Wednesday, February 2nd: The Thames presented a complete Frost Fair. The grand mall or walk was from Blackfriars Bridge; this was named the City-road, and lined on each side with tradesmen of all descriptions. Eight or ten printing presses were erected, and numerous pieces commemorative of the great frost were actually printed on the ice. Some of these frosty typographers displayed considerable taste in the specimens.
At one press an orange-coloured standard was hoisted, with the watch word “Orange Boven” in large characters, and the following papers were issued from it:—
Frost Fair.
“Amidst the arts which on the Thames appear,
To Tell the wonders of this icy year,
Printing claims a prior place, which at one view
Erects a monument of That and You.”
Another:—
“You that walk here, and do design to tell
Your children’s children what this year befell,