From London to Land's End: and Two Letters from the "Journey through England by a Gentleman"Defoe, Daniel
History
From London to Land's End: and Two Letters from the "Journey through England by a Gentleman"
Defoe, Daniel
England -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800
Transcribed from the 1888 Cassell & Company edition by David Price, email
ccx074@pglaf.org
FROM
LONDON TO LAND'S END.
BY
DANIEL DEFOE.
AND
_Two Letters from the_ "_Journey through England by a Gentleman_."
CASSELL & COMPANY, LIMITED:
LONDON, PARIS, NEW YORK & MELBOURNE.
1888.
INTRODUCTION.
At the end of this book there are a couple of letters from a volume of
the "Travels in England" which were not by Defoe, although resembling
Defoe's work so much in form and title, and so near to it in date of
publication, that a volume of one book is often found taking the place of
a volume of the other. A purchaser of Defoe's "Travels in England" has
therefore to take care that he is not buying one of the mixed sets. Each
of the two works describes England at the end of the first quarter of the
eighteenth century. Our added descriptions of Bath, and of the journey
by Chester to Holyhead, were published in 1722; Defoe's "Journey from
London to the Land's End" was published in 1724, and both writers help us
to compare the past with the present by their accounts of England as it
was in the days of George the First, more than a hundred and sixty years
ago. The days certainly are gone when, after a good haul of pilchards,
seventeen can be bought for a halfpenny, and two gentlemen and their
servant can have them broiled at a tavern and dine on them for three
farthings, dressing and all. In another of his journeys Defoe gives a
seaside tavern bill, in which the charges were ridiculously small for
everything except for bread. It was war time, and the bread was the most
costly item in the bill.
In the earlier part of this account of the "Journey from London to the
Land's End," there is interest in the fresh memories of the rebuilding
and planting at Hampton Court by William III. and Queen Mary. The
passing away, and in opinion of that day the surpassing, of Wolsey's
palace there were none then to regret.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account