Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 50730-h.htm or 50730-h.zip: (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/50730/50730-h/50730-h.htm) or (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/50730/50730-h.zip) Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive. See https://archive.org/details/fleetitsriverpri00asht Transcriber's note: Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). Text enclosed by equal signs is in bold face (=bold=). A carat character is used to denote superscription. A single character following the carat is superscripted (example: y^e). Multiple superscripted characters are enclosed by curly brackets (example: w^{ch}). A letter with a macron accent (straight line over the letter) is enclosed by square brackets and preceded by an equal sign; for example, a "d" with a macron is signified by [=d]. A letter with a tilde character above it is enclosed by square brackets and preceded by a tilde; for example, an "m" with a tilde is signified by [~m]. The OE-ligature is represented by [OE]. The letters "u" and "v" are mostly interchanged; as, e.g., "in haruest time" and "vnder a bridge". Some of the spelling is very old, and often phonetic (they wrote as they heard it spoken, dialects and all). THE FLEET. [Illustration] THE FLEET Its River, Prison, and Marriages by JOHN ASHTON (Author of "Social Life in the Reign of Queen Anne," "Dawn of the Nineteenth Century," &c., &c., &c.) Illustrated by Pictures from Original Drawings and Engravings [Illustration] New York Scribner and Welford 1888 [Illustration: VIEW OF MOUTH OF THE FLEET _circa_ 1765. (_Guildhall Art Collection._)] _Frontispiece._ [Illustration] PREFACE. This book requires none, except a mere statement of its scheme. Time has wrought such changes in this land of ours, and especially in its vast Metropolis, "The Modern Babylon," that the old land-marks are gradually being effaced--and in a few generations would almost be forgotten, were it not that some one noted them, and left their traces for future perusal. All have some little tale to tell; even this little River Fleet, which with its Prison, and its Marriages--are things utterly of the past, entirely swept away, and impossible to resuscitate, except by such a record as this book.