London Spy

Ned Ward pioneered the literary exploration of the life and character of late 17th-century London, and delighted in challenging the assumed superiority of `literary' language over the `vulgar' -and the reaction he provoked among the guardians of Augustan culture.
The London Spy, based upon the author's personal knowledge and experiences, recounts the fictitious adventures of a wide-eyed country bumpkin at large in the teeming metropolis of villains, whores and hucksters at the turn of the century. The Spy's adventures take him not only around the famous sights and monuments of the capital such as Bridewell, Bedlam and the Tower of London, but also into the innumerablebrothels, alleyways and alehouses where the common people work and play. Drawing upon his acute knowledge of the physical and social geography of the City, Ward mixes fact and bawdy tales and travels into a panoramic vision of contemporary life.
Originally published as a journal in eighteenmonthly parts between 1689 and 1700, the Spy was an immediate success. Though later censored and abridged, it has provided vivid source material for manyspecialist studies of London life. This new edition restores the complete text.
PAUL HYLANDteaches at Bath College of Higher Education.