london in 1731-第22节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


o　are　constantly　in　London；　and　eat　and　drink　as　plentifully　as　any　people　in　the　world。　　And　now　I　am　speaking　of　hired　horses；　I　cannot　avoid　taking　notice　of　the　vast　number　of　coach…horses　that　are　kept　to　be　let　out　to　noblemen　or　gentlemen；　to　carry　or　bring　them　to　and　from　the　distant　parts　of　the　kingdom；　or　to　supply　the　undertakers　of　funerals　with　horses　for　their　coaches　and　hearses。　There　are　some　of　these　men　that　keep　several　hundreds　of　horses；　with　coaches；　coachmen；　and　a　complete　equipage；　that　will　be　ready　at　a　day's　warning　to　attend　a　gentleman　to　any　part　of　England。　These　people　also　are　great　jockeys。　　They　go　to　all　the　fairs　in　the　country　and　buy　up　horses；　with　which　they　furnish　most　of　the　nobility　and　gentry　about　town。　　And　if　a　nobleman　does　not　care　to　run　any　hazard；　or　have　the　trouble　of　keeping　horses　in　town；　they　will　agree　to　furnish　him　with　a　set　all　the　year　round。

The　principal　taverns　are　large　handsome　edifices；　made　as　commodious　for　the　entertaining　a　variety　of　company　as　can　be　contrived；　with　some　spacious　rooms　for　the　accommodation　of　numerous　assemblies。　　Here　a　stranger　may　be　furnished　with　wines；　and　excellent　food　of　all　kinds；　dressed　after　the　best　manner：…　each　company；　and　every　particular　man；　if　he　pleases；　has　a　room　to　himself；　and　a　good　fire　if　it　be　winter　time；　for　which　he　pays　nothing；　and　is　not　to　be　disturbed　or　turned　out　of　his　room　by　any　other　man　of　what　quality　soever；　till　he　thinks　fit　to　leave　it。　And　as　many　people　meet　here　upon　business；　at　least　an　equal…number　resort　hither　purely　for　pleasure；　or　to　refresh　themselves　in　an　evening　after　a　day's　fatigue。

And　though　the　taverns　are　very　numerous；　yet　ale…houses　are　much　more　so；　being　visited　by　the　inferior　tradesmen；　mechanics；　journeymen；　porters；　coachmen；　carmen；　servants；　and　others　whose　pockets　will　not　reach　a　glass　of　wine。　　Here　they　sit　promiscuously　in　common　dirty　rooms；　with　large　fires；　and　clouds　of　tobacco；　where　one　that　is　not　used　to　them　can　scarce　breathe　or　see；　but　as　they　are　a　busy　sort　of　people；　they　seldom　stay　long；　returning　to　their　several　employments；　and　are　succeeded　by　fresh　sets　of　the　same　rank　of　men；　at　their　leisure　hours；　all　day　long。

Of　eating…houses　and　cook…shops　there　are　not　many；　considering　the　largeness　of　the　town；　unless　it　be　about　the　Inns　of　Court　and　Chancery；　Smithfield；　and　the　Royal　Exchange；　and　some　other　places；　to　which　the　country…people　and　strangers　resort　when　they　come　to　town。　　Here　is　good　butcher's　meat　of　all　kinds；　and　in　the　best　of　them　fowls；　pigs；　geese；　&c。；　the　last　of　which　are　pretty　dear；　but　one　that　can　make　a　meal　of　butcher's　meat；　may　have　as　much　as　he　cares　to　eat　for　sixpence；　he　must　be　content　indeed　to　sit　in　a　public　room；　and　use　the　same　linen　that　forty　people　have　done　before　him。　　Besides　meat；　he　finds　very　good　white　bread；　table…　beer；　&c。

Coffee…houses　are　almost　as　numerous　as　ale…houses；　dispersed　in　every　part　of　the　town；　where　they　sell　tea；　coffee；　chocolate；　drams；　and　in　many　of　the　great　ones　arrack　and　other　punch；　wine；　&c。　　These　consist　chiefly　of　one　large　common　room；　with　good　fires　in　winter；　and　hither　the　middle　sort　of　people　chiefly　resort；　many　to　breakfast；　read　the　news；　and　talk　politics；　after　which　they　retire　home：　　others；　who　are　strangers　in　town；　meet　here　about　noon；　and　appoint　some　tavern　to　dine　at；　and　a　great　many　attend　at　the　coffee…houses　near　the　Exchange；　the　Inns　of　Court；　and　Westminster；　about　their　business。　　In　the　afternoon　about　four；　people　resort　to　these　places　again；　from　whence　they　adjourn　to　the　tavern；　the　play；　&c。；　and　some；　when　they　have　taken　a　handsome　dose；　run　to　the　coffee…house　at　midnight　for　a　dish　of　coffee　to　set　them　right；　while　others　conclude　the　day　here　with　drams；　or　a　bowl　of　punch。

There　are　but　few　cider…houses　about　London；　though　this　be　liquor　of　English　growth；　because　it　is　generally　thought　too　cold　for　the　climate；　and　to　elevate　the　spirits　less　than　wine　or　strong　beer。

The　four　grand　distinctions　of　the　people　are　these：…　（1）　The　nobility　and　gentry；　（2）　the　merchants　and　first…rate　tradesmen；　（3）　the　lawyers　and　physicians；　and　（4）　inferior　tradesmen；　attorneys；　clerks；　apprentices；　coachmen；　carmen；　chairmen；　watermen；　porters；　and　servants。

The　first　class　may　not　only　be　divided　into　nobility　and　gentry；　but　into　either　such　as　have　dependence　on　the　Court；　or　such　as　have　none。　　Those　who　have　offices；　places；　or　pensions　from　the　Court；　or　any　expectations　from　thence；　constantly　attend　the　levees　of　the　prince　and　his　ministers；　which　takes　up　the　greatest　part　of　the　little　morning　they　have。　　At　noon　most　of　the　nobility；　and　such　gentlemen　as　are　members　of　the　House　of　Commons；　go　down　to　Westminster；　and　when　the　Houses　do　not　sit　late；　return　home　to　dinner。　　Others　that　are　not　members　of　either　House；　and　have　no　particular　business　to　attend；　are　found　in　the　chocolate…houses　near　the　Court；　or　in　the　park；　and　many　more　do　not　stir　from　their　houses　till　after　dinner。　　As　to　the　ladies；　who　seldom　rise　till　about　noon；　the　first　part　of　their　time　is　spent；　after　the　duties　of　the　closet；　either　at　the　tea…table　or　in　dressing；　unless　they　take　a　turn　to　Covent　Garden　or　Ludgate　Hill；　and　tumble　over　the　mercers'　rich　silks；　or　view　some　India　or　China　trifle；　some　prohibited　manufacture；　or　foreign　lace。

Thus；　the　business　of　the　day　being　despatched　before　dinner；　both　by　the　ladies　and　gentlemen；　the　evening　is　devoted　to　pleasure；　all　the　world　get　abroad　in　their　gayest　equipage　between　four　and　five　in　the　evening；　some　bound　to　the　play；　others　to　the　opera；　the　assembly；　the　masquerade；　or　music…meeting；　to　which　they　move　in　such　crowds　that　their　coaches　can　scarce　pass　the　streets。

The　merchants　and　tradesmen　of　the　first…rate　make　no　mean　figure　in　London；　they　have　many　of　them　houses　equal　to　those　of　the　nobility；　with　great　gates　and　courtyards　before　them；　and　seats　in　the　country；　whither　they　retire　the　latter　end　of　the　week；　returning　to　the　city　again　on　Mondays　or　Tuesdays；　they　keep　their　coaches；　saddle…horses；　and　footmen；　their　houses　are　richly　and　beautifully　furnished；　and　though　their　equipage　be　not　altogether　so　shining　and　their　servants　so　numerous　as　those　of　the　nobility；　they　generally　abound　in　wealth　and　plenty；　and　are　generally　masters　of　a　larger　cash　than　they　have　occasion　to　make　use　of　in　the　way　of　trade；　whereby　they　are　always　provided　against　accidents；　and　are　enabled　to　make　an　advantageous　purchase　when　it　offers。　　And　in　this　they　differ　from　the　merchants　of　other　countries；　that　they　know　when　they　have　enough；　for　they　retire　to　their　estates；　and　enjoy　the　fruits　of　their　labours　in　the　decline　of　life；　reserving　only　business　enough　to　divert　their　leisure　hours。　　They　become　gentlemen　and　magistrates　in　the　counties　where　their　estates　lie；　and　as　they　are　frequently　the　younger　brothers　of　good　families；　it　is　not　uncommon　to　see　them　purchase　those　estates　that　the　eldest　branches　of　their　respective　families　have　been　obliged　to　part　with。

Their　character　is　that　they　are　neither　so　much　in　haste　as　the　French　to　grow　rich；　nor　so　niggardly　as　the　Dutch　to　save；　that　their　houses　are　richly　furnished；　and　their　tables　well　served。　You　are　neither　soothed　nor　soured　by　the　merchants　of　London；　they　seldom　ask　too　much；　and　foreigners　buy　of　them　as　cheap　as　others。　They　are　punctual　in　their　payments；　generous　and　charitable；　very　obliging；　and　not　too　ceremonious；　easy　of　access；　ready　to　communicate　their　knowledge　of　the　respective　countries　they　traffic　with；　and　the　condition　of　their　trade。

As　to　their　way　of　life；　they　usually　rise　some　hours　before　the　gentlemen　at　the　other　end　of　the　town；　and　having　paid　their　devotions　to　Heaven；　seldom　fail　in　a　morning　of　surveying　the　condition　of　their　accounts；　and　giving　their　orders　to　their　bookkeepers　and　agents　for　the　management　of　their　respective　trades；　after　which；　being　dressed　in　a　modest　garb；　without　any　footmen　or　attendants；　they　go　about　their　business　to　the　Custom　House；　Bank；　Exchange；　&c。；　and　after　dinner　sometimes　apply　themselves　to　business　again；　but　the　morning　is　much　the　busiest　part　of　the　day。　　In　the　evening　of　every　other　day　the　post　comes　in；　when　the　perusing　their　letters　may　employ　part　of　their　time；　as　the　answering　them　does　on　other　days　of　the　week；　and　they　frequently　meet　at　the　tavern　in　the　evening；　either　to　transact　their　affairs；　or　to　take　a　cheerful　glass　after　the　business　of　the　day　is　over。

As　to　the　wives　and　daughters　of　the　merchants　and　principal　tradesmen；　they　endeavour　to　imitate　the　Court　ladies　in　their　dress；　and　follow　much　the　same　diversions；　and　it　is　not　uncommon　to　see　a　nobleman　match　with　a　citizen's　daughter；　by　which　she　gains　a　title；　and　he　discharges　the　incumbrances　on　his　estate　with　her　fortune。　　Merchants'　sons　are　sometimes　initiated　into　the　same　business　their　fathers　follow；　but　if　they　find　an　estate　gotten　to　their　hands；　many　of　them　choose　rather　to　become　country　gentlemen。

As　to　the　lawyers　or　barristers；　these　also　are　frequently　the　younger　son