But the Welch repining at their Lofs of Liberty, could not keep themselves within the Bounds of true Allegiance. In the Reign of King Henry IV. they all rofe up in Arms, under their Leader, Owen Glendowr, and were not eafily tamed. But when they faw Henry VII. upon the Throne of England, they were pleased with it, and freely fubmitted to him; as being of British Blood, and the Prince in whom was fulfill'd Cadwallader's Prophecy, the laft King of Britain, That the British Blood should reign again in Britain. In the Reign of King Henry VIII. the Welch were, by Act of Parliament, made one Nation with the English, fubject to the fame Laws, capable of the fame Preferments, and privileged with the fame Immunities. So that, the Name and Language only excepted, there is now no Difference between the English and the Welch. Their Noblemen fit in the House of Peers, and they send 24 Representatives to the Houfe of Commons, one for each County, and one for each County Town: Except Merionethshire, that fends only a Knight of the Shire. But then Pembrokeshire makes it up by its two Burgeffes, one for Pembroke, the other for Haverford-Weft. The faid King Henry VIII. for the Eafe of his Welch Subjects, fet up a Court at Ludlow in Shropshire, for the Administration of Justice, after the Way of the Courts of Westminster. And, till of late, there has been a Governor General of Wales, with the Title of Lord Prefident. The laft who bore that Title was Charles Earl of Macclesfield. After whofe Death, in the late King William's Reign, his Majefty thought fit to divide that Government among two Peers of the Realm, with the Title of Lord Lieutenant, one of North Wales, the other of South Wales. And so it is to this Day. The prefent Earl of Macclesfield, is the Right Honourable George Parker, Son of the late Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain. CHA P. IX. A New and Exact DESCRIPTION of London. ONDON is the Metropolis of Great-Britain, the Seat of London. By London, I understand not only the City properly fo call'd, but This great and populous City lies in 51 Degrees, 30 Minutes of Its Situation, H 3 Side Extent. Number of Streets and Side of the Thames, which is counted more healthy than the South Side. Except the City of Westminster, properly so call'd (which lies low) London stands on a rifing Bank, and in a wholfome Soil, mix'd with Gravel and Sand, where the River is caft into a Crefcent, or Half-Moon. The Tide flows here four Hours, and ebbs eight; reaching as far as Kingfton, 10 Miles by Land, and 20 by Water above London; and brings Ships of great Burden almost as far as the Bridge. London is about 60 Miles distant from the Sea, which makes it lefs in Danger of being furprized by the Fleets of foreign Enemies, and lefs annoy'd by the moist Vapours of the Sea. On the North Side 'tis shelter'd in a great Measure from the cold North Wind, by Hampfted, Highgate, and the Rifing Grounds of flington; but lies open to the Weft, as the kindest Quarter. Its Length, from Eaft to Weft, reaches about 8 Miles; but its Breadth from North to South, is not above 2 Miles and a half, even where it is broadest, as from the End of St. Leonard Shoreditch, to the farther End of Blackman-ftreet in Southwark. Within that compafs it contains 135 Parishes, viz. 97 within the Walls of London, 16 without, 15 Out Parishes in Middlesex and Surrey, and 7 in the City and Liberties of Westminster: For whofe publick Devotion, according to the Church of England, there are (befides St. Paul's Cathedral, the Collegiate Church of Weftminster, and feveral Chapels) 101 Parish Churches. The Reason why the Number of Churches falls fhort of the Parishes, is, that Churches being rather too thick before the Fire, there is now in several Places but one Church for two Parishes, and one Minifter between them. As for the Diffenters, 'tis reckon'd they have at least 100 Meetings. Here are alfo reckon'd 6000 Streets, Lanes, Courts, Yards, and Lanes, &c. Allies, and about 124000 Dwelling Houfes; whereas Paris has not half the Number. And, allowing 8 Souls to each House, one with another (which is a moderate Computation) the Number of the Inhabitants w amount at that Rate to 990000. But we may partly guess at the Number by the Burials of London, where in the Year 1681. (which was not counted a fickly Year) 23971 died, according to the general Bill of Mortality. Number of People. of London Honjes. The Eaft Parts of London, almoft as far as the Bridge, are chiefly inhabited by Sea-faring Men, and Tradesmen relating to the Sea Bufinefs; the main Part of the City, by Merchants and Tradefmen; the City and Liberties of Westminster, by the Nobility, Gentry, and retailing Traders. Neatnefs and The Houfes are generally of Brick, except fuch Timber Conveniencies Houfes as escaped the Fire of London, and a few built fince. And fuch has been the Improvement in Building fince the faid Fire, both in point of Neatness and Convenience, that no Nation comes near the English. 'Tis matter of Amazement, to fee upon small Spots of Ground, handfome Lodgings, light Stair-Cafes, raifed Ceilings, Clofets in moft Rooms, Safh Windows, and painted 1 Wainscot, Wainscot, with convenient Yards backward, and many with fine Gardens, whereas of old moft Houfes had but a blind Stair-Cafe, low Ceilings, Rooms built at random, fome with Steps from one to another, and little Windows, with near as much Lead as Glass; fo that one would think the Men of former Ages were afraid of Light and good Air. The ufe of Wainscot is certainly moft proper for fo damp a Country as England is, to keep off the ill Impreffion of damp Walls; and the plaifter'd Cielings, univerfally used in England, make, by their Whiteness, the Room fo much the lighter, and are excellent against a raging Fire. They ftop, befides, the paffage of Duft, and leffen the Noife over Head. The new Buildings being much neater, more uniform and regular than the old, have occafion'd the Fall of many great and fpacious Noblemens Houses, which are now built into Streets and Tenements. The Strand alone can fhew 8 of 'em, viz. Northumberland, York, Salisbury, Bedford, Beauford, Exeter, Norfolk, and Effex Houses; of all which none is left ftanding, but the firft. In Holbourn, were Warwick and Hatton Houses; and in the City, Elgin Houfe, and Barbican. They all took up a great deal of Ground, and (except Egin Houfe) in trading Places, which Ground is much better bestow'd upon Houses for Trade. The Nobility, and Chief among the Gentry, are, at this time, much better accommodated, in fine Squares, or Streets; where they breathe a good Air, and have Houses built after the modern Way. Such are, amongst others, Montague Houfe in Great Ruf fel-ftreet; Buckingham Houfe and Marlborough Houfe in St. James's Park; Devonshire and Burlington Houfes in Piccadilly; Schonberg Houfe in Pall-Mall; Southampton Houfe in Bloomsbury; Powis and Lindsey Houses in Lincolns-Inn-Fields; Leicefter Houfe in Leicefter Fields; all the great Houses in St. James's Square, and many more in Albemarle Buildings about the Park, and other Places near the Court. To which we may add several fine Streets, newly built; fuch as Ormond-ftreet, behind Red Lyon Square; Southampton Buildings in Covent-Garden; Marlborough-street, and others adjacent, near Old Sabo, as New Bond-ftreet, Grosvenorftreet, and Conduit-fireet. In fhort, London is remarkable for its Multitude of fine Squares; Fine Squares fuch as Lincolns-Inn-Fields; Serle's, Grays-Inn, Red Lion, and and Strects. Bloomsbury Squares; King's Square, in Soho; Golden, St. James's, and Hanover Square, Leicefter Fields, Devonshire Square, Queen's Square near Lamb's Conduit Fields, Grosvenor Square, Cavendish Square, and many fine Buildings lately erected in the Out-parts of the Town, &c. whereby the neighbouring Streets have a much freer Air. Among which, Lincolns-Inn-Fields is the most fpacious, and King's Square the moft beautiful, being lately adorn'd with a noble Garden in the Middle. And, did not most of the publick Buildings, as Charches, Colleges, and Halls, ftand H 4 (૩ Fresh Water. Fexel. Markers. (as they do) in Bye-places, no City, perhaps, in the World could make a greater Shew. London has alfo many fair and fpacious Streets, as Cornhill, Cheapfide, Fleet-freet, Great Hatton-freet, Pall-Mall, &c. and for Length, Thames-freet, the Strand, and Holbourn, this last a Mile in length. The new built Streets are best for Foot Passengers, being paved a good convenient Breadth on each Side with broad fmooth hewn Stones, and barr'd with great Posts at some distance from each other, to keep off Carts and Coaches. I come now to the Conveniencies of London, as to neceffary Provifions, and other Things, for Pleasure or Delight. First, for fresh Water, no Place in the World is better fupply'd than this is by the Thames and New River, befides several other Springs: For the Water comes in at fet Times, and easy Rates, into moft Dwelling Houses, by leaden Pipes, into leaden Cisterns, or fome other great Veffels. The poorer fort are generally supply'd with Pump Water, or common Cocks, at home or near at hand. The New River Water is owing to the great Care, Skill, and Coft of Sir Hugh Middleton, a worthy Knight of Wales, who for that Piece of Service deferves a Statue in Brass. This River was begun in 1608. and finish'd in 5 Years. It rises from z Springs near Ware in Hartfordshire, from whence, in a winding Courte, it runs 60 Miles before it reaches this City, and has 800 Bridges over it. The Channel is narrow, but very deep in fome Places; in others, 'tis carry'd over Vallies more than 20 Foot high above Ground, in open Troughs. There were 600 Men employ'd in this great Work, which was indeed fitter for a Prince than a Subject. For Fervel, this City is abundantly ferved by Water both with Sea-Coals and Wood; of the firit, 'tis computed there are 600000 Chaldrons brought yearly into the Thames, a Chaldron containing 36 Bufhels. Which comes 300 Miles by Sea, when it might be had near at hand, from Blackheath in Kent, within three Miles of London-Bridge. But the Government does not think fit to have thefe Mines broke up, because of the great Advantage the Nation finds, by employing fo many Hundreds of Ships, and Thousands of Sea-men in the Coal-Trade. For Butchers Meat, there are 12 great Markets, wonderfully ftocked with all forts of fine Meat; befides abundance of privatė Butchers up and down, for the Conveniency of Families that are at too great a Diftance from any Market. In thofe Markets are alfo to be found wild and tame Fowl, Hares, and Rabbets almoft at all Times of the Year. Leadenhall-Market, amongst others, is fo prodigious a Market for Meat, that three fuch would fupply the whole City of Paris. Befides which, there is Spittle-Fields; Honey-Lane, and Newgate Markets in London; Brooks Market near Holbourn; feven in Westinfler, viz. Clare, Hungerford, Newport, St. James's, Carnaby, and and one lately built near Oxford and Hanover Squares, and King, freet Markets; and two more in Southwark and Rotherhith. Befides which, there are several Places, call'd Butcher-Rows, where feveral Butchers live together, as in a Market: Befides a vast Number of fingle Butchers, who fell Beef, Veal, Mutton and Lamb, in many of the Streets. But, above all, the great Market for whole Carcaffes of Sheep, Lambs and Calves, is in Aldgate High-ftreet, commonly call'd White-Chappel Market; where most of the retailing or cutting-up Butchers come to buy Sheep, Lambs, &c. ready kill'd and drefs'd, to fell in their private Shops in the Streets, or at their Stalls in the aforefaid Markets. For Fish, there is but one great Market, which is at Billingf-Fish. gate, on the East Side of the Bridge; where the Fishmongers of the Town buy it up by the Great, and afterwards fell it by Retail. For all edible Roots and Herbs, Fruits, Flowers, and Phyfical Herbs, there are two noted Markets; one called Stocks-Market near the Royal-Exchange, which is now about removing to FleetDitch, which has lately been arch'd and fill'd up, and the greatest Part of the Market-House and Stalls are already built for that Purpose; and the other in Covent-Garden, Weftminster; from whence all Parts of the Town are fupply'd by Retailers. For all forts of Grain, Queen-Hythe and Bear-Key are two great Markets. For Meal, there is one near Fleet-Ditch, and another in Bloomsbury. For Hay and Straw, there is one in Weft-Smithfield, another in White-Chappel, and another call'd the HayMarket near Charing-Crofs. Smithfield is also a great Market for Live-Cattle and Horfes, as is Leaden-Hall for Hides and Leather, and Blackwell-Hall for Woollen Cloth. Laftly, all along the Thames, Timber, Stone, Coals and Wood, are to be fold. This City ftretching it felf along the Thames, for the Conve-The Towe niency of the Water, which makes it much longer than broad, well air'd. has by it the Advantage of being sweetned on one Side by the fresh Air of the River, and on the other by that of the Fields. Those that delight in taking the Air, and the walking Exercife, for the Improvement of Health, have a fair Opportunity for it in Moorfields, Iflington, and Red-Lyon-Fields, Marybone, and Tuttlefields; as alfo by going to Chelsea, Kenfington, &c. For Perfons of a genteel Appearance, there are the noble Gardens of the Inns of Court, fome of the Companies Halls, and the Charter-house Garden, The Court-fide has the Advantage chiefly of two Parks, one call'd St. James's Park, and the other Hide Park. The first only for Walking, and the laft moft properly for taking the Air on Horle-Back, or in Coaches. St. James's Park is about three Miles in Circumference, fet Parks. out with Variety of fine, large, and fpacious Walks, well fhaded and gravell'd, with a curious Mall 1000 Paces long, a fair Canal about the fame Length, and fupply'd with Water by the Tide running in and out under Ground. Here is alfo a Multitude of Fallow Deer feeding upon this Ground. But the greatest Orna |