the metropolis; and he is reported to be, unostentatiously, a very benevolent and charitable man; holding, that religion consists rather in deeds than professions. The Free Thinking Christians publish a monthly Magazine, in which their sentiments are, from time to time, explained and defeuded; but whether successfully or not it does not belong to us to say.*

Jewin Street is now undergoing several improvements: some old houses have been pulled down; and the Crescent is extending into the front of the street near Aldersgate Street.

What is now called WELL STREET, running southward from Jewin Street, has been described as a pond of water at the west end of St. Giles's Church-yard, fed by a considerable spring; but the pond being filled up, the spring was arched over in the reign of Henry II. about the year 1440, at the expence of Sir Richard Whittington, and preserved by the name of Crowder's Well; to which spring, till within a few years past, people descended into a small area, by numerous steps: this, however, being found liable to abuse, has been filled up, and a good pump erected on the spot level with the street. Sir Richard Whittington also caused a boss of water to be made in the wall of the church-yard, similar to that of Billingsgate: but this, according to Stow, was " turned into an evil pump, and so is entirely decayed."

FALCON SQUARE, immediately adjoining, is an irregular double range of well built houses, raised upon the site of several filthy courts and alleys, and now forms a convenient passage for carriages and foot passengers to Goldsmith's Hall, Wood Street, and other parts of the City about Guildhall.

The CHURCH OF ST. BOTOLPH, nearly opposite Falcon Square, received its name from its being dedicated to St. Botolph, a Saxon monk, and its vicinity to the gate. It was anciently a rectory, the patronage in the Dean and Canons of St. Martin's le Grand;

If, in drawing up this very brief account, the editor has fallen into any errors or mistakes, it must be imputed to his ignorance; as he wrote a respectful Letter, to one of the leading members for information; but to which he has not received any answer.

Grand; but it continued unappropriated till 1399, when Richard II. gave licence to Thomas Stanley, Dean of St. Martin's le Grand, to appropriate the income. It escaped the fire of London in 1666; but became so ruinous that it has since been rebuilt. It is a plain brick edifice, with a wooden tower, crowned with an open turret. There is one large arched window at the east end; in fact, all the windows to the street, this excepted, are blocked up: but the internal decorations are very elegant. The cieling is divided into pannels, the centres being grouped with acanthus leaves and husks, in a very tasteful manner, and as well as the scrolls in the angles, are admirably executed. The altar-piece is a perfect semi-circle, with a double basement, and a festoon of flowers inclosing a window of stained glass, representing Christ's Agony in the Garden, executed by Mr. James Pierson. On the south side is a niche of Grecian architecture, inclosing another window of painted glass, representing St. Peter. The third niche contains a beautiful painting of St. John the Evangelist. The communion-table is elevated on three steps, and formed of inlaid mahogany; it supports two rich candlesticks, and is surrounded by a handsome brass railing. The pulpit has the appearance of a circular pedestal, seemingly standing against the stem of a palm-tree, the branches supporting the sounding-board. There is a fine organ at the west end of the church highly embellished: the font is very plain. Perforated brasses admit heated air from under the pavement, of Portland stone. The monuments here are neither numerous, nor remarkable.

Aldersgate, before described, received no small honour from its being the residence of Mr. John Day, an eminent printer in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. Granger says, "he printed the folio Bible dedicated to Edward VI. 1549. He also printed Latimer's Sermons; several editions of the Book of Martyrs ; Tindal's works, in one volume folio, 1572; some of Roger Ascham's pieces, and many things of less note." It is intimated in Day's Epitaph's, at Little Bradley, in Suffolk, where he was buried, that Fox undertook that laborious work of "Acts and Monuments,"

2

Monuments," at his instance. It is well for Mr. Day's credit that he suggested other works besides this. Fox's "Acts and Monuments" has done more towards keeping alive the spirit of intolerance than all other books.

LITTLE BRITAIN, or Bretagne Street, was so called on account of its being the ancient residence of the Earls and Dukes of Bretagne; those who were English subjects were Alan the Red, Earl of Bretagne, who married Constance, daughter of William the Conqueror: his son, Alan the Black, and Stephen, his brother. Alan Conan le Petch, Geoffrey Plantagenet, fourth son of Henry II. who married Constance, daughter of Duke Conan their son was the unfortunate Arthur, Duke of Bretagne, presumptive heir to the crown of England, but prevented by murder through the intrigues of his uncle, King John. The Dukes of Bretagne afterwards removed within the city wall, and ultimately to the Savoy Palace. Their mansion is said to have stood near St. Botolph's Church. The Earls of Peterborough had a house where the south part of Bartholomew Hospital now stands; and the whole of the eastern side of Little Britain was occupied by a stately mansion belonging to the Lords Montague, the name of which is still preserved in Montague Court. Till the beginning of the eighteenth century, this street, as also Duck Lane, Smithfield, now called Duke Street, once contained a number of bookseller's shops. In 1664, there were no less than four hundred and sixty pamphlets published in Little Britain. According to the eccentric John Dunton, one of the most distinguished of the trade was Mr. Richard Cheswell, then "the most eminent of his profession in the three kingdoms, who well deserves the title of Metropolitan Bookseller of England. He had not been known to print either a bad book, or on bad paper. He is admirably well qualified for his business and knows how to value a copy according to its worth, witness the purchase he made of Archbishop Tillotson's octavo Sermons." Richard Cheswell, Citizen and Stationer, was interred in the church of St. Giles, Cripplegate, in 1711.

Roger

Roger North, in the Life of Dr. John North, speaking of book» sellers in the reign of Charles II. says, "Little Britain was a plentiful and perpetual emporium of learned authors, and men went thither as to a market. This drew a mighty trade, the rather because the shops were spacious, and the learned gladly resorted to them, where they seldom failed to meet with agreeable conversation; and the booksellers themselves were knowing and conversible men, with whom, for the sake of bookish knowledge, the greatest wits were pleased to converse."

Most of John Dunton's publications bear date prior to 1724; and we further learn that in Addison's time, Duck Lane, or rather the booksellers there, were places of meeting for the Earl of Oxford, Thomas Britton, the musical small coal man, and other literary characters. In 1724, Macky, in his Journey Through England, says, "The Booksellers of ancient books in all languages are in Little Britain and Paternoster Row: those for divinity and classics on the north side of St. Paul's Cathedral; law, history, and plays, about Temple Bar; and the French booksellers in the Strand." It seems then that the bookselling business has been gradually resuming its original station near the Cathedral, ever since the beginning of George I.; while the vicinity of Duke Street and Little Britain has been proportionably falling into disuse. The late venerable Mr. Ballard was the oldest and longest survivor of the booksellers in that quarter.John Dunton, the bookseller's historian, speaking of old Mr. Ballard, says, "he was a young man rising in business in 1729.” Mr. Ballard died about 1795, in the same house in which he began trade, being upwards of 100 years of age. Some time before his death he used to be moved about in a chair.

A few doors above Little Britain on the side now occupied by Trinity Court, stood an Hospital or Cell, to the priory of Clugny in France, belonging to the brotherhood of the Holy Trinity, founded in 1872. This, in the reign of Henry VI. was changed into a brotherhood of Priests by Joan Astley, nurse to Henry. This coutinued till the dissolution of religious houses