DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1212#0012
* PRELIMINARY CHAPTER.
giving advantageous prominence to ability, mental and
manual, irrespective of creed, colour, or country. And
this design, so comprehensive in its bearings, bas been
cordially responded to by all classes of tbe community,
who have freely given their co-operation, pecuniary and
otherwise, to carry into effect the philanthropic views
of the Prince. The Grand Exhibition of the Industry
of all Nations, of which London is to be the stage, in
the spring of 1851, will indeed render the metropolis a
point of attraction, to which thousands, from the Eu-
ropean and remoter continents, of every faith, and of
every shade of opinion, will resort, to witness the cen-
tralisation of those labours which denote the intellectual
advance of the world, and the ascendancy of science and
letters, where barbarism, and ignorance once prevailed.
To the intelligent foreigners and others who, thus called
together, visit the metropolis of England, the locality of
the exhibition, no less than the exhibition itself, will sug-
gest much for wonder—more for contemplation. London,
a monster city, presenting to the sober eye of common
sense more real marvels than all the fabled prodigies with
which the poets loved to invest the cities of antiquity, in
itself a world with a population exceeding that of many
petty kingdoms, the most glorious temple of civilization,
offers a theme too interesting to be cursorily passed over
by the stranger. Its history, political and social, its
institutions, its edifices, venerable from time, or famous
from association, will excite his interest; and to describe
the same in a consecutive form, and within moderate com-
giving advantageous prominence to ability, mental and
manual, irrespective of creed, colour, or country. And
this design, so comprehensive in its bearings, bas been
cordially responded to by all classes of tbe community,
who have freely given their co-operation, pecuniary and
otherwise, to carry into effect the philanthropic views
of the Prince. The Grand Exhibition of the Industry
of all Nations, of which London is to be the stage, in
the spring of 1851, will indeed render the metropolis a
point of attraction, to which thousands, from the Eu-
ropean and remoter continents, of every faith, and of
every shade of opinion, will resort, to witness the cen-
tralisation of those labours which denote the intellectual
advance of the world, and the ascendancy of science and
letters, where barbarism, and ignorance once prevailed.
To the intelligent foreigners and others who, thus called
together, visit the metropolis of England, the locality of
the exhibition, no less than the exhibition itself, will sug-
gest much for wonder—more for contemplation. London,
a monster city, presenting to the sober eye of common
sense more real marvels than all the fabled prodigies with
which the poets loved to invest the cities of antiquity, in
itself a world with a population exceeding that of many
petty kingdoms, the most glorious temple of civilization,
offers a theme too interesting to be cursorily passed over
by the stranger. Its history, political and social, its
institutions, its edifices, venerable from time, or famous
from association, will excite his interest; and to describe
the same in a consecutive form, and within moderate com-