"There is as much or more reason to be afraid of bigotry, narrow-mindedness and capricious censure in a village than in a large and complex society. It is worth noting that those who complained of a present or impending "age of cant" never thought that their minds would become less independent - it was always directed at opponents and, principally, down the social scale."

- Ben Wilson, Decency & Disorder, 1789-1837, page 444. One of the most arresting and entertaining works of social and cultural history I have read for some time. This quote is particularly relevant in our own time when one occasionally hears people bemoaning the loss of "small, tight-knit communities" and the supposed soullessness of urban life. In fact the ability to choose one's networks of friends rather than get lumbered with whatever is on offer in a small community is one of the unacknowedged joys of modern life.