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o'clock, the First Stone was gradually lowered into its bed by a brazen block of four sheaves, and the power of a machine called a crab. When it was settled, it was finally secured by several Masons, who cut four sockets close to it on the stone beneath, into which were fitted strong iron clamps, cured with plaster-of-Paris. The Lord Mayor then struck it with a mallet, and ascertained its accuracy by applying the level to its East, North, West, and South surfaces. The work being thus perfected, the City Sword and Mace were disposed in Saltire upon the stone; successive shouts burst from the numerous spectators; the bands again played the National Anthem of England; and a flag being lowered as a signal on the top of the Dam, the guns of the Artillery Company, and the carronades on Calvert's Brewery Wharf, fired a concluding salute. The declining Sun, also, contributed to shed a golden glory upon the closing ceremony; for, as the day advanced, its radiance streamed through an opening in the tent-covering above, and, gradually approaching the Stone, shone upon it with a dazzling brilliancy, at the very moment of its being deposited. The whole ceremonial terminated with a universal repetition of God save the King,' and three series of huzzas, for the Duke of York, Old England, and Mr. Rennie; after which, when the Procession had left the Dam, amidst similar acclamations to those which first greeted it, many of the visitors went down to the floor, to view the Stone more closely, and to boast to posterity that they had stood upon it, or walked over it.

6

"To conclude the festivities of the day with appropriate Civic hospitality, the Lord Mayor, at his own private expense, gave a most sumptuous banquet to the Corporation, and his noble visitors, at the Mansion House. The dinner and wines included Turtle, Venison, Champagne, Claret, and every other luxury; to which the following card of Invitation thus commemorated the event:

6 THE LORD MAYOR REQUESTS THE HONOUR OF

COMPANY TO DINNER AT THE MANSION HOUSE, ON WEDNESDAY, 15TH JUNE, AT SIX O'CLOCK PRECISELY, ON THE OCCASION OF LAYING THE FIRST STONE OF THE NEW LONDON BRIDGE.

The favour of an answer is particularly requested by the 6th of June. Mansion House, May 25th 1825.'

"A Royal dinner at Carlton Palace, on the same day, deprived him of the presence of the Duke of York, who quitted the Bridge, through Southwark, 'immediately after the ceremony. His Lordship's guests, however, amounted to a greater number than had ever before dined within the Mansion House, since, in addition to upwards of 360 in the Egyptian Hall, nearly 200 of the Artillery Company dined in the Saloon; the whole edifice being brilliantly illuminated with gas, both within and without, and the entertainment superintended by a Committee of his Lordship's private friends.

"To mark the deep public sense of the Lord Mayor's munificent conduct upon this memorable occasion, at a Court of Common Council held on the following day, Thursday, June 16th, Adam Oldham, Esq., Deputy of the Ward of Farringdon Within, called the attention of the Court to the very splendid manner in which his Lordship had conducted himself towards the Members of the Corporation, at the recent ceremony of Laying the First Stone of the New London Bridge; and suggested that the Court should make some early and suitable acknowledgment of his Lordship's distinguished liberality. In consequence of which, at a subsequent Court held on July 28th, a motion was made by R. L. Jones, Esq., That a Gold Medal be prepared, with a suitable Inscription, commemorative of the circumstance of Laying the First Stone of a New London Bridge, and presented to the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor in the name of this Court:' which was unanimously agreed to, and its provision referred to the said Committee.

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"This Medal, however, has not yet been presented; and of two others which were prepared, as memorials of this work, one had the die break in the hardening, and the other was struck for private distribution only as their extreme rarity is, therefore, not to be questioned, I shall give a short account of each of them; at the same time, expressing my surprise, that so important an event has not called forth a host of these classical memorials. The first private Medal was executed by Peter Rouw, and William Wyon, Esquires, Modeller, and Die-sinker, to his Majesty; the obverse containing a MEDALLION OF THE LORD MAYOR AND LADY MAYORESS;

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and the reverse being occupied by the following Inscription:

TO COMMEMORATE THE
LAYING OF THE

FIRST STONE OF LONDON BRIDGE

BY

THE RIGHT HON. JOHN GARRATT, LORD MAYOR, ON THE 15TH OF JUNE, 1825, IN THE PRESENCE OF H. R. H. THE DUKE OF YORK, VARIOUS BRANCHES OF THE NOBILITY, AND THE CORPORATION OF THE CITY, AND IN TESTIMONY OF HIS LORDSHIP'S

PUBLIC WORTH AND PRIVATE VIRTUES,

THIS MEDAL WAS DESIGNED

AT THE REQUEST

OF HIS FELLOW CITIZENS,

BY JOSEPH YORK HATTON.'

"The other Medal had about twenty impressions struck in silver, which were distributed to the Engineers, assistants, &c., on the day of the foundation. These were 21 inches in diameter, and nearly of an inch in thickness. The obverse consisted of a fine head of the elder Mr. Rennie, from a former Medal; and the reverse contained a design, by Mr. William Knight, of the New London Bridge Works, consisting of an elevation of the edifice, with representations of the First Stone, Mallet, and Trowel: the Inscription being as follows:

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. JOHN. RENNIE. ESQ.. F.R.S.. ENGINEER.
. JOLIFFE. &. BANKS. CONTRACTORS.'

"Such are the few remaining relics of this Ceremony, which have been provided for posterity; for, with the exception of a slight etching of the Western end of the Coffer-Dam, in a Memorandum Book, and an Indian Ink Drawing, by Dighton, of some of the principal persons standing about the First Stone, there is no other representation to record it. There are, indeed, several prospects of the finished Edifice; though of its exact features, it is probable we can form no very correct idea, until we are a few years older; so then, let us here take our last VIEW OF THE NEW LONDON BRIDGE; for such are all the particulars and memorials which I can give you concerning this interesting Civic cere

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