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Article ON THE MUTABILITY OF THE TIMES. Page 1 of 2 →
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On The Mutability Of The Times.
ON THE MUTABILITY OF THE TIMES .
T REMEMBER it was said by some foreigner ( I forget who ) that A London is an epitome of the world . The observation is certainly true . This capital , as if the centre of the world , draws all other nations to itself , as by a kind of magnetic power . Here the swarthy Asiatic , the sober Turk , the stately Spaniard , the robust German , the vengeful Italian , and the fidgeting Frenchman , all these , and more from the
than these , find here a warm reception . These emigrants , warm principle of self-love , are generally induced to settle on this hospitable shore ; aud in due course of time , after a series of intimate connections with the English , unite interests , and become complete and naturalized Englishmen . It is no wonder then , if by intermarrying and bblending together thebther duties and interests of society ,
y their tempers and inclinations should be frequently blended also . Such motley connections will necessarily produce motley characters ; and hence it is that London cannot be equalled for an unbounded variety of original characters . To be convinced of this , let a man of a speculative humour but maris ; with attention the various laces of the croud that bustles along thro '' our
streets . Such study , to a judicious physiognomist , will be productive of the most entertaining reflections ; and I will engage , that between Charing-cross and the Royal Exchange he will meet with the diffirent nations of Europe in miniature . This is what makes an Englishman ' s face multum in parvo : for it is the fertile spot where you may behold all the varieties of sentiment and climate . When I meet a groups of countenances , I frequently entertain myself by singling out each of them , and tracing its original , feature by feature , till I find it centre in a French jcook , or a German fidler .
Need we then be surprised at the material alterations in the tempers as well as in the faces of the English ? Need we be surprised , that our men are degenerating in to all the little effeminacies which are the harbingers of national decline ; or that our women are vying to outrun each other in the race of riot , dissipation , and wantonness ? Let us cease to be astonished that luxury has infested all ranks of society , that we have turned niht into dayand that we are going to ruin as fast
g , as we can : let us cease to be astonished , I say , for it is not now as . it was in good Queen Bess ' s days— \ Time was , a sober Englishman would knock His servants up , and rise at five o'clock ; ' -. Instruct his family in every rule , And send his wife to church , his son to school : . To worship like his fathers was his care ,
And teach their frugal virtues to his heir ; To prove , that luxury would never hold , Ami place on good security his gold , & c . & c , VOL . VI , E .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On The Mutability Of The Times.
ON THE MUTABILITY OF THE TIMES .
T REMEMBER it was said by some foreigner ( I forget who ) that A London is an epitome of the world . The observation is certainly true . This capital , as if the centre of the world , draws all other nations to itself , as by a kind of magnetic power . Here the swarthy Asiatic , the sober Turk , the stately Spaniard , the robust German , the vengeful Italian , and the fidgeting Frenchman , all these , and more from the
than these , find here a warm reception . These emigrants , warm principle of self-love , are generally induced to settle on this hospitable shore ; aud in due course of time , after a series of intimate connections with the English , unite interests , and become complete and naturalized Englishmen . It is no wonder then , if by intermarrying and bblending together thebther duties and interests of society ,
y their tempers and inclinations should be frequently blended also . Such motley connections will necessarily produce motley characters ; and hence it is that London cannot be equalled for an unbounded variety of original characters . To be convinced of this , let a man of a speculative humour but maris ; with attention the various laces of the croud that bustles along thro '' our
streets . Such study , to a judicious physiognomist , will be productive of the most entertaining reflections ; and I will engage , that between Charing-cross and the Royal Exchange he will meet with the diffirent nations of Europe in miniature . This is what makes an Englishman ' s face multum in parvo : for it is the fertile spot where you may behold all the varieties of sentiment and climate . When I meet a groups of countenances , I frequently entertain myself by singling out each of them , and tracing its original , feature by feature , till I find it centre in a French jcook , or a German fidler .
Need we then be surprised at the material alterations in the tempers as well as in the faces of the English ? Need we be surprised , that our men are degenerating in to all the little effeminacies which are the harbingers of national decline ; or that our women are vying to outrun each other in the race of riot , dissipation , and wantonness ? Let us cease to be astonished that luxury has infested all ranks of society , that we have turned niht into dayand that we are going to ruin as fast
g , as we can : let us cease to be astonished , I say , for it is not now as . it was in good Queen Bess ' s days— \ Time was , a sober Englishman would knock His servants up , and rise at five o'clock ; ' -. Instruct his family in every rule , And send his wife to church , his son to school : . To worship like his fathers was his care ,
And teach their frugal virtues to his heir ; To prove , that luxury would never hold , Ami place on good security his gold , & c . & c , VOL . VI , E .