those of great affluence) a reasonable man may lead his life most pleasantly—I may add, most rationally also, in the rural scenes of England.

,

Mr.at whose house we were, had spent several years in the United States, and is one of the few English travellers in our country who do it justice when they return home. He speaks of it as it is. For he had been conversant with its best society, and was personally acquainted with many of our first families and people.

He had been much in New-England, and is well acquainted with its manners. As I was sitting in a chair, he told me that he should have recognised me as a NewEnglander, had he not known me. Upon my inquiring for the peculiarity which marked my origin, he told me that no one except a man educated in New-England, ever leaned back in his chair, so as to make it stand upon the two hinder feet only. Although I was not in the least aware either that this was a custom peculiar to my country, or that I was then in so awkward a situation, I found that I was so indeed, and while the incident produced some mirth, at my expense, in which however I was happy to join, I am sure I shall never forget again that a chair ought to stand on four legs instead of two.

I am aware that this habit, is not one allowed in our best circles, and that the general standard of good manners in England, and in America is substantially the same, but, I must add, that English decorum is generally more strict than ours. Among respectable people you rarely see in England any lounging postures of body; people sit upright in their chairs and allow their feet and hands and elbows to take their natural positions. I do not remember ever to have seen, in England, any except Americans

put their feet up into chairs or against the chimney, window or wainscoat, or repose a leg on a table—or spit on the floor, and indeed, very rarely, unless unwell, spit at all-or chew tobacco, or smoke. Most of these habits, I know, are by polished people with us, regarded as offensive; but still multitudes of our citizens who would be very sorry not to be thought very respectable and even genteel, do all these things and many more, that might be specified.

Our party, which was small and social, consisted entirely of Americans, and of Englishmen who had travelled in America, and of course there was much discussion concerning the merits of the two countries; and, out of compliment to the Americans present, even the peculiarities in the arrangements of the table in which there is any difference between England and us, were, in this instance, all in the American style. For instance we eat our cheese with our apple pye and not by itself, as is the English custom.

After dinner we walked in the gardens till evening, when a bright and full moon made our return to London exceedingly pleasant. I was with two Americans in a post chaise, and reached home about nine o'clock.

No. XXXVII.-LONDON.

Sunday, how considered by many in London-The CockneysWho they are Found among all ranks and in all cities-Sunday walks in Kensington Gardens-The rabble-Athletic sports -Calls and visits-Magdalen Asylum-Excellent object of the institution-The Magdalens-Surry Chapel-An intelligible

hint.

SUNDAY.

August 11.-I attended public worship to-day in a great church where there were only a few people. This I have very often seen before in London. The number of houses of public worship belonging to the establishment and to dissenters in London is very great although totally inadequate to receive the population were they generally inclined to attend. This however, it is most obvious, that they are not disposed to do, for in many of the churches, where I have been, on the sabbath, only hundreds came, where thousands might have been accommodated. Indeed, a very great proportion of the people consider the Sabbath as a day of mere rest, of relaxation, of amusement, or of dissipation, according to their employments, and rank in society. A person, while walking the streets on the Sabbath, will meet numbers of the gentry with their splendid equipages, going out into the country for an airing, or perhaps to join a party at some village in the vicinity. It is also a favourite day with them to begin a journey, as it is every where with sailors to begin a voyage.

The cockneys also emulate their superiors in this way, and although they cannot afford to keep coaches, you

will see them "close packed in chaise and one," or on horseback, riding furiously into the country. I suppose the word cockney and the idea attached to it are familiar to you, although they may not be to all my friends. It means a citizen of famous London town," who has money enough to make a little show on the Sabbath, and certain other public days, but who is commonly employed in close attention to trade, or manual industry. He would deserve respect, (as sober modest industry ever does) if he were not smitten with a desire to emulate the fashionable world, who only look down upon him with the more contempt, as he exerts himself the more to be like them.— He is a kind of hybridous animal, half way between real gentility, and plain unassuming industry, and equally destitute of the good qualities of both. He talks much of Vauxhall, Drury-lane theatre, the Opera, Hyde Park, and Kensington gardens; is full of anecdotes of Mr. Pitt and the Prince of Wales, and even hints at his personal knowledge of the great. He is ignorant without modesty, profuse without liberality, gaudy without taste, and voluptuous without refinement.

There is a church in Cheapside, called Bow Church, and it is a common remark in London, that all born within the sound of its bell are cockneys. This kind of character is not however confined to such narrow limits; it is found occasionally in genteel life, and extends to other countries besides England. It exists in every great city, and on a smaller scale, although not with pretensions less ridiculous, it may be discovered in Philadelphia, NewYork, and Boston, and even in smaller towns. But, in London it is found in full perfection. Some weeks ago, I was breakfasting at a house, not within the sound of Bow

Church bell, but in Westminster, when the lady of the house, a woman who really rode in her coach, and had servants in livery to attend her, was descanting on the sufferings and privations which she had endured on a journey to Manchester, and concluded a pathetic narration, by remarking, that she thought it quite impossible to live comfortably out of London. It was somewhat difficult to preserve a proper decorum of manners, under the expression of these sentiments, and to suppress the mirth and contempt naturally excited by such profound ignorance, prejudice, and city conceit. There is probably much of this kind of character, among people in high life, as well as among the cockneys. London-London is every thing; the rest of England is hardly tolerable.Scotland is fit only for Scotchmen, who can live on oatmeal and water; and America is merely a place of exile, from all that is refined, elegant, or comfortable. When I first came to England, such things made me angry, but I have now learned to disregard them.

But, to return from the cockneys to our subject; during a pleasant Sunday, the environs of London swarm with emigrants from town. Hyde Park, and the vast forests and serpentine walks of Kensington gardens are thronged with people of all ranks. Gentry, cockneys, cits are all disgorged, and thousands and tens of thousands are seen going, and returning, in two opposite currents; and such an assemblage of burly corpulent people is probably not to be found in the world beside. The plethoric citizen and his no less plethoric family, come glowing to Hyde Park corner, after a walk of two or three miles from the city, and then, they labour on several miles farther,