Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-04-29
Watohman s. Journal.
-s--~~~~-~~------~~-~
WEDNESDAY, APRIL %, 1874.
For the Waterman.
Historical Views of IOndon---NO. ,.
BY JOHN NJ sTgARNs

hce Of the ground, the city is raised about
foot in century. 10 what extent the remnants
Of ancient London lay buried beneath the mod
ern town we can hardly tell, since it is only inl
particular places thai excavations have been
made sufficiently deep to come to the old Roman
relics Nor do we know when or where the
thoughtless and giddy throng dance over the
graves Of the nameiess dead, aud pursue their
giddy dreams Of pleasure in tho churncl house
Of buried generations.
It has been subject ol remark and ground
OF inference against any considerable growth in
extent and civilization Of the ancient London,
that few il any specimens Of sculpture, or even
Of huted columns, have been found among the
relics Of the old Roman regime But why
should they be expected there2 London was
only commercial factory, in remote colony.
The population must have been considerable
probably not less than hundred thousand, as
about that number, still find domicile within
the limits Of the old Roman wall, though, per
haps, a halt Of this space has been diverted 70
commercial purposes. And it is not probable
that the heavy structure Of the city wall would,
in those early times, have been carried TO
greater extent than the number md safety Of
the population required London was then,
as il were, border Roman town, and not, as
now the commercial metropolis Of the world,
in which the wealth Of ages and Of nations ac-
cumulates aud finds deposit. II was place,
doubtless, where many people found employ
ment and homes, but the profits OF their labor
tt.F ..G lgfr trnA o.
strengthen a remote province as against the
mother country. The natural policy Of the ex
tended Roman empire operated t. the material
prejudice Of the local wealth Of Britain With
out surplusUf wealth beyond the necessities
Of commercial interests, and industrial iacili-
ties, no great attention was ever bestowed on
the fee arts or skilled workmanship in any
country And though the fact cited shows that
London was not then a seat Of the arts it docs
not show that il had not a substantial growth
as al industrial aud commercial town
London scarcely finds 50 good history in
the carly Saxon days az in the Roman regime.
Fewer monuments or relies remain h. Illustrate
her condition during this period. Ia fact, the
division OF the country among the Saxon king.
was in no sense favorable 70 It's progress in the
arts and civilization. The Roman power, from
the wall across the Scottish Border % the
British Channel, was generally unit. But thc
fierce Saxon chiefs dreamed ouly Of sovereign
authority. fit were but over a county il was
satisfactory, if il were only supreme. London,
no doubt, declined in Importance when it,
foreign trade was broken up, and lis domestic
resources we're limited 70 a single state, en-
bracing but seventh part Of modern England.
Had peace been uniformly cultivated between
these local Saxon kingdoms, the several in
dustries Of the country would doubtless have
found a growth and culture, But the in
| ternecine wars oitcner ate up the land and
turned it, fruitful fields 10 desolation than
left 1t to its natural growth and progress. A
lew old churches, the predecessors Of abbeys
and oathedrals, were found within the city from
the days of the Roman occupation. But most
Of these have yielded to the changes Of time
many went down in the great fire Of London,
10 1866. The Saxons, who became masters OF
the country about the fourth century, or little
later, were ignorant iiolaters and barbarians,
and the arts Of lie had neither masters nor
scholars among them. The Christianity and
superstition they embraced had moro reverence
for relics than for piety--more love for dom
mating priesthood than for Christ and the
chapes and churches Of the Saxon days were
more the temples Of monastic institutions, than
centres Of light and civilization These were
indeed the dark ages.
One Of the kings, in the ninth century, had
palace in London but I1niun only became
| the Fixed national capital under the government
Of William the Conqueror. The architectural
structures Of the middle ages in London have
mostly yielded to the oaamities OF fires, or to
alterations and Improvements Of later times
Portions Of Westminster Abbey claim to have
an age Of thousand years, yet most of this
ancient structure is Of later date. Really il Is
only since the commencement OF the thirteenth
century, that any extended record Of the con
| iition and growth Of the town has been PIE
served Since that time, it has been the centre
Of kingdom, and has been identified with the
history Of nation Public events have often
brought to light the state and condition Of it,
people,
The venerable Bede tells US that in the Saxon
| days London became the emporium Of many
nations but this is all the light his record
throws upon the then condition Of the town.
| Other historians tell us that very little is
known of London during the Saxon ages, nor
do we know of any buildings, or other local
antiquities, that can be referred to of that
period" But it is, however, briefly recorded,
that in 66i it was rayagei by the plague that
in 76i, 79s and SOL it suffered severely by fires.
Ia that OF 79s it was almost wholly consumed,
and great numbers Of the inhabitants perished.
These frequent conaagradons show that the
city was chiefly constructed of wood, and so
continued to be for many centuries. This is
shown by the fact Of the destruction of the
greater part of the city by fire in 1917, and the
destruction of six hundred houses aud several
churches, in the year 1000, by hurricane,
ln 1919, it is stated, three thousand persons
perished by fire that commenced near London
Bridge. Other writers connect this event with
some civil or military conflict, in which inccu-
diary fires were kinded at each end of the
Bridge, and this multitude OF people, being on
the bridge, were so prevented from escaping.
Again and again, the destructive flames left
many of the people Of London without shelter
or home. More destructive than all its pre-
decessors was the great fire of. 1906 in which
was destroyed thirteen thousand two hundred
dwelling houses and eighty-nine churches, be-
sides chapels, four of the city gates, Gaildhall,
many public structures, hospitals, schools,
Libraries, and great number of stately edilices.
The plague, also, during all these centuries,
was a frequent visitor at London. In l3is,
over fifty thousand people persisted again, in
1861, the plague prevailed to such an extent
that two thousand persons perished in two
days. In l407, the plague again rayaged the
kingdom, and swept away more than thirty
thousand of the inhabitants Of London and
again, in 1900 thirty thousand other victims
to this scourge fell. The last great plague, in
, 1865, carried off some seventy thousand people.
I These two calamites OF fire and plague seemed