architect of ability, who had built a bridge at Rochelle, and was master of the schools of Xainctes; but it does not appear he was employed by the citizens, who had the custody of the work. After thirty-three years labour, this illcontrived structure was completed. Besides the houses on each side, there was a chapel *; it was a beautiful Gothic structure, sixty-five feet long, twenty feet six inches wide, and fourteen high. It was built over the ninth pier from the north end-was paved with black and white marble— and had an entrance from the river. In the middle of it there was a monument, supposed to be that of Peter the architect, or the mason, who is said to have built the chapel and endowed it. At the dissolution of the monasteries, the chapel was converted into a dwelling. In making some alteration in 1737, the site of the monument was discovered: this may be worth observation whenever the bridge is taken down. Among the various distressing accidents related by Stow, and others, was a fire which began in Southwark about four years after the bridge was finished. The Londoners had rushed in crowds to assist at the fire, which, having caught St. Mary Overy's church, a strong south wind communicated the flames to the north side of the bridge. While they were endeavouring to force a passage through the flames into the city, the conflagration had extended across the south end of the bridge, "so that being inclosed between two great fires above 3000 people perished in the flames, or were drowned by overloading the vessels which ventured to their assistance +." King John having seized the revenues of the bridge, they remained vested in the crown many years, and it being suffered to go to ruin, was presented, by the corporation, to the judges, as a nuisance, in the reign of Edward the First, who restored the trust, with a grant of some waste lands in the city. * See Vertue's print, published 1748. † Maitland from Stow. In 1280, the bridge being in a very ruinous state, the citizens applied to the king for relief, who granted the bridge-keeper a brief to collect charitable donations through. out the realm, with particular injunctions to the clergy to promote its success. This scheme failed, and, in the fol lowing year, letters patent passed, authorising the corporation to take a toll for three years. In 1632, the Thames being frozen, forty houses were burnt in about eight hours. The disorders of the state prevented these being rebuilt for several years, when the fire of London completed the destruction of the remainder, except a few old ones on the south end. The corporation, instead of availing themselves of this opportunity of getting rid of the nuisance, did every thing in their power to encourage the purblind policy of loading the bridge with houses again; they "let it at ten shillings a foot for sixtyone years, and, that it might be uniform, purchased some old leases*; to complete the measure of this absurdity, it became, when finished-" the admiration of all who beheld it." "When the Cerulean god these things survayed, He shook his trident and astonished said— HOWELL. Twenty feet was the space left, on this bridge of wonders, for carriages and foot passengers-the latter generally sought their safety by following the carriages, to prevent being crushed to death against the houses: "these overhung and leaned in a most terrific manner-in most places they hid the arches, and nothing appeared but the rude piers." Pennant says, "I well remember the street on London bridge, narrow, darksome, and dangerous to passengers, from the number of carriages; frequent arches of timber crossed the street, from the tops of the houses, to * Maitland. keep them together, and from falling into the river. Nothing but use could preserve the rest of the inmates, who soon grew deaf to the noise of the falling waters, the clamours of watermen, or the frequent shrieks of drowning wretches. It had a tower and drawbridge; the top of which, in the sad and turbulent days of this kingdom, used to be the shambles of human flesh, and covered with heads or quarters of unfortunate partizans, even so late as 1598. Hentzner, the German traveller, counted on it above thirty heads." But this was not the only part of the bridge allotted to these dreadful exhibitions: a print of London, supposed, by the best judges, to be unique, was lately purchased at Dodd's auction-room, for fourteen guineas: it is on four sheets, and more than six feet long. It takes in Whitehall and the Tower:-the line of sight in this view runs exactly through the west end of St. Mary Overy's church, to the opposite shore, and is taken from some very high building in Southwark, near the banks of the river :Winchester House, St. Mary Overy's Church, the Globe Theatre, and the Bear Garden, on Bankside, form part of the foreground. The names of the several objects are written near them. There is a three-masted vessel lying off Bankside, called "the galley fuske." The houses on both sides the bridge form one mass, with a narrow archway through them, except at the openings of the drawbridge, &c. On the bridge-gate there are eighteen heads on poles, and some figures are peeping through chinks in the wall at the Globe Theatre, but no one near the bridge-gate appears to be affected at the inhuman spectacle before them-they are selling apples, at stalls, in the middle of the road, with the utmost unconcern. In the distance, is seen, Hampstead Hill, &c. The few craft and shipping in the river form a strong contrast with the numbers we now see. The drawing seems very correct, except the arches of the bridge, which are round instead of being pointed. The building leases being expired, "The city, ever mindful of the safety of their fellow subjects, and prompted by the many misfortunes occasioned by the numerous carriages, which are continually passing and repassing this great thoroughfare, where it had been forgot to make provision for a footway *,” projected another plan for loading this ill-fated bridge with houses once more, and a colonnade for foot passengers. Another fire happening in 1728, destroyed the old city gate, which was only eleven feet wide in the opening: when rebuilt it was widened to eighteen feet, and a postern opened for foot passengers. It remained in this improved stute about twenty-five years longer, when the eyes of the people were at length opened, and the committee appointed by the corporation to consider of the best means of building a bridge at Blackfriars, were instructed to inquire into the state of London bridge. They met March 21, 1754, and directed Mr. Dance to make a survey thereof. The substance of his report was, " that the bridge was built on piles, driven close together nearly in a mass, that they were perfect except about an inch of the outside; they were cut off above the common state of low-water mark, and planks laid on them, and others on these transversely; then began the stone piers. The external stone-work was of Kentish ashler, very sound. The external parts of the piers were composed of rubble, cemented so firmly that it resisted crows and pickaxes. The piers were solid, ten feet above the sterlings, where the cellars of the houses began; that the foundations were good, and, with the usual repairs, likely to stand for ages." Upon this it was resolved, "that the committee are. humbly of opinion, that the houses on London bridge are a public nuisance, long felt and complained of;" and "that they should be taken down." Estimates were then called for, and produced, but the committee being alarmed at their amount, were disposed to suffer a part of them to remain. However, this was given up, and a determination made to take down the whole, to make a suitable approach * Maitland. at each end; and, for the better convenience of navigation, to throw two arches into one. Application being made to parliament, an act was passed, 1756, to empower the corporation to purchase, and remove, the buildings on, and contiguous to, the bridge; and to improve the avenues leading thereto; to widen or enlarge one or more arches, &c. It also directed that there should be a ballustrade on each side; a passage of thirtyone feet open for carriages, and seven feet on each side for foot passengers, and to be watched and lighted out of the bridge-house estate. The tythes, poor rates, and land tax, of the houses pulled down, were to be charged upon the bridge-house lands. Many difficulties attended the execution of this act; and tolls were to be taken of vessels passing under the bridge; the trouble of collecting which, together with the obstruction of carriages, &c. produced several applications to parliament, who granted £.30,000 to the city, for the purchase of the lease and reversion in fee of the bridge tolls, according to an estimate of their value previously given in evidence before a committee: but, in the mean time, they had suddenly increased to more than double their former produce, and the lessee demanded upwards of £.20,000 for his interest, which had been valued at less than £6000. The corporation therefore proposed to parliament, a continuation of the tolls for three years longer than was intended by the act, when the interest of the sums in hand left £.26,863 for the purchase of the reversion in fee, and they were finally taken off in 1782. The rents of the houses pulled down on the bridge amounted, in the whole, to £.828. 6s. which, with the taxes entailed on the bridgehouse estates, made their loss upwards of £1000 per annum. To keep open the communication between Southwark and London during the repairs, the committee ordered a temporary wooden bridge to be erected on the sterlings of the west sides of the stone bridge; which was completed in |