ample security for their fidelity and honesty; such as employ them, have only occasion to notice their names, stamped on a silver ticket, hanging at their girdles, in cases of insolence or other misbehaviour; and upon complaint being made to their governor, satisfaction is speedily obtained. Tackle Porters are such of the last class as are furnished with weights, scales, &c. their business being to weigh such goods as come under their inspection. There are various rates taken by these different classes of porters for shipping, landing, housing, and weighing, which are regulated to prevent imposition. Any porter has the liberty of bringing goods into London; but may not carry any out of the City, or from one part of it to another, unless he be a freeman, or covenanted servant; otherwise he is liable to be arrested. THIS church is so named on account of its situation; it is of antient date, Richard Hackney, sheriff of London, having presented to the living in 1337*. The * In 1497, when some labourers were digging for the foundation of a wall in this church, they found a coffin of rotten timber, containing a female The walls of the building having withstood the injury of the Great Fire, the interior was rebuilt at the public charge, and finished in 1672. Within a few years also, it has been again repaired and beautified in a very judicious manner; the old tower taken down and rebuilt, and the west front correspondently built of brick. Towards the hill the front is very handsome; it is of stone, as are all the other walls, except the west; and the side windows were Gothic, till the piers were taken out, and the whole formed into single. frames, which gives a light appearance to the church. The interior, over the middle aisle, is graced with a very light and beautiful cupola. The roofs of the side aisles flat, supported by four columns; at each end of the church are two pilasters of a composition of Doric and Corinthian. The whole church is well wainscotted eight foot high, with oak pews, and enriched with cherubims, festoons, &c. The altar-piece is of Norway oak, with a handsome cornice and pediment. The length of the church is ninety-six, feet, breadth fixty, altitude to the cieling of the roof, twenty-six feet; and to the centre of the cupola, thirtyeight feet. There are no monuments worthy peculiar attention. Stow mentions the following eminent citizens who were buried here: Richard Gosselyn, sheriff, 1422. He gave his house, called Stue House, in Love Lane, and a tenement in Foster Lane, for the support of religious foundations. John Bedham, fishmonger, who gave in 1472 several legacies for the same purpose. Nicholas Exton, mayor, 1387. William Cambridge, mayor, 1420. Robert Revell, sheriff, 1490, a benefactor towards re. building the church. female body, apparently uncorrupted, and the joints pliable. The body was discovered to be that of Alice, lady of the above sheriff Hackney, who had been buried upwards of a century and an half. After exposure for four days without any noisome smell, it began to grow putrid, and was therefore again deposited in its parent earth. 2 William William Remington, mayor, 1500. Sir Robert Hampson, alderman, 1607. The organ is esteemed a very melodious instrument.Among the incumbents there are no persons of remarkable character. Within this parish was a place called Septem Camera; which was either a house, or so many rooms or chambers belonging to a chantry, the rent of which was appropriated towards the maintenance of a priest to pray for the soul of the founder. These, with other chantry lands in the city, were sold by Edward VI. for 9881. Ss. 10d. To the parish of St. Mary at Hill is united that of St. Andrew Hubbard, the church of which was destroyed by the fire, and the site now covered by the Weigh-house. Crossing Love Lane, through St. Botolph's Alley, we come opposite to the parish church of ST. GEORGE, BOTOLPH-LANE. THE patron saint of this church was born in Cappadocia, of Christian parents; and on account of his active life, was made a military tribune by the emperor Dioclesian, who, not knowing him to be a Christian, heaped favours on him; St. George was, however, unhappily discovered by the emperor and his court, on account of his remonstrances against the persecution which Dioclesian had projected:-the sovereign therefore urged the saint to sacrifice to idols; but finding his persuasions persuasions and remonstrances vain, had recourse to torment. St. George was placed upon a wheel, armed on every side with sharp steel points, which tore the flesh of the sufferer in a shocking manner; but in the midst of torment, as say the monkish writers, he was comforted and encouraged by a voice from heaven, which spoke thus, "Fear not, George, for I am with thee;" and also by a person clothed in white, who appearing to him, gave him his hand, embraced him, and inspired him with courage. "As the torments which St. George was put to encreased, so did the patience and greatness of his courage, wherewith he endured them. The joy also of the Christians was augmented, and the confusion of the Gentiles, as also the fury and rage of the emperor, who knew not what course to take to daunt the blessed martyr, who remained still invincible amidst such cruel and unheard-of torments. At length he resolved to speak him fair. Therefore with a sweet and flattering countenance he exhorted him not to be so obstinate, nor to lose his favours, promising to do great things for him, and to advance him to the highest honours and preferments, if he would obey him as his father. And the saint, the more to manifest the power of God, said to him, If you please, O emperor, let us go into the temple, and see the gods, which you adore. And the emperor being overjoyed, believing that George was now come to himself and had changed his mind, commanded both senate and people to resort to the temple, to be spectators and witnesses of the sacrifice which George was to offer. When all assembled into the temple, and had their eyes and minds fixed upon the saint, he ap-. proaching near the statue of Apollo, and stretching forth his hand, said,-Wilt thou have me offer sacrifice to thee?—and withal made the sign of the cross. And presently the devil, that was in that idol, crieth out:-I am no God, nor is there any other God besides him, whom you do preach. Then replies the saint,-How darest thou stay here in my presence, who do acknowledge and adore the true and living God? And as soon as the saint had spoken this, there was heard a most hideous screech and howling, which came from the mouth, VOL. II. No. 40. ૨૧ or or rather from the hollow places of the idols, and they aff fell down to the ground and were broken in pieces. The priests seeing their miserable gods thus destroyed, stirred up the people, who in a mutiny laid hands upon the saint, bound him, and gave him many blows; then called upon the emperor to dispatch that magician, and take away his life be-fore they came to lose their own for seeing their gods so basely affronted. The emperor moved both by their clamours, and by his own fierceness and impious cruelty, as also for that a multitude of gentiles, seeing their idols hurled down and broken into little bits by the powerful prayers of St. George, gave sentence that he should have his head cut off, before the mischief spread farther. "Upon being taken to the place of execution, and having loudly prayed, the martyr stretched forth his sacred neck to be severed from his shoulders by the sword, in Persia, in the city Diospolis. The martyrdom of St. George is very famous and honourably solemnized in all the churches of the east and west; and by the Grecians he is commonly styled, The Great Martyr St. George. His martyrdom was not more cruel, however, than the profane dispersion of his bones. St. German, bishop of Paris, returning from a pilgrimage, he made to Jerusalem, brought with him an arm, which the emperor Justinian gave him as a most precious treasure; and he placed it in St. Vincent's church in Paris. His head is kept at Rome in a church built to his honour, and name, being placed there by pope Zachary. of St. George was translated to Cologne. called from his The other arm "His heart is said to have been buried in St. George's chapel at Windsor; being a present from the emperor Henry V. Kings in battle esteem him their particular patron and advocate, and the Roman church call upon St. George, St. Sebastian, and St. Maurice, as special protectors against the enemies of the holy faith." * We have been very minute in our account of St. George and his asserted miracles, as being undoubtedly the patron Ribadeneira's Lives of the Saints. |