Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Miscellaneous Observations And Reflections Made In A Tour Through London,
person ; he may improve them by cultivation , like the flowers in his garden ; ' or , if neglected , like them , they run Wild : but in either case there will be a difference , according to the difference of the soil . The churches in London are beautiful . They are an honour to the taste of the people , and will be remarked with pleasure by the ¦ '
stranger . , i-i ' Thev may be said to be closely attended ; for wherever we find one , we . find it pent up by the houses , as if Avith design to squeeze it into a narrower compass . In some parts of London , particularly at the west end of the town , they . are thinly scattered ; but , perhaps , they are as numerous as necessary . Within , they are not quite so much attended as in Birming ham . A Bishop , with us , would draw an in' butin London attended divine
numerable multitudeafter him ; . I service , at St . . "Mary Aiderm ' ary , where the Bishop of B- —^ - " preached ; almost to an empty church . HoAvever , it should be remembered , he preached a charity sermon . ' ' . . ... During prayers at Westmirister Abbey , which were performed by the Sub and Chapterthe whole congregationduring a
con--Dean , , siderable part of the service , consisted solely of myself . This brought to mind the celebrated story of Dr . SAvift , and his deArly beloved jKotjcr . > -i . ¦¦ ¦ " ¦ . ' I considered , that I composed the whole congregation : of the first church" in Great Britain ; that I had aii exclusive rig ht' / to the benedictions solicited by this reverend body ; that under this lofty roof that the
were assembled two congregations , a dead and a living ; congregation-of the dead was , perhaps , the grandest in Europe ; , that of the ° living was " ne . it to it . But T did not . wish both to .. sleep ; one half , as in other place ' s of worship , Avas" enough . . I entertained a sincere value for each . Before tli p conclusion' of the' service , the congregation , for which I had the ' greatest regard , Avas recrui ted by an old woman and two cripples , which' convinced , me , that the people who attended public Avorship were those ' only who were unfit for every ¦
thing else . -,.. ''• :-When I visited St . James ' s ,, being'drcst in black , a gentleman accosted me , " Sir , do you perform the duty of the chapel this morning . " " No , Sir , it is ' hot my turn . Why , yoii have no congregation ! " : , , „ ' " No , Sir , the weather is so bad , I think nobody Will attend . I was ' much inclined , however , though adissenter , to have assumed the surplice , and attempted the service ; for if I had committed a blunder in the rubric , there Avere none to detect me .
THAMES . To a stranger , who resides in an upland country ,- like that of Birmingham , where the largest rivers mig ht almost be skipped over by an active man , a prospect of the Thames from London Bridge , especially to an Englishman , is peculiarly pleasing ,. Whether it would p lease a Frenchman , is another question . _ ¦ If a citizen passes over this bridge , perhaps he thinks of nothing
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Miscellaneous Observations And Reflections Made In A Tour Through London,
person ; he may improve them by cultivation , like the flowers in his garden ; ' or , if neglected , like them , they run Wild : but in either case there will be a difference , according to the difference of the soil . The churches in London are beautiful . They are an honour to the taste of the people , and will be remarked with pleasure by the ¦ '
stranger . , i-i ' Thev may be said to be closely attended ; for wherever we find one , we . find it pent up by the houses , as if Avith design to squeeze it into a narrower compass . In some parts of London , particularly at the west end of the town , they . are thinly scattered ; but , perhaps , they are as numerous as necessary . Within , they are not quite so much attended as in Birming ham . A Bishop , with us , would draw an in' butin London attended divine
numerable multitudeafter him ; . I service , at St . . "Mary Aiderm ' ary , where the Bishop of B- —^ - " preached ; almost to an empty church . HoAvever , it should be remembered , he preached a charity sermon . ' ' . . ... During prayers at Westmirister Abbey , which were performed by the Sub and Chapterthe whole congregationduring a
con--Dean , , siderable part of the service , consisted solely of myself . This brought to mind the celebrated story of Dr . SAvift , and his deArly beloved jKotjcr . > -i . ¦¦ ¦ " ¦ . ' I considered , that I composed the whole congregation : of the first church" in Great Britain ; that I had aii exclusive rig ht' / to the benedictions solicited by this reverend body ; that under this lofty roof that the
were assembled two congregations , a dead and a living ; congregation-of the dead was , perhaps , the grandest in Europe ; , that of the ° living was " ne . it to it . But T did not . wish both to .. sleep ; one half , as in other place ' s of worship , Avas" enough . . I entertained a sincere value for each . Before tli p conclusion' of the' service , the congregation , for which I had the ' greatest regard , Avas recrui ted by an old woman and two cripples , which' convinced , me , that the people who attended public Avorship were those ' only who were unfit for every ¦
thing else . -,.. ''• :-When I visited St . James ' s ,, being'drcst in black , a gentleman accosted me , " Sir , do you perform the duty of the chapel this morning . " " No , Sir , it is ' hot my turn . Why , yoii have no congregation ! " : , , „ ' " No , Sir , the weather is so bad , I think nobody Will attend . I was ' much inclined , however , though adissenter , to have assumed the surplice , and attempted the service ; for if I had committed a blunder in the rubric , there Avere none to detect me .
THAMES . To a stranger , who resides in an upland country ,- like that of Birmingham , where the largest rivers mig ht almost be skipped over by an active man , a prospect of the Thames from London Bridge , especially to an Englishman , is peculiarly pleasing ,. Whether it would p lease a Frenchman , is another question . _ ¦ If a citizen passes over this bridge , perhaps he thinks of nothing