London streets . . . are divided into two classes: into streets where the roast-beef of life is earned, and into streets where the said roast-beef is eaten.

Max Schlesinger (1822-1881)

A man dressed to appear at Court would not dare to walk through the streets of London: a porter, a loafer a scapegoat from the dregs of the people would throw mud at him, laugh in his face, push him to make him say something offensive all in order to have an excuse for engaging him in a fist fight.

Giacomo Girolamo Casanova (1725-1798)

London crushes the imagination and tears the heart asunder.

Heinrich Heine (1797-1856)

The Hours of the Day and Night are taken up in the Cities of London and Westminster by Peoples as different from each other as those who are born in different parts centuries.

Richard Steele (1672-1729)

Then as to Bankruptcies, and other Villanies of that Nature, the City of London is so full of privileg’d Places, where such Thieves may take Shelter, that upon the whole it must be Confess’d there is much less Danger in being wicked at London than at Paris.

Henri Misson (c.1650-1722)