With respect to the interior, the roof is flat, supported by arches, ornamented with fret work. On the north side is a neat gallery; the altar is of carved wainscot, of the Corinthian order, and the whole church is embellished with pilasters, entablatures, &c. and a good organ.

Here are memorials to the family of Vandeput, which came from Antwerp; Giles, the progenitor of this family, died in 1646, aged seventy.

Among the rectors was the late Dr. Birch, author of a Biography, which goes under his name, as well as several other excellent works. This gentleman was also one of the secretaries to the Royal Society.

Nearly adjoining this church, in Little Tower Street, was a capital house, built by Alderman Dune, in the sixteenth century; it was afterwards possessed by Sir John Champneis, lord mayor in 1534, who built in this house a high tower of brick, "the first," says Stow, "that ever I heard of in any private man's house, to overlook his neighbours in this city. But this delight of his eye was punished with blindness some years before his death. Since that time, Sir Percivall Hart, a jolly courtier, and knight harbinger to Queen Elizabeth, inhabited here."

At the commencement of Tower Street stood, in 1449, the house of a rich citizen, named Griste. This gentleman for his safety, haying entertained the rebel Cade, and amply feasted his followers; in return for his hospitality, his house was ransacked, and robbed of every thing portable by his ungrateful guests.

Mincing Lane, or more properly Minchun Lane, was so distinguished from several tenements belonging to the Minchuns, or Nuns of St. Helen, Bishopsgate Street. Here formerly resided several foreigners from Genoa, who, on account of their bringing wines in gallies, were called Galley-men, and the wharf on which the merchandize was landed was denominated Galley Key. These persons introduced a base silver coin, which were halfpence in their own country, but in England they were noticed as Galley halfpence. These halfpence were so obnoxious in their cir

culation

culation, that the government, in the thirteenth year of the reign of Henry IV. and the fourth of Henry V. forbade them to be taken as payment; and the parliament further enacted, that " if any person bring into this realm Galley halfpence, suskins, or dodkins, he should be punished as a thief; and he that taketh or payeth such money, shall lose one hundred shillings, whereof the king shall have one half, and he that will sue, the other half."

Though this law was so severe, the coin found a contraband circulation, till at last the strength and weight of the English halfpenny banished them utterly from the kingdom.

In this lane are very good specimens of the stile of building, which was used by Sir Christopher Wren, to oblige the more substantial citizens; some of these with massy ornamented windows, over large gates, enclose the dwelling houses of such rich merchants as could at the same time entertain their friends, and not neglect their own concerns, These structures are worthy of notice.

The next avenue in Tower Street is Mark Lane. This was formerly called Mart Lane, on account of a market held there. On the east side of this handsome, though narrow street, is

THE CORN EXCHANGE.

Before this building was erected, the market for corn had been held at Bear Key; but the inconveniencies attendant upon the resort so near the river in all seasons, and other equally just causes, induced the construction of this building, which is spacious and convenient for the purposes intended.

It is ascended from the street by three steps, which lead to a range of eight lofty Doric columns, those at the corners being coupled; between the pillars are iron rails, and three iron gates. These columns, with two others on the inside, support a plain building two stories high, which contains two coffee houses, to which there are ascents by a flight of handsome stone steps on each hand, underneath

the

the edifice. Within the iron gates is a quadrangle, paved with broad flat stones; this square is surrounded by a colouade, composed of six columns on each side, and four at the ends, reckoning the corners twice. Above the entablature is a handsome balustrade surrounding the whole square, with an elegant vase placed over each column. The space around within the colonade is very broad, with sash windows on the top, to give the greater light to the cornfactors, who sit round the court below. Each has a kind of desk before him, on which are several handfuls of corn; and from these small samples are every market day sold immense quantities.

There are several statutes in force respecting the corn trade, and to regulate the returns. The exportation of corn in London, Kent, Essex, and Sussex, is regulated by the prices at the Corn Exchange, the proprietors of which are to appoint an inspector of corn returns, to whom weekly returns are to be made by the factors; and he is to make up weekly accounts, and transmit the average price to the receiver of the returns, tó be transmitted to the officers of the Customs, and inserted in the London Gazette.

Nearly opposite is another structure, very neatly fitted up on a smaller scale, for the same purposes, denominated THE NEW EXCHANGE FOR CORN AND SEED.

About the reign of Edward VI. Sir William Sharington, knt. a chief officer of the Mint, lived in this lane, in a very stately mansion; but having been attainted for frauds in his office, though afterwards pardoned, his house was bestowed by the king on Henry, earl of Arundel, who made it his residence.

A part of this lane, corruptly called Blind Chapel Court, manor denominated Blanch Appleton, which belonged to Sir Thomas Roos, of Hamlake, knt. in the seventh of Richard II. In the reign of Edward VI. this manor was appropriated for the residence of all basket makers, wire drawers, and other foreigners, who were not permitted to have shops in any other part of the city of London, or the suburbs.

SEETHING

SEETHING LANE; this is a corruption of Sydon Lane, as it was antiently called. In this lane was a large mansion, built by Sir John Allen, lord mayor, 1535, and privy counsellor to Henry VIII. It was afterwards the residence of Sir Francis Walsingham, secretary of state to Queen Elizabeth, and the Earl of Essex, as well as of other eminent characters.

At present part of Seething Lane is occupied by large warehouses, rented by the East India Company, to house indigo, &c.

CRUTCHED FRIARS. The street called by this name, was so denominated from a religious foundation, by Ralph Hosier and William Sabernes, about the year 1298, dedicated to the Holy Cross, and thence the secluded were distin. guished by the title of Friars of St. Cross, or Crouched Friars. Stephen, the tenth prior of the Holy Trinity, granted three tenements, for 13s. 8d. annually, to the above founders, who afterwards became friars of the house which they had established.

There were other fraternities added to that of the Crouched Friars; one dedicated to the most holy blood of Jesus; and another to St. Catharine. It does not appear, however, that this brotherhood arrived at any great degree of prosperity, or vast riches; since, at a common council held 12 Henry VIII. the city magistrates were solicited by the prior and convent, to take the whole establishment under their patronage, and be, as it were, the second founders.

The conduct of the prior, ultimately, was destructive to the whole fraternity; he was caught in a situation inapplicable to his function, more particularly so on a fast day; and was taken in a state of indecency at eleven o'clock in the morning, by Barthelot, and others, of Lord Cromwell's visitors. The prior, to bribe the inspectors, distri buted among them thirty pounds, and promised the like sum if they concealed his act of incontinency. However, the whole being submitted to the cognizance of Cromwell, hastened

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hastened the dissolution of monasteries. It was surrendered on the 12th of November 1539, and was valued at 521. 13s. 4d.

The church of this monastery was afterwards converted to a carpenter's shop, and a tennis court. The friar's hall became a glass house; and, to complete the ruin of this range of structures, on the 4th of September 1575, à dreadful fire reduced the whole to ashes, to the utmost boundaries of the stone walls. On the site was afterwards erected THE NAVY OFFICE; upon the removal of which to Somerset House, this place was purchased by the East India Company, who have erected very handsome WAREHOUSES FOR TEA and DRUGS.

Within the Crossed Friars church the following eminent persons were buried: Sir Thomas de Mollinton, baron of Wemys, 1408, and dame Elizabeth, his wife, daughter of William Bottelar, baron of Wome, 1410.

Henry Lovell, son of Lord Lovell.

Sir John Stratford, knt.

Sir Thomas Asseldey, clerk of the crown, sub-marshal of England, and justice of the shire of Middlesex.

John Rest, mayor of London, 1516.

Sir John Skevington, sheriff, 1520.

Sir John Milborne, mayor, 1521, but afterwards removed to St. Edmond, Lombard Street.

Sir Rice Griffith, beheaded on Tower Hill, 1531 *.

Adjoining

Sir Rhys ap Gryffydd, was of the most illustrious house in South Wales. He was grandson to Sir Rhys ap Thomas, the great friend and support of the Earl of Richmond, afterwards Henry VII. by whom he was created knight of the Garter. His son, Sir Gryffydd ap Rhys, was father to the unfortunate Sir Rhys ap Gryffydd, of Newtown, in Caermarthenshire. The princely estate of the family (on which were fifteen castles) was forfeited, and a bare maintenance given to his son. Some part was restored by Queen Mary, and some more by Queen Elizabeth. Sir Rhys had married Katharine, the daughter of Thomas Howard, second Duke of Norfolk, who died on May 21, 1524. She was afterwards married to Henry Daubeney, Earl of Bridgewater, and became involved in great trouble, on suspicion of some concern she had VOL. II. No. 41.

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