It is the second city in Christendom for greatness, and the first for
good government. There is no civilized part of the world but it has
heard thereof, though many with this mistake: that they conceive
London to be the country and England but the city therein.
Some have suspected the declining of the lustre thereof, because of
late it vergeth so much westward, increasing in buildings, Covent
Garden, etc. But by their favor (to disprove their fear) it will be
found to burnish round about with new structures daily added
thereunto.
It oweth its greatness under God's divine providence to the
well-conditioned river of Thames, which doth not (as some tyrant
rivers of Europe) abuse its strength in a destructive way, but
employeth its greatness in goodness, to be beneficial to commerce, by
the reciprocation of the tide therein. Hence it was that when King
James, offended with the city, threatened to remove his court to
another place, the Lord Mayor (boldly enough) returned that "he might
remove his court at his pleasure, but could not remove the river
Thames."
Erasmus will have London so called from Lindus, a city of Rhodes;
averring a great resemblance betwixt the languages and customs of the
Britons and Grecians. But Mr. Camden (who no doubt knew of it)
honoreth not this his etymology with the least mention thereof. As
improbable in my apprehension is the deduction from Lud's-Town,--town
being a Saxon, not British termination; and that it was so termed from
Lan Dian, a temple of Diana (standing where now St. Paul's doth), is
most likely in my opinion.