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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 30 June 2022
From a young Lady in Town to her Aunt in the Country.
Describing the Tower, Monument, St. Paul’s, &c.
Honoured Madam, You will have me write you down Accounts of what I see remarkable in and about London, to keep me, as you say, out of Idleness, and to entertain my good Friends in my Absence. I will obey, tho’ your good Opinion of me, I am sensible, will be no small Disadvantage to me; for I shall convince you more effectually than ever of my Defects, and want of that Ability to entertain my absent Friends, which their Partiality had made them expect from me.
To begin then, my Aunt and Cousins carried me, in the first Place, to see the Tower of London, which we have heard so much Talk of in the Country; and which no one that visits this great Town, omits seeing. ‘Tis situated by the Thames Side, surrounded with an old Wall, about a Mile in Compass, with a broad deep Ditch, which has generally more Mud in it than Water. All round the outward Wall are Guns planted, which on extraordinary Occasions are fired; as on more common ones, they fire only Rows of others, which are fixed in the Ground, on the Wharf by the Thames. At the Entrance on the Right-hand, we saw the Collection of wild Beasts kept there, as Lions, Panthers, Tygers, &c. also Eagles, Vulturs, &c.
We were then carried to the Mint, where we saw the manner of coining Money, and striking Medals, &c. From thence we went to the Jewelhouse, and were shewn the Crown, and the other Regalia; which gave me no small Pleasure, as I had never seen these things before, and heard so much Talk of them.
The Horse-Armory is a fine Sight; for here they shew Fifteen of our English Monarchs on Horseback, all in rich Armour, attended with Guards: But I think this Sight not comparable to the small Armory; for here Pikes, Muskets, Swords, Halberds, and Pistols, (enow, as they told us, for threescore thousand Men) are all placed in such beautiful Order, and such various Figures, representing the Sun, Star and Garter, Half-moons, and such-like, that I was greatly delighted with the Sight, all the Arms being bright and shining.
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