_Poor Robin's perambulation about the City._
No sooner did Apollo begin to appear in the eastern horizon, but poor
Robin, shaking off melancholy sleep, roused his companion to prepare
himself for their intended perambulation; and having armed themselves
with a pot of nappy ale, they took their first walk to see the Royal
Exchange, a most magnificent structure, built by Sir Thomas Gresham.
From thence they went to take a view of Leadenhall, but the exceeding
bravery of the Exchange had so dimmed the beauty of the place, that it
was nothing pleasing to poor Robin's eye. He made no tarrying there, but
went presently down to the Tower, where having seen the lions, and from
the wharf taken a superficial view of the bridge, as also the ships upon
the river Thames, he became weary of beholding so many surprising
objects. He had, however, far more content in seeing the ships, so
admirably pleasing to his fancy it was to see how these little pretty
things hopped about. But lest he should take a surfeit with such
ravishing delights, his friend persuaded him to go to see the ancient
cathedral of St. Paul's, being at present made a horse-guard by the
soldiers, which poor Robin beholding, "What a blessed reformation,"
quoth he, "have we here! For in our country we can scarce persuade men
to go to church, but here come men and horses too." Having satisfied
himself with the sight of St. Paul's, they would in the next place go
to visit Westminster, the rather because it was at term time, where,
beholding so great a number of lawyers in their gowns, he cried out,
"Oh, let us begone from this place, for if two or three make such a
quarrel in our town, certainly there is no abiding here for men in their
wit." A country gentleman overhearing him, "I remember," quoth he, "once
I heard a story of a man that went down to hell, wherein he beheld men
of all professions, ages, and conditions, saving only lawyers, which
made him the more to wonder, because he imagined them all there, and
asking the devil the reason, he made this reply, 'We have them here
though you see them not, but we are forced to keep them in a room by
themselves lest they should set all the devils in hell at variance.'"
Poor Robin laughed very heartily at this tale, and having now satisfied
his inn, and having discharged all reckonings, his friend and he
returned home.