text_original: I offer these pages to my readers only as a humble contribution to the history of London. [Illustration: THE BLACK JACK, PORTSMOUTH STREET, LINCOLN'S INN FIELDS.] Our commercial wealth and the vastness of our maritime enterprise is shown in nothing more than by the distance from which we fetch our commonest articles of consumption  tea from China, sugar from the West Indies, coffee from Ceylon, oil from the farthest nooks of Italy, chocolate from Mexico.
text_transcription: I OFFER THESE PAGES TO MY READERS ONLY AS A HUMBLE CONTRIBUTION TO THE HISTORY OF LONDON OUR COMMERCIAL WEALTH AND THE VASTNESS OF OUR MARITIME ENTERPRISE IS SHOWN IN NOTHING MORE THAN BY THE DISTANCE FROM WHICH WE FETCH OUR COMMONEST ARTICLES OF CONSUMPTION TEA FROM CHINA SUGAR FROM THE WEST INDIES COFFEE FROM CEYLON OIL FROM THE FARTHEST NOOKS OF ITALY CHOCOLATE FROM MEXICO
phonemes: aɪ ˈɔfɚ ðiːz pˈeɪdʒᵻz tə maɪ ɹˈiːdɚz ˈoʊnli æz ɐ hˈʌmbəl kˌɑːntɹɪbjˈuːʃən tə ðə hˈɪstɚɹi ʌv lˈʌndən. [ˌɪləstɹˈeɪʃən: ðə blˈæk dʒˈæk, pˈɔːɹtsməθ stɹˈiːt, lˈɪŋkənz ˈɪn fˈiːldz.] ˌaʊɚ kəmˈɜːʃəl wˈɛlθ ænd ðə vˈæstnəs ʌv ˌaʊɚ mˈæɹɪtˌaɪm ˈɛntɚpɹˌaɪz ɪz ʃˈoʊn ɪn nˈʌθɪŋ mˈɔːɹ ðɐn baɪ ðə dˈɪstəns fɹʌm wˈɪtʃ wiː fˈɛtʃ ˌaʊɚ kˈɑːmənɪst ˈɑːɹɾɪkəlz ʌv kənsˈʌmpʃən tˈiː fɹʌm tʃˈaɪnə, ʃˈʊɡɚ fɹʌmðə wˈɛst ˈɪndiz, kˈɔfi fɹʌm seɪlˈɑːn, ˈɔɪl fɹʌmðə fˈɑːɹðɪst nˈʊks ʌv ˈɪɾəli, tʃˈɑːklət fɹʌm mˈɛksɪkˌoʊ.