Chapter I: Front Matter

Transcriber's note:

This work is by Robert Southey. It is a fictitious account of an imaginary Spanish nobleman travelling through England.

Obvious printer errors have been corrected. Hyphenation has been rationalised. Inconsistent spelling (including accents and capitals) has been retained.

Small capitals have been replaced by full capitals. Italics are indicated by _underscores_ and greek by +plus signs+.

LETTERS FROM ENGLAND:

BY DON MANUEL ALVAREZ ESPRIELLA. _TRANSLATED FROM THE SPANISH._

IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. III.

THIRD EDITION.

LONDON: PRINTED FOR LONGMAN, HURST, REES, ORME, AND BROWN, PATERNOSTER-ROW.

1814.

EDINBURGH: Printed by James Ballantyne & Co.

CONTENTS OF THE THIRD VOLUME.

LETTER LIV. Page The Bible.—More mischievous when first translated than it is at present: still hurtful to a few, but beneficial to many.—Opinion that the Domestic Use of the Scriptures would not be injurious in Spain 1

LETTER LV.

Curiosity and Credulity of the English.—The Wild Indian Woman.—The Large Child.—The Wandering Jew.—The Ethiopian Savage.—The Great High German Highter-Flighter.—The Learned Pig 14

LETTER LVI.

Newspapers.—Their Mode of falsifying Intelligence.—Puffs.— Advertisements.—Reviews, and their mischievous Effects.— Magazines.—Novels 23

LETTER LVII.

Account of the Quakers 43

LETTER LVIII.

Winter Weather.—Snow.—Christmas.—Old Customs gradually disused 67

LETTER LIX.

Cards.—Whist.—Treatises upon this Game.—Pope Joan.—Cards never used on the Sabbath, and heavily taxed.—Ace of Spades 75

LETTER LX.

Growth of the Commercial Interest.—Family Pride almost extinct.—Effect of heavy Taxation.—Titles indiscriminately granted.—Increase of the House of Peers 83

LETTER LXI.

Despard's Conspiracy.—Conduct of the Populace on that Occasion.—War.— The Question examined whether England is in Danger of a Revolution.—Ireland 95

LETTER LXII.

Account of Swedenborgianism 113

LETTER LXIII.

Jews in England 141

LETTER LXIV.

Infidelity.—Its Growth in England and little Extent.—Pythagoreans.— Thomas Tryon.—Ritson.—Pagans.—A Cock sacrificed.—Thomas Taylor 155

LETTER LXV.

Eagerness of the English to be at war with Spain 168

LETTER LXVI.

Excursion to Greenwich.—Watermen.—Patent Shot Tower.—Albion Mills.—Essex Marshes 176

LETTER LXVII.

Spanish Gravity the Jest of the English.—Sunday Evening described.—Society for the Suppression of Vice.—Want of Holidays.—Bull-baiting.—Boxing 185

LETTER LXVIII.

The Abbé Barruel.—Journey of two Englishmen to Avignon to join a Society of Prophets.—Extracts from their Prophetical Books 195

LETTER LXIX.

Account of Richard Brothers 223

LETTER LXX.

Account of Joanna Southcott 236

LETTER LXXI.

The Coxcomb.—Fashionables.—Fops.—Egyptian Fashions.—Dances.— Visiting.—Walkers.—The Fancy.—Agriculturists.—The Fat Ox.— The Royal Institution.—Metaphysics 270

LETTER LXXII.

Westminster Abbey on Fire—Frequency of Fires in England.—Means devised for preventing and for extinguishing them; but not in use 288

LETTER LXXIII.

Remarks on the English Language 299

LETTER LXXIV.

Departure from London.—West Kennet.—Use of the Words Horse and Dog.—Bath.—Ralph Allen.—The Parades.—Beau Nash.—Turnspits 309

LETTER LXXV.

Road from Bath to Bristol.—Cornu-Ammonis.—Bristol.—Exchange.— Market.—Cathedral.—The Brazen Eagle.—Clifton.—Bristol-Wells.— Anecdote of Kosciusko 331

LETTER LXXVI.

Journey from Bristol to Plymouth.—Advantages which the Army enjoys more than the Navy.—Sailors.—Journey to Falmouth 350

ESPRIELLA'S LETTERS FROM ENGLAND.