london in 1731-第21节

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Besides　the　water　brought　from　the　Thames　and　the　New　River；　there　are　a　great　many　good　springs；　pumps；　and　conduits　about　the　town；　which　afford　excellent　water　for　drinking。　　There　are　also　mineral　waters　on　the　side　of　Islington　and　Pancras。

This　capital　also　is　well　supplied　with　firing；　particularly　coals　from　Newcastle；　and　pit…coals　from　Scotland；　and　other　parts；　but　wood　is　excessively　dear；　and　used　by　nobody　for　firing；　unless　bakers；　and　some　few　persons　of　quality　in　their　chambers　and　drawing…rooms。

As　for　bread…corn；　it　is　for　the　most　part　brought　to　London　after　it　is　converted　into　flour；　and　both　bread　and　flour　are　extremely　reasonable：　　we　here　buy　as　much　good　white　bread　for　three…　halfpence　or　twopence；　as　will　serve　an　Englishman　a　whole　day；　and　flour　in　proportion。　　Good　strong　beer　also　may　be　had　of　the　brewer；　for　about　twopence　a　quart；　and　of　the　alehouses　that　retail　it　for　threepence　a　quart。　　Bear　Quay；　below　bridge；　is　a　great　market　for　malt；　wheat；　and　horse…corn；　and　Queenhithe；　above　the　bridge；　for　malt；　wheat；　flour；　and　other　grain。

The　butchers　here　compute　that　there　are　about　one　thousand　oxen　sold　in　Smithfield　Market　one　week　with　another　the　year　round；　besides　many　thousand　sheep；　hogs；　calves；　pigs；　and　lambs；　in　this　and　other　parts　of　the　town；　and　a　great　variety　of　venison；　game；

and　poultry。　　Fruit；　roots；　herbs；　and　other　garden　stuff　are　very　cheap　and　good。

Fish　also　are　plentiful；　such　as　fresh　cod；　plaice；　flounders；　soles；　whitings；　smelts；　sturgeon；　oysters；　lobsters；　crabs；　shrimps；　mackerel；　and　herrings　in　the　season；　but　it　must　be　confessed　that　salmon；　turbot；　and　some　other　sea…fish　are　dear；　as　well　as　fresh…water　fish。

Wine　is　imported　from　foreign　countries；　and　is　dear。　　The　port　wine　which　is　usually　drunk；　and　is　the　cheapest；　is　two　shillings　a　quart；　retailed　in　taverns；　and　not　much　less　than　eighteen　or　twenty　pounds　the　hogshead；　when　purchased　at　the　best　hand；　and　as　to　French　wines；　the　duties　are　so　high　upon　them　that　they　are　double　the　price　of　the　other　at　least。　　White　wine　is　about　the　same　price　as　red　port；　and　canary　about　a　third　dearer。

It　is　computed　that　there　are　in　London　some　part　of　the　year；　when　the　nobility　and　gentry　are　in　town；　15；000　or　16；000　large　horses　for　draught；　used　in　coaches；　carts；　or　drays；　besides　some　thousands　of　saddle…horses；　and　yet　is　the　town　so　well　supplied　with　hay；　straw；　and　corn；　that　there　is　seldom　any　want　of　them。　Hay　generally　is　not　more　than　forty　shillings　the　load；　and　from　twenty　pence　to　two　shillings　the　bushel　is　the　usual　price　of　oats。

The　opportunity　of　passing　from　one　part　of　the　town　to　the　other；　by　coach；　chair；　or　boat；　is　a　very　great　convenience；　especially　in　the　winter；　or　in　very　hot　weather。　　A　servant　calls　a　coach　or　a　chair　in　any　of　the　principal　streets；　which　attends　at　a　minute's　warning；　and　carries　one　to　any　part　of　the　town；　within　a　mile　and　a　half　distance；　for　a　shilling；　but　to　a　chair　is　paid　one…third　more；　the　coaches　also　will　wait　for　eighteenpence　the　first　hour；　and　a　shilling　every　succeeding　hour　all　day　long；　or　you　may　hire　a　coach　and　a　pair　of　horses　all　day；　in　or　out　of　town；　for　ten　shillings　per　day；　there　are　coaches　also　that　go　to　every　village　almost　about　town；　within　four　or　five　miles；　in　which　a　passenger　pays　but　one　shilling；　and　in　some　but　sixpence；　for　his　passage　with　other　company。

The　pleasantest　way　of　moving　from　one　end　of　the　town　to　the　other　in　summer　time　is　by　water；　on　that　spacious　gentle　stream　the　Thames；　on　which　you　travel　two　miles　for　sixpence；　if　you　have　two　watermen；　and　for　threepence　if　you　have　but　one；　and　to　any　village　up　or　down　the　river　you　go　with　company　for　a　trifle。　　But　the　greatest　advantage　reaped　from　this　noble　river　is　that　it　brings　whatever　this　or　other　countries　afford。　　Down　the　river　from　Oxfordshire；　Berkshire；　Bucks；　&c。；　come　corn　and　all　manner　of　provision　of　English　growth；　as　has　been　observed　already；　and　up　the　river；　everything　that　the　coasts　and　the　maritime　counties　of　England；　Scotland；　or　Ireland　afford；　this　way　also　are　received　the　treasures　and　merchandise　of　the　East　and　West　Indies；　and　indeed　of　the　four　quarters　of　the　world。

Carts　are　hired　as　coaches；　to　remove　goods　and　merchandise　from　one　part　of　the　town　to　the　other；　whose　rates　are　also　fixed；　and　are　very　reasonable；　and　for　small　burdens　or　parcels；　and　to　send　on　messages；　there　are　porters　at　every　corner　of　the　streets；　those　within　the　City　of　London　and　liberties　thereof　being　licensed　by　authority；　and　wearing　a　badge　or　ticket；　in　whose　hands　goods　of　any　value；　and　even　bills　of　exchange　or　sums　of　money；　may　be　safely　trusted；　they　being　obliged　at　their　admission　to　give　security。　　There　is　also　a　post　that　goes　from　one　part　of　the　town　to　the　other　several　times　a　day；　and　once　a　day　to　the　neighbouring　villages；　with　letters　and　small　parcels；　for　the　carriage　of　which　is　given　no　more　than　a　penny　the　letter　or　parcel。　　And　I　should　have　remembered　that　every　coach；　chair；　and　boat　that　plies　for　hire　has　its　number　upon　it；　and　if　the　number　be　taken　by　any　friend　or　servant；　at　the　place　you　set　out　from；　the　proprietor　of　the　vehicle　will　be　obliged　to　make　good　any　loss　or　damage　that　may　happen　to　the　person　carried　in　it；　through　the　default　of　the　people　that　carry　him；　and　to　make　him　satisfaction　for　any　abuse　or　ill…language　he　may　receive　from　them。

The　high　streets　from　one　end　of　the　town　to　the　other　are　kept　clean　by　scavengers　in　the　winter；　and　in　summer　the　dust　in　some　wide　streets　is　laid　by　water…carts：　　they　are　so　wide　and　spacious；　that　several　lines　of　coaches　and　carts　may　pass　by　each　other　without　interruption。　　Foot…passengers　in　the　high　streets　go　about　their　business　with　abundance　of　ease　and　pleasure；　they　walk　upon　a　fine　smooth　pavement；　defended　by　posts　from　the　coaches　and　wheel…　carriages；　and　though　they　are　jostled　sometimes　in　the　throng；　yet　as　this　seldom　happens　out　of　design；　few　are　offended　at　it；　the　variety　of　beautiful　objects；　animate　and　inanimate；　he　meets　with　in　the　streets　and　shops；　inspires　the　passenger　with　joy；　and　makes　him　slight　the　trifling　inconvenience　of　being　crowded　now　and　then。　The　lights　also　in　the　shops　till　eight　or　nine　in　the　evening；　especially　in　those　of　toymen　and　pastry…cooks；　in　the　winter；　make　the　night　appear　even　brighter　and　more　agreeable　than　the　day　itself。

From　the　lights　I　come　very　naturally　to　speak　of　the　night…guards　or　watch。　　Each　watch　consists　of　a　constable　and　a　certain　number　of　watchmen；　who　have　a　guard…room　or　watch…house　in　some　certain　place；　from　whence　watchmen　are　despatched　every　hour；　to　patrol　in　the　streets　and　places　in　each　constable's　district；　to　see　if　all　be　safe　from　fire　and　thieves；　and　as　they　pass　they　give　the　hour　of　the　night；　and　with　their　staves　strike　at　the　door　of　every　house。

If　they　meet　with　any　persons　they　suspect　of　ill　designs；　quarrelsome　people；　or　lewd　women　in　the　streets；　they　are　empowered　to　carry　them　before　the　constable　at　his　watch…house；　who　confines　them　till　morning；　when　they　are　brought　before　a　justice　of　the　peace；　who　commits　them　to　prison　or　releases　them；　according　as　the　circumstances　of　the　case　are。

Mobs　and　tumults　were　formerly　very　terrible　in　this　great　city；　not　only　private　men　have　been　insulted　and　abused；　and　their　houses　demolished；　but　even　the　Court　and　Parliament　have　been　influenced　or　awed　by　them。　　But　there　is　now　seldom　seen　a　multitude　of　people　assembled；　unless　it　be　to　attend　some　malefactor　to　his　execution；　or　to　pelt　a　villain　in　the　pillory；　the　last　of　which　being　an　outrage　that　the　Government　has　ever　seemed　to　wink　at；　and　it　is　observed　by　some　that　the　mob　are　pretty　just　upon　these　occasions；　they　seldom　falling　upon　any　but　notorious　rascals；　such　as　are　guilty　of　perjury；　forgery；　scandalous　practices；　or　keeping　of　low　houses；　and　these　with　rotten　eggs；　apples；　and　turnips；　they　frequently　maul　unmercifully；　unless　the　offender　has　money　enough　to　bribe　the　constables　and　officers　to　protect　him。

The　London　inns；　though　they　are　as　commodious　for　the　most　part　as　those　we　meet　with　in　other　places；　yet　few　people　choose　to　take　up　their　quarters　in　them　for　any　long　time；　for；　if　their　business　requires　them　to　make　any　stay　in　London；　they　choose　to　leave　their　horses　at　the　inn　or　some　livery…stable；　and　take　lodgings　in　a　private　house。　　At　livery　stables　they　lodge　no　travellers；　only　take　care　of　their　horses；　which　fare　better　here　than　usually　at　inns；　and　at　these　places　it　is　that　gentlemen　hire　saddle…horses　for　a　journey。　　At　the　best　of　them　are　found　very　good　horses　and　furniture：　　they　will　let　out　a　good　horse　for　4s。　a　day；　and　an　ordinary　hackney　for　2s。　6d。；　and　for　5s。　you　may　have　a　hunter　for　the　city　hounds　have　the　liberty　of　hunting；　in　Enfield　Chase　and　round　the　town；　and　go　out　constantly　every　week　in　the　season；　followed　by　a　great　many　young　gentlemen　and　tradesmen。　　They　have　an　opportunity　also　of　hunting　with　the　King's　hounds　at　Richmond　and　Windsor：　　and　such　exercises　seem　very　necessary　for　people　who　ar