Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1853-10-14
The Nation of London.

happy home.
The Nation of London.
1t was a most heavenly day in May of this
year, (SO0,) when first bchcld and first en-
tered this mighty wilderness, the citv---rto
not the city, but the nation-of London. -
Often since then, at distances of two or three
hundred miles or more from this colossal en-
porium of men, wealth, arts, and intellectual
power, have | felt the sublime expression of
her enormous magnitude in one simple form
ofOrdinary occurrence, viz, in the vast drovcs
of cattle, suppose upon the great north roads,
all with their heads directed to London. and
cXpoundng the size of the attracting body.
together with the force ofits attractive power,
by the never ending succession of these drovcs,
and the remotencss from the capital Of the
lines upon which they are moving. a sue
tion so powerful, fcltalong radi so vast and
consciousness, at the same time, that upon
other radii still more vast both by land
and sea, the same suction is operating, night
and day. summer and winter, and hurrying
forever into one centre the Infinite means
needed for her infinite purposes, crowds the
Imagination with pomp to which there is
nothing corresponding upon this planet,
either among the things that have been, or
the things that arc. Or, if any exception
there is, it must be sought in ancient Rome.
we, upon tins OCCASION. were IN an open car
riagc, and, chiefly, tas imagined) to avoid
the dust, we approached London by rural
lanes, where any such could be found, or, at
least. along by roads, quiet and shady, col
lateral to the main roads. In that mode OF
approach, we missed some features OF subllm-
ity belonging to any OF the approaches upon
mann rAd we missed the wLirl and the
uproar, the tumult ana the agitation, which
continually thickcn and thlckrn throughout
the last dozen miles before you reach the sub
urbs.
Already, mt the three stages distance, (say
forty miles from London,) upon some of the
greatest roads. the dim prcScntimcnt of some
vast capital reaches You ohscurely, and like
misgving. This blind sympathy with Il
mighty but unseen object, some vast mag
ncuc range OF Alps, III your nrlghhprhoOd.
continues to increase. You know not how
Arrived at the last station for changing hor-
scS, Barnet, suppose, on one OF the north
roads, or llounslow on the western, you no
longer think (as in all other paccs) of nam
ing the next stage nobody SAYS, on pulling
up, " Horses on to London that would
sound ludicruus; ono mighty idea hroods over
all minds. making 1T impossible to suppose
any other destination. Launched upon the
iiGti stage, you soon bcGlh To lcrl NOufS'll
entering the stream as it were of Norwegian
m0clStrom; and the stream at length becomes
the rush Of "A cataract, What is meant by
the Latin word T'pidatioi Not anything
peculiarly connected with panic; it belongs
to the hurrying to and fro of Il common bat
tie, rs ola coming fight to II marriagc festival
as much as to II massacre 0gt0Ii0H is the
nearest Engllsh word. The frcpid0iiOn in
crrascs both audihly and visibyat every half
mile, pretty much as one may suppose the
Sr""hu 10 grow upon tnc senses IN thc laSt
ten lh'leS oi "rrf"lrh' with the Wind IN ITS
nNor, u'''ii at 'rnS'h IL would ABSORB ana cA-
liiS"lSh "ll o'hcr S'uida whatsoever
lhHlly' ior miles he'"re YOU reach the
Su'"r' u ''ohu'", Suc'i us 'Sll''St'h' lor IN
N'"'''' i'N' ErV"V Si9" ana auE"rE Oh the
'H"''n'l'y "hioh n'l''EN TO thr coming me-
.F"l""S 'orccS ''Si'l on 'he "u!l'Ht observer
~ .,p 'o''ne " II u'Ier lsS''liealrI'
IN cry NIltrt tlSc Ill TlHlullil, YOU, NbufStI,