Background

Before the Fleet River was covered in 1737, Holborn Bridge spanned the junction of the Fleet and Holborn rivers. In Roman times, the Fleet was a major river, but over time, as London grew, it became used more frequently as a sewer, what with several prisons and poor housing nearby. The bridge stood on the site of the Victorian Holborn Viaduct.

Snow Hill, in the City of London, was historically the site of one of London's water conduits. Apparently, on special occasions, it was filled with wine.

In his Horatian satire of London, "A Description of a City Shower" (1710), Jonathan Swift references Snow Hill in an accurate description of London's early 1700s drainage system. In his near both Smithfield and St. Sepulchre's, so looking at a map even now you can see how those areas drain to Snow Hill.

The Church of St. Sepulchre-without-Newgate was opposite Newgate Prison, hence the name. Its parish includes Smithfield Market. It's currently called Holy Sepulchre London

In his Horatian satire of London, "A Description of a City Shower" (1710), Jonathan Swift references St. Sepulchre in an accurate description of London's early 1700s drainage system.

Smithfield, or West Smithfield, was home to large and famous cattle and sheep markets, indeed, some of the oldest markests in London.

In his Horatian satire of London, "A Description of a City Shower" (1710), Jonathan Swift references Smithfield in an accurate description of London's early 1700s drainage system, in particular as one of the starting points of large amounts of refuse. This makes sense in the context of its meat markets.

London was the largest city in the world by 1800, and would hold that title for over a century.

By the 1700s, the Thames was one of the world's busiest rivers because London was the center of the British empire.

In her poem "Eighteen Hundred and Eleven," Barbauld provides an image of the Thames, no longer full of the "fleets" of industry and commerce, part of her future vision of London, and Britian as a whole, that has declined, since Genius has moved on to other places to rouse great civilizations.