enterprising industry of the English character, enable our countrymen to contend with nations who poffefs the greatest natural advantages; and, long before the commercial-treaty, we rivalled France in every thing, but her wines and her oils, and, perhaps, her cambricks. We have long fince fupplied Spain almost exclufively with the acid of vitriol, formerly the production of France only; and manufactured, in a greater perfection, thofe articles which were before the chief objects of that ingenious nation. At this moment a few only of the manufactures of this metropolis rival and exceed all the royal foundations in other kingdoms. We are forry this fubject is not taken up by authors, who can compare the prefent fituation of England in this refpect with her former, and examine the ballance of trade, at this time, between us, France, and Holland, as well as in no very diftant epoch.

In St. George's Fields, or at least in these and the approach to them, are the Westminster and Lying-in Hospitals; the Afylon and the Magdalen; charities whofe object and support our author explains at fome length. The borough of Southwark; the houfe of Charles Brandon, duke of Suffolk, afterwards the Mint; the King's Bench Prifon; the Marshalfea; Paris and the Bear-gardens, with the various antiquities, churches, and charitable inftitutions of the borough of Southwark, are alfo objects of Mr. Pennant's attention. He returns to Weftminster, and begins his walk from the shore oppofite to Jambeth, which in the time of queen Elizabeth was still a marsh. Millbank, named from the mill once in that fpot, the horseferry between Westminster and Lambeth, fuppreffed on building Weftminster-bridge, and the church of St. John, are the only fubjects of our author's remarks till he reaches Westminsterabbey, which he defcribes at length, as ufual, with some circumflances hitherto overlooked, or lefs carefully attended to. The Sanctuary, St. Margaret's church, the palace of Weftminfter, and Westminster-hall, are next defcribed in order, with as diftinct an account of their ancient flate and their hif tory as can be collected in the short compafs allowed in this vofume for each fubject. The author proceeds to Whitehall, Charing-c1ofs, and St. James's palace, once the hofpital of fome leprous women, and at prefent a heavy monaftic building, fuited only to the gloom of foleman infipid ceremony.

To take a review of the space between this palace and Charing Crofs, as it was about the year 1560, it will appear a tract of fields; there were no houfes, excepting three or four on the eaft fide of the prefent Pall-mall: and a little farther, on the oppofite fide, a fmall church, the name of which I cannot dilcover.

• By

By the year 1572, Cockfpur-ftreet filled up the pace between thofe houfes and Charing-Crofs. Pall-mall was aifo laid our as a walk, or a place for the exercise of the Mall, a game long fince difufed. The north fide was alfo planted with a row of trees. On the other fide was the wall of St. James's park. Charles I. removed it to its prefent place, planted the park, and made all thofe improvements, which we now fee. It was Le Notre, the famous French gardener, the director of taste under Louis XIV. who ordered the difpofition of the trees. Of late, the French have endeavoured to borrow tafte from us. In the days of Charles, the Haymarket, and Hedge-lane, had names; but they were literally lanes, bounded by hedges; and all beyond, to the north, eaft, and weft, was entirely country. In the fine plan of London, published by Faithorn, in 1658 no traces of houfes are to be met with in the former, an more than a fingle one, named the Gaminghoufe, at the end next to Piccadilly. Windmill-ftreet confifted of di-joined houses; and a windmill, ftanding in a field on the well fide, proves from what its name was derived. All the fp ce occupied by the streets radiating from the Seven Dials, was at that period open ground.'

• Lord Clarendon mentions a house of this name, in the following words. "Mr. Hyde (fays he, fpeaking of himfelf) going to a houfe called Piccadilly, which was a fair house for entertainment, and gaming, with handsome gravelwalks with fhade, and where were an upper and lower bowling-green, whither very many of the nobility and gentry of the best quality reforted for exercife and converfation."

At the upper end of the Haymarket, flood Piccadilla-hall, where Piccadillas or Turn-overs, were fold, which gave name to that vast street, cailed from that circumflance Piccadilly. This ftreet was completed in 1642, as far as the prefent Berkeley street. The first good houfe which was built in it was Burlington-houfe; the noble founder, father to the late carl of Burlington, faid he placed it there "because he was certain no one would build beyond him." Nobody is ignorant of the vast town that, fince that period, has extended itfelf beyond this palace. After this rofe Clarges-house, and two others adjacent, inhabited, fays Strype, by lord Sherbourne and the counters of Denby."

In 1716, Hanover-fquare, and Cavendish-fquare, were unbuilt but their names appear in the plans of London of 1720. Oxford-street, from Princes-ftreet eastward as far as High-ftreet, St. Giles's, was almost unbuilt on the north fide. I remember there a deep hollow road, and full of floughs: there was here and there a ragged houfe, the lurking-place of cut throats: infomuch that I never was taken that way by night, in my hackney-coach, to a worthy uncle's, who gave me lodgings at his houfe in George-ftreet, but I went in dread

the

the whole way. The fouth fide was built as far as Swallow freet. Soho fquare was begun in the time of Charles II. The duke of Monmouth lived in the centre houfe, facing the flatue, Originally the fquare was called, in honour of him, Monmouthfquare; and afterwards changed to that of King-fquare. I have a tradition, that, on his death, the admirers of that unfortunate man changed it to Soho, being the word of the day at the field of Sedgemoor. The houfe was purchased by the late lord Bateman, and let by the prefent lord to the Compte de Guerchy, the French ambaffador. After which it was leafed on building leafes. The name of the unfortunate duke is fill preferved in Monmouth-ftreet.'

gay

We have preferred giving our author's account of the former ftate of the fpots which are now covered by the houfes of the and opulent; which we tread without an idea of their be ing once far diftant from the town, the refort of the idle, who would enjoy the country air, or amuse themfelves by rural fports. The Strand too, at prefent the scene of business, was a spot in the vicinity only of the capital, which, from its being near Westminster, and on the banks of a beautiful river, was the chofen refidence of the nobility, whofe titles now diftinguish the different streets which lead to the Thames. In thefe times, the aristocratic fpirit was more prevalent, and the nobility living in greater ftate, kept the common people at a distance, and their houses bore their titles to separate them from those of the plebeians. Few of thefe only remain. There was no continued street in the Strand till 1533; there were only scattered houses, and a village, which gave a name to the whole. The most remarkable houses are described, and a short history of the more important ones is annexed, with the incidents which have rendered the different buildings and the most remarkable places either illustrious or infamous. Tyburn, the once fatal retreat of the unfortunate brave,' is the termination of our author's walk in the north-western direction; and he returns by Bloomfbury, Smithfield, Bartholomew's and Christ Church hospitals, and the Charter-houfe. In this peregrination the inns of court are particularly diftinguifhed in the narrative, and claim much of Mr. Pennant's attention; but we meet with nothing either fo peculiarly new or interefting as to deferve a particular detail. Clerkenwell and the New River-head conclude the walk on this fide.

Our author returns to the Temple, refumes his journey along Fleet-freet, fo far as the fouthern extremity of the ancient walls, to follow them to their oppofite end near the Tower. In this tour, Bolt-court, the refidence of the late Dr. Johnson, is particularly diffinguished, St. Bride's church, Bridewell, and

Fleet

Fleet-ditch, with its later improvements, when it was covered, and united to the oppofite fhore by Blackfriars-bridge,. are alfo the objects of Mr. Pennant's attention. It is not generally known that this ditch was formerly a creek, which received the little river Fleet, Turnmill brook, and another called Oldbourne. It was the receptacle of merchandize, brought here by lighters, and deposited on spacious quays; but it required frequent cleaning, at a vast expence; and, when a permanent bridge was fixed, in the fite of London-bridge, was of lefs utility. Blackfriars, the Town-ditch, Apothecaries hall, Ludgate, the Old Bailey, Newgate, Alderfgate-street, the Barbican, Cripple-gate, Finsbury (or Fenfbury, for this fpot was alfo once a marsh), Moorfields, London-wall, Devonshire-fquare, Bishopfgateftreet without, Houndfditch, Aldgate, Whitechapel, the Minories (granted formerly to fome poor ladies, or minorees), Goodman's-fields (once the fields of a real farmer of that name), Crutched or Croffed Friars, Patres Sanctæ Crucis, and the Tower, fhow the direction of our author's walk; and if our readers recollect the remarkable buildings in this line, will fufficiently evince the fubjects of Mr. Pennant's narrative. Their number prevents our even enumerating them.

The Tower, the scene of many fecret affaffinations, and more public, though often undeferved executions, attracts much of our author's attention Originally the work of a proud, jealous conqueror, it remains only a proof of the little defence the capital could make, if it had not better fortifications, in those floating batteries which, by infuring refpect to the British name, ward off the fhadow of danger: unfortunate will be the moment, when the most diftant apprehenfion of this defence, and of the British courage, fhall lead us to raise one fingle ftone on another to fupply the defects of either. The history of the events which occurred in this fortrefs, and of the perfons connected with them, is added, in which, as well as in many other places of this volume, our author fhows no little partiality to the name of Pennant, and to the defcendants of the ancient Cumbri. Beer, the prefent infpiring liquor of the most robust of Britons, was formerly the drink of our ancestors, and famous even in the days of our turbulent Henry. In this period ten quarters of malt were added to two of wheat, two of oats, and forty pounds of hops to make fixty barrels of beer. The prefent proportions are kept fecret, as it is an important object, in the brewer's eye, to make beer of a given strength, from the leaft poffible quantity of malt: on this account every advantage is taken of the degree of heat employed, the proper degree of fermentation, &c. and the business may now be fuppofed incapable of farther improvement. The porter brewed from Mid

fummer

fommer 1786 to 1787, was faid to amount to 1,176,856 barrels. This number is too fmall, for only the chief porter brewers are enumerated, and their brewings have, at least in the fubfequent years, greatly exceeded this quantity. The ancient beer-houfe, which led our author to this difcuffion, was in the neighbourhood of the Tower.

Mr. Pennant proceeds to Stepney, to Wapping, Shadwell, Radcliffe, and Limehoufe; but, perhaps, pays lefs attention to the flate of the fhipping and marine of thefe places than, we think, they deferve. The building-yards are of immenfe fize, and the greatest importance. He returned by Radcliffe Highway, and vifits the Victualling-office, the Cuftom-house, Trinity-houfe, and Billingfgate. Our author's fhort history of the progreffive increafe of the cuftoms is curious and interefting. At Billingsgate, he fays, the epicure will be greatly disappointed, if he goes to eat fish in perfection. At the time of Edward I. conger eels, porpuffes, and dolphins were eaten; but our author is mistaken if he thinks the first at all times fo indifferent. Congur in fawce,' in its feafon, is excellent.

London-bridge was certainly built between 993 and 1016, perhaps foon after the first æra, when Unlaf, the Dane, failed up as high as Staines, to prevent fimilar depredations. For a long time, however, the middle part was moveable, to admit of thips coming farther up the river. It was first of timber, and rebuilt with ftone in 1176.

This great work was founded on enormous piles, driven as clofely as poffible together: on their tops were laid long planks ten inches thick, ftrongly bolted; and on them were placed the bafe of the pier, the lowermoft stones of which were bedded in pitch, to prevent the water from damaging the work: round all were the piles which are called the iterlings, defigned for the prefervation of the foundation piles. Thefe contracted the fpace between the piers fo greatly, as to occafion, at the retreat of every tide, a fall of five feet, or a number of temporary cataracts, which, fince the foundation of the bridge, have occafioned the lofs of many thoufand lives. The water, at spring. tides, rifes to the height of about eighteen feet. The length of this vaft work is nine hundred and fifteen feet, the exact breadth of the river. The number of arches was nineteen, of unequal dimentions, and greatly deformed by the sterlings, and the houses on each fide, which overhung and leaned in a molt terrific manner. In most places they hid the arches, and nothing appeared but the rude piers. I well remember the street on London-Bridge, narrow, darkfome, and dangerous to paffengers from the multitude of carriages: frequent arches of trong timber croffed the street, from the tops of the houses, to keep them together, and from falling into the river. No