th the news that Sir Edward and the
marquis were at fisticuffs about a game at chuck, and that the
brigadier had challenged the major-general to a bout at cudgels."

[Sidenote: 1714--Principal towns]

It is only fair, after enumerating so many of the eccentricities and
discomforts of early Georgian London, to mention one proof of
civilization of which Londoners were able to boast. London had a
penny-post, of which it was not unreasonably proud. This penny-post is
thus described in Strype's edition of Stow's "Survey of London." "For
a further convenience to the inhabitants of this city and parts
adjacent, for about ten miles compass, another post, and that a
foot-post, commonly called the penny-post, was erected, and though at
first set up by a private hand, yet, bring of such considerable amount,
is since taken into the post-office and made a branch of it. And in
this all letters and parcels not exceeding a pound weight, and also any
sum of money not above 10 pounds or parcel of 10 pounds value is safely
conveyed, and at the charge of a penny, to all parts of the city and
suburbs, and but a penny more at the delivery to most towns within ten
miles of London, and to some towns at a farther distance. And for the
better management of this office there are in London and Westminster
six general post-offices . . . at all which there constantly
attend . . . officers to receive letters and parcels from the several
places appointed to take them in, there being a place or receiving
house for the receipt thereof in most streets, with a table hung at the
door or shop-window, in which is printed in great letters 'Penny-post
Letters and Parcels are taken in Here.' And at those houses they have
letter-carriers to call every hour. . . . All the day long they are
employed, some in going their walks to bring in, and others to carry
out."

The next town in population to London was Bristol, and Bristol had then
only one-seventeenth of London's population. The growth of the
manufacturing industry, which has created such a cluster of great towns
in the North of England, had hardly begun to show itself when {79}
George the First came to the throne. Bristol was not only the most
populous place after London at this time, but it was the great English
seaport. It had held this rank for centuries. Even at the time when
"Tom Jones" was written, many years after the accession of George the
First, the Bristol Alderman filled the same pl