第41章

’OCheapside!Cheapside!’saidI，asIadvancedupthatmightythoroughfare，’trulythouartawonderfulplaceforhurry，noise，andriches!MentalkofthebazaarsoftheEast-Ihaveneverseenthem-butIdaresaythat，comparedwiththee，theyarepoorplaces，silentplaces，aboundingwithemptyboxes，OthouprideofLondon’seast!-mightymartofoldrenown!-forthouartnotaplaceofyesterday：-longbeforetheRosesredandwhitebattledinfairEngland，thoudidstexist-aplaceofthrongandbustle-

placeofgoldandsilver，perfumesandfinelinen。CenturiesagothoucouldstextortthepraisesevenofthefiercestfoesofEngland。FiercebardsofWales，swornfoesofEngland，sangthypraisescenturiesago；andeventhefiercestofthemall，RedJuliushimself，wildGlendower’sbard，hadawordofpraiseforLondon’s’Cheape，’forsothebardsofWalesstyledtheeintheirflowingodes。Then，ifthosewhowerenotEnglish，andhatedEngland，andallconnectedtherewith，hadyetmuchtosayinthypraise，whenthouwastfarinferiortowhatthouartnow，whyshouldtrue-bornEnglishmen，orthosewhocallthemselvesso，turnuptheirnosesatthee，andscofftheeatthepresentday，asI

believetheydo？But，letothersdoastheywill，I，atleast，whoamnotonlyanEnglishman，butanEastEnglishman，willnotturnupmynoseatthee，butwillpraiseandextolthee，callingtheemartoftheworld-aplaceofwonderandastonishment!-and，wereitrightandfittingtowishthatanythingshouldendureforever，I

wouldsayprosperitytoCheapside，throughoutallages-mayitbetheworld’sresortformerchandise，worldwithoutend。

AndwhenIhadpassedthroughtheCheapeIenteredanotherstreet，whichledupakindofascent，andwhichprovedtobethestreetoftheLombards，calledsofromthenameofitsfirstfounders；andI

walkedrapidlyupthestreetoftheLombards，neitherlookingtotherightnorleft，forithadnointerestforme，thoughIhadakindofconsciousnessthatmightythingswerebeingtransactedbehinditswalls：butitwantedthethrong，bustle，andoutwardmagnificenceoftheCheape，andithadneverbeenspokenofby’ruddybards’!And，whenIhadgottotheendofthestreetoftheLombards，Istoodstillforsometime，deliberatingwithinmyselfwhetherIshouldturntotherightortheleft，orgostraightforward，andatlastIturnedtotheright，downastreetofrapiddescent，andpresentlyfoundmyselfuponabridgewhichtraversedtheriverwhichrunsbythebigcity。

Astrangekindofbridgeitwas；hugeandmassive，andseeminglyofgreatantiquity。Ithadanarchedback，likethatofahog，ahighbalustrade，andateitherside，atintervals，werestonebowersbulkingovertheriver，butopenontheotherside，andfurnishedwithasemicircularbench。Thoughthebridgewaswide-verywide-itwasalltoonarrowfortheconcourseuponit。Thousandsofhumanbeingswerepouringoverthebridge。Butwhatchieflystruckmyattentionwasadoublerowofcartsandwagons，thegeneralitydrawnbyhorsesaslargeaselephants，eachrowstrivinghardinadifferentdirection，andnotunfrequentlybroughttoastand-still。

Ohthecrackingofwhips，theshoutsandoathsofthecarters，andthegratingofwheelsupontheenormousstonesthatformedthepavement!Infact，therewasawildburly-burlyuponthebridge，whichnearlydeafenedme。But，ifuponthebridgetherewasaconfusion，belowittherewasaconfusiontentimesconfounded。

Thetide，whichwasfastebbing，obstructedbytheimmensepierso