Now we have a view of Covent Garden Market, where plants, fruit, and flowers of every kind, are brought for sale from the country. By four o’clock in a summer’s morning, it is completely full of the most rare and beautiful plants that can be grown in England, either in open nurseries, or in the hot-house and green-house: and, what with the number of busy people buying and selling; the carts going to and fro, laden with flowers, fruit, and vegetables of all sorts; the beauty and gaiety of the different plants, and the sweetness of their odours, it is altogether a most delightful scene. The Londoners cannot take a country walk whenever they please, and enjoy the green fields and wild hedge-flowers, in the open air; but they may supply themselves here with every kind of beautiful plants, for a garden within doors; and to those who have a little knowledge of botany, it must be not only an entertaining, but even a useful amusement. 69. The British Museum [Picture: The British Museum] Was formerly the residence of the Dukes of Montague: it is now the national museum for every kind of curiosity. Indeed, they are so various, both natural and artificial, that it would require a very large book to give even a very short account of them. Here are such a multitude of animals of all kinds, birds, beasts, fishes, shells, butterflies, insects, books both ancient and modern, precious stones, medals, &c. that, in fact, the only way to form an idea of them, is to see them. 70. Charing Cross. [Picture: Charing Cross] Here, upon his brazen horse, Sits Charles the First at Charing Cross. This spot was formerly known as a village named _Charing_, near London, in which King Edward the First placed a magnificent cross, in memory of his beloved queen Eleanor, {65} which cross was destroyed by the fury of the reformers, who regarded it as an object of superstition. _Le Sueur_, a French artist, cast a fine statue in brass, of Charles the First on horseback, which was erected in place of the cross. When Cromwell ruled, this statue was sold to one _Revet_, a brazier, on condition of his melting it, as the parliament had ordered that it should be destroyed. Revet made a fortune by this statue, casting a vast number of articles in bronze, as if made out of his purchase, which were eagerly bought by those desirous of having a memorial of their prince; and by others, from the pleasure of mean triumph over fallen royalty. Revet, however, had not destroyed the statue, but kept it buried in the earth; and Charles the Second, on his restoration, caused it to be erected again. 71. Carleton House, [Picture: Carleton House]