london in 1731-第21部分

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mit　to　such　hardships　who　had　a　subsistence；　but　with　a　prospect　of　acquiring　a　great　estate　suddenly；　for　the　gold　comes　tumbling　into　the　pockets　of　these　great　lawyers；　which　makes　them　refuse　no　cause；　how　intricate　or　doubtful　soever。　　And　this　brings　me　to　consider　the　high　fees　that　are　usually　taken　by　an　eminent　counsel；　as　for　a　single　opinion　upon　a　case；　two；　three；　four；　and　five　guineas；　upon　a　hearing；　five　or　ten；　and　perhaps　a　great　many　more；　and　if　the　cause　does　not　come　on　till　the　next　day；　they　are　all　to　be　fee'd　again；　though　there　are　not　less　than　six　or　seven　counsel　of　a　side。

The　next　considerable　profession　therefore　I　shall　mention　in　London　is　that　of　the　physicians；　who　are　not　so　numerous　as　the　former；　but　those　who　are　eminent　amongst　them　acquire　estates　equal　to　the　lawyers；　though　they　seldom　arrive　at　the　like　honours。　　It　is　a　useful　observation；　indeed；　as　to　English　physicians；　that　they　seldom　get　their　bread　till　they　have　no　teeth　to　eat　it：　　though；　when　they　have　acquired　a　reputation；　they　are　as　much　followed　as　the　great　lawyers；　they　take　care；　however；　not　to　be　so　much　fatigued。　　You　find　them　at　Batson's　or　Child's　Coffee　House　usually　in　the　morning；　and　they　visit　their　patients　in　the　afternoon。　Those　that　are　men　of　figure　amongst　them　will　not　rise　out　of　their　beds　or　break　their　rest　on　every　call。　　The　greatest　fatigue　they　undergo　is　the　going　up　forty　or　fifty　pair　of　stairs　every　day；　for　the　patient　is　generally　laid　pretty　near　the　garret；　that　he　may　not　be　disturbed。

These　physicians　are　allowed　to　be　men　of　skill　in　their　profession；　and　well　versed　in　other　parts　of　learning。　　The　great　grievance　here　（as　in　the　law）　is　that　the　inferior　people　are　undone　by　the　exorbitance　of　their　fees；　and　what　is　still　a　greater　hardship　is；　that　if　a　physician　has　been　employed；　he　must　be　continued；　however　unable　the　patient　is　to　bear　the　expense；　as　no　apothecary　may　administer　anything　to　the　sick　man；　if　he　has　been　prescribed　to　first　by　a　physician：　　so　that　the　patient　is　reduced　to　this　dilemma；　either　to　die　of　the　disease；　or　starve　his　family；　if　his　sickness　happens　to　be　of　any　duration。　　A　physician　here　scorns　to　touch　any　other　metal　but　gold；　and　the　surgeons　are　still　more　unreasonable；　and　this　may　be　one　reason　why　the　people　of　this　city　have　so　often　recourse　to　quacks；　for　they　are　cheap　and　easily　come　at；　and　the　mob　are　not　judges　of　their　ability；　they　pretend　to　great　things；　they　have　cured　princes；　and　persons　of　the　first　quality；　as　they　pretend；　and　it　must　be　confessed　their　patients　are　as　credulous　as　they　can　desire；　taken　with　grand　pretences；　and　the　assurance　of　the　impostor；　and　frequently　like　things　the　better　that　are　offered　them　out　of　the　common　road。

I　come　in　the　next　place　to　treat　of　attorneys'　clerks；　apprentices；　inferior　tradesmen；　coachmen；　porters；　servants；　and　the　lowest　class　of　men　in　this　town；　which　are　far　the　most　numerous：　　and　first　of　the　lawyers'　clerks　and　apprentices；　I　find　it　a　general　complaint　that　they　are　under　no　manner　of　government；　before　their　times　are　half　out；　they　set　up　for　gentlemen；　they　dress；　they　drink；　they　game；　frequent　the　playhouses；　and　intrigue　with　the　women；　and　it　is　no　uncommon　thing　with　clerks　to　bully　their　masters；　and　desert　their　service　for　whole　days　and　nights　whenever　they　see　fit。

As　to　the　ordinary　tradesmen；　they　live　by　buying　and　selling；　I　cannot　say　they　are　so　eminent　for　their　probity　as　the　merchants　and　tradesmen　of　the　first　rate；　they　seem　to　have　a　wrong　bias　given　them　in　their　education；　many　of　them　have　no　principles　of　honour；　no　other　rule　to　go　by　than　the　fishmonger；　namely；　to　get　what　they　can；　who　consider　only　the　weakness　or　ignorance　of　the　customer；　and　make　their　demands　accordingly；　taking　sometimes　half　the　price　they　ask。　　And　I　must　not　forget　the　numbers　of　poor　creatures　who　live　and　maintain　their　families　by　buying　provisions　in　one　part　of　the　town；　and　retailing　them　in　another；　whose　stock　perhaps　does　not　amount　to　more　than　forty　or　fifty　shillings；　and　part　of　this　they　take　up　（many　of　them）　on　their　clothes　at　a　pawnbroker's　on　a　Monday　morning；　which　they　make　shift　to　redeem　on　a　Saturday　night；　that　they　may　appear　in　a　proper　habit　at　their　parish…churches　on　a　Sunday。　　These　are　the　people　that　cry　fish；　fruit；　herbs；　roots；　news；　&c；　about　town。

As　to　hackney…coachmen；　carmen；　porters；　chairmen；　and　watermen；　though　they　work　hard；　they　generally　eat　and　drink　well；　and　are　decently　clothed　on　holidays；　for　the　wife；　if　she　be　industrious；　either　by　her　needle；　washing；　or　other　business　proper　to　her　sex；　makes　no　small　addition　to　their　gains；　and　by　their　united　labours　they　maintain　their　families　handsomely　if　they　have　their　healths。

As　to　the　common　menial　servants；　they　have　great　wages；　are　well　kept　and　clothed；　but　are；　notwithstanding　the　plague；　of　almost　every　house　in　town。　　They　form　themselves　into　societies；　or　rather　confederacies；　contributing　to　the　maintenance　of　each　other　when　out　of　place；　and　if　any　of　them　cannot　manage　the　family　where　they　are　entertained　as　they　please；　immediately　they　give　notice　they　will　be　gone。　　There　is　no　speaking　to　them；　they　are　above　correction；　and　if　a　master　should　attempt　it；　he　may　expect　to　be　handsomely　drubbed　by　the　creature　he　feeds　and　harbours；　or　perhaps　an　action　brought　against　him　for　it。　　It　is　become　a　common　saying；　〃If　my　servant　ben't　a　thief；　if　he　be　but　honest；　I　can　bear　with　other　things；〃　and　indeed　it　is　very　rare　in　London　to　meet　with　an　honest　servant。

When　I　was　treating　of　tradesmen；　I　had　forgot　to　mention　those　nuisances　of　the　town；　the　itinerant　pedlars　who　deal　in　toys　and　hardware；　and　those　who　pretend　to　sell　foreign　silks；　linen；　India　handkerchiefs；　and　other　prohibited　and　unaccustomed　goods。　　These　we　meet　at　every　coffee…house　and　corner　of　the　streets；　and　they　visit　also　every　private　house；　the　women　have　such　a　gust　for　everything　that　is　foreign　or　prohibited；　that　these　vermin　meet　with　a　good　reception　everywhere。　　The　ladies　will　rather　buy　home　manufactures　of　these　people　than　of　a　neighbouring　shopkeeper；　under　the　pretence　of　buying　cheaper；　though　they　frequently　buy　damaged　goods；　and　pay　a　great　deal　dearer　for　them　than　they　would　do　in　a　tradesman's　shop；　which　is　a　great　discouragement　to　the　fair　dealer　that　maintains　a　family；　and　is　forced　to　give　a　large　credit；　while　these　people　run　away　with　the　ready　money。　　And　I　am　informed　that　some　needy　tradesmen　employ　fellows　to　run　hawking　about　the　streets　with　their　goods；　and　sell　pennyworths；　in　order　to　furnish　themselves　with　a　little　money。

As　to　the　recreations　of　the　citizens；　many　of　them　are　entertained　in　the　same　manner　as　the　quality　are；　resorting　to　the　play；　park；　music…meetings；　&c。；　and　in　the　summer　they　visit　Richmond；　Hampstead；　Epsom；　and　other　neighbouring　towns；　where　horse…racing；　and　all　manner　of　rural　sports；　as　well　as　other　diversions；　are　followed　in　the　summer　season。

Towards　autumn；　when　the　town　is　thin；　many　of　the　citizens　who　deal　in　a　wholesale　way　visit　the　distant　parts　of　the　kingdom　to　get　in　their　debts；　or　procure　orders　for　fresh　parcels　of　goods；　and　much　about　the　same　time　the　lawyers　are　either　employed　in　the　several　circuits；　or　retired　to　their　country　seats；　so　that　the　Court；　the　nobility　and　gentry；　the　lawyers；　and　many　of　the　citizens　being　gone　into　the　country；　the　town　resumes　another　face。　　The　west　end　of　it　appears　perfectly　deserted；　in　other　parts　their　trade　falls　off；　but　still　in　the　streets　about　the　Royal　Exchange　we　seldom　fail　to　meet　with　crowds　of　people；　and　an　air　of　business　in　the　hottest　season。

I　have　heard　it　affirmed；　however；　that　many　citizens　live　beyond　their　income；　which　puts　them　upon　tricking　and　prevaricating　in　their　dealings；　and　is　the　principal　occasion　of　those　frequent　bankruptcies　seen　in　the　papers；　ordinary　tradesmen　drink　as　much　wine；　and　eat　as　well；　as　gentlemen　of　estates；　their　cloth；　their　lace；　their　linen；　are　as　fine；　and　they　change　it　as　often；　and　they　frequently　imitate　the　quality　in　their　expensive　pleasures。

As　to　the　diversions　of　the　inferior　tradesmen　and　common　people　on　Sundays　and　other　holidays；　they　frequently　get　out　of　town；　the　neighbouring　villas　are　full　of　them；　and　the　public…houses　there　usually　provide　a　dinner　in　expectation　of　their　city　guests；　but　if　they　do　not　visit　them　in　a　morning；　they　seldom　fail　of　walking　out　in　the　fields　in　the　afternoon；　every　walk；　every　public　garden　and　path　near　the　town　are　crowded　with　the　common　people；　and　no　place　more　than　the　park；　for　which　reason　I　presume　the　quality　are　seldom　seen　there　on　a　Sunday；　though　the　meanest　of　them　are　so　well　dressed　at　these　times　that　nobody　need　be　ashamed　of　their　company　on　that　account；　for　you　will　see　every　apprentice；　every　porter；　and　cobbler；　in　as　good　cloth　and　linen　as　their　betters；　and　it　must　be　a　very　poor　woman　that　has　not　a　suit　of　Mantua　silk；　or　something　equal　to　it；　to　appear　abroad　in　on　holidays。

And　now；　if　we　survey　these　several　inhabitants　in　one　body；　it　will　be　found　that　there　are　about　a　million　of　souls　in　the　whole　town；　of　whom　there　may　be　150；000　men　and　upwards　capable　of　bearing　arms；　that　is；　between　eighteen　and　sixty。

If　it　be　demanded　what　proportion　that　part　of　the　town　properly　called　the　City　of　London　bears　to　the　rest；　I　answer　that；　according　to　the　last　calculations；　there　are　in　the　city　12；000　houses；　in　the　parishes　without　the　walls；　36；320；　in　the　parishes　of　Middlesex　and　Surrey；　which　make　part　of　the　town；　46；300；　and　in　the　city　and　liberties　of　Westminster；　28；330；　in　which　are　included　the　precincts　of　the　Tower；　Norton　Folgate；　the　Rolls；　Whitefriars；　the　Inns　of　Court　and　Chancery；　the　King's　palaces；　and　all　other　extra…parochial　places。

As　to　the　number　of　inhabitants　in　each　of　these　four　grand　divisions；　if　we　multiply　the　number　of　houses　in　the　City　of　London　by　eight　and　a　half；　there　must　be　102；000　people　there；　according　to　this　estimate。　　By　the　same　rule；　there　must　be　308；720　people　in　the　seventeen　parishes　without　the　w