which hereafter shall be showed to this honourable court, your said beseechers think it much necessary, that the said hall be still in the hands of this city, and to be surely kept by sad and discreet officers in such wise, that it may always be ready to be used and occupied, for the common weal of the said city, when need shall require, and in no wise to be let to any body politic." This petition was so reasonable, and the observations so cogent, that the city complied with it, and thus Leadenhall was secured for that period.

We have before mentioned, that vast interest was made to create this structure into a burse or exchange, but, without success; that honour being ultimately transferred to Cornhill, by building the Royal Exchange.

This was a place of superstitious mummery in 1546. During the time that the unhallowed corpse of Henry VIII. lay in state in the chapel which his father had founded, Heath, bishop of Worcester, his almoner, distributed vast sums of money here, and in the several wards of the city, as well as at Westminster, among the poor for twelve days; as if their post mortem donations were to pay a safe passport to the pure regions of beatification, for one who had been perfidious in every religious opinion; who had sacrificed innocence at the altar of jealousy; who had defiled the land by the blood of martyrs; and who had exhibited in most parts of his terrible reign the undisguised features of tyranny!

In Stow's youth, Leadenhall was employed for the following purposes: " In a part of the north quadrant, on the east side of the north gate, were the common beams for weighing wool, and other wares. On the west side of the gate were the scales to weigh meal. The other three sides were reserved, mostly, as repositories for the pageants for the parade of the city watch; the residue of the building was employed for the stowage of wool-sacks; whilst the lofts were occupied by the artists who were engaged to ornament the pageants."

Having thus chronologically given the antient history of this structure, it remains merely to state, that till lately, the front of the hall in the street, presented a very distinguished specimen of the mode of building adopted by our fore

fathers

fathers for many centuries past; but this having given place to a range of buildings of modern date, it is only necessary to add that LEADENHALL MARKET is said to be more considerable for all kinds of provisions than any other in Europe. The hall, which forms a considerable part of it, is of great antiquity: it is a large building with flat battlements, leaded at the top, and in the middle is a very spacious square. Here are the warehouses for leather, the Colchester baize hall, the wool hall, and the meal warehouse. It is surrounded with sheds for butchers, tanners, &c. and as there is but little meat sold here, except beef, it is distinguished by the name of the Beef-market. This square is also a market for leather, baize, wool, &c.; and it is likewise a market for raw hides.

Behind this market are two others separated by a range of buildings of a considerable length, with shops and rooms on each side. In both these are principally sold small meat, as mutton, veal, lamb, and pork; and some of the shops sell

beef.

In the easternmost of these markets, is a market-house, with a clock and bell tower on the top; it is supported on pillars, with rooms above, and vaults beneath; and in it are sold various kinds of provision. Beyond these is a very spacious market for poultry. There is also another called the Herb-market, and is a very handsome square, the entrance to which is from Leadenhall Street. The passages into these markets from Lime Street and Gracechurch Street, are filled with dealers in provisions of various kinds,

That part now called the Green Yard, was formerly part of the garden grounds belonging to the Nevils and their descendants, till it came into the hands of the city.

In Ram Alley, are the remains of the antient collegiate chapel, which Sir Simon Eyre founded in 1419, over the porch of which he caused the following motto to be cut: "Dextra Domini exaltavit me." "The right hand of the Lord hath exalted me."

He gave three thousand marks to the Drapers company, upon condition, that they should, within one year after his decease, establish perpetually a master and warden, five se

cular

cular priests, six clerks, and two choristers, to sing daily Divine Service by note, for ever, in his chapel of Leaden hall; also one master with an usher for grammar; one master for writing; and the third for song; with there newly built houses for them for ever. The master to have for his salary 101. every priest 8. every clerk 51. 6s. 8d. every cho rister five marks. If the Drapers refused to do this within one year after his decease, then the three thousand marks to remain to the prior and convent of Christ Church *, in London, with condition to establish as aforesaid, within ten years after his decease: and if they refused, then the three thousand marks to be disposed of by his executors, as they best could devise in works of charity. But this was not performed, as to the establishing of Divine Service in the chapel or the free-school. And how the three thousand marks were disposed of by the executors, Stow says "he could never learn."

In 1466, however, a licence was obtained from Edward IV. by authority of which was founded a fraternity of the Trinity, of sixty priests, beside other brethren and sisters, by William Rouse, John Risby, and Thomas Ashby, priests; some of the sixty priests were every day in the afternoon, to celebrate divine service within the chapel, to such of the market people as chose to resort there to prayer. They also had an annual meeting, a solemn service, and a procession of all the brethren and sisters. This foundation, in 1512, was confirmed to the sixty priests and their successors, by an act of common council; this confirmation was at the will of the mayor and commonalty. This sacred edifice shared the fate of others of the same nature; but it is even now, a respectable ruin.

Returning into Leadenhall Street, and passing the house of Messrs. Richardson and Stephenson, stationers, on which stood Mr. Woodmason's house, a scene of domestic calamity already mentioned, we arrive at

THE EAST INDIA HOUSE.

It is easy to imagine what a task it would be to attempt at the history of a company, one of whose reports is extended

Now called Cree Church.