I Own, I Think It Would Be For The
Honour Of The Kingdom To Reform The Abuses Of This Road; And In
Particular To Improve The Avenue To London By The Way Of Kent-Street,
Which Is A Most Disgraceful Entrance To Such An Opulent
City.
A foreigner, in passing through this beggarly and ruinous
suburb, conceives such an idea of misery and meanness, as all the
wealth and magnificence of London and Westminster are afterwards
unable to destroy.
A friend of mine, who brought a Parisian from
Dover in his own post-chaise, contrived to enter Southwark after
it was dark, that his friend might not perceive the nakedness of
this quarter. The stranger was much pleased with the great number
of shops full of merchandize, lighted up to the best advantage.
He was astonished at the display of riches in Lombard-Street and
Cheapside. The badness of the pavement made him find the streets
twice as long as they were. They alighted in Upper Brook-Street
by Grosvenor-Square; and when his conductor told him they were
then about the middle of London, the Frenchman declared, with
marks of infinite surprize, that London was very near as long as
Paris.
On my arrival at Dover I payed off my coachman, who went away
with a heavy heart. He wanted much to cross the sea, and
endeavoured to persuade me to carry the coach and horses to the
other side. If I had been resolved to set out immediately for the
South, perhaps I should have taken his advice.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 74 of 535
Words from 19920 to 20179
of 143308
