sively dear. About 14,500 boats of cod, and other sea fish, are brought annually to our market, exclusive of mackarel, which are generally plentiful and cheap. Fresh-water fish are not brought in great quantities; though eels are sold pretty generally throughout London. Many persons, however, object to buying these fish, on account of the barbarity with which the poor animals are doomed to suffer, writhing in dry sand, and skinned alive out of the baskets of their merciless female venders. Surely nature never designed that man should subsist, either wholly, or in part, at so great an expence of humanity! Most assuredly, the God of Nature has not furnished his creatures with any law to sanction these and similar barbarities, in the gratification of their luxuries.*

The salmon, brought from Berwick, and others of our northern fisheries, are brought to Billingsgate, packed in ice, secured in boxes.†

A little higher up, on the same side of the street, stands (or rather recently stood,) THE CUSTOM HOUSE. It was erected in the year 1718, upon the ruins of the first building of this kind in London, built in the year 1559. It was a long regular building; but as it has now ceased to exist, any particular description may the better be dispensed with.

The New Custom House is fast approaching to its completion. It is built of brick, except the side facing the Thames, which is stone: David Laing, Esq. architect: it stands at the western end of the old ruins. It will be, when completed, a very large

and

Billingsgute rhetoric, is become a proverbial term for all low and insulting language. It owes its origin to "the Ladies of the British Fishery," as Addison humourously denominates the fish women of this market, who still maintain their ancient right of liberty of speech on all becoming occasions.

† See more particulars of this branch of commerce in the two preceding volumes -I. p. 615; and II. 365, et seq.

The reader will find an account of the dreadful fire which consumed this building in the early part of the last year, (1814,) in pp. 84 and 85, of the present volume,

2

and substantial building. An abstract from the Custom House books, in the year 1795, which is given in the first volume, pp. 673, 674, will convey an idea of the extent of foreign trade to the port of London. Since that period, notwithstanding, a long, expensive, and painful war, the trade has increased beyond all conception.

Nearly opposite the New Custom House stands The Coal Exchange, or Market, a good, and very neat building, for the use of Coal Merchants. It consists of a very handsome front leading to a large quadrangular room; the coved roof, from which the light enters, supported by twelve Ionic columns. The lobby, or hall of entrance, is carved with the City arms. The clerks, &c. have convenient rooms on the west side of the building, which was purchased by the Corporation of the City of London, and the market finally established by act of parliameut, in the year 1805. It forms No. 91, in Lower Thames Street. The front entrance is supported by four handsome Ionic columns, and is ascended from the street by three or four stone steps.

The parish church of ST. MARY-AT-HILL, so named on account of its situation, still retains somewhat of its ancient exterior appearance, as the walls withstood the fury of the Great Fire; but being almost completely enclosed by houses, it is diffi cult to describe it. Within these few years it has been completely repaired and beautified, and has at present a rich, though somewhat clumsy appearance. Towards the Hill, the front is very handsome. It is of stone, as are all the other walls, except the west, which is brick, corresponding to the new brick tower, which is square and plain.

The interior is square. Four pillars, of an irregular order, support a cupola in the centre, lighted by a circle of windows: the rest of the ceiling is destitute of ornament. Indeed, almost the whole church is of this plain and unadorned character. The altar-picce, however, is abundantly rich. It is of the Composite order, and consists of four isolated pillars, with entablatures, urns, and seven candlesticks on them, and a beautiful attic, with a circular

8

a circular pediment. Two pilasters form the intercolumniation, in which are the usual tables. This altar-piece is of Norway oak, and is altogether very handsome.

Here are no monuments of consequence; but a superabundance of chanteries, gifts, &c. &c. load the records of this church. They may be seen at length in Malcolm.*

To the parish of St. Mary-at-Hill is united that of St. Andrew Hubbard, the church of which was destroyed by the fire, and the site now covered by The Weigh-House, in Love Lane, Little East Cheap.

THE TOWER† stands on the celebrated eminence called Tower Hill.

This ancient fortress is one of the principal edifices in the kingdom. It is a place of great strength, but of no adequate security in case of attack. It is bounded on the south by the Thames, from which it is separated by a platform and part of the moat, or Tower Ditch. The platform and parapet were erected in 1761, when sixty cannon, mounted on iron carriages, were placed there, merely for firing on rejoicing days, as there is no kind of covering for artillery-men who work them.

The Tower itself is of very ancient date; some writers even date its foundation so far back as the time of Julius Cæsar. It is certain that it existed in the time of William the Conqueror who enlarged it, and added the buildings called The White Tower. It covers twelve superficial acres; and its rampart is surrounded by a deep and wide ditch, proceeding north on each side of the fortress, nearly in a parallel line, and meets in a semicircle. The slope is faced with brick-work. The wall has been so often mended with the same material, that the original stone is now almost lost in these repeated patchings. The turrets, however,

still

See also "Illustrations of the Manners and Expences of Antient Times," published by Nichols in 1797, where there are many curious particulars relating to his church.

+ See Part I. passim, for numerous historical particulars of this celebrated fortress. See also Part II. pp. 21, 22, 23.