32 DEN. CUPER's GARDEN. them is a circular turret, including a winding staircase, which brings you to their fummits, which are above twenty-four feet in diameter. One of these confervatories is full of sweet wine, and contains fifty eight thoufand one hundred and nine gallons; or eighteen hundred and fifteen barrels of Winchester measure. Its fuperb affociate is full of vinegar, to the amount of fifty fix thoufand feven hundred and ninety-nine gallons, or feventeen hundred and feventy-four barrels, of the fame ftandard as the former. The famous German veffel yields even to the last by the quantity of forty barrels *. BESIDES thefe, is an avenue of leffer veffels, which hold from thirty-two thousand five hundred, to fixteen thousand nine hundred and feventy-four gallons each. After quitting this Brobdignagian fcene, we pafs to the acres covered with common barrels we cannot diminifh our ideas fo fuddenly, but at first we imagined we could quaff them off as easily as Gulliver did the little hogfheads of the kingdom of Lilliput. THIS ground, fo profitable to the proprietors, and fo produc-. tive of revenue to the ftate, was in my memory the scene of low CUPER'S GAR- diffipation. Here ftood Cuper's Garden, noted for its fire-works, and the great refort of the profligate of both fexes. This place was ornamented with feveral of the mutilated ftatues belonging to Thomas earl of Arundel, which had been for that purpose begged from his lordship by one Boyder Cuper, a gardener in the family . The more valuable part were bought by lord Lemster, tons. According to Mr. Keyler, the Heydelberg veffel holds two hundred and four EXTENSIVE BUSINESSES. father of the first earl of Pomfret, and prefented by the earl's widow to the univerfity of Oxford. Thefe grounds were then rented by lord Arundel. On the pulling down of Arundel-house, to make way for the street of that name, thefe, and feveral others of the damaged part of the collection, were removed to this place. Numbers were left on the ground, near the river-fide, and overwhelmed with the rubbish brought from the foundation of the new church of St. Paul's. Thefe in after-times were discovered, dug up, and conveyed to the feat of the duke of Norfolk, at Workfop manor. Injured as they are, they appear, from the etchings given by Doctor Ducarel, to have had great merit. YARDS. 33 THE great timber-yards, beneath which thefe antiquities were GREAT TIMBERfound, are very well worthy of a vifit. One would fear that the forefts of Norway and the Baltic would be exhaufted, to fupply the want of our overgrown capital, were we not affured, that the resources will fucceffively be increafing, equal to the demand of fucceeding ages. LERY. In this parish are the vast distilleries, till of late the property GREAT DISTILof Sir Jofeph Mawbey. There are feldom lefs than two thoufand hogs conftantly grunting at this place; which are kept entirely on the grains. I lament to fee the maxim of private vices being public benefits fo ftrongly exemplified in the produce of the duty on this Stygian liquor. From July 5th, 1785, to July 5th, 1786, it yielded £. 450,000. And I have been told of a fingle diftiller who contributed to that fum £• 54,000. FIELDS. To the fouth are St. George's Fields, now the wonder of ST. GEORGE'S foreigners approaching by this road to our capital, through avenues of lamps, of magnificent breadth and goodness. I have heard that a foreign ambaffador, who happened to make his F entry 34 WESTMINSTER PITAL. ST. GEORGE'S FIELDS. * entry at night, imagined that thefe illuminations were in honor of his arrival, and, as he modeftly expreffed, more than he could have expected. On this fpot have been found remains of teffelated pavements, coins, and an urn full of bones †, poffibly the fite of a fummer camp of the Romans. In this place it could have been no other. It was too wet for a refidentiary ftation. Its neighbor, Lambeth marfh, was in the last century overflown with water: but St. George's Fields might, from their diftance from the river, admit of a temporary encampment. " ON approaching St. George's Fields from Westminster-bridge are two charities of uncommon delicacy and utility. The firft is the Westminster Lying-in Hofpital. This is not inftituted merely for the honeft matron, who can depofe her burthen with the confcioufnefs of lawful love, but alfo for the unhappy wretches whom fome villain, in the unguarded moment, hath feduced, and then left a prey to defertion of friends, poverty, want, and guilt. Leaft fuch may be driven to defpair by fuch complicated mifery, "and be tempted to deftroy themfelves, and murder their in"fants," here was founded, in 1765, this humane preventative The Westminster New Lying-in Hofpital. To obviate all objection to its being an encouragement to vice, no one is taken in a fecond time: but this moft excellent charity is open to the worthy diftreffed matron as often as neceffity requires. None are rejected who have friends to recommend. And of both defcrip Written before the fhameful adulteration of the oil has almost given to this once glorious fplendor, as well as that of most of our streets, little better than a "darkness vifible." + Gale's Itin. Anton. 65. See the account of the inftitution. tions PUBLIC CHARITIES. tions upwards of four thousand have experienced its falutary effects. 35 HOUSE OF RE FUGE. FARTHER on is another inftitution of a moft heavenly nature, ASYLUM, OR calculated to fave from perdition of foul and body, the brighter part of the creation: fuch on whom Providence hath bestowed angelic faces and elegant forms, defigned as bleffings to mankind, but too often debafed to the vileft ufes. The hazard that these innocents conftantly are liable to, from a thousand temptations, from poverty, from death of parents, from the diabolical procurefs, and often from the ftupendous wickedness of parents themfelves, who have been known to fell their beauteous girls for the purpose of prostitution, induced a worthy band to found, in the year 1758, the Afylum, or House of Refuge. Long may it flourish, and eternal be the reward of those into whofe minds fo amiable a conception may have entered! PITAL. For the falvation of those unhappy beings who had the ill fortune to lofe the benefits of this divine inftitution, at a fmall diftance is the Magdalen Hofpital, for the reception of the penitent MAGDALEN HOSprostitutes. To fave from vice is one great merit. To reclame and restore to the dignity of honeft rank in life is certainly not lefs meritorious. The joy at the return of one finner to repentance, is esteemed by the highest authority worthy of the heavenly hoft. That ecftafy, I truft, this inftitution has often occafioned. Since its foundation, in the fame year with the former, to December 25th, 1786, not fewer than 2,471 have been admitted. Of these (it is not to be wondered that long and evil habits are often incurable) 300 have been discharged, uneafy under constraint; 45 proved lunatics, and afflicted with incurable fits; 60 have died; 52 never returned from hofpitals they were fent to; 338. difcharged F 2 35 EQUESTRIAN BOROUGH OF EQUESTRIAN THEATRES. difcharged for faults and irregularities.-How to be dreaded is the entrance into the bounds of vice, fince the retreat from its paths is fo difficult! Finally, 1608 prodigals have been returned to their rejoicing parents, or placed in reputable fervices, or to honeft trades, banes to idlenefs, and fecurities against a future relapfe. In this neighborhood are two theatres of innocent recreation, (in which every government fhould indulge its fubjects, as prefervations from worfe employs, and as relaxations from the cares of life) of a nature unknown to every other part of Europe; the British Hippodromes, belonging to Meffrs. Aftley and Hughes, where the wonderful fagacity of that most useful animal the horse is fully evinced. While we admire its admirable docility and apprehenfion, we cannot lefs admire the powers of the riders, and the graceful attitudes the human frame is capable of receiving. But there is another fpecies of amufement, ufually reckoned of a defpicable kind, yet, ever fince I read Doctor Delaney's thoughts on the fubject, I have looked on the art of tumbling with admiration. It fhews us how fearfully and wonderfully we are made. What infinite misfortunes would befal us, (which almoft every ftep is liable to) was it not for that wife conftruction of parts, that pliability of limb, that, unperceived by us, protects us in every. contrived motion, or accidental fiip, from the most dire and difabling calamities! THE borough of Southwark joins to the parish of Lambeth on the eaft, and confifts of the parishes of St. Olave's, St. Saviour's, St. George's, and St. Thomas's. • Obfervations upon lord Orrery's remarks on the life and writings of Doctor Swift, p. 162 to 165. |