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WALK XII.

From Temple Bar along Picket-Street, the Strand, Somerset House, the Savoy, the Adelphi, Charing Cross, Whitehall to Parliament-Street, WestminsterBridge, Palace Yard, Abingdon-Street, Millbank, Tothill-Street, and Westminster.

To form adequate ideas of the improvements made between Temple Bar and the neighbourhood adjacent to St. Clement's Church, according to Alderman Picket's plan, it would be necessary to have known the spot before they took place. "A stranger," it has been observed, "who had visited London in 1790, would, on his return in 1815, be astonished to find a spacious area, with the church nearly in the centre, on the site of Butcher-Row, and some other passages, undeserving the name of streets, which were composed of wretched fabrics overhanging their foundations, the receptacles of filth in every corner of their projecting stories, the bane of ancient London, where the plague, with all its attendant horrors, frowned destruction on the miserable inhabitants, reserving its force for the attacks of each returning summer. He that now passes St. Clement's area, and is not grateful to the men who planned, and the parliament who permitted the removal of such streets and habitations, deserves to reside in a lazaretto."

The stack of buildings that lately occupied the spot which now forms a wide opening on the west side of Temple Bar, was, with respect to the ground plan, in the form of an obtuse angular triangle; the eastern line formed by a shoemaker's, a fishmonger's, and another shop, with wide extended fronts; and its

western point blunted by the intersection of the vestry-room and alms-houses of St. Clement's parish: on both sides of the way were shops of various descriptions, as bakers, dyers, smiths, tin-plate workers, comb makers, &e.

Butcher-Row was, as its name implied, a flesh market, and had been so in a much greater degree in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. Many persons can remember a scalemaker's, a tinman's, fine drawers, Betty's Chophouse, cheesemongers, grocers, &c: the houses of the whole stack were originally of wood, and seemed to have been built about the age of Edward the Sixth. The ceilings of many of these apartments were low, transversed by large unwrought beams in different directions, and lighted, or rather darkened, by small casement windows.

Instead of these streets, lanes, and alleys, which once hovered round, and in a manner concealed St. Clement's Church, and obstructed the passage between Fleet-Street and the Strand, this edifice is now surrounded by an oval railing. The north side forms a semi-circle; and at the entrance of Clement's Inn, the Corporation of London have erected a gateway of stupendous architecture, to which are added the new vestry-room and alms-houses of the parish, all rebuilt at the expense of the city. The south side of the Strand here is also rebuilt with handsome lofty dwellings, containing capacious shops.

It is undeniable that this crowded vicinity was, no longer since than the reign of Edward the Sixth, "a loosely-built street ;" the houses on the south side were furnished with extensive gardens, which at present give names to various streets, from their several owners.

Palsgrave-Court is so named, in remembrance of Frederick the Fifth, Elector and Count Palatine of the Rhone, the husband of Elizabeth, eldest daughter of

James the First, who was chosen King of Bohemia, but lost that kingdom and his electorate in an unequal competition with the Emperor Ferdinand. The Princess Sophia, youngest daughter of this Frederick, and Elizabeth, widow of Prince Ernest, Duke of Brunswick Lunenburg, and Elector of Hanover, was declared, by act of parliament in the reign of William the Third, in failure of the issue of the Princess, afterwards Queen Anne, the next successor in the Protestant line to the crown of England. His Majesty George the Third is her heir in the fourth generation.

Devereux Court has a passage to Essex Court, in the Temple; the former being the family name of Queen Elizabeth's unfortunate favourite.

Essex-Street, a little further on, stands on the site of the residence of Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex: but though this house was occupied by the Earl of Essex, the Parliament General, during the interregnum, it became neglected, and was appropriated to various uses. The part of it remaining, after having been an auction room, has of late been a chapel for the use of those who profess Unitarian principles, as it still continues. The Unitarians, though they constitute a branch of Socinianism, do not admit of all its doctrines. A copious account of these people is given in Lindsey's Historical View of Unitarianism. - The Rev. Mr. Lindsey was the resident chaplain at this place, and gave up the valuable living of Catterick, in Yorkshire, from motives of conscience. Having retired, he was succeeded by the Rev. Thomas Belsham, a considerable time previous to his decease.

On the opposite side of the Strand, in Ship Yard, is a stately house of the time of Queen Elizabeth, which Mr. Moser seems to think was afterwards the Ship Tavern.

Crown Court took its name from the Crown Tavern, situated on its site.

Crown Place stands upon the plot of the Bishop's house and garden.

A handsome archway on the north side of PicketStreet, leads to Clement's Inn. Here the hall, and several handsome chambers, form three courts, through which, in the day time, is a passage to Clare Market and to New Inn, when the gates are open. The figure of a naked Moor, in the garden, supporting a sun dial, presented to the society by Lord Holles, occasioned the following sarcastic effusion:

In vain poor sable son of woe

Thou seek'st the tender tear;

For thee in vain with pangs they flow,
For Mercy dwells not here.

From Cannibals thou fledst in vain,

Lawyers less quarter give;

The first won't eat you till you're slain,

The last will do't alive!

A pump now covers St. Clement's Well, which during the times of Popish superstition, was much resorted to, being supposed capable of curing cutaneous and other disorders.

Facing St Clement's Lane, and in the middle of the high street, stands the church of St. Clement Danes.Though the origin of this appellation is involved in some obscurity, it seems certain that a church was founded here eight hundred years ago: however, the present edifice was built in the year 1680, the old church being then greatly decayed, "Sir Christopher Wren, his Majesty's Surveyor, freely and generously bestowing his great care and skill towards the contriving and building of it." The present church is a very handsome structure of the Corinthian order, built entirely of stone: the body is enlightened by two series

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