’OCheapside!Cheapside!’saidI，asIadvancedupthatmightythoroughfare，’trulythouartawonderfulplaceforhurry，noise，andriches!MentalkofthebazaarsoftheEast-Ihaveneverseenthem-butIdaresaythat，comparedwiththee，theyarepoorplaces，silentplaces，aboundingwithemptyboxes，OthouprideofLondon’seast!-mightymartofoldrenown!-forthouartnotaplaceofyesterday：-longbeforetheRosesredandwhitebattledinfairEngland，thoudidstexist-aplaceofthrongandbustle-
placeofgoldandsilver，perfumesandfinelinen。CenturiesagothoucouldstextortthepraisesevenofthefiercestfoesofEngland。FiercebardsofWales，swornfoesofEngland，sangthypraisescenturiesago；andeventhefiercestofthemall，RedJuliushimself，wildGlendower’sbard，hadawordofpraiseforLondon’s’Cheape，’forsothebardsofWalesstyledtheeintheirflowingodes。Then，ifthosewhowerenotEnglish，andhatedEngland，andallconnectedtherewith，hadyetmuchtosayinthypraise，whenthouwastfarinferiortowhatthouartnow，whyshouldtrue-bornEnglishmen，orthosewhocallthemselvesso，turnuptheirnosesatthee，andscofftheeatthepresentday，asI
believetheydo？But，letothersdoastheywill，I，atleast，whoamnotonlyanEnglishman，butanEastEnglishman，willnotturnupmynoseatthee，butwillpraiseandextolthee，callingtheemartoftheworld-aplaceofwonderandastonishment!-and，wereitrightandfittingtowishthatanythingshouldendureforever，I
wouldsayprosperitytoCheapside，throughoutallages-mayitbetheworld’sresortformerchandise，worldwithoutend。
AndwhenIhadpassedthroughtheCheapeIenteredanotherstreet，whichledupakindofascent，andwhichprovedtobethestreetoftheLombards，calledsofromthenameofitsfirstfounders；andI