alculated
to render them strong and healthy. The city damsels had also their
recreation on the celebration of these festivals, dancing to the
accompaniment of music, and continuing their sports by moonlight. Stow
tells us that in his time it was customary for the maidens, after
evening prayers, to dance and sing in the presence of their masters and
mistresses, the best performer being rewarded with a garland. Who can
peruse the recapitulation of London sports and amusements, even so late
as the beginning of the last century, without being struck by the
contrast it presents in its present state, when, as a French traveller
observes, it is no longer a city, but a province covered with houses? In
the whole world, probably, there is no large town so utterly unprovided
with means of healthful recreation for the mass of the citizens. Every
vacant and green spot has been converted into a street; field after
field has been absorbed by the builder; all the scenes of popular resort
have been smothered with piles of brick; football and cricket-grounds,
bowling-greens, and the enclosures of open places, set apart for archery
and other pastimes, have been successively parcelled out in squares,
lanes, or alleys; the increasing value of land, and extent of the city,
render it impossible to find substitutes; and the humbler classes who
may wish to obtain the sight of a field, or inhale a mouthful of fresh
air, can scarcely be gratified, unless, at some expense of time and
money, they make a journey for the purpose. Even our parks, not unaptly
termed the lungs of the metropolis, have been partially invaded by the
omnivorous builder; nor are those portions of them which are still open
available to the commonalty for purposes of pastime and sport. Under
such circumstances who can wonder that they should lounge away their
unemployed time in the skittle-grounds of ale-houses and gin-shops? or
that their immorality should have increased with the enlargement of the
town, and the compulsory discontinuance of their former healthful and
harmless pastimes? It would be wise to revive, rather than seek any
further to suppress them: wiser still would it be, with reference both
to the bodily and moral health of the people, if, in all new inclosures
for building, provision were legally made for the unrestricted enjoyment
of their games and diversions, by leaving large open spaces to be
appropriated to that purpose.

"Upon a general review of our prese