the whole Passage, that the Sixth Day after we set Sail, I found myself actually in London[29].
All the Places we pass’d by in the Way to this famous City form a Prospect beyond any thing whatsoever: Nothing can compare with the beautiful Scene in the Channel, to see the Multitude of Ships continually going up and down on one Side or the other: The noble Shores of the Thames, cover’d with magnificent Houses and beautiful Gardens, give a grand Idea of the Riches of England: I was pleas’d to see the noble Foundery of Cannon, Bombs and Bullets, and the Dock for the King’s Ships, whereof I saw several lying at Anchor, which were all stately Vessels, and worthy of so wealthy a Nation as the English. I was above all surpriz’d at the Bulk of one of those Men of War, which they told me was that the Admiral goes on board of when England sends him out to Sea. On the left Side of the Thames also, before one comes to London, we see a magnificent Building for the Invalid Sailors: And near this Hospital lie the King’s Yatchs, which serve to carry his Majesty and his Court over to Holland, when he repairs to his German Dominions: The King’s Yatch is very large, and richly carv’d and gilt: From this Place to London-Bridge is nothing to be seen but Ships and Boats continually coming and going, and both Sides of the River are lin’d with Ships at Anchor, which forms a magnificent Shew: I fancy that ’tis impossible for a Foreigner to behold the continual Motion upon this River without Amazement: I shot the famous Bridge of London, which, considering the Length of it,
and the Tides of Flood and Ebb, to which it is expos’d, ought really to be reckon’d one of the principal Bridges of the World: The Breadth of it is by no means answerable to the Length, and what renders it still narrower is, the Houses and Shops built upon it, which are none of the best, and yield a bad Prospect.
I went ashore near Whitehall, which was formerly a magnificent Palace, and the Residence of the Kings of England, but had the Misfortune to be consum’d by Fire in the Reign of William III. and Mary: What remains of all this Palace is only one great Pavilion of very fine Architecture, which was formerly a Banquetting-house, and is now a Chapel. ’Twas at Whitehall that the unfortunate Charles I. was beheaded, and in the Remains of this Palace the Window is still to be seen, thro’ which that Prince pass’d to the Scaffold, that was erected over-against it.
The Palace of Whitehall faces St. James’s Park, which is the same to London as the Thuilleries are to Paris, tho’ the former is much more frequented than the latter; but that which takes off very much from the Pleasure of the Walks is, the Promiscuousness of the Company, Livery-Servants and the Mobility being suffer’d to walk here as well as Persons of Distinction: In the middle of this Park is a spacious noble Canal, which is a very great Ornament to it: The Walks are kept in good Order, and especially that call’d the Mall, which is the longest of all: On the Right Hand of this Walk going from Whitehall stands St. James’s Palace, which is now the ordinary Residence of the Monarchs of England: ’Tis a very ancient Building, which was formerly a Convent, and has still very much the Appearance of one; so that, were it not for the
Guards about it, a Stranger would hardly imagine it to be the Palace of a Sovereign Prince: There are Two Entrances to it, one on St. James’s Side, and the other towards Whitehall, and at each there attends a Company of the Foot-Guards with a Pair of Colours, and of these there are Two that always stand Centry with their Swords drawn. The King of Great Britain’s Guard is the sprucest that I ever saw: They are all of a proper Size, but not Soldiers for mere Shew, as they are every where else, those who are admitted being oblig’d to bring Certificates of their Service: They are distinguish’d by the Terms of Life-Guards, the Grenadier-Guards, the Halberdiers and the Foot-Guards: The Life-Guards wear scarlet Cloth lac’d with Gold at all the Seams, and fac’d with blue: They are always booted when they are upon Guard, and dare not be seen without their Boots till they are reliev’d. The Habit of the Horse-Grenadiers is like that of the Life-Guards, but they wear Caps of Sky-blue Cloth, which have the Order of the Garter embroider’d on the Front with Gold and Silver. The Habit of the Halberdiers is somewhat uncommon: They are dress’d after the antique manner in scarlet, with a Lace in the King’s Livery, which is of blue Velvet with a broad Gold Lace in the middle; and they wear Caps of black Velvet, adorn’d with white Feathers: The Foot-Guards have red Cloaths with blue Facings: This, Madame, was what I observ’d when I made my Entrance into London.
I steer’d my Course to St. Anne’s Quarter, where I had a Direction to some honest French Refugees: After I had rested a few Days, I took some Measures to make my Appearance at Court, but without Success: The King and his
German Court had been so prejudic’d against me by Madamoiselle de Pollnitz, that ’twas impossible for me to obtain an Audience of his Majesty. The Princess of Wales was concern’d at my Situation, and so good as to make me a Present, but the Germans who were at Court were, like their Master, shy of me, so that I was fain to content myself with keeping no Company but the English, of whom I met with several that I had seen in France, and with whom I renew’d my Acquaintance: They us’d me with all the Civility imaginable, and took Care to carry me to the several Quarters of London, where there was any thing worth seeing: They first shew’d me St. Paul’s Cathedral, which, next to St. Peter’s at Rome, is the biggest and the most magnificent Church in Europe: It was begun after the great Fire of London, in the Reign of Charles II. and not finish’d till the Reign of Queen Anne: The Outside of the Structure is as magnificent as the Inside: The first thing that presents itself is the Statue of Queen Anne on the right Side of the West-Entrance, which is the Front: She is represented standing upright, as big as the Life, dress’d in the Royal Robes, with a Sceptre in one Hand, and a Globe in the other: Both the Statue and the Pedestal on which it is plac’d are of Marble: But I did not think this Monument answerable to what might have been expected from a Nation so famous as the English for their elegant Taste in the Arts and Sciences: Nor did I judge more favourably of some other Pieces of Sculpture in the Inside of St. Paul’s Church, which did not seem to be the Performances of Masters. I thought the Choir by much too small, considering the Bigness of the Nave: The Choir is separated from the Body of the Church
by a Balustrade of Wood, resembling a Gate, over which the Organs are plac’d to a disadvantagious View, owing, as I take it, to the Chasms on the Sides: Opposite to the Entrance of the Choir is the Communion-table, fenc’d round with a Balustrade and a Form whereon the Communicants kneel: At the Right Hand of this Table is the Seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, which is rais’d some Steps above the Ground; and over it is a Canopy, like to those of the Catholic Bishops: All round the Choir are little Pews or Stalls like the Boxes in a Play-house, and there the Magistrates usually sit, when they come to the Church in a Body: The Preacher’s Pulpit, which is plac’d in the middle of the Choir, is a plain Piece of Work of Wallnut-Wood, and of an octogon Figure, so contriv’d, that one does not see the Stairs by which the Preacher goes up to it: On the Right Hand of the Door of the Choir is a Canopy, and a Seat like to that of the Archbishop of Canterbury, which is for the Bishop of London.
From St. Paul’s I went to see Westminster-Abbey, which being in a Part of the Town at a good Distance from St. Paul’s, oblig’d me to take a Hackney-Coach: These Vehicles are very common at London; but being made without a Spring, are intolerably uneasy: However, they are of excellent Service to rid a great deal of Ground in a little time; for the Horses, which are very good, gallop for most Part, but the Pavement they run upon being the worst in Europe, it gives terrible Shocks to those who make Use of this Equipage, as I experienc’d in my Jaunt to the Abbey of Westminster. This is the Church in which the Kings of England are consecrated and interr’d: ’Tis a very ancient