It is observable, that in 1716, by a long dry season, the river Thames was reduced so low, that by a violent storm of wind at west south west, it was blown so dry, during the recess of the tide, that many thousands of people passed it on foot, both above and below bridge, and walked thro’ most of the arches. The year 1720 will be ever famous in this city, for the destructive South Sea scheme, by which many thousands of the wealthy citizens and others were impoverished, while others acquired immense riches. See SOUTH SEA COMPANY. The year 1733 was rendered memorable by the effectual opposition made by the citizens against a scheme for a general excise. In 1734, two spacious arches, ten feet high and six wide, were erected as a common sewer over the Fleet ditch, from Holborn to the end of Fleet street; and a neat market house being since erected in the same place, by the name of Fleet market, was opened in the year 1737; and the next year the buildings and sheds of Stocks market, at the end of the Poultry, were cleared away, in order to lay the foundation of a mansion house for the Lord Mayor, which was afterwards erected. See MANSION HOUSE. The present reign is indeed rendered remarkable by the multitude of magnificent buildings, fine streets, and spacious squares, that have been added, and still are adding to this metropolis. A taste for elegance in architecture, and a desire to improve and adorn the city, have produced one of the finest bridges in the world at Westminster; have caused London bridge to be stripped of its ruinous buildings that encumbered the passage, and will soon render it as commodious and beautiful as possible. Another elegant bridge is erecting at Black Friars, in so grand a taste as to do honour to the city. We are become sensible of the absurdity of building magnificent structures in holes and narrow passages, where they cannot be seen to advantage; and now resolve to make what is beautiful in itself, an ornament to the city. But this is not all; charity and humanity now triumph over bigotry and superstition, and the rage of party is on all sides ready to expire; churchmen and dissenters mingle in the same company without animosity, and friendships are contracted between those of different sentiments, both with respect to religion and government; while party zeal is almost confined to the ignorant and the vulgar.