of pits and ditches, and sloughs, which were made the receptacle of all
kind of filth, dead and putrid horses, and cattle, &c. In the time of
Henry VIII. many parts are described as "exceedingly foul and full of
pits and sloughs, and very noisome," and some years after (1625) in a
tract, the author says, "Let not carkasses of horses, dogs, cats, &c.
lye rotting and poisoning the aire, as they have done in _More_ and
_Finsbury_ Fields, and elsewhere round about the cittie. Let the
ditches towards Islington, Olde-street, and towards Shoreditch and
Whitechapel, be well cleansed." In another tract published in 1665, it
states, that "there are all sorts of unsavoury stenches, proceeding
either from carrion, ditches, rotten dung-hills, vaults, sinks, nasty
kennels, and streets, (strewed with all manner of filth) seldom
cleansed." From these statements it is evident that notwithstanding all
the present inconveniences that the inhabitants of London live in more
healthy situations now that they are surrounded by houses, than when
they were exposed to extensive open fields.

A.B.C.


[1] It was reckoned an extraordinary luxury for Thomas à Becket to
have his parlour strewed every day with clean rushes.

* * * * *


A PORTRAIT.

_Sketched in the year of the world,_ 5831; _and, of my bachelorship_, 24.