in his favour dropped -down dead on the way to the court; it was, however, known that his -testimony would have borne against him. Witnesses appeared from the -remotest parts of the island whom he had supposed dead. One man who had -suffered under his barbarity and recovered, had been hanged for robbery -but six months before, and expressed his regret at going to the gallows -before Governor Wall, as the thing which most grieved him, “For,” said -he, “I know he will come to the gallows at last.” - -The question turned upon the point of law, whether the fact, for that -was admitted, was to be considered as an execution, or as a murder. The -evidence of a woman who appeared in his behalf, was that which weighed -most heavily against him: his attempt to prove that a mutiny actually -existed failed; and the jury pronounced him guilty. For this he was -utterly unprepared; and, when he heard the verdict, clasped his hands in -astonishment and agony. The Bench, as it is called, had no doubt -whatever of his guilt, but they certainly thought it doubtful how the -jury might decide; and as the case was so singular, after passing -sentence in the customary form, they respited him, that the -circumstances might be more fully considered. - -The Governor was well connected, and had powerful friends: it is said -also, that as the case turned upon a question of discipline, some -persons high in the military department exerted themselves warmly in his -favour. The length of time which had elapsed was no palliation, and it -was of consequence that it should not be considered as such; but his -self-surrender, it was urged, evidently implied that he believed himself -justifiable in what he had done. On the other hand, the circumstances -which had appeared on the trial were of the most aggravating nature; -they had been detailed in all the newspapers, and women were selling the -account about the streets at a half-penny each, vociferating aloud the -most shocking parts, the better to attract notice. Various editions of -the trial at length were published; and the publishers, most -unpardonably, while the question of his life or death was still under -the consideration of the privy council, stuck up their large notices all -over the walls of London, with prints of the transaction, and “Cut his -liver out,” the expression which he had used to the executioner, written -in large letters above. The popular indignation had never before been so -excited. On the days appointed for his execution (for he was repeatedly -respited) all the streets leading to the prison were crowded by soldiers -and sailors chiefly, every one of whom felt it as his own personal -cause: and as the execution of the mutineers in the fleet was so recent, -in which so little mercy had been shown, a feeling very generally -prevailed among the lower classes, that this case was to decide whether -or not there was law for the rich as well as for the poor. The -deliberations of the privy council continued for so many days that it -was evident great efforts were made to save his life; but there can be -little doubt, that had these efforts succeeded, either a riot would have -ensued, or a more dangerous and deeply-founded spirit of disaffection -would have gone through the people. - -Wall, meantime, was lying in the dungeon appointed for persons condemned -to death, where, in strict observance of the letter of the law, he was -allowed no other food than bread and water. Whether he felt compunction -may be doubted:—we easily deceive ourselves:—form only was wanting to -have rendered that a legal punishment which was now called murder, and -he may have regarded himself as a disciplinarian, not a criminal; but as -his hopes of pardon failed him, he was known to sit up in his bed during -the greater part of the night, singing psalms. His offence was indeed -heavy, but never did human being suffer more heavily! The dread of -death, the sense of the popular hatred, for it was feared that the mob -might prevent his execution and pull him to pieces; and the tormenting -reflection that his own vain confidence had been the cause,—that he had -voluntarily placed himself in this dreadful situation,—these formed a -punishment sufficient, even if remorse were not superadded. - -On the morning of his execution, the mob, as usual, assembled in -prodigious numbers, filling the whole space before the prison, and all -the wide avenues from whence the spot could be seen. Having repeatedly -been disappointed of their revenge, they were still apprehensive of -another respite, and their joy at seeing him appear upon the scaffold -was so great, that they set up three huzzas,—an instance of ferocity -which had never occurred before. The miserable man, quite overcome by -this, begged the hangman to hasten his work. When he was turned off they -began their huzzas again; but instead of proceeding to three distinct -shouts, as usual, they stopped at the first. This conduct of the mob has -been called inhuman and disgraceful; for my own part, I cannot but agree -with those who regard it in a very different light. The revengeful joy -which animated them, unchristian as that passion certainly is, and -whatever may have been its excess, was surely founded upon humanity; and -the sudden extinction of that joy, the feeling which at one moment -struck so many thousands, stopped their acclamations at once, and awed -them into a dead silence when they saw the object of their hatred in the -act and agony of death, is surely as honourable to the popular character -as any trait which I have seen recorded of any people in any age or -country. - -The body, according to custom, was suspended an hour: during this time -the Irish basket-women who sold fruit under the gallows were drinking -his damnation in mixture of gin and brimstone! The halter in which he -suffered was cut into the smallest pieces possible, which were sold to -the mob at a shilling each. According to the sentence, the body should -have been dissected; it was just opened as a matter of form, and then -given to his relations; for which indulgence they gave 100_l._ to one of -the public hospitals. One of the printed trials contains his portrait as -taken in the dungeon of the condemned; if it be true that an artist was -actually sent to take his likeness under such dreadful circumstances, -for the purpose of gain, this is the most disgraceful fact which has -taken place during the whole transaction. - -A print has since been published called The Balance of Justice. It -represents the mutineers hanging on one arm of a gallows, and Governor -Wall on the other. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - LETTER X. - -_Martial Laws of England.—Limited Service advised.—Hints for Military - Reform._ - - -The execution of Governor Wall is considered as a great triumph of -justice. Nobody seems to recollect that he has been hanged, not for -having flogged three men to death, but for an informality in the mode of -doing it.—Yet this is the true state of the case. Had he called a -drum-head court-martial, the same sentence might have been inflicted, -and the same consequences have ensued, with perfect impunity to himself. - -The martial laws of England are the most barbarous which at this day -exist in Europe. The offender is sometimes sentenced to receive a -thousand lashes;—a surgeon stands by to feel his pulse during the -execution, and determine how long the flogging can be continued without -killing him. When human nature can sustain no more, he is remanded to -prison; his wound, for from the shoulders to the loins it leaves him one -wound, is dressed, and as soon as it is sufficiently healed to be laid -open again in the same manner, he is brought out to undergo the -remainder of his sentence. And this is repeatedly and openly practised -in a country where they read in their churches, and in their houses, -that Bible, in their own language, which saith, “Forty stripes may the -judge inflict upon the offender, and not exceed.” - -All savages are cruel, and nations become humane only as they become -civilized. Half a century ago, the most atrocious punishments were used -in every part of Christendom;—such were the executions under Pombal in -Portugal, the tortures inflicted upon Damiens in France; and the -practice of opening men alive in England. Our own history is full of -shocking examples, but our manners[8] softened sooner than those of our -neighbours. These barbarities originated in barbarous ages, and are -easily accounted for; but how so cruel a system of martial law, which -certainly cannot be traced back to any distant age of antiquity, could -ever have been established is unaccountable; for when barbarians -established barbarous laws, the soldiers were the only people who were -free; in fact, they were the legislators, and of course would never make -laws to enslave themselves. - -Footnote 8: - - More truly it might be said, that the Spaniards had no traitors to - punish. In the foreign instances here stated, the judges made their - court to the crown by cruelty;—in our own case, the cruelty was of the - law, not of the individuals. Don Manuel also forgets the - Inquisition.—TR. - -Another grievous evil in their military system is, that there is no -limited time of service. Hence arises the difficulty which the English -find in recruiting their armies. The bounty money offered for a recruit -during the war amounted sometimes to as much as twenty pieces of eight, -a sum, burthensome indeed to the nation when paid to whole regiments, -but little enough if it be considered as the price for which a man sells -his liberty for life. There would be no lack of soldiers were they -enlisted for seven years. Half the peasantry in the country would like -to wear a fine coat from the age of eighteen till five-and-twenty, and -to see the world at the king’s expense. At present, mechanics who have -been thrown out of employ by the war, and run-away apprentices, enlist -in their senses, but the far greater number of recruits enter under the -influence of liquor. - -It has been inferred, that old Homer lived in an age when morality was -little understood, because he so often observes, that it is not right to -do wrong. Whether or not the same judgement is to be passed upon the -present age of England, posterity will decide; certain it is that her -legislators seem not unfrequently to have forgotten the commonest -truisms both of morals and politics. The love of a military life is so -general, that it may almost be considered as one of the animal passions; -yet such are the martial laws, and such the military system of England, -that this passion seems almost annihilated in the country. It is true, -that during the late war volunteer companies were raised in every part -of the kingdom; but, in raising these, the whole influence of the landed -and moneyed proprietors was exerted; it was considered as a test of -loyalty; and the greater part of these volunteers consisted of men who -had property at stake, and believed it to be in danger, and of their -dependants; and the very ease with which these companies were raised, -evinces how easy it would be to raise soldiers, if they who became -soldiers were still to be considered as men, and as freemen. - -The difficulty would be lessened if men were enlisted for a limited term -of years instead of for life. Yet that this alteration alone is not -sufficient, is proved by the state of their provincial troops, or -militia as they are called. Here the men are bound to a seven-years -service, and are not to be sent out of the kingdom; yet, unexceptionable -as this may appear, the militia is not easily raised, nor without some -degree of oppression. The men are chosen by ballot, and permitted to -serve by substitute, or exempted upon paying a fine. On those who can -afford either, it operates, therefore, as a tax by lottery; the poor man -has no alternative, he must serve, and, in consequence, the poor man -upon whom the lot falls considers himself as ruined: and ruined he is; -for, upon the happiest termination of his term of service, if he return -to his former place of abode, still willing, and still able, to resume -his former occupation, he finds his place in society filled up. But -seven years of military idleness usually incapacitate him for any other -trade, and he who has once been a soldier is commonly for ever after -unfit for every thing else. - -The evil consequences of the idle hours which hang upon the soldiers’ -hands are sufficiently understood, and their dress seems to have been -made as liable to dirt as possible, that as much time as possible may be -employed in cleaning it. This is one cause of the contempt which the -sailors feel for them, who say that soldiers have nothing to do but to -whiten their breeches with pipe-clay, and to make strumpets for the use -of the navy. Would it not be well to follow the example of the Romans, -and employ them in public works? This was done in Scotland, where they -have cut roads through the wildest part of the country; and it is said -that the soldiery in Ireland are now to be employed in the same manner. -In England, where no such labour is necessary, they might be occupied in -digging canals, or more permanently in bringing the waste[9] lands into -cultivation, which might the more conveniently be effected, as it is -becoming the system to lodge the troops in barracks apart from the -people, instead of quartering them in the towns. Military villages might -be built in place of these huge and ugly buildings, and at far less -expense; the adjoining lands cultivated by the men, who should, in -consequence, receive higher pay, and the produce be appropriated to the -military chest. Each hut should have its garden, which the tenant should -cultivate for his own private amusement or profit. Under such a system -the soldier might rear a family in time of peace, the wives of the -soldiery would be neither less domestic nor less estimable than other -women in their own rank of life, and the infants, who now die in a -proportion which it is shocking to think of, would have the common -chance for life. - -Footnote 9: - - In this and what follows, the author seems to be suggesting - improvements for his own country, and to mean Spain when he speaks of - England.—TR. - -But the sure and certain way to secure any nation for ever from alarm, -as well as from danger, is to train every school-boy to the use of arms: -boys would desire no better amusement, and thus, in the course of the -next generation, every man would be a soldier. England might then defy, -not France alone, but the whole continent leagued with France, even if -the impassable gulph between this happy island and its enemy were filled -up. This will be done sooner or later, for England must become an armed -nation. How long it will be before her legislators will discover this, -and how long when they have discovered it, before they will dare to act -upon it, that is, before they will consent to part with the power of -alarming the people, which they have found so convenient, it would be -idle to conjecture. Individuals profit slowly by experience, -associations still more slowly, and governments the most slowly of all -associated bodies. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - LETTER XI. - -_Shopmen, why preferred to Women in England.—Division of - London into the East and West Ends.—Low State of domestic - Architecture.—Burlington-House._ - - -I have employed this morning in wandering about this huge metropolis -with an English gentleman, well acquainted with the manners and customs -of foreign countries, and therefore well qualified to point out to me -what is peculiar in his own. Of the imposing splendour of the shops I -have already spoken; but I have not told you that the finest gentlemen -to be seen in the streets of London are the men who serve at the -linen-drapers’ and mercers’. Early in the morning they are drest -cap-a-pied, the hair feathered and frosted with a delicacy which no hat -is to derange through the day; and as this is a leisure time with them, -they are to be seen after breakfast at their respective shop-doors, -paring their nails, and adjusting their cravats. That so many young men -should be employed in London to recommend laces and muslins to the -ladies, to assist them in the choice of a gown, to weigh out thread and -to measure ribbons, excited my surprise; but my friend soon explained -the reason. He told me, that in countries where women are the -shopkeepers, shops are only kept for the convenience of the people, and -not for their amusement. Persons there go into a shop because they want -the article which is sold there, and in that case a woman answers all -the purposes which are required; the shops themselves are mere -repositories of goods, and the time of year of little importance to the -receipts. But it is otherwise in London; luxury here fills every head -with caprice, from the servant-maid to the peeress, and shops are become -exhibitions of fashion. In the spring, when all persons of distinction -are in town, the usual morning employment of the ladies is to go -a-shopping, as it is called; that is, to see these curious exhibitions. -This they do without actually wanting to purchase any thing, and they -spend their money or not, according to the temptations which are held -out to gratify and amuse. Now female shopkeepers, it is said, have not -enough patience to indulge this idle and fastidious curiosity; whereas -young men are more assiduous, more engaging, and not at all querulous -about their loss of time. - -It must be confessed, that these exhibitions are very entertaining, nor -is there any thing wanting to set them off to the greatest advantage. -Many of the windows are even glazed with large panes of plate glass, at -a great expense; but this, I am told, is a refinement of a very late -date; indeed glass windows were seldom used in shops before the present -reign, and they who deal in woollen cloth have not yet universally come -into the fashion. - -London is more remarkable for the distribution of its inhabitants than -any city on the continent. It is at once the greatest port in the -kingdom, or in the world, a city of merchants and tradesmen, and the -seat of government, where the men of rank and fashion are to be found; -and though all these are united together by continuous streets, there is -an imaginary line of demarkation which divides them from each other. A -nobleman would not be found by any accident to live in that part which -is properly called the City, unless he should be confined for treason or -sedition in Newgate or the Tower. This is the Eastern side; and I -observe, whenever a person says that he lives at the West End of the -Town, there is some degree of consequence connected with the situation: -For instance, my tailor lives at the West End of the Town, and -consequently he is supposed to make my coat in a better style of -fashion: and this opinion is carried so far among the ladies, that, if a -cap was known to come from the City, it would be given to my lady’s -woman, who would give it to the cook, and she perhaps would think it -prudent not to enquire into its pedigree. A transit from the City to the -West End of the Town is the last step of the successful trader, when he -throws off his _exuviæ_ and emerges from his chrysalis state into the -butterfly world of high life. Here are the Hesperides whither the -commercial adventurers repair, not to gather but to enjoy their golden -fruits. - -Yet this metropolis of fashion, this capital of the capital itself, has -the most monotonous appearance imaginable.—The streets are perfectly -parallel and uniformly extended brick walls, about forty feet high, with -equally extended ranges of windows and doors, all precisely alike, and -without any appearance of being distinct houses. You would rather -suppose them to be hospitals, arsenals, or public granaries, were it not -for their great extent. Here is a fashion, lately introduced from better -climates, of making _varandas_;—_varandas_ in a country where physicians -recommend double doors and double windows as precautions against the -intolerable cold! I even saw several instances of green penthouses, to -protect the rooms from the heat or light of the sun, fixed against -houses in a northern aspect. At this I expressed some surprise to my -companion: he replied, that his countrymen were the most rational people -in the world when they thought proper to use their understandings, but -that when they lost sight of common sense they were more absurd than any -others, and less dexterous in giving plausibility to nonsense. In -confirmation of this opinion, he instanced another strange fashion which -happened to present itself on the opposite side of the street; a brick -wall up to the first story decorated with a range of Doric columns to -imitate the _façade_ of the Temple of Theseus at Athens, while the upper -part of the house remained as naked as it could be left by the mason’s -trowel. - -After walking a considerable time in these streets, I enquired for the -palaces of the nobility, and was told that their houses were such as I -had seen, with a few exceptions, which were shut up from public view by -high blank walls; but that none of them had any pretensions to -architecture, except one in Piccadilly, called Burlington-House, which -is inhabited by the Duke of Portland. Lord Burlington, who erected it, -was a man whose whole desire and fortune were devoted to improve the -national taste in architecture: and this building, though with many -defects, is considered by good judges to be one of the best specimens of -modern architecture in Europe, and even deserves to be ranked with the -works of Palladio, whom Lord Burlington made the particular object of -his imitation. W—— added, that this building, it is expected, will in a -few years be taken down, to make room for streets. From the very great -increase of ground-rent, it is supposed that the site of the house and -garden would produce 8,000_l._ a-year. Every thing here is reduced to -calculation. This sum will soon be considered as the actual rent; and -then, in the true commercial spirit of the country, it will be put to -sale. This has already been done in two or three instances; and in the -course of half a century, it is expected that the bank will be the only -building of consequence in this emporium of trade. - -The merchants of this modern Tyre, are indeed princes in their wealth, -and in their luxury; but it is to be wished that they had something more -of the spirit of princely magnificence, and that when they build palaces -they would cease to use the warehouse as their model. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - LETTER XII. - -_Causes of the Change of Ministry not generally understood.—Catholic - Emancipation.—The Change acceptable to the Nation.—State of - Parties.—Strength of the new Administration.—Its good - Effects.—Popularity of Mr Addington._ - - -The change of ministry is considered as a national blessing. The system -of terror, of alarm, and of espionage, has been laid aside, the most -burthensome of the taxes repealed, and a sincere desire manifested on -the part of the new minister to meet the wishes of the nation. - -It must nevertheless be admitted, that, however unfortunately for their -country, and for the general interests of Europe, the late -administration may have employed their power, the motives which induced -them to withdraw, and the manner in which they retired, are highly -honourable to their personal characters. The immediate cause was -this:—They had held out the promise of emancipation to the Irish -Catholics as a means of reconciling them to the Union. While the two -countries were governed by separate legislatures, it was very possible, -if the catholics were admitted to their rights, that a majority in the -Irish House might think proper to restore the old religion of the -people, to which it is well known with what exemplary fidelity the great -majority of the Irish nation still adhere. But when once the -representatives of both countries should be united in one parliament, no -such consequence could be apprehended; for, though all the Irish members -should be catholics, they would still be a minority. The old ministry -had thus represented the Union as a measure which would remove the -objection to catholic emancipation, and pledged themselves to grant that -emancipation, after it should have been effected—this act of justice -being the price which they were to pay for it to the people of Ireland. -But they had not calculated upon the king’s character, whose zeal, as -the Defender of the Faith, makes it greatly to be lamented that he has -not a better faith to defend. He, as head of the Church of England, -conceives himself bound by his coronation oath to suffer no innovation -in favour of popery, as these schismatics contemptuously call the -religion of the Fathers and of the Apostles, and this scruple it was -impossible to overcome. The bishops, who might have had some influence -over him, were all, as may well be imagined, decidedly hostile to any -measure of favour or justice to the true faith, and the ministry had no -alternative but to break their pledged promise or to resign their -offices. That this is the real state of the case, I have been assured on -such authority that I cannot entertain the slightest doubt: it is, -however, by no means generally believed to be so by the people; but I -cannot find that they have any other reason for their disbelief, than a -settled opinion that statesmen always consider their own private -interest in preference to every thing else; in plain language, that -there is no such virtue in existence as political honesty. And they -persist in supposing that there is more in this resignation than has yet -been made public, though the change is now of so long standing, and -though they perceive that the late ministers have not accepted either -titles or pensions, as has been usual on such occasions, and thus -sufficiently proved that disinterestedness of which they will not -believe them capable. - -But it is commonly said, They went out because they could not decently -make peace with Buonaparte—Wait a little while and you will see them in -again. This is confuted by the conduct of the former cabinet, all the -leading members of which, except Mr Pitt, have violently declared -themselves against the peace. They cry out that it is the most foolish, -mischievous, and dishonourable treaty that ever was concluded: that it -cannot possibly be lasting, and that it will be the ruin of the nation. -The nation, however, is very well persuaded that no better was to be -had, very thankful for a respite from alarm, and a relief of taxation, -and very well convinced, by its own disposition to maintain the peace, -that it is in no danger of being broken.—And the nation is perfectly -right. Exhausted as France and England both are, it is equally necessary -to one country as to the other. France wants to make herself a -commercial country, to raise a navy, and to train up sailors; England -wants to recover from the expenses of a ten-years war, and they are -miserable politicians who suppose that any new grounds of dispute can -arise, important enough to overpower these considerations. - -Pitt, on the other hand, defends the peace; and many persons suppose -that he will soon make his appearance again in administration. This is -not very likely, on account of the catholic question, to which he is as -strongly pledged as the Grenville party; but the present difference -between him and that party seems to show that the inflexibility of the -former cabinet is not to be imputed to him. Peace, upon as good terms as -the present, might, beyond all doubt, have been made at any time during -the war; and as he is satisfied with it, it is reasonable to suppose -that he would have made it sooner if he could. His opinion has all the -weight that you would expect; and as the old opposition members are -equally favourable to the measures of the new administration, the -ministry may look upon themselves as secure. The war-faction can muster -only a very small minority, and they are as thoroughly unpopular as the -friends of peace and good order could wish them to be. - -I know not how I can give you a higher opinion of the present Premier -than by saying, that his enemies have nothing worse to object against -him than that his father was a physician. Even in Spain we have never -thought it necessary to examine the pedigree of a statesman, and in -England such a cause of complaint is indeed ridiculous. They call him -The Doctor on this account;—a minister of healing he has truly been; he -has poured balm and oil into the wounds of the country, and the country -is blessing him. The peace with France is regarded by the wiser persons -with whom I have conversed as a trifling good, compared to the internal -pacification which Mr Addington has effected. He immediately put a stop -to the system of irritation; there was an end of suspicion, and alarm, -and plots; conspiracies were no longer to be heard of, when spies were -no longer paid for forming them. The distinction of parties had been as -inveterately marked as that between new and old Christians a century ago -in Spain, and it was as effectually removed by this change of ministry, -as if an act of forgetfulness had been enforced by miracle. Parties are -completely dislocated by the peace; it has shaken things like an -earthquake, and they are not yet settled after the shock. I have heard -it called the great political thaw,—happily in Spain we do not know what -a great frost is sufficiently to understand the full force of the -expression. - -Thus much, however, may plainly be perceived. The whig party regard it -as a triumph to have any other minister than Pitt, and their antagonists -are equally glad to have any other minister than Fox. A still larger -part of the people, connected with government by the numberless hooks -and eyes of patronage and influence, are ready to support any minister -whatsoever, in any measures whatsoever: and others more respectable, -neither few in number, nor feeble in weight, act with the same blind -acquiescence from a sense of duty. All these persons agree in supporting -Mr Addington, who is attacked by none but the violent enemies of the -popular cause, now, of course, the objects of popular hatred and obloquy -themselves. Some people expect to see him take Fox into the -administration, others think he will prefer Pitt; it is not very likely -that he should venture to trust either, for he must know that if either -should[10] enter at the sleeve, he would get out at the collar. - -Footnote 10: - - Entraria por la manga, y saldria por el cabezon. - -To the eloquence of his predecessor, the present Premier makes no -pretensions, and he is liked the better for it. The English say they -have paid quite enough for fine speeches; he tells them a plain story, -and gains credit by fair dealing. His enemies naturally depreciate his -talents: as far as experience goes, it confutes them. He has shown -talents enough to save the country from the Northern confederacy, the -most serious danger to which it was exposed during the whole war; to -make a peace which has satisfied all the reasonable part of the nation, -and to restore unanimity at home, and that freedom of opinion which was -almost abrogated. From all that I can learn, Mr Addington is likely long -to retain his situation; and sure I am that were he to retire from it, -he would take with him the regret and the blessings of the people. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - LETTER XIII. - -_Dress of the English without Variety.—Coal-heavers.—Post-men.—Art of - knocking at the Door.—Inscriptions over the Shops.—Exhibitions in - the Shop-windows.—Chimney-sweepers.—May-day.—These Sports originally - religious._ - - - Tuesday, May 4, 1802. - -The dress of Englishmen wants that variety which renders the figures of -our scenery so picturesque. You might think, from walking the streets of -London, that there were no ministers of religion in the country; J— -smiled at the remark, and told me that some of the dignified clergy wore -silk aprons; but these are rarely seen, and they are more generally -known by a huge and hideous wig, once considered to be as necessary a -covering for a learned head as an ivy bush is for an owl, but which even -physicians have now discarded, and left only to schoolmasters and -doctors in divinity. There is, too, this remarkable difference between -the costume of England and of Spain, that here the national dress is -altogether devoid of grace, and it is only modern fashions which have -improved it: in Spain, on the contrary, nothing can be more graceful -than the dresses both of the clergy and peasantry, which have from time -immemorial remained unchanged; while our better ranks clothe themselves -in a worse taste, because they imitate the apery of other nations. What -I say of their costume applies wholly to that of the men; the dress of -English women is perfect, as far as it goes; it leaves nothing to be -wished,—except that there should be a little more of it. - -The most singular figures in the streets of this metropolis are the men -who are employed in carrying the earth-coal, which they remove from the -barge to the waggon, and again from the waggon to the house, upon their -backs. The back of the coat, therefore, is as well quilted as the cotton -breastplate of our soldiers in America in old times: and to protect it -still more, the broad flap of the hat lies flat upon the shoulders. The -head consequently seems to bend unusually forward, and the whole figure -has the appearance of having been bowed beneath habitual burthens. The -lower classes, with this exception, if they do not wear the cast clothes -of the higher ranks, have them in the same form. The post-men all wear -the royal livery, which is scarlet and gold; they hurry through the -streets, and cross from side to side with indefatigable rapidity. The -English doors have knockers instead of bells, and there is an advantage -in this which you would not immediately perceive. The bell, by -whomsoever it be pulled, must always give the same sound, but the -knocker may be so handled as to explain who plays upon it, and -accordingly it has its systematic set of signals. The post-man comes -with two loud and rapid raps, such as no person but himself ever gives. -One very loud one marks the news-man. A single knock of less vehemence -denotes a servant or other messenger. Visitors give three or four. -Footmen or coachmen always more than their masters; and the master of -every family has usually his particular touch, which is immediately -recognised. - -Every shop has an inscription above it expressing the name of its owner, -and that of his predecessor, if the business has been so long -established as to derive a certain degree of respectability from time. -Cheap Warehouse is sometimes added; and if the tradesman has the honour -to serve any one of the royal family, this is also mentioned, and the -royal arms in a style of expensive carving are affixed over the door. -These inscriptions in large gilt letters, shaped with the greatest -nicety, form a peculiar feature in the streets of London. In former -times all the shops had large signs suspended before them, such as are -still used at inns in the country; these have long since disappeared; -but in a few instances, where the shop is of such long standing that it -is still known by the name of its old insignia, a small picture still -preserves the sign, placed instead of one of the window panes. - -If I were to pass the remainder of my life in London, I think the shops -would always continue to amuse me. Something extraordinary or beautiful -is for ever to be seen in them. I saw, the other day, a sturgeon, above -two _varas_ in length, hanging at a fishmonger’s. In one window you see -the most exquisite lamps of alabaster, to shed a pearly light in the -bedchamber; or formed of cut glass to glitter like diamonds in the -drawing-room; in another, a convex mirror reflects the whole picture of -the street, with all its moving swarms, or you start from your own face -magnified to the proportions of a giant’s. Here a painted piece of beef -swings in a roaster to exhibit the machine which turns it; here you have -a collection of worms from the human intestines, curiously bottled, and -every bottle with a label stating to whom the worm belonged, and -testifying that the party was relieved from it by virtue of the medicine -which is sold within. At one door stands a little Scotchman taking -snuff,—in one window a little gentleman with his coat puckered up in -folds, and the folds filled with water to show that it is proof against -wet. Here you have cages full of birds of every kind, and on the upper -story live peacocks are spreading their fans; another window displays -the rarest birds and beasts stuffed, and in glass cases; in another you -have every sort of artificial fly for the angler, and another is full of -busts painted to the life, with glass eyes, and dressed in full fashion -to exhibit the wigs which are made within, in the very newest and most -approved taste. And thus is there a perpetual exhibition of whatever is -curious in nature or art, exquisite in workmanship, or singular in -costume; and the display is perpetually varying as the ingenuity of -trade, and the absurdity of fashion, are ever producing something new. - -Yesterday, I was amused by a spectacle which you will think better -adapted to wild African negroes than to so refined a people as the -English. Three or four boys of different ages were dancing in the -street; their clothes seemed as if they had been dragged through the -chimney, as indeed had been the case, and these sooty habiliments were -bedecked with pieces of foil, and with ribbons of all gay colours, -flying like streamers in every direction as they whisked round. Their -sooty faces were reddened with rose-pink, and in the middle of each -cheek was a patch of gold leaf, the hair was frizzed out, and as white -as powder could make it, and they wore an old hat cocked for the -occasion, and in like manner ornamented with ribbons, and foil, and -flowers. In this array were they dancing through the streets, clapping a -wooden plate, frightening the horses by their noise, and still more by -their strange appearance, and soliciting money from all whom they met. - -The first days of May are the Saturnalia of these people,—a wretched -class of men, who exist in no other country than England, and it is -devoutly to be hoped, for the sake of humanity, will not long continue -to exist there. The soot of the earth-coal, which, though formerly used -by only the lower classes, is now the fuel of rich and poor alike, -accumulates rapidly in the chimneys: and instead of removing it by -firing a gun up, or dragging up a bush, as is sometimes practised in the -country, and must have been in former times the custom every where, they -send men up to sweep it away with a brush. These passages are not -unfrequently so crooked and so narrow, that none but little children can -crawl up them; and you may imagine that cruel threats and cruel usage -must both be employed before a child can be forced to ascend places so -dark, so frightful, and so dangerous. - -No objects can be more deplorable than these poor children. You meet -them with a brush in the hand, a bag upon the shoulders, and a sort of -woollen cap, or rather bandage swathed round the head; their skin, and -all their accoutrements, equally ingrained with soot, every part being -black except the white of the eyes and the teeth, which the soot keeps -beautifully clean. Their way of life produces another more remarkable -and more melancholy effect; they are subject to a dangerous species of -hydrocele, which is peculiar to them, and is therefore called the -chimney-sweeper’s disease. - -The festival of these poor people commences on May-day: it was perhaps -the day of their patron saint, in times of yore, before the whole -hierarchy of saints and angels were proscribed in England by the -levelling spirit of a diabolical heresy. They go about in parties of -four or five, in the grotesque manner which I have described. A more -extraordinary figure is sometimes in company, whom they call -_Jack-in-the-Bush_; as the name indicates, nothing but bush is to be -seen, except the feet which dance under it. The man stands in a -frame-work, which is supported upon his shoulders, and is completely -covered with the boughs of a thick and short-branched shrub: the heat -must be intolerable, but he gets paid for his day’s purgatory, and the -English will do any thing for money. The savages of Virginia had such a -personage in one of their religious dances, and indeed the custom is -quite in savage taste. - -May-day is one of the most general holydays in England. High poles, as -tall as the mast of a merchant ship, are erected in every village, and -hung with garlands composed of all field flowers, but chiefly of one -which is called the cowslip: each has its King and Queen of the May -chosen from among the children of the peasantry, who are tricked out as -fantastically as the London chimney-sweepers; but health and cleanliness -give them a very different appearance. Their table is spread under the -May-pole; their playmates beg with a plate, as our children for the -little altar which they have drest for their saint upon his festival, -and all dance round the pole hand in hand. - -Without doubt, these sports were once connected with religion. It is the -peculiar character of the true religion to sanctify what is innocent, -and make even merriment meritorious; and it is as peculiarly the -character of Calvinism to divest piety of all cheerfulness, and -cheerfulness of all piety, as if they could not co-exist; and to -introduce a graceless and joyless system of manners suitable to a faith -which makes the heresy of Manes appear reasonable. He admitted that the -Evil Principle was weaker than the Good one, but in the mythology of -Calvin there is no good one to be found. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - LETTER XIV. - -_Description of the Inside, and of the Furniture, of an English House._ - - -One of the peculiarities in this country is, that every body lives upon -the ground floor, except the shopkeepers. The stable and coach-house -either adjoin the house, or more frequently are detached from it, and -the kitchen is either at the back of the house on the ground floor, or -underground, which is usually the case in large towns, but never, as -with us, above stairs. They wonder at our custom of living on the higher -floors, and call it troublesome: I, on my part, cannot be reconciled to -the inconvenience of living on a level with the street: the din is at -your very ear, the window cannot be thrown open for the dust which -showers in, and it is half darkened by blinds that the by-passers may -not look in upon your privacy. - -One room on the first floor is reserved for company, the rest are -bed-rooms, for the beds, instead of standing in recesses, are placed in -rooms as large as those in which we dwell. This occasions a great waste -of space, the more remarkable, as ground is exceedingly valuable in the -towns, and is rented by the square foot of front at a prodigious price. -Nothing surprised me more at first, than the excellent workmanship of -the doors and windows; no jarring with the wind, no currents of air, and -the windows, which are all suspended by pulleys, rise with a touch. This -is not entirely and exclusively owing to the skill of the English -workmen, but in great measure also to the climate. When the wood has -once been seasoned, neither the heat nor humidity of the atmosphere is -ever sufficient to affect it materially. In good houses the doors have a -strip of open brass work above the handle, that the servants may not -soil them with their fingers. - -An Englishman delights to show his wealth; every thing in his house, -therefore, is expensive: a whole dwelling in our country is furnished at -less cost than is bestowed here upon a single apartment. The description -of our common sitting-room may be considered as a fair specimen. The -whole floor is fitted with carpeting, not of the costliest kind, but -both in texture and design far superior to what is usually seen in -Spain. This remains down summer and winter, though in summer our matting -would be far more suitable, if the fashion were once introduced. Before -the fire is a small carpet of different fabric, and fleecy appearance, -about two _varas_ long, and not quite half as broad; a fashion of late -years, which has become universal, because it is at once ornamental, -comfortable, and useful, preserving the larger one, which would else -soon be worn out in that particular part. Of the fire-places I have -already spoken; here the frontal is marble, and above is a looking-glass -the whole length of the mantle-piece, divided into three compartments by -gilt pillars, which support a gilt architrave. On each side hang -bell-ropes of coloured worsted, about the thickness of a man’s wrist, -the work of Mrs J— and her sister, which suspend knobs of polished spar. -The fender is remarkable; it consists of a crescent basket work of wire -painted green, about a foot in height, topt with brass, and supporting -seven brazen pillars of nearly the same height, which also are -surmounted by a band of brass. This also is a late fashion, introduced -in consequence of the numberless accidents occasioned by fire. Almost -every newspaper contains an account that some woman has been burnt to -death, and they are at last beginning to take some means of precaution. - -The chairs and tables are of a wood brought from Honduras, which is in -great request here, of a fine close grain, and a reddish brown colour, -which becomes more beautiful as it grows darker with age. The history of -this wood, of which all the finer articles of furniture exclusively are -made, is rather singular. A West Indian captain, about a century ago, -brought over some planks as ballast, and gave them to his brother, Dr -Gibbons, a physician of great eminence, who was then building a house. -The workmen, however, found the wood too hard for their tools, and it -was thrown aside. Some time afterwards his wife wanted a box to hold -candles, the doctor thought of the West Indian wood, and, in spite of -the difficulty which was still found in working it, had the box made. He -admired its colour and polish so much, that he had a bureau made of it -also; and this was thought so beautiful, that it was shown to all his -friends. Among others, the Duchess of Buckingham came to see it, and -begged enough of the wood to make her a bureau also. From that moment -the demand was so great, that it became a regular article of trade, and -as long as the woods of Honduras last it is likely to continue so. There -is reason to believe that the tree would grow in England, as there are -some flourishing plants in the neighbourhood of London which have been -raised from seed. Formerly the tables were made of the solid plank; but -English ingenuity has now contrived to give the same appearance at a far -less cost of materials, by facing common deal with a layer of the fine -wood not half a barley-corn in thickness. To give you an idea of the -curiosity with which all these things are executed, is impossible; -nothing can be more perfect. - -Our breakfast table is oval, large enough for eight or nine persons, yet -supported upon one claw in the centre. This is the newest fashion, and -fashions change so often in these things, as well as in every thing -else, that it is easy to know how long it is since a house has been -fitted up, by the shape of the furniture. An upholder just now -advertises _Commodes_, _Console-tables_, _Ottomans_, _Chaiselongès_, and -_Chiffoniers_;—what are all these? you ask. I asked the same question, -and could find no person in the house who could answer me; but they are -all articles of the newest fashion, and no doubt all will soon be -thought indispensably necessary in every well-furnished house. Here is -also a nest of tables for the ladies, consisting of four, one less than -another, and each fitting into the one above it; you would take them for -play-things, from their slenderness and size, if you did not see how -useful they find them for their work. A harpsichord takes up the middle -of one side of the room, and in the corners are screens to protect the -face from the fire, of mahogany, with fans of green silk, which spread -like a flower, and may be raised or lowered at pleasure. A book-case, -standing on a chest of drawers, completes the heavy furniture; it has -glazed doors, and curtains of green silk within. - -But I should give you a very inadequate idea of an English room were I -to stop here. Each window has blinds to prevent the by-passers from -looking in; the plan is taken from the Venetian blinds, but made more -expensive, as the bars are fitted into a frame and move in grooves. The -shutters fit back by day, and are rendered ornamental by the gilt ring -by which they are drawn open: at night you perceive that you are in a -land of housebreakers by the contrivances for barring them, and the -bells which are fixed on to alarm the family, in case the house should -be attacked. On one side of the window the curtains hang in festoons, -they are of rich printed cotton, lined with a plain colour and fringed, -the quantity they contain is very great. Add to this a sconce of the -most graceful form, with six prints in gilt frames, and you have the -whole scene before you. Two of these are Noel’s views of Cadiz and -Lisbon; the others are from English history, and represent the battles -of the Boyne and of La Hogue, the death of General Wolfe at Quebec, and -William Penn treating with the Indians for his province of Pennsylvania. - -Let us proceed to the dining-room.—Here the table is circular, but -divides in half to receive a middle part which lengthens it, and this is -so contrived that it may be made to suit any number of persons from six -to twenty. The side-board is a massier piece of furniture; formerly a -single slab of marble was used for this purpose, but now this is become -one of the handsomest and most expensive articles. The glasses are -arranged on it ready for dinner, and the knives and forks in two little -chests or cabinets, the spoons are be tween them in a sort of urn; every -thing being made costly and ornamental. - -The drawing-room differs chiefly from the breakfast parlour in having -every thing more expensive, a carpet of richer fabric, sconces and -mirrors more highly ornamented, and curtains of damask like the sofas -and chairs. Two chandeliers with glass drops stand on the mantle-piece; -but in these we excel the English; they have not the brilliancy of those -from the royal fabric at St Ildefonso. In this room are the portraits of -J— and his wife, by one of the best living artists, so admirably -executed as to make me blush for the present state of the arts in Spain. - -Having proceeded thus far, I will go through the house. J— took me into -his kitchen one day to show me what is called the kitchen-range, which -has been constructed upon the philosophical principles of Count Rumford, -a German[11] philosopher, the first person who has applied scientific -discoveries to the ordinary purposes of life. The top of the fire is -covered with an iron plate, so that the flame and smoke, instead of -ascending, pass through bars on the one side, and there heat an iron -front, against the which food may be roasted as well as by the fire -itself; it passes on, heating stoves and boilers as it goes, and the -smoke is not suffered to pass up the chimney till it can no longer be of -any use. On the other side is an oven heated by the same fire, and -vessels for boiling may be placed on the plate over the fire. The smoke -finally sets a kind of wheel in motion in the chimney, which turns the -spit. I could not but admire the comfort and cleanliness of every thing -about the kitchen; a dresser as white as when the wood was new, the -copper and tin vessels bright and burnished, the chain in which the spit -plays, bright; the plates and dishes ranged in order along the shelves, -and I could not but wish our dirty Domingo were here to take a lesson of -English cleanliness. There is a back-kitchen in which all the dirty work -is done, into which water is conveyed by pipes. The order and -cleanliness of every thing made even this room cheerful, though -under-ground, where the light enters only from an area, and the face of -the sky is never seen. - -Footnote 11: - - This is a mistake of the author’s. Count Rumford is an American.—TR. - -And now for my own apartment, where I am now writing. It is on the -second floor, the more, therefore, to my liking, as it is less noisy, -and I breathe in a freer atmosphere. My bed, though neither covered with -silk nor satin, has as much ornament as is suitable; silk or satin would -not give that clean appearance which the English always require, and -which I have already learnt to delight in. Hence, the damask curtains -which were used in the last generation have given place to linens. These -are full enough to hang in folds; by day they are gathered round the -bed-posts, which are light pillars of mahogany supporting a frame-work, -covered with the same furniture as the curtains; and valances are -fastened round this frame, both withinside the curtains and without, and -again round the sides of the bedstead. The blankets are of the natural -colour of the wool, quite plain; the sheets plain also. I have never -seen them flounced nor laced, nor ever seen a striped or coloured -blanket. The counterpane is of all English manufactures the least -tasteful; it is of white cotton, ornamented with cotton knots, in shapes -as graceless as the cut box in a garden. My window-curtains are of the -same pattern as the bed; a mahogany press holds my clothes, an oval -looking-glass swung lengthways stands on the dressing-table. A compact -kind of chest holds the bason, the soap, the toothbrush, and -water-glass, each in a separate compartment; and a looking-glass, for -the purpose of shaving at (for Englishmen usually shave themselves,) -slips up and down behind, the water-jug and water-bottle stand below, -and the whole shuts down a-top, and closes in front, like a cabinet. The -room is carpeted; here I have my fire, my table, and my cassette; here I -study, and here minute down every thing which I see or learn—how -industriously you will perceive, and how faithfully, you who best know -me, will best know. - -My honoured father will say to all this, How many things are there here -which I do not want?—But you, my dear mother,—I think I see you looking -round the room while you say, How will Manuel like to leave these -luxuries and return to Spain? How anxiously I wish to leave them, you -will not easily conceive, as you have never felt that longing love for -your own country, which absence from it renders a passion, and almost a -disease. Fortunate as I am in having such rare advantages of society and -friendship, and happy as I am in the satisfaction wherewith I reflect -every night that no opportunity of enquiry or observation has been lost -during the day, still my greatest pleasure is to think how fast the days -and weeks are passing on, and that every day I am one day nearer the -time of my return. I never longed half so earnestly to return from -Alcalá, as I now do to enter my native place, to see the shield over the -door-way, to hear the sound of our own water-wheel, of the bells of St -Claras, of Domingo’s viola at evening, to fondle my own dogs, to hear my -own language, to kneel at mass in the church where I was baptized, and -to see once more around me the faces of all whom I have known from -infancy, and of all whom I love best. - - ¡Ay[12] Dios de mi alma! - ¡Saqueisme de aquí! - ¡Ay! que Inglaterra - Ya no es para mí. - -Footnote 12: - - Ah God of my soul, take me from hence! alas! England is not a country - for me.—TR. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - LETTER XV. - -_English Meals.—Clumsy Method of Butchery.—Lord Somerville.—Cruel Manner - of killing certain Animals.—Luxuries of the Table.—Liquors._ - - -The English do not eat beef-steaks for breakfast, as lying travellers -have told us, nor can I find that it has ever been the custom. The -breakfast-table is a cheerful sight in this country: porcelain of their -own manufactory, which excels the Chinese in elegance of form and -ornament, is ranged on a Japan waiter, also of the country fabric; for -here they imitate every thing. The mistress sits at the head of the -board, and opposite to her the boiling water smokes and sings in an urn -of Etruscan shape. The coffee is contained in a smaller vase of the same -shape, or in a larger kind of tea-pot, wherein the grain is suspended in -a bag; but nothing is so detestable as an Englishman’s coffee. The -washing of our after-dinner cups would make a mixture as good; the -infusion is just strong enough to make the water brown and bitter. This -is not occasioned by œconomy, though coffee is enormously dear, for the -people are extravagant in the expences of the table: they know no -better; and if you tell them how it ought to be made, they reply, that -it must be very disagreeable, and even that if they could drink it so -strong, it would prevent them from sleeping. There is besides an act of -parliament to prevent the English from drinking good coffee: they are -not permitted to roast it themselves, and of course all the fresh and -finer flavour evaporates in the warehouse. They make amends however by -the excellence of their tea, which is still very cheap, though the -ministry, in violation of an explicit bargain, increased the tax upon it -four fold, during the last war. This is made in a vessel of silver, or -of a fine black porcelain: they do not use boiled milk with it, but -cream in its fresh state, which renders it a very delightful beverage. -They eat their bitter bread in various ways, either in thin slices, or -toasted, or in small hot loaves, always with butter, which is the best -thing in the country. - -The dinner hour is usually five: the labouring part of the community -dine at one, the highest ranks at six, seven, or even eight. The -quantity of meat which they consume is astonishing! I verily believe -that what is drest for one dinner here, would supply the same number of -persons in Spain for a week, even if no fast-days intervened. Every -where you find both meat and vegetables in the same crude and insipid -state. The potatoe appears at table all the year round: indeed the poor -subsist so generally upon this root, that it seems surprising how they -could have lived before it was introduced from America. Beer is the -common drink. They take less wine than we do at dinner, and more after -it; but the custom of sitting for hours over the bottle, which was so -prevalent of late years, has been gradually laid aside, as much from the -gradual progress of the taxes as of good sense. Tea is served between -seven and eight, in the same manner as at breakfast, except that we do -not assemble round the table. Supper is rather a ceremony than a meal; -but the hour afterwards, over our wine and water, or spirits, is the -pleasantest in the day. - -The old refinements of epicurean cruelty are no longer heard of, yet the -lower classes are cruel from mere insensibility, and the higher ones, -for want of thought, make no effort to amend them. The butchers and -drovers in particular are a savage race. The sheep which I have met on -their way to the slaughter-house, have frequently their faces smeared -with their own blood, and accidents from over-driven oxen are very -common. Cattle are slaughtered with the clumsiest barbarity: the butcher -hammers away at the forehead of the beast; blow after blow raises a -swelling which renders the following blows ineffectual, and the butchery -is completed by cutting the throat. Great pains have been taken by a -nobleman who has travelled in Spain, to introduce our humane method of -piercing the spine; the effect has been little, and I have heard that -the butchers have sometimes wantonly prolonged the sufferings of animals -in his sight, for the pleasure of tormenting a humanity which they think -ridiculous. Oysters are eaten alive here. You see women in the streets -skinning eels while the creature writhes on the fork. They are thought -delicacies here, and yet the English laugh at the French for eating -frogs! Lobsters and crabs are boiled alive, and sometimes roasted! and -carp, after having been scaled and gutted, will sometimes leap out of -the stew-pan. If humanity is in better natures an instinct, no instinct -is so easily deadened, and in the mass of mankind it seems not to exist. - -Roast beef has been heard of wherever the English are known. I have more -than once been asked at table my opinion of the roast beef of Old -England, with a sort of smile, and in a tone as if the national honour -were concerned in my reply. The loin of beef is always called Sir, which -is the same as Señor.[13] Neither drunkenness nor gluttony can fairly be -imputed as national vices to this people, and yet perhaps there is no -other country where so much nice and curious attention is paid to eating -and drinking, nor where the pleasures of the table are thought of such -serious importance, and gratified at so great an expense. All parts of -the world are ransacked for an Englishman’s table. Turtle are brought -alive from the West Indies, and their arrival is of so much consequence, -that notices are immediately sent to the newspapers, particularly -stating that they are in fine order, and lively. Whereever you dine -since peace has been concluded, you see a Perigord pye. India supplies -sauces and curry powder; they have hams from Portugal and Westphalia; -reindeers’ tongues from Lapland; caviar from Russia; sausages from -Bologna; maccaroni from Naples; oil from Florence; olives from France, -Italy, or Spain, at choice; cheese from Parma and Switzerland. Fish come -packed up in ice from Scotland for the London market, and the epicures -here will not eat any mutton but what is killed in Wales. There is in -this very morning’s newspaper, a notice from a shopkeeper in the Strand, -offering to contract with any person who will send him game regularly -from France, Norway, or Russia. - -Footnote 13: - - D. Manuel has mistaken the word, which is Surloin, quasi - _Super-Loin_,—the upper part of it.—TR. - -The choice of inferior liquors is great; but all are bad substitutes for -the pure juice of the grape. You have tasted their beer in its best -state, and cider you have drank in Biscay. They have a beverage made -from the buds of the fir-tree and treacle; necessity taught the American -settlers to brew this detestable mixture, which is introduced here as a -luxury. Factitious waters are now also become fashionable; soda-water -particularly, the fixed air of which hisses as it goes down your throat -as cutting as a razor, and draws tears as it comes up through the nose -as pungent as a pinch of snuff. The common water is abominable; it is -either from a vapid canal in which all the rabble of the outskirts wash -themselves in summer, or from the Thames, which receives all the filth -of the city. It is truly disgraceful that such a city should be without -an aqueduct. At great tables the wine stands in ice, and you keep your -glass inverted in water. In nothing are they so curious as in their -wines, though rather in the quality than the variety. They even send it -abroad to be ripened by the motion of the ship, and by warmer climates; -you see _superior, London, picked, particular, East India_ Madeira -advertised, every epithet of which must be paid for. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - LETTER XVI. - -_Informers.—System upon which they act.—Anecdotes of their - Rascality.—Evil of encouraging them.—English Character a Compound of - Contradictions._ - - -They talk here of our Holy Office as a disgrace to the Spanish nation, -when their own government is ten times more inquisitorial, for the -paltry purposes of revenue. Shortly after his last return from Spain, J— -stept into a hosier’s to buy a pair of gloves; the day was warm, and he -laid his hat upon the counter: a well-drest man came in after him for -the same ostensible purpose, either learnt his name by enquiry, or -followed him till he had discovered it, and the next day my friend was -summoned before a magistrate to answer a charge for wearing his hat -without a stamp. It was in vain he pleaded that the hat had been -purchased abroad; he had been in England more than six weeks, and had -not bought a stamp to put into it, and therefore was fined in the full -penalty. - -This species of espionage has within these few years become a regular -trade; the laws are in some instances so perplexed, and in others so -vexatious, that matter for prosecution is never wanting, and many of -these familiars of the Tax Office are amassing fortunes by this infamous -business. The most lucrative method of practice is as follows: A fellow -surcharges half the people in the district; that is, he informs the -tax-commissioners, that such persons have given in a false account of -their window’s, dogs, horses, carriages, &c. an offence for which the -tax is trebled, and half the surplus given to the informer. A day of -appeal, however, is allowed for those who think they can justify -themselves; but so many have been aggrieved, that when they appear -together before the commissioners, there is not time to hear one in ten. -Some of these persons live two, four, or six, leagues from the place of -appeal: they go there a second, and perhaps a third time in the hope of -redress; the informer takes care, by new surcharges, to keep up the -crowd, and the injured persons find it at last less burthensome to pay -the unjust fine, than to be repeatedly at the trouble and expense of -seeking justice in vain. - -There is nothing, however dishonourable or villanous, to which these -wretches will not stoop. One of them, on his first settling in the -province which he had chosen for the scene of his campaigns, was invited -to dinner by a neighbouring gentleman, before his character was known; -the next day he surcharged his host for another servant, because one of -the men employed about his grounds had assisted in waiting at dinner. -Another happening to lame his horse, borrowed one of a farmer to ride -home: the farmer told him it was but an uneasy-going beast, as he was -kept wholly for the cart, but rather than that the gentleman should be -distressed he would put the saddle on him;—he was surcharged the next -day for keeping a saddle-horse, as his reward. Can there be a more -convincing proof of the excellent police of England, and, what is still -better, of the admirable effect of well-executed laws upon the people, -than that such pests of society as these walk abroad among the very -people whom they oppress and insult, with perfect safety both by day and -by night! - -Government do not seem to be aware that when they offer premiums for -treachery, they are corrupting the morals of the people, and thereby -weakening their own security. There is reason sufficient for pardoning a -criminal, who confesses his own guilt, and impeaches his accomplice; the -course of law could not go on without it, and such men are already -infamous. But no such plea can be alleged in this case: it is a -miserable excuse for encouraging informers, to say, that the taxes are -so clumsily laid on, that they can easily be eluded. A far worse -instance of this pernicious practice occurs in the system of pressing -men for the navy, which the English confess to be the opprobrium of -their country, while they regret it as inevitable. In the proclamation -issued upon these occasions, a reward is regularly offered to all -persons who will give information where a sailor has hidden himself. - -The whole system of England, from highest to lowest, is, and has been, -one series of antagonisms; struggle—struggle—in every thing. Check and -countercheck is the principle of their constitution, which is the result -of centuries of contention between the Crown and the People. The -struggle between the Clergy and the Lawyers unfettered their lands from -feudal tenures. Their church is a half-and-half mixture of Catholicism -and Puritanism. These contests being over, it is now a trial between the -Government and the Subject, how the one can lay on taxes, and how the -other can elude them. - -This spirit of contradiction is the character of the nation. They love -to be at war, but do not love to pay for their amusement; and now, that -they are at peace, they begin to complain that the newspapers are not -worth reading, and rail at the French as if they really wished to begin -again. There is not a people upon the earth who have a truer love for -their Royal Family than the English, yet they caricature them in the -most open and insolent manner. They boast of the freedom of the press, -yet as surely and systematically punish the author who publishes any -thing obnoxious, and the bookseller who sells it, as we in our country -should prevent the publication. They cry out against intolerance, and -burn down the houses of those whom they regard as heretics. They love -liberty; go to war with their neighbours, because they chose to become -republicans, and insist upon the right of enslaving the negroes. They -hate the French and ape all their fashions, ridicule their neologisms -and then naturalize them, laugh at their inventions and then adopt them, -cry out against their political measures and then imitate them; the levy -in mass, the telegraph, and the income-tax are all from France. And the -common people, not to be behind-hand with their betters in absurdity, -boast as heartily of the roast beef of Old England, as if they were not -obliged to be content themselves with bread and potatoes. Well may punch -be the favourite liquor of the English,—it is a truly emblematic -compound of contrarieties. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - LETTER XVII. - -_The Word_ Home, _said to be peculiar to the English.—Propriety - of the Assertion questioned.—Comfort.—Curious - Conveniences.—Pocket-fender.—Hunting-razors._ - - -There are two words in their language on which these people pride -themselves, and which they say cannot be translated. _Home_ is the one, -by which an Englishman means his house. As the meaning is precisely the -same whether it be expressed by one word or by two, and the feeling -associated therewith is the same also, the advantage seems wholly -imaginary; for assuredly this meaning can be conveyed in any language -without any possible ambiguity. In general, when a remark of this kind -is made to me, if I do not perceive its truth, I rather attribute it to -my own imperfect conception than to any fallacy in the assertion; but -when this was said to me, I recollected the exquisite lines of Catullus, -and asked if they were improved in the English translation: - - O quid solutis est beatius curis, - Cum mens onus reponit, ac peregrino - Labore fessi, venimus _larem ad nostrum_ - Desideratoque acquiescimus lecto? - -We may with truth say that our word _solar_[14] is untranslatable, for -the English have not merely no equivalent term, but no feeling -correspondent to it. That reverence for the seat of our ancestors, which -with us is almost a religion, is wholly unknown here. But how can it be -otherwise in a land where there is no pride of blood, and where men who -would be puzzled to trace the place of their grandfather’s birth, are -not unfrequently elevated to a level with the grandees! - -Footnote 14: - - _Solar_ is the floor of a house. _Hidalgo de solar conocido_, is the - phrase used for a man of old family.—TR. - -The other word is _comfort_; it means all the enjoyments and privileges -of _home_, or which, when abroad, makes us feel no want of _home_; and -here I must confess that these proud islanders have reason for their -pride. In their social intercourse and their modes of life they have -enjoyments which we never dream of. Saints and philosophers teach us -that they who have the fewest wants are the wisest and the happiest; but -neither philosophers nor saints are in fashion in England. It is -recorded of some old Eastern tyrant, that he offered a reward for the -discovery of a new pleasure;—in like manner this nation offers a -perpetual reward to those who will discover new wants for them, in the -readiness wherewith they purchase any thing, if the seller will but -assure them that it is exceedingly convenient. For instance, in the -common act of drawing a cork, a common screw was thought perfectly -sufficient for the purpose from the time when bottles were invented, -till within the last twenty years. It was then found somewhat -inconvenient to exert the arm, that the wine was spoilt by shaking, and -that the neck of the bottle might come off: to prevent these evils and -this danger, some ingenious fellow adapted the mechanical screw, and the -cork was extracted by the simple operation of turning a lever. Well, -this lasted for a generation, till another artificer discovered, with -equal ingenuity, that it was exceedingly unpleasant to dirt the fingers -by taking off the cork; a compound concave screw was therefore invented, -first to draw the cork and then to discharge it, and the profits of this -useful invention are secured to the inventor by a patent.—The royal arms -are affixed to this Patent Compound Concave Corkscrew; and the inventor, -in defiance to all future corkscrew-makers, has stamped upon it _Ne plus -ultra_, signifying that the art of making corkscrews can be carried no -further.—The tallow candles which they burn here frequently require -snuffing; but the common implement for this purpose had served time out -of mind, till within the present reign, the great epoch of the rise of -manufactures, and the decline of every thing else; a machine was then -invented to prevent the snuff from falling out upon the table; another -inventor supplanted this by using a revolving tube or cylinder, which -could never be so filled as to strain the spring; and now a still more -ingenious mechanic proposes to make snuffers which shall, by their own -act, snuff the candle whenever it is required, and to save all trouble -whatever.—One sort of knife is used for fish, another for butter, a -third for cheese. Penknives and scissars are not sufficient here; they -have an instrument to make pens, and an instrument to clip the nails. -They have a machine for slicing cucumbers; one instrument to pull on the -shoe, another to pull on the boot, another to button the knees of the -breeches. Pocket-toasting-forks have been invented, as if it were -possible to want a toasting-fork in the pocket; and even this has been -exceeded by the fertile genius of a celebrated projector, who ordered a -pocket-fender for his own use, which was to cost 200_l._ The article was -made, but as it did not please, payment was refused; an action was in -consequence brought, and the workman said upon the trial that he was -very sorry to disoblige so good a customer, and would willingly have -taken the thing back, if there could be any chance of selling it, but -that really nobody except the gentleman in question ever would want a -pocket-fender. This same gentleman has contrived to have the whole set -of fire-irons made hollow instead of solid; to be sure, the cost is more -than twenty-fold, but what is that to the convenience of holding a few -ounces in the hand, when you stir the fire, instead of a few pounds? -This curious projector is said to have taken out above seventy patents -for inventions equally ingenious, and equally useful; but a more -extraordinary invention than any of his threescore and ten, is that of -the hunting-razor, with which you may shave yourself while riding full -gallop. - -There is no end of these oddities; but the number of real conveniences -which have been created by this indiscriminate demand for novelty is -truly astonishing. These are the refinements of late years, the devices -of a people made wanton by prosperity. It is not for such superfluities -that the English are to be envied; it is for their domestic habits, and -for that unrestrained intercourse of the sexes, which, instead of -producing the consequences we should expect, gives birth not only to -their greatest enjoyments, but also to their best virtues. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - LETTER XVIII. - -_Drury-Lane Theatre.—The Winter’s Tale.—Kemble.—Mrs Siddons.—Don Juan._ - - -There is nothing in a foreign land which a traveller is so little able -to enjoy as the national theatre: though he may read the language with -ease, and converse in it with little difficulty, still he cannot follow -the progress of a story upon the stage, nor catch the jests, which set -all around him in a roar, unless he has lived so long in the country, -that his ear has become perfectly naturalized. Fully aware of this, I -desired J— to take me there on some evening when the drama would be most -intelligible to the sense of sight; and we went accordingly yesternight -to see The Winter’s Tale, a play of the famous Shakespeare’s, which has -been lately revived for the purpose of displaying to advantage their two -most celebrated performers, Kemble, and his sister Mrs Siddons. - -In the reigns of Elizabeth and James, the golden age of the English -drama, London was not a tenth part of its present size, and it then -contained seventeen theatres. At present there are but two. More would -succeed, and indeed more are wanted, but these have obtained exclusive -privileges. Old people say the acting was better in their younger days, -because there were more schools for actors; and the theatres being -smaller, the natural voice could be heard, and the natural expression of -the features seen, and therefore rant and distortion were unnecessary. -They, however, who remember no other generation of actors than the -present, will not be persuaded that there has ever been one more -perfect. Be this as it may, all are agreed that the drama itself has -wofully degenerated, though it is the only species of literary labour -which is well paid. They are agreed also as to the cause of this -degeneracy, attributing it to the prodigious size of the theatres. The -finer tones of passion cannot be discriminated, nor the finer movements -of the countenance perceived from the front, hardly from the middle of -the house. Authors, therefore, substitute what is here called broad -farce for genuine comedy; their jests are made intelligible by grimace, -or by that sort of mechanical wit which can be seen; comedy is made up -of trick, and tragedy of processions, pageants, battles, and explosions. - -The two theatres are near each other, and tolerably well situated for -the more fashionable and more opulent parts of the town; but buildings -of such magnitude might have been made ornamental to the metropolis, and -both require a more open space before them. Soldiers were stationed at -the doors; and as we drew near we were importuned by women with oranges, -and by boys to purchase a bill of the play. We went into the pit that I -might have a better view of the house, which was that called Drury-lane, -from the place where it stands, the larger and more beautiful of the -two. The price here is three shillings and sixpence, about sixteen -reales. The benches are not divided into single seats, and men and women -here and in all parts of the house sit promiscuously. - -I had heard much of this theatre, and was prepared for wonder; still the -size, the height, the beauty, the splendour, astonished me. Imagine a -pit capable of holding a thousand persons, four tiers of boxes supported -by pillars scarcely thicker than a man’s arm, and two galleries in -front, the higher one at such a distance, that they who are in it must -be content to see the show, without hoping to hear the dialogue; the -colours blue and silver, and the whole illuminated with chandeliers of -cut glass, not partially nor parsimoniously; every part as distinctly -seen as if in the noon sunshine. After the first feeling of surprise and -delight, I began to wish that a massier style of architecture had been -adopted. The pillars, which are iron, are so slender as to give an idea -of insecurity; their lightness is much admired, but it is -disproportioned and out of place. There is a row of private boxes on -each side of the pit, on a level with it; convenient they must doubtless -be to those who occupy them, and profitable to the proprietors of the -house; but they deform the theatre. - -The people in the galleries were very noisy before the representation -began, whistling and calling to the musicians; and they amused -themselves by throwing orange-peel into the pit and upon the stage: -after the curtain drew up they were sufficiently silent. The pit was -soon filled; the lower side-boxes did not begin to fill till towards the -middle of the first act, because that part of the audience is too -fashionable to come in time; the back part of the front boxes not till -the half play; they were then filled with a swarm of prostitutes, and of -men who came to meet them. In the course of the evening there were two -or three quarrels there which disturbed the performance, and perhaps -ended in duels the next morning. The English say, and I believe they say -truly, that they are the most moral people in Europe; but were they to -be judged by their theatres,—I speak not of the representation, but of -the manners which are exhibited by this part of the audience,—it would -be thought that no people had so little sense of common decorum, or paid -so little respect to public decency. - -No prompter was to be seen; the actors were perfect, and stood in no -need of his awkward presence. The story of the drama was, with a little -assistance, easily intelligible to me; not, indeed, by the dialogue; for -of that I found myself quite unable to understand any two sentences -together, scarcely a single one: and when I looked afterwards at the -printed play, I perceived that the difficulty lay in the peculiarity of -Shakespeare’s language, which is so antiquated, and still more so -perplexed, that few even of the English themselve can thoroughly -understand their favourite author. The tale, however, is this. -Polixenes, king of Bohemia, is visiting his friend Leontes, king of -Sicily; he is about to take his departure; Leontes presses him to stay -awhile longer, but in vain—urges the request with warmth, and is still -refused; then sets his queen to persuade him; and, perceiving that she -succeeds, is seized with sudden jealousy, which, in the progress of the -scene, becomes so violent, that he orders one of his courtiers to murder -Polixenes. This courtier acquaints Polixenes with his danger, and flies -with him. Leontes throws the queen into prison, where she is delivered -of a daughter; he orders the child to be burnt; his attendants -remonstrate against this barbarous sentence, and he then sends one of -them to carry it out of his dominions, and expose it in some wild place. -He has sent messengers to Delphos to consult the oracle; but, instead of -waiting for their return to confirm his suspicions or disprove them, he -brings the queen to trial. During the trial the messengers arrive, the -answer of the god is opened, and found to be that the queen is innocent, -the child legitimate, and that Leontes will be without an heir, unless -this which is lost shall be found. Even this fails to convince him; but -immediately tidings come in that the prince, his only son, has died of -anxiety for his mother: the queen at this faints, and is carried off; -and her woman comes in presently to say that she is dead also. - -The courtier meantime lands with the child upon the coast of Bohemia, -and there leaves it: a bear pursues him across the stage, to the great -delight of the audience, and eats him out of their sight; which is -doubtless to their great disappointment. The ship is lost with all on -board in a storm, and thus no clue is left for discovering the princess. -Sixteen years are now supposed to elapse between the third and fourth -acts: the lost child, Perdita, has grown up a beautiful shepherdess, and -the son of Polixenes has promised marriage to her. He proceeds to -espouse her at a sheep-shearing feast; where a pedlar, who picks -pockets, excites much merriment. Polixenes, and Camillo the old courtier -who had preserved his life, are present in disguise and prevent the -contract. Camillo, longing to return to his own country, persuades the -prince to fly with his beloved to Sicily: he then goes with the king in -pursuit of them. The old shepherd, who has brought up Perdita as his own -child, goes in company with her; he produces the things which he had -found with her; she is thus discovered to be the lost daughter of -Leontes, and the oracle is accomplished. But the greatest wonder is yet -to come. As Leontes still continues to bewail the loss of his wife, -Paulina, the queen’s woman, promises to show him a statue of her, -painted to the life, the work of Julio Romano, that painter having -flourished in the days when Bohemia was a maritime country, and when the -kings thereof were used to consult the oracle of Apollo, being -idolaters. This statue proves to be the queen herself, who begins to -move to slow music, and comes down to her husband. And then to conclude -the play, as it was the husband of this woman who has been eaten by the -bear, old Camillo is given her that she may be no loser. - -Far be it from me to judge of Shakespeare by these absurdities, which -are all that I can understand of the play. While, however, the English -tolerate such, and are pleased not merely in spite of them, but with -them, it would become their travellers not to speak with quite so much -contempt of the Spanish theatre. That Shakespeare was a great dramatist, -notwithstanding his Winter’s Tale, I believe; just as I know Cervantes -to have been a great man, though he wrote _El Rufián Dichoso_. - -But you cannot imagine any thing more impressive than the finer parts of -this representation; the workings of the king’s jealousy, the dignified -grief and resentment of the queen, tempered with compassion for her -husband’s phrensy; and the last scene in particular, which surpassed -whatever I could have conceived of theatrical effect. The actress who -personated the queen is acknowledged lo be perfect in her art: she stood -leaning upon a pedestal with one arm, the other hanging down—the best -Grecian sculptor could not have adjusted her drapery with more grace, -nor have improved the attitude; and when she began to move, though this -was what the spectators were impatiently expecting, it gave every person -such a start of delight, as the dramatist himself would have wished, -though the whole merit must be ascribed to the actress. - -The regular entertainments on the English stage consist of a play of -three or five acts, and an afterpiece of two; interludes are added only -on benefit nights. The afterpiece this evening was Don Juan, our old -story of the reprobate cavalier and the statue, here represented wholly -in pantomime. Nothing could be more insipid than all the former part of -this drama, nothing more dreadful, and indeed unfit for scenic -representation, than the catastrophe: but either the furies of Æschylus -were more terrible than European devils, or our Christian ladies are -less easily frightened than the women of Greece, for this is a favourite -spectacle everywhere. I know not whether the invention be originally -ours or the Italians; be it whose it may, the story of the Statue is in -a high style of fancy, truly fine and terrific. The sound of his marble -footsteps upon the stage struck a dead silence through the house. It is -to this machinery that the popularity of the piece is owing; and in -spite of the dulness which precedes this incident, and the horror which -follows it, I do not wonder that it is popular. Still it would be -decorous in English writers to speak with a little less disrespect of -the Spanish stage, and of the taste of a Spanish audience, while their -own countrymen continue to represent and to delight in one of the most -monstrous of all our dramas. - -The representation began at seven; and the meals in London are so late, -that even this is complained of as inconveniently early. We did not -reach home till after midnight. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - LETTER XIX. - -_English Church Service.—Banns of Marriage.—Inconvenience of having the - Sermon a regular Part.—Sermons an Article of Trade.—Popular - Preachers.—Private Chapels._ - - -The ceremonies of the English Church Service are soon described. Imagine -a church with one altar covered with crimson velvet, the Creed and the -Decalogue over it in golden letters, over these the Hebrew name of God, -or the I.H.S. at the pleasure of the painter, and half a dozen winged -heads about it, clumsily painted, or more clumsily carved: the nakedness -of the other walls concealed by a gallery; an organ over the door, and -below it, immediately fronting the priest, a clock. Here also in some -conspicuous place is a tablet to record in what year the church was -repaired or beautified, and to perpetuate the names of the -church-wardens at that time in letters of gold. Another tablet -enumerates, but in faded lettering, and less conspicuous situation, all -the benefactors to the parish; that is, all who have left alms to the -poor, or fees to the minister for an anniversary sermon. The gallery and -the area of the church are divided into pews, as they are called, by -handsome mahogany partitions, within which the rich sit on cushioned -seats, and kneel on hassocks, while the poor stand in the aisle, and -kneel upon the stones. These pews are usually freehold, attached to -houses in the parish. In towns a rent is exacted for them; and in -private chapels, of which I shall speak hereafter, the whole income is -derived from them, as in a theatre. The reading-desk of the priest is -under the pulpit, and under it that of the clerk; there are no other -assistants except the sexton and his wife, who open the pews, and expect -a fee for accommodating a stranger with a seat. The priest wears a -surplice; the clerk is no otherwise distinguished from the laity than as -he has a stronger voice than usual, reads worse than other people, that -is, more like a boy at a village school, and more frequently speaks -through the nose. The catholic church has no corresponding office; he is -to the congregation what the leader of the band is to an orchestra. - -Some part of the service is repeated by the clerk and the people after -the priest; with others, as the psalms, and all the hymns, they proceed -alternately verse by verse; the priest reads the scripture lessons and -many of the prayers alone; he also reads the Litany, and the clerk and -congregation make the petition at the end of every clause. There is -nothing in the Liturgy to which a Catholic must necessarily object, -except the absolution; and with respect to that, his objection would be -to the sense in which it is taken, not to that which it was intended to -convey. After the first lesson the organist relieves the priest by -playing a tune, good or bad according to his own fancy. This is an -interlude of modern interpolation, which would have shocked the -Protestants in those days when their priests were more zealous and -longer-winded. At the end of what is properly called the morning -service, though on the Sunday it is but the first part of three, a -portion of the Psalms in vile verse, is given out by the clerk, and sung -by the whole congregation: the organ seems to have been introduced in -all opulent churches to hide the hideous discord of so many untuned and -unmusical voices, and overpower it by a louder strain. A second part -follows, which is usually performed beside the altar, but this is at the -option of the officiating priest; in this the congregation and their -leader have little more to do than to cry Amen, except that they repeat -the Nicene Creed; this part also is terminated by psalm-singing, during -which the priest exchanges his white vestment for a black one, and -ascends the pulpit. He begins with a short prayer, of which the form is -left to himself; then proceeds to the sermon. In old times the sermon -was a serious thing, both for the preacher and the hearers; the more, -the better, was the maxim in the days of fanaticism, and when the sands -of one hour were run out the people heard with pleasure the invitation -of the preacher to take another glass with him. But times are changed; -the hour-glass has disappeared, the patience of a congregation is now -understood to last twenty minutes, and in this instance short measure is -preferred. Immediately after the valediction the organ strikes up a loud -peal, with much propriety, as it drowns the greetings and salutations -which pass from one person to another. The Litany and the whole of the -second part are omitted in the evening service. - -Thus you perceive, that having apostatized and given up the essentials -of religion, the schismatics have deprived divine service of its -specific meaning and motive. It is no longer a sacrifice for the people. -The congregation assemble to say prayers which might as well be said in -their oratories, and to hear sermons which might more conveniently be -read at home. Nothing is done which might not be done with the same -propriety in a chamber as in a church, and by a layman as by a priest. - -A curious legal form is observed in the midst of the service; the priest -reads a list of all the persons in the parish who are about to be -married. This is done three successive Sundays, that if any person -should be acquainted with any existing impediment to the marriage, he -may declare it in time. The better classes avoid this publicity by -obtaining a license at easy expense. Those of high rank choose to be -married at their own houses, a license for which can be obtained from -only the primate. In Scotland, where the schismatics succeeded in -abolishing all the decencies as well as the ornaments of religion, this -is the universal practice; the sacrament of marriage may be celebrated -in any place, and by any person, in that country, and the whole funeral -ceremony there consists in digging a hole, and putting the body into it! - -Of the service of this heretical church, such as it is, the sermon seems -to be regarded as the most important part; children are required to -remember the text, and it is as regular a thing for the English to -praise the discourse when they are going out of church, as it is to talk -of their health immediately before, and of the weather immediately -afterwards. The founders of the schism did not foresee the inconvenience -of always attaching this appendage to prayers and forms which the -Fathers of the church indited and enacted under the grace of the Holy -Spirit, and which even they had grace enough to leave uncorrupted, -though not unmutilated. To go through these forms and offer up these -petitions requires in the priest nothing more than the commonest -learning; it is, indeed, one of the manifold excellencies of the true -church, that the service can neither be made better nor worse by him who -performs it. But here, where a main part consists of composition merely -human, which is designed to edify and instruct the people, more -knowledge and more talents are necessary than it is reasonable to expect -in every priest, or indeed possible to find. You may suppose that this -inconvenience is easily remedied, that only those persons would be -licensed to preach whom the bishop had approved as well qualified, and -that all others would be enjoined to read the discourses of those -schismatical doctors whom their schismatical church had sanctioned. -Something like this was at first intended, and a book of homilies set -forth by authority. Happily these have become obsolete. I say happily, -because, having been composed in the first years of the schism, they -abound with calumnies against the faith. The people now expect original -composition from their priests, let their ability be what it may; it -would be regarded as a confession of incapacity to take a book into the -pulpit; and you may well suppose, if we in Spain have more preachers -than are good, what it must be in a country where every priest is one. - -The sermon is read, not recited, nor delivered extemporaneously; which -is one main difference between the regular English clergy and the -sectarians. It has become a branch of trade to supply the priests with -discourses, and sermons may be bespoken upon any subject, at prices -proportioned to the degree of merit required, which is according to the -rank of the congregation to whom they are to be addressed. One clergyman -of Cambridge has assisted his weaker brethren, by publishing outlines -which they may fill up, and which he calls skeletons of sermons; another -of higher rank, to accommodate them still further, prints discourses at -full, in the written alphabet, so as to appear like manuscript to such -of the congregation as may chance to see them. The manuscripts of a -deceased clergyman are often advertised for sale, and it is usually -added to the notice, that they are warranted original; that is, that no -other copies have been sold, which might betray the secret. These -shifts, however, are not resorted to by the more respectable clergy; it -is not uncommon for these to enter into a commercial treaty with their -friends of the profession, and exchange their compositions. But even -with this reinforcement, the regular stock is usually but scanty; and if -the memory of the parishioners be good enough to last two years, or -perhaps half the time, they recognise their old acquaintance at their -regular return. - -If, however, this custom be burthensome to one part of the clergy, they -who have enough talents to support more vanity fail not to profit by it, -and London is never without a certain number of popular preachers. I am -not now speaking of those who are popular among the sectarians, or -because they introduce sectarian doctrines into the church; but of that -specific character among the regular English clergy, which is here -denominated a popular preacher. You may well imagine, that, as the tree -is known by its fruits, I have not a Luis de Granada, nor an Antonio -Vieyra, to describe. Thread-bare garments of religious poverty, eyes -weakened by incessant tears of contrition, or of pious love, and cheeks -withered by fasting and penitence, would have few charms for that part -of the congregation for whom the popular preacher of London curls his -forelock, studies gestures at his looking-glass, takes lessons from some -stage-player in his chamber, and displays his white hand and white -handkerchief in the pulpit. The discourse is in character with the -orator; nothing to rouse a slumbering conscience, nothing to alarm the -soul at a sense of its danger, no difficulties expounded to confirm the -wavering, no mighty truths enforced to rejoice the faithful,—to look for -theology here would be[15] seeking pears from the elm;—only a little -smooth morality, such as Turk, Jew, or Infidel, may listen to without -offence, sparkling with metaphors and similes, and rounded off with a -text of scripture, a scrap of poetry, or, better than either, a -quotation from Ossian.—To have a clergy exempt from the frailties of -human nature is impossible; but the true church has effectually secured -hers from the vanities of the world: we may sometimes have to grieve, -because the wolf has put on the shepherd’s cloak, but never can have -need to blush at seeing the monkey in it. - -Footnote 15: - - Pedir peras al olmo. - -These gentlemen have two ends in view, the main one is to make a fortune -by marriage,—one of the evils this of a married clergy. It was formerly -a doubt whether the red coat or the black one, the soldier or the -priest, had the best chance with the ladies; if on the one side there -was valour, there was learning on the other; but since volunteering has -made scarlet so common, black carries the day;—_cedunt arma togæ_. The -customs of England do not exclude the clergyman from any species of -amusement; the popular preacher is to be seen at the theatre, and at the -horse-race, bearing his part at the concert and the ball, making his -court to old ladies at the card-table, and to young ones at the -harpsichord: and in this way, if he does but steer clear of any flagrant -crime or irregularity, (which is not always the case; for this order, in -the heretical hierarchy, has had more than one Lucifer,) he generally -succeeds in finding some widow, or waning spinster, with weightier -charms than youth and beauty. - -His other object is to obtain what is called a lectureship, in some -wealthy parish; that is, to preach an evening sermon on Sundays, at a -later hour than the regular service, for which the parishioners pay by -subscription. As this is an addition to the established service, at the -choice of the people, and supported by them at a voluntary expense, the -appointment is in their hands as a thing distinct from the cure; it is -decided by votes, and the election usually produces a contest, which is -carried on with the same ardour, and leaves behind it the same sort of -dissension among friends and neighbours, as a contested election for -parliament. But the height of the popular preacher’s ambition is to -obtain a chapel of his own, in which he rents out pews and single seats -by the year; and here he does not trust wholly to his own oratorical -accomplishments; he will have a finer-tuned organ than his neighbour, -singers better trained, double doors, and stoves of the newest -construction, to keep it comfortably warm. I met one of these -chapel-proprietors in company; self-complacency, good humour, and -habitual assentation to every body he met with, had wrinkled his face -into a perpetual smile. He said he had lately been expending all his -ready money in religious purposes; this he afterwards explained as -meaning that he had been fitting up his chapel; “and I shall think -myself very badly off,” he added, “if it does not bring me in fifty per -cent.” - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - LETTER XX. - -_Irreverence of the English towards the Virgin Mary and the Saints.—Want - of Ceremonies in their Church.—Festival Dainties.—Traces of - Catholicism in their Language and Oaths.—Disbelief of - Purgatory.—Fatal Consequences of this Error.—Supposed Advantages of - the Schism examined.—Clergy not so numerous as formerly._ - - -The religion of the English approaches more nearly than I had supposed, -in its doctrines, to the true faith; so nearly indeed, in some -instances, that it would puzzle these heretics to explain the -difference, or to account for it where it exists. With respect to the -holiest sacrament, they admit that the body and blood of Christ is -verily and indeed taken, and yet they deny the real presence. They give -absolution regularly in their church service, upon a public and general -confession, which is equivalent to no confession at all. They accredit -the miracles of the first two or three centuries, and no others; as if -miracles were not just as well authenticated, and just as necessary, in -succeeding ages, or, as if it were possible to say. Thus far shalt thou -believe, and no further. They profess to believe in the communion of -saints, though in fact they believe not in the saints; and they say that -the Holy Catholic Church subsisted in the Waldenses and Albigenses, for -to these miserable wretches they trace the origin of the great schism. -It is as extraordinary as it is lamentable, to see how they have reduced -every thing to a mere _caput mortuum_. - -One of the things which most indicates their blindness, is their total -want of all reverence for Mary, the most pure. Believing her to be -indeed the immaculate mother of God, they honour her with no festivals, -no service, not a single prayer; nor have they the slightest feeling of -adoration or love for a being so infinitely lovely and adorable. The -most obscure saint in the calendar has more respect in Spain, than is -shown here to the most holy Virgin! St Joseph is never mentioned, nor -thought of; they scarcely seem to know that such a person ever existed. -The Apostles are just so far noticed that no business is transacted at -the public offices upon their festivals, and this is all; no procession -is made, nobody goes to church; in fact, nobody remembers that the day -is a festival, except the clerks, who find it a holyday; for these words -are not synonymous in England. Holyday means nothing more here than a -day of cessation from business, and a school-boy’s vacation. The very -meaning of the word is forgotten. - -Nothing can be conceived more cold and unimpassioned and uninteresting -than all the forms of this false Church. No vestments except the -surplice and the cassock, the one all white, the other all black, to -which the Bishops add nothing but lawn sleeves. Only a single altar, and -that almost naked, without one taper, and without the great and adorable -Mystery. Rarely a picture, no images, the few which the persecutors left -in the niches of the old cathedrals are mutilated; no lamps, no -crucifix, not even a cross to be seen. If it were not for the Creed and -the Ten Commandments which are usually written over the altar, one of -these heretical places of worship might as soon be taken for a mosque as -for a church. The service is equally bald; no genuflections, no -crossings, no incense, no elevation; and their music, when they have -any, is so monstrous, that it seems as if the Father of Heresy had -perverted their ears as well as their hearts. - -The Church festivals, however, are not entirely unobserved; though the -English will not pray, they will eat; and, accordingly, they have -particular dainties for all the great holydays. On Shrove Tuesday they -eat what they call pancakes, which are a sort of wafer fried or made -smaller and thicker with currants or apples, in which case they are -called fritters. For Mid Lent Sunday they have huge plum-cakes, crusted -with sugar like snow; for Good Friday, hot bunns marked with a cross for -breakfast; the only relic of religion remaining among all their customs. -These bunns will keep for ever without becoming mouldy, by virtue of the -holy sign impressed upon them. I have also been credibly informed, that -in the province of Herefordshire a pious woman annually makes two upon -this day, the crumbs of which are a sovereign remedy for diarrhœa. -People come far and near for this precious medicine, which has never -been known to fail; yet even miracles produce no effect. On the feast of -St Michael the Archangel, every body must eat goose for dinner; and on -the Nativity, turkey, with what they call Christmas pies. They have the -cakes again on the festival of the Kings. - -Some traces of Catholicism may occasionally be observed in their -language. Their words Christmas and Candlemas show that there was once a -time when they were in the right way. The five wounds are corrupted into -a passionate exclamation, of which, they who use it know not the awful -meaning. There is another instance so shocking as well as ridiculous -that I almost tremble to write it. The word for swine in this language -differs little in its pronunciation from the word _Pix_; it is well -known how infamous these people have at all times been for the practice -of swearing: they have retained an oath by this sacred vessel, and yet -so completely forgotten even the meaning of the word, that they say, -Please the Pigs, instead of the Pix. They also still preserve in their -oaths the names of some Pagan Divinities whom their fathers worshipped, -and of whom perhaps no other traces remain. The Deuce is one, the -Lord-Harry another: there is also the Living Jingo, Gor, and Goles. The -Pagan Goths had no such idols; so probably these were adored by the -Celtic inhabitants of the island. - -With us every thing is calculated to remind us of religion. We cannot go -abroad without seeing some representation of Purgatory, some cross which -marks a station, an image of Mary the most pure, or a crucifix,—without -meeting priest, or monk, or friar, a brotherhood busy in their work of -charity, or the most holy Sacrament under its canopy borne to redeem and -sanctify the dying sinner. In your chamber the bells of the church or -convent reach your ear, or the voice of one begging alms for the souls, -or the chaunt of the priests in procession. Your babe’s first plaything -is his nurse’s rosary. The festivals of the Church cannot pass -unnoticed, because they regulate the economy of your table; and they -cannot be neglected without reproof from the confessor, who is as a -father to every individual in the family. There is nothing of all this -in England. The clergy here are as little distinguished from the laity -in their dress as in their lives; they are confined to black, indeed, -but with no distinction of make, and black is a fashionable colour; the -only difference is, that they wear no tail, though their heads are -ornamented with as much care as if they had never been exhorted to -renounce the vanities of the world. Here are no vespers to unite a whole -kingdom at one time in one feeling of devotion; if the bells are heard, -it is because bell-ringing is the popular music. As for Purgatory, it is -well known that all the heretics reject it: by some inconceivable -absurdity they believe that sin may deserve eternal punishment, and yet -cannot deserve any thing short thereof,—as if there were no degrees of -criminality. In like manner they deny all degrees of merit, confining -the benefit of every man’s good works to himself; confounding thus all -distinctions of piety; or, to speak more truly, denying that there is -any merit in good works; that is, that good works can be good; and thus -they take away all motive for goodness. - -Oh how fatal is this error to the living and to the dead! An Englishman -has as little to do with religion in his death as in his life. No tapers -are lighted, no altar prepared, no sacrifice performed, no confession -made, no absolution given, no unction administered; the priest rarely -attends; it is sufficient to have the doctor and the nurse by the sick -bed; so the body be attended, the soul may shift for itself. Every thing -ends with the funeral; they think prayers for the dead of no avail: and -in this, alas! they are unwittingly right, for it is to be feared their -dead are in the place from whence there is no redemption. - -All the ties which connect us with the World of Spirits are cut off by -this tremendous heresy. If prayers for the dead were of no further avail -than as the consolation of the living, their advantage would even then -he incalculable; for, what consolation can be equal to the belief that -we are by our own earnest expressions of piety alleviating the -sufferings of our departed friends, and accelerating the commencement of -their eternal happiness! Such a belief rouses us from the languor of -sorrow to the performance of this active duty, the performance of which -brings with it its own reward: we know that they for whom we mourn and -intercede are sensible of these proofs of love, and that from every -separate prayer thus directed they derive more real and inestimable -benefit, than any services, however essential, could possibly impart to -the living. And what a motive is this for us to train up our children in -the ways of righteousness, that they in their turn may intercede for us -when we stand most in need of intercession! Alas! the accursed Luther -and his accomplices seem to have barred up every avenue to Heaven. - -They, however, boast of the advantages obtained by the Schism, which -they think proper to call the Reformation. The three points on which -they especially congratulate themselves are, the privilege of having the -Scriptures in their own tongue; of the cup for the congregation, and of -the marriage of the clergy. As for the first, it is altogether -imaginary: the church does not prohibit its members from translating the -Bible, it only enjoins that they translate from the approved version of -the Vulgate, lest any errors should creep in from ignorance of the -sacred language, or misconception, or misrepresentation; and the wisdom -of this injunction has been sufficiently evinced. The privilege of the -cup might be thought of little importance to a people who think so -lightly of the Eucharist; but as they have preserved so few sacraments, -they are right to make the most of what they have. The marriage of the -clergy has the effect of introducing poverty among them, and rendering -it, instead of a voluntary virtue, the punishment of an heretical -custom. Most of the inferior clergy are miserably poor: nothing, indeed, -can be conceived more deplorable than the situation of those among them -who have large families. They are debarred by their profession from -adding to their scanty stipends by any kind of labour; and the people, -knowing nothing of religious poverty, regard poverty at all times more -as a crime than a misfortune, and would despise an apostle if he came to -them in rags. - -During the last generation, it was the ambition of those persons in the -lower ranks of society who were just above the peasantry, to make one of -their sons a clergyman, if they fancied he had a talent for learning. -But times have changed, and the situation of a clergyman who has no -family interest is too unpromising to be any longer an object of envy. -They who would have adventured in the church formerly, now become -commercial adventurers: in consequence, commerce is now far more -overstocked with adventurers than ever the church has been, and men are -starving as clerks instead of as curates. I have heard that the master -of one of the free grammar-schools, who, twenty years ago, used to be -seeking what they call curacies for his scholars, and had always many -more expectants than he could supply with churches, has now applications -for five curates, and cannot find one to accept the situation. On the -contrary, a person in this great city advertised lately for a clerk; the -salary was by no means large, nor was the situation in other respects -particularly desirable, yet he had no fewer than ninety applicants. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - LETTER XXI. - -_Show of Tulips.—Florists.—Passion for Rarities in England.—Queen Anne’s - Farthings.—Male Tortoise-shell Cat.—Collectors.—The King of - Collectors._ - - -Yesterday I went to see a show of tulips, as it is called, about three -miles from town. The bed in which they were arranged, each in its -separate pot, was not less than fifty _varas_ in length, covered with a -linen awning the whole way, and with linen curtains at the sides, to be -let down if the wind should be violent, or the rain beat in. The first -sight of this long gallery of flowers was singular and striking; and -faint as the odour of the tulip is, the many thousands which were here -collected together, formed a very perceptible and sweet fragrance. The -few persons present were brother florists, or amateurs of the science, -and the exhibitor himself was a character quite new to me. Never before -had I seen such perfect and complete enjoyment as this man took in his -tulips; he did not seem to have a single wish, or thought, or idea -beyond them; his whole business from one end of the year to the other -was to nurse them up, and here they were in full bloom and beauty. The -price of one, he told us, was twenty guineas, another only ten; some -were forty, fifty, as high as a hundred; there was one on which no price -could be set,—he did not know its value,—indeed it was invaluable. We -saw Julius Cæsar, and the Great Mogul, and Bonaparte, and St George, and -the Duke of Marlborough. “This,” said he, “is poor Louis XVI.;—here’s -Pompey;—that’s Washington; he’s a grand fellow!” and he looked up in our -faces with a feeling so simple, and so serious, that it was evident his -praise was solely designed for the flower. I ventured to admire one, -and, as you may suppose, only betrayed my ignorance; it was a vulgar -flower, and had no name; they told me it was _streaky_, by which term -they meant that it was veined with colours which spread into the white -part of the leaf, and faded away;—the very thing for which I had admired -it. It seems, the perfection of a tulip consists in its form; the lips -of the cup should just incline inwards, and just be tipt with a colour -which does not diffuse itself. When I knew their standard of perfection, -I began to see with the eyes of a connoisseur, and certainly discovered -beauties which would never have been perceptible to me in my state of -ignorance. - -He and his man, he told us, sat up alternately to watch the garden; yet, -notwithstanding their vigilance, some thieves had got in a few nights -before:—“The fools!” said he, “they took about fifty yards of the cloth -before they were disturbed, but never touched one of the tulips.” His -man appeared to be as devoutly attached to the pursuit as himself. I -never saw such complete happiness, as both these men felt in beholding -the perfections of their year’s labour, such sober and deep delight as -was manifest in every word and gesture.—Never let me be told again that -the pursuit of happiness is vain. - -The tulip mania of the Dutch never raged in England, whatever you might -imagine from this specimen; yet I have heard of one old gentleman who -never was half a dozen leagues from his birth-place during his whole -life, except once, when he went to Holland to purchase roots. There may -be amateurs enough to make it not an expensive pursuit for the florist; -and perhaps the number of persons, who, like us, give a shilling to see -the exhibition, may be sufficient to pay for the awning; but I should -think it can never be pursued for profit. The carnation, the ranunculus, -and the auricula, have each their devotees, who have meetings to exhibit -their choice specimens, and prizes for the most beautiful. These bring -those flowers to a wonderful perfection, yet this perfection is less -wonderful than the pains by which it is procured. Akin to the florists -are the Columbarians or pigeon-fanciers, and the butterfly-breeders or -Aurelians.—Even as any thing may become the object of superstition, an -onion or a crocodile, an ape or an ape’s tooth, so also any thing does -for a pursuit; and all that is to be regretted is, that the ordinary -pursuits of mankind are not as innocent as that of these experimental -Minorites or Minims. - -There is, perhaps, no country in which the passion for collecting -rarities is so prevalent as in England. The wealth of the kingdom, the -rapidity with which intelligence is circulated, and the facility with -which things are conveyed from one end of the island to the other, are -instrumental causes; but the main cause must be the oddity of the people -themselves. There is a popular notion which has originated, Heaven knows -how, that, a Queen Anne’s farthing (the smallest coin they have) is -worth 500_l._; and some little while ago, an advertisement appeared in -the newspapers offering one for sale at this price. This at once excited -the hopes of every body who possessed one of these coins, for there are -really so many in existence that the fictitious value is little or -nothing. Other farthings were speedily announced to be sold by private -contract,—go where you would, this was the topic of conversation. The -strange part of the story is to come. A man was brought before the -magistrates charged by a soldier with having assaulted him on the -highway, and robbed him of eight pounds, some silver, and a Queen Anne’s -farthing. The man protested his innocence, and brought sufficient proof -of it. Upon further investigation it was discovered that some -pettifogging lawyer, as ignorant as he was villainous, had suborned the -soldier to bring this false accusation against an innocent man, in the -hopes of hanging him, and getting possession of the farthing. -Unbelievable as you may think this, I have the most positive testimony -of its truth. - -Another vulgar notion is, that there is no such thing as a male -tortoise-shell-coloured cat. Some fortunate person, however, has just -given notice that he is in possession of such a curiosity, and offers to -treat with the virtuosos for the sale of this _rara avis_, as he -literally calls it. They call the male cats in this country Thomas, and -the male asses either Edward or John. I cannot learn the reason of this -strange custom. - -The passion for old china is confined to old women, and indeed is almost -extinct. Medals are in less request since science has become -fashionable; or perhaps the pursuit is too expensive; or it requires -more knowledge than can be acquired easily enough by those who wish for -the reputation of knowledge without the trouble of acquiring it. -Minerals are now the most common objects of pursuit; engraved portraits -form another, since a clergyman some forty years ago published a -biographical account of all persons whose likenesses had been engraved -in England. This is a mischievous taste, for you rarely or never meet an -old book here with the author’s head in it; all are mutilated by the -collectors; and I have heard that still more mischievous collections of -engraved title-pages have been begun. The book-collectors are of a -higher order,—not that their pursuit necessarily implies knowledge; it -is the love of possessing rarities, or the pleasure of pursuit, which in -most cases actuates them;—one person who had spent many years in -collecting large paper copies, having obtained nearly all which had ever -been thus printed, sold the whole collection for the sake of beginning -to collect them again. I shall bring home an English bookseller’s -catalogue as a curiosity: every thing is specified that can tempt these -curious purchasers: the name of the printer, if he be at all famous; -even the binder, for in this art they certainly are unrivalled. The size -of the margin is of great importance. I could not conceive what was -meant by _a tall copy_, till this was explained to me. If the leaves of -an old book have never been cut smooth its value is greatly enhanced; -but if it should happen that they have never been cut open, the copy -becomes inestimable. - -The good which these collectors do is, that they preserve volumes which -would otherwise perish; and this out-balances the evil which they have -done in increasing the price of old books ten and twenty fold. One -person will collect English poetry, another Italian, a third classics, a -fourth romances; for the wiser sort go upon the maxim of having -something of every thing, and every thing of something. They are in -general sufficiently liberal in permitting men of letters to make use of -their collections: which are not only more complete in their kind than -could be found in the public libraries of England, but are more -particularly useful in a country where the public libraries are rendered -almost useless by absurd restrictions and bad management, and where -there are no convents. The want of convents is, if only in this respect, -a national misfortune. - -The species of minor collectors are very numerous. Some ten years ago -many tradesmen issued copper money of their own, which they called -tokens, and which bore the arms of their respective towns, or their own -heads, or any device which pleased them. How worthless these pieces must -in general have been, you may judge, when I tell you that their current -value was less than two _quartos_. They became very numerous; and as -soon as it was difficult to form a complete collection,—for while it was -easy nobody thought it worth while,—the collectors began the pursuit. -The very worst soon became the most valuable, precisely because no -person had ever preserved them for their beauty. Will you believe me -when I tell you that a series of engravings of these worthless coins was -actually begun, and that a cabinet of them sold for not less than fifty -pieces of eight? When the last new copper currency was issued, a -shopkeeper in the country sent for a hundred pounds worth from the mint, -on purpose that he might choose out a good specimen for himself. Some -few geniuses have struck out paths for themselves; one admits no work -into his library if it extends beyond a single volume; one is employed -in collecting play-bills, another in collecting tea-pots, another in -hunting for visiting cards, another in forming a list of remarkable -surnames, another more amusingly in getting specimens of every kind of -wig that has been worn within the memory of man. But the King of -Collectors is a gentleman in one of the provinces, who with great pains -and expense procures the halters which have been used at executions: -these he arranges round his museum in chronological order, labelling -each with the name of the criminal to whom it belonged, the history of -his offence, and the time and place of his execution. In the true spirit -of virtù, he ought to hang himself, and leave his own halter to complete -the collection. - -You will not wonder if mean vices should sometimes be found connected -with such mean pursuits. The collectors are said to acknowledge only -nine commandments of the ten, rejecting the eighth.[16] At the sale of a -virtuoso’s effects, a single shell was purchased at a very high price; -the buyer held it up to the company: “There are but two specimens of -this shell,” said he, “known to be in existence, and I have the -other;”—and he set his foot upon it and crushed it to pieces. - -Footnote 16: - - In the original it is said the seventh. The Catholics reject the - second commandment, and make up the number by dividing the tenth into - two. Their seventh therefore is our eighth, and has accordingly been - so translated.—TR. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - LETTER XXII. - -_English Coins.—Paper Currency.—Frequent Executions for Forgery.—Dr - Dodd.—Opinion that Prevention is the End of Punishment.—This End not - answered by the Frequency of Executions.—Plan for the Prevention of - Forgery rejected by the Bank._ - - -English money is calculated in pounds, shillings, pence, and farthings; -four farthings making one penny, twelve pence one shilling, twenty -shillings one pound. Four shillings and sixpence is the value of the -_peso-duro_ at _par_. It is in one respect better than our money, -because it is the same over the whole kingdom. - -As the value of money has gradually lessened, the smallest denominations -of coin have every where disappeared. The farthing is rarely seen; and -as the penny, which was formerly an imaginary coin, has within these few -years been issued, it will soon entirely disappear, just as the mite or -half farthing has disappeared before it. A coin of new denomination -always raises the price of those things which are just below its value; -the seller finding it profitable as well as convenient to avoid -fractions. The penny is a handsome piece of money, though of -uncomfortable weight, being exactly an English ounce; so that in -receiving change you have frequently a quarter of a pound of copper to -carry in your pocket:—the legend is indented on a raised rim; and by -this means both the legend and the stamp are less liable to be effaced. -For the same reason a slight concavity is given to the half-penny. In -other respects these pieces are alike, bearing the king’s head on one -side, and on the other a figure of Britannia sitting on the shore, and -holding out an olive branch. - -The silver coins are four: the crown, which is five shillings, and the -half-crown, the shilling, and the sixpence or half-shilling. The silver -groat, which is four pence, and silver penny, were once current; but -though these, with the silver three pence and half-groat, are still -coined, they never get into circulation. Those which get abroad are -given to children, and laid by for their rarity. The crown piece in like -manner, when met with, is usually laid aside; it is the size of our -dollar, and has, like it, on one side the head of the sovereign, on the -other the arms of the kingdom; but the die, though far from good, is -better than ours. Nothing, however, can be so bad as the other silver -coins; that is, all which are in use. The sixpence, though it should -happen not to be a counterfeit, is not worth one-fourth of its nominal -value; it is a thin piece of crooked silver, which seldom bears the -slightest remains of any impress. The shillings also are worn perfectly -smooth, though not otherwise defaced; they are worth about half their -current value. The coiners are not contented with cent. per cent. profit -for issuing good silver, for which the public would be much indebted to -them whatever the government might be, silver being inconveniently -scarce; they pour out base money in abundance, and it requires more -circumspection than I can boast to avoid the loss which is thus -occasioned. The half-crown approaches nearer its due weight; and it is -more frequently possible to trace upon it the head of Charles II., or -James, of William, or Queen Anne, the earliest and latest princes whose -silver is in general circulation. - -A new coinage of silver has been wanted and called for time out of mind. -The exceeding difficulty attending the measure still prevents it. For, -if the old silver were permitted to be current only for a week after the -new was issued, all the new would be ground smooth and re-issued in the -same state as the old, as indeed has been done with all the silver of -the two last reigns. And if any temporary medium were substituted till -the old money could be called in, that also would be immediately -counterfeited. You can have no conception of the ingenuity, the -activity, and the indefatigable watchfulness of roguery in England. - -There are three gold coins: the guinea, which is twenty-one shillings, -its half, and its third. The difference between the pound and guinea is -absurd, and occasioned some trouble at first to a foreigner when -accounts were calculated in the one and paid in the other; but paper has -now become so general that this is hardly to be complained of. Compared -to the piece of eight, the guinea is a mean and diminutive coin. There -are five-guinea pieces in existence, which are only to be seen in the -cabinets of the curious. The seven-shilling piece was first coined -during the present reign, and circulated but a few years ago: there were -such struck during the American war, and never issued. I know not why. -One of these I have seen, which had never been milled: the obverse was a -lion standing upon the crown, in this respect handsomer than the present -piece, which has the crown and nothing else; indeed the die was in every -respect better. Both the current gold and copper are almost exclusively -of the present reign. It may be remarked, that the newest gold is in the -worst taste; armorial bearings appear best upon a shield; they have -discarded the shield, and tied them round with the garter. Medallie, -that is, historical money, has often been recommended; but it implies -too much love for the arts, and too much attention to posterity, to be -adopted here. There has not been a good coin struck in England since the -days of Oliver Cromwell. - -There was no paper in circulation of less than five pounds value till -the stoppage of the Bank during the late war. Bills of one and two -pounds were then issued, and these have almost superseded guineas. Upon -the policy or impolicy of continuing this paper money after the -immediate urgency has ceased, volumes and volumes have been written. On -one side it is asserted, that the great increase of the circulating -medium, by lessening the value of money raises the price of provisions, -and thus virtually operates as a heavy tax upon all persons who do not -immediately profit by the banking trade. On the other hand, the -conveniences were detailed more speciously than truly, and one advocate -even went so far as to entitle his pamphlet, “Guineas an Incumbrance.” -Setting the political advantages or disadvantages aside, as a subject -upon which I am not qualified to offer an opinion, I can plainly see -that every person dislikes these small notes; they are less convenient -than guineas in the purse, and more liable to accidents. You are also -always in danger of receiving forged ones; and if you do, the loss lies -at your own door, for the Bank refuses to indemnify the holder. This -injustice the directors can safely commit: they know their own strength -with government, and care little for the people; but the country -bankers, whose credit depends upon fair dealing, pay their forged notes, -and therefore provincial bills are always preferred in the country to -those of the Bank of England. The inconvenience in travelling is -excessive: you receive nothing but these bills; and if you carry them a -stage beyond their sphere of circulation they become useless. - -The frequent executions for forgery in England are justly considered by -the humane and thinking part of the people as repugnant to justice, -shocking to humanity, and disgraceful to the nation. Death has been the -uniform punishment in every case, though it is scarcely possible to -conceive a crime capable of so many modifications of guilt in the -criminal. The most powerful intercessions have been made for mercy, and -the most powerful arguments urged in vain; no instance has ever yet been -known of pardon. A Doctor of Divinity was executed for it in the early -part of the present reign, who, though led by prodigality to the -commission of the deed for which he suffered, was the most useful as -well as the most popular of all their preachers. Any regard to his -clerical character was, as you may well suppose, out of the question in -this land of schism; yet earnest entreaties were made in his behalf. The -famous Dr Johnson, of whom the English boast as the great ornament of -his age, and as one of the best and wisest men whom their country has -ever produced, and of whose piety it will be sufficient praise to say -that he was almost a Catholic,—he strenuously exerted himself to procure -the pardon of this unfortunate man, on the ground that the punishment -exceeded the measure of the offence, and that the life of the offender -might usefully be passed in retirement and penitence. Thousands who had -been benefited by his preaching petitioned that mercy might be shown -him, and the Queen herself interceded, but in vain. During the interval -between his trial and his execution he wrote a long poem entitled Prison -Thoughts; a far more extraordinary effort of mind than the poem of -Villon, composed under similar circumstances, for which, in an age of -less humanity, the life of the author was spared. Had the punishment of -Dr Dodd been proportioned to his offence, he would have been no object -of pity; but when he suffered the same death as a felon or a murderer, -compassion overpowered the sense of his guilt, and the people -universally regarded him as the victim of a law inordinately rigorous. -It was long believed that his life had been preserved by connivance of -the executioner; that a waxen figure had been buried in his stead, and -that he had been conveyed over to the continent. - -More persons have suffered for this offence since the law has been -enacted than for any other crime. In all other cases palliative -circumstances are allowed their due weight; this alone is the sin for -which there is no remission. No allowance is made for the pressure of -want, for the temptation which the facility of the fraud holds out, nor -for the difference between offences against natural or against political -law. More merciless than Draco, or than those inquisitors who are never -mentioned in this country without an abhorrent expression of real or -affected humanity, the commercial legislators of England are satisfied -with nothing but the life of the offender who sins against the Bank, -which is their Holy of Holies. They sacrificed for this offence one of -the ablest engravers in the kingdom, the inventor of the dotted or chalk -engraving. A mechanic has lately suffered who had made a machine to go -without horses, and proved its success by travelling in it himself about -forty leagues. A man of respectable family and unblemished conduct has -just been executed in Ireland, because, when reduced by unavoidable -misfortunes to the utmost distress, he committed a forgery to relieve -his family from absolute want. - -There is an easy and effectual mode of preventing the repetition of this -offence, by amputating the thumb; it seems one of the few crimes for -which mutilation would be a fit punishment. But it is a part of the -English system to colonize with criminals. It is not the best mode of -colonizing; nor, having adopted it, do they manage it in the best -manner. Of all crimes, there should seem to be none for which change of -climate is so effectual a cure as for forgery; and as there is none -which involves in itself so little moral depravity, nor which is so -frequently committed, it is evident that these needless executions -deprive New South Wales of those who would be its most useful members, -men of ingenuity, less depraved, and better educated in general, than -any other convicts. - -I have seen it recorded of some English judge, that when he was about to -sentence a man to death for horse-stealing, the man observed it was hard -he should lose his life for only stealing a horse; to which the judge -replied, “You are not to be hanged for stealing a horse, but in order -that horses may not be stolen.” The reply was as unphilosophical as -unfeeling; but it is the fashion among the English to assert that -prevention is the end of punishment, and to disclaim any principle of -vengeance, though vengeance is the foundation of all penal law, divine -and human. Proceeding upon this fallacious principle, they necessarily -make no attempt at proportioning the punishment to the offence; and -offences are punished, not according to the degree of moral guilt which -they indicate in the offender, but according to the facility with which -they can be committed, and to their supposed danger in consequence to -the community. But even upon this principle it is no longer possible to -justify the frequent executions for forgery; the end of prevention is -not answered, and assuredly the experiment has been tried sufficiently -long, and sufficiently often. - -In other cases, offences are held more venial as the temptation -thereunto is stronger, man being frail by nature; in this the punishment -is made heavier in proportion to the strength of the temptation. Surely, -it is the duty of the Bank Directors to render the commission of forgery -as difficult as possible. This is not effected by adopting private marks -in their bills, which, as they are meant to be private, can never enable -the public to be upon their guard. Such means may render it impossible -that a false bill should pass undiscovered at the bank, but do not in -the slightest degree impede its general circulation. What is required is -something so obvious that a common and uninstructed eye shall -immediately perceive it; and nothing seems so likely to effect this as a -plan which they are said to have rejected,—that in every bill there -should be two engravings, the one in copper, the other in wood, each -executed by the best artists in his respective branch. It is obvious -that few persons would be able to imitate either, and highly improbable -that any single one could execute both, or that two persons sufficiently -skilful should combine together. As it now is, the engraving is such as -may be copied by the clumsiest apprentice to the trade. The additional -expense which this plan would cost the bank would be considerably less -than what it now expends in hanging men for an offence, which could not -be so frequent if it was not so easy. The bank directors say the -Pater-noster in their own language, but they seem to forget that one of -the petitions which He who best knew the heart of man enjoined us to -make is, that we may not be led into temptation. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - LETTER XXIII. - -_Westminster Abbey.—Legend of its Consecration.—Its single Altar in bad - Taste.—Gothic or English Architecture.—Monuments.— Banks the - Sculptor.—Wax-work.—Henry the Seventh’s Chapel.—Mischievous - Propensity of the People to mutilate the Monuments._ - - -All persons who come to London, from whatever part of the world they -may, whether English or foreigners, go to see Westminster Abbey, the -place of interment of all illustrious men; kings, admirals, statesmen, -poets, philosophers, and divines, even stage-players and musicians. -There is perhaps no other temple in the world where such practical -testimony is borne to the truth, that “Death levels all distinctions, -except those of desert.” - -They continue to call this church an Abbey, just as they continue to -profess their belief in the most holy Sacrament. Originally it was the -second religious establishment in the island; and, since Glastonbury has -been desecrated and destroyed, is now the first. Lucius, the first -Christian king of the Britons, founded it, to be the burial-place of -himself and his successors. During the persecution of Diocletian, it was -converted into a temple of Apollo, which Sebert, king of the East -Saxons, demolished, and built a church to the honour of God and St Peter -in its stead. The place where it stands was then called Thorney, and is -said in a charter of king Edgar’s to have been a dreadful place; not so -much, it is supposed, on account of its rudeness, as because the wicked -spirits who were there worshipped had dominion there. St Augustine, the -apostle of the Saxons, had baptized Sebert and his queen Ethelgoda; and, -being unable to remain with them himself, consigned the care of his -converts to St Mellitus, a Roman abbot, whom pope St Gregory the Great -had sent to his assistance, and whom he consecrated bishop of London. -This holy bishop was to consecrate the new building; but on the night -before the ceremony was to be performed, a fisherman, as he was about to -cast his nets in the river, which runs within a stone’s throw of the -Abbey, was called to by one upon the opposite bank, who desired to cross -in his boat. The fisherman accordingly wafted him over, little knowing, -sinful man, how highly he was favoured, for this was the blessed apostle -St Peter. As soon as the saint landed he entered the church, and -immediately a light brighter than the midday sun illuminated it, and the -fisherman, almost bereft of his senses by fear, saw a multitude of -angels enter, and heard heavenly music within, and perceived odours far -more delicious than any earthly fragrance. In this state of terror St -Peter found him when he came out of the church, and cheered him, and -desired to be taken back in the boat. When they were in the middle of -the river, the saint told him to cast his net. He did so, and the -draught of fish was prodigious. Among them was one large salmon: St -Peter bade him take this to St Mellitus, and keep the rest as his fare, -and added that he and his children after him should always be prosperous -in their employment, provided that they paid scrupulously the tithe of -what they took, and never attempted to fish upon the Sabbath day. He -bade him likewise tell the bishop all that he had seen, and that St -Peter himself had consecrated the church, and promised often to visit -it, and to be present there at the prayers of the faithful. In the -morning, as St Mellitus was going in procession to perform the ceremony, -the fisherman met him, presented the fish, and delivered the message. -The appearance of the church as soon as the doors were opened fully -verified his story. The pavement was marked with Greek and Latin -letters; the walls anointed in twelve places with holy oil; the twelve -tapers upon twelve crosses still burning, and the aspersions not yet -dry. That further testimony might not be wanting, the fisherman -described the person whom he had seen to St Mellitus, and the -description perfectly agreed with the authentic picture of the apostle -at Rome. - -I need not tell you that this miracle is suppressed by the heretical -historians who have written concerning this building. It is their custom -either to speak of such things with a sarcasm, or to omit them -altogether, taking it for granted, that whatever they in their wisdom do -not believe, must be false; as if it were not of importance to know what -has been believed, whether it be true or not, and as if individual -opinion was to be the standard of truth. - -During the ravages of the Danes the abbey fell to decay. King St Edward -the Confessor rebuilt it upon a singular occasion. This pious prince had -made a vow to God during his exile, that if ever he should be restored -to the kingdom of his forefathers, he would make a pilgrimage to Rome, -and return his thanks at the throne of St Peter. His subjects besought -him not to leave them in performance of this vow, but to beg a -dispensation from it; and this the pope granted on condition that he -should build a new monastery to St Peter’s honour, or rebuild an old -one. At the same time it was revealed to a holy man, that it was God’s -pleasure to have the abbey at Westminster rebuilt. The king obeyed this -divine intimation, and gave the full tithe of all his possessions to the -work. The tomb of this third founder still remains: having been a king, -he escaped some of the insults which were committed against the other -English saints at the time of the schism; and though his shrine was -plundered, his body was suffered to remain in peace. But though the -monument was thus spared from the general destruction, it has been -defaced by that spirit of barbarous curiosity, or wanton mischief, for -which these people are so remarkable. - -The high altar is of Grecian architecture. I ought to observe that in -these _reformed_ churches, there is but one altar; and if it had not -been for an archbishop whose head they cut off because they thought him -too superstitious, they would have been without any altar at all. The -mixture of these discordant styles of architecture has the worst effect -imaginable; and what is still more extraordinary, this mark of bad taste -is the production of one of the ablest architects that England ever -produced, the celebrated Sir Christopher Wren. But in his time it was so -much the fashion to speak with contempt of whatever was Gothic, and to -despise the architecture of their forefathers, that, if the nation could -have afforded money enough to have replaced these edifices, there would -not now have been one remaining in the kingdom.—Luckily the national -wealth was at that time employed in preserving the balance of power and -extending commerce, and this evil was avoided. Since that age, however, -the English have learned better than to treat the Gothic with contempt; -they have now discovered in it so much elegance and beauty, that they -are endeavouring to change the barbarous name, and, with feeling -partiality to themselves, claim the invention for their own countrymen: -it is therefore become here an established article of Antiquarian faith -to believe that this architecture is of native growth, and accordingly -it is denominated English architecture in all the publications of the -Antiquarian Society. This point I am neither bound to believe, nor -disposed at present to discuss. - -This Abbey is a curious repository of tombs, in which the progress of -sculpture during eight centuries may be traced. Here may be seen the -rude Saxon monument; the Gothic in all its stages, from its first -rudiments to that perfection of florid beauty which it had attained at -the Schism, and the monstrous combinations which prevailed in the time -of Elizabeth, equally a heretic in her heterogeneous taste and her -execrable religion. After the great rebellion, the change which had -taken place in society became as manifest in the number as in the style -of these memorials. In the early ages of Christianity, only saints and -kings, and the founders of churches were thought worthy of interment -within the walls of the house of God; nobles were satisfied with a place -in the Galilee, and the people never thought of monuments: it was enough -for them to rest in consecrated ground; and so their names were written -in the Book of Life, it mattered not how soon they were forgotten upon -earth. The privilege of burial within the church was gradually conceded -to rank and to literature; still, however, they who had no pretensions -to be remembered by posterity were content to be forgotten. The process -may satisfactorily be traced in the church whereof I am now writing, and -thus far it had reached at the time of the Great Rebellion; during that -struggle, few monuments were erected; they who would have been entitled -to them were mostly on the unsuccessful side, and the conquerors had no -respect for churches; instead of erecting new tombs, their delight was -to deface the old. After the Restoration the triumph of wealth began. -The iron age of England was over, and the golden one commenced. An -English author has written an ingenious book, to show that the true -order of the four ages is precisely the reverse of that in which the -poets have arranged them: the age in which riches are paramount to every -thing may well be denominated the golden, but it remains to be proved -whether such an age of gold be the best in the series. With the -Restoration, however, that golden age began. Money was the passport to -distinction during life, and they who enjoyed this distinction were -determined to be remembered after death, as long as inscriptions in -marble could secure remembrance. The church walls were then lined with -tablets; and vain as the hope of thus perpetuating an ignoble name may -appear, it has succeeded better than you would imagine; for every -county, city, and almost every town in England has its particular -history, and the epitaphs in the churches and church-yards form no -inconsiderable part of their contents. - -The numerous piles of marble which deface the Abbey are crowded -together, without any reference to the style of the building or the -situation in which they are placed; except two which flank the entrance -of the choir, and are made ornamental by a similarity of form and size, -which has not confined the artist in varying the design of each. One -bears the great name of Newton: he is represented reclining upon a -sarcophagus; above him is Astronomy seated in an attitude of meditation -on a celestial globe. This globe, which certainly occupies so large a -space as to give an idea of weight in the upper part of the monument, -seems principally placed there to show the track of the comet which -appeared, according to Newton’s calculation, in the year 1680. On a -tablet in the side of the sarcophagus is an emblematic representation, -in relief, of some of the purposes to which he applied his philosophy. -The inscription concludes curiously thus, - - Sibi gratulentur mortales - Talem tantumque extitisse - Humani Generis Decus. - -The corresponding monument is in memory of the Earl of Stanhope, as -eminent a warrior and statesman as Newton had been a philosopher. He is -represented in Roman armour, reposing on a sarcophagus also, and under a -tent; on the top of which a figure of Pallas seems at once to protect -him, and point him out as worthy of admiration. Both these were designed -by an English artist, and executed by Michael Rysbrack. - -England has produced few good sculptors; it would not be incorrect if I -should say none, with the exception of Mr Banks, a living artist, whose -best works are not by any means estimated according to their merit. I -saw at his house a female figure of Victory designed for the tomb of a -naval officer who fell in battle, as admirably executed as any thing -which has been produced since the revival of the art. There were also -two busts there, the one of Mr Hastings, late viceroy of India, the -other of the celebrated usurper Oliver Cromwell, which would have done -honour to the best age of sculpture. Most of the monuments in this -church are wholly worthless in design and execution, and the few which -have any merit are the work of foreigners. - -One of the vergers went round with us; a man whose lank stature and -solemn deportment would have suited the church in its best days. When -first I saw him in the shadow he looked like one of the Gothic figures -affixed to a pillar; and when he began to move, I could have fancied -that an embalmed corpse had risen from its cemetery to say mass in one -of the chauntries. He led us with much civility and solemnity to Edward -the Confessor’s chapel, and showed us there the tomb of that holy king; -the chairs in which the king and queen are crowned; the famous -coronation stone, brought hither from Scotland, and once regarded as the -Palladium of the royal line; and in the same chapel certain waxen -figures as large as life, and in full dress. You have heard J— mention -the representation of the Nativity at Belem; and exclaim against the -degenerate taste of the Portuguese, in erecting a puppet-show among the -tombs of their kings. It was not without satisfaction that I reminded -him of this on my return from Westminster Abbey, and told him I had seen -the wax-work. - -The most interesting part of the edifice is the chapel built by Henry -VII. and called by his name. At the upper end is the bronze tomb of the -founder, surrounded by a Gothic screen, which was once richly ornamented -with statues in its various niches and recesses, but most of these have -been destroyed. The whole is the work of Torregiano, an Italian artist, -who broke Michel Angelo’s nose, and died in Spain under a charge of -heresy. Since the reign of Elizabeth, no monument has been erected to -any of the English sovereigns: a proof of the coldness which their -baneful heresy has produced in the national feeling. A plain marble -pavement covers the royal dead in this splendid chapel, erected by one -of their ancestors. No one was here to be interred who was not of the -royal family: Cromwell, however, the great usurper, whose name is held -in higher estimation abroad than it seems to be in his own country, was -deposited here with more than royal pomp. It was easier to dispossess -him from the grave than from the throne; his bones were dug up by order -of Charles II. and gibbeted: poor vengeance for a father dethroned and -decapitated, for his own defeat at Worcester, and for twelve years of -exile! The body of Blake, which had been laid with merited honours in -the same vault, was also removed, and turned into the church-yard: if -the removal was thought necessary, English gratitude should at least -have raised a monument over the man who had raised the English name -higher than ever admiral before him. - -One thing struck me, in viewing this church, as very remarkable. The -monuments which are within reach of a walking-stick are all more or less -injured, by that barbarous habit which Englishmen have of seeing by the -sense of touch, if I may so express myself. They can never look at any -thing without having it in the hand, nor show it to another person -without touching it with a stick, if it is within reach; I have even -noticed in several collections of pictures exposed for sale, a large -printed inscription requesting the connoisseurs not to touch them. -Besides this odd habit, which is universal, there is prevalent among -these people a sort of mischievous manual wit, by which mile-stones are -commonly defaced, directing-posts broken, and the parapets of bridges -thrown into the river. Their dislike to a passage in a book is often -shewn by tearing the leaf, or scrawling over the page, which differs -from them in political opinion. Here is a monument to a Major André, who -was hanged by Washington as a spy: the story was related in relief: it -had not been erected a month before some person struck off Washington’s -head by way of retaliation; somebody of different sentiments requited -this by knocking off the head of the major: so the two principal figures -in the composition are both headless! From such depredations you might -naturally suppose that no care is taken of the church, that stalls are -set up in it, that old women sell gingerbread nuts there, and porters -make it a thoroughfare, as is done in Hamburgh. On the contrary, no -person is admitted to see the Abbey for less than two shillings; and -this money, which is collected by twopences and sixpences, makes part of -the revenue of the subordinate priests in this reformed church. There is -a strange mixture of greatness and littleness in every thing in this -country: for this, however, there is some excuse to be offered; from the -mischief which is even now committed, it is evident that, were the -public indiscriminately admitted, every thing valuable in the church -would soon be destroyed. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - LETTER XXIV. - -_Complexion of the English contradictory to their historical - Theories.—Christian Names, and their Diminutives.—System of - Surnames.—Names of the Months and Days.—Friday the unlucky Day.—St - Valentine.—Relics of Catholicism._ - - -The prevalence of dark hair and dark complexions among the English is a -remarkable fact in opposition to all established theories respecting the -peoplers of the Island. We know that the Celts were light or red-haired, -with blue eyes, by the evidence of history; and their descendants in -Wales, and Ireland, and Scotland, still continue so. The Saxons, and -Angles, and Danes, were of the same complexion. How is it then that the -dark eyes and dark hair of the south should predominate? Could the Roman -breed have been so generally extended, or, did the Spanish colony spread -further than has been supposed? Climate will not account for the fact; -there is not sun enough to ripen a grape; and if the climate could have -darkened the Danes and Saxons, it would also have affected the Welsh; -but they retain the marked character of their ancestors. - -The proper names afford no clue; they are mostly indigenous, and the -greater number of local derivation. Of the baptismal names the main -proportion are Saxon and Norman; John, Thomas, and James, are the only -common apostolical ones; others indeed occur, but it is rather unusual -to meet with them. The Old Testament has furnished a few; Hagiology -still fewer. Among the men, William and John predominate; Mary and Anne, -among the women. In the northern provinces I am told that the Catholic -names Agnes and Agatha are still frequent; and, what is more -extraordinary, our Spanish Isabel, instead of Elizabeth. - -Even these little things are affected by revolutions of state and the -change of manners, as the storm which wrecks an Armada turns the village -weathercock. Thus the partisans of the Stuarts preferred the names of -James and Charles for their sons; and in the democratic families you now -find young Alfreds and Hampdens, Algernons and Washingtons, growing up. -Grace and Prudence were common in old times among the English ladies; I -would not be taken literally when I say that they are no longer to be -found among them, and that Honour and Faith, Hope and Charity, have -disappeared as well. The continental wars introduced Eugene, and -Ferdinand, and Frederick, into the parish registers; and since the -accession of the present family you meet with Georges, Carolines, and -Charlottes, Augustuses and Augustas. The prevailing appetite for novels -has had a very general effect. The manufacturers of these precious -commodities, as their delicate ears could bear none but vocal -terminations, either rejected the plain names of their aunts and -grandmothers, or clipped or stretched them till they were shaped into -something like sentimental euphony. Under their improving hands, Lucy -was extended to Louisa, Mary to Marianne, Harriet to Henrietta, and -Elizabeth cut shorter into Eliza. Their readers followed their example -when they signed their names, and christened their children. Bridget and -Joan, and Dorothy and Alice, have been discarded; and while the more -fantastic went abroad for Cecilia, Amelia, and Wilhelmina, they of a -better taste recurred to their own history for such sweet names as Emma -and Emmeline. - -The manner in which the English abbreviate their baptismal names is -unaccountably irregular. If a boy be christened John, his mother calls -him Jacky, and his father Jack; William in like manner becomes Billy or -Bill; and Edward, Neddy or Ned, Teddy or Ted, according to the gender of -the person speaking: a whimsical rule not to be paralleled in any other -language. Mary is changed into Molly and Polly; Elizabeth into Bessy, -Bess, Betty, Tetty, Betsy, and Tetsy; Margaret into Madge, Peggy, and -Meggy; all which in vulgar language are clipt of their final vowel, and -shortened into monosyllables. Perhaps these last instances explain the -origin of these anomalous mutations. Pega and Tetta are old English -names long since disused, and only to be found in hagiological history; -it is evident that these must have been the originals of the diminutives -Peggy, and Tetty or Tetsy, which never by any process of capricious -alteration can be formed from Margaret and Elizabeth. The probable -solution is, in each case, that some person formerly bore both names, -who signed with the first, and was called at home by the second,—thus -the diminutive of one became associated with the other: in the next -generation one may have been dropt, yet the familiar diminutive -preserved; and this would go on like other family names, in all the -subsequent branchings from the original stock. In like manner, Jacques -would be the root of Jack; Theodore or Thaddeus, of Teddy; Apollonia of -Polly; and Beatrice of Betty. A copious nomenclature might explain the -whole. - -During the late war it became a fashion to call infants after the -successful admirals,—though it would have been more in character to have -named ships after them: the next generation will have Hoods and Nelsons -in abundance, who will never set foot in the navy. Sometimes an -irreverent species of wit, if wit it may be called, has been indulged -upon this subject; a man whose name is Ball has christened his three -sons, Pistol, Musket, and Cannon. I have heard of another, who, having -an illegitimate boy, baptized him Nebuchadnezzar, because, according to -a mode of speaking here, he was to be sent to grass, that is, nursed by -a poor woman in the country. - -The system of proper names is simple and convenient. There are no -patronymics, the surname never changes, and the wife loses hers for that -of her husband. This custom has but lately established itself in Wales, -where the people are still in a state of comparative barbarism. There -the son of John Thomas used to be Thomas Johns, and his son again John -Thomas; but this has given way to the English mode, which renders it -easy to trace a descent. The names in general, like the language, though -infinitely less barbarous than the German, are sufficiently uncouth to a -southern eye, and sufficiently cacophonous to a southern ear. - -The months are called after the Latin as with us, and differ rather less -from the original, as only the terminations are altered. But the days of -the week keep the names given them by the Saxon Pagans: _Lunes_ is -Monday or the day of the Moon; _Martes_, Tuesday or Tuisco’s day; -_Miércoles_, Wednesday or Woden’s day; _Jueves_, Thursday or Thor’s day; -_Viernes_, Friday or Frea’s day; _Sábado_, Saturday or Surtur’s day; -_Domingo_, Sunday or the day of the Sun. Saturday indeed is usually -deduced from _Dies Saturni_; but it is not likely that this Roman deity -should have maintained his post singly, when all the rest of his fellows -were displaced. - -Friday, instead of Tuesday, is the unlucky day of the English, who are -just as superstitious as we are, though in a different way. It is the -common day of execution, except in cases of murder; when, as the -sentence is by law to be executed the day after it is pronounced, it is -always passed on Saturday, that the criminal may have the Sabbath to -make his peace with Heaven. I could remark more freely upon the -inhumanity of allowing so short a respite, did I not remember the worse -inhumanity of withholding the sacrament from wretches in this dreadful -situation. No person here is ever married on a Friday; nor will the -sailors, if they can possibly avoid it, put to sea upon that day: these -follies are contagious; and the captains, as well as the crew, will -rather lose a fair wind than begin the voyage so unluckily. Sailors, we -know, are every where superstitious, and well may they be so. - -If it rains on St Swithin’s, they fancy it will rain every day for the -next forty days. On St Valentine’s it is believed that the birds choose -their mates; and the first person you see in the morning is to be your -lover, whom they call a Valentine, after the saint. Among the many odd -things which I shall take home, is one of the pieces of cut paper which -they send about on this day, with verses in the middle, usually -acrostics, to accord with the hearts, and darts, and billing doves -represented all round, either in colours or by the scissars. How a saint -and a bishop came to be the national Cupid, Heaven knows! Even one of -their own poets has thought it extraordinary. - - Bishop Valentine - Left us examples to do deeds of charity; - To feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit - The weak and sick, to entertain the poor, - And give the dead a Christian funeral. - These were the works of piety he did practise, - And bade us imitate; not look for lovers - Or handsome images to please our senses. - -The heretics, you see, need not ridicule us for bleeding our horses on -St Stephen’s, and grafting our trees on the day of the Annunciation. - -Many other traces of the old religion remain in the calendar, and indeed -every where, but all to as little purpose. Christ_mas_, Candle_mas_, -Lady-day, Michael_mas_; they are become mere words, and the primary -signification utterly out of mind. In the map you see St Alban’s, St -Neot’s, St Columb’s, &c. The churches all over the country are dedicated -to saints whose legends are quite forgotten, even upon the spot. You -find a statue of King Charles in the place of Charing-Cross, one of the -bridges is called Black-Friars, one of the streets the Minories. There -is a place called the Sanctuary, a Pater-Noster-Row, and an -Ave-Maria-Lane. Every where I find these vestiges of Catholicism, which -give to a Catholic a feeling of deeper melancholy, than the scholar -feels amid the ruins of Rome or Athens. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - LETTER XXV. - -_Vermin imported from all Parts.—Fox-Hunting.—Shooting.—Destruction of - the Game.—Rural Sports._ - - -The king of England has a regular bug-destroyer in his household! a -relic no doubt of dirtier times; for the English are a truly clean -people, and have an abhorrence of all vermin. This loathsome insect -seems to have been imported from France. An English traveller of the -early part of the seventeenth century calls it the French _punaise_; -which should imply either that the bug was unknown in his time, or had -been so newly imported as to be still regarded as a Frenchman. It is -still confined to large cities, and is called in the country, where it -is known only by name, the London bug; a proof of foreign extraction. - -It seems to be the curse of this country to catch vermin from all -others: the Hessian fly devours their turnips; an insect from America -has fastened upon the apple-trees, and is destroying them; it travels -onward about a league in a year, and no means have yet been discovered -of checking its progress. The cockroach of the West Indies infests all -houses near the river in London, and all sea-port towns; and the Norway -rats have fairly extirpated the aboriginal ones, and taken possession of -the land by right of conquest. As they came in about the same time as -the reigning family, the partisans of the Stuarts used to call them -Hanoverians. They multiply prodigiously, and their boldness and ferocity -almost surpass belief: I have been told of men from whose heads they -have sucked the powder and pomatum during their sleep, and of children -whom they have attacked in the night and mangled. If the animals of the -North should migrate, like their country barbarians, in successive -shoals, each shoal fiercer than the last, it is the hamsters’ turn to -come after the rats, and the people of England must take care of -themselves. An invasion by rafts and gun-boats would be less dangerous. - -A lady of J—’s acquaintance was exceedingly desirous, when she was in -Andalusia, to bring a few live locusts home with her, that she might -introduce such beautiful creatures into England. Certainly, had she -succeeded, she ought to have applied to the board of agriculture for a -reward. - -Foxes are imported from France in time of peace, and turned loose upon -the south coast to keep up the breed for hunting. There is certainly no -race of people, not even the hunting tribes of savages, who delight so -passionately as the English in this sport. The fox-hunter of the last -generation was a character as utterly unlike any other in society, and -as totally absorbed in his own pursuits, as the alchemist. His whole -thoughts were respecting his hounds and horses; his whole anxiety, that -the weather might be favourable for the sport; his whole conversation -was of the kennel and stable, and of the history of his chases. One of -the last of this species, who died not many years ago, finding himself -seriously ill, rode off to the nearest town, and bade the waiter of the -inn bring him in some oysters and porter, and go for a physician. When -the physician arrived he said to him, “Doctor, I am devilish ill,—and -you must cure me by next month, that I may be ready for foxhunting.” -This, however, was beyond the doctor’s power. One of his acquaintance -called in upon him some little time after, and asked what was his -complaint. “They tell me,” said he, “’tis a dyspepsy. I don’t know what -that is, but some damn’d thing or other, I suppose!”—a definition of -which every sick man will feel the force. - -But this race is extinct, or exists only in a few families, in which the -passion has so long been handed down from father to son, that it is -become a sort of hereditary disease. The great alteration in society -which has taken place during the present reign, tends to make men more -like one another. The agriculturist has caught the spirit of commerce; -the merchant is educated like the nobleman; the sea-officer has the -polish of high life; and London is now so often visited, that the -manners of the metropolis are to be found in every country gentleman’s -house. But though hunting has ceased to be the exclusive business of any -person’s life, except a huntsman’s, it is still pursued with an ardour -and desperate perseverance beyond even that of savages: the prey is -their object, for which they set their snares or lie patiently in -wait:—here the pleasure is in the pursuit. It is no uncommon thing to -read in the newspapers of a chase of ten or twelve leagues,—remember, -all this at full speed, and without intermission,—dogs, men, and horses -equally eager and equally delighted, though not equally fatigued. Facts -are recorded in the annals of sporting, how the hunted animal, unable to -escape, has sprung from a precipice, and some of the hounds have -followed it; and of a stag, which, after one of these unmerciful -pursuits, returned to its own lair, and, leaping a high boundary with -its last effort, dropped down dead,—the only hound which had kept up -with it to the last, dying in like manner by its side. The present king, -who is remarkably fond of the sport, once followed a deer till the -creature died with pure fatigue. - -This was the only English custom which William of Nassau thoroughly and -heartily adopted, as if he had been an Englishman himself. He was as -passionately addicted to it as his present successor, and rode as -boldly, making it a point of honour never to be outdone in any leap, -however perilous. A certain Mr Cherry, who was devoted to the exiled -family, took occasion of this, to form perhaps the most pardonable -design which ever was laid against a king’s life. He regularly joined -the royal hounds, put himself foremost, and took the most desperate -leaps, in the hope that William might break his neck in following him. -One day, however, he accomplished one so imminently hazardous, that the -king, when he came to the spot, shook his head and drew back. - -Shooting is pursued with the same zeal. Many a man, who, if a walk of -three leagues were proposed to him, would shrink from it as an exertion -beyond his strength, will walk from sun-rise till a late dinner hour, -with a gun upon his shoulder, over heath and mountain, never thinking of -distance, and never feeling fatigue. A game book, as it is called, is -one of the regular publications, wherein the sportsman may keep an -account of all the game he kills, the time when, the place where, and -chronicle the whole history of his campaigns! The preservation of the -game becomes necessarily an object of peculiar interest to the gentry, -and the laws upon this subject are enforced with a rigour unknown in any -other part of Europe. In spite of this, it becomes scarcer every year: -poaching, that is, killing game without a privilege so to do, is made a -trade: the stage-coaches carry it from all parts of the kingdom to the -metropolis for sale, and the larders of all the great inns are regularly -supplied; they who would eagerly punish the poacher, never failing to -encourage him by purchasing from his employers. Another cause of -destruction arises from the resentment of the farmers, who think that, -as the animals are fed upon their grounds, it is hard that they should -be denied the privilege of profiting by them. At a public meeting of the -gentry in one of the northern provinces, a hamper came directed to the -president, containing two thousand partridges’ eggs carefully packed. -Some species by these continual persecutions have been quite rooted out, -others are nearly extinct, and others only to be found in remote parts -of the island. Sportsmen lament this, and naturalists lament it also -with better reason. - -One of the most costly works which I shall bring home is a complete -treatise upon rural sports, with the most beautiful decorations that I -have ever seen: it contains all possible information upon the subject, -the best instructions, and annals of these sciences, as they may be -termed in England. I have purchased it as an exquisite specimen of -English arts, and excellently characteristic of the country, more -especially as being the work of a clergyman. He might have seen in his -Bible that the mighty hunters there are not mentioned as examples; and -that, when Christ called the fishermen, he bade them leave the pursuit, -for from thenceforth they should catch men. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - LETTER XXVI. - -_Poor-Laws.—Work-Houses.—Sufferings of the Poor from the - Climate.—Dangerous State of England during the Scarcity.—The Poor - not bettered by the Progress of Civilization._ - - -With us charity is a religious duty, with the English it is an affair of -law. We support the poor by alms; in England a tax is levied to keep -them from starving, and, enormous as the amount of this tax is, it is -scarcely sufficient for the purpose. This evil began immediately upon -the dissolution of the monasteries. They who were accustomed to receive -food at the convent door, where they could ask it without shame because -it was given as an act of piety, had then none to look up to for bread. -A system of parish taxation was soon therefore established, and new laws -from time to time enacted to redress new grievances, the evil still -outgrowing the remedy, till the poor-laws have become the disgrace of -the statutes, and it is supposed that at this day a tenth part of the -whole population of England receive regular parish pay. - -The disposal of this money is vested in certain officers called -overseers. The office is so troublesome that the gentry rarely or never -undertake it, and it usually devolves upon people rather below the -middle rank, who are rigidly parsimonious in the distribution of their -trust. If they were uniformly thus frugal of the parish purse, it would -be laudable, or at least excusable; but where their own enjoyments are -concerned, they are inexcusably lavish of the money collected for better -purposes. On every pretext of parish business, however slight, a dinner -is ordered for the officers. While they indulge themselves they deal -hardly by the poor, and give reluctantly what they cannot withhold. The -beadsman at the convent door receives a blessing with his pittance, but -the poor man here is made to feel his poverty as a reproach; his scanty -relief is bestowed ungraciously, and ungraciously received; there is -neither charity in him that gives, nor gratitude in him that takes. Nor -is this the worst evil: as each parish is bound to provide for its own -poor, an endless source of oppression and litigation arises from the -necessity of keeping out all persons likely to become chargeable. We -talk of the liberty of the English, and they talk of their own liberty; -but there is no liberty in England for the poor. They are no longer sold -with the soil, it is true; but they cannot quit the soil, if there be -any probability or suspicion that age or infirmity may disable them. If -in such a case they endeavour to remove to some situation where they -hope more easily to maintain themselves, where work is more plentiful, -or provisions cheaper, the overseers are alarmed; the intruder is -apprehended as if he were a criminal, and sent back to his own parish. -Wherever a pauper dies, that parish must be at the cost of his funeral: -instances therefore have not been wanting, of wretches in the last stage -of disease having been hurried away in an open cart upon straw, and -dying upon the road. Nay, even women in the very pains of labour have -been driven out, and have perished by the way-side, because the -birth-place of the child would be its parish. Such acts do not pass -without reprehension; but no adequate punishment can be inflicted, and -the root of the evil lies in the laws. - -The principle upon which the poor-laws seem to have been framed is this: -The price of labour is conceived to be adequate to the support of the -labourer. If the season be unusually hard, or his family larger than he -can maintain, the parish then assists him; rather affording a specific -relief, than raising the price of labour, because if wages were -increased, it would injure the main part of the labouring poor instead -of benefiting them: a fact, however mortifying to the national -character, sufficiently proved by experience. They would spend more -money at the alehouse, working less and drinking more, till the habits -of idleness and drunkenness strengthening each other, would reduce them -to a state of helpless and burthensome poverty. Parish pay, therefore, -is a means devised for increasing the wages of those persons only to -whom the increase is really advantageous, and at times only when it is -really necessary. - -Plausible as this may at first appear, it is fallacious, as all -reasonings will be found which assume for their basis the depravity of -human nature. The industrious by this plan are made to suffer for the -spendthrift. They are prevented from laying by the surplus of their -earnings for the support of their declining years, lest others not so -provident should squander it. But the consequence is, that the parish is -at last obliged to support both; for, if the labourer in the prime of -his youth and strength cannot earn more than his subsistence, he must -necessarily in his old age earn less. - -When the poor are incapable of contributing any longer to their own -support, they are removed to what is called the workhouse. I cannot -express to you the feeling of hopelessness and dread with which all the -decent poor look on to this wretched termination of a life of labour. To -this place all vagrants are sent for punishment; unmarried women with -child go here to be delivered; and poor orphans and base-born children -are brought up here till they are of age to be apprenticed off; the -other inmates are those unhappy people who are utterly helpless, parish -idiots and madmen, the blind and the palsied, and the old who are fairly -worn out. It is not in the nature of things that the superintendants of -such institutions as these should be gentle-hearted, when the -superintendance is undertaken merely for the sake of the salary; and, in -this country, religion is out of the question. There are always enough -competitors for the management, among those people who can get no better -situation; but, whatever kindliness of disposition they may bring with -them to the task, it is soon perverted by the perpetual sight of -depravity and of suffering. The management of children who grow up -without one natural affection—where there is none to love them, and -consequently none whom they can love—would alone be sufficient to sour a -happier disposition than is usually brought to the government of a -workhouse. - -To this society of wretchedness the labouring poor of England look on, -as their last resting-place on this side the grave; and rather than -enter abodes so miserable, they endure the severest privations as long -as it is possible to exist. A feeling of honest pride makes them shrink -from a place where guilt and poverty are confounded; and it is -heart-breaking for those who have reared a family of their own, to be -subjected in their old age to the harsh and unfeeling authority of -persons younger than themselves, neither better born nor better bred. -They dread also the disrespectful and careless funeral which public -charity, or rather law, bestows; and many a wretch denies himself the -few sordid comforts within his reach, that he may hoard up enough to -purchase a more decent burial, a better shroud, or a firmer coffin, than -the parish will afford. - -The wealth of this nation is their own boast, and the envy of all the -rest of Europe; yet in no other country is there so much poverty—nor is -poverty any where else attended with such actual suffering. Poor as our -own country is, the poor Spaniard has resources and comforts which are -denied to the Englishman: above all, he enjoys a climate which rarely or -never subjects him to physical suffering. Perhaps the pain—the positive -bodily pain which the poor here endure from cold, may be esteemed the -worst evil of their poverty. Coal is every where dear, except in the -neighbourhood of the collieries; and especially so in London, where the -number of the poor is of course greatest. You see women raking the ashes -in the streets, for the sake of the half-burnt cinders. What a picture -does one of their houses present in the depth of winter! the old -cowering over a few embers—the children shivering in rags, pale and -livid—all the activity and joyousness natural to their time of life -chilled within them.—The numbers who perish from diseases produced by -exposure to cold and rain, by unwholesome food, and by the want of -enough even of that, would startle as well as shock you. Of the children -of the poor, hardly one-third are reared. - -During the late war the internal peace of the country was twice -endangered by scarcities. Many riots broke out, though fewer than were -apprehended, and though the people on the whole behaved with exemplary -patience. Nor were the rich deficient in charity. There is no country in -the world where money is so willingly given for public purposes of -acknowledged utility. Subscriptions were raised in all parts, and -associations formed, to supply the distressed with food, either -gratuitously, or at a cheaper rate than the market price. But though the -danger was felt and confessed, and though the military force of London -was called out to quell an incipient insurrection, no measures have been -taken to prevent a return of the evil. With all its boasted wealth and -prosperity, England is at the mercy of the seasons. One unfavourable -harvest occasions dearth: and what the consequences of famine would be -in a country where the poor are already so numerous and so wretched, is -a question which the boldest statesman dares not ask himself. When -volunteer forces were raised over the kingdom, the poor were excluded; -it was not thought safe to trust them with arms. But the peasantry are, -and ought to be, the strength of every country; and woe to that country -where the peasantry and the poor are the same! - -Many causes have contributed to the rapid increase of this evil. The -ruinous wars of the present reign, and the oppressive system of taxation -pursued by the late premier, are among the principal. But the -manufacturing system is the main cause; it is the inevitable tendency of -that system to multiply the number of the poor, and to make them -vicious, diseased, and miserable. - -To answer the question concerning the comparative advantages of the -savage and social states, as Rousseau has done, is to commit high -treason against human nature, and blasphemy against Omniscient Goodness; -but they who say that society ought to stop where it is, and that it has -no further amelioration to expect, do not less blaspheme the one, and -betray the other. The improvements of society never reach the poor: they -have been stationary, while the higher classes were progressive. The -gentry of the land are better lodged, better accommodated, better -educated than their ancestors; the poor man lives in as poor a dwelling -as his forefathers when they were slaves of the soil, works as hard, is -worse fed, and not better taught. His situation, therefore, is -relatively worse. There is, indeed, no insuperable bar to his rising -into a higher order—his children may be tradesmen, merchants, or even -nobles—but this political advantage is no amendment of his actual state. -The best conceivable state for man is that wherein he has the full -enjoyment of all his powers, bodily and intellectual. This is the lot of -the higher classes in Europe; the poor enjoys neither—the savage only -the former. If, therefore, religion were out of the question, it had -been happier for the poor man to have been born among savages, than in a -civilized country, where he is in fact the victim of civilization. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - LETTER XXVII. - -_Saint Paul’s.—Anecdote of a female Esquimaux.—Defect of - Grecian Architecture in cold Climates.—Nakedness of the - Church.—Monuments.—Pictures offered by Sir Joshua Reynolds, &c., and - refused.— Ascent.—View from the Summit._ - - -The cathedral church of St Paul’s is not more celebrated than it -deserves to be. No other nation in modern times has reared so -magnificent a monument of piety. I never behold it without regretting -that such a church should be appropriated to heretical worship;—that, -like a whited sepulchre, there should be death within. - -In the court before the grand entrance stands a statue of Queen Anne, -instead of a cross; a figure as ill-executed as it is ill-placed, which -has provoked some epigrams even in this country, indifferent as the -taste in sculpture is here, and little as is the sense of religious -decorum. On entering the church I was impressed by its magnitude. A fine -anecdote is related of the effect this produced upon a female -Esquimaux:—quite overpowered with wonder when she stood under the dome, -she leaned upon her conductor, as if sinking under the strong feeling of -awe, and fearfully asked him, “Did man make it? or was it put here?” My -own sensations were of the same character, yet it was wonder at human -power unmingled with any other kind of awe; not that feeling which a -temple should inspire; not so much a sense that the building in which I -stood was peculiarly suitable for worship, as that it could be suitable -for nothing else. Gothic architecture produces the effect of sublimity, -though always without simplicity, and often without magnitude; so -perhaps does the Saracenic; if the Grecian ever produce the same effect -it is by magnitude alone. But the architecture of the ancients is -altered, and materially injured by the alteration, when adapted to cold -climates, where it is necessary when the light is admitted to exclude -the air: the windows have always a littleness, always appear misplaced; -they are holes cut in the wall: not, as in the Gothic, natural and -essential parts of the general structure. - -The air in all the English churches which I have yet entered is damp, -cold, confined, and unwholesome, as if the graves beneath tainted it. No -better proof can be required of the wisdom of enjoining incense. I have -complained that the area in their ordinary churches is crowded; but the -opposite fault is perceivable in this great cathedral. The choir is but -a very small part of the church; service was going on there, being -hurried over as usual in week-days, and attended only by two or three -old women, whose piety deserved to meet with better instructors. The -vergers, however, paid so much respect to this service, such as it is, -that they would not show us the church till it was over. There are no -chapels, no other altar than that in the choir;—for what then can the -heretics have erected so huge an edifice? It is as purposeless as the -Pyramids. - -Here are suspended all the flags which were taken in the naval victories -of the late war. I do not think that the natural feeling which arose -within me at seeing the Spanish colours among them influences me, when I -say that they do not ornament the church, and that, even if they did, -the church is not the place for them. They might be appropriate -offerings in a temple of Mars; but certainly there is nothing in the -revealed will of God which teaches us that he should be better pleased -with the blood of man in battle, than with that of bulls and of goats in -sacrifice. The palace, the houses of legislature, the admiralty, and the -tower where the regalia are deposited, should be decorated with these -trophies; so also should Greenwich be, the noble asylum for their old -seamen; and even in the church a flag might perhaps fitly be hung over -the tomb of him who won it and fell in the victory. Monuments are -erecting here to all the naval captains who fell in these actions; some -of them are not finished; those which are do little honour to the -artists of England. The artists know not what to do with their -villainous costume, and, to avoid uniforms in marble, make their unhappy -statues half naked. One of these represents the dying captain as falling -into Neptune’s arms;—a dreadful situation for a dying captain it would -be—he would certainly take the old sea-god for the devil, and the -trident for the pitchfork with which he tosses about souls in the fire. -Will sculptors never perceive the absurdity of allegorizing in stone! - -There are but few of these monuments as yet, because the English never -thought of making St Paul’s the mausoleum of their great men, till they -had crowded Westminster Abbey with the illustrious and the obscure -indiscriminately. They now seem to have discovered the nakedness of this -huge edifice, and to vote parliamentary monuments to every sea captain -who falls in battle, for the sake of filling it as fast as possible. -This is making the honour too common. It is only the name of the -commander in chief which is always necessarily connected with that of -the victory; he, therefore, is the only individual to whom a national -monument ought to be erected. If he survives the action, and it be -thought expedient, as I willingly allow it to be, that every victory -should have its monument, let it be, like the stone at Thermopylæ, -inscribed to the memory of all who fell. The commander in chief may -deserve a separate commemoration: the responsibility of the engagement -rests upon him; and to him the merit of the victory, as far as -professional skill is entitled to it, will, whether justly or not, be -attributed, though assuredly in most cases with the strictest justice. -But whatever may have been the merit of the subordinate officers, the -rank which they hold is not sufficiently conspicuous. The historian will -mention them, but the reader will not remember them because they are -mentioned but once, and it is only to those who are remembered that -statues should be voted; only to those who live in the hearts and in the -mouths of the people. “Who is this?” is a question which will be asked -at every statue; but if after the verger has named the person -represented it is still necessary to ask, “Who is he?” the statue is -misplaced in a national mausoleum. - -These monuments are too few as yet to produce any other general effect -than a wish that there were more; and the nakedness of these wide walls -without altar, chapel, confessional, picture, or offering, is striking -and dolorous as you may suppose. Yet if such honours were awarded -without any immediate political motive, there are many for whom they -might justly be claimed; for Cook for instance, the first navigator, -without reproach; for Bruce, the most intrepid and successful of modern -travellers; for lady Wortley Montague, the best of all letter-writers, -and the benefactress of Europe. “I,” said W., who was with me, “should -demand one for Sir Walter Raleigh; and even you, Spaniard as you are, -would not, I think, contest the claim; it should be for introducing -tobacco into Christendom, for which he deserves a statue of pipe-makers’ -clay.” - -Some five-and-twenty or thirty years ago the best English artists -offered to paint pictures and give them to this cathedral;—England had -never greater painters to boast of than at that time. The thing, -however, was not so easy as you might imagine, and it was necessary to -obtain the consent of the bishop, the chapter, the lord mayor, and the -king. The king loves the arts, and willingly consented; the lord mayor -and the chapter made no objection; but the bishop positively refused; -for no other reason, it is said, than because the first application had -not been made to him. Perhaps some puritanical feeling may have been -mingled with this despicable pride, some leven of the old Iconoclastic -and Lutheran barbarism; but as long as the names of Barry and of Sir -Joshua Reynolds are remembered in this country, and remembered they will -be as long as the works and the fame of a painter can endure, so long -will the provoking absurdity of this refusal be execrated.[17] - -Footnote 17: - - A story, even less honourable than this to the dean and chapter of St - Paul’s is current at this present time, which if false should be - contradicted, and if true should be generally known. Upon the death of - Barry the painter it was wished to erect a tablet to his memory in - this cathedral, and the dean and chapter were applied to for - permission so to do: the answer was, that the fee was a thousand - pounds. In reply to this unexpected demand, it was represented that - Barry had been a poor man, and that the monument was designed by his - friends as a mark of respect to his genius: that it would not be - large, and consequently might stand in a situation where there was not - room for a larger. Upon this it was answered, that, in consideration - of these circumstances, perhaps five hundred pounds might be taken. A - second remonstrance was made, a chapter was convened to consider the - matter, and the final answer was, that nothing less than a thousand - pounds could be taken. - - If this be false it should be publicly contradicted, especially as any - thing dishonourable will be readily believed concerning St Paul’s, - since Lord Nelson’s coffin was shown there in the grave for a shilling - a head.—TR. - -The monuments and the body of the church may be seen gratuitously; a -price is required for admittance to any thing above stairs, and for -fourpenny, sixpenny, and shilling fees we were admitted to see the -curiosities of the building;—a model something differing from the -present structure, and the work of the same great architect; a -geometrical staircase, at the top of which the door closes with a -tremendous sound; the clock, whose huge bell in a calm day, when what -little wind is stirring is from the east, may be heard five leagues over -the plain at Windsor; and a whispering gallery, the great amusement of -children and wonder of women, and which is indeed at first sufficiently -startling. It is just below the dome; and when I was on the one side and -my guide on the other, the whole breadth of the dome being between us, -he shut-to the door, and the sound was like a peal of thunder rolling -among the mountains.—The scratch of a pin against the wall, and the -lowest whisper, were distinctly heard across. The inside of the cupola -is covered with pictures by a certain Sir James Thornhill: they are too -high to be seen distinctly from any place except the gallery immediately -under them, and if there were nothing else to repay the fatigue of the -ascent it would be labour in vain. - -Much as I had been impressed by the size of the building on first -entering it, my sense of its magnitude was heightened by the prodigious -length of the passages which we traversed, and the seeming endlessness -of the steps we mounted. We kept close to our conductor with a sense of -danger: that it is dangerous to do otherwise was exemplified not long -since by a person who lost himself here, and remained two days and -nights in this dismal solitude. At length he reached one of the towers -in the front; to make himself heard was impossible; he tied his -handkerchief to his stick, and hung it out as a signal of distress, -which at last was seen from below, and he was rescued. The best plan in -such cases would be to stop the clock, if the way to it could be found. - -In all other towers which I had ever ascended, the ascent was fatiguing, -but no ways frightful. Stone steps winding round and round a stone -pillar from the bottom up to the top, with just room to admit you -between the pillar and the wall, make the limbs ache and the head giddy, -but there is nothing to give a sense of danger. Here was a totally -different scene: the ascent was up the cupola, by stair-cases and stages -of wood, which had all the seeming insecurity of scaffolding. Projecting -beams hung with cobwebs and black with dust, the depth below, the extent -of the gloomy dome within which we were enclosed, and the light which -just served to show all this, sometimes dawning before us, sometimes -fading away behind, now slanting from one side, and now leaving us -almost in utter darkness: of such materials you may conceive how -terrifying a scene may be formed, and you know how delightful it is to -contemplate images of terror with a sense of security. - -Having at last reached the summit of the dome, I was contented. The way -up to the cross was by a ladder; and as we could already see as far as -the eye could reach, there was nothing above to reward me for a longer -and more laborious ascent. The old bird’s-eye views which are now -disused because they are out of fashion, were of more use than any thing -which supplies their place: half plain, half picture, they gave an idea -of the place which they represented more accurately than pictures, and -more vividly than plans. I would have climbed St Paul’s, if it had been -only to see London thus mapped below me, and though there had been -nothing beautiful or sublime in the view: few objects, however, are so -sublime, if by sublimity we understand that which completely fills the -imagination to the utmost measure of its powers, as the view of a huge -city thus seen at once:—house-roofs, the chimneys of which formed so -many turrets; towers and steeples; the trees and gardens of the inns of -court and the distant squares forming so many green spots in the map; -Westminster Abbey on the one hand with Westminster Hall, an object -scarcely less conspicuous; on the other the Monument, a prodigious -column worthy of a happier occasion and a less lying inscription; the -Tower and the masts of the shipping rising behind it; the river with its -three bridges and all its boats and barges; the streets immediately -within view blackened with moving swarms of men and lines of carriages. -To the north were Hampstead and Highgate on their eminences, southward -the Surrey hills. Where the city ended it was impossible to distinguish: -it would have been more beautiful if, as at Madrid, the capital had been -circumscribed within walls, and the open country had commenced -immediately without its limits. In every direction the lines of houses -ran out as far as the eye could follow them, only the patches of green -were more frequently interspersed towards the extremity of the prospect, -as the lines diverged further from each other. It was a sight which awed -me and made me melancholy. I was looking down upon the habitations of a -million of human beings; upon the single spot whereon were crowded -together more wealth, more splendour, more ingenuity, more worldly -wisdom, and, alas! more worldly blindness, poverty, depravity, -dishonesty, and wretchedness, than upon any other spot in the whole -habitable earth. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - LETTER XXVIII. - -_State of the English Catholics.—Their prudent Silence in the Days of - Jacobitism.—The Church of England jealous of the Dissenters.—Riots - in 1780.—Effects of the French Revolution.—The Re-establishment of - the Monastic Orders in England.—Number of Nunneries and Catholic - Seminaries.—The Poor easily converted.—Catholic Writers.—Dr Geddes._ - - -The situation of the Catholics in England is far more favourable at -present than it has been at any period since the unfortunate expulsion -of James II. There is an opinion prevalent among freethinkers and -schismatics that intolerance is bad policy, and that religious -principles hostile to an establishment will die away if they are not -persecuted. These reasoners have forgotten that Christianity was rooted -up in Japan, and that heresy was extirpated from Spain, by fire. The -impolicy is in half measures. - -So long as the Stuarts laid claim to the crown, the Catholics were -jealously regarded as a party connected with them; and even the large -class of Jacobites, as they were called, who adhered to the old family -merely from a principle of loyalty, being obstinate heretics, looked -suspiciously upon their Catholic coadjutors as men whose motives were -different, though they were engaged in the same cause. These men would -never have attempted to restore the Stuarts, if they had not believed -that the Protestant church establishment would remain undisturbed, they -believed this firmly—believed that a Catholic king would reign over a -nation of schismatics, and make no attempt at converting them; so -ignorant were they of the principles of Catholicism. But no sooner had -the Pretender ceased to be formidable than the Catholics were forgotten, -or considered only as a religious sect of less consequence in the state, -and therefore less obnoxious than any other, because neither numerous -nor noisy. In fact the persecuting laws, though never enforced, were -still in existence; and the Catholics themselves, as they had not -forgotten their bloody effects in former times, prudently persevered in -silence. - -Fortunately for them, as soon as they had ceased to be objects of -suspicion, the Presbyterians became so. This body of dissenters had been -uniformly attached to the Hanoverian succession; but when that house was -firmly established, and all danger from the Stuarts over, the old -feelings began to revive, both on the part of the Crown and of the -Nonconformists. What they call the connection between civil and -religious freedom, or, as their antagonists say, between schism and -rebellion, made the court jealous of their numbers and of their -principles. The clergy too, being no longer in danger from those whom -they had dispossessed, began to fear those who would dispossess them; -they laid aside their controversy with the Catholics, and directed their -harangues and writings against greater schismatics than themselves. -During such disputes our brethren had nothing to do but quietly look on, -and rejoice that the kingdom of Beelzebub was divided against itself. - -It is true, a violent insurrection broke out against them in the year -1780; but this was the work of the lowest rabble, led on by a madman. It -did not originate in any previous feelings, for probably nine-tenths of -the mob had never heard of popery till they rioted to suppress it, and -it left no rankling behind: on the contrary, as the Catholics had been -wantonly and cruelly attacked, a sentiment of compassion for them was -excited in the more respectable part of the community. - -The French Revolution materially assisted the true religion. The English -clergy, trembling for their own benefices, welcomed the emigrant priests -as brethren, and, forgetting all their former ravings about Antichrist, -and Babylon, and the Scarlet Whore, lamented the downfall of religion in -France. An outcry was raised against the more daring heretics at home, -and the tide of popular fury let loose upon them. While this dread of -atheism prevailed, the Catholic priests obtained access every where; and -the university of Oxford even supplied them with books from its own -press. These noble confessors did not let the happy opportunity pass by -unimproved; they sowed the seeds abundantly, and saw the first fruits of -the harvest. But the most important advantage which has ever been -obtained for the true religion since its subversion, is the -re-establishment of the monastic orders in this island, from whence they -had so long been proscribed. This great object has been effected with -admirable prudence. A few nuns who had escaped from the atheistical -persecution in France were permitted to live together, according to -their former mode of life. It would have been cruel to have separated -them, and their establishment was connived at as trifling in itself, and -which would die a natural death with its members. But the Catholic -families, rejoicing in this manifest interposition of Providence, made -use of the opportunity, and found no difficulty in introducing novices. -Thus is good always educed from evil; the irruption of the barbarous -nations led to their conversion; the overthrow of the Greek empire -occasioned the revival of letters in Europe; and the persecution of -Catholicism in France has been the cause of its establishment in -England: the storm which threatened to pluck up this Tree of Life by its -roots has only scattered abroad its seed. Not only have many conversions -been effected, but even in many instances the children of Protestants -have been inspired with such holy zeal, that, heroically abandoning the -world, in spite of all the efforts of their deluded parents, they have -entered and professed. Some of the wiser heretics have seen to what -these beginnings will lead; but the answer to their representations has -been, the vows may be taken at pleasure, and broken at pleasure, for by -the law of England such vows are not binding. As if any law could take -away the moral obligation of a vow, and neutralise perjury! May we not -indulge a hope that this blindness is the work of God? - -There are at this time five Catholic colleges in England and two in -Scotland, besides twelve schools and academies for the instruction of -boys: eleven schools for females, besides what separate ones are kept by -the English Benedictine nuns from Dunkirk; the nuns of the Ancient -English Community of Brussels; the nuns from Bruges; the nuns from -Liege; the Augustinian nuns from Louvain; the English Benedictine nuns -from Cambray; the Benedictine nuns from Ghent; those of the same order -from Montargis; and the Dominican nuns from Brussels: in all these -communities the rules of the respective orders are observed, and novices -are admitted; they are convents as well as schools. The Poor Clares have -four establishments, in which only novices are received, not scholars; -the Teresians three; the Benedictine nuns one. Convents of monks are not -so numerous; and indeed in the present state of things secular clergy -are better labourers in the vineyard; the Carthusians, however, have an -establishment in the full rigour of their rule. Who could have hoped to -live to see these things in England! - -The greater number of converts are made among the poor, who are always -more easily converted than the rich, because their inheritance is not in -this world, and they enjoy so little happiness here that they are more -disposed to think seriously of securing it for hereafter. It is no -difficult thing to make them set their hearts and their hopes upon -heaven. Their own clergy neglect them; and when they behold any one -solicitous for their salvation without any interested motive, an act of -love towards them is so unexpected and so unusual, that their gratitude -prepares the way for truth. The charity also which our holy religion so -particularly enjoins produces its good effect even on earth; proselytes -always abound in the neighbourhood of a wealthy Catholic family. Were -the seminaries as active as they were in the days of persecution, and as -liberally supplied with means, it would not be absurd to hope for the -conversion of this island, so long lost to the church. - -Another circumstance greatly in favour of the true religion is, that -there is no longer any difficulty or danger in publishing Catholic -writings. They were formerly proscribed and hunted out as vigilantly as -prohibited books in our own country; but now the press is open to them, -and able defenders of the truth have appeared. This also has been -managed skilfully. To have openly attacked the heretical establishment -might have attracted too much notice, and perhaps have excited alarm; -nor indeed would the heretics have perused a work avowedly written with -such a design. Accordingly the form of history has been used, a study of -which the English are particularly fond. An excellent life of Cardinal -Pole has been written, which exposes the enormities of Henry VIII. and -the character of the wretched Anna Boleyn. Another writer, in a history -of Henry II. has vindicated the memory of that blessed Saint Thomas of -Canterbury, who is so vilified by all the English historians; and Bishop -Milner, still more lately, in a work upon antiquities, has ventured to -defend those excellent prelates who attempted, under Philip and Mary, to -save their country from the abyss of heresy. - -A division for a short time among the Catholics themselves was -occasioned by Dr Geddes, a priest of great learning, but of the most -irascible disposition and perverse mind. This man began to translate the -scriptures anew; and, as he avowed opinions destructive of their -authority, as well as of revealed religion, his bishop very properly -interfered, forbade him to proceed, and on his persisting suspended him -for contumacy. He obstinately went on, and lived to publish two volumes -of the text and a third of notes: the notes consist wholly of verbal -criticism, and explain nothing, and the language of the translation is -such as almost to justify a suspicion that he intended to debase the -holy writings, and render them odious. As long as he lived he found a -patron in Lord Petre; but his books are now selling at their just value, -that is, as waste paper; and if his name was not inserted in the Index -Expurgatorius it would be forgotten. - -Pope and Dryden, the two greatest English poets, were both Catholics, -though the latter had been educated in the schism. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - LETTER XXIX. - -_Number of Sects in England, all appealing to the - Scriptures.—Puritans.—Nonjurors.—Rise of Socinianism, and its - probable Downfall._ - - -The heretical sects in this country are so numerous, that an explanatory -dictionary of their names has been published. They form a curious list! -Arminians, Socinians, Baxterians, Presbyterians, New Americans, -Sabellians, Lutherans, Moravians, Swedenborgians, Athanasians, -Episcopalians, Arians, Sabbatarians, Trinitarians, Unitarians, -Millenarians, Necessarians, Sublapsarians, Supralapsarians, Antinomians, -Hutchinsonians, Sandemonians, Muggletonians, Baptists, Anabaptists, -Pædobaptists, Methodists, Papists, Universalists, Calvinists, -Materialists, Destructionists, Brownists, Independants, Protestants, -Hugonots, Nonjurors, Seceders, Hernhutters, Dunkers, Jumpers, Shakers, -and Quakers, &c. &c. &c.[18] A precious nomenclature! only to be -paralleled by the catalogue of the Philistines in Sanson Nazarenzo,[19] -or the muster-roll of Anna de Santiago’s Devils,[19] under Aquias, Brum, -and Acatu, lieutenant-generals to Lucifer himself. - -Footnote 18: - - It must surely be superfluous to make any comment upon the ignorant or - insolent manner in which synonymous appellations are here classed as - different sects. The popish author seems to have aimed at something - like wit by arranging them in rhymes:—as this could not be preserved - in the translation, and it is a pity any wit should be lost, the - original, such as it is, follows: “_Arminianos, Socinianos, - Baxterianos, Presbiterianos, Nuevos Americanos, Sabellianos, - Luteranos, Moravianos, Swedenborgianos, Athanasianos, Episcopalianos, - Arianos, Sabbatarianos, Trinitarianos, Unitarianos, Millenarianos, - Necessarianos, Sublapsarianos, Supralapsarianos, Antinomianos, - Hutchinsonianos, Sandemonianos, Muggletonianos, Baptistas, - Anabaptistas, Pædobaptistas, Methodistas, Papistas, Universalistas, - Calvinistas, Materialistas, Destruicionistas, Brownistas, - Independantes, Protestantes, Hugonotos, Nonjureros, Secederos, - Hernhutteros, Dunkeros, Jumperos, Shakeros, y Quakeros._”—The author, - to make these names look as uncouth and portentous as possible, has - not translated several which he must have understood, and has retained - the _w_ and _k_.—TR. - -This endless confusion arises from the want of some surer standard of -faith than Reason and the Scriptures, to one or both of which all the -schismatics appeal, making it their boast that they allow no other -authority. Reason and the Scriptures! Even one of their own bishops -calls Reason a box of quicksilver, and says that it is like a pigeon’s -neck, or a shot-silk, appearing one colour to me, and another to you who -stand in a different light. - -Footnote 19: - - These allusions are probably well understood in Spain; but here, as in - many other instances, the translator must confess his ignorance, and - regret that he can give no explanation.—TR. - -And for the Scriptures, well have they been likened to a nose of wax, -which every finger and thumb may tweak to the fashion of their own -fancy. You may well suppose how perversely those heretics will wrest the -spirit, who have not scrupled to corrupt the letter of the Gospel. In -many editions of the English Bible _ye_ has been substituted for _we_; -Acts, vi. 3. the Presbyterians having bribed the printer thus to favour -their heresy. Were you to hear the stress which some of these Puritans -lay upon the necessity of perusing the Scriptures, you might suppose -they had adopted the Jewish notion, that the first thing which God -himself does every morning is to read three hours in the Bible. - -You said to me, Examine into the opinions of the different heretics, and -you will be in no danger of heresy; and you requested me to send you -full accounts of all that I should see, learn, and think during this -enquiry, as the main confession you should require. The result will -prove that your confidence was not misplaced; that nothing could leach -me so feelingly the blessing of health, as a course of studies in an -infirmary. - -Many of the names of this hydra brood need no explanation; the others I -shall explain as I understand them, and those which are left untouched -you may consider as too insignificant in their numbers, or in their -points of difference, to require more than the mere insertion of their -titles in the classification of heresies. The Dunkers and Sandemonians, -the Baxterians and Muggletonians, may be left in obscurity with the -Tascadrogiti and Ascodrogiti, the Perliconasati of old, the -Passalaronciti, and Artotyriti, of whom St Jerome might well say, _Magis -portenta quam nomina_. - -Some of these sects differ from the establishment in discipline only, -others both in doctrine and discipline; they are either political, or -fanatical, or both. In all cases it may be remarked, that the dissenting -ministers, as they are called, are more zealous than the regular clergy, -because they either choose their profession for conscience sake, or take -it up as a trade, influenced either by enthusiasm or knavery, which are -so near akin and so much alike, that it is generally difficult, and -sometimes impossible, to distinguish one from the other. - -When the schism was fairly established in this island by the accursed -Elizabeth, all sorts of heresies sprung up like weeds in a neglected -field. The new establishment paid its court to the new head of the -church by the most slavish doctrines; the more abject, the more were -they unlike the principles of the Catholic religion, and also to the -political tenets of the Nonconformists. The consequence was, a strict -union between the clergy and the crown; while, on the other hand, all -the fanatics, however at variance in other points, were connected by -their common hatred of this double tyranny. Elizabeth kept them down by -the Inquisition: she martyred the Catholic teachers, and put the -Puritans to a slower death, by throwing them into dungeons, and leaving -them to rot there amid their own excrement. They strengthened during the -reign of her timorous successor, and overthrew the monarchy and -hierarchy together under Charles, the martyr of the English schismatical -church. Then they quarrelled among themselves; and one party, -disappointed of effecting its own establishment, brought back Charles -II., who ruled them with a rod of iron. A little prudence in James would -have restored England to the bosom of the church; but he offended the -clergy by his precipitance, forced them to coalesce with the Dissenters, -and lost his crown. His father’s fate was before his eyes, and he feared -to lose his head also; but had he been bold enough to set it at stake, -and been as willing to be a martyr as he was to be a confessor, a -bloodier civil war might have been excited in England than in Ireland; -England might have been his by conquest as well as by birth, and the -religion of the conqueror imposed upon the people. - -This revolution occasioned a new schism. From the time of their first -establishment the clergy had been preaching the doctrines of absolute -power and passive obedience; that kings govern by a right divine, and, -therefore, are not amenable to man for their conduct. These principles -had taken deep root in consequence of the general fear and hatred -against the Calvinists. No inconsiderable portion of the clergy, -therefore, however heartily they dreaded the restoration of what they -called Popery by James, could not in conscience assent to the accession -of William: indeed, the more sincerely they had deprecated the former -danger, the less could they reconcile their really tender consciences to -the Revolution. They therefore resigned, or rather were displaced from, -their sees and benefices, and lingered about half a century as a -distinct sect, under the title of Nonjurors. These men were less -dangerous to the new government than they who, having the same opinions -without the same integrity, took the oaths of allegiance, and washed -them down with secret bumpers to King James. But great part of the -clergy sincerely acquiesced in the Whig principles; and this number was -continually increasing as long as such principles were the fashion of -the court. Of this the government were well aware: they let the -malcontents[20] alone, knowing that where the carcase is there will the -crows be gathered together; and in this case it so happened that the -common frailty and the common sense of mankind coincided. - -Footnote 20: - - Don Manuel seems not to recollect Dr Sacheverell, or not to have heard - of him.—TR. - -I have related in my last how the Dissenters, from the republican -tendency of their principles, became again obnoxious to government -during the present reign; the ascendancy of the old high church and tory -party, and the advantages which have resulted to the true religion. -Their internal state has undergone as great a change. One part of them -has insensibly lapsed into Socinianism, a heresy, till of late years, -almost unknown in England; and into this party all the indifferentists -from other sects, who do not choose, for political motives, to join the -establishment, naturally fall. The establishment itself furnishes a -supply by the falling off of those of its members, who, in the progress -of enquiry, discover that the church of England is neither one thing nor -another; that in matters of religion all must rest upon faith, or upon -reason; and have unhappily preferred the sandy foundation of human wit. -_Crede ut intelligas, noli intelligere ut credas_, is the wise precept -of St Augustine; but these heretics have discarded the fathers as well -as the saints! These become Socinians; and though many of them do not -stop here in the career of unbelief, they still frequent the -meeting-houses, and are numbered among the sect. With these all the -hydra brood of Arianism and Pelagianism, and all the anti-calvinist -Dissenters have united; each preserving its own peculiar tenets, but all -agreeing in their abhorrence of Calvinism, their love of unbounded -freedom of opinion, and in consequence their hostility to any church -establishment. All, however, by this union, and still more by the medley -of doctrines which are preached as the pulpit happens to be filled by a -minister of one persuasion or the other, are insensibly modified and -assimilated to each other; and this assimilation will probably become -complete, as the older members, who were more rigidly trained in the -orthodoxy of heterodoxy, drop off. A body will remain respectable for -riches, numbers, erudition, and talents, but without zeal and without -generosity; and they will fall asunder at no very remote period, because -they do not afford their ministers stipends sufficient for the decencies -of life. The church must be kept together by a golden chain; and this, -which is typically true of the true church, is literally applicable to -every false one. These sectarians call themselves the enlightened part -of the Dissenters; but the children of Mammon are wiser in their -generation than such children of light. - -From this party, therefore, the church of England has nothing to fear, -though of late years its hostility has been erringly directed against -them. They are rather its allies than its enemies, an advanced guard who -have pitched their camp upon the very frontiers of infidelity, and exert -themselves in combating the unbelievers on one hand, and the Calvinists -on the other. They have the fate of Servetus for their warning, which -the followers of Calvin justify, and are ready to make their precedent. -Should these sworn foes to the establishment succeed in overthrowing it, -a burnt-offering of anti-trinitarians would be the first illumination -for the victory. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - LETTER XXX. - -_Watering Places.—Taste for the Picturesque.—Encomiendas._ - - -The English migrate as regularly as rooks. Home-sickness is a disease -which has no existence in a certain state of civilization or of luxury, -and instead of it these islanders are subject to periodical fits, of -what I shall beg leave to call _oikophobia_, a disorder with which -physicians are perfectly well acquainted though it may not yet have been -catalogued in the nomenclature of nosology. - -In old times, that is to say, two generations ago, mineral springs were -the only places of resort. Now the Nereids have as many votaries as the -Naiads, and the tribes of wealth and fashion swarm down to the sea coast -as punctually as the land crabs in the West Indies march the same way. -These people, who have unquestionably the best houses of any people in -Europe, and more conveniences about them to render home comfortable, -crowd themselves into the narrow apartments and dark streets of a little -country town, just at that time of the year when instinct seems to make -us, like the lark, desirous of as much sky-room as possible. The price -they pay for these lodgings is exorbitant; the more expensive the place, -the more numerous are the visitors; for the pride of wealth is as -ostentatious in this country as ever the pride of birth has been -elsewhere. In their haunts, however, these visitors are capricious; they -frequent a coast some seasons in succession, like herrings, and then -desert it for some other, with as little apparent motive as the fish -have for varying their track. It is fashion which influences them, not -the beauty of the place, not the desirableness of the accommodations, -not the convenience of the shore for their ostensible purpose, bathing. -Wherever one of the queen-bees of fashion alights, a whole swarm follows -her. They go into the country for the sake of seeing company, not for -retirement; and in all this there is more reason than you perhaps have -yet imagined. - -The fact is, that in these heretical countries parents have but one way -of disposing of their daughters, and in that way it becomes less and -less easy to dispose of them every year, because the modes of living -become continually more expensive, the number of adventurers in every -profession yearly increases, and of course every adventurer’s chance of -success is proportionately diminished. They who have daughters take them -to these public places to look for husbands; and there is no indelicacy -in this, because others who have no such motive for frequenting them go -likewise, in consequence of the fashion,—or of habits which they have -acquired in their younger days. This is so general, that health has -almost ceased to be the pretext. Physicians, indeed, still send those -who have more complaints than they can cure, or so few that they can -discover none, to some of the fashionable spas, which are supposed to be -medicinal because they are nauseous; they still send the paralytic to -find relief at Bath or to look for it, and the consumptive to die at the -Hot-wells: yet even to these places more persons go in quest of pleasure -than of relief, and the parades and pump-rooms there exhibit something -more like the Dance of Death than has ever perhaps been represented -elsewhere in real life. - -There is another way of passing the summer which is equally, if not -more, fashionable. Within the last thirty years a taste for the -picturesque has sprung up,—and a course of summer travelling is now -looked upon to be as essential as ever a course of spring physic was in -old times. While one of the flocks of fashion migrates to the sea-coast, -another flies off to the mountains of Wales, to the lakes in the -northern provinces, or to Scotland; some to mineralogize, some to -botanize, some to take views of the country,—all to study the -picturesque, a new science for which a new language has been formed, and -for which the English have discovered a new sense in themselves, which -assuredly was not possessed by their fathers. This is one of the customs -to which it suits a stranger to conform. My business is to see the -country,—and, to confess the truth, I have myself caught something of -this passion for the picturesque, from conversation, from books, and -still more from the beautiful landscapes in water colours, in which the -English excel all other nations. - -To the lakes then I am preparing to set out. D. will be my companion. We -go by way of Oxford, Birmingham, and Liverpool, and return by York and -Cambridge, designing to travel by stage over the less interesting -provinces, and, when we reach the land of lakes, to go on foot, in true -picturesque costume, with a knapsack slung over the shoulder.—I am -smiling at the elevation of yours, and the astonishment in your arched -brows. Even so:—it is the custom in England. Young Englishmen have -discovered that they can walk as well as the well-girt Greeks in the -days of old, and they have taught me the use of my legs. - -I have packed up a box of _encomiendas_ to go during my absence by the -Sally, the captain of which has promised to deposit it safely with our -friend Baltazar. One case of razors is for my father; they are of the -very best fabric; my friend Benito has never wielded such instruments -since first he took man by the nose. I have added a case of lancets for -Benito himself at his own request, and in addition the newest instrument -for drawing teeth, remembering the last grinder which he dislocated for -me, and obeying the precept of returning good for evil. The cost stands -over to my own charity score, and I shall account for it with my -confessor. Padre Antonio will admit it as alms, it being manifestly -designed to save my neighbours from the pains of purgatory upon earth. -The lamp is infinitely superior to any thing you have ever seen in our -own country,—but England is the land of ingenuity. I have written such -particular instructions that there can be no difficulty in using it. The -smaller parcel is Dona Isabel’s commission. If she ask how I like the -English ladies, say to her, in the words of the Romance, - - Que no quiero amores - En Inglaterra, - Pues otros mejores - Tengo yo en mi tierra.[21] - -Footnote 21: - - _That I want no loves in England, because I have other better ones in - my own country._—TR. - -The case of sweetmeats is Mrs J—’s present to my mother. There is also a -hamper of cheese, the choicest which could be procured. One, with the -other case of razors, you will send to Padre Antonio, and tell him that -in this land of heresy I shall be as mindful of my faith as of my -friends. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - LETTER XXXI. - -_Journey to Oxford.—Stage-Coach Travelling and Company._ - - - Thursday, July 1. - -The stage-coach in which we had taken our places was to start at six. We -met at the inn, and saw our trunks safely stowed in the boot, as they -call a great receptacle for baggage, under the coachman’s feet: this is -a necessary precaution for travellers in a place where rogues of every -description swarm, and in a case where neglect would be as mischievous -as knavery.—There were two other passengers, who, with ourselves, filled -the coach. The one was evidently a member of the university; the other a -fat vulgar woman who had stored herself with cakes, oranges and cordials -for the journey. She had with her a large bundle which she would not -trust in the boot, and which was too big to go in the seat, so she -carried it upon her lap. A man and woman, who had accompanied her to the -inn, stood by the coach till it set off; relations they seemed to be, by -the familiar manner in which they spoke of those to whom she was -returning, sending their love to one, and requesting to hear of another, -and repeating ‘Be sure you let us know you are got safe,’ till the very -last minute. The machine started within a few minutes of the time -appointed; the coachman smacked his whip, as if proud of his dexterity, -and we rattled over the stones with a fearful velocity, for he was -driving four horses. In Piccadilly he stopped at another inn, where all -the western stages call as they enter or go out of town: here we took in -another cargo of parcels, two passengers mounted the roof, and we once -more proceeded. - -We left town by the great western road, the same way which I had -entered. It was a great relief when we exchanged the violent jolting -over the stones for steady motion on a gravel road; but the paved ways -were met with again in all the little towns and townlets;[22] and as -these for a considerable distance almost join each other, it was a full -hour before we felt ourselves fairly in the country. Several stages -passed us within a few miles of London, on their way up: they had been -travelling all night; yet such are their regularity and emulation, that -though they had come about thirty leagues, and stopped at different -places, not one was more than ten minutes distance apart from another. - -Footnote 22: - - _Lugares._ Villages would have been an improper name for such places - as Kensington, &c. - -Englishmen are not very social to strangers. Our fellow-traveller -composed himself to sleep in the corner of the coach; but women are more -communicative, and the good lady gave us her whole history before we -arrived at the end of the first stage;—how she had been to see her -sister who lived in the Borough, and was now returning home; that she -had been to both the play-houses; Astley’s Amphitheatre, and the Royal -Circus; had seen the crown and the lions at the Tower, and the elephants -at Exeter ’Change; and that on the night of the illumination she had -been out till half after two o’clock, but never could get within sight -of M. Otto’s house. I found that it raised me considerably in her -estimation when I assured her that I had been more fortunate, and had -actually seen it. She then execrated all who did not like the peace, -told me what the price of bread had been during the war and how it had -fallen, expressed a hope that Hollands and French brandy would fall -also; spoke with complacency of Bonniprat, as she called him, and asked -whether we loved him as well in our country as the people in England -loved King George. On my telling her that I was a Spaniard, not a -Frenchman, she accommodated her conversation accordingly, said it was a -good thing to be at peace with Spain, because Spanish annatto and jar -raisins came from that country, and enquired how Spanish liquorice was -made, and if the people wer’n’t papists and never read in the Bible. You -must not blame me for boasting of a lady’s favours, if I say my answers -were so satisfactory that I was pressed to partake of her cakes and -oranges. - -We breakfasted at Slough, the second stage; a little town which seems to -be chiefly supported by its inns. The room into which we were shown was -not so well furnished as those which were reserved for travellers in -chaises; in other respects we were quite as well served, and perhaps -more expeditiously. The breakfast service was on the table and the -kettle boiling. When we paid the reckoning, the woman’s share was -divided among us; it is the custom in stage-coaches, that if there be -but one woman in company the other passengers pay for her at the inns. - -We saw Windsor distinctly on the left, standing on a little eminence, a -flag upon the tower indicating that the royal family were there. Almost -under it were the pinnacles of Eton college, where most of the young -nobility are educated immediately under the sovereign’s eye. An inn was -pointed out to me by the road side, where a whole party, many years ago, -were poisoned, by eating food which had been prepared in a copper -vessel. The country is flat, or little diversified with risings, -beautifully verdant, though with far more uncultivated ground than you -would suppose could possibly be permitted so near to such a metropolis. -The frequent towns, the number of houses by the road side, and the -apparent comfort and cleanliness of all, the travellers whom we met, and -the gentlemen’s seats, as they are called, in sight, every one of which -was mentioned in my Book of the Roads, kept my attention perpetually -alive. All the houses are of brick; and I did not see one which appeared -to be above half a century old. - -We crossed the Thames over Maidenhead-bridge, so called from the near -town, where a head of one of the eleven thousand virgins was once -venerated. Here the river is rather beautiful than majestic; indeed -nothing larger than barges navigate it above London. The bridge is a -handsome stone pile, and the prospect on either hand delightful; but -chiefly up the river, where many fine seats are situated on the left -bank, amid hanging woods. As the day was very fine, D. proposed that we -should mount the roof; to which I assented, not without some little -secret perturbation; and, to confess the truth, for a few minutes I -repented my temerity. We sate upon the bare roof, immediately in front, -our feet resting upon a narrow shelf which was fastened behind the -coachman’s seat, and being further or closer as the body of the coach -was jolted, sometimes it swung from under us, and at others squeezed the -foot back. There was only a low iron rail on each side to secure us, or -rather to hold by, for otherwise it was no security. At first it was -fearful to look down over the driver upon four horses going with such -rapidity, or upon the rapid motion of the wheels immediately below us: -but I soon lost all sense of danger, or, to speak more truly, found that -no danger existed except in imagination; for if I sate freely, and -feared nothing, there was in reality nothing to fear. - -The Oxford road branches off here from the great Western one, in a -northerly direction. A piece of waste which we crossed, called -Maidenhead Thicket, (though now not woodland as the name implies,) was -formerly infamous for robberies: and our coachman observed that it would -recover its old reputation, as soon as the soldiers and sailors were -paid off. I have heard apprehensions of this kind very generally -expressed. The soldiers have little or no money when they are -discharged, and the sailors soon squander what they may have. There will -of course be many who cannot find employment, and some who will not seek -it. Indeed the sailors talk with the greatest composure of -land-privateering, as they call highway robbery: and it must be -confessed, that their habits of privateering by sea are very well -adapted to remove all scruples concerning _meum_ and _tuum_. - -At Henley we came in sight of the Thames again,—still the same quiet and -beautiful stream: the view as we descended a long hill was exceedingly -fine: the river was winding below, a fine stone bridge across it, and a -large and handsome town immediately on the other side; a town, indeed, -considerably larger than any which we had passed. These stage-coaches -are admirably managed: relays of horses are ready at every post: as soon -as the coach drives up they are brought out, and we are scarcely -detained ten minutes. The coachman seems to know every body along the -road; he drops a parcel at one door, nods to a woman at another, -delivers a message at a third, and stops at a fourth to receive a glass -of spirits or a cup of ale, which has been filled for him as soon as the -sound of his wheels was beard. In fact, he lives upon the road, and is -at home when upon his coach-box. - -The country improved after we left Henley; it became more broken with -hills, better cultivated, and better wooded. It is impossible not to -like the villas, so much opulence, and so much ornament is visible about -them; but it is also impossible not to wish that the domestic -architecture of England were in a better taste. Dinner was ready for us -at Nettlebed: it was a very good one; nor was there any thing to -complain of, except the strange custom of calling for wine which you -know to be bad, and paying an extravagant price for what you would -rather not drink. The coachman left us here, and received from each -person a shilling as a gratuity, which he had well deserved. We now -resumed our places in the inside: dinner had made our male companion -better acquainted with us, and he became conversable. When he knew what -countryman I was, he made many enquiries respecting Salamanca, the only -one of our universities with which the English seem to be acquainted, -and which, I believe, they know only from Gil Blas. I do not think he -had ever before heard of Alcala; but he listened very attentively to -what I told him, and politely offered me his services in Oxford, telling -us he was a fellow of Lincoln, and insisting that we should breakfast -with him the following morning. - -At Nettlebed we passed over what is said to be the highest ground in -England, I know not with what truth, but certainly with little apparent -probability. We could have ascended little upon the whole since we had -left London, and were travelling upon level ground. About five o’clock -we came in sight of Oxford, and I resumed my place on the roof. This was -by no means the best approach to the city, yet I never beheld any thing -more impressive, more in character, more what it should be, than these -pinnacles and spires, and towers, and domes, rising amid thick groves. -It stands on a plain, and the road in the immediate vicinity is through -open corn fields. We entered by a stately bridge over the Cherwell: -Magdalen tower, than which nothing can be more beautiful, stands at the -end, and we looked down upon the shady walks of Magdalen college. The -coach drove half way up the High-street, and stopped at the Angel-inn. - - - END OF THE FIRST VOLUME. - - - ——————— - EDINBURGH: - Printed by James Ballantyre and Co. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - ● Transcriber’s Notes: - ○ Missing or obscured punctuation was silently corrected. - ○ Typographical errors were silently corrected. - ○ Inconsistent spelling and hyphenation were made consistent only - when a predominant form was found in this book. - ○ Text that was in italics is enclosed by underscores (_italics_). - - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Letters from England, Volume 1 (of 3), by -Don Manuel Alvarez Espriella - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LETTERS FROM ENGLAND, VOLUME 1 *** - -***** This file should be named 61122-0.txt or 61122-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/1/1/2/61122/ - -Produced by MWS, Barry Abrahamsen, and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Letters from England, Volume 1 (of 3) - -Author: Don Manuel Alvarez Espriella - -Translator: Robert Southey - -Release Date: January 6, 2020 [EBook #61122] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LETTERS FROM ENGLAND, VOLUME 1 *** - - - - -Produced by MWS, Barry Abrahamsen, and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<div class='figcenter id001'> -<img src='images/cover.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic001'> -<p><span class='small'>The cover image was created by the transcriber and is placed in the public domain.</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c000' /> -</div> - -<div> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_I'>I</span> - <h1 class='c001'><span class='xxlarge'>LETTERS</span><br /> <br /><span class='small'>FROM</span><br /> <br /><span class='xxlarge'>ENGLAND</span></h1> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div><span class='small'>BY</span></div> - <div class='c000'><span class='large'>DON MANUEL ALVAREZ ESPRIELLA.</span></div> - <div class='c002'><i>TRANSLATED FROM THE SPANISH.</i></div> - </div> -</div> - -<hr class='c003' /> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div>IN THREE VOLUMES.</div> - <div class='c000'>VOL. I.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<hr class='c004' /> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div>THIRD EDITION.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<hr class='c003' /> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div><span class='large'>LONDON:</span></div> - <div class='c000'>PRINTED FOR LONGMAN, HURST, REES, ORME, AND</div> - <div>BROWN, PATERNOSTER-ROW.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<hr class='c005' /> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div>1814.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c002' /> -</div> -<hr class='c006' /> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div><span class='pageno' id='Page_II'>II</span><span class='sc'>Edinburgh</span>:</div> - <div>Printed by James Ballantyne and Co.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c007' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_III'>III</span> - <h2 class='c008'><span class='xxlarge'>PREFACE</span><br /> <br />BY THE TRANSLATOR.</h2> -</div> -<hr class='c009' /> -<p class='c010'>The remarks of Foreign Travellers upon -our own country have always been so well -received by the Public, that no apology -can be necessary for offering to it the -present Translation, The Author of this -work seems to have enjoyed more advantages -than most of his predecessors, and -to have availed himself of them with remarkable -diligence. He boasts also of his -impartiality: to this praise, in general, he -is entitled; but there are some things -which he has seen with a jaundiced eye. It -is manifest that he is bigotted to the deplorable -superstitions of his country; and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_IV'>IV</span>we may well suppose that those parts of -the work in which this bigotry is most apparent, -have not been improved by the aid -for which he thanks his Father Confessor. -The Translator has seldom thought it necessary -to offer any comments upon the -palpable errors and mis-statements which -this spirit has sometimes occasioned: the -few notes which he has annexed are distinguished -by the letters <span class='sc'>Tr.</span></p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c002' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_V'>V</span> - <h2 class='c008'><span class='xxlarge'>PREFACE.</span></h2> -</div> -<hr class='c009' /> -<p class='c010'>A volume of Travels rarely or never, in -our days, appears in Spain: in England, -on the contrary, scarcely any works are so -numerous. If an Englishman spends the -summer in any of the mountainous provinces, -or runs over to Paris for six weeks, -he publishes the history of his travels; -and if a work of this kind be announced -in France, so great a competition is excited -among the London booksellers, that -they import it sheet by sheet as it comes -from the press, and translate and print it -piece-meal. The greater number of such -books must necessarily be of little value: -all, however, find readers, and the worst -of them adds something to the stock of -general information.</p> -<p class='c011'>We seldom travel; and they among us -<span class='pageno' id='Page_VI'>VI</span>who do, never give their journals to the -public. Is it because literature can hardly -be said to have become a trade among us, -or because vanity is no part of our national -character? The present work, therefore, -is safe from comparison, and will -have the advantage of novelty. If it subject -me to the charge of vanity myself, I -shall be sorry for the imputation, but not -conscious of deserving it. I went to -England under circumstances unusually -favourable, and remained there eighteen -months, during the greater part of which -I was domesticated in an English family. -They knew that it was my intention to -publish an account of what I saw, and -aided me in my enquiries with a kindness -which I must ever remember. My remarks -were communicated, as they occurred, -in letters to my own family, and -to my Father Confessor; and they from -time to time suggested to me such objects -of observation as might otherwise perhaps -have been overlooked. I have thought it -<span class='pageno' id='Page_VII'>VII</span>better to revise these letters, inserting such -matter as further research and more knowledge -enabled me to add, rather than to -methodize the whole; having observed in -England, that works of this kind wherein -the subjects are presented in the order -wherein they occurred, are always better -received than those of a more systematical -arrangement: indeed, they are less likely -to be erroneous, and their errors are more -excusable, in those letters which relate -to the state of religion, I have availed -myself of the remarks with which my Father -Confessor instructed me in his correspondence. -He has forbidden me to -mention his name; but it is my duty to -state, that the most valuable observations -upon this important subject, and, in particular, -those passages in which the Fathers -are so successfully quoted, would -not have enriched these volumes, but for -his assistance.</p> - -<p class='c011'>In thus delineating to my countrymen -the domestic character and habits of the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_VIII'>VIII</span>English, and the real state of England, I -have endeavoured to be strictly impartial; -and, if self-judgment may in such a case -be trusted, it is my belief that I have succeeded. -Certainly, I am not conscious of -having either exaggerated or extenuated -any thing in any the slightest degree—of -heightening the bright or the dark parts of -the picture for the sake of effect—of inventing -what is false, nor of concealing -what is true, so as to lie by implication. -Mistakes and misrepresentations there -may, and, perhaps, must be: I hope they -will neither be found numerous nor important, -as I know they are not wilful; -and I trust that whatever may be the -faults and errors of the work, nothing will -appear in it inconsistent with that love of -my country, which I feel in common with -every Spaniard; and that submission, -which, in common with every Catholic, -I owe to the Holy Church.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c002' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_IX'>IX</span> - <h2 class='c008'><span class='xxlarge'>CONTENTS</span><br /> <br /><span class='small'>OF THE</span><br /> <br /><span class='xlarge'>FIRST VOLUME.</span></h2> -</div> -<hr class='c009' /> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div>LETTER I.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<table class='table0' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='86%' /> -<col width='13%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <td class='c012'> </td> - <td class='c013'><span class='xsmall'>Page</span></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'>Arrival at Falmouth.—Custom House.—Food of the English.—Noise and Bustle at the Inn</td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#ch01'>1</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div>LETTER II.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<table class='table0' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='86%' /> -<col width='13%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <td class='c012'>Mode of Travelling.—Penryn.—Truro.—Dreariness of the Country.—Bodmin.—Earth-Coal the common Fuel.—Launceston.—Excellence of the Inns and Roads.—Okehampton.—Exeter</td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#ch02'>8</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div>LETTER III.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<table class='table0' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='86%' /> -<col width='13%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <td class='c012'>Exeter Cathedral and public Walk.—Libraries.— Honiton.—Dangers of English Travelling, and Cruelty with which it is attended.—Axminster.—Bridport</td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#ch03'>24</a></td> - </tr> -</table> -<div><span class='pageno' id='Page_X'>X</span></div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div>LETTER IV.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<table class='table0' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='86%' /> -<col width='13%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <td class='c012'>Dorchester.—Gilbert Wakefield.—Inside of an English Church.—Attempt to rear Silk-worms.—Down-country.—Blandford.—Salisbury.—Execrable Alteration of the Cathedral.—Instance of public Impiety</td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#ch04'>37</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div>LETTER V.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<table class='table0' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='86%' /> -<col width='13%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <td class='c012'>Old Sarum.—Country thinly peopled.—Basingstoke.—Ruins of a Catholic Chapel.—Waste Land near London.—Staines.—Iron Bridges.—Custom of exposing the dead Bodies of Criminals.—Hounslow Brentford.—Approach to London.—Arrival</td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#ch05'>54</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div>LETTER VI.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<table class='table0' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='86%' /> -<col width='13%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <td class='c012'>Watchmen.—Noise in London Night and Morning.—An English Family.—Advice to Travellers</td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#ch06'>65</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div>LETTER VII.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<table class='table0' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='86%' /> -<col width='13%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><span class='pageno' id='Page_XI'>XI</span>General Description of London.—Walk to the Palace.—Crowd in the Streets.—Shops.—Cathedral of St Paul.—Palace of the Prince of Wales.—Oddities in the Shop Windows</td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#ch07'>72</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div>LETTER VIII.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<table class='table0' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='86%' /> -<col width='13%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <td class='c012'>Proclamation of Peace.—The English do not understand Pageantry.—Illumination.—M. Otto’s House.—Illuminations better managed at Rome</td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#ch08'>85</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div>LETTER IX.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<table class='table0' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='86%' /> -<col width='13%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <td class='c012'>Execution of Governor Wall</td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#ch09'>97</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div>LETTER X.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<table class='table0' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='86%' /> -<col width='13%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <td class='c012'>Martial Laws of England.—Limited Service advised.—Hints for Military Reform</td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#ch10'>109</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div>LETTER XI.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<table class='table0' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='86%' /> -<col width='13%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <td class='c012'>Shopmen, why preferred to Women in England.—Division of London into the East and West Ends.—Low State of domestic Architecture.—Burlington-House</td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#ch11'>119</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div>LETTER XII.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<table class='table0' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='86%' /> -<col width='13%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><span class='pageno' id='Page_XII'>XII</span>Causes of the Change of Ministry not generally understood.—Catholic Emancipation.—The Change acceptable to the Nation.—State of Parties.—Strength of the new Administration.—Its good Effects.—Popularity of Mr Addington</td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#ch12'>127</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div>LETTER XIII.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<table class='table0' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='86%' /> -<col width='13%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <td class='c012'>Dress of the English without Variety.— Coal-heavers.—Post-men.—Art of knocking at the Door.—Inscriptions over the Shops.—Exhibitions in the Shop-windows.—Chimney-sweepers.—May-day.—These Sports originally religious</td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#ch13'>137</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div>LETTER XIV.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<table class='table0' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='86%' /> -<col width='13%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <td class='c012'>Description of the Inside, and of the Furniture, of an English House</td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#ch14'>149</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div>LETTER XV.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<table class='table0' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='86%' /> -<col width='13%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <td class='c012'>English Meals.—Clumsy Method of Butchery.—Lord Somerville.—Cruel Manner of killing certain Animals.—Luxuries of the Table.—Liquors</td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#ch15'>164</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div>LETTER XVI.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<table class='table0' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='86%' /> -<col width='13%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><span class='pageno' id='Page_XIII'>XIII</span>Informers.—System upon which they act.—Anecdotes of their Rascality.—Evil of encouraging them.—English Character a Compound of Contradictions</td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#ch16'>173</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div>LETTER XVII.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<table class='table0' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='86%' /> -<col width='13%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <td class='c012'>The Word <i>Home</i> said to be peculiar to the English.—Propriety of the Assertion questioned.—Comfort.—Curious Conveniences.—Pocket-fender.—Hunting-razors</td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#ch17'>180</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div>LETTER XVIII.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<table class='table0' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='86%' /> -<col width='13%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <td class='c012'>Drury-Lane Theatre.—The Winter’s Tale.—Kemble.—Mrs Siddons.—Don Juan</td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#ch18'>187</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div>LETTER XIX.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<table class='table0' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='86%' /> -<col width='13%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <td class='c012'>English Church Service.—Banns of Marriage.—Inconvenience of having the Sermon a regular Part.—Sermons an Article of Trade.—Popular Preachers.—Private Chapels</td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#ch19'>200</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div>LETTER XX.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<table class='table0' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='86%' /> -<col width='13%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><span class='pageno' id='Page_XIV'>XIV</span>Irreverence of English towards the Virgin Mary and the Saints.—Want of Ceremonies in their Church.—Festival Dainties.—Traces of Catholicism in their Language and Oaths.—Disbelief of Purgatory.—Fatal Consequences of this Error.—Supposed Advantages of the Schism examined.—Clergy not so numerous as formerly</td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#ch20'>215</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div>LETTER XXI.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<table class='table0' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='86%' /> -<col width='13%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <td class='c012'>Show of Tulips.—Florists.—Passion for Rarities in England Queen Anne’s Farthings.—Male Tortoise-shell Cat.—Collectors.—The King of Collectors</td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#ch21'>228</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div>LETTER XXII.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<table class='table0' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='86%' /> -<col width='13%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <td class='c012'>English Coins.—Paper Currency.—Frequent Executions for Forgery.—Doctor Dodd.—Opinion that Prevention is the End of Punishment.—This End not answered by the Frequency of Executions.—Plan for the Prevention of Forgery rejected by the Bank</td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#ch22'>241</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div>LETTER XXIII.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<table class='table0' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='86%' /> -<col width='13%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><span class='pageno' id='Page_XV'>XV</span>Westminster Abbey.—Legend of its Consecration.—Its single Altar in bad Taste.—Gothic or English Architecture.—Monuments.—Banks the Sculptor.—Wax-work.—Henry the Seventh’s Chapel.—Mischievous Propensity of the People to mutilate the Monuments</td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#ch23'>256</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div>LETTER XXIV.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<table class='table0' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='86%' /> -<col width='13%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <td class='c012'>Complexion of the English contradictory to their historical Theories.—Christian Names, and their Diminutives.—System of Surnames.—Names of the Months and Days.—Friday the unlucky Day.—St Valentine.—Relics of Catholicism</td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#ch24'>274</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div>LETTER XXV.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<table class='table0' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='86%' /> -<col width='13%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <td class='c012'>Vermin imported from all Parts.—Fox-Hunting.— Shooting.—Destruction of the Game.—Rural Sports</td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#ch25'>285</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div>LETTER XXVI.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<table class='table0' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='86%' /> -<col width='13%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <td class='c012'>Poor-Laws.—Work-Houses.—Sufferings of the Poor from the Climate.—Dangerous State of England during the Scarcity.—The Poor not bettered by the Progress of Civilization</td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#ch26'>294</a></td> - </tr> -</table> -<div><span class='pageno' id='Page_XVI'>XVI</span></div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div>LETTER XXVII.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<table class='table0' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='86%' /> -<col width='13%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <td class='c012'>Saint Paul’s.—Anecdote of a female Esquimaux.—Defect of Grecian Architecture in cold Climates.—Nakedness of the Church.—Monuments.—Pictures offered by Sir Joshua Reynolds, &c. and refused.—Ascent.—View from the Summit</td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#ch27'>307</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div>LETTER XXVIII.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<table class='table0' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='86%' /> -<col width='13%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <td class='c012'>State of the English Catholics.—Their prudent Silence in the Days of Jacobitism.—The Church of England jealous of the Dissenters.—Riots in 1780.—Effects of the French Revolution.—The Re-establishment of the Monastic Orders in England.—Number of Nunneries and Catholic Seminaries.—The Poor easily converted.—Catholic Writers.—Dr Geddes</td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#ch28'>322</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div>LETTER XXIX.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<table class='table0' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='86%' /> -<col width='13%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <td class='c012'>Number of Sects in England, all appealing to the Scriptures.—Puritans.—Nonjurors.—Rise of Socinianism, and its probable Downfall</td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#ch29'>333</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div><span class='pageno' id='Page_XVII'>XVII</span>LETTER XXX.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<table class='table0' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='86%' /> -<col width='13%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <td class='c012'>Watering Places.—Taste for the Picturesque.—Encomiendas</td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#ch30'>346</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div>LETTER XXXI.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<table class='table0' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='86%' /> -<col width='13%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <td class='c012'>Journey to Oxford.—Stage-Coach Travelling and Company</td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#ch31'>354</a></td> - </tr> -</table> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c002' /> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c007'> - <div><span class='pageno' id='Page_1'>1</span><span class='xxlarge'>ESPRIELLA’S</span></div> - <div class='c000'><span class='xlarge'>LETTERS FROM ENGLAND.</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -<hr class='c014' /> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch01' class='c008'>LETTER I.</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c015'><i>Arrival at Falmouth.—Custom House.—Food -of the English.—Noise and Bustle -at the Inn.</i></p> -<div class='c016'>Wednesday, April 21, 1802.</div> -<p class='c017'>I write to you from English ground. -On the twelfth morning after our departure -from Lisbon we came in sight of the -Lizard, two light-houses on the rocks near -the Land’s End, which mark a dangerous -shore. The day was clear, and showed us -the whole coast to advantage; but if these -be the white cliffs of England, they have -been strangely magnified by report: their -forms are uninteresting, and their heights -<span class='pageno' id='Page_2'>2</span>diminutive; if a score such were piled under -Cape Finisterre, they would look like a -flight of stairs to the Spanish mountains. -I made this observation to J—, who could -not help acknowledging the truth, but he -bade me look at the green fields. The verdure -was certainly very delightful, and that -not merely because our eyes were wearied -with the gray sea: the appearance was like -green corn, though approaching nearer I -perceived that the colour never changed; -for the herb, being kept short by cattle, -does not move with the wind.</p> -<p class='c011'>We passed in sight of St Maurs, a little -fishing-town on the east of the bay, and -anchored about noon at Falmouth. There -is a man always on the look-out for the -packets; he makes a signal as soon as one -is seen, and every woman who has a husband -on board gives him a shilling for the -intelligence. I went through some troublesome -forms upon landing, in consequence -of the inhospitable laws enacted at the beginning -of the war. There were then the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_3'>3</span>vexatious ceremonies of the custom-house -to be performed, where double fees were -exacted for passing our baggage at extraordinary -hours. J— bade me not judge of -his countrymen by their sea-ports: it is a -proverb, said he, “that the people at these -places are all either birds of passage, or -birds of prey”; it is their business to fleece -us, and ours to be silent.—Patience where -there is no remedy!—our own aphorism, -I find, is as needful abroad as at home. -But if ever some new Cervantes should -arise to write a mock heroic, let him -make his hero pass through a custom-house -on his descent to the infernal regions.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The inn appeared magnificent to me; -my friend complained that it was dirty -and uncomfortable. I cannot relish their -food: they eat their meat half raw; the -vegetables are never boiled enough to be -soft; and every thing is insipid except -the bread, which is salt, bitter, and disagreeable. -Their beer is far better in -<span class='pageno' id='Page_4'>4</span>Spain, the voyage and the climate ripen it. -The cheese and butter were more to my -taste; <i>manteca</i> indeed is not butter, and the -Englishman<a id='r1' /><a href='#f1' class='c018'><sup>[1]</sup></a> who wanted to call it so at -Cadiz was as inaccurate in his palate as -in his ideas. Generous wines are inordinately -dear, and no others are to be procured; -about a dollar a bottle is the price. -What you find at the inns is in general -miserably bad; they know this, and yet -drink that the host may be satisfied with -their expences: our custom of paying for -the house-room is more economical, and -better.</p> - -<div class='footnote c019' id='f1'> -<p class='c017'><span class='label'><a href='#r1'>1</a>. </span>This blunder has been applied to the French -word <i>eau</i>. Which ever may be original, it certainly -ought not to be palmed upon an Englishman.—<span class='sc'>Tr.</span></p> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>Falmouth stands on the western side of -the bay, and consists of one long narrow -street which exhibits no favourable specimen -either of the boasted cleanliness -or wealth of the English towns. The -wealthier merchants dwell a little out of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_5'>5</span>the town upon the shore, or on the opposite -side of the bay at a little place -called Flushing. The harbour, which is -very fine, is commanded by the castle of -Pendennis; near its mouth there is a single -rock, on which a pole is erected because it -is covered at high tide. A madman not -many years ago carried his wife here at -low water, landed her on the rock, and -rowed away in sport; nor did he return -till her danger as well as fear had become -extreme.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Some time since the priest of this place -was applied to to bury a certain person -from the adjoining country. “Why, John,” -said he to the sexton, “we buried this -man a dozen years ago:” and in fact it -appeared on referring to the books of the -church that his funeral had been registered -ten years back. He had been bed-ridden -and in a state of dotage during all that -time; and his heirs had made a mock -burial, to avoid certain legal forms and expenses -which would else have been necessary -<span class='pageno' id='Page_6'>6</span>to enable them to receive and dispose -of his rents. I was also told another -anecdote of an inhabitant of this town, -not unworthy of a stoic:—His house was -on fire; it contained his whole property; -and when he found it was in vain to attempt -saving any thing, he went upon the -nearest hill and made a drawing of the -conflagration:—an admirable instance of -English phlegm!</p> - -<p class='c011'>The perpetual stir and bustle in this inn -is as surprising as it is wearisome. Doors -opening and shutting, bells ringing, voices -calling to the waiter from every quarter, -while he cries “Coming,” to one room, -and hurries away to another. Every body -is in a hurry here; either they are going -off in the packets, and are hastening their -preparations to embark; or they have just -arrived, and are impatient to be on the -road homeward. Every now-and-then a -carriage rattles up to the door with a rapidity -which makes the very house shake. -The man who cleans the boots is running -<span class='pageno' id='Page_7'>7</span>in one direction, the barber with his powder-bag -in another; here goes the barber’s -boy with his hot water and razors; there -comes the clean linen from the washer-woman; -and the hall is full of porters and -sailors bringing in luggage, or bearing it -away;—now you hear a horn blow because -the post is coming in, and in the -middle of the night you are awakened by -another because it is going out. Nothing -is done in England without a noise, and -yet noise is the only thing they forget in -the bill!</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c002' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_8'>8</span> - <h2 id='ch02' class='c008'>LETTER II.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c015'><i>Mode of Travelling.—Penryn.—Truro.—Dreariness -of the Country.—Bodmin.—Earth-Coal -the common Fuel.—Launceston.—Excellence -of the Inns and Roads.—Okehampton.—Exeter.</i></p> -<div class='c016'>Thursday, April 22.</div> -<p class='c017'>Early in the morning our chaise was at -the door, a four-wheeled carriage which -conveniently carries three persons. It has -glass in front and at the sides, instead of -being closed with curtains, so that you at -once see the country and are sheltered -from the weather. Two horses drew us at -the rate of a league and a half in the hour;—such -is the rapidity with which the English -travel. Half a league from Falmouth is -the little town of Penryn, whose ill-built -<span class='pageno' id='Page_9'>9</span>and narrow streets seem to have been contrived -to make as many acute angles in the -road, and take the traveller up and down -as many steep declivities as possible in a -given distance. In two hours we reached -Truro, where we breakfasted: this meal -is completely spoilt by the abominable -bitterness of the bread, to which I shall -not soon be able to reconcile myself. The -town is clean and opulent; its main street -broad, with superb shops, and a little gutter -stream running through it. All the -shops have windows to them; the climate -is so inclement that it would be impossible -to live without them. J— showed -me where some traveller had left the expression -of his impatience written upon -the wainscot with a pencil—“Thanks to -the Gods another stage is past”—for all -travellers are in haste here, either on their -way home, or to be in time for the packet. -When we proceeded the day had become -dark and overclouded;—quite English -weather:—I could scarcely keep myself -<span class='pageno' id='Page_10'>10</span>warm in my cloak: the trees have hardly a -tinge of green, though it is now so late in -April. Every thing has a coarse and cold -appearance: the heath looks nipt in its -growth, and the hedge-plants are all mean -and insignificant: nettles, and thistles, -and thorns, instead of the aloe, and the -acanthus, and the arbutus, and the vine. -We soon entered upon a track as dreary as -any in Estremadura; mile after mile the -road lay straight before us; up and down -long hills, whose heights only served to -show how extensive was the waste.</p> -<p class='c011'>Mitchel-Dean, the next place to which -we came, is as miserable as any of our -most decayed towns; it is what they call -a rotten borough: that is, it has the privilege -of returning two members to parliament, -who purchase the votes of their -constituents, and the place has no other -trade:—it has indeed a very rotten appearance. -Even the poorest houses in this -country are glazed: this, however, proves -rather the inclemency of the climate than -<span class='pageno' id='Page_11'>11</span>the wealth of the people. Our second stage -was to a single house called the Indian -Queens, which is rather a post-house than -an inn. These places are not distinguished -by a bush, though that was once the custom -here also, but by a large painting swung -from a sort of gallows before the door, or -nailed above it, and the house takes its -name from the sign. Lambs, horses, bulls, -and stags, are common; sometimes they -have red lions, green dragons, or blue -boars, or the head of the king or queen, or -the arms of the nearest nobleman. One -inconvenience attends their mode of travelling, -which is, that at every stage the chaise -is changed, and of course there is the trouble -of removing all the baggage.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The same dreary country still lay before -us; on the right there was a wild rock -rising at once from the plain, with a ruin -upon its summit. Nothing can be more -desolate than the appearance of this province, -where most part of the inhabitants -live in the mines. “I never see the greater -<span class='pageno' id='Page_12'>12</span>part of my parishioners,” said a clergyman -here, “till they come up to be buried.” -We dined at Bodmin, an old town which -was once the chief seat of religion in the -district, but has materially suffered since -the schism; ill-built, yet not worse -built than situated, being shadowed by a -hill to the south; and to complete the list -of ill contrivances, their water is brought -through the common burial-place. They -burn earth-coal every where; it is a black -shining stone, very brittle, which kindles -slowly, making much smoke, and much -ashes: but as all the houses are built with -chimneys, it is neither unwholesome nor -disagreeable. An Englishman’s delight is -to stir the fire; and I believe I shall soon -acquire this part of their manners, as a -means of self-defence against their raw -and chilly atmosphere. The hearth is -furnished with a round bar to move the -coals, a sort of forceps to arrange them, -and a small shovel for the cinders; all of -iron, and so shaped and polished as to be -<span class='pageno' id='Page_13'>13</span>ornamental. Besides these, there is what -they call the fender, which is a little -moveable barrier, either of brass or polished -steel, or sometimes of wire painted -green and capt with brass, to prevent the -live embers from falling upon the floor. -The grates which confine the fire are often -very costly and beautiful, every thing being -designed to display the wealth of the people; -even the bars, though they are necessarily -blackened every day by the smoke, -are regularly brightened in the morning, -and this work is performed by women. -In good houses the chimneys have a marble -frontal, upon the top of which vases of -alabaster or spar, mandarins from China, -flower-stands, or other ornaments, are arranged.</p> - -<p class='c011'>After dinner we proceeded to Launceston; -the country improved upon us, and -the situation of the place as we approached, -standing upon a hill, with the ruins of -the castle which had once commanded it, -reminded me of our Moorish towns. We -<span class='pageno' id='Page_14'>14</span>arrived just as the evening was closing; -our chaise wheeled under the gateway with -a clangor that made the roof ring; the -waiter was at the door in an instant; by -the time we could let down the glass, he -had opened the door and let the steps -down. We were shown into a comfortable -room; lights were brought, the twilight -shut out, the curtains let down, the -fire replenished. Instead of oil, they burn -candles made of tallow, which in this climate -is not offensive; wax is so dear that -it is used by only the highest ranks.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Here we have taken our tea; and in the -interval between that and supper, J— is -reading the newspaper, and I am minuting -down the recollections of the day. -What a country for travelling is this! such -rapidity on the road! such accommodations -at the resting-places! We have advanced -fourteen leagues to-day without -fatigue or exertion. When we arrive at -the inn there is no apprehension lest the -apartments should be pre-occupied; we -<span class='pageno' id='Page_15'>15</span>are not liable to any unpleasant company; -we have not to send abroad to purchase -wine and seek for provisions; every thing -is ready; the larder stored, the fire burning, -the beds prepared; and the people of -the house, instead of idly looking on, or -altogether neglecting us, are asking our -orders and solicitous to please. I no longer -wonder at the ill-humour and fastidiousness -of Englishmen in Spain.</p> - -<hr class='c020' /> - -<div class='c021'>Friday, April 23.</div> - -<p class='c011'>Launceston castle was formerly used as -a state prison. There were lazar-houses -here and at Bodmin when leprosy was -common in England. They attributed this -disease to the habit of eating fish, and especially -the livers; the fresher they were -the more unwholesome they were thought. -Whatever has been the cause, whether -change of diet, or change of dress, it has -totally disappeared.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The Tamar, a clear shallow and rapid -<span class='pageno' id='Page_16'>16</span>stream, flows by Launceston, and divides -Cornwall from Devonshire. The mountainous -character of the river, the situation -of the town rising behind it, its ancient -appearance, and its castle towering above -all, made so Spanish a scene, that perhaps -it pleased me the more for the resemblance; -and I would willingly for a while have exchanged -the chaise for a mule, that I might -have loitered to enjoy it at leisure. The -English mode of travelling is excellently -adapted for every thing, except for seeing -the country.</p> - -<p class='c011'>We met a stage-waggon, the vehicle in -which baggage is transported, for sumpter-beasts -are not in use. I could not imagine -what this could be; a huge carriage -upon four wheels of prodigious breadth, -very wide and very long, and arched over -with cloth, like a bower, at a considerable -height: this monstrous machine was -drawn by eight large horses, whose neck-bells -were heard far off as they approached; -the carrier walked beside them, with a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_17'>17</span>long whip upon his shoulder, as tall again -as himself, which he sometimes cracked in -the air, seeming to have no occasion to -exercise it in any other manner; his dress -was different from any that I had yet seen, -it was a sort of tunic of coarse linen, and -is peculiar to this class of men. Here -would have been an adventure for Don -Quixote! Carrying is here a very considerable -trade: these waggons are day and -night upon their way, and are oddly enough -called flying waggons, though of all machines -they travel the slowest, slower than -even a travelling funeral. The breadth of -the wheels is regulated by law, on account -of the roads, to which great attention is -paid, and which are deservedly esteemed -objects of national importance. At certain -distances gates are erected and toll-houses -beside them, where a regular tax is paid -for every kind of conveyance in proportion -to the number of horses and wheels; -horsemen and cattle also are subject to -this duty. These gates are rented by auction; -<span class='pageno' id='Page_18'>18</span>they are few or frequent, as the nature -of the soil occasions more or less expense -in repairs: no tax can be levied more -fairly, and no public money is more fairly -applied. Another useful peculiarity here is, -that where the roads cross or branch off -a directing post is set up, which might -sometimes be mistaken for a cross, were it -in a Catholic country. The distances are -measured by the mile, which is the fourth -of a league, and stones to mark them are -set by the way-side, though they are often -too much defaced by time or by mischievous -travellers to be of any use.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The dresses of the peasantry are far less -interesting than they are in our own land; -they are neither gay in colour, nor graceful -in shape; that of the men differs little -in make from what the higher orders wear. -I have seen no goats; they are not common, -for neither their flesh nor their milk -is in use; the people seem not to know -how excellent the milk is, and how excellent -a cheese may be made from it. All -<span class='pageno' id='Page_19'>19</span>the sheep are white, and these also are never -milked. Here are no aqueducts, no -fountains by the way-side.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Okehampton, which we next came to, -stands in the county of Devonshire; here -also is a ruined castle on its hill, beautifully -ivyed, and standing above a delightful -stream. There was in our room a series of -prints, which, as they represented a sport -peculiar to England, interested me much: -it was the hunting the hare. The first -displayed the sportsmen assembled on -horseback, and the dogs searching the cover: -in the second they were in chace, -men and dogs full speed, horse and horseman -together leaping over a high gate,—a -thing which I thought impossible, but -J— assured me that it was commonly -practised in this perilous amusement: in -the third they were at fault, while the poor -hare was stealing away at a distance: the -last was the death of the hare, the huntsman -holding her up and winding his horn, -while the dogs are leaping round him.</p> - -<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_20'>20</span>This province appears far more fertile -than the one we have quitted; the wealth -of which lies under ground. The beauty -of the country is much injured by inclosures, -which intercept the view, or cut it -into patches; it is not, however, quite -fair to judge of them in their present leafless -state. The road was very hilly, a -thick small rain came on, and prevented -us from seeing any thing. Wet as is the -climate of the whole island, these two -western provinces are particularly subject -to rain; for they run out between the -English and Bristol channels, like a peninsula; -in other respects their climate is -better, the temperature being considerably -warmer; so that sickly persons are sent to -winter here upon the south coast. Much -cyder is made here: it is a far pleasanter -liquor than their beer, and may indeed be -considered as an excellent beverage by a -people to whom nature has denied the -grape. I ought, perhaps, to say, that it is -even better than our country wines; but -<span class='pageno' id='Page_21'>21</span>what we drank was generous cyder, and -at a price exceeding that which generous -wine bears with us; so that the advantage -is still ours.</p> - -<p class='c011'>We only stopped to change chaises at our -next stage; the inn was not inviting in its -appearance, and we had resolved to reach -Exeter to a late dinner. There were two -busts in porcelain upon the chimney-piece, -one of Buonaparte, the other of John Wesley, -the founder of a numerous sect in -this land of schismatics; and between -them a whole-length figure of Shakespeare, -their famous dramatist. When J— had -explained them to me, I asked him which -of the three worthies was the most popular. -“Perhaps,” said he, “the Corsican -just at present; but his is a transient popularity; -he is only the first political actor of -the day, and, like all other stage-players, -must one day give way to his successors, -as his predecessors have given way to him. -Moreover, he is rather notorious than popular; -<span class='pageno' id='Page_22'>22</span>the king of Prussia was a favourite -with the people, and they hung up his -picture as an alehouse sign, as they had -done prince Eugene before him, and many -a fellow gets drunk under them still; but -no one will set up Buonaparte’s head as an -invitation. Wesley, on the contrary, is a -saint with his followers, and indeed with -almost all the lower classes. As for Shakespeare, -these people know nothing of him -but his name; he is famous in the strictest -sense of the word, and his fame will last as -long as the English language; which by -God’s blessing will be as long as the habitable -world itself.” “He is your saint!” -said I, smiling at the warmth with which -he spake.</p> - -<p class='c011'>At length we crossed the river Exe by a -respectable bridge, and immediately entered -the city of Exeter, and drove up a long -street to an inn as large as a large convent. -Is it possible, I asked, that this immense -house can ever be filled by travellers? He -<span class='pageno' id='Page_23'>23</span>told me in reply, that there were two other -inns in the city nearly as large, besides -many smaller ones; and yet, that the last -time he passed through Exeter, they were -obliged to procure a bed for him in a private -dwelling, not having one unoccupied -in the house.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c002' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_24'>24</span> - <h2 id='ch03' class='c008'>LETTER III.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c015'><i>Exeter Cathedral and Public Walk.—Libraries.—Honiton.—Dangers -of English -Travelling, and Cruelty with which it is -attended.—Axminster.—Bridport.</i></p> -<div class='c016'>Saturday, April 24.</div> -<p class='c017'>If the outside of this New London Inn, as -it is called, surprised me, I was far more -surprised at the interior. Excellent as the -houses appeared at which we had already -halted, they were mean and insignificant -compared with this. There was a sofa in -our apartment, and the sideboard was set -forth with china and plate. Surely, however, -these articles of luxury are misplaced, -as they are not in the slightest degree necessary -to the accommodation of a traveller, -and must be considered in his bill.</p> -<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_25'>25</span>Exeter is an ancient city, and has been -so slow in adopting modern improvements -that it has the unsavoury odour of Lisbon. -One great street runs through the city from -east to west; the rest consists of dirty -lanes. As you cross the bridge, you look -down upon a part of the town below, intersected -by little channels of water. The -cathedral is a fine object from those situations -where both towers are seen, and only -half the body of the building, rising above -the city. It cannot be compared with Seville, -or Cordova, or Burgos; yet certainly -it is a noble pile. Even the heretics confess -that the arches, and arched windows, -and avenues of columns, the old monuments, -the painted altar, and the coloured -glass, impress them with a feeling favourable -to religion. For myself, I felt that I -stood upon ground, which, desecrated as it -was, had once been holy.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Close to our inn is the entrance of the -Norney or public walk. The trees are elms, -and have attained their full growth: indeed -<span class='pageno' id='Page_26'>26</span>I have never seen a finer walk; but every -town has not its Norney<a id='r2' /><a href='#f2' class='c018'><sup>[2]</sup></a> as with us its -<i>alameda</i>. I was shown a garden, unique -in its kind, which has been made in the -old castle ditch. The banks rise steeply on -each side; one of the finest poplars in the -country grows in the bottom, and scarcely -overtops the ruined wall. Jackson, one -of the most accomplished men of his age, -directed these improvements; and never -was accident more happily improved. He -was chiefly celebrated as a musician; but -as a man of letters, his reputation is considerable; -and he was also a painter: few -men, if any, have succeeded so well in so -many of the fine arts. Of the castle itself -there are but few remains; it was named -Rougemont, from the colour of the red -sandy eminence on which it stands, and -for the same reason the city itself was called -by the Britons The Red City.</p> - -<div class='footnote c019' id='f2'> -<p class='c017'><span class='label'><a href='#r2'>2</a>. </span>The author seems to have mistaken this for a -general name.—<span class='sc'>Tr.</span></p> -</div> - -<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_27'>27</span>In most of the English towns they have -what they call circulating libraries: the -subscribers, for an annual or quarterly -payment, have two or more volumes at -a time, according to the terms; and strangers -may be accommodated on depositing -the value of the book they choose. -There are several of these in Exeter, one -of which, I was told, was considered as remarkably -good, the bookseller being himself -a man of considerable learning and -ability. Here was also a literary society -of some celebrity, till the French revolution, -which seems to have disturbed every -town, village, and almost every family in -the kingdom, broke it up. The inhabitants -in general are behindhand with their countrymen -in information and in refinement. -The streets are not flagged, neither are -they regularly cleaned, as in other parts -of the kingdom; the corporation used to -compel the townspeople to keep their -doors clean, as is usual in every English -town; but some little while ago it was -<span class='pageno' id='Page_28'>28</span>discovered, that, by the laws of the city, -they had no authority to insist upon this; -and now the people will not remove the -dirt from their own doors, because they -say they cannot be forced to do it. Their -politics are as little progressive as their -police: to this day, when they speak of -the Americans, they call them the rebels. -Everywhere else, this feeling is extinguished -among the people, though it still remains -in another quarter. When Washington -died, his will was published in the -newspapers; but in those which are immediately -under ministerial influence, it -was suppressed by high authority. It was -not thought fitting that any respect should -be paid to the memory of a man whom -the Sovereign considered as a rebel and a -traitor.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The celebrated Priestley met with a singular -instance of popular hatred in this -place. A barber who was shaving him -heard his name in the midst of the operation;—he -dropt his razor immediately, and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_29'>29</span>ran out of the room exclaiming, “that he -had seen his cloven foot.”</p> - -<p class='c011'>I bought here a map of England, folded -for the pocket, with the roads and distances -all marked upon it. I purchased also a -book of the roads, in which not only the -distance of every place in the kingdom from -London, and from each other, is set down, -but also the best inn at each place is pointed -out, the name mentioned of every -gentleman’s seat near the road, and the -objects which are most worthy a traveller’s -notice. Every thing that can possibly facilitate -travelling seems to have been produced -by the commercial spirit of this -people.</p> - -<p class='c011'>As the chief trade of Exeter lies with -Spain, few places have suffered so much -by the late war. We departed about noon -the next day; and as we ascended the first -hill, looked down upon the city and its -cathedral towers to great advantage. Our -stage was four leagues, along a road which, -a century ago, when there was little travelling, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_30'>30</span>and no care taken of the public -ways, was remarkable as the best in the -West of England. The vale of Honiton, -which we overlooked on the way, is considered -as one of the richest landscapes in -the kingdom: it is indeed a prodigious extent -of highly cultivated country, set thickly -with hedges and hedge-row trees; and had -we seen it either in its full summer green, -or with the richer colouring of autumn, -perhaps I might not have been disappointed. -Yet I should think the English landscape -can never appear rich to a southern -eye: the verdure is indeed beautiful and refreshing, -but green fields and timber trees -have neither the variety nor the luxuriance -of happier climates. England seems to be -the paradise of sheep and cattle; Valencia -of the human race.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Honiton, the town where we changed -chaises, has nothing either interesting or -remarkable in its appearance, except that -here, as at Truro, a little stream flows along -the street, and little cisterns or basons, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_31'>31</span>for dipping places, are made before every -door. Lace is manufactured here in imitation -of the Flanders lace, to which it is -inferior because it thickens in washing; -the fault is in the thread. I have reason -to remember this town, as our lives were -endangered here by the misconduct of the -innkeeper. There was a demur about procuring -horses for us; a pair were fetched -from the field, as we afterwards discovered, -who had either never been in harness before, -or so long out of it as to have become -completely unmanageable. As soon -as we were shut in, and the driver shook the -reins, they ran off—a danger which had -been apprehended; for a number of persons -had collected round the inn door to see -what would be the issue. The driver, who -deserved whatever harm could happen to -him, for having exposed himself and us to -so much danger, had no command whatever -over the frightened beasts; he lost his seat -presently, and was thrown upon the pole -between the horses; still he kept the reins, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_32'>32</span>and almost miraculously prevented himself -from falling under the wheels, till the -horses were stopped at a time when we -momently expected that he would be run -over and the chaise overturned. As I -saw nothing but ill at this place, so have -I heard nothing that is good of it: the -borough is notoriously venal; and since it -has become so the manners of the people -have undergone a marked and correspondent -alteration.</p> - -<p class='c011'>This adventure occasioned considerable -delay. At length a chaise arrived; and the -poor horses, instead of being suffered to -rest, weary as they were, for they had just -returned from Exeter, were immediately -put-to for another journey. One of them -had been rubbed raw by the harness. I -was in pain the whole way, and could not -but consider myself as accessory to an act -of cruelty: at every stroke of the whip my -conscience upbraided me, and the driver -was not sparing of it. It was luckily a -short stage of only two leagues and a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_33'>33</span>quarter. English travelling, you see, has -its evils and its dangers. The life of a post-horse -is truly wretched:—there will be -cruel individuals in all countries, but cruelty -here is a matter of calculation: the -post-masters find it more profitable to overwork -their beasts and kill them by hard -labour in two or three years, than to let -them do half the work and live out their -natural length of life. In commerce, even -more than in war, both men and beasts are -considered merely as machines, and sacrificed -with even less compunction.</p> - -<p class='c011'>There is a great fabric of carpets at Axminster, -which are woven in one entire -piece. We were not detained here many -minutes, and here we left the county of -Devonshire, which in climate and fertility -and beauty is said to exceed most parts of -England: if it be indeed so, England has -little to boast of. Both their famous pirates, -the Drake and the Raleigh, were natives -of this province; so also was Oxenham, -another of these early Buccaneers, of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_34'>34</span>whose family it is still reported, that before -any one dies a bird with a white breast -flutters about the bed of the sick person, -and vanishes when he expires.</p> - -<p class='c011'>We now entered upon Dorsetshire, a -dreary country. Hitherto I had been disposed -to think that the English inclosures -rather deformed than beautified the -landscape, but I now perceived how cheerless -and naked the cultivated country appears -without them. The hills here are -ribbed with furrows, just as it is their fashion -to score the skin of roast pork. The -soil is chalky and full of flints: night was -setting-in, and our horses struck fire at -almost every step. This is one of the -most salubrious parts of the whole island: -it has been ascertained by the late census, -that the proportion of deaths in the down-countries -to the other parts is as 65 to 80,—a -certain proof that inclosures are prejudicial -to health.<a id='r3' /><a href='#f3' class='c018'><sup>[3]</sup></a> After having travelled -<span class='pageno' id='Page_35'>35</span>three leagues we reached Bridport, a well-built -and flourishing town. At one time -all the cordage for the English navy was -manufactured here; and the neighbourhood -is so proverbially productive of hemp, -that when a man is hanged, they have a -vulgar saying, that he has been stabbed -with a Bridport dagger. It is probable -that both hemp and flax degenerate in -England, as seed is annually imported from -Riga.</p> - -<div class='footnote c019' id='f3'> -<p class='c017'><span class='label'><a href='#r3'>3</a>. </span>The dryness of soil is a more probable cause.—<span class='sc'>Tr.</span></p> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>Here ends our third day’s journey. The -roads are better, the towns nearer each -other, more busy and more opulent as we -advance into the country; the inns more -modern though perhaps not better, and -travelling more frequent. We are now in -the track of the stage-coaches; one passed -us this morning, shaped like a trunk with -a rounded lid placed topsy-turvy. The -passengers sit sideways; it carries sixteen -persons withinside, and as many on the -roof as can find room; yet this unmerciful -weight, with the proportionate luggage of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_36'>36</span>each person, is dragged by four horses, at -the rate of a league and a half within the -hour. The skill with which the driver -guides them with long reins, and directs -these huge machines round the corners of -the streets, where they always go with increased -velocity, and through the sharp -turns of the inn gateways, is truly surprising. -Accidents, nevertheless, frequently -happen; and considering how little time -this rapidity allows for observing the country, -and how cruelly it is purchased, I prefer -the slow and safe movements of the -calessa.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c002' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_37'>37</span> - <h2 id='ch04' class='c008'>LETTER IV.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c015'><i>Dorchester.—Gilbert Wakefield.—Inside of -an English Church.—Attempt to rear -Silkworms.—Down-country.—Blandford.—Salisbury.—Execrable -Alteration of the -Cathedral.—Instance of public Impiety.</i></p> -<div class='c016'>Sunday, April 25.</div> -<p class='c017'>We started early, and hurried over four -leagues of the same open and uninteresting -country, which brought us to Dorchester, -the capital of the province, or -county town, as it is called, because the -provincial prison is here, and here the -judges come twice a-year to decide all -causes civil and criminal. The prison is a -modern building: the height and strength -of its walls, its iron-grated windows, and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_38'>38</span>its strong gateway, with fetters hanging -over the entrance, sufficiently characterise -it as a place of punishment, and render it -a good representation of a giant’s castle in -romance.</p> -<p class='c011'>When J— passed through this town on -his way to Spain, he visited Gilbert Wakefield, -a celebrated scholar, who was confined -here as a favourer of the French Revolution. -One of the bishops had written -a book upon the state of public affairs, just -at the time when the minister proposed to -take from every man the tithe of his income: -this the bishop did not think sufficient; -so he suggested instead, that a tenth -should be levied of all the capital in the -kingdom; arguing, that as every person -would be affected in the same proportion, -all would remain relatively as before, and -in fact no person be affected at all. This -curious argument he enforced by as curious -an illustration; he said, “That if the -foundation of a great building were to -sink equally in every part at the same time, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_39'>39</span>the whole pile, instead of suffering any injury, -would become the firmer.”—“True,” -said Wakefield in his reply, “and you, my -lord bishop, who dwell in the upper apartments, -might still enjoy the prospect from -your window;—but what would become of -me and the good people who live upon the -ground floor?”</p> - -<p class='c011'>Wakefield was particularly obnoxious -to the government, because his character -stood very high among the Dissenters for -learning and integrity, and his opinions -were proportionately of weight. They -brought him to trial for having in his -answer to the bishop’s pamphlet applied -the fable of the Ass and his Panniers to -existing circumstances. Had it indeed -been circulated among the poor, its tendency -would certainly have been mischievous; -but in the form in which it -appeared it was evidently designed as a -warning to the rulers, not as an address to -the mob. He was, however, condemned -to two years confinement in this prison, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_40'>40</span>this place being chosen as out of reach of -his friends, to make imprisonment more -painful. The public feeling upon this rigorous -treatment of so eminent a man was -strongly expressed, and a subscription was -publicly raised for him which amounted to -above fifteen hundred pieces-of-eight, and -which enabled his family to remove to -Dorchester and settle there. But the magistrates, -whose business it was to oversee -the prison, would neither permit them to -lodge with him in his confinement, nor -even to visit him daily. He was thus prevented -from proceeding with the education -of his children, an occupation which he -had ever regarded as a duty, and which had -been one of his highest enjoyments. But, -in the midst of vexations and insults, he -steadily continued to pursue both his literary -and christian labours; affording to -his fellow prisoners what assistance was -in his power, endeavouring to reclaim the -vicious, and preparing the condemned for -death. His imprisonment eventually proved -<span class='pageno' id='Page_41'>41</span>fatal. He had been warned on its expiration -to accustom himself slowly to his former -habits of exercise, or a fever would inevitably -be the consequence; a fact known -by experience. In spite of all his precautions -it took place; and while his -friends were rejoicing at his deliverance -he was cut off. As a polemical and political -writer he indulged an asperity of -language which he had learnt from his -favourite philologists, but in private life -no man was more generally or more deservedly -beloved, and he had a fearless -and inflexible honesty which made him -utterly regardless of all danger, and would -have enabled him to exult in martyrdom. -When J— had related this history to -me, I could not but observe how far more -humane it was to prevent the publication -of obnoxious books than to permit them -to be printed and then punish the persons -concerned. “This,” he said, “would be -too open a violation of the liberty of the -press.”</p> - -<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_42'>42</span>By the time we had breakfasted the bells -for divine service were ringing, and I took -the opportunity to step into one of their -churches. The office is performed in a -desk immediately under the pulpit, not at -the altar: there were no lights burning, -nor any church vessels, nor ornaments to -be seen. Monuments are fixed against -the walls and pillars, and I thought there -was a damp and unwholesome smell, perhaps -because I involuntarily expected the -frankincense. They have an abominable -custom of partitioning their churches into -divisions which they call pews, and which -are private property; so that the wealthy -sit at their ease, or kneel upon cushions, -while the poor stand during the whole service -in the aisle.</p> - -<p class='c011'>An attempt was made something more -than a century ago to rear silkworms in -this neighbourhood by a Mr Newberry; a -man of many whimsies he was called, and -whimsical indeed he must have been; for -the different buildings for his silkworms -<span class='pageno' id='Page_43'>43</span>and his laboratories were so numerous that -his house looked like a village, and all his -laundry and dairy work was done by men, -because he would suffer no women servants -about him.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The road still lay over the downs; this -is a great sheep country, above 150,000 -are annually sold from Dorsetshire to -other parts of England; they are larger -than ours, and I think less beautiful, the -wool being more curled and less soft in its -appearance. It was once supposed that the -thyme in these pastures was so nourishing -as to make the ewes produce twins, a -story which may be classed with the tale -of the Lusitanian foals of the wind; it is -however true that the ewes are purchased -by the farmers near the metropolis, for -the sake of fattening their lambs for the -London market, because they yean earlier -than any others. The day was very fine, -and the sight of this open and naked -country, where nothing was to be seen but -an extent of short green turf under a sky -<span class='pageno' id='Page_44'>44</span>of cloudless blue, was singular and beautiful. -There are upon the downs many -sepulchral hillocks, here called barrows, -of antiquity beyond the reach of history. -We past by a village church as the people -were assembling for service, men and women -all in their clean Sunday clothes; the -men standing in groups by the church-yard -stile, or before the porch, or sitting -upon the tombstones, a hale and ruddy -race. The dresses seem every where the -same, without the slightest provincial difference: -all the men wear hats, the least -graceful and least convenient covering for -the head that ever was devised. I have -not yet seen a cocked hat except upon the -officers. They bury the dead both in town -and country round the churches, and the -church-yards are full of upright stones, on -which the name and age of the deceased -is inscribed, usually with some account -of his good qualities, and not unfrequently -some rude religious rhyme. I observe -that the oldest churches are always the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_45'>45</span>most beautiful, here as well as every -where else; for as we think more of ourselves -and less of religion, more of this -world and less of the next, we build better -houses and worse churches. There are no -storks here: the jackdaw, a social and -noisy bird, commonly builds in the steeples. -Little reverence is shown either to -the church or the cemetery; the boys play -with a ball against the tower, and the -priest’s horse is permitted to graze upon -the graves.</p> - -<p class='c011'>At Blandford we changed chaises; a -wealthy and cheerful town. The English -cities have no open centre like our <i>plazas</i>; -but, in amends for this, the streets are far -wider and more airy: indeed they have -never sun enough to make them desirous -of shade. The prosperity of the kingdom -has been fatal to the antiquities, and consequently -to the picturesque beauty of the -towns. Walls, gates, and castles have -been demolished to make room for the -growth of streets. You are delighted -<span class='pageno' id='Page_46'>46</span>with the appearance of opulence in the -houses, and the perfect cleanliness every -where when you are within the town; -but without, there is nothing which the -painter would choose for his subject, nothing -to call up the recollections of old -times, and those feelings with which we -always remember the age of the shield and -the lance.</p> - -<p class='c011'>This town and Dorchester, but this in -particular, has suffered much from fire; a -tremendous calamity which is every day -occurring in England, and against which -daily and dreadful experience has not yet -taught them to adopt any general means -of prevention. There are large plantations -about Blandford:—I do not like the -English method of planting in what they -call belts about their estates; nothing can -be more formal or less beautiful, especially -as the fir is the favourite tree, which -precludes all variety of shape and colour. -By some absurdity which I cannot explain, -they set the young trees so thick -<span class='pageno' id='Page_47'>47</span>that unless three-fourths be weeded out, -the remainder cannot grow at all; and -when they are weeded, those which are -left, if they do not wither and perish in -consequence of the exposure, rarely attain -to any size or strength.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Our next stage was to the episcopal city -of Salisbury; here we left the down-country, -and once more entered upon cultivated -fields and inclosures. The trees in these -hedge-rows, if they are at all lofty, have -all their boughs clipt to the very top; nothing -can look more naked and deplorable. -When they grow by the way-side, this is -enjoined by law, because their droppings -after rain injure the road, and their shade -prevents it from drying. The climate has -so much rain and so little sun, that over-hanging -boughs have been found in like -manner injurious to pasture or arable lands, -and the trees, therefore, are every where -thus deformed. The approach to Salisbury -is very delightful;—little rivers or rivulets -<span class='pageno' id='Page_48'>48</span>are seen in every direction; houses extending -into the country, garden-trees within -the city, and the spire of the cathedral -over-topping all; the highest and the most -beautiful in the whole kingdom.</p> - -<p class='c011'>We visited this magnificent building -while our dinner was getting ready: like -all such buildings, it has its traditional -tales of absurdity and exaggeration—that -it has as many private chapels as months in -a year, as many doors as weeks, as many -pillars as days, as many windows as hours, -and as many partitions in the windows as -minutes: they say also, that it is founded -upon wool-packs, because nothing else -could resist the humidity of the soil. It -has lately undergone, or, I should rather -say, suffered a thorough repair in the true -spirit of reformation. Every thing has -been cleared away to give it the appearance -of one huge room. The little chapels, -which its pious founders and benefactors -had erected in the hope of exciting piety -<span class='pageno' id='Page_49'>49</span>in others, and profiting by their prayers, -are all swept away! but you may easily -conceive what wild work a protestant architect -must make with a cathedral, when -he fits it to his own notions of architecture, -without the slightest feeling or knowledge -of the design with which such buildings -were originally erected. The naked monuments -are now ranged in rows between -the pillars, one opposite another, like couples -for a dance, so as never monuments -were placed before, and, it is to be hoped, -never will be placed hereafter. Here is the -tomb of a nobleman, who, in the reign of -our Philip and Mary, was executed for -murder, like a common malefactor, with -this difference only, that he had the privilege -of being hanged in a silken halter; a -singularity which, instead of rendering his -death less ignominious, has made the ignominy -more notorious. The cloisters and -the chapter-house have escaped alteration. -I have seen more beautiful cloisters in our -own country, but never a finer chapterhouse; -<span class='pageno' id='Page_50'>50</span>it is supported, as usual, by one -central pillar, whose top arches off on all -sides, like the head of a spreading palm. -The bishop’s palace was bought during the -reign of the presbyterians by a rich tailor, -who demolished it and sold the materials.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The cemetery has suffered even more -than the church, if more be possible, from -the abominable sacrilege, and abominable -taste of the late bishop and his chapter. -They have destroyed all memorials of the -dead, for the sake of laying it down as a -smooth well-shorn grass plat, garnished -with bright yellow gravel walks! This suits -no feeling of the mind connected with religious -reverence, with death, or with the -hope of immortality; indeed it suits with -nothing except a new painted window at -the altar, of truly English design, (for -England is not the country of the arts,) -and an organ, bedecked with crocketed -pinnacles, more than ever was Gothic -tower, and of stone colour, to imitate masonry! -This, however, it should be added, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_51'>51</span>was given in a handsome manner by the -King. A subscription was raised through -the diocese to repair the cathedral, the -King having enquired of the bishop how -it succeeded, proceeded to ask why he -himself had not been applied to for a contribution. -The prelate, with courtly submission, -disclaimed such presumption as -highly improper. I live at Windsor, said -the King, in your diocese, and, though I -am not rich, can afford to give you an organ, -which I know you want; so order -one in my name, and let it be suitable to -so fine a cathedral.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The soil here abounds so much with -water, that there are no vaults in the -churches, nor cellars in the city; a spring -will sometimes gush up when they are -digging a grave. Little streams flow -through several of the streets, so that the -city has been called the English Venice; -but whoever gave it this appellation, either -had never seen Venice, or grossly flattered -Salisbury. Indeed, till the resemblance -<span class='pageno' id='Page_52'>52</span>was invented, these streamlets were rather -thought inconvenient than beautiful; and -travellers complained that they made the -streets not so clean and not so easy of passage, -as they would have been otherwise. -The place is famous for the manufactory -of knives and scissars, which are here -brought to the greatest possible perfection. -I am sorry it happened to be Sunday; for -the shops, which form so lively a feature -in English towns, are all fastened up with -shutters, which give the city a melancholy -and mourning appearance. I saw, however, -a priest walking in his cassock from -the church,—the only time when the -priests are distinguished in their dress from -the laity.</p> - -<p class='c011'>A remarkable instance of insolent impiety -occurred lately in a village near this -place. A man, in derision of religion, -directed in his will, that his horse should -be caparisoned and led to his grave, and -there shot, and buried with him, that he -might be ready to mount at the resurrection, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_53'>53</span>and start to advantage. To the disgrace -of the country this was actually performed; -the executors and the legatees probably -thought themselves bound to obey the -will; but it is unaccountable why the clergyman -did not interfere, and apply to the -bishop.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c002' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_54'>54</span> - <h2 id='ch05' class='c008'>LETTER V.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c015'><i>Old Sarum.—Country thinly peopled,—Basingstoke.—Ruins -of a Catholic Chapel.—Waste -Land near London.—Staines.—Iron -Bridges.—Custom of exposing the -dead Bodies of Criminals.—Hounslow.—Brentford.—Approach -to London.—Arrival.</i></p> -<div class='c016'>Monday, April 26.</div> -<p class='c017'>Half a league from Salisbury, close on -the left of the London road, is Old Sarum, -the Sorbiodunum of the Romans, famous -for many reasons. It covered the top of -a round hill, which is still surrounded with -a mound of earth and a deep fosse. Under -the Norman kings it was a flourishing -town, but subject to two evils; the -want of water, and the oppression of the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_55'>55</span>castle soldiers. The townsmen, therefore, -with one consent, removed to New Sarum, -the present Salisbury, where the first of -these evils is more than remedied; and -the garrison was no longer maintained at -Old Sarum when there was nobody to be -pillaged. So was the original city deserted, -except by its right of representation in -parliament; not a soul remaining there. -Seven burgage tenures, in a village westward -of it, produce two burgesses to serve -in parliament for Old Sarum; four of these -tenures (the majority) were sold very lately -for a sum little short of 200,000 <i>peso-duros</i>.</p> -<p class='c011'>From this place Salisbury Plain stretches -to the north, but little of it is visible from -the road which we were travelling: much -of this wide waste has lately been inclosed -and cultivated. I regretted that I could -not visit Stonehenge, the famous druidical -monument, which was only a league -and a half distant: but as J— was on his -way home, after so long an absence, I -<span class='pageno' id='Page_56'>56</span>could not even express a wish to delay -him.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Stockbridge and Basingstoke were our -next stages: the country is mostly down, -recently enclosed, and of wonderfully thin -population in comparison of the culture. -Indeed harvest here depends upon a temporary -emigration of the western clothiers, -who come and work during the harvest -months. The few trees in this district -grow about the villages which are scattered -in the vallies—beautiful objects in an -open and naked country. You see flints -and chalk in the fields, if the soil be not -covered with corn or turnips. Basingstoke -is a town which stands at the junction of -five great roads, and is of course a thriving -place. At the north side is a small but -beautiful ruin of a chapel once belonging -to a brotherhood of the Holy Ghost. J— -led me to see it as a beautiful object, in -which light only all Englishmen regard -such monuments of the piety of their -forefathers and of their own lamentable -<span class='pageno' id='Page_57'>57</span>apostasy. The roof had once been adorned -with the history of the prophets and the -holy apostles; but the more beautiful and -the more celebrated these decorations, the -more zealously were they destroyed in the -schism. I felt deeply the profanation, and -said a prayer in silence upon the spot -where the altar should have stood. One -relic of better times is still preserved at -Basingstoke: in all parishes it is the custom, -at stated periods, to walk round the -boundaries; but here, and here only, is -the procession connected with religion: -they begin and conclude the ceremony by -singing a psalm under a great elm which -grows before the parsonage-house.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Two leagues and a half of wooded -country reach Hertford Bridge, a place -of nothing but inns for travellers: from -hence, with short and casual interruptions, -Bagshot Heath extends to Egham, not -less than fourteen miles. We were within -six leagues of London, a city twice during -the late war on the very brink of famine, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_58'>58</span>and twice in hourly dread of insurrection -from that dreadful cause:—and yet so near -it is this tract of country utterly waste! Nothing -but wild sheep, that run as fleet as -hounds, are scattered over this dreary desert: -flesh there is none on these wretched -creatures; but those who are only half-starved -on the heath produce good meat -when fatted: all the flesh and all the fat -being <i>laid on</i>, as graziers speak, anew, it is -equivalent in tenderness to lamb, and in -flavour to mutton, and has fame accordingly -in the metropolis.</p> - -<p class='c011'>At Staines we crost the Thames,—not -by a new bridge, now for the third time -built, but over a crazy wooden one above -a century old. We enquired the reason, -and heard a curious history. The river -here divides the counties of Middlesex and -Surrey; and the magistrates of both counties, -having agreed upon the necessity of -building a bridge, did not agree exactly as -to its situation; neither party would give -way, and accordingly each collected materials -<span class='pageno' id='Page_59'>59</span>for building a half-bridge from its -respective bank, but not opposite to the -other. Time at length showed the unfitness -of this, and convinced them that -two half bridges would not make a whole -one: they then built three arches close to -the old bridge; when weight was laid on -the middle piers, they sunk considerably -into an unremembered and untried quicksand, -and all the work was to be undone. -In the meanwhile, an adventurous iron -bridge had been built at Sunderland, one -arch of monstrous span over a river with -high rocky banks, so that large ships could -sail under. The architect of this work, -which was much talked of, offered his services -to throw a similar but smaller bridge -over the Thames. But, alas! his rocky -abutments were not there, and he did not -believe enough in mathematics to know -the mighty lateral pressure of a wide flat -arch. Stone abutments, however, were to -be made; but, from prudential considerations, -the Middlesex abutment, of seeming -<span class='pageno' id='Page_60'>60</span>solidity, was hollow, having been intended -for the wine-cellar of a large inn; -so as soon as the wooden frame-work was -removed, the flat arch took the liberty of -pushing away the abutment—alias the -wine-cellar—and after carriages had passed -over about a week, the fated bridge was -once more closed against passage.</p> - -<p class='c011'>I know not how these iron bridges may -appear to an English eye, but to a Spaniard’s -they are utterly detestable. The colour, -where it is not black, is rusty, and -the hollow, open, spider work, which they -so much praise for its lightness, has no -appearance of solidity. Of all the works -of man, there is not any one which unites -so well with natural scenery, and so -heightens its beauty, as a bridge, if any -taste, or rather if no bad taste, be displayed -in its structure. This is exemplified in -the rude as well as in the magnificent; by -the stepping stones or crossing plank of a -village brook, as well as by the immortal -works of Trajan: but to look at these -<span class='pageno' id='Page_61'>61</span>iron bridges which are bespoken at the -foundries, you would actually suppose that -the architect had studied at the confectioner’s, -and borrowed his ornaments from -the sugar temples of a desert. It is curious -that this execrable improvement, as -every novelty is called in England, should -have been introduced by the notorious politician, -Paine, who came over from America, -upon this speculation, and exhibited -one as a show upon dry ground in the metropolis.<a id='r4' /><a href='#f4' class='c018'><sup>[4]</sup></a></p> - -<div class='footnote c019' id='f4'> -<p class='c017'><span class='label'><a href='#r4'>4</a>. </span>The great Sunderland bridge has lately become -liable to tremendous vibrations, and thereby established -the unfitness of building any more such.—<span class='sc'>Tr.</span></p> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>Staines was so called, because the boundary -stone which marked the extent of the -city of London’s jurisdiction up the river -formerly stood here. The country on the -London side had once been a forest; but -has now no other wood remaining than a -few gibbets; on one of which, according -to the barbarous custom of this country, -a criminal was hanging in chains. Some -<span class='pageno' id='Page_62'>62</span>five-and-twenty years ago, about a hundred -such were exposed upon the heath; -so that from whatever quarter the wind -blew, it brought with it a cadaverous and -pestilential odour. The nation is becoming -more civilized; they now take the bodies -down after reasonable exposure; and it -will probably not be long before a practice -so offensive to public feeling, and public -decency, will be altogether discontinued. -This heath is infamous for the robberies -which are committed upon it, at all hours -of the day and night, though travellers and -stage-coaches are continually passing: the -banditti are chiefly horsemen, who strike -across with their booty into one of the -roads, which intersect it in every direction, -and easily escape pursuit; an additional -reason for inclosing the waste. We passed -close to some powder-mills, which are -either so ill-contrived, or so carelessly -managed, that they are blown up about -once a-year: then we entered the great -Western road at Hounslow; from thence -<span class='pageno' id='Page_63'>63</span>to the metropolis is only two leagues and -a half.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Three miles further is Brentford, the -county town of Middlesex, and of all places -the most famous in the electioneering history -of England. It was now almost one -continued street to London. The number -of travellers perfectly astonished me, prepared -as I had been by the gradual increase -along the road; horsemen and footmen, -carriages of every description and -every shape, waggons and carts and covered -carts, stage-coaches, long, square, and -double, coaches, chariots, chaises, gigs, -buggies, curricles, and phaetons; the sound -of their wheels ploughing through the wet -gravel was as continuous and incessant as -the roar of the waves on the sea beach. -Evening was now setting in, and it was dark -before we reached Hyde Park Corner, the -entrance of the capital. We had travelled -for some time in silence; J—’s thoughts -were upon his family, and I was as naturally -led to think on mine, from whom I -<span class='pageno' id='Page_64'>64</span>was now separated by so wide a tract of -sea and land, among heretics and strangers, -a people notoriously inhospitable to -foreigners, without a single friend or acquaintance, -except my companion. You -will not wonder if my spirits were depressed; -in truth, I never felt more deeply dejected; -and the more I was surprised at -the length of the streets, the lines of lamps, -and of illuminated shops, and the stream -of population to which there seemed to be -no end,—the more I felt the solitariness of -my own situation.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The chaise at last stopped at J—’s door -in ——. I was welcomed as kindly as -I could wish: my apartment had been -made ready: I pleaded fatigue, and soon -retired.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c002' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_65'>65</span> - <h2 id='ch06' class='c008'>LETTER VI.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c015'><i>Watchmen.—Noise in London Night and -Morning.—An English Family.—Advice -to Travellers.</i></p> -<div class='c016'>Tuesday, April 27, 1802.</div> -<p class='c017'>The first night in a strange bed is seldom -a night of sound rest;—one is not intimate -enough with the pillow to be quite at ease -upon it. A traveller, like myself, indeed, -might be supposed to sleep soundly any -where; but the very feeling that my journey -was over was a disquieting one, and I -should have lain awake thinking of the -friends and parents whom I had left, and -the strangers with whom I was now domesticated, -had there been nothing else to -disturb me. To sleep in London, however, -is an art which a foreigner must acquire -<span class='pageno' id='Page_66'>66</span>by time and habit. Here was the watchman, -whose business it is, not merely to -guard the streets and take charge of the -public security, but to inform the good -people of London every half hour of the -state of the weather. For the three first -hours I was told it was a moonlight night, -then it became cloudy, and at half past -three o’clock was a rainy morning; so that -I was as well acquainted with every variation -of the atmosphere as if I had been -looking from the window all night long. -A strange custom this, to pay men for telling -them what the weather is, every hour -during the night, till they get so accustomed -to the noise, that they sleep on and cannot -hear what is said.</p> -<p class='c011'>Besides this regular annoyance, there is -another cause of disturbance. The inhabitants -of this great city seem to be divided -into two distinct casts,—the Solar and the -Lunar races,—those who live by day, and -those who live by night, antipodes to each -other, the one rising just as the others -<span class='pageno' id='Page_67'>67</span>go to bed. The clatter of the night coaches -had scarcely ceased, before that of the -morning carts began. The dustman with -his bell, and his chaunt of dust ho! succeeded -to the watchman; then came the -porter-house boy for the pewter-pots which -had been sent out for supper the preceding -night; the milkman next, and so on, a -succession of cries, each in a different tune, -so numerous, that I could no longer follow -them in my enquiries.</p> - -<p class='c011'>As the watchman had told me of the -rain, I was neither surprised nor sorry at -finding it a wet morning: a day of rest -after the voyage and so long a journey is -acceptable, and the leisure it allows for -clearing my memory, and settling accounts -with my journal, is what I should have -chosen. More novelties will crowd upon -me now than it will be easy to keep -pace with. Here I am in London, the -most wonderful spot upon this habitable -earth.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The inns had given me a taste of English -<span class='pageno' id='Page_68'>68</span>manners; still the domestic accommodations -and luxuries surprised me. -Would you could see our breakfast scene! -every utensil so beautiful, such order, such -curiosity! the whole furniture of the room -so choice, and of such excellent workmanship, -and a fire of earth-coal enlivening -every thing. But I must minutely describe -all this hereafter. To paint the family -group is out of my power; words may -convey an adequate idea of deformity, and -describe with vivid accuracy what is grotesque -in manner or costume; but for -gracefulness and beauty we have only general -terms. Thus much, however, may -be said; there is an elegance and a propriety -in the domestic dress of English women, -which is quite perfect, and children -here and with us seem almost like beings -of different species. Their dress here bears -no resemblance to that of their parents; -I could not but feel the unfitness of our own -manners, and acknowledge that our children -in full dress look like colts in harness. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_69'>69</span>J—’s are fine, healthy, happy-looking children; -their mother educates them, and was -telling her husband with delightful pride -how they had profited, how John could -spell, and Harriet tell her letters. She has -shown me their books, for in this country -they have books for every gradation of -the growing intellect, and authors of the -greatest celebrity have not thought it beneath -them to employ their talents in this -useful department. Their very playthings -are made subservient to the purposes of -education; they have ivory alphabets with -which they arrange words upon the table, -and dissected maps which they combine -into a whole so much faster than I can do, -that I shall not be ashamed to play with -them, and acquire the same readiness.</p> - -<p class='c011'>J— has a tolerable library; he has the -best Spanish authors; but I must not keep -company here with my old friends. The -advice which he has given me, with respect -to my studies, is very judicious. Of our -best books, he says, read none but such as -<span class='pageno' id='Page_70'>70</span>are absolutely necessary to give you a competent -knowledge of the land you are in; -you will take back with you our great authors, -and it is best to read them at leisure -in your own country, when you will more -thoroughly understand them. Newspapers, -Reviews, and other temporary publications -will make you best acquainted with England -in its present state; and we have bulky -county histories, not worth freight across -the water, which you should consult for -information concerning what you have -seen, and what you mean to see. But reserve -our classics for Spain, and read nothing -which you buy.<a id='r5' /><a href='#f5' class='c018'><sup>[5]</sup></a></p> - -<div class='footnote c019' id='f5'> -<p class='c017'><span class='label'><a href='#r5'>5</a>. </span>Having taken his advice, I recommend it to future -travellers.—<i>Author’s note.</i></p> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>The tailor and shoemaker have made -their appearance. I fancied my figure was -quite English in my pantaloons of broad-striped -fustian, and large coat buttons of -cut steel; but it seems that although they -are certainly of genuine English manufacture, -they were manufactured only for foreign -<span class='pageno' id='Page_71'>71</span>sale. To-morrow my buttons will be -covered, and my toes squared, and I shall -be in no danger of being called Frenchman -in the streets.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c002' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_72'>72</span> - <h2 id='ch07' class='c008'>LETTER VII.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c015'><i>General Description of London.—Walk to -the Palace.—Crowd in the Streets.—Shops.—Cathedral -of St Paul.—Palace -of the Prince of Wales.—Oddities in the -Shop Windows.</i></p> -<div class='c016'>Wednesday, April 28.</div> -<p class='c017'>My first business was to acquire some -knowledge of the place whereof I am now -become an inhabitant. I began to study -the plan of London, though dismayed at -the sight of its prodigious extent,—a city -a league and a half from one extremity to -the other, and about half as broad, standing -upon level ground. It is impossible -ever to become thoroughly acquainted -with such an endless labyrinth of streets; -and, as you may well suppose, they who -<span class='pageno' id='Page_73'>73</span>live at one end know little or nothing of -the other. The river is no assistance to a -stranger in finding his way. There is no -street along its banks, and no eminence -from whence you can look around and -take your bearings.</p> -<p class='c011'>London, properly so called, makes but -a small part of this immense capital, -though the focus of business is there. -Westminster is about the same size. To -the east and the north is a great population -included in neither of these cities, -and probably equal to both. On the -western side the royal parks have prevented -the growth of houses, and form a -gap between the metropolis and its suburb. -All this is on the north side of the -river. Southwark, or the Borough, is on -the other shore, and a town has grown at -Lambeth by the Primate’s palace, which -has now joined it. The extent of ground -covered with houses on this bank is -greater than the area of Madrid. The -population is now ascertained to exceed -<span class='pageno' id='Page_74'>74</span>nine hundred thousand persons, nearly a -twelfth of the inhabitants of the whole -island.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Having studied the way to the palace, I -set off. The distance was considerable: -the way, after getting into the main streets, -tolerably straight. There were not many -passers in the by-streets; but when I -reached Cheapside the crowd completely -astonished me. On each side of the way -were two uninterrupted streams of people, -one going east, the other west. At first I -thought some extraordinary occasion must -have collected such a concourse; but I soon -perceived it was only the usual course of -business. They moved on in two regular -counter currents, and the rapidity with -which they moved was as remarkable as -their numbers. It was easy to perceive -that the English calculate the value of -time. Nobody was loitering to look at -the beautiful things in the shop windows; -none were stopping to converse, every one -was in haste, yet no one in a hurry; the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_75'>75</span>quickest possible step seemed to be the -natural pace. The carriages were numerous -in proportion, and were driven with -answerable velocity.</p> - -<p class='c011'>If possible, I was still more astonished -at the opulence and splendour of the shops: -drapers, stationers, confectioners, pastry-cooks, -seal-cutters, silver-smiths, booksellers, -print-sellers, hosiers, fruiterers, -china-sellers,—one close to another, without -intermission, a shop to every house, -street after street, and mile after mile; the -articles themselves so beautiful, and so -beautifully arranged, that if they who passed -by me had had leisure to observe any -thing, they might have known me to be a -foreigner by the frequent stands which I -made to admire them. Nothing which I -had seen in the country had prepared me -for such a display of splendour.</p> - -<p class='c011'>My way lay by St Paul’s church. The -sight of this truly noble building rather -provoked than pleased me. The English, -after erecting so grand an edifice, will not -<span class='pageno' id='Page_76'>76</span>allow it an open space to stand in, and it -is impossible to get a full view of it in any -situation. The value of ground in this capital -is too great to be sacrificed to beauty -by a commercial nation: unless, therefore, -another conflagration should lay London -in ashes, the Londoners will never fairly -see their own cathedral. The street which -leads to the grand front has just a sufficient -bend to destroy the effect which such -a termination would have given it, and to -obstruct the view till you come too close -to see it. This is perfectly vexatious! Except -St Peter’s, here is beyond comparison -the finest temple in Christendom, -and it is even more ridiculously misplaced -than the bridge of Segovia appears, when -the mules have drank up the Manzanares. -The houses come so close upon one side, -that carriages are not permitted to pass -that way lest the foot-passengers should -be endangered. The site itself is well -chosen on a little rising near the river; -and were it fairly opened as it ought to be, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_77'>77</span>no city could boast so magnificent a monument -of modern times.</p> - -<p class='c011'>In a direct line from hence is Temple -Bar, a modern, ugly, useless gate, which -divides the two cities of London and -Westminster. There were iron spikes upon -the top, on which the heads of traitors -were formerly exposed: J— remembers to -have seen some in his childhood. On -both sides of this gate I had a paper thrust -into my hand, which proved to be a quack -doctor’s notice of some never-failing pills. -Before I reached home I had a dozen of -these. Tradesmen here lose no possible -opportunity of forcing their notices upon -the public. Wherever there was a dead -wall, a vacant house, or a temporary scaffolding -erected for repairs, the space was -covered with printed bills. Two rival -blacking-makers were standing in one of -the streets, each carried a boot, completely -varnished with black, hanging from a pole, -and on the other arm a basket with the -balls for sale. On the top of their poles -<span class='pageno' id='Page_78'>78</span>was a sort of standard, with a printed paper -explaining the virtue of the wares;—the -one said that his blacking was the best -blacking in the world; the other, that his -was so good you might eat it.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The crowd in Westminster was not so -great as in the busier city. From Charing -Cross, as it is still called, though an -equestrian statue has taken place of the -cross, a great street opens toward Westminster -Abbey, and the Houses of Parliament. -Most of the public buildings are -here: it is to be regretted that the end is -not quite open to the abbey, for it would -then be one of the finest streets in Europe. -Leaving this for my return, I went on to -the palaces of the Prince of Wales, and of -the King, which stand near each other in -a street called Pall Mall. The game from -whence this name is derived is no longer -known in England.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The Prince of Wales’s palace is no favourable -specimen of English architecture. -Before the house are thirty columns planted -<span class='pageno' id='Page_79'>79</span>in a row, two and two, supporting nothing -but a common entablature, which -connects them. As they serve for neither -ornament nor use, a stranger might be -puzzled to know by what accident they -came there; but the truth is, that these -people have more money than taste, and -are satisfied with any absurdity if it has but -the merit of being new. The same architect -was employed<a id='r6' /><a href='#f6' class='c018'><sup>[6]</sup></a> to build a palace, not far -distant, for the second prince of the blood, -and in the front towards the street he constructed -a large oven-like room completely -obscuring the house to which it was to -serve as an entrance-hall. These two buildings -being described to the late Lord North, -who was blind in the latter part of his life, -he facetiously remarked, Then the Duke of -York, it should seem, has been sent to the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_80'>80</span>round-house, and the Prince of Wales is -put into the pillory.<a id='r7' /><a href='#f7' class='c018'><sup>[7]</sup></a></p> - -<div class='footnote c019' id='f6'> -<p class='c017'><span class='label'><a href='#r6'>6</a>. </span>The author must have been misinformed in this -particular, for the Duke of York’s house at Whitehall, -now Lord Melbourne’s, was not built by his -Royal Highness; but altered, with some additions, -of which the room alluded to made a part.—<span class='sc'>Tr.</span></p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote c019' id='f7'> -<p class='c017'><span class='label'><a href='#r7'>7</a>. </span>There is an explanation of the jest in the text -which the translator has thought proper to omit, as, -however necessary to foreign readers, it must needs -seem impertinent to an English one.—<span class='sc'>Tr.</span></p> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>I had now passed the trading district, -and found little to excite attention in large -brick houses without uniformity, and without -either beauty or magnificence. The -royal palace itself is an old brick building, -remarkable for nothing, except that -the sovereign of Great Britain should have -no better a court; but it seems that the -king never resides there. A passage through -the court-yard leads into St James’s -Park, the Prado of London. Its trees -are not so fine as might be expected in -a country where water never fails, and -the sun never scorches; here is also a -spacious piece of water; but the best ornament -of the park are the two towers of -Westminster Abbey. Having now reached -the proposed limits of my walk, I passed -<span class='pageno' id='Page_81'>81</span>through a public building of some magnitude -and little beauty, called the Horse -Guards, and again entered the public -streets. Here, where the pavement was -broad, and the passengers not so numerous -as to form a crowd, a beggar had taken -his seat, and written his petition upon the -stones with chalks of various colours, the -letters formed with great skill, and ornamented -with some taste. I stopped to admire -his work, and gave him a trifle as a -payment for the sight, rather than as alms. -Immediately opposite the Horse Guards is -the Banqueting House at Whitehall; so -fine a building, that if the later architects -had had eyes to see, or understandings to -comprehend its merit, they would never -have disgraced the opposite side of the -way with buildings so utterly devoid of -beauty. This fragment of a great design -by Inigo Jones is remarkable for many accounts; -here is the window through which -Charles I. came out upon the scaffold; -here also, in the back court, the statue of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_82'>82</span>James II. remains undisturbed, with so -few excesses was that great revolution accompanied; -and here is the weathercock -which was set up by his command, that he -might know every shifting of the wind -when the invasion from Holland was expected, -and the east wind was called Protestant -by the people, and the west Papist.</p> - -<p class='c011'>My way home from Charing Cross was -varied, in as much as I took the other side -of the street for the sake of the shop windows, -and the variety was greater than I -had expected. It took me through a place -called Exeter Change, which is precisely -a <i>Bazar</i>, a sort of street under cover, or -large long room, with a row of shops on -either hand, and a thoroughfare between -them; the shops being furnished with -such articles as might tempt an idler, or -remind a passenger of his wants,—walking-sticks, -implements for shaving, knives, -scissars, watch-chains, purses, &c. At -the further end was a man in splendid -costume, who proved to belong to a menagerie -<span class='pageno' id='Page_83'>83</span>above stairs, to which he invited -me to ascend; but I declined this for the -present, being without a companion. A -maccaw was swinging on a perch above -him, and the outside of the building hung -with enormous pictures of the animals -which were there to be seen.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The oddest things which I saw in the -whole walk were a pair of shoes in one -window floating in a vessel of water, to -show that they were water-proof; and a -well-dressed leg in another, betokening -that legs were made there to the life. One -purchase I ventured to make, that of a -travelling caissette; there were many at the -shop-door, with the prices marked upon -them, so that I did not fear imposition. -These things are admirably made and exceedingly -convenient. I was shown some -which contained the whole apparatus of a -man’s toilet, but this seemed an ill assortment, -as when writing you do not want -the shaving materials, and when shaving -as little do you want the writing desk.</p> - -<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_84'>84</span>In looking over the quack’s notices after -my return, I found a fine specimen of -English hyperbole. The doctor says that -his pills always perform, and even exceed -whatever he promises, as if they were impatient -of immortal and universal fame.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c002' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_85'>85</span> - <h2 id='ch08' class='c008'>LETTER VIII.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c015'><i>Proclamation of Peace.—The English do not -understand Pageantry.—Illumination.—M. -Otto’s House.—Illuminations better -managed at Rome.</i></p> -<div class='c016'>Friday, April 30.</div> -<p class='c017'>The definitive treaty has arrived at last; -peace was proclaimed yesterday, with the -usual ceremonies, and the customary rejoicings -have taken place. My expectations -were raised to the highest pitch. I -looked for a pomp and pageantry far surpassing -whatever I had seen in my own -country. Indeed every body expected a -superb spectacle. The newspaper writers -had filled their columns with magnificent -descriptions of what was to be, and rooms -or single windows in the streets through -<span class='pageno' id='Page_86'>86</span>which the procession was to pass, were advertised -to be let for the sight, and hired -at prices so extravagant, that I should be -suspected of exaggeration were I to say -how preposterous.</p> -<p class='c011'>The theory of the ceremony, for this -ceremony, like an English suit at law, is -founded upon a fiction, is, that the Lord -Mayor of London, and the people of London, -good people! being wholly ignorant -of what has been going on, the king sends -officially to acquaint them that he has -made peace: accordingly the gates at -Temple Bar, which divide London and -Westminster, and which stand open day -and night, are on this occasion closed; -and Garter king at arms, with all his heraldic -peers, rides up to them and knocks -loudly for admittance. The Lord Mayor, -mounted on a charger, is ready on the -other side to demand who is there. King -Garter then announces himself and his errand, -and requires permission to pass and -proclaim the good news; upon which the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_87'>87</span>gates are thrown open. This, which is -the main part of the ceremony, could be -seen only by those persons who were contiguous -to the spot, and we were not -among the number. The apartment in -which we were was on the Westminster -side, and we saw only the heraldic part -of the procession. The heralds and the -trumpeters were certainly in splendid costume; -but they were not above twenty in -number, nor was there any thing to precede -or follow them. The poorest brotherhood -in Spain makes a better procession -on its festival. In fact, these functions are -not understood in England.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The crowd was prodigious. The windows, -the leads, or unrailed balconies -which project over many of the shops, -the house tops, were full, and the streets -below thronged. A very remarkable accident -took place in our sight. A man -on the top of a church was leaning -against one of the stone urns which ornament -the balustrade; it fell, and crushed -<span class='pageno' id='Page_88'>88</span>a person below. On examination it appeared -that the workmen, instead of cramping -it with iron to the stone, or securing it -with masonry, had fitted it on a wooden -peg, which having become rotten through, -yielded to the slightest touch. A Turk -might relate this story in proof of predestination.</p> - -<p class='c011'>If, however, the ceremony of the morning -disappointed me, I was amply rewarded -by the illuminations at night. This -token of national joy is not, as with us, regulated -by law; the people, or the mob, -as they are called, take the law into their -own hands on these occasions, and when -they choose to have an illumination, the -citizens must illuminate to please them, -or be content to have their windows broken; -a violence which is winked at by the -police, as it falls only upon persons whose -politics are obnoxious. During many -days, preparations had been making for -this festivity, so that it was already known -what houses and what public buildings -<span class='pageno' id='Page_89'>89</span>would exhibit the most splendid appearance. -M. Otto’s, the French ambassador, -surpassed all others, and the great object -of desire was to see this. Between eight -and nine the lighting-up began, and about -ten we sallied out on our way to Portman -Square, where M. Otto resided.</p> - -<p class='c011'>In the private streets there was nothing -to be remarked, except the singular effect -of walking at night in as broad a light as -that of noon-day, every window being -filled with candles, arranged either in -straight lines, or in arches, at the fancy of -the owner, which nobody stopped to admire. -None indeed were walking in these -streets except persons whose way lay -through them; yet had there been a single -house unlighted, a mob would have been -collected in five minutes, at the first outcry. -When we drew near Pall Mall, the crowd, -both of carriages and of people, thickened; -still there was no inconvenience, and no -difficulty in walking, or in crossing the carriage -road. Greater expense had been bestowed -<span class='pageno' id='Page_90'>90</span>here. The gaming-houses in St -James’s street were magnificent, as they -always are on such occasions; in one place -you saw the crown and the G. R. in coloured -lamps; in another the word Peace -in letters of light; in another some transparent -picture, emblematical of peace and -plenty. Some score years ago, a woman -in the country asked a higher price than -she had used to do for a basket of mushrooms, -and when she was asked the reason, -said, it was because of the American -war. As war thus advances the price of -every thing, peace and plenty are supposed -to be inseparably connected; and well -may the poor think them so. There was a -transparency exhibited this night at a pot-house -in the city, which represented a loaf -of bread saying to a pot of porter, I am -coming down; to which the porter-pot -made answer, So am I.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The nearer we drew the greater was the -throng. It was a sight truly surprising to -behold all the inhabitants of this immense -<span class='pageno' id='Page_91'>91</span>city walking abroad at midnight, and distinctly -seen by the light of ten thousand -candles. This was particularly striking in -Oxford-street, which is nearly half a league -in length;—as far as the eye could reach -either way the parallel lines of light were -seen narrowing towards each other. Here, -however, we could still advance without -difficulty, and the carriages rattled along -unobstructed. But in the immediate vicinity -of Portman square it was very different. -Never before had I beheld such -multitudes assembled. The middle of the -street was completely filled with coaches, -so immoveably locked together, that many -persons who wished to cross passed under -the horses’ bellies without fear, and without -danger. The unfortunate persons -within had no such means of escape; they -had no possible way of extricating themselves, -unless they could crawl out of the -window of one coach into the window of -another; there was no room to open a door. -There they were, and there they must remain, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_92'>92</span>patiently or impatiently; and there, -in fact, they did remain the greater part of -the night, till the lights were burnt out, -and the crowd clearing away left them at -liberty.</p> - -<p class='c011'>We who were on foot had better fortune, -but we laboured hard for it. There were -two ranks of people, one returning from -the square, the other pressing on to it. -Exertion was quite needless; man was -wedged to man, he who was behind you -pressed you against him who was before; -I had nothing to do but to work -out elbow room that I might not be -squeezed to death, and to float on with the -tide. But this tide was frequently at a -stop; some obstacle at the further end of -the street checked it, and still the crowd -behind was increasing in depth. We -tried the first entrance to the square in -vain; it was utterly impossible to get in, -and finding this we crossed into the counter -current, and were carried out by the -stream. A second and a third entrance -<span class='pageno' id='Page_93'>93</span>we tried with no better fortune; at the -fourth, the only remaining avenue, we -were more successful. To this, which is -at the outskirts of the town, there was one -way inaccessible by carriages, and it was -not crowded by walkers, because the road -was bad, there were no lamps, and the way -was not known. By this route, however, -we entered the avenue immediately opposite -to M. Otto’s, and raising ourselves by -the help of a garden wall, overlooked the -crowd, and thus obtained a full and uninterrupted -sight, of what thousands and tens -of thousands were vainly struggling to see. -To describe it, splendid as it was, is impossible; -the whole building presented a -front of light. The inscription was Peace -and Amity; it had been Peace and Concord, -but a party of sailors in the morning, -whose honest patriotism did not regard -trifling differences of orthography, -insisted upon it that they were not <i>conquered</i>, -and that no Frenchman should say so; -and so the word Amity, which can hardly -<span class='pageno' id='Page_94'>94</span>be regarded as English, was substituted in -its stead.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Having effected our object, meaner -sights had no temptation for us, and we -returned. It was three in the morning before -we reached home; we extinguished -our lights and were retiring to bed, believing -ourselves at liberty so to do. But it -did not please the mob to be of the same -opinion; they insisted that the house -should be lit up again, and John Bull -was not to be disobeyed. Except a few -such instances of unreasonableness, it is -surprising how peaceably the whole passed -off. The pickpockets have probably -made a good harvest; but we saw no -quarrelling, no drunkenness, and, what -is more extraordinary, prodigious as the -crowd was, have heard of no accident.</p> - -<p class='c011'>So famous is this illumination of M. -Otto, that one of the minor theatres has -given notice to all such persons as were not -fortunate enough to obtain sight of it, that -it will be exactly represented upon the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_95'>95</span>stage for their accommodation, and that -the same number of lamps will be arranged -precisely in the same manner, the same -person being employed to suspend them. -Hundreds will go to see this, not recollecting -that it is as impossible to do it upon -a stage of that size, as it is to put a quart -of water into a pint cup.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Illuminations are better managed at -Rome. Imagine the vast dome of St Peter’s -covered with large lamps so arranged -as to display its fine form; those lamps -all kindled at the same minute, and the -whole dome emerging, as it were, from -total darkness, in one blaze of light. After -this exhibition has lasted an hour, the -dome as rapidly assumes the shape of a -huge tiara, a change produced by pots of -fire so much more powerful than the former -light as at once to annihilate it. This, -and the fireworks from St Angelo, which, -from the grandeur, admit of no adequate -description, as you may well conceive, effectually -prevent those persons who have -<span class='pageno' id='Page_96'>96</span>beheld them from enjoying the twinkling -light of half-penny-candles scattered in -the windows of London, or the crowns -and regal cyphers which here and there -manifest the zeal, the interest, or emulation -of individuals.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c002' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_97'>97</span> - <h2 id='ch09' class='c008'>LETTER IX.</h2> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c022'> - <div><i>Execution of Governor Wall.</i></div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c010'>Nothing is now talked of in London -but the fate of Governor Wall, who has -just been executed for a crime committed -twenty years ago. He commanded at that -time the English settlement at Goree, an -inactive and unwholsome station, little reputable -for the officers, and considered as -a place of degradation for the men. The -garrison became discontented at some real -or supposed mal-practices in the distribution -of stores; and Wall seizing those -whom he conceived to be the ringleaders -of the disaffected, ordered them, by his own -authority, to be so dreadfully flogged, that -three of them died in consequence; he -<span class='pageno' id='Page_98'>98</span>himself standing by during the execution, -and urging the executioner not to spare, -in terms of the most brutal cruelty. An indictment -for murder was preferred against -him on his return to England; he was apprehended, -but made his escape from the -officers of justice, and got over to the Continent, -where he remained many years. -Naples was at one time the place of his -residence, and the countenance which he -received there from some of his countrymen -of high rank perhaps induced him to -believe that the public indignation against -him had subsided. Partly, perhaps, induced -by this confidence, by the supposition -that the few witnesses who could have -testified against him were dead, or so scattered -about the world as to be out of reach, -and still more compelled by the pressure of -his circumstances, he at length resolved to -venture back.</p> -<p class='c011'>It is said, that some years before his -surrender he came to Calais with this intent, -and desired one of the king of England’s -<span class='pageno' id='Page_99'>99</span>messengers to take him into custody, -as he wished to return and stand his trial. -The messenger replied, that he could not -possibly take charge of him, but advised -him to signify his intention to the Secretary -of State, and offered to carry his letter -to the office. Wall was still very solicitous -to go, though the sea was at that -time so tempestuous that the ordinary -packets did not venture out; and the messenger, -whose dispatches would not admit -of delay, had hired a vessel for himself: -finding, however, that this could not be, -he wrote as had been suggested; but when -he came to subscribe his name, his heart -failed him, his countenance became pale -and livid, and in an agony of fear or of -conscience he threw down the pen and -rushed out of the room. The messenger -put to sea; the vessel was wrecked in -clearing out of the harbour, and not a soul -on board escaped.</p> - -<p class='c011'>This extraordinary story has been confidently -related with every circumstantial evidence; -<span class='pageno' id='Page_100'>100</span>yet it seems to imply a consciousness -of guilt, and a feeling of remorse, -noways according with his after conduct. -He came over to England about twelve -months ago, and lived in London under a -fictitious name: here also a circumstance -look place which touched him to the heart. -Some masons were employed about his -house, and he took notice to one of them -that the lad who worked with him appeared -very sickly and delicate, and unfit for so -laborious an employment. The man confessed -that it was true, but said that he had -no other means of supporting him, and -that the poor lad had no other friend in the -world, “For his father and mother,” said -he, “are dead, and his only brother was -flogged to death at Goree, by that barbarous -villain Governor Wall.”</p> - -<p class='c011'>It has never been ascertained what were -his motives for surrendering himself; the -most probable cause which can be assigned -is, that some property had devolved to -him, of which he stood greatly in need, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_101'>101</span>but which he could not claim till his outlawry -had been reversed. He therefore -voluntarily gave himself up, and was -brought to trial. One of the persons -whom he had summoned to give evidence -in his favour dropped down dead on the -way to the court; it was, however, known -that his testimony would have borne -against him. Witnesses appeared from -the remotest parts of the island whom he -had supposed dead. One man who had suffered -under his barbarity and recovered, had -been hanged for robbery but six months -before, and expressed his regret at going to -the gallows before Governor Wall, as the -thing which most grieved him, “For,” -said he, “I know he will come to the gallows -at last.”</p> - -<p class='c011'>The question turned upon the point of -law, whether the fact, for that was admitted, -was to be considered as an execution, -or as a murder. The evidence of a woman -who appeared in his behalf, was -that which weighed most heavily against -<span class='pageno' id='Page_102'>102</span>him: his attempt to prove that a mutiny -actually existed failed; and the jury pronounced -him guilty. For this he was utterly -unprepared; and, when he heard the -verdict, clasped his hands in astonishment -and agony. The Bench, as it is called, -had no doubt whatever of his guilt, but -they certainly thought it doubtful how the -jury might decide; and as the case was so -singular, after passing sentence in the customary -form, they respited him, that the -circumstances might be more fully considered.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The Governor was well connected, and -had powerful friends: it is said also, that -as the case turned upon a question of discipline, -some persons high in the military -department exerted themselves warmly in -his favour. The length of time which -had elapsed was no palliation, and it was -of consequence that it should not be considered -as such; but his self-surrender, it -was urged, evidently implied that he believed -himself justifiable in what he had -<span class='pageno' id='Page_103'>103</span>done. On the other hand, the circumstances -which had appeared on the trial -were of the most aggravating nature; they -had been detailed in all the newspapers, -and women were selling the account about -the streets at a half-penny each, vociferating -aloud the most shocking parts, the better -to attract notice. Various editions of -the trial at length were published; and the -publishers, most unpardonably, while the -question of his life or death was still under -the consideration of the privy council, -stuck up their large notices all over the -walls of London, with prints of the transaction, -and “Cut his liver out,” the expression -which he had used to the executioner, -written in large letters above. The -popular indignation had never before been -so excited. On the days appointed for -his execution (for he was repeatedly respited) -all the streets leading to the prison -were crowded by soldiers and sailors chiefly, -every one of whom felt it as his own -personal cause: and as the execution of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_104'>104</span>the mutineers in the fleet was so recent, in -which so little mercy had been shown, a -feeling very generally prevailed among the -lower classes, that this case was to decide -whether or not there was law for the rich -as well as for the poor. The deliberations -of the privy council continued for so many -days that it was evident great efforts -were made to save his life; but there can -be little doubt, that had these efforts succeeded, -either a riot would have ensued, -or a more dangerous and deeply-founded -spirit of disaffection would have gone -through the people.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Wall, meantime, was lying in the dungeon -appointed for persons condemned to -death, where, in strict observance of the -letter of the law, he was allowed no other -food than bread and water. Whether he -felt compunction may be doubted:—we -easily deceive ourselves:—form only was -wanting to have rendered that a legal -punishment which was now called murder, -and he may have regarded himself as -<span class='pageno' id='Page_105'>105</span>a disciplinarian, not a criminal; but as his -hopes of pardon failed him, he was known -to sit up in his bed during the greater part -of the night, singing psalms. His offence -was indeed heavy, but never did human -being suffer more heavily! The dread of -death, the sense of the popular hatred, for -it was feared that the mob might prevent -his execution and pull him to pieces; and -the tormenting reflection that his own vain -confidence had been the cause,—that he -had voluntarily placed himself in this -dreadful situation,—these formed a punishment -sufficient, even if remorse were -not superadded.</p> - -<p class='c011'>On the morning of his execution, the -mob, as usual, assembled in prodigious -numbers, filling the whole space before the -prison, and all the wide avenues from -whence the spot could be seen. Having -repeatedly been disappointed of their revenge, -they were still apprehensive of -another respite, and their joy at seeing -him appear upon the scaffold was so great, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_106'>106</span>that they set up three huzzas,—an instance -of ferocity which had never occurred -before. The miserable man, quite overcome -by this, begged the hangman to -hasten his work. When he was turned -off they began their huzzas again; but -instead of proceeding to three distinct -shouts, as usual, they stopped at the first. -This conduct of the mob has been called -inhuman and disgraceful; for my own -part, I cannot but agree with those who -regard it in a very different light. The -revengeful joy which animated them, unchristian -as that passion certainly is, and -whatever may have been its excess, was -surely founded upon humanity; and the -sudden extinction of that joy, the feeling -which at one moment struck so many -thousands, stopped their acclamations at -once, and awed them into a dead silence -when they saw the object of their hatred -in the act and agony of death, is -surely as honourable to the popular -character as any trait which I have seen -<span class='pageno' id='Page_107'>107</span>recorded of any people in any age or -country.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The body, according to custom, was -suspended an hour: during this time the -Irish basket-women who sold fruit under -the gallows were drinking his damnation -in mixture of gin and brimstone! The -halter in which he suffered was cut into -the smallest pieces possible, which were -sold to the mob at a shilling each. According -to the sentence, the body should -have been dissected; it was just opened as -a matter of form, and then given to his -relations; for which indulgence they gave -100<i>l.</i> to one of the public hospitals. One -of the printed trials contains his portrait -as taken in the dungeon of the condemned; -if it be true that an artist was -actually sent to take his likeness under such -dreadful circumstances, for the purpose of -gain, this is the most disgraceful fact -which has taken place during the whole -transaction.</p> - -<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_108'>108</span>A print has since been published called -The Balance of Justice. It represents the -mutineers hanging on one arm of a gallows, -and Governor Wall on the other.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c002' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_109'>109</span> - <h2 id='ch10' class='c008'>LETTER X.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c015'><i>Martial Laws of England.—Limited Service -advised.—Hints for Military Reform.</i></p> -<p class='c010'>The execution of Governor Wall is considered -as a great triumph of justice. Nobody -seems to recollect that he has been -hanged, not for having flogged three men -to death, but for an informality in the -mode of doing it.—Yet this is the true -state of the case. Had he called a drum-head -court-martial, the same sentence -might have been inflicted, and the same -consequences have ensued, with perfect -impunity to himself.</p> -<p class='c011'>The martial laws of England are the -most barbarous which at this day exist in -Europe. The offender is sometimes sentenced -<span class='pageno' id='Page_110'>110</span>to receive a thousand lashes;—a -surgeon stands by to feel his pulse during -the execution, and determine how long the -flogging can be continued without killing -him. When human nature can sustain -no more, he is remanded to prison; his -wound, for from the shoulders to the loins -it leaves him one wound, is dressed, and -as soon as it is sufficiently healed to be -laid open again in the same manner, he -is brought out to undergo the remainder -of his sentence. And this is repeatedly -and openly practised in a country where -they read in their churches, and in their -houses, that Bible, in their own language, -which saith, “Forty stripes may the judge -inflict upon the offender, and not exceed.”</p> - -<p class='c011'>All savages are cruel, and nations become -humane only as they become civilized. -Half a century ago, the most atrocious -punishments were used in every part -of Christendom;—such were the executions -under Pombal in Portugal, the tortures -inflicted upon Damiens in France; -<span class='pageno' id='Page_111'>111</span>and the practice of opening men alive in -England. Our own history is full of shocking -examples, but our manners<a id='r8' /><a href='#f8' class='c018'><sup>[8]</sup></a> softened -sooner than those of our neighbours. -These barbarities originated in barbarous -ages, and are easily accounted for; but -how so cruel a system of martial law, which -certainly cannot be traced back to any -distant age of antiquity, could ever have -been established is unaccountable; for -when barbarians established barbarous -laws, the soldiers were the only people -who were free; in fact, they were the legislators, -and of course would never make -laws to enslave themselves.</p> - -<div class='footnote c019' id='f8'> -<p class='c017'><span class='label'><a href='#r8'>8</a>. </span>More truly it might be said, that the Spaniards -had no traitors to punish. In the foreign instances -here stated, the judges made their court to the -crown by cruelty;—in our own case, the cruelty -was of the law, not of the individuals. Don Manuel -also forgets the Inquisition.—<span class='sc'>Tr.</span></p> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>Another grievous evil in their military -system is, that there is no limited time of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_112'>112</span>service. Hence arises the difficulty which -the English find in recruiting their armies. -The bounty money offered for a recruit -during the war amounted sometimes to as -much as twenty pieces of eight, a sum, -burthensome indeed to the nation when -paid to whole regiments, but little enough -if it be considered as the price for -which a man sells his liberty for life. -There would be no lack of soldiers were -they enlisted for seven years. Half the -peasantry in the country would like to -wear a fine coat from the age of eighteen -till five-and-twenty, and to see the world -at the king’s expense. At present, mechanics -who have been thrown out of employ -by the war, and run-away apprentices, -enlist in their senses, but the far greater -number of recruits enter under the influence -of liquor.</p> - -<p class='c011'>It has been inferred, that old Homer -lived in an age when morality was little -understood, because he so often observes, -that it is not right to do wrong. Whether -<span class='pageno' id='Page_113'>113</span>or not the same judgement is to be passed -upon the present age of England, posterity -will decide; certain it is that her legislators -seem not unfrequently to have forgotten -the commonest truisms both of morals -and politics. The love of a military life -is so general, that it may almost be considered -as one of the animal passions; yet -such are the martial laws, and such the -military system of England, that this passion -seems almost annihilated in the country. -It is true, that during the late war -volunteer companies were raised in every -part of the kingdom; but, in raising these, -the whole influence of the landed and -moneyed proprietors was exerted; it was -considered as a test of loyalty; and the -greater part of these volunteers consisted -of men who had property at stake, and -believed it to be in danger, and of their -dependants; and the very ease with which -these companies were raised, evinces how -easy it would be to raise soldiers, if they -<span class='pageno' id='Page_114'>114</span>who became soldiers were still to be considered -as men, and as freemen.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The difficulty would be lessened if men -were enlisted for a limited term of years -instead of for life. Yet that this alteration -alone is not sufficient, is proved by -the state of their provincial troops, or militia -as they are called. Here the men are -bound to a seven-years service, and are not -to be sent out of the kingdom; yet, unexceptionable -as this may appear, the militia -is not easily raised, nor without some -degree of oppression. The men are chosen -by ballot, and permitted to serve by substitute, -or exempted upon paying a fine. -On those who can afford either, it operates, -therefore, as a tax by lottery; the poor -man has no alternative, he must serve, -and, in consequence, the poor man upon -whom the lot falls considers himself as -ruined: and ruined he is; for, upon the -happiest termination of his term of service, -if he return to his former place of abode, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_115'>115</span>still willing, and still able, to resume his -former occupation, he finds his place in -society filled up. But seven years of military -idleness usually incapacitate him for -any other trade, and he who has once been -a soldier is commonly for ever after unfit -for every thing else.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The evil consequences of the idle hours -which hang upon the soldiers’ hands are -sufficiently understood, and their dress -seems to have been made as liable to dirt -as possible, that as much time as possible -may be employed in cleaning it. This is -one cause of the contempt which the sailors -feel for them, who say that soldiers have -nothing to do but to whiten their breeches -with pipe-clay, and to make strumpets for -the use of the navy. Would it not be well -to follow the example of the Romans, and -employ them in public works? This was -done in Scotland, where they have cut -roads through the wildest part of the country; -and it is said that the soldiery in Ireland -are now to be employed in the same -<span class='pageno' id='Page_116'>116</span>manner. In England, where no such labour -is necessary, they might be occupied -in digging canals, or more permanently in -bringing the waste<a id='r9' /><a href='#f9' class='c018'><sup>[9]</sup></a> lands into cultivation, -which might the more conveniently be effected, -as it is becoming the system to lodge -the troops in barracks apart from the people, -instead of quartering them in the -towns. Military villages might be built -in place of these huge and ugly buildings, -and at far less expense; the adjoining -lands cultivated by the men, who should, -in consequence, receive higher pay, and -the produce be appropriated to the military -chest. Each hut should have its garden, -which the tenant should cultivate for his -own private amusement or profit. Under -such a system the soldier might rear a -family in time of peace, the wives of the -soldiery would be neither less domestic -<span class='pageno' id='Page_117'>117</span>nor less estimable than other women in -their own rank of life, and the infants, -who now die in a proportion which it is -shocking to think of, would have the common -chance for life.</p> - -<div class='footnote c019' id='f9'> -<p class='c017'><span class='label'><a href='#r9'>9</a>. </span>In this and what follows, the author seems to -be suggesting improvements for his own country, -and to mean Spain when he speaks of England.—<span class='sc'>Tr.</span></p> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>But the sure and certain way to secure -any nation for ever from alarm, as well as -from danger, is to train every school-boy -to the use of arms: boys would desire no -better amusement, and thus, in the course -of the next generation, every man would -be a soldier. England might then defy, -not France alone, but the whole continent -leagued with France, even if the impassable -gulph between this happy island and -its enemy were filled up. This will be -done sooner or later, for England must -become an armed nation. How long it -will be before her legislators will discover -this, and how long when they have -discovered it, before they will dare to act -upon it, that is, before they will consent -to part with the power of alarming -<span class='pageno' id='Page_118'>118</span>the people, which they have found so -convenient, it would be idle to conjecture. -Individuals profit slowly by experience, -associations still more slowly, and -governments the most slowly of all associated -bodies.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c002' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_119'>119</span> - <h2 id='ch11' class='c008'>LETTER XI.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c015'><i>Shopmen, why preferred to Women in England.—Division -of London into the East -and West Ends.—Low State of domestic -Architecture.—Burlington-House.</i></p> -<p class='c010'>I have employed this morning in wandering -about this huge metropolis with an -English gentleman, well acquainted with -the manners and customs of foreign countries, -and therefore well qualified to point -out to me what is peculiar in his own. -Of the imposing splendour of the shops I -have already spoken; but I have not told -you that the finest gentlemen to be seen -in the streets of London are the men who -serve at the linen-drapers’ and mercers’. -Early in the morning they are drest cap-a-pied, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_120'>120</span>the hair feathered and frosted with -a delicacy which no hat is to derange -through the day; and as this is a leisure -time with them, they are to be seen after -breakfast at their respective shop-doors, -paring their nails, and adjusting their cravats. -That so many young men should be -employed in London to recommend laces -and muslins to the ladies, to assist them in -the choice of a gown, to weigh out thread -and to measure ribbons, excited my surprise; -but my friend soon explained the -reason. He told me, that in countries -where women are the shopkeepers, shops -are only kept for the convenience of the -people, and not for their amusement. Persons -there go into a shop because they want -the article which is sold there, and in that -case a woman answers all the purposes -which are required; the shops themselves -are mere repositories of goods, and the -time of year of little importance to the -receipts. But it is otherwise in London; -luxury here fills every head with caprice, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_121'>121</span>from the servant-maid to the peeress, -and shops are become exhibitions of fashion. -In the spring, when all persons of -distinction are in town, the usual morning -employment of the ladies is to go a-shopping, -as it is called; that is, to see -these curious exhibitions. This they do -without actually wanting to purchase any -thing, and they spend their money or not, -according to the temptations which are held -out to gratify and amuse. Now female -shopkeepers, it is said, have not enough -patience to indulge this idle and fastidious -curiosity; whereas young men are more -assiduous, more engaging, and not at all -querulous about their loss of time.</p> -<p class='c011'>It must be confessed, that these exhibitions -are very entertaining, nor is there -any thing wanting to set them off to the -greatest advantage. Many of the windows -are even glazed with large panes of plate -glass, at a great expense; but this, I am -told, is a refinement of a very late date; -indeed glass windows were seldom used in -<span class='pageno' id='Page_122'>122</span>shops before the present reign, and they -who deal in woollen cloth have not yet -universally come into the fashion.</p> - -<p class='c011'>London is more remarkable for the distribution -of its inhabitants than any city -on the continent. It is at once the greatest -port in the kingdom, or in the world, -a city of merchants and tradesmen, and -the seat of government, where the men of -rank and fashion are to be found; and -though all these are united together by -continuous streets, there is an imaginary -line of demarkation which divides them -from each other. A nobleman would not -be found by any accident to live in that -part which is properly called the City, unless -he should be confined for treason or -sedition in Newgate or the Tower. This -is the Eastern side; and I observe, whenever -a person says that he lives at the West -End of the Town, there is some degree of -consequence connected with the situation: -For instance, my tailor lives at the West -End of the Town, and consequently he is -<span class='pageno' id='Page_123'>123</span>supposed to make my coat in a better style -of fashion: and this opinion is carried so -far among the ladies, that, if a cap was -known to come from the City, it would be -given to my lady’s woman, who would -give it to the cook, and she perhaps would -think it prudent not to enquire into its -pedigree. A transit from the City to the -West End of the Town is the last step of -the successful trader, when he throws off -his <i>exuviæ</i> and emerges from his chrysalis -state into the butterfly world of high life. -Here are the Hesperides whither the commercial -adventurers repair, not to gather -but to enjoy their golden fruits.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Yet this metropolis of fashion, this capital -of the capital itself, has the most -monotonous appearance imaginable.—The -streets are perfectly parallel and uniformly -extended brick walls, about forty feet high, -with equally extended ranges of windows -and doors, all precisely alike, and without -any appearance of being distinct houses. -You would rather suppose them to be hospitals, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_124'>124</span>arsenals, or public granaries, were it -not for their great extent. Here is a fashion, -lately introduced from better climates, of -making <i>varandas</i>;—<i>varandas</i> in a country -where physicians recommend double doors -and double windows as precautions against -the intolerable cold! I even saw several instances -of green penthouses, to protect the -rooms from the heat or light of the sun, -fixed against houses in a northern aspect. -At this I expressed some surprise to my -companion: he replied, that his countrymen -were the most rational people in the -world when they thought proper to use -their understandings, but that when they -lost sight of common sense they were more -absurd than any others, and less dexterous -in giving plausibility to nonsense. In confirmation -of this opinion, he instanced -another strange fashion which happened -to present itself on the opposite side of the -street; a brick wall up to the first story -decorated with a range of Doric columns -to imitate the <i>façade</i> of the Temple of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_125'>125</span>Theseus at Athens, while the upper part -of the house remained as naked as it could -be left by the mason’s trowel.</p> - -<p class='c011'>After walking a considerable time in -these streets, I enquired for the palaces of -the nobility, and was told that their houses -were such as I had seen, with a few exceptions, -which were shut up from public -view by high blank walls; but that none -of them had any pretensions to architecture, -except one in Piccadilly, called Burlington-House, -which is inhabited by the -Duke of Portland. Lord Burlington, who -erected it, was a man whose whole desire -and fortune were devoted to improve the -national taste in architecture: and this -building, though with many defects, is -considered by good judges to be one of -the best specimens of modern architecture -in Europe, and even deserves to be ranked -with the works of Palladio, whom Lord -Burlington made the particular object of -his imitation. W—— added, that this -building, it is expected, will in a few -<span class='pageno' id='Page_126'>126</span>years be taken down, to make room for -streets. From the very great increase of -ground-rent, it is supposed that the site of -the house and garden would produce 8,000<i>l.</i> -a-year. Every thing here is reduced to calculation. -This sum will soon be considered -as the actual rent; and then, in the true -commercial spirit of the country, it will be -put to sale. This has already been done in -two or three instances; and in the course -of half a century, it is expected that the -bank will be the only building of consequence -in this emporium of trade.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The merchants of this modern Tyre, -are indeed princes in their wealth, and in -their luxury; but it is to be wished that -they had something more of the spirit of -princely magnificence, and that when they -build palaces they would cease to use the -warehouse as their model.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c002' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_127'>127</span> - <h2 id='ch12' class='c008'>LETTER XII.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c015'><i>Causes of the Change of Ministry not generally -understood.—Catholic Emancipation.—The -Change acceptable to the Nation.—State -of Parties.—Strength of the new -Administration.—Its good Effects.—Popularity -of Mr Addington.</i></p> -<p class='c010'>The change of ministry is considered as -a national blessing. The system of terror, -of alarm, and of espionage, has been laid -aside, the most burthensome of the taxes -repealed, and a sincere desire manifested -on the part of the new minister to meet -the wishes of the nation.</p> -<p class='c011'>It must nevertheless be admitted, that, -however unfortunately for their country, -and for the general interests of Europe, -the late administration may have employed -<span class='pageno' id='Page_128'>128</span>their power, the motives which induced -them to withdraw, and the manner in -which they retired, are highly honourable -to their personal characters. The immediate -cause was this:—They had held out -the promise of emancipation to the Irish -Catholics as a means of reconciling them -to the Union. While the two countries -were governed by separate legislatures, it -was very possible, if the catholics were admitted -to their rights, that a majority in the -Irish House might think proper to restore -the old religion of the people, to which it is -well known with what exemplary fidelity -the great majority of the Irish nation still -adhere. But when once the representatives -of both countries should be united -in one parliament, no such consequence -could be apprehended; for, though all the -Irish members should be catholics, they -would still be a minority. The old ministry -had thus represented the Union as a -measure which would remove the objection -to catholic emancipation, and pledged -<span class='pageno' id='Page_129'>129</span>themselves to grant that emancipation, -after it should have been effected—this act -of justice being the price which they were -to pay for it to the people of Ireland. But -they had not calculated upon the king’s -character, whose zeal, as the Defender of -the Faith, makes it greatly to be lamented -that he has not a better faith to defend. -He, as head of the Church of England, -conceives himself bound by his coronation -oath to suffer no innovation in favour of -popery, as these schismatics contemptuously -call the religion of the Fathers and -of the Apostles, and this scruple it was -impossible to overcome. The bishops, -who might have had some influence over -him, were all, as may well be imagined, -decidedly hostile to any measure of favour -or justice to the true faith, and the ministry -had no alternative but to break their -pledged promise or to resign their offices. -That this is the real state of the case, I -have been assured on such authority that -I cannot entertain the slightest doubt: it -<span class='pageno' id='Page_130'>130</span>is, however, by no means generally believed -to be so by the people; but I cannot find -that they have any other reason for their -disbelief, than a settled opinion that statesmen -always consider their own private interest -in preference to every thing else; in -plain language, that there is no such virtue -in existence as political honesty. And they -persist in supposing that there is more in -this resignation than has yet been made -public, though the change is now of so -long standing, and though they perceive -that the late ministers have not accepted -either titles or pensions, as has been usual -on such occasions, and thus sufficiently -proved that disinterestedness of which they -will not believe them capable.</p> - -<p class='c011'>But it is commonly said, They went out -because they could not decently make peace -with Buonaparte—Wait a little while and -you will see them in again. This is confuted -by the conduct of the former cabinet, -all the leading members of which, -except Mr Pitt, have violently declared -<span class='pageno' id='Page_131'>131</span>themselves against the peace. They cry -out that it is the most foolish, mischievous, -and dishonourable treaty that ever was concluded: -that it cannot possibly be lasting, -and that it will be the ruin of the nation. -The nation, however, is very well -persuaded that no better was to be had, -very thankful for a respite from alarm, and -a relief of taxation, and very well convinced, -by its own disposition to maintain -the peace, that it is in no danger of being -broken.—And the nation is perfectly right. -Exhausted as France and England both -are, it is equally necessary to one country -as to the other. France wants to make herself -a commercial country, to raise a navy, -and to train up sailors; England wants to -recover from the expenses of a ten-years -war, and they are miserable politicians who -suppose that any new grounds of dispute -can arise, important enough to overpower -these considerations.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Pitt, on the other hand, defends the -peace; and many persons suppose that he -<span class='pageno' id='Page_132'>132</span>will soon make his appearance again in administration. -This is not very likely, on -account of the catholic question, to which -he is as strongly pledged as the Grenville -party; but the present difference between -him and that party seems to show that the -inflexibility of the former cabinet is not to -be imputed to him. Peace, upon as good -terms as the present, might, beyond all -doubt, have been made at any time during -the war; and as he is satisfied with it, it is -reasonable to suppose that he would have -made it sooner if he could. His opinion -has all the weight that you would expect; -and as the old opposition members are -equally favourable to the measures of the -new administration, the ministry may look -upon themselves as secure. The war-faction -can muster only a very small minority, -and they are as thoroughly unpopular -as the friends of peace and good order -could wish them to be.</p> - -<p class='c011'>I know not how I can give you a higher -opinion of the present Premier than by -<span class='pageno' id='Page_133'>133</span>saying, that his enemies have nothing -worse to object against him than that his -father was a physician. Even in Spain we -have never thought it necessary to examine -the pedigree of a statesman, and in England -such a cause of complaint is indeed -ridiculous. They call him The Doctor on -this account;—a minister of healing he has -truly been; he has poured balm and oil -into the wounds of the country, and the -country is blessing him. The peace with -France is regarded by the wiser persons -with whom I have conversed as a trifling -good, compared to the internal pacification -which Mr Addington has effected. -He immediately put a stop to the system -of irritation; there was an end of suspicion, -and alarm, and plots; conspiracies were -no longer to be heard of, when spies were -no longer paid for forming them. The distinction -of parties had been as inveterately -marked as that between new and old Christians -a century ago in Spain, and it was as -effectually removed by this change of ministry, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_134'>134</span>as if an act of forgetfulness had been -enforced by miracle. Parties are completely -dislocated by the peace; it has shaken -things like an earthquake, and they -are not yet settled after the shock. I have -heard it called the great political thaw,—happily -in Spain we do not know what a -great frost is sufficiently to understand the -full force of the expression.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Thus much, however, may plainly be -perceived. The whig party regard it as a -triumph to have any other minister than -Pitt, and their antagonists are equally glad -to have any other minister than Fox. A -still larger part of the people, connected -with government by the numberless hooks -and eyes of patronage and influence, are -ready to support any minister whatsoever, -in any measures whatsoever: and others -more respectable, neither few in number, -nor feeble in weight, act with the same -blind acquiescence from a sense of duty. -All these persons agree in supporting Mr -Addington, who is attacked by none but -<span class='pageno' id='Page_135'>135</span>the violent enemies of the popular cause, -now, of course, the objects of popular hatred -and obloquy themselves. Some people -expect to see him take Fox into the -administration, others think he will prefer -Pitt; it is not very likely that he should -venture to trust either, for he must know -that if either should<a id='r10' /><a href='#f10' class='c018'><sup>[10]</sup></a> enter at the sleeve, -he would get out at the collar.</p> - -<div class='footnote c019' id='f10'> -<p class='c017'><span class='label'><a href='#r10'>10</a>. </span>Entraria por la manga, y saldria por el cabezon.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>To the eloquence of his predecessor, the -present Premier makes no pretensions, and -he is liked the better for it. The English -say they have paid quite enough for fine -speeches; he tells them a plain story, and -gains credit by fair dealing. His enemies -naturally depreciate his talents: as far as -experience goes, it confutes them. He -has shown talents enough to save the -country from the Northern confederacy, -the most serious danger to which it was -exposed during the whole war; to make a -peace which has satisfied all the reasonable -<span class='pageno' id='Page_136'>136</span>part of the nation, and to restore unanimity -at home, and that freedom of opinion -which was almost abrogated. From all -that I can learn, Mr Addington is likely -long to retain his situation; and sure I am -that were he to retire from it, he would -take with him the regret and the blessings -of the people.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c002' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_137'>137</span> - <h2 id='ch13' class='c008'>LETTER XIII.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c015'><i>Dress of the English without Variety.—Coal-heavers.—Post-men.—Art -of knocking -at the Door.—Inscriptions over the -Shops.—Exhibitions in the Shop-windows.—Chimney-sweepers.—May-day.—These -Sports originally religious.</i></p> -<div class='c016'>Tuesday, May 4, 1802.</div> -<p class='c017'>The dress of Englishmen wants that variety -which renders the figures of our -scenery so picturesque. You might think, -from walking the streets of London, that -there were no ministers of religion in the -country; J— smiled at the remark, and -told me that some of the dignified clergy -wore silk aprons; but these are rarely seen, -and they are more generally known by a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_138'>138</span>huge and hideous wig, once considered to -be as necessary a covering for a learned -head as an ivy bush is for an owl, but which -even physicians have now discarded, and -left only to schoolmasters and doctors in -divinity. There is, too, this remarkable -difference between the costume of England -and of Spain, that here the national dress -is altogether devoid of grace, and it is only -modern fashions which have improved it: -in Spain, on the contrary, nothing can be -more graceful than the dresses both of the -clergy and peasantry, which have from -time immemorial remained unchanged; -while our better ranks clothe themselves -in a worse taste, because they imitate the -apery of other nations. What I say of -their costume applies wholly to that of the -men; the dress of English women is perfect, -as far as it goes; it leaves nothing to -be wished,—except that there should be a -little more of it.</p> -<p class='c011'>The most singular figures in the streets -of this metropolis are the men who are employed -<span class='pageno' id='Page_139'>139</span>in carrying the earth-coal, which -they remove from the barge to the waggon, -and again from the waggon to the -house, upon their backs. The back of the -coat, therefore, is as well quilted as the -cotton breastplate of our soldiers in America -in old times: and to protect it still -more, the broad flap of the hat lies flat upon -the shoulders. The head consequently -seems to bend unusually forward, and -the whole figure has the appearance of -having been bowed beneath habitual burthens. -The lower classes, with this exception, -if they do not wear the cast clothes -of the higher ranks, have them in the same -form. The post-men all wear the royal -livery, which is scarlet and gold; they hurry -through the streets, and cross from side -to side with indefatigable rapidity. The -English doors have knockers instead of -bells, and there is an advantage in this -which you would not immediately perceive. -The bell, by whomsoever it be -pulled, must always give the same sound, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_140'>140</span>but the knocker may be so handled as to -explain who plays upon it, and accordingly -it has its systematic set of signals. The -post-man comes with two loud and rapid -raps, such as no person but himself ever -gives. One very loud one marks the -news-man. A single knock of less vehemence -denotes a servant or other messenger. -Visitors give three or four. Footmen -or coachmen always more than their -masters; and the master of every family -has usually his particular touch, which is -immediately recognised.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Every shop has an inscription above it -expressing the name of its owner, and that -of his predecessor, if the business has been -so long established as to derive a certain -degree of respectability from time. Cheap -Warehouse is sometimes added; and if the -tradesman has the honour to serve any one -of the royal family, this is also mentioned, -and the royal arms in a style of expensive -carving are affixed over the door. These -inscriptions in large gilt letters, shaped -<span class='pageno' id='Page_141'>141</span>with the greatest nicety, form a peculiar -feature in the streets of London. In former -times all the shops had large signs -suspended before them, such as are still -used at inns in the country; these have -long since disappeared; but in a few instances, -where the shop is of such long -standing that it is still known by the name -of its old insignia, a small picture still preserves -the sign, placed instead of one of -the window panes.</p> - -<p class='c011'>If I were to pass the remainder of my -life in London, I think the shops would always -continue to amuse me. Something -extraordinary or beautiful is for ever to be -seen in them. I saw, the other day, a -sturgeon, above two <i>varas</i> in length, hanging -at a fishmonger’s. In one window -you see the most exquisite lamps of alabaster, -to shed a pearly light in the bedchamber; -or formed of cut glass to glitter -like diamonds in the drawing-room; in -another, a convex mirror reflects the whole -picture of the street, with all its moving -<span class='pageno' id='Page_142'>142</span>swarms, or you start from your own face -magnified to the proportions of a giant’s. -Here a painted piece of beef swings in a -roaster to exhibit the machine which turns -it; here you have a collection of worms -from the human intestines, curiously bottled, -and every bottle with a label stating -to whom the worm belonged, and testifying -that the party was relieved from it -by virtue of the medicine which is sold -within. At one door stands a little Scotchman -taking snuff,—in one window a little -gentleman with his coat puckered up in -folds, and the folds filled with water to -show that it is proof against wet. Here -you have cages full of birds of every kind, -and on the upper story live peacocks are -spreading their fans; another window displays -the rarest birds and beasts stuffed, -and in glass cases; in another you have -every sort of artificial fly for the angler, -and another is full of busts painted to the -life, with glass eyes, and dressed in full -fashion to exhibit the wigs which are made -<span class='pageno' id='Page_143'>143</span>within, in the very newest and most approved -taste. And thus is there a perpetual -exhibition of whatever is curious in -nature or art, exquisite in workmanship, -or singular in costume; and the display is -perpetually varying as the ingenuity of -trade, and the absurdity of fashion, are ever -producing something new.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Yesterday, I was amused by a spectacle -which you will think better adapted to wild -African negroes than to so refined a people -as the English. Three or four boys of -different ages were dancing in the street; -their clothes seemed as if they had been -dragged through the chimney, as indeed -had been the case, and these sooty habiliments -were bedecked with pieces of foil, -and with ribbons of all gay colours, flying -like streamers in every direction as they -whisked round. Their sooty faces were -reddened with rose-pink, and in the middle -of each cheek was a patch of gold leaf, -the hair was frizzed out, and as white as -powder could make it, and they wore an -<span class='pageno' id='Page_144'>144</span>old hat cocked for the occasion, and in -like manner ornamented with ribbons, and -foil, and flowers. In this array were they -dancing through the streets, clapping a -wooden plate, frightening the horses by -their noise, and still more by their strange -appearance, and soliciting money from all -whom they met.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The first days of May are the Saturnalia -of these people,—a wretched class of men, -who exist in no other country than England, -and it is devoutly to be hoped, for -the sake of humanity, will not long continue -to exist there. The soot of the earth-coal, -which, though formerly used by only -the lower classes, is now the fuel of rich -and poor alike, accumulates rapidly in the -chimneys: and instead of removing it by -firing a gun up, or dragging up a bush, -as is sometimes practised in the country, -and must have been in former times the -custom every where, they send men up to -sweep it away with a brush. These passages -are not unfrequently so crooked and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_145'>145</span>so narrow, that none but little children -can crawl up them; and you may imagine -that cruel threats and cruel usage must -both be employed before a child can be -forced to ascend places so dark, so frightful, -and so dangerous.</p> - -<p class='c011'>No objects can be more deplorable than -these poor children. You meet them with -a brush in the hand, a bag upon the shoulders, -and a sort of woollen cap, or rather -bandage swathed round the head; their -skin, and all their accoutrements, equally -ingrained with soot, every part being black -except the white of the eyes and the teeth, -which the soot keeps beautifully clean. -Their way of life produces another more -remarkable and more melancholy effect; -they are subject to a dangerous species of -hydrocele, which is peculiar to them, and -is therefore called the chimney-sweeper’s -disease.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The festival of these poor people commences -on May-day: it was perhaps the -day of their patron saint, in times of yore, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_146'>146</span>before the whole hierarchy of saints and -angels were proscribed in England by the -levelling spirit of a diabolical heresy. They -go about in parties of four or five, in the -grotesque manner which I have described. -A more extraordinary figure is sometimes -in company, whom they call <i>Jack-in-the-Bush</i>; -as the name indicates, nothing but -bush is to be seen, except the feet which -dance under it. The man stands in a -frame-work, which is supported upon his -shoulders, and is completely covered with -the boughs of a thick and short-branched -shrub: the heat must be intolerable, but -he gets paid for his day’s purgatory, and -the English will do any thing for money. -The savages of Virginia had such a personage -in one of their religious dances, -and indeed the custom is quite in savage -taste.</p> - -<p class='c011'>May-day is one of the most general -holydays in England. High poles, as tall -as the mast of a merchant ship, are erected -in every village, and hung with garlands -<span class='pageno' id='Page_147'>147</span>composed of all field flowers, but -chiefly of one which is called the cowslip: -each has its King and Queen of the May -chosen from among the children of the -peasantry, who are tricked out as fantastically -as the London chimney-sweepers; -but health and cleanliness give them a -very different appearance. Their table is -spread under the May-pole; their playmates -beg with a plate, as our children -for the little altar which they have drest -for their saint upon his festival, and all -dance round the pole hand in hand.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Without doubt, these sports were once -connected with religion. It is the peculiar -character of the true religion to sanctify -what is innocent, and make even merriment -meritorious; and it is as peculiarly -the character of Calvinism to divest piety -of all cheerfulness, and cheerfulness of all -piety, as if they could not co-exist; and -to introduce a graceless and joyless system -of manners suitable to a faith which makes -<span class='pageno' id='Page_148'>148</span>the heresy of Manes appear reasonable. -He admitted that the Evil Principle was -weaker than the Good one, but in the mythology -of Calvin there is no good one to -be found.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c002' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_149'>149</span> - <h2 id='ch14' class='c008'>LETTER XIV.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c015'><i>Description of the Inside, and of the Furniture, -of an English House.</i></p> -<p class='c010'>One of the peculiarities in this country -is, that every body lives upon the ground -floor, except the shopkeepers. The stable -and coach-house either adjoin the house, -or more frequently are detached from it, -and the kitchen is either at the back of the -house on the ground floor, or underground, -which is usually the case in large -towns, but never, as with us, above stairs. -They wonder at our custom of living on -the higher floors, and call it troublesome: -I, on my part, cannot be reconciled to the -inconvenience of living on a level with the -street: the din is at your very ear, the -window cannot be thrown open for the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_150'>150</span>dust which showers in, and it is half -darkened by blinds that the by-passers -may not look in upon your privacy.</p> -<p class='c011'>One room on the first floor is reserved -for company, the rest are bed-rooms, for -the beds, instead of standing in recesses, -are placed in rooms as large as those in -which we dwell. This occasions a great -waste of space, the more remarkable, as -ground is exceedingly valuable in the -towns, and is rented by the square foot of -front at a prodigious price. Nothing surprised -me more at first, than the excellent -workmanship of the doors and windows; -no jarring with the wind, no currents of -air, and the windows, which are all suspended -by pulleys, rise with a touch. -This is not entirely and exclusively owing -to the skill of the English workmen, but -in great measure also to the climate. -When the wood has once been seasoned, -neither the heat nor humidity of the atmosphere -is ever sufficient to affect it materially. -In good houses the doors have a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_151'>151</span>strip of open brass work above the handle, -that the servants may not soil them with -their fingers.</p> - -<p class='c011'>An Englishman delights to show his -wealth; every thing in his house, therefore, -is expensive: a whole dwelling in -our country is furnished at less cost than -is bestowed here upon a single apartment. -The description of our common sitting-room -may be considered as a fair specimen. -The whole floor is fitted with carpeting, -not of the costliest kind, but both -in texture and design far superior to what -is usually seen in Spain. This remains -down summer and winter, though in summer -our matting would be far more suitable, -if the fashion were once introduced. -Before the fire is a small carpet of different -fabric, and fleecy appearance, about -two <i>varas</i> long, and not quite half as -broad; a fashion of late years, which has -become universal, because it is at once -ornamental, comfortable, and useful, preserving -the larger one, which would else -<span class='pageno' id='Page_152'>152</span>soon be worn out in that particular part. -Of the fire-places I have already spoken; -here the frontal is marble, and above is a -looking-glass the whole length of the mantle-piece, -divided into three compartments -by gilt pillars, which support a gilt architrave. -On each side hang bell-ropes of -coloured worsted, about the thickness of -a man’s wrist, the work of Mrs J— and -her sister, which suspend knobs of polished -spar. The fender is remarkable; it -consists of a crescent basket work of wire -painted green, about a foot in height, topt -with brass, and supporting seven brazen -pillars of nearly the same height, which -also are surmounted by a band of brass. -This also is a late fashion, introduced in -consequence of the numberless accidents -occasioned by fire. Almost every newspaper -contains an account that some woman -has been burnt to death, and they -are at last beginning to take some means -of precaution.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The chairs and tables are of a wood -<span class='pageno' id='Page_153'>153</span>brought from Honduras, which is in great -request here, of a fine close grain, and a -reddish brown colour, which becomes -more beautiful as it grows darker with age. -The history of this wood, of which all the -finer articles of furniture exclusively are -made, is rather singular. A West Indian -captain, about a century ago, brought over -some planks as ballast, and gave them -to his brother, Dr Gibbons, a physician -of great eminence, who was then building -a house. The workmen, however, found -the wood too hard for their tools, and it -was thrown aside. Some time afterwards -his wife wanted a box to hold candles, -the doctor thought of the West Indian -wood, and, in spite of the difficulty which -was still found in working it, had the box -made. He admired its colour and polish -so much, that he had a bureau made of it -also; and this was thought so beautiful, -that it was shown to all his friends. -Among others, the Duchess of Buckingham -came to see it, and begged enough of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_154'>154</span>the wood to make her a bureau also. From -that moment the demand was so great, -that it became a regular article of trade, -and as long as the woods of Honduras last -it is likely to continue so. There is reason -to believe that the tree would grow in -England, as there are some flourishing -plants in the neighbourhood of London -which have been raised from seed. Formerly -the tables were made of the solid -plank; but English ingenuity has now contrived -to give the same appearance at a far -less cost of materials, by facing common -deal with a layer of the fine wood not half -a barley-corn in thickness. To give you -an idea of the curiosity with which all -these things are executed, is impossible; -nothing can be more perfect.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Our breakfast table is oval, large enough -for eight or nine persons, yet supported -upon one claw in the centre. This is the -newest fashion, and fashions change so -often in these things, as well as in every -thing else, that it is easy to know how -<span class='pageno' id='Page_155'>155</span>long it is since a house has been fitted up, -by the shape of the furniture. An upholder -just now advertises <i>Commodes</i>, <i>Console-tables</i>, -<i>Ottomans</i>, <i>Chaiselongès</i>, and -<i>Chiffoniers</i>;—what are all these? you ask. -I asked the same question, and could find -no person in the house who could answer -me; but they are all articles of the newest -fashion, and no doubt all will soon be -thought indispensably necessary in every -well-furnished house. Here is also a nest -of tables for the ladies, consisting of four, -one less than another, and each fitting into -the one above it; you would take them -for play-things, from their slenderness and -size, if you did not see how useful they -find them for their work. A harpsichord -takes up the middle of one side of the -room, and in the corners are screens to -protect the face from the fire, of mahogany, -with fans of green silk, which spread -like a flower, and may be raised or lowered -at pleasure. A book-case, standing on -a chest of drawers, completes the heavy -<span class='pageno' id='Page_156'>156</span>furniture; it has glazed doors, and curtains -of green silk within.</p> - -<p class='c011'>But I should give you a very inadequate -idea of an English room were I to stop -here. Each window has blinds to prevent -the by-passers from looking in; the plan is -taken from the Venetian blinds, but made -more expensive, as the bars are fitted into -a frame and move in grooves. The shutters -fit back by day, and are rendered ornamental -by the gilt ring by which they -are drawn open: at night you perceive -that you are in a land of housebreakers by -the contrivances for barring them, and the -bells which are fixed on to alarm the family, -in case the house should be attacked. -On one side of the window the curtains -hang in festoons, they are of rich printed -cotton, lined with a plain colour and fringed, -the quantity they contain is very great. -Add to this a sconce of the most graceful -form, with six prints in gilt frames, and -you have the whole scene before you. -Two of these are Noel’s views of Cadiz -<span class='pageno' id='Page_157'>157</span>and Lisbon; the others are from English -history, and represent the battles of the -Boyne and of La Hogue, the death of General -Wolfe at Quebec, and William Penn -treating with the Indians for his province -of Pennsylvania.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Let us proceed to the dining-room.—Here -the table is circular, but divides in -half to receive a middle part which lengthens -it, and this is so contrived that it may -be made to suit any number of persons -from six to twenty. The side-board is a -massier piece of furniture; formerly a single -slab of marble was used for this purpose, -but now this is become one of the -handsomest and most expensive articles. -The glasses are arranged on it ready for -dinner, and the knives and forks in two -little chests or cabinets, the spoons are be -tween them in a sort of urn; every thing -being made costly and ornamental.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The drawing-room differs chiefly from -the breakfast parlour in having every thing -more expensive, a carpet of richer fabric, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_158'>158</span>sconces and mirrors more highly ornamented, -and curtains of damask like the -sofas and chairs. Two chandeliers with -glass drops stand on the mantle-piece; but -in these we excel the English; they have -not the brilliancy of those from the royal -fabric at St Ildefonso. In this room are -the portraits of J— and his wife, by one -of the best living artists, so admirably executed -as to make me blush for the present -state of the arts in Spain.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Having proceeded thus far, I will go -through the house. J— took me into his -kitchen one day to show me what is called -the kitchen-range, which has been constructed -upon the philosophical principles -of Count Rumford, a German<a id='r11' /><a href='#f11' class='c018'><sup>[11]</sup></a> philosopher, -the first person who has applied -scientific discoveries to the ordinary purposes -of life. The top of the fire is covered -with an iron plate, so that the flame and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_159'>159</span>smoke, instead of ascending, pass through -bars on the one side, and there heat an iron -front, against the which food may be roasted -as well as by the fire itself; it passes -on, heating stoves and boilers as it goes, -and the smoke is not suffered to pass up -the chimney till it can no longer be of any -use. On the other side is an oven heated -by the same fire, and vessels for boiling -may be placed on the plate over the fire. -The smoke finally sets a kind of wheel in -motion in the chimney, which turns the -spit. I could not but admire the comfort -and cleanliness of every thing about the -kitchen; a dresser as white as when the -wood was new, the copper and tin vessels -bright and burnished, the chain in which -the spit plays, bright; the plates and -dishes ranged in order along the shelves, -and I could not but wish our dirty Domingo -were here to take a lesson of -English cleanliness. There is a back-kitchen -in which all the dirty work is done, -into which water is conveyed by pipes. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_160'>160</span>The order and cleanliness of every thing -made even this room cheerful, though -under-ground, where the light enters only -from an area, and the face of the sky is -never seen.</p> - -<div class='footnote c019' id='f11'> -<p class='c017'><span class='label'><a href='#r11'>11</a>. </span>This is a mistake of the author’s. Count Rumford -is an American.—<span class='sc'>Tr.</span></p> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>And now for my own apartment, where -I am now writing. It is on the second -floor, the more, therefore, to my liking, as -it is less noisy, and I breathe in a freer atmosphere. -My bed, though neither covered -with silk nor satin, has as much ornament -as is suitable; silk or satin would -not give that clean appearance which the -English always require, and which I have -already learnt to delight in. Hence, the -damask curtains which were used in the -last generation have given place to linens. -These are full enough to hang in folds; -by day they are gathered round the bed-posts, -which are light pillars of mahogany -supporting a frame-work, covered with the -same furniture as the curtains; and valances -are fastened round this frame, both -withinside the curtains and without, and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_161'>161</span>again round the sides of the bedstead. -The blankets are of the natural colour of -the wool, quite plain; the sheets plain -also. I have never seen them flounced -nor laced, nor ever seen a striped or coloured -blanket. The counterpane is of all -English manufactures the least tasteful; -it is of white cotton, ornamented with cotton -knots, in shapes as graceless as the cut -box in a garden. My window-curtains -are of the same pattern as the bed; a mahogany -press holds my clothes, an oval -looking-glass swung lengthways stands on -the dressing-table. A compact kind of -chest holds the bason, the soap, the toothbrush, -and water-glass, each in a separate -compartment; and a looking-glass, for the -purpose of shaving at (for Englishmen -usually shave themselves,) slips up and -down behind, the water-jug and water-bottle -stand below, and the whole shuts down -a-top, and closes in front, like a cabinet. -The room is carpeted; here I have my fire, -my table, and my cassette; here I study, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_162'>162</span>and here minute down every thing which -I see or learn—how industriously you will -perceive, and how faithfully, you who best -know me, will best know.</p> - -<p class='c011'>My honoured father will say to all this, -How many things are there here which I do -not want?—But you, my dear mother,—I -think I see you looking round the room -while you say, How will Manuel like to -leave these luxuries and return to Spain? -How anxiously I wish to leave them, you -will not easily conceive, as you have never -felt that longing love for your own country, -which absence from it renders a passion, -and almost a disease. Fortunate as I am -in having such rare advantages of society -and friendship, and happy as I am in the -satisfaction wherewith I reflect every night -that no opportunity of enquiry or observation -has been lost during the day, still my -greatest pleasure is to think how fast the -days and weeks are passing on, and that -every day I am one day nearer the time of -my return. I never longed half so earnestly -<span class='pageno' id='Page_163'>163</span>to return from Alcalá, as I now do -to enter my native place, to see the shield -over the door-way, to hear the sound of -our own water-wheel, of the bells of St -Claras, of Domingo’s viola at evening, to -fondle my own dogs, to hear my own language, -to kneel at mass in the church where -I was baptized, and to see once more -around me the faces of all whom I have -known from infancy, and of all whom I -love best.</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c023'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>¡Ay<a id='r12' /><a href='#f12' class='c018'><sup>[12]</sup></a> Dios de mi alma!</div> - <div class='line in4'>¡Saqueisme de aquí!</div> - <div class='line'>¡Ay! que Inglaterra</div> - <div class='line in4'>Ya no es para mí.</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='footnote c024' id='f12'> -<p class='c017'><span class='label'><a href='#r12'>12</a>. </span>Ah God of my soul, take me from hence! alas! -England is not a country for me.—<span class='sc'>Tr.</span></p> -</div> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c002' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_164'>164</span> - <h2 id='ch15' class='c008'>LETTER XV.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c015'><i>English Meals.—Clumsy Method of Butchery.—Lord -Somerville.—Cruel Manner -of killing certain Animals.—Luxuries of the -Table.—Liquors.</i></p> -<p class='c010'>The English do not eat beef-steaks for -breakfast, as lying travellers have told us, -nor can I find that it has ever been the -custom. The breakfast-table is a cheerful -sight in this country: porcelain of their -own manufactory, which excels the -Chinese in elegance of form and ornament, -is ranged on a Japan waiter, also -of the country fabric; for here they imitate -every thing. The mistress sits at the -head of the board, and opposite to her the -boiling water smokes and sings in an urn -of Etruscan shape. The coffee is contained -<span class='pageno' id='Page_165'>165</span>in a smaller vase of the same shape, -or in a larger kind of tea-pot, wherein the -grain is suspended in a bag; but nothing is -so detestable as an Englishman’s coffee. -The washing of our after-dinner cups -would make a mixture as good; the infusion -is just strong enough to make the -water brown and bitter. This is not occasioned -by œconomy, though coffee is -enormously dear, for the people are extravagant -in the expences of the table: -they know no better; and if you tell them -how it ought to be made, they reply, that -it must be very disagreeable, and even -that if they could drink it so strong, it -would prevent them from sleeping. There -is besides an act of parliament to prevent -the English from drinking good coffee: -they are not permitted to roast it themselves, -and of course all the fresh and -finer flavour evaporates in the warehouse. -They make amends however by the excellence -of their tea, which is still very -cheap, though the ministry, in violation -<span class='pageno' id='Page_166'>166</span>of an explicit bargain, increased the tax -upon it four fold, during the last war. -This is made in a vessel of silver, or of a -fine black porcelain: they do not use -boiled milk with it, but cream in its fresh -state, which renders it a very delightful -beverage. They eat their bitter bread in -various ways, either in thin slices, or -toasted, or in small hot loaves, always -with butter, which is the best thing in the -country.</p> -<p class='c011'>The dinner hour is usually five: the -labouring part of the community dine at -one, the highest ranks at six, seven, or -even eight. The quantity of meat which -they consume is astonishing! I verily -believe that what is drest for one dinner -here, would supply the same number of -persons in Spain for a week, even if no -fast-days intervened. Every where you -find both meat and vegetables in the same -crude and insipid state. The potatoe appears -at table all the year round: indeed -the poor subsist so generally upon this -<span class='pageno' id='Page_167'>167</span>root, that it seems surprising how they -could have lived before it was introduced -from America. Beer is the common drink. -They take less wine than we do at dinner, -and more after it; but the custom of -sitting for hours over the bottle, which -was so prevalent of late years, has been -gradually laid aside, as much from the -gradual progress of the taxes as of good -sense. Tea is served between seven and -eight, in the same manner as at breakfast, -except that we do not assemble round the -table. Supper is rather a ceremony than -a meal; but the hour afterwards, over our -wine and water, or spirits, is the pleasantest -in the day.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The old refinements of epicurean cruelty -are no longer heard of, yet the lower -classes are cruel from mere insensibility, -and the higher ones, for want of thought, -make no effort to amend them. The -butchers and drovers in particular are a -savage race. The sheep which I have met -on their way to the slaughter-house, have -<span class='pageno' id='Page_168'>168</span>frequently their faces smeared with their -own blood, and accidents from over-driven -oxen are very common. Cattle are -slaughtered with the clumsiest barbarity: -the butcher hammers away at the forehead -of the beast; blow after blow raises a -swelling which renders the following blows -ineffectual, and the butchery is completed -by cutting the throat. Great pains have -been taken by a nobleman who has travelled -in Spain, to introduce our humane method -of piercing the spine; the effect has been -little, and I have heard that the butchers -have sometimes wantonly prolonged the -sufferings of animals in his sight, for the -pleasure of tormenting a humanity which -they think ridiculous. Oysters are eaten -alive here. You see women in the streets -skinning eels while the creature writhes on -the fork. They are thought delicacies here, -and yet the English laugh at the French -for eating frogs! Lobsters and crabs are -boiled alive, and sometimes roasted! and -carp, after having been scaled and gutted, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_169'>169</span>will sometimes leap out of the stew-pan. If -humanity is in better natures an instinct, -no instinct is so easily deadened, and in the -mass of mankind it seems not to exist.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Roast beef has been heard of wherever -the English are known. I have more than -once been asked at table my opinion of -the roast beef of Old England, with a sort -of smile, and in a tone as if the national -honour were concerned in my reply. The -loin of beef is always called Sir, which is -the same as Señor.<a id='r13' /><a href='#f13' class='c018'><sup>[13]</sup></a> Neither drunkenness -nor gluttony can fairly be imputed as national -vices to this people, and yet perhaps -there is no other country where so much -nice and curious attention is paid to eating -and drinking, nor where the pleasures -of the table are thought of such serious -importance, and gratified at so great an -expense. All parts of the world are ransacked -<span class='pageno' id='Page_170'>170</span>for an Englishman’s table. Turtle -are brought alive from the West Indies, -and their arrival is of so much consequence, -that notices are immediately sent -to the newspapers, particularly stating that -they are in fine order, and lively. Whereever -you dine since peace has been concluded, -you see a Perigord pye. India supplies -sauces and curry powder; they have -hams from Portugal and Westphalia; reindeers’ -tongues from Lapland; caviar from -Russia; sausages from Bologna; maccaroni -from Naples; oil from Florence; olives -from France, Italy, or Spain, at choice; -cheese from Parma and Switzerland. Fish -come packed up in ice from Scotland for -the London market, and the epicures here -will not eat any mutton but what is killed -in Wales. There is in this very morning’s -newspaper, a notice from a shopkeeper in -the Strand, offering to contract with any -person who will send him game regularly -from France, Norway, or Russia.</p> - -<div class='footnote c019' id='f13'> -<p class='c017'><span class='label'><a href='#r13'>13</a>. </span>D. Manuel has mistaken the word, which is -Surloin, quasi <i>Super-Loin</i>,—the upper part of it.—<span class='sc'>Tr.</span></p> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>The choice of inferior liquors is great; -<span class='pageno' id='Page_171'>171</span>but all are bad substitutes for the pure juice -of the grape. You have tasted their beer -in its best state, and cider you have drank -in Biscay. They have a beverage made -from the buds of the fir-tree and treacle; -necessity taught the American settlers to -brew this detestable mixture, which is introduced -here as a luxury. Factitious waters -are now also become fashionable; soda-water -particularly, the fixed air of which -hisses as it goes down your throat as cutting -as a razor, and draws tears as it comes -up through the nose as pungent as a pinch -of snuff. The common water is abominable; -it is either from a vapid canal in -which all the rabble of the outskirts wash -themselves in summer, or from the Thames, -which receives all the filth of the city. It -is truly disgraceful that such a city should -be without an aqueduct. At great tables -the wine stands in ice, and you keep your -glass inverted in water. In nothing are -they so curious as in their wines, though -rather in the quality than the variety. They -<span class='pageno' id='Page_172'>172</span>even send it abroad to be ripened by the -motion of the ship, and by warmer climates; -you see <i>superior, London, picked, -particular, East India</i> Madeira advertised, -every epithet of which must be paid for.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c002' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_173'>173</span> - <h2 id='ch16' class='c008'>LETTER XVI.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c015'><i>Informers.—System upon which they act.—Anecdotes -of their Rascality.—Evil of encouraging -them.—English Character a -Compound of Contradictions.</i></p> -<p class='c010'>They talk here of our Holy Office as a -disgrace to the Spanish nation, when their -own government is ten times more inquisitorial, -for the paltry purposes of revenue. -Shortly after his last return from -Spain, J— stept into a hosier’s to buy a -pair of gloves; the day was warm, and he -laid his hat upon the counter: a well-drest -man came in after him for the same ostensible -purpose, either learnt his name by -enquiry, or followed him till he had discovered -it, and the next day my friend was -summoned before a magistrate to answer -<span class='pageno' id='Page_174'>174</span>a charge for wearing his hat without a -stamp. It was in vain he pleaded that the -hat had been purchased abroad; he had -been in England more than six weeks, and -had not bought a stamp to put into it, -and therefore was fined in the full penalty.</p> -<p class='c011'>This species of espionage has within -these few years become a regular trade; -the laws are in some instances so perplexed, -and in others so vexatious, that matter -for prosecution is never wanting, and many -of these familiars of the Tax Office are -amassing fortunes by this infamous business. -The most lucrative method of practice -is as follows: A fellow surcharges half -the people in the district; that is, he informs -the tax-commissioners, that such -persons have given in a false account of -their window’s, dogs, horses, carriages, &c. -an offence for which the tax is trebled, and -half the surplus given to the informer. -A day of appeal, however, is allowed for -those who think they can justify themselves; -but so many have been aggrieved, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_175'>175</span>that when they appear together before the -commissioners, there is not time to hear -one in ten. Some of these persons live -two, four, or six, leagues from the place of -appeal: they go there a second, and perhaps -a third time in the hope of redress; -the informer takes care, by new surcharges, -to keep up the crowd, and the injured persons -find it at last less burthensome to pay -the unjust fine, than to be repeatedly at -the trouble and expense of seeking justice -in vain.</p> - -<p class='c011'>There is nothing, however dishonourable -or villanous, to which these wretches -will not stoop. One of them, on his first -settling in the province which he had -chosen for the scene of his campaigns, -was invited to dinner by a neighbouring -gentleman, before his character was known; -the next day he surcharged his host for -another servant, because one of the men -employed about his grounds had assisted -in waiting at dinner. Another happening to -lame his horse, borrowed one of a farmer -<span class='pageno' id='Page_176'>176</span>to ride home: the farmer told him it was -but an uneasy-going beast, as he was kept -wholly for the cart, but rather than that -the gentleman should be distressed he -would put the saddle on him;—he was -surcharged the next day for keeping a saddle-horse, -as his reward. Can there be a -more convincing proof of the excellent police -of England, and, what is still better, -of the admirable effect of well-executed -laws upon the people, than that such pests -of society as these walk abroad among the -very people whom they oppress and insult, -with perfect safety both by day and by -night!</p> - -<p class='c011'>Government do not seem to be aware -that when they offer premiums for treachery, -they are corrupting the morals of the -people, and thereby weakening their own -security. There is reason sufficient for -pardoning a criminal, who confesses his -own guilt, and impeaches his accomplice; -the course of law could not go on without -it, and such men are already infamous. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_177'>177</span>But no such plea can be alleged in this -case: it is a miserable excuse for encouraging -informers, to say, that the taxes -are so clumsily laid on, that they can easily -be eluded. A far worse instance of this -pernicious practice occurs in the system of -pressing men for the navy, which the English -confess to be the opprobrium of their -country, while they regret it as inevitable. -In the proclamation issued upon these occasions, -a reward is regularly offered to all -persons who will give information where a -sailor has hidden himself.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The whole system of England, from -highest to lowest, is, and has been, one series -of antagonisms; struggle—struggle—in -every thing. Check and countercheck -is the principle of their constitution, which -is the result of centuries of contention between -the Crown and the People. The -struggle between the Clergy and the Lawyers -unfettered their lands from feudal tenures. -Their church is a half-and-half -mixture of Catholicism and Puritanism. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_178'>178</span>These contests being over, it is now a trial -between the Government and the Subject, -how the one can lay on taxes, and how the -other can elude them.</p> - -<p class='c011'>This spirit of contradiction is the character -of the nation. They love to be at -war, but do not love to pay for their -amusement; and now, that they are at -peace, they begin to complain that the -newspapers are not worth reading, and rail -at the French as if they really wished to -begin again. There is not a people upon -the earth who have a truer love for their -Royal Family than the English, yet they -caricature them in the most open and insolent -manner. They boast of the freedom -of the press, yet as surely and systematically -punish the author who publishes any -thing obnoxious, and the bookseller who -sells it, as we in our country should prevent -the publication. They cry out against -intolerance, and burn down the houses of -those whom they regard as heretics. They -love liberty; go to war with their neighbours, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_179'>179</span>because they chose to become republicans, -and insist upon the right of -enslaving the negroes. They hate the -French and ape all their fashions, ridicule -their neologisms and then naturalize them, -laugh at their inventions and then adopt -them, cry out against their political measures -and then imitate them; the levy in -mass, the telegraph, and the income-tax -are all from France. And the common -people, not to be behind-hand with their -betters in absurdity, boast as heartily of the -roast beef of Old England, as if they were -not obliged to be content themselves with -bread and potatoes. Well may punch be -the favourite liquor of the English,—it is -a truly emblematic compound of contrarieties.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c002' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_180'>180</span> - <h2 id='ch17' class='c008'>LETTER XVII.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c015'><i>The Word</i> Home, <i>said to be peculiar to the -English.—Propriety of the Assertion questioned.—Comfort.—Curious -Conveniences.—Pocket-fender.—Hunting-razors.</i></p> -<p class='c010'>There are two words in their language -on which these people pride themselves, -and which they say cannot be translated. -<i>Home</i> is the one, by which an Englishman -means his house. As the meaning is precisely -the same whether it be expressed by -one word or by two, and the feeling associated -therewith is the same also, the advantage -seems wholly imaginary; for assuredly -this meaning can be conveyed in -any language without any possible ambiguity. -In general, when a remark of this -kind is made to me, if I do not perceive -<span class='pageno' id='Page_181'>181</span>its truth, I rather attribute it to my own -imperfect conception than to any fallacy -in the assertion; but when this was said -to me, I recollected the exquisite lines of -Catullus, and asked if they were improved -in the English translation:</p> -<div class='lg-container-b c023'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>O quid solutis est beatius curis,</div> - <div class='line'>Cum mens onus reponit, ac peregrino</div> - <div class='line'>Labore fessi, venimus <i>larem ad nostrum</i></div> - <div class='line'>Desideratoque acquiescimus lecto?</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c025'>We may with truth say that our word <i>solar</i><a id='r14' /><a href='#f14' class='c018'><sup>[14]</sup></a> -is untranslatable, for the English have -not merely no equivalent term, but no feeling -correspondent to it. That reverence for -the seat of our ancestors, which with us is -almost a religion, is wholly unknown here. -But how can it be otherwise in a land -where there is no pride of blood, and where -men who would be puzzled to trace the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_182'>182</span>place of their grandfather’s birth, are not -unfrequently elevated to a level with the -grandees!</p> - -<div class='footnote c019' id='f14'> -<p class='c017'><span class='label'><a href='#r14'>14</a>. </span><i>Solar</i> is the floor of a house. <i>Hidalgo de solar -conocido</i>, is the phrase used for a man of old family.—<span class='sc'>Tr.</span></p> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>The other word is <i>comfort</i>; it means all -the enjoyments and privileges of <i>home</i>, or -which, when abroad, makes us feel no want -of <i>home</i>; and here I must confess that -these proud islanders have reason for their -pride. In their social intercourse and -their modes of life they have enjoyments -which we never dream of. Saints and -philosophers teach us that they who have -the fewest wants are the wisest and the -happiest; but neither philosophers nor -saints are in fashion in England. It is recorded -of some old Eastern tyrant, that he -offered a reward for the discovery of a new -pleasure;—in like manner this nation offers -a perpetual reward to those who will -discover new wants for them, in the readiness -wherewith they purchase any thing, -if the seller will but assure them that it is -exceedingly convenient. For instance, in -<span class='pageno' id='Page_183'>183</span>the common act of drawing a cork, a common -screw was thought perfectly sufficient -for the purpose from the time when bottles -were invented, till within the last twenty -years. It was then found somewhat inconvenient -to exert the arm, that the wine -was spoilt by shaking, and that the neck of -the bottle might come off: to prevent these -evils and this danger, some ingenious fellow -adapted the mechanical screw, and the cork -was extracted by the simple operation of -turning a lever. Well, this lasted for a -generation, till another artificer discovered, -with equal ingenuity, that it was exceedingly -unpleasant to dirt the fingers by -taking off the cork; a compound concave -screw was therefore invented, first to draw -the cork and then to discharge it, and the -profits of this useful invention are secured -to the inventor by a patent.—The royal arms -are affixed to this Patent Compound Concave -Corkscrew; and the inventor, in defiance -to all future corkscrew-makers, has -stamped upon it <i>Ne plus ultra</i>, signifying -<span class='pageno' id='Page_184'>184</span>that the art of making corkscrews can -be carried no further.—The tallow candles -which they burn here frequently require -snuffing; but the common implement -for this purpose had served time out -of mind, till within the present reign, the -great epoch of the rise of manufactures, -and the decline of every thing else; a machine -was then invented to prevent the -snuff from falling out upon the table; another -inventor supplanted this by using a -revolving tube or cylinder, which could -never be so filled as to strain the spring; -and now a still more ingenious mechanic -proposes to make snuffers which shall, by -their own act, snuff the candle whenever -it is required, and to save all trouble whatever.—One -sort of knife is used for fish, -another for butter, a third for cheese. -Penknives and scissars are not sufficient -here; they have an instrument to make -pens, and an instrument to clip the nails. -They have a machine for slicing cucumbers; -one instrument to pull on the shoe, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_185'>185</span>another to pull on the boot, another to -button the knees of the breeches. Pocket-toasting-forks -have been invented, as if it -were possible to want a toasting-fork in -the pocket; and even this has been exceeded -by the fertile genius of a celebrated -projector, who ordered a pocket-fender -for his own use, which was to cost 200<i>l.</i> -The article was made, but as it did not -please, payment was refused; an action -was in consequence brought, and the workman -said upon the trial that he was very -sorry to disoblige so good a customer, and -would willingly have taken the thing back, -if there could be any chance of selling it, -but that really nobody except the gentleman -in question ever would want a pocket-fender. -This same gentleman has contrived -to have the whole set of fire-irons made -hollow instead of solid; to be sure, the cost -is more than twenty-fold, but what is that -to the convenience of holding a few ounces -in the hand, when you stir the fire, instead -of a few pounds? This curious projector -<span class='pageno' id='Page_186'>186</span>is said to have taken out above seventy patents -for inventions equally ingenious, and -equally useful; but a more extraordinary -invention than any of his threescore and -ten, is that of the hunting-razor, with -which you may shave yourself while riding -full gallop.</p> - -<p class='c011'>There is no end of these oddities; but -the number of real conveniences which -have been created by this indiscriminate -demand for novelty is truly astonishing. -These are the refinements of late years, -the devices of a people made wanton by -prosperity. It is not for such superfluities -that the English are to be envied; it is for -their domestic habits, and for that unrestrained -intercourse of the sexes, which, -instead of producing the consequences we -should expect, gives birth not only to their -greatest enjoyments, but also to their best -virtues.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c002' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_187'>187</span> - <h2 id='ch18' class='c008'>LETTER XVIII.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c015'><i>Drury-Lane Theatre.—The Winter’s Tale.—Kemble.—Mrs -Siddons.—Don Juan.</i></p> -<p class='c010'>There is nothing in a foreign land which -a traveller is so little able to enjoy as the -national theatre: though he may read the -language with ease, and converse in it with -little difficulty, still he cannot follow the -progress of a story upon the stage, nor -catch the jests, which set all around him -in a roar, unless he has lived so long in -the country, that his ear has become perfectly -naturalized. Fully aware of this, I -desired J— to take me there on some evening -when the drama would be most intelligible -to the sense of sight; and we went -accordingly yesternight to see The Winter’s -Tale, a play of the famous Shakespeare’s, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_188'>188</span>which has been lately revived for the purpose -of displaying to advantage their two -most celebrated performers, Kemble, and -his sister Mrs Siddons.</p> -<p class='c011'>In the reigns of Elizabeth and James, -the golden age of the English drama, London -was not a tenth part of its present -size, and it then contained seventeen theatres. -At present there are but two. -More would succeed, and indeed more are -wanted, but these have obtained exclusive -privileges. Old people say the acting was -better in their younger days, because there -were more schools for actors; and the theatres -being smaller, the natural voice could -be heard, and the natural expression of the -features seen, and therefore rant and distortion -were unnecessary. They, however, -who remember no other generation -of actors than the present, will not be persuaded -that there has ever been one more -perfect. Be this as it may, all are agreed -that the drama itself has wofully degenerated, -though it is the only species of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_189'>189</span>literary labour which is well paid. They -are agreed also as to the cause of this degeneracy, -attributing it to the prodigious -size of the theatres. The finer tones of -passion cannot be discriminated, nor the -finer movements of the countenance perceived -from the front, hardly from the -middle of the house. Authors, therefore, -substitute what is here called broad farce -for genuine comedy; their jests are made -intelligible by grimace, or by that sort of -mechanical wit which can be seen; comedy -is made up of trick, and tragedy -of processions, pageants, battles, and explosions.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The two theatres are near each other, -and tolerably well situated for the more -fashionable and more opulent parts of the -town; but buildings of such magnitude -might have been made ornamental to the -metropolis, and both require a more open -space before them. Soldiers were stationed -at the doors; and as we drew -near we were importuned by women with -<span class='pageno' id='Page_190'>190</span>oranges, and by boys to purchase a bill of -the play. We went into the pit that I -might have a better view of the house, -which was that called Drury-lane, from -the place where it stands, the larger and -more beautiful of the two. The price here -is three shillings and sixpence, about sixteen -reales. The benches are not divided -into single seats, and men and women -here and in all parts of the house sit promiscuously.</p> - -<p class='c011'>I had heard much of this theatre, and -was prepared for wonder; still the size, -the height, the beauty, the splendour, -astonished me. Imagine a pit capable of -holding a thousand persons, four tiers of -boxes supported by pillars scarcely thicker -than a man’s arm, and two galleries in -front, the higher one at such a distance, -that they who are in it must be content to -see the show, without hoping to hear the -dialogue; the colours blue and silver, and -the whole illuminated with chandeliers of -cut glass, not partially nor parsimoniously; -<span class='pageno' id='Page_191'>191</span>every part as distinctly seen as if in the -noon sunshine. After the first feeling of -surprise and delight, I began to wish that -a massier style of architecture had been -adopted. The pillars, which are iron, are -so slender as to give an idea of insecurity; -their lightness is much admired, but it is -disproportioned and out of place. There -is a row of private boxes on each side of -the pit, on a level with it; convenient they -must doubtless be to those who occupy -them, and profitable to the proprietors of -the house; but they deform the theatre.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The people in the galleries were very -noisy before the representation began, -whistling and calling to the musicians; -and they amused themselves by throwing -orange-peel into the pit and upon the -stage: after the curtain drew up they were -sufficiently silent. The pit was soon filled; -the lower side-boxes did not begin to fill -till towards the middle of the first act, because -that part of the audience is too fashionable -to come in time; the back part -<span class='pageno' id='Page_192'>192</span>of the front boxes not till the half play; -they were then filled with a swarm of prostitutes, -and of men who came to meet -them. In the course of the evening there -were two or three quarrels there which -disturbed the performance, and perhaps -ended in duels the next morning. The -English say, and I believe they say truly, -that they are the most moral people in -Europe; but were they to be judged by -their theatres,—I speak not of the representation, -but of the manners which are -exhibited by this part of the audience,—it -would be thought that no people had so -little sense of common decorum, or paid -so little respect to public decency.</p> - -<p class='c011'>No prompter was to be seen; the actors -were perfect, and stood in no need of his -awkward presence. The story of the drama -was, with a little assistance, easily intelligible -to me; not, indeed, by the dialogue; -for of that I found myself quite -unable to understand any two sentences -together, scarcely a single one: and when -<span class='pageno' id='Page_193'>193</span>I looked afterwards at the printed play, I -perceived that the difficulty lay in the peculiarity -of Shakespeare’s language, which -is so antiquated, and still more so perplexed, -that few even of the English themselve -can thoroughly understand their favourite -author. The tale, however, is this. -Polixenes, king of Bohemia, is visiting his -friend Leontes, king of Sicily; he is about -to take his departure; Leontes presses him -to stay awhile longer, but in vain—urges -the request with warmth, and is still refused; -then sets his queen to persuade -him; and, perceiving that she succeeds, is -seized with sudden jealousy, which, in the -progress of the scene, becomes so violent, -that he orders one of his courtiers to murder -Polixenes. This courtier acquaints -Polixenes with his danger, and flies with -him. Leontes throws the queen into prison, -where she is delivered of a daughter; -he orders the child to be burnt; his attendants -remonstrate against this barbarous -sentence, and he then sends one of them -<span class='pageno' id='Page_194'>194</span>to carry it out of his dominions, and expose -it in some wild place. He has sent -messengers to Delphos to consult the oracle; -but, instead of waiting for their return -to confirm his suspicions or disprove -them, he brings the queen to trial. During -the trial the messengers arrive, the answer -of the god is opened, and found to be -that the queen is innocent, the child legitimate, -and that Leontes will be without -an heir, unless this which is lost shall be -found. Even this fails to convince him; -but immediately tidings come in that the -prince, his only son, has died of anxiety -for his mother: the queen at this faints, -and is carried off; and her woman comes -in presently to say that she is dead also.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The courtier meantime lands with the -child upon the coast of Bohemia, and there -leaves it: a bear pursues him across the -stage, to the great delight of the audience, -and eats him out of their sight; which is -doubtless to their great disappointment. -The ship is lost with all on board in a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_195'>195</span>storm, and thus no clue is left for discovering -the princess. Sixteen years are now -supposed to elapse between the third and -fourth acts: the lost child, Perdita, has -grown up a beautiful shepherdess, and the -son of Polixenes has promised marriage -to her. He proceeds to espouse her at a -sheep-shearing feast; where a pedlar, who -picks pockets, excites much merriment. -Polixenes, and Camillo the old courtier -who had preserved his life, are present in -disguise and prevent the contract. Camillo, -longing to return to his own country, -persuades the prince to fly with his -beloved to Sicily: he then goes with the -king in pursuit of them. The old shepherd, -who has brought up Perdita as his -own child, goes in company with her; he -produces the things which he had found -with her; she is thus discovered to be the -lost daughter of Leontes, and the oracle is -accomplished. But the greatest wonder is -yet to come. As Leontes still continues to -bewail the loss of his wife, Paulina, the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_196'>196</span>queen’s woman, promises to show him a -statue of her, painted to the life, the work -of Julio Romano, that painter having flourished -in the days when Bohemia was a -maritime country, and when the kings -thereof were used to consult the oracle of -Apollo, being idolaters. This statue proves -to be the queen herself, who begins to -move to slow music, and comes down to -her husband. And then to conclude the -play, as it was the husband of this woman -who has been eaten by the bear, old Camillo -is given her that she may be no -loser.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Far be it from me to judge of Shakespeare -by these absurdities, which are all that I -can understand of the play. While, however, -the English tolerate such, and are -pleased not merely in spite of them, but -with them, it would become their travellers -not to speak with quite so much contempt -of the Spanish theatre. That Shakespeare -was a great dramatist, notwithstanding -his Winter’s Tale, I believe; just as I -<span class='pageno' id='Page_197'>197</span>know Cervantes to have been a great man, -though he wrote <i>El Rufián Dichoso</i>.</p> - -<p class='c011'>But you cannot imagine any thing more -impressive than the finer parts of this representation; -the workings of the king’s -jealousy, the dignified grief and resentment -of the queen, tempered with compassion -for her husband’s phrensy; and the last -scene in particular, which surpassed whatever -I could have conceived of theatrical -effect. The actress who personated the -queen is acknowledged lo be perfect in her -art: she stood leaning upon a pedestal -with one arm, the other hanging down—the -best Grecian sculptor could not have -adjusted her drapery with more grace, nor -have improved the attitude; and when she -began to move, though this was what the -spectators were impatiently expecting, it -gave every person such a start of delight, -as the dramatist himself would have wished, -though the whole merit must be ascribed -to the actress.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The regular entertainments on the English -<span class='pageno' id='Page_198'>198</span>stage consist of a play of three or five -acts, and an afterpiece of two; interludes -are added only on benefit nights. The afterpiece -this evening was Don Juan, our -old story of the reprobate cavalier and the -statue, here represented wholly in pantomime. -Nothing could be more insipid -than all the former part of this drama, nothing -more dreadful, and indeed unfit for -scenic representation, than the catastrophe: -but either the furies of Æschylus were -more terrible than European devils, or our -Christian ladies are less easily frightened -than the women of Greece, for this is a -favourite spectacle everywhere. I know -not whether the invention be originally -ours or the Italians; be it whose it may, -the story of the Statue is in a high style of -fancy, truly fine and terrific. The sound -of his marble footsteps upon the stage -struck a dead silence through the house. -It is to this machinery that the popularity -of the piece is owing; and in spite of the -dulness which precedes this incident, and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_199'>199</span>the horror which follows it, I do not wonder -that it is popular. Still it would be decorous -in English writers to speak with a -little less disrespect of the Spanish stage, -and of the taste of a Spanish audience, -while their own countrymen continue to -represent and to delight in one of the most -monstrous of all our dramas.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The representation began at seven; and -the meals in London are so late, that even -this is complained of as inconveniently -early. We did not reach home till after -midnight.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c002' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_200'>200</span> - <h2 id='ch19' class='c008'>LETTER XIX.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c015'><i>English Church Service.—Banns of Marriage.—Inconvenience -of having the Sermon a regular Part.—Sermons -an Article of Trade.—Popular Preachers.—Private -Chapels.</i></p> -<p class='c010'>The ceremonies of the English Church -Service are soon described. Imagine a -church with one altar covered with crimson -velvet, the Creed and the Decalogue -over it in golden letters, over these the Hebrew -name of God, or the I.H.S. at the -pleasure of the painter, and half a dozen -winged heads about it, clumsily painted, -or more clumsily carved: the nakedness of -the other walls concealed by a gallery; an -organ over the door, and below it, immediately -fronting the priest, a clock. Here -<span class='pageno' id='Page_201'>201</span>also in some conspicuous place is a tablet -to record in what year the church was repaired -or beautified, and to perpetuate the -names of the church-wardens at that time -in letters of gold. Another tablet enumerates, -but in faded lettering, and less conspicuous -situation, all the benefactors to -the parish; that is, all who have left alms -to the poor, or fees to the minister for an -anniversary sermon. The gallery and the -area of the church are divided into pews, -as they are called, by handsome mahogany -partitions, within which the rich sit on -cushioned seats, and kneel on hassocks, -while the poor stand in the aisle, and kneel -upon the stones. These pews are usually -freehold, attached to houses in the parish. -In towns a rent is exacted for them; and -in private chapels, of which I shall speak -hereafter, the whole income is derived from -them, as in a theatre. The reading-desk -of the priest is under the pulpit, and under -it that of the clerk; there are no other -assistants except the sexton and his wife, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_202'>202</span>who open the pews, and expect a fee for -accommodating a stranger with a seat. -The priest wears a surplice; the clerk is -no otherwise distinguished from the laity -than as he has a stronger voice than usual, -reads worse than other people, that is, more -like a boy at a village school, and more -frequently speaks through the nose. The -catholic church has no corresponding office; -he is to the congregation what the -leader of the band is to an orchestra.</p> -<p class='c011'>Some part of the service is repeated by -the clerk and the people after the priest; -with others, as the psalms, and all the -hymns, they proceed alternately verse by -verse; the priest reads the scripture lessons -and many of the prayers alone; he -also reads the Litany, and the clerk and -congregation make the petition at the end -of every clause. There is nothing in the -Liturgy to which a Catholic must necessarily -object, except the absolution; -and with respect to that, his objection -would be to the sense in which it is taken, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_203'>203</span>not to that which it was intended to convey. -After the first lesson the organist -relieves the priest by playing a tune, good -or bad according to his own fancy. This is -an interlude of modern interpolation, which -would have shocked the Protestants in -those days when their priests were more -zealous and longer-winded. At the end of -what is properly called the morning service, -though on the Sunday it is but the -first part of three, a portion of the Psalms -in vile verse, is given out by the clerk, and -sung by the whole congregation: the organ -seems to have been introduced in all -opulent churches to hide the hideous discord -of so many untuned and unmusical -voices, and overpower it by a louder strain. -A second part follows, which is usually -performed beside the altar, but this is at -the option of the officiating priest; in this -the congregation and their leader have -little more to do than to cry Amen, except -that they repeat the Nicene Creed; this -part also is terminated by psalm-singing, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_204'>204</span>during which the priest exchanges his -white vestment for a black one, and ascends -the pulpit. He begins with a short -prayer, of which the form is left to himself; -then proceeds to the sermon. In -old times the sermon was a serious thing, -both for the preacher and the hearers; the -more, the better, was the maxim in the -days of fanaticism, and when the sands of -one hour were run out the people heard -with pleasure the invitation of the preacher -to take another glass with him. But times -are changed; the hour-glass has disappeared, -the patience of a congregation is now -understood to last twenty minutes, and in -this instance short measure is preferred. -Immediately after the valediction the organ -strikes up a loud peal, with much propriety, -as it drowns the greetings and salutations -which pass from one person to another. -The Litany and the whole of the second -part are omitted in the evening service.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Thus you perceive, that having apostatized -and given up the essentials of religion, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_205'>205</span>the schismatics have deprived divine -service of its specific meaning and motive. -It is no longer a sacrifice for the people. -The congregation assemble to say prayers -which might as well be said in their oratories, -and to hear sermons which might -more conveniently be read at home. Nothing -is done which might not be done -with the same propriety in a chamber as -in a church, and by a layman as by a -priest.</p> - -<p class='c011'>A curious legal form is observed in the -midst of the service; the priest reads a list -of all the persons in the parish who are -about to be married. This is done three -successive Sundays, that if any person -should be acquainted with any existing -impediment to the marriage, he may declare -it in time. The better classes avoid -this publicity by obtaining a license at easy -expense. Those of high rank choose to -be married at their own houses, a license -for which can be obtained from only the -primate. In Scotland, where the schismatics -<span class='pageno' id='Page_206'>206</span>succeeded in abolishing all the decencies -as well as the ornaments of religion, -this is the universal practice; the -sacrament of marriage may be celebrated -in any place, and by any person, in that -country, and the whole funeral ceremony -there consists in digging a hole, and putting -the body into it!</p> - -<p class='c011'>Of the service of this heretical church, -such as it is, the sermon seems to be regarded -as the most important part; children -are required to remember the text, and -it is as regular a thing for the English to -praise the discourse when they are going -out of church, as it is to talk of their health -immediately before, and of the weather immediately -afterwards. The founders of -the schism did not foresee the inconvenience -of always attaching this appendage -to prayers and forms which the Fathers -of the church indited and enacted under -the grace of the Holy Spirit, and which -even they had grace enough to leave uncorrupted, -though not unmutilated. To -<span class='pageno' id='Page_207'>207</span>go through these forms and offer up these -petitions requires in the priest nothing -more than the commonest learning; it is, -indeed, one of the manifold excellencies of -the true church, that the service can neither -be made better nor worse by him who -performs it. But here, where a main part -consists of composition merely human, -which is designed to edify and instruct the -people, more knowledge and more talents -are necessary than it is reasonable to expect -in every priest, or indeed possible to find. -You may suppose that this inconvenience -is easily remedied, that only those persons -would be licensed to preach whom the -bishop had approved as well qualified, and -that all others would be enjoined to read -the discourses of those schismatical doctors -whom their schismatical church had sanctioned. -Something like this was at first -intended, and a book of homilies set forth -by authority. Happily these have become -obsolete. I say happily, because, having -been composed in the first years of the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_208'>208</span>schism, they abound with calumnies -against the faith. The people now expect -original composition from their priests, -let their ability be what it may; it would -be regarded as a confession of incapacity -to take a book into the pulpit; and you -may well suppose, if we in Spain have -more preachers than are good, what it -must be in a country where every priest -is one.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The sermon is read, not recited, nor delivered -extemporaneously; which is one -main difference between the regular English -clergy and the sectarians. It has become -a branch of trade to supply the priests -with discourses, and sermons may be bespoken -upon any subject, at prices proportioned -to the degree of merit required, which is -according to the rank of the congregation -to whom they are to be addressed. One -clergyman of Cambridge has assisted his -weaker brethren, by publishing outlines -which they may fill up, and which he calls -skeletons of sermons; another of higher -<span class='pageno' id='Page_209'>209</span>rank, to accommodate them still further, -prints discourses at full, in the written alphabet, -so as to appear like manuscript to -such of the congregation as may chance to -see them. The manuscripts of a deceased -clergyman are often advertised for sale, -and it is usually added to the notice, that -they are warranted original; that is, that -no other copies have been sold, which -might betray the secret. These shifts, -however, are not resorted to by the more -respectable clergy; it is not uncommon -for these to enter into a commercial treaty -with their friends of the profession, and -exchange their compositions. But even -with this reinforcement, the regular stock -is usually but scanty; and if the memory -of the parishioners be good enough to last -two years, or perhaps half the time, they -recognise their old acquaintance at their -regular return.</p> - -<p class='c011'>If, however, this custom be burthensome -to one part of the clergy, they who have -enough talents to support more vanity -<span class='pageno' id='Page_210'>210</span>fail not to profit by it, and London is never -without a certain number of popular -preachers. I am not now speaking of those -who are popular among the sectarians, or -because they introduce sectarian doctrines -into the church; but of that specific character -among the regular English clergy, -which is here denominated a popular -preacher. You may well imagine, that, as -the tree is known by its fruits, I have not -a Luis de Granada, nor an Antonio Vieyra, -to describe. Thread-bare garments of religious -poverty, eyes weakened by incessant -tears of contrition, or of pious love, -and cheeks withered by fasting and penitence, -would have few charms for that -part of the congregation for whom the popular -preacher of London curls his forelock, -studies gestures at his looking-glass, -takes lessons from some stage-player in -his chamber, and displays his white hand -and white handkerchief in the pulpit. The -discourse is in character with the orator; -nothing to rouse a slumbering conscience, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_211'>211</span>nothing to alarm the soul at a sense of its -danger, no difficulties expounded to confirm -the wavering, no mighty truths enforced -to rejoice the faithful,—to look for -theology here would be<a id='r15' /><a href='#f15' class='c018'><sup>[15]</sup></a> seeking pears -from the elm;—only a little smooth morality, -such as Turk, Jew, or Infidel, may -listen to without offence, sparkling with -metaphors and similes, and rounded off -with a text of scripture, a scrap of poetry, -or, better than either, a quotation from -Ossian.—To have a clergy exempt from -the frailties of human nature is impossible; -but the true church has effectually secured -hers from the vanities of the world: we -may sometimes have to grieve, because the -wolf has put on the shepherd’s cloak, but -never can have need to blush at seeing the -monkey in it.</p> - -<div class='footnote c019' id='f15'> -<p class='c017'><span class='label'><a href='#r15'>15</a>. </span>Pedir peras al olmo.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>These gentlemen have two ends in view, -the main one is to make a fortune by marriage,—one -of the evils this of a married -<span class='pageno' id='Page_212'>212</span>clergy. It was formerly a doubt whether -the red coat or the black one, the soldier -or the priest, had the best chance with the -ladies; if on the one side there was valour, -there was learning on the other; but -since volunteering has made scarlet so common, -black carries the day;—<i>cedunt arma -togæ</i>. The customs of England do not -exclude the clergyman from any species -of amusement; the popular preacher is to -be seen at the theatre, and at the horse-race, -bearing his part at the concert and -the ball, making his court to old ladies at -the card-table, and to young ones at the -harpsichord: and in this way, if he does -but steer clear of any flagrant crime or irregularity, -(which is not always the case; -for this order, in the heretical hierarchy, -has had more than one Lucifer,) he generally -succeeds in finding some widow, or -waning spinster, with weightier charms -than youth and beauty.</p> - -<p class='c011'>His other object is to obtain what is -called a lectureship, in some wealthy parish; -<span class='pageno' id='Page_213'>213</span>that is, to preach an evening sermon -on Sundays, at a later hour than the -regular service, for which the parishioners -pay by subscription. As this is an addition -to the established service, at the choice of -the people, and supported by them at a -voluntary expense, the appointment is in -their hands as a thing distinct from the -cure; it is decided by votes, and the election -usually produces a contest, which is -carried on with the same ardour, and leaves -behind it the same sort of dissension among -friends and neighbours, as a contested election -for parliament. But the height of the -popular preacher’s ambition is to obtain a -chapel of his own, in which he rents out -pews and single seats by the year; and -here he does not trust wholly to his own -oratorical accomplishments; he will have -a finer-tuned organ than his neighbour, -singers better trained, double doors, and -stoves of the newest construction, to keep -it comfortably warm. I met one of these -chapel-proprietors in company; self-complacency, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_214'>214</span>good humour, and habitual assentation -to every body he met with, had -wrinkled his face into a perpetual smile. -He said he had lately been expending all -his ready money in religious purposes; this -he afterwards explained as meaning that -he had been fitting up his chapel; “and -I shall think myself very badly off,” he -added, “if it does not bring me in fifty -per cent.”</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c002' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_215'>215</span> - <h2 id='ch20' class='c008'>LETTER XX.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c015'><i>Irreverence of the English towards the Virgin -Mary and the Saints.—Want of Ceremonies -in their Church.—Festival Dainties.—Traces -of Catholicism in their Language -and Oaths.—Disbelief of Purgatory.—Fatal -Consequences of this Error.—Supposed -Advantages of the Schism examined.—Clergy -not so numerous as formerly.</i></p> -<p class='c010'>The religion of the English approaches -more nearly than I had supposed, in its -doctrines, to the true faith; so nearly indeed, -in some instances, that it would -puzzle these heretics to explain the difference, -or to account for it where it exists. -With respect to the holiest sacrament, -they admit that the body and blood of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_216'>216</span>Christ is verily and indeed taken, and yet -they deny the real presence. They give -absolution regularly in their church service, -upon a public and general confession, -which is equivalent to no confession -at all. They accredit the miracles of the -first two or three centuries, and no others; -as if miracles were not just as well authenticated, -and just as necessary, in succeeding -ages, or, as if it were possible to say. -Thus far shalt thou believe, and no further. -They profess to believe in the communion -of saints, though in fact they believe -not in the saints; and they say that -the Holy Catholic Church subsisted in the -Waldenses and Albigenses, for to these -miserable wretches they trace the origin -of the great schism. It is as extraordinary -as it is lamentable, to see how they have -reduced every thing to a mere <i>caput mortuum</i>.</p> -<p class='c011'>One of the things which most indicates -their blindness, is their total want of all reverence -for Mary, the most pure. Believing -<span class='pageno' id='Page_217'>217</span>her to be indeed the immaculate mother of -God, they honour her with no festivals, no -service, not a single prayer; nor have they -the slightest feeling of adoration or love for -a being so infinitely lovely and adorable. -The most obscure saint in the calendar has -more respect in Spain, than is shown here -to the most holy Virgin! St Joseph is never -mentioned, nor thought of; they scarcely -seem to know that such a person ever -existed. The Apostles are just so far noticed -that no business is transacted at the -public offices upon their festivals, and this -is all; no procession is made, nobody goes -to church; in fact, nobody remembers that -the day is a festival, except the clerks, who -find it a holyday; for these words are not -synonymous in England. Holyday means -nothing more here than a day of cessation -from business, and a school-boy’s vacation. -The very meaning of the word is -forgotten.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Nothing can be conceived more cold -<span class='pageno' id='Page_218'>218</span>and unimpassioned and uninteresting than -all the forms of this false Church. No -vestments except the surplice and the cassock, -the one all white, the other all black, -to which the Bishops add nothing but -lawn sleeves. Only a single altar, and that -almost naked, without one taper, and without -the great and adorable Mystery. Rarely -a picture, no images, the few which the -persecutors left in the niches of the old -cathedrals are mutilated; no lamps, no -crucifix, not even a cross to be seen. If -it were not for the Creed and the Ten -Commandments which are usually written -over the altar, one of these heretical places -of worship might as soon be taken for a -mosque as for a church. The service is -equally bald; no genuflections, no crossings, -no incense, no elevation; and their -music, when they have any, is so monstrous, -that it seems as if the Father of -Heresy had perverted their ears as well as -their hearts.</p> - -<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_219'>219</span>The Church festivals, however, are not -entirely unobserved; though the English -will not pray, they will eat; and, accordingly, -they have particular dainties for all -the great holydays. On Shrove Tuesday -they eat what they call pancakes, which are -a sort of wafer fried or made smaller and -thicker with currants or apples, in which -case they are called fritters. For Mid -Lent Sunday they have huge plum-cakes, -crusted with sugar like snow; for Good -Friday, hot bunns marked with a cross -for breakfast; the only relic of religion -remaining among all their customs. These -bunns will keep for ever without becoming -mouldy, by virtue of the holy sign -impressed upon them. I have also been -credibly informed, that in the province of -Herefordshire a pious woman annually -makes two upon this day, the crumbs of -which are a sovereign remedy for diarrhœa. -People come far and near for this precious -medicine, which has never been known to -fail; yet even miracles produce no effect. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_220'>220</span>On the feast of St Michael the Archangel, -every body must eat goose for dinner; and -on the Nativity, turkey, with what they -call Christmas pies. They have the cakes -again on the festival of the Kings.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Some traces of Catholicism may occasionally -be observed in their language. -Their words Christmas and Candlemas -show that there was once a time when -they were in the right way. The five -wounds are corrupted into a passionate -exclamation, of which, they who use it -know not the awful meaning. There is -another instance so shocking as well as -ridiculous that I almost tremble to write -it. The word for swine in this language -differs little in its pronunciation from the -word <i>Pix</i>; it is well known how infamous -these people have at all times been for the -practice of swearing: they have retained -an oath by this sacred vessel, and yet so -completely forgotten even the meaning of -the word, that they say, Please the Pigs, -instead of the Pix. They also still preserve -<span class='pageno' id='Page_221'>221</span>in their oaths the names of some -Pagan Divinities whom their fathers worshipped, -and of whom perhaps no other -traces remain. The Deuce is one, the -Lord-Harry another: there is also the Living -Jingo, Gor, and Goles. The Pagan -Goths had no such idols; so probably -these were adored by the Celtic inhabitants -of the island.</p> - -<p class='c011'>With us every thing is calculated to -remind us of religion. We cannot go -abroad without seeing some representation -of Purgatory, some cross which marks a -station, an image of Mary the most pure, -or a crucifix,—without meeting priest, -or monk, or friar, a brotherhood busy -in their work of charity, or the most holy -Sacrament under its canopy borne to redeem -and sanctify the dying sinner. In -your chamber the bells of the church or -convent reach your ear, or the voice of -one begging alms for the souls, or the -chaunt of the priests in procession. Your -babe’s first plaything is his nurse’s rosary. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_222'>222</span>The festivals of the Church cannot pass -unnoticed, because they regulate the economy -of your table; and they cannot be -neglected without reproof from the confessor, -who is as a father to every individual -in the family. There is nothing of all this -in England. The clergy here are as little -distinguished from the laity in their dress -as in their lives; they are confined to -black, indeed, but with no distinction of -make, and black is a fashionable colour; -the only difference is, that they wear no -tail, though their heads are ornamented -with as much care as if they had never -been exhorted to renounce the vanities of -the world. Here are no vespers to unite -a whole kingdom at one time in one feeling -of devotion; if the bells are heard, it -is because bell-ringing is the popular music. -As for Purgatory, it is well known that all -the heretics reject it: by some inconceivable -absurdity they believe that sin may deserve -eternal punishment, and yet cannot -deserve any thing short thereof,—as if there -<span class='pageno' id='Page_223'>223</span>were no degrees of criminality. In like -manner they deny all degrees of merit, -confining the benefit of every man’s good -works to himself; confounding thus all -distinctions of piety; or, to speak more -truly, denying that there is any merit in -good works; that is, that good works can -be good; and thus they take away all motive -for goodness.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Oh how fatal is this error to the living -and to the dead! An Englishman has as -little to do with religion in his death as in -his life. No tapers are lighted, no altar -prepared, no sacrifice performed, no confession -made, no absolution given, no unction -administered; the priest rarely attends; -it is sufficient to have the doctor and the -nurse by the sick bed; so the body be attended, -the soul may shift for itself. Every -thing ends with the funeral; they think -prayers for the dead of no avail: and in -this, alas! they are unwittingly right, for it -is to be feared their dead are in the place -from whence there is no redemption.</p> - -<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_224'>224</span>All the ties which connect us with the -World of Spirits are cut off by this tremendous -heresy. If prayers for the dead -were of no further avail than as the consolation -of the living, their advantage would -even then he incalculable; for, what consolation -can be equal to the belief that -we are by our own earnest expressions of -piety alleviating the sufferings of our departed -friends, and accelerating the commencement -of their eternal happiness! -Such a belief rouses us from the languor -of sorrow to the performance of this active -duty, the performance of which brings -with it its own reward: we know that they -for whom we mourn and intercede are -sensible of these proofs of love, and that -from every separate prayer thus directed -they derive more real and inestimable benefit, -than any services, however essential, -could possibly impart to the living. -And what a motive is this for us to train -up our children in the ways of righteousness, -that they in their turn may intercede -<span class='pageno' id='Page_225'>225</span>for us when we stand most in need of intercession! -Alas! the accursed Luther and -his accomplices seem to have barred up -every avenue to Heaven.</p> - -<p class='c011'>They, however, boast of the advantages -obtained by the Schism, which they think -proper to call the Reformation. The three -points on which they especially congratulate -themselves are, the privilege of having -the Scriptures in their own tongue; -of the cup for the congregation, and of -the marriage of the clergy. As for the -first, it is altogether imaginary: the church -does not prohibit its members from translating -the Bible, it only enjoins that they -translate from the approved version of the -Vulgate, lest any errors should creep in -from ignorance of the sacred language, or -misconception, or misrepresentation; and -the wisdom of this injunction has been -sufficiently evinced. The privilege of the -cup might be thought of little importance -to a people who think so lightly of the -Eucharist; but as they have preserved so -<span class='pageno' id='Page_226'>226</span>few sacraments, they are right to make the -most of what they have. The marriage -of the clergy has the effect of introducing -poverty among them, and rendering it, instead -of a voluntary virtue, the punishment -of an heretical custom. Most of the inferior -clergy are miserably poor: nothing, -indeed, can be conceived more deplorable -than the situation of those among them -who have large families. They are debarred -by their profession from adding to -their scanty stipends by any kind of labour; -and the people, knowing nothing -of religious poverty, regard poverty at all -times more as a crime than a misfortune, -and would despise an apostle if he came -to them in rags.</p> - -<p class='c011'>During the last generation, it was the -ambition of those persons in the lower -ranks of society who were just above the -peasantry, to make one of their sons a -clergyman, if they fancied he had a talent -for learning. But times have changed, -and the situation of a clergyman who has -<span class='pageno' id='Page_227'>227</span>no family interest is too unpromising to be -any longer an object of envy. They who -would have adventured in the church formerly, -now become commercial adventurers: -in consequence, commerce is now far -more overstocked with adventurers than -ever the church has been, and men are -starving as clerks instead of as curates. I -have heard that the master of one of the -free grammar-schools, who, twenty years -ago, used to be seeking what they call curacies -for his scholars, and had always -many more expectants than he could supply -with churches, has now applications -for five curates, and cannot find one to accept -the situation. On the contrary, a person -in this great city advertised lately for -a clerk; the salary was by no means large, -nor was the situation in other respects -particularly desirable, yet he had no fewer -than ninety applicants.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c002' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_228'>228</span> - <h2 id='ch21' class='c008'>LETTER XXI.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c015'><i>Show of Tulips.—Florists.—Passion for Rarities -in England.—Queen Anne’s Farthings.—Male -Tortoise-shell Cat.—Collectors.—The -King of Collectors.</i></p> -<p class='c010'>Yesterday I went to see a show of tulips, -as it is called, about three miles from -town. The bed in which they were arranged, -each in its separate pot, was not -less than fifty <i>varas</i> in length, covered -with a linen awning the whole way, and -with linen curtains at the sides, to be let -down if the wind should be violent, or the -rain beat in. The first sight of this long -gallery of flowers was singular and striking; -and faint as the odour of the tulip is, -the many thousands which were here collected -<span class='pageno' id='Page_229'>229</span>together, formed a very perceptible -and sweet fragrance. The few persons -present were brother florists, or amateurs -of the science, and the exhibitor himself -was a character quite new to me. Never -before had I seen such perfect and complete -enjoyment as this man took in his -tulips; he did not seem to have a single -wish, or thought, or idea beyond them; -his whole business from one end of the -year to the other was to nurse them up, -and here they were in full bloom and -beauty. The price of one, he told us, was -twenty guineas, another only ten; some -were forty, fifty, as high as a hundred; -there was one on which no price could be -set,—he did not know its value,—indeed -it was invaluable. We saw Julius Cæsar, -and the Great Mogul, and Bonaparte, and -St George, and the Duke of Marlborough. -“This,” said he, “is poor Louis XVI.;—here’s -Pompey;—that’s Washington; he’s -a grand fellow!” and he looked up in our -faces with a feeling so simple, and so serious, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_230'>230</span>that it was evident his praise was solely designed -for the flower. I ventured to admire -one, and, as you may suppose, only betrayed -my ignorance; it was a vulgar flower, and -had no name; they told me it was <i>streaky</i>, -by which term they meant that it was veined -with colours which spread into the white -part of the leaf, and faded away;—the -very thing for which I had admired it. It -seems, the perfection of a tulip consists in -its form; the lips of the cup should just -incline inwards, and just be tipt with a colour -which does not diffuse itself. When -I knew their standard of perfection, I began -to see with the eyes of a connoisseur, -and certainly discovered beauties which -would never have been perceptible to me -in my state of ignorance.</p> -<p class='c011'>He and his man, he told us, sat up alternately -to watch the garden; yet, notwithstanding -their vigilance, some thieves -had got in a few nights before:—“The -fools!” said he, “they took about fifty -yards of the cloth before they were disturbed, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_231'>231</span>but never touched one of the tulips.” -His man appeared to be as devoutly attached -to the pursuit as himself. I never saw -such complete happiness, as both these men -felt in beholding the perfections of their -year’s labour, such sober and deep delight -as was manifest in every word and gesture.—Never -let me be told again that the pursuit -of happiness is vain.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The tulip mania of the Dutch never -raged in England, whatever you might -imagine from this specimen; yet I have -heard of one old gentleman who never was -half a dozen leagues from his birth-place -during his whole life, except once, when -he went to Holland to purchase roots. -There may be amateurs enough to make -it not an expensive pursuit for the florist; -and perhaps the number of persons, who, -like us, give a shilling to see the exhibition, -may be sufficient to pay for the -awning; but I should think it can never be -pursued for profit. The carnation, the ranunculus, -and the auricula, have each their -<span class='pageno' id='Page_232'>232</span>devotees, who have meetings to exhibit -their choice specimens, and prizes for the -most beautiful. These bring those flowers -to a wonderful perfection, yet this perfection -is less wonderful than the pains by -which it is procured. Akin to the florists -are the Columbarians or pigeon-fanciers, -and the butterfly-breeders or Aurelians.—Even -as any thing may become the object -of superstition, an onion or a crocodile, -an ape or an ape’s tooth, so also any thing -does for a pursuit; and all that is to be regretted -is, that the ordinary pursuits of -mankind are not as innocent as that of -these experimental Minorites or Minims.</p> - -<p class='c011'>There is, perhaps, no country in which -the passion for collecting rarities is so prevalent -as in England. The wealth of the -kingdom, the rapidity with which intelligence -is circulated, and the facility with -which things are conveyed from one end -of the island to the other, are instrumental -causes; but the main cause must -be the oddity of the people themselves. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_233'>233</span>There is a popular notion which has originated, -Heaven knows how, that, a Queen -Anne’s farthing (the smallest coin they -have) is worth 500<i>l.</i>; and some little -while ago, an advertisement appeared in -the newspapers offering one for sale at this -price. This at once excited the hopes of -every body who possessed one of these -coins, for there are really so many in existence -that the fictitious value is little or nothing. -Other farthings were speedily announced -to be sold by private contract,—go -where you would, this was the topic of -conversation. The strange part of the -story is to come. A man was brought before -the magistrates charged by a soldier -with having assaulted him on the highway, -and robbed him of eight pounds, -some silver, and a Queen Anne’s farthing. -The man protested his innocence, and -brought sufficient proof of it. Upon further -investigation it was discovered that -some pettifogging lawyer, as ignorant as -he was villainous, had suborned the soldier -<span class='pageno' id='Page_234'>234</span>to bring this false accusation against an -innocent man, in the hopes of hanging -him, and getting possession of the farthing. -Unbelievable as you may think this, -I have the most positive testimony of its -truth.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Another vulgar notion is, that there is -no such thing as a male tortoise-shell-coloured -cat. Some fortunate person, however, -has just given notice that he is in -possession of such a curiosity, and offers -to treat with the virtuosos for the sale of -this <i>rara avis</i>, as he literally calls it. -They call the male cats in this country -Thomas, and the male asses either Edward -or John. I cannot learn the reason of -this strange custom.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The passion for old china is confined -to old women, and indeed is almost extinct. -Medals are in less request since -science has become fashionable; or perhaps -the pursuit is too expensive; or it requires -more knowledge than can be acquired -easily enough by those who wish for the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_235'>235</span>reputation of knowledge without the trouble -of acquiring it. Minerals are now the -most common objects of pursuit; engraved -portraits form another, since a -clergyman some forty years ago published -a biographical account of all persons whose -likenesses had been engraved in England. -This is a mischievous taste, for you rarely -or never meet an old book here with the -author’s head in it; all are mutilated by -the collectors; and I have heard that still -more mischievous collections of engraved -title-pages have been begun. The book-collectors -are of a higher order,—not that -their pursuit necessarily implies knowledge; -it is the love of possessing rarities, -or the pleasure of pursuit, which in most -cases actuates them;—one person who -had spent many years in collecting large -paper copies, having obtained nearly all -which had ever been thus printed, sold the -whole collection for the sake of beginning -to collect them again. I shall bring -home an English bookseller’s catalogue as -<span class='pageno' id='Page_236'>236</span>a curiosity: every thing is specified that -can tempt these curious purchasers: the -name of the printer, if he be at all famous; -even the binder, for in this art they certainly -are unrivalled. The size of the -margin is of great importance. I could -not conceive what was meant by <i>a tall -copy</i>, till this was explained to me. If -the leaves of an old book have never been -cut smooth its value is greatly enhanced; -but if it should happen that they have -never been cut open, the copy becomes -inestimable.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The good which these collectors do is, -that they preserve volumes which would -otherwise perish; and this out-balances -the evil which they have done in increasing -the price of old books ten and twenty -fold. One person will collect English -poetry, another Italian, a third classics, a -fourth romances; for the wiser sort go -upon the maxim of having something of -every thing, and every thing of something. -They are in general sufficiently -<span class='pageno' id='Page_237'>237</span>liberal in permitting men of letters to -make use of their collections: which are -not only more complete in their kind than -could be found in the public libraries of -England, but are more particularly useful -in a country where the public libraries are -rendered almost useless by absurd restrictions -and bad management, and where -there are no convents. The want of convents -is, if only in this respect, a national -misfortune.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The species of minor collectors are very -numerous. Some ten years ago many -tradesmen issued copper money of their -own, which they called tokens, and which -bore the arms of their respective towns, or -their own heads, or any device which -pleased them. How worthless these pieces -must in general have been, you may judge, -when I tell you that their current value -was less than two <i>quartos</i>. They became -very numerous; and as soon as it was -difficult to form a complete collection,—for -while it was easy nobody thought it -<span class='pageno' id='Page_238'>238</span>worth while,—the collectors began the -pursuit. The very worst soon became the -most valuable, precisely because no person -had ever preserved them for their beauty. -Will you believe me when I tell you that a -series of engravings of these worthless coins -was actually begun, and that a cabinet of -them sold for not less than fifty pieces of -eight? When the last new copper currency -was issued, a shopkeeper in the country -sent for a hundred pounds worth from the -mint, on purpose that he might choose out -a good specimen for himself. Some few -geniuses have struck out paths for themselves; -one admits no work into his library -if it extends beyond a single volume; one -is employed in collecting play-bills, another -in collecting tea-pots, another in -hunting for visiting cards, another in -forming a list of remarkable surnames, -another more amusingly in getting specimens -of every kind of wig that has been -worn within the memory of man. But the -King of Collectors is a gentleman in one -<span class='pageno' id='Page_239'>239</span>of the provinces, who with great pains -and expense procures the halters which -have been used at executions: these he -arranges round his museum in chronological -order, labelling each with the name -of the criminal to whom it belonged, the -history of his offence, and the time and -place of his execution. In the true spirit -of virtù, he ought to hang himself, and -leave his own halter to complete the collection.</p> - -<p class='c011'>You will not wonder if mean vices -should sometimes be found connected -with such mean pursuits. The collectors -are said to acknowledge only nine commandments -of the ten, rejecting the -eighth.<a id='r16' /><a href='#f16' class='c018'><sup>[16]</sup></a> At the sale of a virtuoso’s effects, -a single shell was purchased at a very -<span class='pageno' id='Page_240'>240</span>high price; the buyer held it up to the -company: “There are but two specimens -of this shell,” said he, “known to be in -existence, and I have the other;”—and -he set his foot upon it and crushed it to -pieces.</p> - -<div class='footnote c019' id='f16'> -<p class='c017'><span class='label'><a href='#r16'>16</a>. </span>In the original it is said the seventh. The Catholics -reject the second commandment, and make -up the number by dividing the tenth into two. Their -seventh therefore is our eighth, and has accordingly -been so translated.—<span class='sc'>Tr.</span></p> -</div> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c002' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_241'>241</span> - <h2 id='ch22' class='c008'>LETTER XXII.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c015'><i>English Coins.—Paper Currency.—Frequent -Executions for Forgery.—Dr Dodd.—Opinion -that Prevention is the End of Punishment.—This -End not answered by the Frequency -of Executions.—Plan for the Prevention -of Forgery rejected by the Bank.</i></p> -<p class='c010'>English money is calculated in pounds, -shillings, pence, and farthings; four farthings -making one penny, twelve pence -one shilling, twenty shillings one pound. -Four shillings and sixpence is the value of -the <i>peso-duro</i> at <i>par</i>. It is in one respect -better than our money, because it is the -same over the whole kingdom.</p> -<p class='c011'>As the value of money has gradually -lessened, the smallest denominations of -coin have every where disappeared. The -<span class='pageno' id='Page_242'>242</span>farthing is rarely seen; and as the penny, -which was formerly an imaginary coin, -has within these few years been issued, it -will soon entirely disappear, just as the -mite or half farthing has disappeared before -it. A coin of new denomination always -raises the price of those things which -are just below its value; the seller finding -it profitable as well as convenient to avoid -fractions. The penny is a handsome -piece of money, though of uncomfortable -weight, being exactly an English ounce; -so that in receiving change you have frequently -a quarter of a pound of copper to -carry in your pocket:—the legend is indented -on a raised rim; and by this means -both the legend and the stamp are less -liable to be effaced. For the same reason -a slight concavity is given to the half-penny. -In other respects these pieces are -alike, bearing the king’s head on one side, -and on the other a figure of Britannia sitting -on the shore, and holding out an olive -branch.</p> - -<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_243'>243</span>The silver coins are four: the crown, -which is five shillings, and the half-crown, -the shilling, and the sixpence or half-shilling. -The silver groat, which is four -pence, and silver penny, were once current; -but though these, with the silver -three pence and half-groat, are still coined, -they never get into circulation. Those -which get abroad are given to children, and -laid by for their rarity. The crown piece -in like manner, when met with, is usually -laid aside; it is the size of our dollar, and -has, like it, on one side the head of the -sovereign, on the other the arms of the -kingdom; but the die, though far from -good, is better than ours. Nothing, however, -can be so bad as the other silver -coins; that is, all which are in use. The -sixpence, though it should happen not to -be a counterfeit, is not worth one-fourth -of its nominal value; it is a thin piece of -crooked silver, which seldom bears the -slightest remains of any impress. The -shillings also are worn perfectly smooth, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_244'>244</span>though not otherwise defaced; they are -worth about half their current value. The -coiners are not contented with cent. per -cent. profit for issuing good silver, for -which the public would be much indebted -to them whatever the government might -be, silver being inconveniently scarce; they -pour out base money in abundance, and it -requires more circumspection than I can -boast to avoid the loss which is thus occasioned. -The half-crown approaches nearer -its due weight; and it is more frequently -possible to trace upon it the head of -Charles II., or James, of William, or -Queen Anne, the earliest and latest princes -whose silver is in general circulation.</p> - -<p class='c011'>A new coinage of silver has been wanted -and called for time out of mind. The -exceeding difficulty attending the measure -still prevents it. For, if the old silver were -permitted to be current only for a week -after the new was issued, all the new would -be ground smooth and re-issued in the -same state as the old, as indeed has been -<span class='pageno' id='Page_245'>245</span>done with all the silver of the two last -reigns. And if any temporary medium -were substituted till the old money could -be called in, that also would be immediately -counterfeited. You can have no -conception of the ingenuity, the activity, -and the indefatigable watchfulness of roguery -in England.</p> - -<p class='c011'>There are three gold coins: the guinea, -which is twenty-one shillings, its half, and -its third. The difference between the -pound and guinea is absurd, and occasioned -some trouble at first to a foreigner -when accounts were calculated in the one -and paid in the other; but paper has now -become so general that this is hardly to be -complained of. Compared to the piece of -eight, the guinea is a mean and diminutive -coin. There are five-guinea pieces in existence, -which are only to be seen in the -cabinets of the curious. The seven-shilling -piece was first coined during the present -reign, and circulated but a few years ago: -there were such struck during the American -<span class='pageno' id='Page_246'>246</span>war, and never issued. I know not why. -One of these I have seen, which had never -been milled: the obverse was a lion standing -upon the crown, in this respect handsomer -than the present piece, which has the -crown and nothing else; indeed the die -was in every respect better. Both the -current gold and copper are almost exclusively -of the present reign. It may be -remarked, that the newest gold is in the -worst taste; armorial bearings appear best -upon a shield; they have discarded the -shield, and tied them round with the -garter. Medallie, that is, historical money, -has often been recommended; but it implies -too much love for the arts, and too -much attention to posterity, to be adopted -here. There has not been a good coin -struck in England since the days of Oliver -Cromwell.</p> - -<p class='c011'>There was no paper in circulation of less -than five pounds value till the stoppage of -the Bank during the late war. Bills of -one and two pounds were then issued, and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_247'>247</span>these have almost superseded guineas. -Upon the policy or impolicy of continuing -this paper money after the immediate -urgency has ceased, volumes and volumes -have been written. On one side it is asserted, -that the great increase of the circulating -medium, by lessening the value -of money raises the price of provisions, -and thus virtually operates as a heavy tax -upon all persons who do not immediately -profit by the banking trade. On the other -hand, the conveniences were detailed more -speciously than truly, and one advocate -even went so far as to entitle his pamphlet, -“Guineas an Incumbrance.” Setting the -political advantages or disadvantages aside, -as a subject upon which I am not qualified -to offer an opinion, I can plainly see that -every person dislikes these small notes; -they are less convenient than guineas in -the purse, and more liable to accidents. -You are also always in danger of receiving -forged ones; and if you do, the loss lies -at your own door, for the Bank refuses to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_248'>248</span>indemnify the holder. This injustice the -directors can safely commit: they know -their own strength with government, and -care little for the people; but the country -bankers, whose credit depends upon fair -dealing, pay their forged notes, and therefore -provincial bills are always preferred -in the country to those of the Bank of -England. The inconvenience in travelling -is excessive: you receive nothing but -these bills; and if you carry them a stage -beyond their sphere of circulation they become -useless.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The frequent executions for forgery in -England are justly considered by the humane -and thinking part of the people as -repugnant to justice, shocking to humanity, -and disgraceful to the nation. -Death has been the uniform punishment -in every case, though it is scarcely possible -to conceive a crime capable of so many -modifications of guilt in the criminal. -The most powerful intercessions have been -made for mercy, and the most powerful -<span class='pageno' id='Page_249'>249</span>arguments urged in vain; no instance has -ever yet been known of pardon. A Doctor -of Divinity was executed for it in the -early part of the present reign, who, though -led by prodigality to the commission of -the deed for which he suffered, was the -most useful as well as the most popular -of all their preachers. Any regard to his -clerical character was, as you may well -suppose, out of the question in this land -of schism; yet earnest entreaties were -made in his behalf. The famous Dr -Johnson, of whom the English boast as -the great ornament of his age, and as one -of the best and wisest men whom their -country has ever produced, and of whose -piety it will be sufficient praise to say that -he was almost a Catholic,—he strenuously -exerted himself to procure the pardon -of this unfortunate man, on the ground -that the punishment exceeded the measure -of the offence, and that the life of the offender -might usefully be passed in retirement -and penitence. Thousands who had -<span class='pageno' id='Page_250'>250</span>been benefited by his preaching petitioned -that mercy might be shown him, and the -Queen herself interceded, but in vain. -During the interval between his trial and -his execution he wrote a long poem entitled -Prison Thoughts; a far more extraordinary -effort of mind than the poem of -Villon, composed under similar circumstances, -for which, in an age of less humanity, -the life of the author was spared. -Had the punishment of Dr Dodd been -proportioned to his offence, he would have -been no object of pity; but when he suffered -the same death as a felon or a murderer, -compassion overpowered the sense -of his guilt, and the people universally -regarded him as the victim of a law inordinately -rigorous. It was long believed -that his life had been preserved by connivance -of the executioner; that a waxen figure -had been buried in his stead, and that -he had been conveyed over to the continent.</p> - -<p class='c011'>More persons have suffered for this offence -since the law has been enacted than -<span class='pageno' id='Page_251'>251</span>for any other crime. In all other cases -palliative circumstances are allowed their -due weight; this alone is the sin for which -there is no remission. No allowance is -made for the pressure of want, for the -temptation which the facility of the fraud -holds out, nor for the difference between -offences against natural or against political -law. More merciless than Draco, or than -those inquisitors who are never mentioned -in this country without an abhorrent expression -of real or affected humanity, the -commercial legislators of England are satisfied -with nothing but the life of the offender -who sins against the Bank, which -is their Holy of Holies. They sacrificed -for this offence one of the ablest engravers -in the kingdom, the inventor of the dotted -or chalk engraving. A mechanic has -lately suffered who had made a machine -to go without horses, and proved its success -by travelling in it himself about forty -leagues. A man of respectable family and -unblemished conduct has just been executed -<span class='pageno' id='Page_252'>252</span>in Ireland, because, when reduced -by unavoidable misfortunes to the utmost -distress, he committed a forgery to relieve -his family from absolute want.</p> - -<p class='c011'>There is an easy and effectual mode of -preventing the repetition of this offence, -by amputating the thumb; it seems one -of the few crimes for which mutilation -would be a fit punishment. But it is a part -of the English system to colonize with -criminals. It is not the best mode of colonizing; -nor, having adopted it, do they -manage it in the best manner. Of all -crimes, there should seem to be none for -which change of climate is so effectual a -cure as for forgery; and as there is none -which involves in itself so little moral depravity, -nor which is so frequently committed, -it is evident that these needless -executions deprive New South Wales of -those who would be its most useful members, -men of ingenuity, less depraved, and -better educated in general, than any other -convicts.</p> - -<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_253'>253</span>I have seen it recorded of some English -judge, that when he was about to sentence -a man to death for horse-stealing, the man -observed it was hard he should lose his life -for only stealing a horse; to which the -judge replied, “You are not to be hanged -for stealing a horse, but in order that horses -may not be stolen.” The reply was as unphilosophical -as unfeeling; but it is the -fashion among the English to assert that -prevention is the end of punishment, and -to disclaim any principle of vengeance, -though vengeance is the foundation of all -penal law, divine and human. Proceeding -upon this fallacious principle, they necessarily -make no attempt at proportioning -the punishment to the offence; and offences -are punished, not according to the -degree of moral guilt which they indicate -in the offender, but according to the facility -with which they can be committed, -and to their supposed danger in consequence -to the community. But even upon -this principle it is no longer possible to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_254'>254</span>justify the frequent executions for forgery; -the end of prevention is not answered, -and assuredly the experiment has -been tried sufficiently long, and sufficiently -often.</p> - -<p class='c011'>In other cases, offences are held more -venial as the temptation thereunto is -stronger, man being frail by nature; in -this the punishment is made heavier in -proportion to the strength of the temptation. -Surely, it is the duty of the Bank -Directors to render the commission of -forgery as difficult as possible. This is -not effected by adopting private marks in -their bills, which, as they are meant to be -private, can never enable the public to be -upon their guard. Such means may render -it impossible that a false bill should -pass undiscovered at the bank, but do not -in the slightest degree impede its general -circulation. What is required is something -so obvious that a common and uninstructed -eye shall immediately perceive -it; and nothing seems so likely to effect -<span class='pageno' id='Page_255'>255</span>this as a plan which they are said to have -rejected,—that in every bill there should -be two engravings, the one in copper, the -other in wood, each executed by the best -artists in his respective branch. It is obvious -that few persons would be able to -imitate either, and highly improbable that -any single one could execute both, or that -two persons sufficiently skilful should combine -together. As it now is, the engraving -is such as may be copied by the clumsiest -apprentice to the trade. The additional -expense which this plan would cost the -bank would be considerably less than what -it now expends in hanging men for an offence, -which could not be so frequent if it -was not so easy. The bank directors say -the Pater-noster in their own language, -but they seem to forget that one of the petitions -which He who best knew the heart -of man enjoined us to make is, that we may -not be led into temptation.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c002' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_256'>256</span> - <h2 id='ch23' class='c008'>LETTER XXIII.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c015'><i>Westminster Abbey.—Legend of its Consecration.—Its -single Altar in bad Taste.—Gothic -or English Architecture.—Monuments.— -Banks the Sculptor.—Wax-work.—Henry -the Seventh’s Chapel.—Mischievous Propensity -of the People to mutilate the Monuments.</i></p> -<p class='c010'>All persons who come to London, from -whatever part of the world they may, whether -English or foreigners, go to see Westminster -Abbey, the place of interment of -all illustrious men; kings, admirals, statesmen, -poets, philosophers, and divines, even -stage-players and musicians. There is perhaps -no other temple in the world where -such practical testimony is borne to the -truth, that “Death levels all distinctions, -except those of desert.”</p> -<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_257'>257</span>They continue to call this church an -Abbey, just as they continue to profess -their belief in the most holy Sacrament. -Originally it was the second religious establishment -in the island; and, since Glastonbury -has been desecrated and destroyed, -is now the first. Lucius, the first Christian -king of the Britons, founded it, to be -the burial-place of himself and his successors. -During the persecution of Diocletian, -it was converted into a temple of Apollo, -which Sebert, king of the East Saxons, -demolished, and built a church to the -honour of God and St Peter in its stead. -The place where it stands was then called -Thorney, and is said in a charter of king -Edgar’s to have been a dreadful place; -not so much, it is supposed, on account of -its rudeness, as because the wicked spirits -who were there worshipped had dominion -there. St Augustine, the apostle of the -Saxons, had baptized Sebert and his queen -Ethelgoda; and, being unable to remain -with them himself, consigned the care of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_258'>258</span>his converts to St Mellitus, a Roman abbot, -whom pope St Gregory the Great -had sent to his assistance, and whom he -consecrated bishop of London. This holy -bishop was to consecrate the new building; -but on the night before the ceremony -was to be performed, a fisherman, as he -was about to cast his nets in the river, -which runs within a stone’s throw of the -Abbey, was called to by one upon the opposite -bank, who desired to cross in his -boat. The fisherman accordingly wafted -him over, little knowing, sinful man, how -highly he was favoured, for this was the -blessed apostle St Peter. As soon as the -saint landed he entered the church, and -immediately a light brighter than the midday -sun illuminated it, and the fisherman, -almost bereft of his senses by fear, saw a -multitude of angels enter, and heard heavenly -music within, and perceived odours -far more delicious than any earthly fragrance. -In this state of terror St Peter -found him when he came out of the church, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_259'>259</span>and cheered him, and desired to be taken -back in the boat. When they were in the -middle of the river, the saint told him to -cast his net. He did so, and the draught -of fish was prodigious. Among them was -one large salmon: St Peter bade him take -this to St Mellitus, and keep the rest as his -fare, and added that he and his children -after him should always be prosperous in -their employment, provided that they paid -scrupulously the tithe of what they took, -and never attempted to fish upon the Sabbath -day. He bade him likewise tell the -bishop all that he had seen, and that St -Peter himself had consecrated the church, -and promised often to visit it, and to be -present there at the prayers of the faithful. -In the morning, as St Mellitus was going -in procession to perform the ceremony, -the fisherman met him, presented the fish, -and delivered the message. The appearance -of the church as soon as the doors -were opened fully verified his story. The -pavement was marked with Greek and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_260'>260</span>Latin letters; the walls anointed in twelve -places with holy oil; the twelve tapers -upon twelve crosses still burning, and the -aspersions not yet dry. That further testimony -might not be wanting, the fisherman -described the person whom he had seen to -St Mellitus, and the description perfectly -agreed with the authentic picture of the -apostle at Rome.</p> - -<p class='c011'>I need not tell you that this miracle is -suppressed by the heretical historians who -have written concerning this building. It is -their custom either to speak of such things -with a sarcasm, or to omit them altogether, -taking it for granted, that whatever -they in their wisdom do not believe, must -be false; as if it were not of importance -to know what has been believed, whether -it be true or not, and as if individual opinion -was to be the standard of truth.</p> - -<p class='c011'>During the ravages of the Danes the -abbey fell to decay. King St Edward the -Confessor rebuilt it upon a singular occasion. -This pious prince had made a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_261'>261</span>vow to God during his exile, that if ever he -should be restored to the kingdom of his -forefathers, he would make a pilgrimage to -Rome, and return his thanks at the throne -of St Peter. His subjects besought him not -to leave them in performance of this vow, -but to beg a dispensation from it; and this -the pope granted on condition that he -should build a new monastery to St Peter’s -honour, or rebuild an old one. At the same -time it was revealed to a holy man, that it -was God’s pleasure to have the abbey at -Westminster rebuilt. The king obeyed this -divine intimation, and gave the full tithe -of all his possessions to the work. The -tomb of this third founder still remains: -having been a king, he escaped some of -the insults which were committed against -the other English saints at the time of the -schism; and though his shrine was plundered, -his body was suffered to remain in -peace. But though the monument was -thus spared from the general destruction, -it has been defaced by that spirit of barbarous -<span class='pageno' id='Page_262'>262</span>curiosity, or wanton mischief, for -which these people are so remarkable.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The high altar is of Grecian architecture. -I ought to observe that in these -<i>reformed</i> churches, there is but one altar; -and if it had not been for an archbishop -whose head they cut off because -they thought him too superstitious, they -would have been without any altar at all. -The mixture of these discordant styles of -architecture has the worst effect imaginable; -and what is still more extraordinary, -this mark of bad taste is the production -of one of the ablest architects that England -ever produced, the celebrated Sir -Christopher Wren. But in his time it -was so much the fashion to speak with -contempt of whatever was Gothic, and to -despise the architecture of their forefathers, -that, if the nation could have -afforded money enough to have replaced -these edifices, there would not now have -been one remaining in the kingdom.—Luckily -the national wealth was at that -<span class='pageno' id='Page_263'>263</span>time employed in preserving the balance -of power and extending commerce, and -this evil was avoided. Since that age, -however, the English have learned better -than to treat the Gothic with contempt; -they have now discovered in it -so much elegance and beauty, that they -are endeavouring to change the barbarous -name, and, with feeling partiality to -themselves, claim the invention for their -own countrymen: it is therefore become -here an established article of Antiquarian -faith to believe that this architecture -is of native growth, and accordingly -it is denominated English architecture -in all the publications of the Antiquarian -Society. This point I am neither -bound to believe, nor disposed at present -to discuss.</p> - -<p class='c011'>This Abbey is a curious repository of -tombs, in which the progress of sculpture -during eight centuries may be traced. -Here may be seen the rude Saxon monument; -the Gothic in all its stages, from -<span class='pageno' id='Page_264'>264</span>its first rudiments to that perfection of -florid beauty which it had attained at the -Schism, and the monstrous combinations -which prevailed in the time of Elizabeth, -equally a heretic in her heterogeneous taste -and her execrable religion. After the great -rebellion, the change which had taken -place in society became as manifest in the -number as in the style of these memorials. -In the early ages of Christianity, only -saints and kings, and the founders of -churches were thought worthy of interment -within the walls of the house of God; -nobles were satisfied with a place in the -Galilee, and the people never thought of -monuments: it was enough for them to -rest in consecrated ground; and so their -names were written in the Book of Life, it -mattered not how soon they were forgotten -upon earth. The privilege of burial within -the church was gradually conceded to rank -and to literature; still, however, they who -had no pretensions to be remembered by -posterity were content to be forgotten. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_265'>265</span>The process may satisfactorily be traced in -the church whereof I am now writing, and -thus far it had reached at the time of the -Great Rebellion; during that struggle, few -monuments were erected; they who would -have been entitled to them were mostly on -the unsuccessful side, and the conquerors -had no respect for churches; instead of -erecting new tombs, their delight was to -deface the old. After the Restoration the -triumph of wealth began. The iron age -of England was over, and the golden one -commenced. An English author has written -an ingenious book, to show that the -true order of the four ages is precisely the -reverse of that in which the poets have -arranged them: the age in which riches -are paramount to every thing may well be -denominated the golden, but it remains to -be proved whether such an age of gold be -the best in the series. With the Restoration, -however, that golden age began. Money -was the passport to distinction during -life, and they who enjoyed this distinction -<span class='pageno' id='Page_266'>266</span>were determined to be remembered after -death, as long as inscriptions in marble -could secure remembrance. The church -walls were then lined with tablets; and -vain as the hope of thus perpetuating an -ignoble name may appear, it has succeeded -better than you would imagine; for every -county, city, and almost every town in -England has its particular history, and the -epitaphs in the churches and church-yards -form no inconsiderable part of their contents.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The numerous piles of marble which deface -the Abbey are crowded together, -without any reference to the style of the -building or the situation in which they are -placed; except two which flank the entrance -of the choir, and are made ornamental -by a similarity of form and size, -which has not confined the artist in varying -the design of each. One bears the -great name of Newton: he is represented -reclining upon a sarcophagus; above him -is Astronomy seated in an attitude of meditation -<span class='pageno' id='Page_267'>267</span>on a celestial globe. This globe, -which certainly occupies so large a space -as to give an idea of weight in the upper -part of the monument, seems principally -placed there to show the track of the comet -which appeared, according to Newton’s -calculation, in the year 1680. On a -tablet in the side of the sarcophagus is an -emblematic representation, in relief, of -some of the purposes to which he applied -his philosophy. The inscription concludes -curiously thus,</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c023'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>Sibi gratulentur mortales</div> - <div class='line'>Talem tantumque extitisse</div> - <div class='line'>Humani Generis Decus.</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c025'>The corresponding monument is in memory -of the Earl of Stanhope, as eminent -a warrior and statesman as Newton had -been a philosopher. He is represented in -Roman armour, reposing on a sarcophagus -also, and under a tent; on the top of which -a figure of Pallas seems at once to protect -him, and point him out as worthy of admiration. -Both these were designed by -<span class='pageno' id='Page_268'>268</span>an English artist, and executed by Michael -Rysbrack.</p> - -<p class='c011'>England has produced few good sculptors; -it would not be incorrect if I should -say none, with the exception of Mr Banks, -a living artist, whose best works are not -by any means estimated according to their -merit. I saw at his house a female figure -of Victory designed for the tomb of a naval -officer who fell in battle, as admirably -executed as any thing which has been produced -since the revival of the art. There -were also two busts there, the one of Mr -Hastings, late viceroy of India, the other -of the celebrated usurper Oliver Cromwell, -which would have done honour to the best -age of sculpture. Most of the monuments -in this church are wholly worthless in design -and execution, and the few which have -any merit are the work of foreigners.</p> - -<p class='c011'>One of the vergers went round with us; -a man whose lank stature and solemn deportment -would have suited the church in -its best days. When first I saw him in the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_269'>269</span>shadow he looked like one of the Gothic -figures affixed to a pillar; and when he -began to move, I could have fancied that -an embalmed corpse had risen from its cemetery -to say mass in one of the chauntries. -He led us with much civility and -solemnity to Edward the Confessor’s chapel, -and showed us there the tomb of that -holy king; the chairs in which the king -and queen are crowned; the famous coronation -stone, brought hither from Scotland, -and once regarded as the Palladium -of the royal line; and in the same chapel -certain waxen figures as large as life, and -in full dress. You have heard J— mention -the representation of the Nativity at -Belem; and exclaim against the degenerate -taste of the Portuguese, in erecting a -puppet-show among the tombs of their -kings. It was not without satisfaction that -I reminded him of this on my return from -Westminster Abbey, and told him I had -seen the wax-work.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The most interesting part of the edifice -<span class='pageno' id='Page_270'>270</span>is the chapel built by Henry VII. and called -by his name. At the upper end is the -bronze tomb of the founder, surrounded by -a Gothic screen, which was once richly ornamented -with statues in its various niches -and recesses, but most of these have been -destroyed. The whole is the work of Torregiano, -an Italian artist, who broke Michel -Angelo’s nose, and died in Spain under a -charge of heresy. Since the reign of Elizabeth, -no monument has been erected -to any of the English sovereigns: a proof -of the coldness which their baneful heresy -has produced in the national feeling. A -plain marble pavement covers the royal -dead in this splendid chapel, erected by -one of their ancestors. No one was here -to be interred who was not of the royal -family: Cromwell, however, the great -usurper, whose name is held in higher -estimation abroad than it seems to be in -his own country, was deposited here with -more than royal pomp. It was easier to -dispossess him from the grave than from -<span class='pageno' id='Page_271'>271</span>the throne; his bones were dug up by order -of Charles II. and gibbeted: poor vengeance -for a father dethroned and decapitated, -for his own defeat at Worcester, and -for twelve years of exile! The body of -Blake, which had been laid with merited -honours in the same vault, was also removed, -and turned into the church-yard: -if the removal was thought necessary, English -gratitude should at least have raised -a monument over the man who had raised -the English name higher than ever admiral -before him.</p> - -<p class='c011'>One thing struck me, in viewing this -church, as very remarkable. The monuments -which are within reach of a walking-stick -are all more or less injured, by -that barbarous habit which Englishmen -have of seeing by the sense of touch, if I -may so express myself. They can never -look at any thing without having it in the -hand, nor show it to another person without -touching it with a stick, if it is within -reach; I have even noticed in several collections -<span class='pageno' id='Page_272'>272</span>of pictures exposed for sale, a large -printed inscription requesting the connoisseurs -not to touch them. Besides this -odd habit, which is universal, there is prevalent -among these people a sort of mischievous -manual wit, by which mile-stones -are commonly defaced, directing-posts -broken, and the parapets of bridges thrown -into the river. Their dislike to a passage -in a book is often shewn by tearing the -leaf, or scrawling over the page, which differs -from them in political opinion. Here -is a monument to a Major André, who -was hanged by Washington as a spy: the -story was related in relief: it had not been -erected a month before some person struck -off Washington’s head by way of retaliation; -somebody of different sentiments -requited this by knocking off the head of -the major: so the two principal figures in -the composition are both headless! From -such depredations you might naturally suppose -that no care is taken of the church, -that stalls are set up in it, that old women -<span class='pageno' id='Page_273'>273</span>sell gingerbread nuts there, and porters -make it a thoroughfare, as is done in Hamburgh. -On the contrary, no person is -admitted to see the Abbey for less than two -shillings; and this money, which is collected -by twopences and sixpences, makes -part of the revenue of the subordinate -priests in this reformed church. There is -a strange mixture of greatness and littleness -in every thing in this country: for -this, however, there is some excuse to be -offered; from the mischief which is even -now committed, it is evident that, were -the public indiscriminately admitted, every -thing valuable in the church would soon -be destroyed.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c002' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_274'>274</span> - <h2 id='ch24' class='c008'>LETTER XXIV.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c015'><i>Complexion of the English contradictory -to their historical Theories.—Christian -Names, and their Diminutives.—System -of Surnames.—Names of the Months and -Days.—Friday the unlucky Day.—St Valentine.—Relics -of Catholicism.</i></p> -<p class='c010'>The prevalence of dark hair and dark -complexions among the English is a remarkable -fact in opposition to all established -theories respecting the peoplers of -the Island. We know that the Celts were -light or red-haired, with blue eyes, by the -evidence of history; and their descendants -in Wales, and Ireland, and Scotland, still -continue so. The Saxons, and Angles, -and Danes, were of the same complexion. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_275'>275</span>How is it then that the dark eyes and dark -hair of the south should predominate? -Could the Roman breed have been so generally -extended, or, did the Spanish colony -spread further than has been supposed? -Climate will not account for the -fact; there is not sun enough to ripen a -grape; and if the climate could have darkened -the Danes and Saxons, it would also -have affected the Welsh; but they retain -the marked character of their ancestors.</p> -<p class='c011'>The proper names afford no clue; they -are mostly indigenous, and the greater -number of local derivation. Of the baptismal -names the main proportion are Saxon -and Norman; John, Thomas, and -James, are the only common apostolical -ones; others indeed occur, but it is rather -unusual to meet with them. The Old -Testament has furnished a few; Hagiology -still fewer. Among the men, William -and John predominate; Mary and Anne, -among the women. In the northern provinces -I am told that the Catholic names -<span class='pageno' id='Page_276'>276</span>Agnes and Agatha are still frequent; and, -what is more extraordinary, our Spanish -Isabel, instead of Elizabeth.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Even these little things are affected by -revolutions of state and the change of manners, -as the storm which wrecks an Armada -turns the village weathercock. Thus the -partisans of the Stuarts preferred the names -of James and Charles for their sons; and -in the democratic families you now find -young Alfreds and Hampdens, Algernons -and Washingtons, growing up. Grace and -Prudence were common in old times -among the English ladies; I would not be -taken literally when I say that they are no -longer to be found among them, and that -Honour and Faith, Hope and Charity, -have disappeared as well. The continental -wars introduced Eugene, and Ferdinand, -and Frederick, into the parish registers; -and since the accession of the present family -you meet with Georges, Carolines, -and Charlottes, Augustuses and Augustas. -The prevailing appetite for novels has had -<span class='pageno' id='Page_277'>277</span>a very general effect. The manufacturers -of these precious commodities, as their -delicate ears could bear none but vocal terminations, -either rejected the plain names -of their aunts and grandmothers, or clipped -or stretched them till they were shaped -into something like sentimental euphony. -Under their improving hands, Lucy -was extended to Louisa, Mary to Marianne, -Harriet to Henrietta, and Elizabeth -cut shorter into Eliza. Their readers -followed their example when they signed -their names, and christened their children. -Bridget and Joan, and Dorothy and Alice, -have been discarded; and while the more -fantastic went abroad for Cecilia, Amelia, -and Wilhelmina, they of a better taste recurred -to their own history for such sweet -names as Emma and Emmeline.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The manner in which the English abbreviate -their baptismal names is unaccountably -irregular. If a boy be christened -John, his mother calls him Jacky, -and his father Jack; William in like manner -<span class='pageno' id='Page_278'>278</span>becomes Billy or Bill; and Edward, -Neddy or Ned, Teddy or Ted, according -to the gender of the person speaking: a -whimsical rule not to be paralleled in any -other language. Mary is changed into -Molly and Polly; Elizabeth into Bessy, -Bess, Betty, Tetty, Betsy, and Tetsy; Margaret -into Madge, Peggy, and Meggy; all -which in vulgar language are clipt of their -final vowel, and shortened into monosyllables. -Perhaps these last instances explain -the origin of these anomalous mutations. -Pega and Tetta are old English -names long since disused, and only to be -found in hagiological history; it is evident -that these must have been the originals -of the diminutives Peggy, and Tetty -or Tetsy, which never by any process of -capricious alteration can be formed from -Margaret and Elizabeth. The probable -solution is, in each case, that some person -formerly bore both names, who signed -with the first, and was called at home by -the second,—thus the diminutive of one -<span class='pageno' id='Page_279'>279</span>became associated with the other: in the -next generation one may have been dropt, -yet the familiar diminutive preserved; and -this would go on like other family names, -in all the subsequent branchings from the -original stock. In like manner, Jacques -would be the root of Jack; Theodore or -Thaddeus, of Teddy; Apollonia of Polly; -and Beatrice of Betty. A copious nomenclature -might explain the whole.</p> - -<p class='c011'>During the late war it became a fashion -to call infants after the successful admirals,—though -it would have been more in character -to have named ships after them: the -next generation will have Hoods and Nelsons -in abundance, who will never set foot -in the navy. Sometimes an irreverent -species of wit, if wit it may be called, has -been indulged upon this subject; a man -whose name is Ball has christened his -three sons, Pistol, Musket, and Cannon. -I have heard of another, who, having an -illegitimate boy, baptized him Nebuchadnezzar, -because, according to a mode of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_280'>280</span>speaking here, he was to be sent to grass, -that is, nursed by a poor woman in the -country.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The system of proper names is simple -and convenient. There are no patronymics, -the surname never changes, and the -wife loses hers for that of her husband. -This custom has but lately established itself -in Wales, where the people are still in -a state of comparative barbarism. There -the son of John Thomas used to be Thomas -Johns, and his son again John Thomas; -but this has given way to the English -mode, which renders it easy to trace a -descent. The names in general, like the -language, though infinitely less barbarous -than the German, are sufficiently uncouth -to a southern eye, and sufficiently cacophonous -to a southern ear.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The months are called after the Latin as -with us, and differ rather less from the original, -as only the terminations are altered. -But the days of the week keep the names -given them by the Saxon Pagans: <i>Lunes</i> -<span class='pageno' id='Page_281'>281</span>is Monday or the day of the Moon; <i>Martes</i>, -Tuesday or Tuisco’s day; <i>Miércoles</i>, -Wednesday or Woden’s day; <i>Jueves</i>, -Thursday or Thor’s day; <i>Viernes</i>, Friday -or Frea’s day; <i>Sábado</i>, Saturday or Surtur’s -day; <i>Domingo</i>, Sunday or the day of the -Sun. Saturday indeed is usually deduced -from <i>Dies Saturni</i>; but it is not likely that -this Roman deity should have maintained -his post singly, when all the rest of his -fellows were displaced.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Friday, instead of Tuesday, is the unlucky -day of the English, who are just as -superstitious as we are, though in a different -way. It is the common day of execution, -except in cases of murder; when, -as the sentence is by law to be executed -the day after it is pronounced, it is always -passed on Saturday, that the criminal may -have the Sabbath to make his peace with -Heaven. I could remark more freely upon -the inhumanity of allowing so short a respite, -did I not remember the worse inhumanity -of withholding the sacrament from -<span class='pageno' id='Page_282'>282</span>wretches in this dreadful situation. No -person here is ever married on a Friday; -nor will the sailors, if they can possibly -avoid it, put to sea upon that day: these -follies are contagious; and the captains, -as well as the crew, will rather lose a fair -wind than begin the voyage so unluckily. -Sailors, we know, are every where superstitious, -and well may they be so.</p> - -<p class='c011'>If it rains on St Swithin’s, they fancy -it will rain every day for the next forty -days. On St Valentine’s it is believed -that the birds choose their mates; and the -first person you see in the morning is to -be your lover, whom they call a Valentine, -after the saint. Among the many odd -things which I shall take home, is one of -the pieces of cut paper which they send -about on this day, with verses in the middle, -usually acrostics, to accord with the -hearts, and darts, and billing doves represented -all round, either in colours or by -the scissars. How a saint and a bishop -came to be the national Cupid, Heaven -<span class='pageno' id='Page_283'>283</span>knows! Even one of their own poets has -thought it extraordinary.</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c023'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line in14'>Bishop Valentine</div> - <div class='line'>Left us examples to do deeds of charity;</div> - <div class='line'>To feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit</div> - <div class='line'>The weak and sick, to entertain the poor,</div> - <div class='line'>And give the dead a Christian funeral.</div> - <div class='line'>These were the works of piety he did practise,</div> - <div class='line'>And bade us imitate; not look for lovers</div> - <div class='line'>Or handsome images to please our senses.</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c025'>The heretics, you see, need not ridicule -us for bleeding our horses on St Stephen’s, -and grafting our trees on the day of the -Annunciation.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Many other traces of the old religion -remain in the calendar, and indeed every -where, but all to as little purpose. Christ<i>mas</i>, -Candle<i>mas</i>, Lady-day, Michael<i>mas</i>; -they are become mere words, and the primary -signification utterly out of mind. In -the map you see St Alban’s, St Neot’s, -St Columb’s, &c. The churches all over -the country are dedicated to saints whose -legends are quite forgotten, even upon the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_284'>284</span>spot. You find a statue of King Charles -in the place of Charing-Cross, one of the -bridges is called Black-Friars, one of the -streets the Minories. There is a place -called the Sanctuary, a Pater-Noster-Row, -and an Ave-Maria-Lane. Every where I -find these vestiges of Catholicism, which -give to a Catholic a feeling of deeper melancholy, -than the scholar feels amid the -ruins of Rome or Athens.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c002' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_285'>285</span> - <h2 id='ch25' class='c008'>LETTER XXV.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c015'><i>Vermin imported from all Parts.—Fox-Hunting.—Shooting.—Destruction -of the Game.—Rural Sports.</i></p> -<p class='c010'>The king of England has a regular bug-destroyer -in his household! a relic no -doubt of dirtier times; for the English are -a truly clean people, and have an abhorrence -of all vermin. This loathsome insect -seems to have been imported from -France. An English traveller of the early -part of the seventeenth century calls it the -French <i>punaise</i>; which should imply either -that the bug was unknown in his time, or -had been so newly imported as to be still -regarded as a Frenchman. It is still confined -to large cities, and is called in the -country, where it is known only by name, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_286'>286</span>the London bug; a proof of foreign extraction.</p> -<p class='c011'>It seems to be the curse of this country -to catch vermin from all others: the Hessian -fly devours their turnips; an insect -from America has fastened upon the apple-trees, -and is destroying them; it travels -onward about a league in a year, and no -means have yet been discovered of checking -its progress. The cockroach of the -West Indies infests all houses near the -river in London, and all sea-port towns; -and the Norway rats have fairly extirpated -the aboriginal ones, and taken possession -of the land by right of conquest. As they -came in about the same time as the reigning -family, the partisans of the Stuarts -used to call them Hanoverians. They -multiply prodigiously, and their boldness -and ferocity almost surpass belief: I have -been told of men from whose heads they -have sucked the powder and pomatum during -their sleep, and of children whom -they have attacked in the night and mangled. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_287'>287</span>If the animals of the North should -migrate, like their country barbarians, in -successive shoals, each shoal fiercer than -the last, it is the hamsters’ turn to come -after the rats, and the people of England -must take care of themselves. An invasion -by rafts and gun-boats would be less -dangerous.</p> - -<p class='c011'>A lady of J—’s acquaintance was exceedingly -desirous, when she was in Andalusia, -to bring a few live locusts home with her, -that she might introduce such beautiful -creatures into England. Certainly, had she -succeeded, she ought to have applied to the -board of agriculture for a reward.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Foxes are imported from France in time -of peace, and turned loose upon the south -coast to keep up the breed for hunting. -There is certainly no race of people, not -even the hunting tribes of savages, who -delight so passionately as the English in -this sport. The fox-hunter of the last -generation was a character as utterly unlike -any other in society, and as totally absorbed -<span class='pageno' id='Page_288'>288</span>in his own pursuits, as the alchemist. -His whole thoughts were respecting -his hounds and horses; his whole -anxiety, that the weather might be favourable -for the sport; his whole conversation -was of the kennel and stable, and of the -history of his chases. One of the last of -this species, who died not many years ago, -finding himself seriously ill, rode off to the -nearest town, and bade the waiter of the -inn bring him in some oysters and porter, -and go for a physician. When the physician -arrived he said to him, “Doctor, I am -devilish ill,—and you must cure me by -next month, that I may be ready for foxhunting.” -This, however, was beyond the -doctor’s power. One of his acquaintance -called in upon him some little time after, -and asked what was his complaint. “They -tell me,” said he, “’tis a dyspepsy. I don’t -know what that is, but some damn’d thing -or other, I suppose!”—a definition of -which every sick man will feel the force.</p> - -<p class='c011'>But this race is extinct, or exists only -<span class='pageno' id='Page_289'>289</span>in a few families, in which the passion has -so long been handed down from father to -son, that it is become a sort of hereditary -disease. The great alteration in society -which has taken place during the present -reign, tends to make men more like one -another. The agriculturist has caught the -spirit of commerce; the merchant is educated -like the nobleman; the sea-officer has -the polish of high life; and London is now -so often visited, that the manners of the -metropolis are to be found in every country -gentleman’s house. But though hunting -has ceased to be the exclusive business -of any person’s life, except a huntsman’s, -it is still pursued with an ardour and desperate -perseverance beyond even that of -savages: the prey is their object, for which -they set their snares or lie patiently in -wait:—here the pleasure is in the pursuit. -It is no uncommon thing to read in the -newspapers of a chase of ten or twelve -leagues,—remember, all this at full speed, -and without intermission,—dogs, men, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_290'>290</span>and horses equally eager and equally delighted, -though not equally fatigued. Facts -are recorded in the annals of sporting, how -the hunted animal, unable to escape, has -sprung from a precipice, and some of the -hounds have followed it; and of a stag, -which, after one of these unmerciful pursuits, -returned to its own lair, and, leaping -a high boundary with its last effort, dropped -down dead,—the only hound which -had kept up with it to the last, dying in -like manner by its side. The present king, -who is remarkably fond of the sport, once -followed a deer till the creature died with -pure fatigue.</p> - -<p class='c011'>This was the only English custom which -William of Nassau thoroughly and heartily -adopted, as if he had been an Englishman -himself. He was as passionately addicted -to it as his present successor, and -rode as boldly, making it a point of honour -never to be outdone in any leap, however -perilous. A certain Mr Cherry, who was -devoted to the exiled family, took occasion -<span class='pageno' id='Page_291'>291</span>of this, to form perhaps the most -pardonable design which ever was laid -against a king’s life. He regularly joined -the royal hounds, put himself foremost, -and took the most desperate leaps, in the -hope that William might break his neck -in following him. One day, however, he -accomplished one so imminently hazardous, -that the king, when he came to the -spot, shook his head and drew back.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Shooting is pursued with the same zeal. -Many a man, who, if a walk of three -leagues were proposed to him, would shrink -from it as an exertion beyond his strength, -will walk from sun-rise till a late dinner -hour, with a gun upon his shoulder, over -heath and mountain, never thinking of -distance, and never feeling fatigue. A -game book, as it is called, is one of the regular -publications, wherein the sportsman -may keep an account of all the game he -kills, the time when, the place where, and -chronicle the whole history of his campaigns! -The preservation of the game becomes -<span class='pageno' id='Page_292'>292</span>necessarily an object of peculiar interest -to the gentry, and the laws upon -this subject are enforced with a rigour unknown -in any other part of Europe. In -spite of this, it becomes scarcer every year: -poaching, that is, killing game without a -privilege so to do, is made a trade: the -stage-coaches carry it from all parts of the -kingdom to the metropolis for sale, and -the larders of all the great inns are regularly -supplied; they who would eagerly -punish the poacher, never failing to encourage -him by purchasing from his employers. -Another cause of destruction -arises from the resentment of the farmers, -who think that, as the animals are fed upon -their grounds, it is hard that they should -be denied the privilege of profiting by them. -At a public meeting of the gentry in one -of the northern provinces, a hamper came -directed to the president, containing two -thousand partridges’ eggs carefully packed. -Some species by these continual persecutions -have been quite rooted out, others -<span class='pageno' id='Page_293'>293</span>are nearly extinct, and others only to be -found in remote parts of the island. -Sportsmen lament this, and naturalists lament -it also with better reason.</p> - -<p class='c011'>One of the most costly works which I -shall bring home is a complete treatise -upon rural sports, with the most beautiful -decorations that I have ever seen: it contains -all possible information upon the -subject, the best instructions, and annals -of these sciences, as they may be termed -in England. I have purchased it as an -exquisite specimen of English arts, and -excellently characteristic of the country, -more especially as being the work of a -clergyman. He might have seen in his -Bible that the mighty hunters there are not -mentioned as examples; and that, when -Christ called the fishermen, he bade them -leave the pursuit, for from thenceforth -they should catch men.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c002' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_294'>294</span> - <h2 id='ch26' class='c008'>LETTER XXVI.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c015'><i>Poor-Laws.—Work-Houses.—Sufferings of -the Poor from the Climate.—Dangerous -State of England during the Scarcity.—The -Poor not bettered by the Progress of -Civilization.</i></p> -<p class='c010'>With us charity is a religious duty, with -the English it is an affair of law. We -support the poor by alms; in England a -tax is levied to keep them from starving, -and, enormous as the amount of this tax -is, it is scarcely sufficient for the purpose. -This evil began immediately upon the -dissolution of the monasteries. They who -were accustomed to receive food at the -convent door, where they could ask it -without shame because it was given as an -act of piety, had then none to look up to -for bread. A system of parish taxation -<span class='pageno' id='Page_295'>295</span>was soon therefore established, and new -laws from time to time enacted to redress -new grievances, the evil still outgrowing -the remedy, till the poor-laws have become -the disgrace of the statutes, and it is supposed -that at this day a tenth part of the -whole population of England receive regular -parish pay.</p> -<p class='c011'>The disposal of this money is vested in -certain officers called overseers. The office -is so troublesome that the gentry rarely or -never undertake it, and it usually devolves -upon people rather below the middle rank, -who are rigidly parsimonious in the distribution -of their trust. If they were uniformly -thus frugal of the parish purse, it -would be laudable, or at least excusable; -but where their own enjoyments are concerned, -they are inexcusably lavish of the -money collected for better purposes. On -every pretext of parish business, however -slight, a dinner is ordered for the officers. -While they indulge themselves they deal -hardly by the poor, and give reluctantly -<span class='pageno' id='Page_296'>296</span>what they cannot withhold. The beadsman -at the convent door receives a blessing -with his pittance, but the poor man -here is made to feel his poverty as a reproach; -his scanty relief is bestowed ungraciously, -and ungraciously received; -there is neither charity in him that gives, -nor gratitude in him that takes. Nor is -this the worst evil: as each parish is bound -to provide for its own poor, an endless -source of oppression and litigation arises -from the necessity of keeping out all persons -likely to become chargeable. We talk -of the liberty of the English, and they talk -of their own liberty; but there is no liberty -in England for the poor. They are no -longer sold with the soil, it is true; but -they cannot quit the soil, if there be any -probability or suspicion that age or infirmity -may disable them. If in such a case -they endeavour to remove to some situation -where they hope more easily to maintain -themselves, where work is more plentiful, -or provisions cheaper, the overseers -<span class='pageno' id='Page_297'>297</span>are alarmed; the intruder is apprehended -as if he were a criminal, and sent back to -his own parish. Wherever a pauper dies, -that parish must be at the cost of his funeral: -instances therefore have not been -wanting, of wretches in the last stage of -disease having been hurried away in an -open cart upon straw, and dying upon the -road. Nay, even women in the very pains -of labour have been driven out, and have -perished by the way-side, because the -birth-place of the child would be its parish. -Such acts do not pass without reprehension; -but no adequate punishment can -be inflicted, and the root of the evil lies -in the laws.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The principle upon which the poor-laws -seem to have been framed is this: The -price of labour is conceived to be adequate -to the support of the labourer. If the season -be unusually hard, or his family larger -than he can maintain, the parish then assists -him; rather affording a specific relief, -than raising the price of labour, because -<span class='pageno' id='Page_298'>298</span>if wages were increased, it would injure -the main part of the labouring poor instead -of benefiting them: a fact, however -mortifying to the national character, sufficiently -proved by experience. They would -spend more money at the alehouse, working -less and drinking more, till the habits -of idleness and drunkenness strengthening -each other, would reduce them to a state -of helpless and burthensome poverty. Parish -pay, therefore, is a means devised for -increasing the wages of those persons only -to whom the increase is really advantageous, -and at times only when it is really necessary.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Plausible as this may at first appear, it is -fallacious, as all reasonings will be found -which assume for their basis the depravity -of human nature. The industrious by -this plan are made to suffer for the spendthrift. -They are prevented from laying by -the surplus of their earnings for the support -of their declining years, lest others -not so provident should squander it. But -<span class='pageno' id='Page_299'>299</span>the consequence is, that the parish is at -last obliged to support both; for, if the -labourer in the prime of his youth and -strength cannot earn more than his subsistence, -he must necessarily in his old -age earn less.</p> - -<p class='c011'>When the poor are incapable of contributing -any longer to their own support, -they are removed to what is called the workhouse. -I cannot express to you the feeling -of hopelessness and dread with which -all the decent poor look on to this wretched -termination of a life of labour. To this -place all vagrants are sent for punishment; -unmarried women with child go here to be -delivered; and poor orphans and base-born -children are brought up here till they are -of age to be apprenticed off; the other inmates -are those unhappy people who are utterly -helpless, parish idiots and madmen, -the blind and the palsied, and the old who -are fairly worn out. It is not in the nature -of things that the superintendants of -such institutions as these should be gentle-hearted, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_300'>300</span>when the superintendance is undertaken -merely for the sake of the salary; -and, in this country, religion is out of the -question. There are always enough competitors -for the management, among those -people who can get no better situation; -but, whatever kindliness of disposition they -may bring with them to the task, it is soon -perverted by the perpetual sight of depravity -and of suffering. The management -of children who grow up without one natural -affection—where there is none to love -them, and consequently none whom they -can love—would alone be sufficient to -sour a happier disposition than is usually -brought to the government of a workhouse.</p> - -<p class='c011'>To this society of wretchedness the labouring -poor of England look on, as their -last resting-place on this side the grave; -and rather than enter abodes so miserable, -they endure the severest privations as -long as it is possible to exist. A feeling -of honest pride makes them shrink from -<span class='pageno' id='Page_301'>301</span>a place where guilt and poverty are confounded; -and it is heart-breaking for -those who have reared a family of their -own, to be subjected in their old age to the -harsh and unfeeling authority of persons -younger than themselves, neither better -born nor better bred. They dread also the -disrespectful and careless funeral which -public charity, or rather law, bestows; -and many a wretch denies himself the few -sordid comforts within his reach, that he -may hoard up enough to purchase a more -decent burial, a better shroud, or a firmer -coffin, than the parish will afford.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The wealth of this nation is their own -boast, and the envy of all the rest of Europe; -yet in no other country is there so -much poverty—nor is poverty any where -else attended with such actual suffering. -Poor as our own country is, the poor Spaniard -has resources and comforts which are -denied to the Englishman: above all, he -enjoys a climate which rarely or never -subjects him to physical suffering. Perhaps -<span class='pageno' id='Page_302'>302</span>the pain—the positive bodily pain -which the poor here endure from cold, -may be esteemed the worst evil of their -poverty. Coal is every where dear, except -in the neighbourhood of the collieries; -and especially so in London, where the -number of the poor is of course greatest. -You see women raking the ashes in the -streets, for the sake of the half-burnt cinders. -What a picture does one of their -houses present in the depth of winter! -the old cowering over a few embers—the -children shivering in rags, pale and livid—all -the activity and joyousness natural to -their time of life chilled within them.—The -numbers who perish from diseases -produced by exposure to cold and rain, by -unwholesome food, and by the want of -enough even of that, would startle as well -as shock you. Of the children of the -poor, hardly one-third are reared.</p> - -<p class='c011'>During the late war the internal peace -of the country was twice endangered by -scarcities. Many riots broke out, though -<span class='pageno' id='Page_303'>303</span>fewer than were apprehended, and though -the people on the whole behaved with exemplary -patience. Nor were the rich deficient -in charity. There is no country in -the world where money is so willingly -given for public purposes of acknowledged -utility. Subscriptions were raised in all -parts, and associations formed, to supply -the distressed with food, either gratuitously, -or at a cheaper rate than the market -price. But though the danger was felt and -confessed, and though the military force -of London was called out to quell an incipient -insurrection, no measures have been -taken to prevent a return of the evil. With -all its boasted wealth and prosperity, England -is at the mercy of the seasons. One -unfavourable harvest occasions dearth: and -what the consequences of famine would be -in a country where the poor are already so -numerous and so wretched, is a question -which the boldest statesman dares not ask -himself. When volunteer forces were raised -<span class='pageno' id='Page_304'>304</span>over the kingdom, the poor were excluded; -it was not thought safe to trust -them with arms. But the peasantry are, -and ought to be, the strength of every -country; and woe to that country where -the peasantry and the poor are the same!</p> - -<p class='c011'>Many causes have contributed to the -rapid increase of this evil. The ruinous -wars of the present reign, and the oppressive -system of taxation pursued by the late -premier, are among the principal. But the -manufacturing system is the main cause; -it is the inevitable tendency of that system -to multiply the number of the poor, and -to make them vicious, diseased, and miserable.</p> - -<p class='c011'>To answer the question concerning the -comparative advantages of the savage and -social states, as Rousseau has done, is to -commit high treason against human nature, -and blasphemy against Omniscient -Goodness; but they who say that society -ought to stop where it is, and that it has -<span class='pageno' id='Page_305'>305</span>no further amelioration to expect, do not -less blaspheme the one, and betray the -other. The improvements of society never -reach the poor: they have been stationary, -while the higher classes were progressive. -The gentry of the land are better -lodged, better accommodated, better -educated than their ancestors; the poor -man lives in as poor a dwelling as his -forefathers when they were slaves of the -soil, works as hard, is worse fed, and not -better taught. His situation, therefore, is -relatively worse. There is, indeed, no insuperable -bar to his rising into a higher order—his -children may be tradesmen, merchants, -or even nobles—but this political -advantage is no amendment of his actual -state. The best conceivable state for man -is that wherein he has the full enjoyment -of all his powers, bodily and intellectual. -This is the lot of the higher classes in Europe; -the poor enjoys neither—the savage -only the former. If, therefore, religion -<span class='pageno' id='Page_306'>306</span>were out of the question, it had -been happier for the poor man to have -been born among savages, than in a civilized -country, where he is in fact the victim -of civilization.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c002' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_307'>307</span> - <h2 id='ch27' class='c008'>LETTER XXVII.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c015'><i>Saint Paul’s.—Anecdote of a female Esquimaux.—Defect -of Grecian Architecture in cold Climates.—Nakedness of the -Church.—Monuments.—Pictures offered -by Sir Joshua Reynolds, &c., and refused.— -Ascent.—View from the Summit.</i></p> -<p class='c010'>The cathedral church of St Paul’s is not -more celebrated than it deserves to be. -No other nation in modern times has reared -so magnificent a monument of piety. I -never behold it without regretting that such -a church should be appropriated to heretical -worship;—that, like a whited sepulchre, -there should be death within.</p> -<p class='c011'>In the court before the grand entrance -stands a statue of Queen Anne, instead of -a cross; a figure as ill-executed as it is ill-placed, -which has provoked some epigrams -<span class='pageno' id='Page_308'>308</span>even in this country, indifferent as the -taste in sculpture is here, and little as is the -sense of religious decorum. On entering -the church I was impressed by its magnitude. -A fine anecdote is related of the -effect this produced upon a female Esquimaux:—quite -overpowered with wonder -when she stood under the dome, she leaned -upon her conductor, as if sinking under -the strong feeling of awe, and fearfully -asked him, “Did man make it? -or was it put here?” My own sensations -were of the same character, yet it was -wonder at human power unmingled with -any other kind of awe; not that feeling -which a temple should inspire; not so -much a sense that the building in which I -stood was peculiarly suitable for worship, -as that it could be suitable for nothing else. -Gothic architecture produces the effect of -sublimity, though always without simplicity, -and often without magnitude; so -perhaps does the Saracenic; if the Grecian -ever produce the same effect it is by magnitude -<span class='pageno' id='Page_309'>309</span>alone. But the architecture of the -ancients is altered, and materially injured -by the alteration, when adapted to cold -climates, where it is necessary when the -light is admitted to exclude the air: the -windows have always a littleness, always -appear misplaced; they are holes cut in -the wall: not, as in the Gothic, natural -and essential parts of the general structure.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The air in all the English churches -which I have yet entered is damp, cold, -confined, and unwholesome, as if the graves -beneath tainted it. No better proof can -be required of the wisdom of enjoining -incense. I have complained that the area -in their ordinary churches is crowded; but -the opposite fault is perceivable in this -great cathedral. The choir is but a very -small part of the church; service was going -on there, being hurried over as usual -in week-days, and attended only by two -or three old women, whose piety deserved -to meet with better instructors. The vergers, -however, paid so much respect to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_310'>310</span>this service, such as it is, that they would -not show us the church till it was over. -There are no chapels, no other altar than -that in the choir;—for what then can the -heretics have erected so huge an edifice? -It is as purposeless as the Pyramids.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Here are suspended all the flags which -were taken in the naval victories of the late -war. I do not think that the natural feeling -which arose within me at seeing the -Spanish colours among them influences -me, when I say that they do not ornament -the church, and that, even if they did, the -church is not the place for them. They -might be appropriate offerings in a temple -of Mars; but certainly there is nothing in -the revealed will of God which teaches us -that he should be better pleased with the -blood of man in battle, than with that of -bulls and of goats in sacrifice. The palace, -the houses of legislature, the admiralty, and -the tower where the regalia are deposited, -should be decorated with these trophies; -so also should Greenwich be, the noble -<span class='pageno' id='Page_311'>311</span>asylum for their old seamen; and even in -the church a flag might perhaps fitly be -hung over the tomb of him who won it -and fell in the victory. Monuments are -erecting here to all the naval captains who -fell in these actions; some of them are -not finished; those which are do little -honour to the artists of England. The artists -know not what to do with their villainous -costume, and, to avoid uniforms in -marble, make their unhappy statues half -naked. One of these represents the dying -captain as falling into Neptune’s arms;—a -dreadful situation for a dying captain it -would be—he would certainly take the old -sea-god for the devil, and the trident for the -pitchfork with which he tosses about souls -in the fire. Will sculptors never perceive -the absurdity of allegorizing in stone!</p> - -<p class='c011'>There are but few of these monuments -as yet, because the English never thought -of making St Paul’s the mausoleum of -their great men, till they had crowded -Westminster Abbey with the illustrious -<span class='pageno' id='Page_312'>312</span>and the obscure indiscriminately. They -now seem to have discovered the nakedness -of this huge edifice, and to vote parliamentary -monuments to every sea captain -who falls in battle, for the sake of filling -it as fast as possible. This is making the -honour too common. It is only the name -of the commander in chief which is always -necessarily connected with that of -the victory; he, therefore, is the only individual -to whom a national monument -ought to be erected. If he survives the -action, and it be thought expedient, as I -willingly allow it to be, that every victory -should have its monument, let it be, like -the stone at Thermopylæ, inscribed to the -memory of all who fell. The commander -in chief may deserve a separate commemoration: -the responsibility of the engagement -rests upon him; and to him the merit -of the victory, as far as professional -skill is entitled to it, will, whether justly -or not, be attributed, though assuredly in -most cases with the strictest justice. But -<span class='pageno' id='Page_313'>313</span>whatever may have been the merit of the -subordinate officers, the rank which they -hold is not sufficiently conspicuous. The -historian will mention them, but the reader -will not remember them because they are -mentioned but once, and it is only to -those who are remembered that statues -should be voted; only to those who live in -the hearts and in the mouths of the people. -“Who is this?” is a question which -will be asked at every statue; but if after -the verger has named the person represented -it is still necessary to ask, “Who is -he?” the statue is misplaced in a national -mausoleum.</p> - -<p class='c011'>These monuments are too few as yet -to produce any other general effect than a -wish that there were more; and the nakedness -of these wide walls without altar, -chapel, confessional, picture, or offering, -is striking and dolorous as you may suppose. -Yet if such honours were awarded -without any immediate political motive, -there are many for whom they might justly -<span class='pageno' id='Page_314'>314</span>be claimed; for Cook for instance, the -first navigator, without reproach; for -Bruce, the most intrepid and successful of -modern travellers; for lady Wortley Montague, -the best of all letter-writers, and -the benefactress of Europe. “I,” said W., -who was with me, “should demand one for -Sir Walter Raleigh; and even you, Spaniard -as you are, would not, I think, contest -the claim; it should be for introducing -tobacco into Christendom, for -which he deserves a statue of pipe-makers’ -clay.”</p> - -<p class='c011'>Some five-and-twenty or thirty years -ago the best English artists offered to paint -pictures and give them to this cathedral;—England -had never greater painters to boast -of than at that time. The thing, however, -was not so easy as you might imagine, -and it was necessary to obtain the consent -of the bishop, the chapter, the lord mayor, -and the king. The king loves the arts, -and willingly consented; the lord mayor -and the chapter made no objection; but -<span class='pageno' id='Page_315'>315</span>the bishop positively refused; for no other -reason, it is said, than because the first application -had not been made to him. Perhaps -some puritanical feeling may have -been mingled with this despicable pride, -some leven of the old Iconoclastic and -Lutheran barbarism; but as long as the -names of Barry and of Sir Joshua Reynolds -are remembered in this country, and remembered -they will be as long as the works -and the fame of a painter can endure, so -long will the provoking absurdity of this -refusal be execrated.<a id='r17' /><a href='#f17' class='c018'><sup>[17]</sup></a></p> - -<div class='footnote c019' id='f17'> -<p class='c017'><span class='label'><a href='#r17'>17</a>. </span>A story, even less honourable than this to the -dean and chapter of St Paul’s is current at this -present time, which if false should be contradicted, -and if true should be generally known. Upon the -death of Barry the painter it was wished to erect a -tablet to his memory in this cathedral, and the dean -and chapter were applied to for permission so to -do: the answer was, that the fee was a thousand -pounds. In reply to this unexpected demand, it -was represented that Barry had been a poor man, -and that the monument was designed by his friends -as a mark of respect to his genius: that it would -not be large, and consequently might stand in a situation -where there was not room for a larger. Upon -this it was answered, that, in consideration of these -circumstances, perhaps five hundred pounds might -be taken. A second remonstrance was made, a chapter -was convened to consider the matter, and the final -answer was, that nothing less than a thousand -pounds could be taken.</p> - -<p class='c017'>If this be false it should be publicly contradicted, -especially as any thing dishonourable will be readily -believed concerning St Paul’s, since Lord Nelson’s -coffin was shown there in the grave for a -shilling a head.—<span class='sc'>Tr.</span></p> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>The monuments and the body of the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_316'>316</span>church may be seen gratuitously; a price -is required for admittance to any thing -above stairs, and for fourpenny, sixpenny, -and shilling fees we were admitted to see -the curiosities of the building;—a model -something differing from the present structure, -and the work of the same great architect; -a geometrical staircase, at the -top of which the door closes with a tremendous -sound; the clock, whose huge -bell in a calm day, when what little wind -is stirring is from the east, may be heard -<span class='pageno' id='Page_317'>317</span>five leagues over the plain at Windsor; -and a whispering gallery, the great amusement -of children and wonder of women, -and which is indeed at first sufficiently -startling. It is just below the dome; and -when I was on the one side and my guide -on the other, the whole breadth of the -dome being between us, he shut-to the -door, and the sound was like a peal of -thunder rolling among the mountains.—The -scratch of a pin against the wall, and -the lowest whisper, were distinctly heard -across. The inside of the cupola is covered -with pictures by a certain Sir James -Thornhill: they are too high to be seen -distinctly from any place except the gallery -immediately under them, and if there were -nothing else to repay the fatigue of the -ascent it would be labour in vain.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Much as I had been impressed by the -size of the building on first entering it, -my sense of its magnitude was heightened -by the prodigious length of the passages -which we traversed, and the seeming endlessness -<span class='pageno' id='Page_318'>318</span>of the steps we mounted. We -kept close to our conductor with a sense of -danger: that it is dangerous to do otherwise -was exemplified not long since by a -person who lost himself here, and remained -two days and nights in this dismal solitude. -At length he reached one of the -towers in the front; to make himself heard -was impossible; he tied his handkerchief -to his stick, and hung it out as a signal of -distress, which at last was seen from below, -and he was rescued. The best plan -in such cases would be to stop the clock, -if the way to it could be found.</p> - -<p class='c011'>In all other towers which I had ever -ascended, the ascent was fatiguing, but no -ways frightful. Stone steps winding round -and round a stone pillar from the bottom -up to the top, with just room to admit -you between the pillar and the wall, -make the limbs ache and the head giddy, -but there is nothing to give a sense of danger. -Here was a totally different scene: -the ascent was up the cupola, by stair-cases -<span class='pageno' id='Page_319'>319</span>and stages of wood, which had all -the seeming insecurity of scaffolding. Projecting -beams hung with cobwebs and -black with dust, the depth below, the extent -of the gloomy dome within which we -were enclosed, and the light which just -served to show all this, sometimes dawning -before us, sometimes fading away behind, -now slanting from one side, and -now leaving us almost in utter darkness: -of such materials you may conceive how -terrifying a scene may be formed, and you -know how delightful it is to contemplate -images of terror with a sense of security.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Having at last reached the summit of -the dome, I was contented. The way up to -the cross was by a ladder; and as we could -already see as far as the eye could reach, -there was nothing above to reward me for a -longer and more laborious ascent. The old -bird’s-eye views which are now disused because -they are out of fashion, were of more -use than any thing which supplies their -place: half plain, half picture, they gave -an idea of the place which they represented -<span class='pageno' id='Page_320'>320</span>more accurately than pictures, and more -vividly than plans. I would have climbed -St Paul’s, if it had been only to see London -thus mapped below me, and though -there had been nothing beautiful or sublime -in the view: few objects, however, are so -sublime, if by sublimity we understand -that which completely fills the imagination -to the utmost measure of its powers, as -the view of a huge city thus seen at once:—house-roofs, -the chimneys of which -formed so many turrets; towers and steeples; -the trees and gardens of the inns of -court and the distant squares forming so -many green spots in the map; Westminster -Abbey on the one hand with Westminster -Hall, an object scarcely less conspicuous; -on the other the Monument, a prodigious -column worthy of a happier occasion and -a less lying inscription; the Tower and the -masts of the shipping rising behind it; -the river with its three bridges and all its -boats and barges; the streets immediately -within view blackened with moving swarms -of men and lines of carriages. To the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_321'>321</span>north were Hampstead and Highgate on -their eminences, southward the Surrey -hills. Where the city ended it was impossible -to distinguish: it would have been -more beautiful if, as at Madrid, the capital -had been circumscribed within walls, and -the open country had commenced immediately -without its limits. In every direction -the lines of houses ran out as far as the -eye could follow them, only the patches of -green were more frequently interspersed -towards the extremity of the prospect, as -the lines diverged further from each other. -It was a sight which awed me and made -me melancholy. I was looking down upon -the habitations of a million of human -beings; upon the single spot whereon -were crowded together more wealth, more -splendour, more ingenuity, more worldly -wisdom, and, alas! more worldly blindness, -poverty, depravity, dishonesty, and -wretchedness, than upon any other spot -in the whole habitable earth.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c002' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_322'>322</span> - <h2 id='ch28' class='c008'>LETTER XXVIII.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c015'><i>State of the English Catholics.—Their prudent -Silence in the Days of Jacobitism.—The -Church of England jealous of the -Dissenters.—Riots in 1780.—Effects of the -French Revolution.—The Re-establishment -of the Monastic Orders in England.—Number -of Nunneries and Catholic Seminaries.—The -Poor easily converted.—Catholic -Writers.—Dr Geddes.</i></p> -<p class='c010'>The situation of the Catholics in England -is far more favourable at present than it -has been at any period since the unfortunate -expulsion of James II. There is an -opinion prevalent among freethinkers and -schismatics that intolerance is bad policy, -and that religious principles hostile to an -establishment will die away if they are -<span class='pageno' id='Page_323'>323</span>not persecuted. These reasoners have forgotten -that Christianity was rooted up in -Japan, and that heresy was extirpated -from Spain, by fire. The impolicy is in -half measures.</p> -<p class='c011'>So long as the Stuarts laid claim to the -crown, the Catholics were jealously regarded -as a party connected with them; -and even the large class of Jacobites, as -they were called, who adhered to the old -family merely from a principle of loyalty, -being obstinate heretics, looked suspiciously -upon their Catholic coadjutors as -men whose motives were different, though -they were engaged in the same cause. -These men would never have attempted to -restore the Stuarts, if they had not believed -that the Protestant church establishment -would remain undisturbed, they believed -this firmly—believed that a Catholic -king would reign over a nation of schismatics, -and make no attempt at converting -them; so ignorant were they of the -principles of Catholicism. But no sooner -<span class='pageno' id='Page_324'>324</span>had the Pretender ceased to be formidable -than the Catholics were forgotten, or considered -only as a religious sect of less consequence -in the state, and therefore less -obnoxious than any other, because neither -numerous nor noisy. In fact the persecuting -laws, though never enforced, were -still in existence; and the Catholics themselves, -as they had not forgotten their -bloody effects in former times, prudently -persevered in silence.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Fortunately for them, as soon as they -had ceased to be objects of suspicion, the -Presbyterians became so. This body of -dissenters had been uniformly attached to -the Hanoverian succession; but when that -house was firmly established, and all danger -from the Stuarts over, the old feelings -began to revive, both on the part of the -Crown and of the Nonconformists. What -they call the connection between civil and -religious freedom, or, as their antagonists -say, between schism and rebellion, made -the court jealous of their numbers and of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_325'>325</span>their principles. The clergy too, being no -longer in danger from those whom they -had dispossessed, began to fear those who -would dispossess them; they laid aside -their controversy with the Catholics, and -directed their harangues and writings -against greater schismatics than themselves. -During such disputes our brethren -had nothing to do but quietly look on, and -rejoice that the kingdom of Beelzebub was -divided against itself.</p> - -<p class='c011'>It is true, a violent insurrection broke -out against them in the year 1780; but -this was the work of the lowest rabble, led -on by a madman. It did not originate in -any previous feelings, for probably nine-tenths -of the mob had never heard of popery -till they rioted to suppress it, and it -left no rankling behind: on the contrary, -as the Catholics had been wantonly and -cruelly attacked, a sentiment of compassion -for them was excited in the more respectable -part of the community.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The French Revolution materially assisted -<span class='pageno' id='Page_326'>326</span>the true religion. The English clergy, -trembling for their own benefices, welcomed -the emigrant priests as brethren, -and, forgetting all their former ravings -about Antichrist, and Babylon, and the -Scarlet Whore, lamented the downfall of -religion in France. An outcry was raised -against the more daring heretics at home, -and the tide of popular fury let loose upon -them. While this dread of atheism prevailed, -the Catholic priests obtained access -every where; and the university of Oxford -even supplied them with books from its -own press. These noble confessors did not -let the happy opportunity pass by unimproved; -they sowed the seeds abundantly, -and saw the first fruits of the harvest. -But the most important advantage which -has ever been obtained for the true religion -since its subversion, is the re-establishment -of the monastic orders in this island, -from whence they had so long been proscribed. -This great object has been effected -with admirable prudence. A few nuns -<span class='pageno' id='Page_327'>327</span>who had escaped from the atheistical persecution -in France were permitted to live -together, according to their former mode -of life. It would have been cruel to have -separated them, and their establishment -was connived at as trifling in itself, and -which would die a natural death with its -members. But the Catholic families, rejoicing -in this manifest interposition of -Providence, made use of the opportunity, -and found no difficulty in introducing novices. -Thus is good always educed from -evil; the irruption of the barbarous nations -led to their conversion; the overthrow -of the Greek empire occasioned the -revival of letters in Europe; and the persecution -of Catholicism in France has been -the cause of its establishment in England: -the storm which threatened to pluck up -this Tree of Life by its roots has only -scattered abroad its seed. Not only have -many conversions been effected, but even -in many instances the children of Protestants -have been inspired with such holy zeal, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_328'>328</span>that, heroically abandoning the world, in -spite of all the efforts of their deluded parents, -they have entered and professed. -Some of the wiser heretics have seen to -what these beginnings will lead; but the -answer to their representations has been, -the vows may be taken at pleasure, and -broken at pleasure, for by the law of England -such vows are not binding. As if any -law could take away the moral obligation -of a vow, and neutralise perjury! May we -not indulge a hope that this blindness is -the work of God?</p> - -<p class='c011'>There are at this time five Catholic colleges -in England and two in Scotland, -besides twelve schools and academies for -the instruction of boys: eleven schools -for females, besides what separate ones -are kept by the English Benedictine nuns -from Dunkirk; the nuns of the Ancient -English Community of Brussels; the nuns -from Bruges; the nuns from Liege; the -Augustinian nuns from Louvain; the -English Benedictine nuns from Cambray; -<span class='pageno' id='Page_329'>329</span>the Benedictine nuns from Ghent; those -of the same order from Montargis; and -the Dominican nuns from Brussels: in all -these communities the rules of the respective -orders are observed, and novices are -admitted; they are convents as well as -schools. The Poor Clares have four establishments, -in which only novices are received, -not scholars; the Teresians three; -the Benedictine nuns one. Convents of -monks are not so numerous; and indeed -in the present state of things secular clergy -are better labourers in the vineyard; -the Carthusians, however, have an establishment -in the full rigour of their rule. -Who could have hoped to live to see these -things in England!</p> - -<p class='c011'>The greater number of converts are made -among the poor, who are always more -easily converted than the rich, because -their inheritance is not in this world, and -they enjoy so little happiness here that -they are more disposed to think seriously -of securing it for hereafter. It is no difficult -<span class='pageno' id='Page_330'>330</span>thing to make them set their hearts -and their hopes upon heaven. Their own -clergy neglect them; and when they behold -any one solicitous for their salvation -without any interested motive, an act of -love towards them is so unexpected and so -unusual, that their gratitude prepares the -way for truth. The charity also which our -holy religion so particularly enjoins produces -its good effect even on earth; proselytes -always abound in the neighbourhood -of a wealthy Catholic family. Were the -seminaries as active as they were in the -days of persecution, and as liberally supplied -with means, it would not be absurd -to hope for the conversion of this island, -so long lost to the church.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Another circumstance greatly in favour -of the true religion is, that there is no -longer any difficulty or danger in publishing -Catholic writings. They were formerly -proscribed and hunted out as vigilantly as -prohibited books in our own country; but -now the press is open to them, and able -<span class='pageno' id='Page_331'>331</span>defenders of the truth have appeared. This -also has been managed skilfully. To have -openly attacked the heretical establishment -might have attracted too much notice, and -perhaps have excited alarm; nor indeed -would the heretics have perused a work -avowedly written with such a design. Accordingly -the form of history has been -used, a study of which the English are -particularly fond. An excellent life of -Cardinal Pole has been written, which exposes -the enormities of Henry VIII. and -the character of the wretched Anna Boleyn. -Another writer, in a history of Henry II. -has vindicated the memory of that blessed -Saint Thomas of Canterbury, who is so -vilified by all the English historians; and -Bishop Milner, still more lately, in a work -upon antiquities, has ventured to defend -those excellent prelates who attempted, -under Philip and Mary, to save their -country from the abyss of heresy.</p> - -<p class='c011'>A division for a short time among the -Catholics themselves was occasioned by -<span class='pageno' id='Page_332'>332</span>Dr Geddes, a priest of great learning, but -of the most irascible disposition and perverse -mind. This man began to translate -the scriptures anew; and, as he avowed -opinions destructive of their authority, as -well as of revealed religion, his bishop -very properly interfered, forbade him to -proceed, and on his persisting suspended -him for contumacy. He obstinately went -on, and lived to publish two volumes of -the text and a third of notes: the notes consist -wholly of verbal criticism, and explain -nothing, and the language of the translation -is such as almost to justify a suspicion -that he intended to debase the holy writings, -and render them odious. As long as he -lived he found a patron in Lord Petre; but -his books are now selling at their just -value, that is, as waste paper; and if his -name was not inserted in the Index Expurgatorius -it would be forgotten.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Pope and Dryden, the two greatest English -poets, were both Catholics, though the -latter had been educated in the schism.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c002' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_333'>333</span> - <h2 id='ch29' class='c008'>LETTER XXIX.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c015'><i>Number of Sects in England, all appealing -to the Scriptures.—Puritans.—Nonjurors.—Rise -of Socinianism, and its probable -Downfall.</i></p> -<p class='c010'>The heretical sects in this country are so -numerous, that an explanatory dictionary -of their names has been published. They -form a curious list! Arminians, Socinians, -Baxterians, Presbyterians, New Americans, -Sabellians, Lutherans, Moravians, Swedenborgians, -Athanasians, Episcopalians, Arians, -Sabbatarians, Trinitarians, Unitarians, -Millenarians, Necessarians, Sublapsarians, -Supralapsarians, Antinomians, Hutchinsonians, -Sandemonians, Muggletonians, -Baptists, Anabaptists, Pædobaptists, Methodists, -Papists, Universalists, Calvinists, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_334'>334</span>Materialists, Destructionists, Brownists, -Independants, Protestants, Hugonots, Nonjurors, -Seceders, Hernhutters, Dunkers, -Jumpers, Shakers, and Quakers, &c. &c. -&c.<a id='r18' /><a href='#f18' class='c018'><sup>[18]</sup></a> A precious nomenclature! only to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_335'>335</span>be paralleled by the catalogue of the Philistines -in Sanson Nazarenzo,<a id='r19' /><a href='#f19' class='c018'><sup>[19]</sup></a> or the muster-roll -of Anna de Santiago’s Devils,<a href='#f19' class='c018'><sup>[19]</sup></a> under -Aquias, Brum, and Acatu, lieutenant-generals -to Lucifer himself.</p> -<div class='footnote c019' id='f18'> -<p class='c017'><span class='label'><a href='#r18'>18</a>. </span>It must surely be superfluous to make any -comment upon the ignorant or insolent manner in -which synonymous appellations are here classed as -different sects. The popish author seems to have -aimed at something like wit by arranging them in -rhymes:—as this could not be preserved in the -translation, and it is a pity any wit should be lost, -the original, such as it is, follows: “<i>Arminianos, -Socinianos, Baxterianos, Presbiterianos, Nuevos -Americanos, Sabellianos, Luteranos, Moravianos, -Swedenborgianos, Athanasianos, Episcopalianos, -Arianos, Sabbatarianos, Trinitarianos, Unitarianos, -Millenarianos, Necessarianos, Sublapsarianos, Supralapsarianos, -Antinomianos, Hutchinsonianos, -Sandemonianos, Muggletonianos, Baptistas, Anabaptistas, -Pædobaptistas, Methodistas, Papistas, Universalistas, -Calvinistas, Materialistas, Destruicionistas, -Brownistas, Independantes, Protestantes, -Hugonotos, Nonjureros, Secederos, Hernhutteros, -Dunkeros, Jumperos, Shakeros, y Quakeros.</i>”—The -author, to make these names look as uncouth and -portentous as possible, has not translated several -which he must have understood, and has retained -the <i>w</i> and <i>k</i>.—<span class='sc'>Tr.</span></p> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>This endless confusion arises from the -want of some surer standard of faith than -Reason and the Scriptures, to one or both -of which all the schismatics appeal, making -it their boast that they allow no other -authority. Reason and the Scriptures! -Even one of their own bishops calls Reason -a box of quicksilver, and says that -it is like a pigeon’s neck, or a shot-silk, -appearing one colour to me, and another -to you who stand in a different light.</p> - -<div class='footnote c019' id='f19'> -<p class='c017'><span class='label'><a href='#r19'>19</a>. </span>These allusions are probably well understood -in Spain; but here, as in many other instances, -the translator must confess his ignorance, and regret -that he can give no explanation.—<span class='sc'>Tr.</span></p> -</div> - -<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_336'>336</span>And for the Scriptures, well have they -been likened to a nose of wax, which -every finger and thumb may tweak to the -fashion of their own fancy. You may -well suppose how perversely those heretics -will wrest the spirit, who have not scrupled -to corrupt the letter of the Gospel. -In many editions of the English Bible <i>ye</i> -has been substituted for <i>we</i>; Acts, vi. 3. -the Presbyterians having bribed the printer -thus to favour their heresy. Were you -to hear the stress which some of these Puritans -lay upon the necessity of perusing the -Scriptures, you might suppose they had -adopted the Jewish notion, that the first -thing which God himself does every morning -is to read three hours in the Bible.</p> - -<p class='c011'>You said to me, Examine into the opinions -of the different heretics, and you -will be in no danger of heresy; and you -requested me to send you full accounts of -all that I should see, learn, and think during -this enquiry, as the main confession -you should require. The result will prove -<span class='pageno' id='Page_337'>337</span>that your confidence was not misplaced; -that nothing could leach me so feelingly -the blessing of health, as a course of studies -in an infirmary.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Many of the names of this hydra brood -need no explanation; the others I shall -explain as I understand them, and those -which are left untouched you may consider -as too insignificant in their numbers, -or in their points of difference, to require -more than the mere insertion of their titles -in the classification of heresies. The Dunkers -and Sandemonians, the Baxterians and -Muggletonians, may be left in obscurity -with the Tascadrogiti and Ascodrogiti, the -Perliconasati of old, the Passalaronciti, and -Artotyriti, of whom St Jerome might well -say, <i>Magis portenta quam nomina</i>.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Some of these sects differ from the establishment -in discipline only, others both -in doctrine and discipline; they are either -political, or fanatical, or both. In all -cases it may be remarked, that the dissenting -<span class='pageno' id='Page_338'>338</span>ministers, as they are called, are more -zealous than the regular clergy, because -they either choose their profession for conscience -sake, or take it up as a trade, influenced -either by enthusiasm or knavery, -which are so near akin and so much alike, -that it is generally difficult, and sometimes -impossible, to distinguish one from the -other.</p> - -<p class='c011'>When the schism was fairly established -in this island by the accursed Elizabeth, -all sorts of heresies sprung up like weeds -in a neglected field. The new establishment -paid its court to the new head of the -church by the most slavish doctrines; the -more abject, the more were they unlike the -principles of the Catholic religion, and also -to the political tenets of the Nonconformists. -The consequence was, a strict -union between the clergy and the crown; -while, on the other hand, all the fanatics, -however at variance in other points, were -connected by their common hatred of this -double tyranny. Elizabeth kept them -<span class='pageno' id='Page_339'>339</span>down by the Inquisition: she martyred the -Catholic teachers, and put the Puritans to -a slower death, by throwing them into -dungeons, and leaving them to rot there -amid their own excrement. They strengthened -during the reign of her timorous successor, -and overthrew the monarchy and -hierarchy together under Charles, the martyr -of the English schismatical church. -Then they quarrelled among themselves; -and one party, disappointed of effecting -its own establishment, brought back Charles -II., who ruled them with a rod of iron. A -little prudence in James would have restored -England to the bosom of the church; -but he offended the clergy by his precipitance, -forced them to coalesce with the -Dissenters, and lost his crown. His father’s -fate was before his eyes, and he feared to -lose his head also; but had he been bold -enough to set it at stake, and been as willing -to be a martyr as he was to be a confessor, -a bloodier civil war might have been -excited in England than in Ireland; England -<span class='pageno' id='Page_340'>340</span>might have been his by conquest as -well as by birth, and the religion of the -conqueror imposed upon the people.</p> - -<p class='c011'>This revolution occasioned a new schism. -From the time of their first establishment -the clergy had been preaching the doctrines -of absolute power and passive obedience; -that kings govern by a right divine, -and, therefore, are not amenable to -man for their conduct. These principles -had taken deep root in consequence of the -general fear and hatred against the Calvinists. -No inconsiderable portion of the -clergy, therefore, however heartily they -dreaded the restoration of what they called -Popery by James, could not in conscience -assent to the accession of William: indeed, -the more sincerely they had deprecated -the former danger, the less could -they reconcile their really tender consciences -to the Revolution. They therefore -resigned, or rather were displaced -from, their sees and benefices, and lingered -about half a century as a distinct -<span class='pageno' id='Page_341'>341</span>sect, under the title of Nonjurors. These -men were less dangerous to the new government -than they who, having the same -opinions without the same integrity, took -the oaths of allegiance, and washed them -down with secret bumpers to King James. -But great part of the clergy sincerely acquiesced -in the Whig principles; and this -number was continually increasing as long -as such principles were the fashion of the -court. Of this the government were well -aware: they let the malcontents<a id='r20' /><a href='#f20' class='c018'><sup>[20]</sup></a> alone, -knowing that where the carcase is there -will the crows be gathered together; and -in this case it so happened that the common -frailty and the common sense of -mankind coincided.</p> - -<div class='footnote c019' id='f20'> -<p class='c017'><span class='label'><a href='#r20'>20</a>. </span>Don Manuel seems not to recollect Dr Sacheverell, -or not to have heard of him.—<span class='sc'>Tr.</span></p> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>I have related in my last how the Dissenters, -from the republican tendency of -their principles, became again obnoxious -to government during the present reign; -<span class='pageno' id='Page_342'>342</span>the ascendancy of the old high church and -tory party, and the advantages which have -resulted to the true religion. Their internal -state has undergone as great a -change. One part of them has insensibly -lapsed into Socinianism, a heresy, till of -late years, almost unknown in England; -and into this party all the indifferentists -from other sects, who do not choose, for -political motives, to join the establishment, -naturally fall. The establishment -itself furnishes a supply by the falling off -of those of its members, who, in the progress -of enquiry, discover that the church -of England is neither one thing nor another; -that in matters of religion all must -rest upon faith, or upon reason; and have -unhappily preferred the sandy foundation -of human wit. <i>Crede ut intelligas, noli intelligere -ut credas</i>, is the wise precept of St -Augustine; but these heretics have discarded -the fathers as well as the saints! -These become Socinians; and though many -of them do not stop here in the career -<span class='pageno' id='Page_343'>343</span>of unbelief, they still frequent the meeting-houses, -and are numbered among the -sect. With these all the hydra brood of -Arianism and Pelagianism, and all the anti-calvinist -Dissenters have united; each preserving -its own peculiar tenets, but all -agreeing in their abhorrence of Calvinism, -their love of unbounded freedom of opinion, -and in consequence their hostility to -any church establishment. All, however, -by this union, and still more by the medley -of doctrines which are preached as the pulpit -happens to be filled by a minister of -one persuasion or the other, are insensibly -modified and assimilated to each other; -and this assimilation will probably become -complete, as the older members, who were -more rigidly trained in the orthodoxy of -heterodoxy, drop off. A body will remain -respectable for riches, numbers, erudition, -and talents, but without zeal and -without generosity; and they will fall asunder -at no very remote period, because they -<span class='pageno' id='Page_344'>344</span>do not afford their ministers stipends sufficient -for the decencies of life. The church -must be kept together by a golden chain; -and this, which is typically true of the -true church, is literally applicable to every -false one. These sectarians call themselves -the enlightened part of the Dissenters; -but the children of Mammon are wiser -in their generation than such children of -light.</p> - -<p class='c011'>From this party, therefore, the church -of England has nothing to fear, though of -late years its hostility has been erringly -directed against them. They are rather -its allies than its enemies, an advanced -guard who have pitched their camp upon -the very frontiers of infidelity, and exert -themselves in combating the unbelievers -on one hand, and the Calvinists on the -other. They have the fate of Servetus for -their warning, which the followers of -Calvin justify, and are ready to make their -precedent. Should these sworn foes to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_345'>345</span>the establishment succeed in overthrowing -it, a burnt-offering of anti-trinitarians -would be the first illumination for the -victory.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c002' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_346'>346</span> - <h2 id='ch30' class='c008'>LETTER XXX.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c015'><i>Watering Places.—Taste for the Picturesque.—Encomiendas.</i></p> -<p class='c010'>The English migrate as regularly as -rooks. Home-sickness is a disease which -has no existence in a certain state of civilization -or of luxury, and instead of it -these islanders are subject to periodical -fits, of what I shall beg leave to call <i>oikophobia</i>, -a disorder with which physicians -are perfectly well acquainted though it -may not yet have been catalogued in the -nomenclature of nosology.</p> -<p class='c011'>In old times, that is to say, two generations -ago, mineral springs were the only -places of resort. Now the Nereids have -as many votaries as the Naiads, and the -tribes of wealth and fashion swarm down -<span class='pageno' id='Page_347'>347</span>to the sea coast as punctually as the land -crabs in the West Indies march the same -way. These people, who have unquestionably -the best houses of any people in -Europe, and more conveniences about -them to render home comfortable, crowd -themselves into the narrow apartments -and dark streets of a little country town, -just at that time of the year when instinct -seems to make us, like the lark, desirous -of as much sky-room as possible. The -price they pay for these lodgings is exorbitant; -the more expensive the place, the -more numerous are the visitors; for the -pride of wealth is as ostentatious in this -country as ever the pride of birth has been -elsewhere. In their haunts, however, these -visitors are capricious; they frequent a -coast some seasons in succession, like herrings, -and then desert it for some other, -with as little apparent motive as the fish -have for varying their track. It is fashion -which influences them, not the beauty of -the place, not the desirableness of the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_348'>348</span>accommodations, not the convenience of -the shore for their ostensible purpose, -bathing. Wherever one of the queen-bees -of fashion alights, a whole swarm -follows her. They go into the country -for the sake of seeing company, not for -retirement; and in all this there is more -reason than you perhaps have yet imagined.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The fact is, that in these heretical countries -parents have but one way of disposing -of their daughters, and in that way it becomes -less and less easy to dispose of -them every year, because the modes of living -become continually more expensive, -the number of adventurers in every profession -yearly increases, and of course -every adventurer’s chance of success is -proportionately diminished. They who -have daughters take them to these public -places to look for husbands; and there is no -indelicacy in this, because others who have -no such motive for frequenting them go -likewise, in consequence of the fashion,—or -<span class='pageno' id='Page_349'>349</span>of habits which they have acquired in -their younger days. This is so general, -that health has almost ceased to be the -pretext. Physicians, indeed, still send -those who have more complaints than they -can cure, or so few that they can discover -none, to some of the fashionable spas, -which are supposed to be medicinal because -they are nauseous; they still send -the paralytic to find relief at Bath or to -look for it, and the consumptive to die at -the Hot-wells: yet even to these places -more persons go in quest of pleasure than -of relief, and the parades and pump-rooms -there exhibit something more like the -Dance of Death than has ever perhaps -been represented elsewhere in real life.</p> - -<p class='c011'>There is another way of passing the -summer which is equally, if not more, -fashionable. Within the last thirty years -a taste for the picturesque has sprung up,—and -a course of summer travelling is -now looked upon to be as essential as -ever a course of spring physic was in old -<span class='pageno' id='Page_350'>350</span>times. While one of the flocks of fashion -migrates to the sea-coast, another flies off -to the mountains of Wales, to the lakes -in the northern provinces, or to Scotland; -some to mineralogize, some to botanize, -some to take views of the country,—all to -study the picturesque, a new science for -which a new language has been formed, -and for which the English have discovered -a new sense in themselves, which assuredly -was not possessed by their fathers. This -is one of the customs to which it suits a -stranger to conform. My business is to -see the country,—and, to confess the truth, -I have myself caught something of this -passion for the picturesque, from conversation, -from books, and still more from -the beautiful landscapes in water colours, -in which the English excel all other nations.</p> - -<p class='c011'>To the lakes then I am preparing to -set out. D. will be my companion. We -go by way of Oxford, Birmingham, and -Liverpool, and return by York and Cambridge, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_351'>351</span>designing to travel by stage over -the less interesting provinces, and, when -we reach the land of lakes, to go on foot, -in true picturesque costume, with a knapsack -slung over the shoulder.—I am smiling -at the elevation of yours, and the astonishment -in your arched brows. Even so:—it -is the custom in England. Young -Englishmen have discovered that they can -walk as well as the well-girt Greeks in the -days of old, and they have taught me the -use of my legs.</p> - -<p class='c011'>I have packed up a box of <i>encomiendas</i> -to go during my absence by the Sally, the -captain of which has promised to deposit -it safely with our friend Baltazar. One -case of razors is for my father; they are -of the very best fabric; my friend Benito -has never wielded such instruments since -first he took man by the nose. I have -added a case of lancets for Benito himself -at his own request, and in addition the -newest instrument for drawing teeth, remembering -the last grinder which he dislocated -<span class='pageno' id='Page_352'>352</span>for me, and obeying the precept of -returning good for evil. The cost stands -over to my own charity score, and I shall -account for it with my confessor. Padre -Antonio will admit it as alms, it being -manifestly designed to save my neighbours -from the pains of purgatory upon earth. -The lamp is infinitely superior to any thing -you have ever seen in our own country,—but -England is the land of ingenuity. I -have written such particular instructions -that there can be no difficulty in using it. -The smaller parcel is Dona Isabel’s commission. -If she ask how I like the English -ladies, say to her, in the words of the Romance,</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c023'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>Que no quiero amores</div> - <div class='line in2'>En Inglaterra,</div> - <div class='line'>Pues otros mejores</div> - <div class='line in2'>Tengo yo en mi tierra.<a id='r21' /><a href='#f21' class='c018'><sup>[21]</sup></a></div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='footnote c024' id='f21'> -<p class='c017'><span class='label'><a href='#r21'>21</a>. </span><i>That I want no loves in England, because I have -other better ones in my own country.</i>—<span class='sc'>Tr.</span></p> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>The case of sweetmeats is Mrs J—’s present -to my mother. There is also a hamper -<span class='pageno' id='Page_353'>353</span>of cheese, the choicest which could be -procured. One, with the other case of -razors, you will send to Padre Antonio, -and tell him that in this land of heresy I -shall be as mindful of my faith as of my -friends.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c002' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_354'>354</span> - <h2 id='ch31' class='c008'>LETTER XXXI.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c015'><i>Journey to Oxford.—Stage-Coach Travelling -and Company.</i></p> -<div class='c016'>Thursday, July 1.</div> -<p class='c017'>The stage-coach in which we had taken -our places was to start at six. We met at -the inn, and saw our trunks safely stowed -in the boot, as they call a great receptacle -for baggage, under the coachman’s feet: -this is a necessary precaution for travellers -in a place where rogues of every description -swarm, and in a case where neglect -would be as mischievous as knavery.—There -were two other passengers, who, -with ourselves, filled the coach. The one -was evidently a member of the university; -the other a fat vulgar woman who had stored -herself with cakes, oranges and cordials -<span class='pageno' id='Page_355'>355</span>for the journey. She had with her a large -bundle which she would not trust in the -boot, and which was too big to go in the -seat, so she carried it upon her lap. A -man and woman, who had accompanied -her to the inn, stood by the coach till it -set off; relations they seemed to be, by the -familiar manner in which they spoke of -those to whom she was returning, sending -their love to one, and requesting to hear of -another, and repeating ‘Be sure you let us -know you are got safe,’ till the very last -minute. The machine started within a -few minutes of the time appointed; the -coachman smacked his whip, as if proud -of his dexterity, and we rattled over the -stones with a fearful velocity, for he was -driving four horses. In Piccadilly he -stopped at another inn, where all the -western stages call as they enter or go out -of town: here we took in another cargo of -parcels, two passengers mounted the roof, -and we once more proceeded.</p> -<p class='c011'>We left town by the great western road, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_356'>356</span>the same way which I had entered. It -was a great relief when we exchanged the -violent jolting over the stones for steady -motion on a gravel road; but the paved -ways were met with again in all the little -towns and townlets;<a id='r22' /><a href='#f22' class='c018'><sup>[22]</sup></a> and as these for a -considerable distance almost join each -other, it was a full hour before we felt -ourselves fairly in the country. Several -stages passed us within a few miles of London, -on their way up: they had been travelling -all night; yet such are their regularity -and emulation, that though they had -come about thirty leagues, and stopped at -different places, not one was more than ten -minutes distance apart from another.</p> - -<div class='footnote c019' id='f22'> -<p class='c017'><span class='label'><a href='#r22'>22</a>. </span><i>Lugares.</i> Villages would have been an improper -name for such places as Kensington, &c.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>Englishmen are not very social to strangers. -Our fellow-traveller composed himself -to sleep in the corner of the coach; -but women are more communicative, and -the good lady gave us her whole history -before we arrived at the end of the first -<span class='pageno' id='Page_357'>357</span>stage;—how she had been to see her sister -who lived in the Borough, and was now -returning home; that she had been to both -the play-houses; Astley’s Amphitheatre, -and the Royal Circus; had seen the crown -and the lions at the Tower, and the elephants -at Exeter ’Change; and that on the -night of the illumination she had been out -till half after two o’clock, but never could -get within sight of M. Otto’s house. I -found that it raised me considerably in her -estimation when I assured her that I had -been more fortunate, and had actually -seen it. She then execrated all who did -not like the peace, told me what the price -of bread had been during the war and how -it had fallen, expressed a hope that Hollands -and French brandy would fall also; -spoke with complacency of Bonniprat, as -she called him, and asked whether we -loved him as well in our country as the -people in England loved King George. On -my telling her that I was a Spaniard, not -a Frenchman, she accommodated her conversation -<span class='pageno' id='Page_358'>358</span>accordingly, said it was a good -thing to be at peace with Spain, because -Spanish annatto and jar raisins came from -that country, and enquired how Spanish -liquorice was made, and if the people -wer’n’t papists and never read in the Bible. -You must not blame me for boasting of a -lady’s favours, if I say my answers were so -satisfactory that I was pressed to partake -of her cakes and oranges.</p> - -<p class='c011'>We breakfasted at Slough, the second -stage; a little town which seems to be -chiefly supported by its inns. The room -into which we were shown was not so well -furnished as those which were reserved for -travellers in chaises; in other respects we -were quite as well served, and perhaps -more expeditiously. The breakfast service -was on the table and the kettle boiling. -When we paid the reckoning, the woman’s -share was divided among us; it is the custom -in stage-coaches, that if there be but -one woman in company the other passengers -pay for her at the inns.</p> - -<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_359'>359</span>We saw Windsor distinctly on the left, -standing on a little eminence, a flag upon -the tower indicating that the royal family -were there. Almost under it were the -pinnacles of Eton college, where most of -the young nobility are educated immediately -under the sovereign’s eye. An inn -was pointed out to me by the road side, -where a whole party, many years ago, -were poisoned, by eating food which had -been prepared in a copper vessel. The -country is flat, or little diversified with -risings, beautifully verdant, though with -far more uncultivated ground than you -would suppose could possibly be permitted -so near to such a metropolis. The -frequent towns, the number of houses by -the road side, and the apparent comfort -and cleanliness of all, the travellers whom -we met, and the gentlemen’s seats, as they -are called, in sight, every one of which -was mentioned in my Book of the Roads, -kept my attention perpetually alive. All -the houses are of brick; and I did not see -<span class='pageno' id='Page_360'>360</span>one which appeared to be above half a -century old.</p> - -<p class='c011'>We crossed the Thames over Maidenhead-bridge, -so called from the near town, -where a head of one of the eleven thousand -virgins was once venerated. Here the -river is rather beautiful than majestic; indeed -nothing larger than barges navigate it -above London. The bridge is a handsome -stone pile, and the prospect on either hand -delightful; but chiefly up the river, where -many fine seats are situated on the left -bank, amid hanging woods. As the day -was very fine, D. proposed that we should -mount the roof; to which I assented, not -without some little secret perturbation; -and, to confess the truth, for a few minutes -I repented my temerity. We sate -upon the bare roof, immediately in front, -our feet resting upon a narrow shelf which -was fastened behind the coachman’s seat, -and being further or closer as the body of -the coach was jolted, sometimes it swung -from under us, and at others squeezed the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_361'>361</span>foot back. There was only a low iron rail -on each side to secure us, or rather to hold -by, for otherwise it was no security. At -first it was fearful to look down over the -driver upon four horses going with such -rapidity, or upon the rapid motion of the -wheels immediately below us: but I soon -lost all sense of danger, or, to speak more -truly, found that no danger existed except -in imagination; for if I sate freely, and -feared nothing, there was in reality nothing -to fear.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The Oxford road branches off here from -the great Western one, in a northerly direction. -A piece of waste which we crossed, -called Maidenhead Thicket, (though now -not woodland as the name implies,) was -formerly infamous for robberies: and our -coachman observed that it would recover -its old reputation, as soon as the soldiers -and sailors were paid off. I have heard -apprehensions of this kind very generally -expressed. The soldiers have little or no -money when they are discharged, and the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_362'>362</span>sailors soon squander what they may have. -There will of course be many who cannot -find employment, and some who will not -seek it. Indeed the sailors talk with the -greatest composure of land-privateering, -as they call highway robbery: and it must -be confessed, that their habits of privateering -by sea are very well adapted to -remove all scruples concerning <i>meum</i> and -<i>tuum</i>.</p> - -<p class='c011'>At Henley we came in sight of the -Thames again,—still the same quiet and -beautiful stream: the view as we descended -a long hill was exceedingly fine: the river -was winding below, a fine stone bridge -across it, and a large and handsome town -immediately on the other side; a town, indeed, -considerably larger than any which -we had passed. These stage-coaches are -admirably managed: relays of horses are -ready at every post: as soon as the coach -drives up they are brought out, and we are -scarcely detained ten minutes. The coachman -seems to know every body along the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_363'>363</span>road; he drops a parcel at one door, nods -to a woman at another, delivers a message -at a third, and stops at a fourth to receive -a glass of spirits or a cup of ale, which has -been filled for him as soon as the sound -of his wheels was beard. In fact, he lives -upon the road, and is at home when upon -his coach-box.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The country improved after we left Henley; -it became more broken with hills, -better cultivated, and better wooded. It is -impossible not to like the villas, so much -opulence, and so much ornament is visible -about them; but it is also impossible not -to wish that the domestic architecture of -England were in a better taste. Dinner -was ready for us at Nettlebed: it was a -very good one; nor was there any thing to -complain of, except the strange custom of -calling for wine which you know to be bad, -and paying an extravagant price for what -you would rather not drink. The coachman -left us here, and received from each -person a shilling as a gratuity, which he -<span class='pageno' id='Page_364'>364</span>had well deserved. We now resumed our -places in the inside: dinner had made our -male companion better acquainted with us, -and he became conversable. When he -knew what countryman I was, he made -many enquiries respecting Salamanca, the -only one of our universities with which -the English seem to be acquainted, and -which, I believe, they know only from -Gil Blas. I do not think he had ever before -heard of Alcala; but he listened very -attentively to what I told him, and politely -offered me his services in Oxford, telling -us he was a fellow of Lincoln, and insisting -that we should breakfast with him the -following morning.</p> - -<p class='c011'>At Nettlebed we passed over what is said -to be the highest ground in England, I -know not with what truth, but certainly -with little apparent probability. We could -have ascended little upon the whole since -we had left London, and were travelling -upon level ground. About five o’clock we -came in sight of Oxford, and I resumed -<span class='pageno' id='Page_365'>365</span>my place on the roof. This was by no -means the best approach to the city, yet -I never beheld any thing more impressive, -more in character, more what it should be, -than these pinnacles and spires, and towers, -and domes, rising amid thick groves. It -stands on a plain, and the road in the immediate -vicinity is through open corn -fields. We entered by a stately bridge over -the Cherwell: Magdalen tower, than which -nothing can be more beautiful, stands at -the end, and we looked down upon the -shady walks of Magdalen college. The -coach drove half way up the High-street, -and stopped at the Angel-inn.</p> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div>END OF THE FIRST VOLUME.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='lg-container-l c002'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line in8'>———————</div> - <div class='line in10'><span class='sc'>Edinburgh</span>:</div> - <div class='line'>Printed by James Ballantyre and Co.</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c002' /> -</div> -<p class='c011'> </p> -<div class='tnbox'> - - <ul class='ul_1 c002'> - <li>Transcriber’s Notes: - <ul class='ul_2'> - <li>Missing or obscured punctuation was silently corrected. - </li> - <li>Typographical errors were silently corrected. - </li> - <li>Inconsistent spelling and hyphenation were made consistent only when a predominant - form was found in this book. - </li> - </ul> - </li> - </ul> - -</div> -<p class='c011'> </p> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Letters from England, Volume 1 (of 3), by -Don Manuel Alvarez Espriella - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LETTERS FROM ENGLAND, VOLUME 1 *** - -***** This file should be named 61122-h.htm or 61122-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/1/1/2/61122/ - -Produced by MWS, Barry Abrahamsen, and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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