london in 1731-第1节

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　London　in　1731

by　Don　Manoel　Gonzales




INTRODUCTION



Don　Manoel　Gonzales　is　the　assumed　name　of　the　writer　of　a　〃Voyage　to　Great　Britain；　containing　an　Account　of　England　and　Scotland；〃　which　was　first　printed　in　the　first　of　the　two　folio　volumes　of　〃A　Collection　of　Voyages　and　Travels；　compiled　from　the　Library　of　the　Earl　of　Oxford〃　（Robert　Harley；　who　died　in　1724；　but　whose　industry　in　collection　was　continued　by　his　son　Edward；　the　second　Earl）；　〃interspersed　and　illustrated　with　Notes。〃　　These　volumes；　known　as　the　〃Harleian　Collection；〃　were　published　in　1745　and　1746。　　The　narrative　was　reproduced　early　in　the　present　century　in　the　second　of　the　seventeen　quartos　of　John　Pinkerton's　〃General　Collection　of　the　best　and　the　most　interesting　Voyages　and　Travels　of　the　World〃　（1808…1814）；　from　which　this　account　of　London　is　taken。　　The　writer　does　here；　no　doubt；　keep　up　his　character　of　Portuguese　by　a　light　allusion　to　〃our　extensive　city　of　Lisbon；〃　but　he　forgets　to　show　his　nationality　when　speaking　of　Portugal　among　the　countries　with　which　London　has　trade；　and　he　writes　of　London　altogether　like　one　to　the　City　born；　when　he　describes　its　inner　life　together　with　its　institutions　and　its　buildings。

The　book　is　one　of　those　that　have　been　attributed　to　Defoe；　who　died　in　1731；　and　the　London　it　describes　was　dated　by　Pinkerton　in　the　last　year　of　Defoe's　life。　　This　is　also　the　latest　date　to　be　found　in　the　narrative。　　On　page　93　of　this　volume；　old　buildings　at　St。　Bartholomew's　are　said　to　have　been　pulled　down　in　the　year　1731；　〃and　a　magnificent　pile　erected　in　the　room　of　them；　about　150　feet　in　length；　faced　with　a　pure　white　stone；　besides　other　additions　now　building。〃　　That　passage　was　written；　therefore；　after　1731；　and　could　not　possibly　have　been　written　by　Defoe。　　But　if　the　book　was　in　Robert　Harley's　collection；　and　not　one　of　the　additions　made　by　his　son　the　second　earl；　the　main　body　of　the　account　of　London　must　be　of　a　date　earlier　than　the　first　earl's　death　in　1724。　　Note；　for　instance；　the　references　on　pages　27；　28；　to　〃the　late　Queen　Mary；〃　and　to　〃her　Majesty〃　Queen　Anne；　as　if　Anne　were　living。　　It　would　afterwards　have　been　brought　to　date　of　publication　by　additions　made　in　or　before　1745。　　The　writer；　whoever　he　may　have　been；　was　an　able　man；　who　joined　to　the　detail　of　a　guide…book　the　clear　observation　of　one　who　writes　like　an　educated　and　not　untravelled　London　merchant；　giving　a　description　of　his　native　town　as　it　was　in　the　reign　of　George　the　First；　with　addition　of　a　later　touch　or　two　from　the　beginning　of　the　reign　of　George　the　Second。

His　London　is　London　of　the　time　when　Pope　published　his　translation　of　the　〃Iliad；〃　and　was　nettled　at　the　report　that　Addison；　at　Button's　Coffee　House；　had　given　to　Tickell's　little　venture　in　the　same　direction　the　praise　of　having　more　in　it　of　Homer's　fire。　Button's　Coffee　House　was　of　Addison's　foundation；　for　the　benefit　of　Daniel　Button；　an　old　steward　of　the　Countess　of　Warwick's；　whom　he　had　settled　there　in　1812。　　It　was　in　Russell　Street；　Covent　Garden；　and　Addison　brought　the　wits　to　it　by　using　it　himself。　〃Don　Manoel　Gonzales〃　describes　very　clearly　in　the　latter　part　of　this　account　of　London；　the　manner　of　using　taverns　and　coffee…　houses　by　the　Londoners　of　his　days；　and　other　ways　of　life　with　high　and　low。　　It　is　noticeable；　however；　that　his　glance　does　not　include　the　ways　of　men　of　letters。　　His　four　orders　of　society　are；　the　noblemen　and　gentlemen；　whose　wives　breakfast　at　twelve；　the　merchants　and　richer　tradesmen；　after　whom　he　places　the　lawyers　and　doctors；　whose　professional　class　is　followed　by　that　of　the　small　tradesmen；　costermongers；　and　other　people　of　the　lower　orders。　This；　and　the　clearness　of　detail　upon　London　commerce；　may　strengthen　the　general　impression　that　the　description　comes　rather　from　a　shrewd；　clear…headed；　and　successful　merchant　than　from　a　man　of　letters。

The　London　described　is　that　of　Addison　who　died　in　1719；　of　Steele　who　died　in　1729；　of　Pope　who　died　in　1744。　　It　is　the　London　into　which　Samuel　Johnson　came　in　1738；　at　the　age　of　twenty…nineseven　years　before　the　manuscript　of　〃Manoel　de　Gonzales〃　appeared　in　print。　　〃How　different　a　place；〃　said　Johnson；　〃London　is　to　different　people；　but　the　intellectual　man　is　struck　with　it　as　comprehending　the　whole　of　human　life　in　all　its　variety；　the　contemplation　of　which　is　inexhaustible。〃　　Its　hard　features　were　shown　in　the　poem　entitled　Londonan　imitation　of　the　third　satire　of　Juvenalwith　which　Johnson　began　his　career　in　the　great　city；　pressed　by　poverty；　but　not　to　be　subdued：…


〃By　numbers　here　from　shame　or　censure　free；　All　crimes　are　safe　but　hated　poverty。　This；　only　this；　the　rigid　law　pursues；　This；　only　this；　provokes　the　snarling　Muse。　The　sober　trader；　at　a　tattered　cloak；　Wakes　from　his　dream　and　labours　for　a　joke；　With　brisker　air　the　silken　courtiers　gaze；　And　turn　the　varied　taunt　a　thousand　ways。　Of　all　the　griefs　that　harass　the　distressed；　Sure　the　most　bitter　is　a　scornful　jest；　Fate　never　wounds　more　deep　the　generous　heart　Than　when　a　blockhead's　insult　points　the　dart。〃


When　Don　Manoel's　account　of　London　was　written　the　fashionable　world　was　only　beginning　to　migrate　from　Covent　Gardenonce　a　garden　belonging　to　the　Convent　of　Westminster；　and　the　first　London　square　inhabited　by　persons　of　rank　and　fashionto　Grosvenor　Square；　of　which　Don　Manoel　describes　the　new　glories。　　They　included　a　gilt　equestrian　statue　of　King　George　I。　in　the　middle　of　its　garden；　to　say　nothing　of　kitchen　areas　to　its　houses；　then　unusual　enough　to　need　special　description：　　〃To　the　kitchens　and　offices；　which　have　little　paved　yards　with　vaults　before　them；　they　descend　by　twelve　or　fifteen　steps；　and　these　yards　are　defended　by　a　high　palisade　of　iron。〃　　Altogether；　we　are　told；　Grosvenor　Square　〃may　well　be　looked　upon　as　the　beauty　of　the　town；　and　those　who　have　not　seen　it　cannot　have　an　adequate　idea　of　the　place。〃

But　Covent　Garden　is　named　by　〃Don　Manoel　Gonzales；〃　with　St。　James's　Park；　as　a　gathering…place　of　the　London　world　of　fashion。　The　neighbouring　streets；　it　may　be　added；　had　many　coffee…houses；　wine…cellars；　fruit　and　jelly　shops；　fruit；　flowers；　and　herbs　were　sold　in　its　central　space；　and　one　large　woman　thoughtfully　considering　the　fashion　of　the　place；　sat　at　her　stall　in　a　lace　dress　of　which　the　lowest　estimate　was　that　it　must　have　cost　a　hundred　guineas。

H。　M。



LONDON　IN　1731。　CONTAINING　A　DESCRIPTION　OF　THE　CITY　OF　LONDON；　BOTH　IN　REGARD　TO　ITS　EXTENT；　BUILDINGS；　GOVERNMENT；　TRADE；　ETC。



London；　the　capital　of　the　kingdom　of　England；　taken　in　its　largest　extent；　comprehends　the　cities　of　London　and　Westminster；　with　their　respective　suburbs；　and　the　borough　of　Southwark；　with　the　buildings　contiguous　thereto　on　the　south　side　of　the　river；　both　on　the　east　and　west　sides　of　the　bridge。

The　length　thereof；　if　we　measure　in　a　direct　line　from　Hyde　Park　gate；　on　the　west　side　of　Grosvenor　Square；　to　the　farthest　buildings　that　are　contiguous　in　Limehouse；　that　is；　from　west　to　east；　is　very　near　five　miles　in　a　direct　line；　but　if　we　take　in　the　turnings　and　windings　of　the　streets；　it　cannot　be　less　than　six　miles。　　The　breadth　in　many　places　from　north　to　south　is　about　two　miles　and　a　half；　but　in　others　not　above　a　mile　and　a　half；　the　circumference　of　the　whole　being　about　sixteen　miles。

The　situation　next　the　river　is　hilly；　and　in　some　places　very　steep；　but　the　streets　are　for　the　most　part　upon　a　level；　and　the　principal　of　them　nowhere　to　be　paralleled　for　their　length；　breadth；　beauty；　and　regularity　of　the　buildings；　any　more　than　the　spacious　and　magnificent　squares　with　which　this　city　abounds。

As　to　the　dimensions　of　the　city　within　the　walls；　I　find　that　the　late　wall　on　the　land　side　from　the　Tower　in　the　east；　to　the　mouth　of　Fleet　Ditch　in　the　west；　was　two　miles　wanting　ten　poles；　and　the　line　along　the　Thames；　where　there　has　been　no　walls　for　many　hundred　years；　if　ever；　contains　from　the　Tower　in　the　east；　to　the　mouth　of　the　same　ditch　in　the　west；　a　mile　and　forty　poles；　which　added　to　the　circuit　of　the　wall；　on　the　land　side；　makes　in　the　whole　three　miles　thirty　poles；　and　as　it　is　of　an　irregular　figure；　narrow　at　each　end；　and　the　broadest　part　not　half　the　length　of　it；　the　content　of　the　ground　within　the　walls；　upon　the　most　accurate　survey；　does　not　contain　more　than　three　hundred　and　eighty　acres；　which　is　not　a　third　part　of　the　contents　of　our　extensive　city　of　Lisbon：　　but　then　this　must　be　remembered；　Lisbon　contains　a　great　quantity　of　arable　and　waste　ground　within　its　walls；　whereas　London　is　one　continued　pile　of　buildings。　　The　city　gates　are　at　this　day　eight；　besides　posterns；　viz。：　　1；　Aldgate；　2；　Bishopsgate；　3；　Moorgate；　4；　Cripplegate；　5；　Aldersgate；　6；　Newgate；　7；　Ludgate；　and；　8；　The　Bridgegate。

1。　　Aldgate；　or　Ealdgate；　in　the　east；　is　of　great　antiquity；　even　as　old　as　the　days　of　King　Edgar；　who　mentions　it　in　a　charter　to　the　knights　of　Knighton…Guild。　　Upon　the　top　of　it；　to　the　eastward；　is　placed　a　golden　sphere；　and　on　the　upper　battlements；　the　figures　of　two　soldiers　as　sentinels：