through the Park and Kensington gardens, and this by way of being genteel, and of taking the air.

Again, in the streets and lounging about the corners, you may see thousands of wretches, who are dirty, ragged, and disgusting to the last degree, and the Sabbath, so far from giving cleanliness, comfort, or devotion to them, does not fail to bring a season of sloth, noise, and often of drunkenness. This class is the very rabble of London, whose condition is as debased as it is forlorn.

In the streets and in the fields also, sports of various kinds may be seen going forward, and athletic exercises, such as quoit, ball, &c.

The shops are generally shut, but those of the pastry cooks are kept open, and although the markets are closed, fruits, walking-sticks, and Sunday newspapers are hawked about the streets, and pamphlets, with accounts of the last great victory, the death of the last great man, or the last words and dying speech of the man who was hanged last week. The people who carry these things, generally blow a little trumpet to attract attention, and then audibly proclaim the wonderful things which they have to sell.

In town it is the favourite day for calls of civility and dinners, and the reason assigned is that it is a day of leisure. Till lately, the nobility had Sunday concerts, but these have been interdicted by the Bishop of London.

There is, however, a class of people here, who observe the day as it was intended to be kept, and their example, inflexible and undeviating as it is, forms a striking contrast to the manners which I have been describing. 9

VOL. II.

MAGDALEN ASYLUM.

In the evening I went with Mr. D to the chapel of the Magdalen Asylum, in St. George's fields, on the Surry side of the river. This institution does honour to human nature, as having been set on foot for the reformation of those miserable deluded outcasts, whose cases more frequently excite disgust than pity, and rarely obtain redemption or relief.

It is a fact which ought to give encouragement to the patrons of such institutions, that out of three thousand three hundred and seventy who have been discharged from this hospital, since its first foundation in 1758, two thousand two hundred and thirty have been either restored to their friends, or placed in service, while only four hundred and seventy-six have been discharged for improper behaviour. Out of all those discharged, by far the greater number are under twenty years of age. It appears from the records of the institution, that a very great part of its subjects belongs to that class, whom credulity and affection, under the sacred promise of marriage, have exposed to the basest of all treacheries. Very many of those whom this institution has snatched from perdition, have been since placed in regular employments, and, in numerous instances, respectably married, and now form virtuous and useful members of society.

The chapel is a handsome octagon, and, this evening, was crowded with people. I do not know the name of the preacher. I should be happy to record it if I did, for his discourse evinced talents and piety. It was a chaste, correct, and manly performance. The eye was not compelled to strain at faint undefined images seen through a

glimmering moonshine; for he placed his objects in the full illumination of the sun of truth and righteousness.

Some parts of the church service are adapted to the particular case of the subjects of the charity. On the wall is inscribed in large letters of gold: "There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth."

tures.

With a very commendable delicacy, the place where the Magdalens sit, is veiled from the view of the audience. Their persons can be indistinctly seen, but not their feaOn every account this is proper, but especialy so, as a very great proportion of them "have been seduced from their friends, under promise of marriage, and have been deserted by their seducers."

Rejected by their friends, spurned by society, without money, and without resources, they fly to this asylum to avoid that alternative which would otherwise be their only refuge from starving or suicide. Who can be more proper subjects of pity, of relief, of protection and pardon!

The singing was accompanied by the organ; it came from behind the veil, and was truly admirable. There was nothing theatrical, all was simple, natural, and seemingly devotional. There was a particular female voice which was exceedingly melodious; it had a mellifluous softness, which produced a great effect. Judging from the indistinct view which I had through the veil, I should suppose there were about fifty of the Magdalens. Alas! you may meet more than this number in walking fifty rods by night in any great street of London, and even before the door of the Magdalen itself! I find so many good people in this country, and so many institutions for purposes of humanity, that I cannot but say with their own favourite poet Cowper:

«England, with all thy faults, I love thee still."

Returning, we were attracted to Surry chapel by a full choir of voices, singing sacred music in concert with the organ; we stopped a few minutes to hear it. The chapel was very much crowded, and a full burst of harmony from some hundreds of singers, produced an effect, at once powerful and solemn, and beyond what instruments alone can do. This is the chapel where the celebrated Rowland Hill preaches, but I was not so fortunate as to hear him either at this time, or in a former instance when I was here. There was a contribution after the service was through, and, the preacher, that he might remove all impediments to the exercise of a benevolent disposition, requested those who had not money in their pockets, to step into the passage-way, where they would find pen, ink and paper, to enable them to draw upon their bankers; I did not however observe that any body took advantage of this gentle hint.

No. XXXVIII.-LONDON.

Excursion to Wandsworth--Return to Vauxhall Gardens--A morning ride-Beauty of the country-Alarm of invasion-Haymarket theatre-Tale of Inkle and Yarico-Its moral effect destroyed by theatrical representation-Tom Thumb-A mock tragedy--Tommy swallowed by a cow-Performers on the London stage-The lama.

AN EXCURSION.

August 12.—It was four o'clock in the afternoon, when I stepped into a boat at Westminster bridge. The wind

and tide were against us, and the boatmen had hard work to make any head-way, so that it was half past five o'clock when I arrived at the hospitable mansion of my friends, Mr. and Mrs. Guest, at Wandsworth-common. They were already at dinner, but the same hospitality and friendly manners which have so often made me happy in this interesting family, again made me welcome to-day.

After dinner, it was proposed that we should stop at Vauxhall on our return to town, as this is the principal gala night of the whole year, the gardens being lighted in a magnificent style, in honour of the birth-day of the Prince of Wales.

Some of the party went by land, and the rest with me in the boat ;—we were so fortunate as to meet our friends at the door of the gardens, and after being pushed and pressed, for a long time, in the crowd, we made good our entrance. I shall not repeat what I have said already on the subject of these gardens.

So great was the crowd to-night that it was almost impossible to move in any direction. We could not obtain a box or a seat; every thing of the kind was engaged, and some of them had been so for three weeks. The situation was therefore extremely fatiguing, and particularly so to the ladies. To give it as much variety as possible, we struggled through the crowd as well as we could, and visited different parts of the gardens till midnight. The entertainments were substantially the same as those which I saw here before; only, the scenery at the view of London bridge was changed to catch the feelings of the moment. There had been, for some weeks, a pretty active alarm on the subject of the French invasion; and, to-night, down in the dark grove which I mentioned when here before, a