This town, or at least its western vicinity, being that part of Marshland that lies contiguous to the town, has of late experienced an unexpected and most striking change, in the sudden resort thither and settlement of a number of characters in high life, consisting of peers, courtiers, statesmen, nabobs, royal physicians, naval and military commanders, &c. This may be reckoned among the wonders of these eventful times. It is marvellous in the eyes of most people, and has filled all Marshland with astonishment, so as to make its homely and unlettered inhabitants ready to lift up their voices and cry out with the ancient Lycaonians, “The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men!”—or with a celebrated English poet, “Descending gods find their Elysium here!” {1085}—The enormous price given by these new-comers for the estates they have purchased has greatly astonished the whole country, being about double the current valuation, or what lands usually fetched here before: and as some of them are said to be deep in political and state secrets, these purchases have excited strong suspicions of the tottering existence and depreciating state of all funded property. For had such property been really safe and good, these sagacious persons would hardly have withdrawn theirs and thus deliberately bury it in the bogs of Marshland. Those changes also that have recently taken place _within_ the town are many of them very curious and striking. The late improvements in the Streets, by the new paving of them, &c. might indeed be pronounced proper and commendable, had not the expense fallen so heavy upon that large portion of the community who were quite unable to bear the pressure of any additional imposts, and could hardly stand under the weight of those that had been previously imposed. Here the projectors and promoters of the scheme appear in a very unfavourable light—inconsiderate and unfeeling in a very high degree. But it is in their rage for _innovation_ they appear in the queerest light. Considering what they have done in that way, it seems really a wonder that the very name of the town itself has escaped them, or that they did not take it into their heads to bestow upon it some new and whimsical appellation, as they have done to almost every part of it, and even some of principal Streets. _Checker Street_, for instance, has been by them called _King Street_, though it had borne the former name for many ages. The _Grass Market_ and _Damgate_, which were always before considered as _two_ distinct Streets, (and had borne those names perhaps 500 years, if not much longer) are by them converted into _one_, and called _Norfolk Street_; a name that might with equal propriety have been given to _Broad Street_, or _High Street_, or any other Street in the town. All this, if not superlatively fantastical and absurd, is certainly childish and ridiculous enough. But we will pursue the subject no further.