London

(lŭn'dūn,) [L. Londinium; Fr. Londres,] the metropolis of the British empire, and with respect to extent, wealth, commerce, and pop., the most important city in the civilized world. It lies in the valley of the Thames, a river that intersects it in a great measure, dividing it, so to speak, bet. the co. of Middle sex on the N., and that of Surrey on the S., the maximum portion being absorbed by the Middle sex side. In its limits are included, besides the city of L. proper, the city and liberties of Westminster, and the parliamentary boroughs of the Tower Hamlets, Finsbury, Hackney,Marylebone, South wark, Lambeth, Chelsea, and Kensington. The metropolitan area of L., by the census of 1871, embraced an area of 687 sq. m., equivalent to a square of territory of 2614 m. to the side. London Bridge (one of a series of14 which span the river bet. its N. and S. portions) marks the inland limit of the port of London, which embraces the river thence downward to Black wall, a distance of bet. 6 and 7 m. Upon either side are commodious docks for the reception of shipping-the whole occupying an area of abt. 450 acres. The West End is the court and fashionable quarter, and the centre of British art, taste, and intelligence; the City, on the other hand, is the grand pivot around which revolves the chief commercial and monetary interests of the trading world at large. To attempt any enumeration of the chief public buildings of this " Modern Babylon " (as it) has not inaptly been called) would be out of place here; and, indeed, its prominent characteristic is to be found, not so much in particular examples of architectural display, as in the general diffusion of wealth and industry over so great a space. Besides its immense seaward commerce, reaching to every quarter of the globe, and the vast inland traffic of which it is the seat, L. is also a great manufacturing centre, involving the fabrication of almost every known article of utility and luxury. L. appears to have been a place of importance as far back as the time of the Roman emperor Nero; later it became the cap. of the E. Saxon kingdom; later yet, of the entire monarchy-dating its original charter of civil and municipal liberty from the time of the Norman Conquest. Its subsequent history is e entially incorporated with that of the nation who have made it what it is. Pop. 3,883,092. [s. 553]