Detailed Contents
Chapter I.
A return to the metropolis, 2. Instance of exorbitant
charges, 3. Field-marshal Count Bertrand, 4. Lines on the
late Napoleon, 5. A mysterious vehicle, 6. The devil in Long
Acre, 7. The child in the hay, 8. A family triumvirate, 9.
Egyptian monuments, 10. Relations of Gog and Magog
discovered, 11. The Theban ram, 12. Egyptian antiquities,
13. Egyptian mummies, &c. 14. Curiosities of the museum, 15.
Statues of Bedford and Fox, 16. The knowing one deceived,
17. Covent Garden Market, 18. Miss Linwood's exhibition, 19.
Chapter II.
Tothill-fields Bridewell, 20. Perversion of justice, 21. A
laudable resolution, 22. Success and disappointment, 23. A
story out of the face, 24. A critical situation, 25. A hair-
breadth escape, 26. Kidnappers, or crimps, 27. Summary
justice averted, 28. Swindling manoeuvres, 29. Estates, &c.
in nubibus, 30. Fetters and apathy, 31. Urchin thief
picking-pockets, 32. Juvenile depravity, 33.
Chapter III.
Life in St. George's Fields, 34. Chums—Day rules, &c. 35.
Hiring a horse—A bolter, 36. Characters of Abbot's priory,
37. Introductory sketch, 38. The flying pieman, 39.
Commercial activity, 40. A cutting joke, 41. Magdalen
Hospital, 42. Curious anecdote, 43. Surrey Theatre, &c, 44.
Admixture of characters, &c. 45.
Chapter IV.
Entry to Abbott's park, 46. A world within walls, 47.
Finding a friend at home, 48. Exterior of the chapel, 49. A
finish to education, 50. The walking automaton, 51. The
parliamentary don, 52. The tape merchant, &c. 53. A morning
in the Bench, 54. Prison metamorphoses, 55. Friendly
congratulations, 56. Preparations for a turn to, 57. The
college cries, 58. Another real character, 59. A mutual
take-in, 60. A college dinner, 61. Free from college rules,
62. A heavy-wet party, 63. Keeping the game alive, 64. An
agreeable surprise, 65. Harmony disturbed, 66.
Chapter V.
London munificence, 67. Vauxhall Bridge, 68. Millbank
Penitentiary, 69. Metamorphoses of time, 70. Cobourg
Theatre, 71. Retrospection, 72. Intellectual progress, 73.
Wonders of the moderns, 74. Bridge-Street association, 75.
Infidel pertinacity, 76. City coffee house, 77. St. Paul's
Cathedral, 78. Clockwork and great bell, 79. Serious
cogitations disturbed, 80. A return homeward, 81.
Chapter VI.
Westminster Abbey, 82. Monuments—Poets' corner, 83. Henry
Seventh's chapel, 84. Interesting prospect, 85. Fees exacted
for admission, 86. Westminster Hall—Whitehall, 87. Sir
Robert Wilson, 88. Temptations to depredation, 89. Sympathy
excited, 90. A sad story strangely told, 91. Fleet Street—
Doctor Johnson, 92. Fleet Market, 93. The market in an
uproar, 94. The rabbit pole-girl, 95. Princess of
Cumberland, 96. Doubts of royal legitimacy, 97. Mud-larks,
picking up a living, 98. The boil'd beef house, 99. A
spunger, 100. Gaol of Newgate, 101. Jonathan Wild's
residence, 102. Entering the Holy Land, 103. The Holy Land,
104. Salt herrings and dumplings, 105. Deluge of beer, 106.
Mrs. C*r*y, 107. Andrew Whiston, 108.
Chapter VII.
A dinner party, 109. Complimentary song, 110. Irish posting,
111. Extraordinary robbery, 112. Follies of fashion—ennui,
113. A set-to in a gambling house, 114. A nunnery—the Lady
abbess, 115. Life in a cellar, 116. Advantageous offer
rejected, 117. “Bilge water not whiskey,” 118. Aqua fortis
and aqua fifties, 119. A quarrel—appeal to justice, 120.
Finale of a long story, 121.
Chapter VIII.
An unexpected visitor, 122. Private accommodations, 123. The
hero of Waterloo, 124. “The lungs of the metropolis,” 125.
How to cut up a human carcass. 126. Resurrectionists, 127. A
perambulation of discovery, 128. Irish recognition, 129. A
discovery—Mother Cummings, 130. Wife hunting, 131.
Elopement, 132. Female instability, 133. Manouvres Return to
town, 134. Making the most of a good thing, 135. Ingenious
female shop-lifter, 136.
Chapter IX.
Thieves of habit and necessity, 137. A felicitous meeting,
138. Shopping—Ludicrous anecdote, 139. A tribute of
respect, 140. Royal waxworks, Fleet Street, 141. Sir Felix
as Macbeth, 142. Irish love, 143. Apathy in the midst of
danger, 144. “No wassel in the lob,” 145. The bear at
Kensington Palace, 146.
Chapter X.
A change of pursuits, 147. Almack's Rooms, 148. A fancy-
dress ball, 149. Selection of partners, 150. Family
portraits, 151. A rout and routed, 152. Pleasures of
matrimony, 153. The discomfited Virtuoso, 154.
Chapter XI.
Frolics of Greenwich fair, 155. Dr. Eady—Wall chalking,
156. Packwood and puffing, 157. Greenwich Hospital, 158.
Greenwich pensioners, 159. Veterans at ease, 160. The old
commodore, 161. “Fought his battles o'er again,” 162. The
Chapel—Hall, &e. 163.
Chapter XII.
An early hour in Piccadilly, 164. Cleopatra's needle, 165. A
modest waterman, 166. Interesting scenery, 167. Philosophy
in humble life, 168. Southwark Bridge, 169. London Bridge-
The Shades, 170. Itinerant musicians, 171. “Do not leave
your goods,” 172. Riches of Lombard Street, 173. Mansion
House, 174. Curious case in justice room, 175. A reasonable
proposition, 176.
Chapter XIII.
An hour in the Sessions House, 177. A piteous tale of
distress, 178. Low life, 179. Serious business, 180. A
capture, 181. Johnny-raws and green-horns, 182. Decker the
prophet, 183. A devotee in danger, 184.
Chapter XIV.
A morning at home, 185. High life, 186. Converting felony
into debt, 187. Scene in a madhouse, 188. Apathy of
undertakers, 189. A provident undertaker, 190. A bribe
rejected, 191. Antiquated virginity, 192. Arrangements for
Easter, 193. A Sunday morning lounge, 194. Setting out for
Epping hunt, 195. Involuntary flight, 196. Motley groups on
the road, 197. Disasters of cockney sportsmen, 198. A
beautiful crature of sixty, 199. Tothill-fields fair, 200.
Whimsical introduction, 201. Ball at the Mansion-House, 202.
Chapter XV.
Guildhall, 203. Palace Yard—Relieving Guard, 204. The
regions below, 205. An old friend in the dark, 206. Seeing
clear again, 207. A rattler, 208.
Chapter XVI.
Civic festivity, 209. Guildhall, 210. Council chamber—
Paintings, 211. City public characters, 212. A modern
Polyphemus, 213. A classic poet, 214. Rhyming contagious,
215. Smithfield prad-sellers, 216. Jockeyship in the east,
217. A peep at the Theatre, 218. The Finish, Covent Garden,
219. Wags of the Finish, 220. Smoking and joking, 222.
Chapter XVII.
A morning visit, 223. The fine arts, 224. Public
exhibitions, 225. Living artists, 226. Horse Guards—
Admiralty, 227. Westminster Bridge, 228. Promenade Rooms,
229. Improvements in the Park, 230. Ludicrous anecdote, 231.
A crazy fabric, 232. Regal splendour, 233. Marlborough
House, 234. Limmer's Hotel, 235. Laconic prescription, 236.
How to take it all, 237. How to get a suit of clothes, 238.
Ingenious swindling, 239. Talent perverted, 240.
Chapter XVIII.
The Harp, Drury Lane, 241. Wards of city of Lushington, 242.
The social compact, 243. A popular election, 244. Close of
the poll, 245. Oratorical effusions, 246. Harmony and
conviviality, 247. Sprees of the Market, 248. A lecture on
heads, 249. A stroll down Drury Lane, 250. A picture of real
characters, 251. “The burning shame,” 253. Ludicrous
procession, 254.
Chapter XIX.
An old friend returned, 255. A good object in view, 256. An
alarming situation, 257. Choice of professions, 258. Pursuit
of fortune, 259. Advantages of law, 260. A curious law case,
261. Further arrangements, 262.
Chapter XX.
St. George's day, 263. Royalty on the wing, 264. Progress to
the levee, 265. An unfortunate apothegm, 266. How to adjust
a quarrel, 267. Wisdom in wigs, 268. A classical
acquaintance, 269. Royal modesty, 270. Ludicrous anecdote,
271. A squeeze in the drawing-room, 272. Pollution of the
sanctorum, 273. Procession of mail coaches, &c. 274. A
parody, 275. Two negatives make a positive, 276. Remarkable
anecdote, 277. Marrow-bones and cleavers, 278. The king and
the laureat, 279. A remonstrance, 280. Hint at retrenchment,
281.
Chapter XXI.
Diversity of opinions, 282. A fresh start, 283. A critique
on names, 284. The Cafe Royale, Regent Street, 285. A
singular character, 286. Quite inexplicable, 287.
Development, 288. Aquatic excursion, 289. A narrow escape,
290. Tower of London, 291. The lost pilot found, 295. River
gaiety, 296. Rowing match, 297.
Chapter XXII.
The tame hare, 298. Ingenuity of man, 299. London sights and
shows, 300. Automaton chess player, 301. South sea bubble,
302. New City of London tavern, 303. Moorfields, 304.
Epitaph collector, 305. Monumental gleanings, 307.
Voluminous collectors, 309. A horned cock, 310.
Extraordinary performance, 311. Female salamander, 312.
Regent's Canal, 313. Anecdote of a gormandizer, 314. Eating
a general officer alive, 315. A field orator, 316.
Chapter XXIII.
Munster simplicity, 317. A visit to an astrologer, 318. A
peep into futurity, 319. Treading-mill, 320. An unexpected
occurrence, 321. The sage taken in, 322. Statue of ill luck,
323. A concatenation of exquisites, 324. How to walk the
streets, 325. How to make a thoroughfare, 326. Dog stealers,
327. Canine knavery, 328. A vexatious affair, 329. How to
recruit your finances, 330. A domestic civic dinner, 331.
The very respectable man, 332.
Chapter XXIV.
Vauxhall Gardens, 334, Various amusements, 335. Sober
advice, 336. Fashionable education, 337. University
education, 338. Useful law proceedings, 339. How to punish a
creditor, 340. Exalted characters, 341. Profligacy of a
peer, 342. Mr. Spankalong, 343. Other characters of ton,
344. Sprig of fashion, 345. An everlasting prater, 346. And
incorrigible fribble, 347. Kensington Gardens and Park, 348.
Statue of Achilles, 349.
Chapter XXV.
A medley of characters, 353. Fashionables, 354. More
fashionables, 355. More life in St. Giles's, 356.
Reconnoitring—a discovery, 357. Tragedy prevented, 358.
Fat, fair, and forty, 359. Philosophic coxcombs, 360 Blanks
in society, 361.
Chapter XXVI.
A ride, 362. Exceptions to trade rivalship, 363. Effects of
superior education, 364. Affectation in names, 365.
Portraits of governesses, 366. Road to matrimony, 367.
Villainy of private madhouses, 369. Appearances may deceive,
370.
Chapter XXVII.
Pleasing intelligence, 371. Moralizing a little, 373. Cries
of London, 374. The Blacking Poet, 375. Literary squabble
376. Curious Merchandise, 377.
Chapter XXVIII.
A new object of pursuit, 378. Royal visit to Scotland, 379.
Embarkation, 381. Royal recollections, 38 2.
Chapter XXIX.
Port of London, 383. Descriptive entertainment, 384. A rea
swell party, 385. An Irish dancing master, 386. Female
disaster, 387. Blackwall—East India Docks, 388. Sir Robert
Wigram, 389. Domestic happiness, 390. West India Docks, 391.
Loudon Docks, 393. News from home, 394.
Chapter XXX.
Travelling preparations, 395. Whimsical associations, 396.
Antiquity and origin of signs, 397. Signs of altered times,
398. Ludicrous corruptions, 399. A curious metamorphosis,
400. A sudden breeze, 401. A smell of powder, 402.
Chapter XXXI.
An unexpected visitor, 403. Sketches of fashionable life,
404. A Corinthian rout, 405. A Corinthian dinner party, 406.
A new picture of real life, 409. More wise men of the East,
411.
Chapter XXXII.
Anticipation of danger, 415. Smoke without fire, 416.
Fonthill Abbey, 417. Instability of fortune, 419. Wealth
without ostentation, 420. Eccentricity of character, 421.
Extremes meeting, 422.
Chapter XXXIII.
Sketches of new scenes, 423. A critical essay on taste, 424.
The pleasures of the table, 425. A whimsical exhibition,
426. Canine sobriety, 427.
Chapter XXXIV.
Anticipation, 428. Obligation, 429. Change of subjects, 430
Magasin de Mode, 431. Bell, Warwick Lane, 432. Bull and
Mouth Street, 433. Bull and Mouth Inn, 434. Jehu chaff, 435.
Adieu to London, 436.