THE NIGHT SIDE OF LONDON.
by
JAMES EWING RITCHIE,
author of “the london pulpit.”
Contents: Introduction—Seeing a Man Hanged—Catherine-Street—The Bal Masque—Up the Haymarket—Canterbury Hall—Ratcliff-Highway—Judge and Jury Clubs—The Cave of Harmony—Discussion Clubs—Cider Cellars—Leicester-Square—Dr. Johnson’s—The Sporting Public-house—The Public-house with a Billiard-room—The Respectable Public-house—The Hungerford Music Hall—Highbury Barn—Boxing Night—The Mogul—Caldwell’s—Cremorne—The Costermongers’ Free and Easy—The Southwark Music Hall—The Eagle Tavern—The Police Court—The Lunatic Asylum.
OPINIONS OF THE PRESS.
“We would wish for this little volume an attentive perusal on the part of all to whom inclination or duty, or both, give an interest in the moral, the social, and the religious condition of their fellow-men: above all, we should wish to see it in the hands of bishops, and other ecclesiastical dignitaries—of metropolitan rectors and fashionable preachers—of statesmen and legislators—and of that most mischievous class of men, well-meaning philanthropists. The picture of life in London, of its manifold pitfalls of temptation and corruption, which are here presented to the reader’s eye, is truly appalling. No one can rise from it without a deep conviction that something must be done, ay, and that soon, if the metropolis of the British Empire is not to become a modern Sodom and Gomorrah. What
that something is to be the writer does not indeed indicate—that is not his object; what he aims at is, to let one part of the world of London know how another part of the same world spends its days, ay, and its nights. The disease is laid bare by him, it is for others to devise the remedy.”—John Bull.
“Mr. Ritchie is favourably known to us; nor do we think this little volume will detract from his reputation.”—Daily News.
“Not ill done in parts, it is not done in a fast spirit or affectedly; and the moral tone throughout is healthy enough.”—Illustrated London News.
“Mr. Ritchie’s sketches are lively and graphic in style, and convey truthful pictures of some of the dark phases of London life. His book may be regarded as supplementary to the Hand-books and Guides of the Metropolis, which lightly touch upon topics which are here specially described and vigorously commented on.”—Literary Gazette.
“We have derived considerable amusement, as well as some information, from a perusal of this volume, whose somewhat fanciful title is, however, very suggestive of its contents. These comprise the haunts chiefly of our night-roving population. . . . All that is known in the shape of haunts and habits is here delineated with an unexaggerated fidelity we must bear testimony to. In effect, the whole is a very gloomy and forcible piece of word painting—literal, true, and graphic. We accept this little volume cordially, and recommend it as warmly to the attention of our readers.”—Weekly Dispatch.