You know what it's like when a cart overturns in the street? Everybody you meet has witnessed it. They saw a man's leg sliced clean off. They saw a woman gasp her last. They saw the goods looted, thieves stealing from the back-end while the carter was crushed at the front. They heard a man roar out his last confession, while another whispered his last will and testament. And if all the people who say they were there had really been there, then the dregs of London would have drained to the one spot, the gaols emptied of thieves, the beds empty of whores, and all the lawyers standing on the shoulders of the butchers to get a better look.
The passage describes a vivid and chaotic scene where an overturned cart in the street draws a crowd of onlookers, each of whom claims to have witnessed the tragic events that unfolded. The narrator highlights the brutality of the situation, with graphic details about the injuries and deaths occurring before the eyes of those present. It underscores a collective experience marked by horror and fascination, emphasizing how the public is drawn to tragedy, all wanting to be part of the moment.
The narrator cynically notes that if everyone who claimed to have been present truly had been, the scene would be overwhelmed with desperate souls—criminals, the downtrodden, and a motley assortment of society's outcasts. This irony points to the nature of human behavior, where individuals are compelled to witness and recount great suffering, yet remain apathetic in their daily lives. It reflects a commentary on societal values and the morbid curiosity that tragedy invokes.
