d persons.

"I had the pleasure a few days since of witnessing one of the oddest
exhibitions, perhaps, in the world. It was no other than _St.
Bartholomew's Fair_. It is held here in London once a year and continues
three days. There is a ceremony in opening it by the Lord Mayor, which I
did not see. At this fair the lower orders of society are let loose and
allowed to amuse themselves in any lawful way they please. The fair is
held in Smithfield Market, about the centre of the city. The principal
amusement appeared to be swinging. There were large boxes capable of
holding five or six suspended in large frames in such manner as to
vibrate nearly through a semicircle. There were, to speak within bounds,
three hundred of these. They were placed all round the square, and it
almost made me giddy only to see them all in motion. They were so much
pressed for room that one of these swings would clear another but about
two inches, and it seemed almost miraculous to me that they did not meet
with more accidents than they did.

"Another amusement were large wheels, about thirty or forty feet in
diameter, on the circumference of which were four and sometimes six boxes
capable of holding four persons. These are set in slow motion, and they
gradually rise to the top of the wheel and as gradually descend and so on
in succession. There were various other machines on the same principle
which I have not time to describe.

"In the centre of the square was an assemblage of everything in the
world; theatres, wild beasts, _lusus naturoe_, mountebanks, buffoons,
dancers on the slack wire, fighting and swearing, pocket-picking and
stealing, music and dancing, and hubbub and confusion in every confused
shape.

"The theatres are worth describing; they are temporary buildings put up
and ornamented very richly on the exteriors to attract attention, while
the interiors, like many persons' heads, are but very poorly furnished.
Strolling companies of players occupy these, and between the plays the
actors and actresses exhibit themselves on a stage before the theatre in
all their spangled robes and false jewels, and strut and flourish about
till the theatre is filled.

"Then they go in and turn, perhaps, a very serious tragedy into one of
the most ridiculous farces. They occupy about fifteen minutes in reciting
a play and then a fresh audience is collected, and so they proceed
through the three days and nights, so that the poor actors and actres