MAPS AND PLANS OF LONDON AND ITS ENVIRONS.

Horwood's Plan of London, on forty sheets, in which every house is marked and numbered, is the most comprehensive ever published. The same, reduced on two sheets, forms a very interesting Plan. Both sold by Wyld, Charing Cross.

Other Plans of London are published by Wyld, Mogg, Carey, Crutchley, Smith, &c.; each of whom laudably endeavours to render his respective work correct and neatly executed.

"Crutchley's New Plan of London, and its Environs, extending Six Miles round St. Paul's, on a Scale of near Six Inches to a Mile." This very comprehensive and accurate Plan, is worked on 4 large sheets, and not only shows all the great improvements of the metropolis up to the present time, but gives plans of the villages in the vicinity, and the boundary lines of the parishes. It displays, at a glance, the extent, arrangement, and subdivisions of this vast city.

"A Geometrical Landscape, with Tables of the relative Altitudes, calculated from the Trinity highwater mark. of the river Thames to the principal public, and other edifices, parks, squares, and reservoirs, in the cities of London and Westminster and their Environs, from actual survey and admeasurement. By F. Wood and Wm. Moffatt."

This is a highly useful, valuable, and interesting print. It is a large sheet, representing small views of the principal edifices, apparently on the side of a lofty hill, and by figures and scale on the side; the different levels and heights of the buildings are marked. The most lofty site in the immediate vicinity of London is the tavern called Jack Straw's Castle, on the brow of Hampstead Heath, which is

d

by this scale shown to be 443 feet above the Thames. The top of the cross of St. Paul's Cathedral is 407 feet, whilst its base, or ground-line, is 52 feet. The base of the lowest building is that of the Bricklayer's Arms, Kent Road, the sill of the south door of which is only six inches above the high-water mark. The sill of the north entrance-door of Westminster Hall is only 11 inches.

There are other Maps of the Environs of the Metropolis.

The Map of London, in the time of Queen Elizabeth and others, in Stow's, Maitland's, &c. Histories, Surveys of London," will show the progressive enlargement of the Metropolis.

or

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HISTORIES AND ACCOUNTS OF LONDON AND
WESTMINSTER.

A comprehensive, accurate, and judiciously-executed History of London, is a desideratum in topographical literature. Till that be executed, we must refer to a large mass of miscellaneous works, among which are the following:

Fitz-Stephen's "Description of the City of London," written in the time of Henry II., is an interesting picture of the Metropolis at that time.

Stow's "Survey of the City of London and Westminster," &c. written in 1598, has been the foundation of many other surveys and histories. After passing through several editions, it was reserved for John Strype, M. A., to enlarge and continue its annals down to the year 1720. A sixth edition of this work appeared in 1754, in two volumes, folio.

"A Survey of the Cities of London and Westminster, Borough of Southwark," &c. in two volumes,

folio, 1734, under the assumed name of Edward Seymour, Esq., but actually compiled or written by John Motley, the celebrated collector of “ Joe Miller's Jests."

In the year 1772, appeared two folio volumes, entitled "The History of London," by Wm. Maitland, and the Rev. John Entick. The last author also produced a work in six volumes, octavo, 1766, under the title of " A New and Accurate History and Survey of London and Westminster, Southwark," &c.

Several other histories and surveys of London have been published, but with little originality of matter, or attraction of manner. Pennant's "Account of London," first appeared in 1790, and has since gone through three or four editions. It is properly called "Some Account," as it is both brief and superficial, but has become very popular from the fascinating custom of illustrating it. Many persons have spent several hundreds of pounds, in prints, drawings, autographs, &c., to embellish and illustrate Pennant's meagre notices. In the British Museum is a copy of this work, extending to ten volumes, imperial folio, containing a large mass of Drawings and Prints, collected by Mr. Crowle, and bequeathed by him to the Museum. Mr. Soane, of Lincoln's-inn-fields, has also an "illustrated Pennant" in his valuable library, in six large folio volumes, for which he gave six hundred and fifty guineas.

The late Mr. James Peller Malcolm published "Londinium Redivivum, or an ancient History and modern Description of London," four vols. 4to. 1803. He afterwards published another work, intituled, "Anecdotes of the Manners and Customs of London during the Eighteenth Century," 4to. 1808. These

volumes abound with original matter, but have neither method nor manner to recommend them.

The following publications contain much useful and original information relating to London : The first and second volumes of the "London and Middlesex," above referred to, are from the faithful and discriminating pen of Mr. Brayley (now resident Secretary of the Russell Institution,) who has also written two quarto volumes on Westminster Abbey, which are distinguished for fidelity of narrative and minute detail: the latter work abounds with fine engravings. A great improvement on Pennant's work, by the same author, under the title of "Londiniana, or Reminiscences of the British Capital," in four volumes, small 8vo. illustrated by numerous plates. Ackermann's " History, &c. of Westminster Abbey," two volumes, quarto, contains several aquatint engravings of the church and its monuments.

The "Illustrations of the Public Buildings of London," two volumes, contain outline engravings of plans, elevations, and views, with original accounts of the principal Edifices of the Metropolis.

Ackermann's "Select Views of London, with historical and descriptive Sketches of some of the most interesting of the Public Buildings," imperial octavo. The literary part is by Mr. Papworth; and the plates are engraved in aquatint.

"The Microcosm, or London in Miniature," by the same respectable publisher, in three volumes, large quarto, contains several aquatint views of public buildings, with letter-press.

Ralph's" Critical Review of the Public Buildings, &c. in and about London," 12mo. 1783.

"London and Westminster Improved, with a Discourse on Public Magnificence, &c. by J. Gwynn,

quarto," 1766, contains much useful matter relating to the state of London at that time, and many judicious remarks for its improvement.

In the novel of the "Fortunes of Nigel," by the inimitable author of Waverley, the customs, language, and characteristics of the London citizens and courtiers are delineated with amazing felicity, and carry the imagination of the reader so immediately to every place and object, that they appear like realities rather than fancied pictures.

Dupin's "Commercial Power of Great Britain," two volumes, octavo, 1825, contains much interesting matter relating to London.

In Kempe's" Historical Notices of the Collegiate Church, &c. of St. Martin-le-Grand," octavo, 1825, the reader will find much original and curious information respecting the different kinds of Sanctuary, and the ancient customs of the Metropolis.

"The Citizen's Pocket Chronicle; containing a digested View of the History, Antiquity, and Temporal Government of the City of London." 18mo. 1827.

"A Chronicle of London, from 1089 to 1483, written in the 15th Century, and for the first time printed from MSS. in the British Museum." 4to. 1827. (Edited by N. H. Nicolas, Esq.) This is a volume of a peculiar class, and of great interest to the historian of London.

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Metropolitan Improvements of London in the Nineteenth Century, with Historical, Topographical, and Critical Illustrations, by James Elmes, Architect," is a quarto work, now in the progress of publication, in numbers, at 1s. each. Every number contains four views, with four pages of letter-press; and from its cheapness and neatness of execution, the work has excited unprecedented publicity..........