364

LIGHTING OF STREETS.

rising of the sun, throughout the year ; 5 instead therefore of1000 lamps, the number was increased to 4679 ; but asthese were insuilicient, several of the wards made a con-siderable augmentation, so that the whole could amount tono less than 5000.

These, however, were not the whole amount of all thelamps in London , but of that district properly within thecity and its liberties. As this division, even at that time,formed only about one fifth part of London , Maitland reckonedthe whole number of public and private lamps to have been,at the period he wrote, upwards of 15,000. The time otlighting, which had been only 750 hours annually, was in-creased to 5000. Since which period, various acts havebeen passed by the legislature for regulating the lighting,watching, and cleansing the streets of this metropolis;forming different courts of sewers, lighting, watching, &c.so that now, at this period, in 1819, we should presume,no city in Europe is more clean, wholesome, and belterregulated.

With respect to lighting, various improvements havebeen made from time to time in the construction of ourlamps ; that article of necessary police having invited theattention of the philosophic, patriotic and ingenious: andnone, we humbly conceive, has a higher claim upon thegratitude of posterity than has that learned and patrioticnobleman the Earl of Dundonald; a gentleman whose lifeand ample fortune has been spent in scientific improvementsfor the advancement of the commercial and agriculturalinterests of his country. But it is believed that he, alas ! atthis period experiences the fate of those rare public spiritedbeings who have made such ample sacrifices for the good ofothers, to the neglect of his own private and individualinterest. Such rare instances of disinterested patriotism,surely have an equitable claim upon the gratitude of anenlightened people. But so did Middleton languish ;—sodid Hampden bleed;—so have an infinite number in ancientand modern times suffered, and instead of meeting with areturn of gratitude from their country, every ignominy andevery injury have been heaped upon their meritorious heads.But of all the improvements which the art of nocturnal illu-mination has experienced, there is none can equal thetruly scientific speculations of a learned gentleman of themedical profession, whom we have the honour to regard as

s Maitiand, i. p. 566-