Street history, and these will find their proper place in subsequent chapters of this work. But it may not be out of place here to state that the improvements effected since " George the Third was King" have been not only of great service, but a great ornament to the great highway. The Great Fire had commenced, and the removal of the " shops or sheds" under St. Dunstan's Church in 1760 had assisted the work; the removal of the ancient buildings by Chancery Lane in 1799 followed, and from 1832, when some £4,000 was expended in the district near St. Dunstan's, till the present time, the buildings which escaped the conflagration of two centuries ago have given place to many architectural and handsome specimens in house building in this the nineteenth century.

It cannot fail to have been observed by all those whose business has taken them through Fleet Street, that there is an incline from Bridge Street westward. Now this alone is sufficient to prove that the term "Valley of the Fleet" was no misnomer; but, perhaps, it may not be so generally known that the street (according to levels taken in 1843) stands remarkably high. Thus, at its east end it is 15 feet 11 inches above high water mark; at St. Bride's Court 21 feet 2 inches; at Water Lane 30 feet 7 inches; at St. Dunstan's 38 feet 6 inches, when it decreases again to 35 feet 3 inches at Temple Bar. The Strand at St. Clement's is 30 feet 9 inches; at Somerset House 39 feet 3 inches; but at the Charing Cross Railway Terminus it is 28 feet 11 inches, and only 13 feet at the statue of Charles the First at Charing Cross.

I have often thought that if those forlorn-looking statues, which stand unnoticed within their niches on each side of Temple Bar, could give us reminiscences of the events they have been eye witness to, what a thrilling, sensational (or whatever term you please to use) and interesting history it would be! Would any novel, written by the most popular of our "sensation" writers, prove half as attractive as such memorials? Disciples of the past generation of manners and customs would never have believed such a wonderful combination of attractions had been wedded to Temple Bar, while Whigs and Tories of this age would have to acknowledge that the gate they had abused so much had more interest attached to it than the mere fact of its being an eyesore to speculative men, a block to omnibus and cab drivers, or, what is more, the trustworthy scntinel which guards with jealous care the liberties of the City of London, and keeps at a respectful distance all contemplated encroachments by certain would be corporation destroyers.

C

CHAPTER II.

THE ANCIENT HISTORY OF TEMPLE BAR,

LONDON historians content themselves by simply remarking that Temple Bar is the place where the City freedom terminates; that anciently only posts, rails, and a chain separated the liberties of London from those of Westminster, such as were more recently to be seen at Holborn, Smithfield, and Whitechapel bars; and, finally, "that afterwards a house of timber was erected across the street with a narrow gateway and an entry on the south side of it under the house."*

That there was only a bar or chain across the street at this period is very probable, as also that it took its name from the adjoining property belonging to the Templars; but at present, previous to the sixteenth century, we really have nothing to give us any description of the appearance of Temple Bar. Whatever it was like in the reign of Stephen, it must have fallen a prey to the fire which burnt all the buildings between London Bridge and St. Clement Danes in 1135,† and if in existence in 1265, it must also have been taken away, and carried with the other bars and chains across the City streets to the Tower by the special desire of Henry the Third.‡.

That a bar was erected to separate the London jurisdiction from that of Westminster previous to the year 1222 may be relied upon, especially as the decree which was passed in that year, and related in the first chapter of this work, was made to terminate a dispute between the Abbey of Westminster and the See of London, and naturally enough the Corporation would take equal interest in such a boundary.

The first mention of Temple Bar is quoted by the late Mr. Herbert, § being a grant dated the 29th of Edward the First, A.D. 1301, to Walter le Barbour, of “a void place in the high street in the parish of St. Clement Danes, extra Barram Novi Templi," a spot considered to be the neighbourhood of Holywell Street. We have already shown that the Bar is mentioned in the petitions to Parliament in the year 1315, at which date it is also mentioned in Letter Book E, preserved at Guildhall. During the rebellion of Wat Tyler in 1381, when we have evidence of two forges falling a prey to their evil work at St. Dunstan's, the rebels on their way to the Strand to burn the Savoy would not be very particular about Temple Bar, for to them it decidedly would have acted as a bar to progress. Hence it was most

§ "London before the Great Fire," vol. iii., p. 23. Two volumes of this work were issued in quarto size. The third volume was never completed, and so much as was written, but not published, is in the Guildhall Library. "Liber Albus," p. 261.

likely destroyed. And this is likewise stated by John Norden in the original manuscript of his account of Middlesex in the British Museum, and first printed in 1593.*

As we have already stated, there is no mention made of Temple Bar as a Gate before the sixteenth century, although searches have before now been made through the most complete collection of records belonging to any city in the world-records extending back over six centuries, and which, thanks to the citizens of 1869, are about to have a fitting library and strong-room erected, not only for their safe keeping, but also for the valuable collection of printed books on the City and general history, now numbering some 30,000 volumes. It is through the great kindness and courtesy of the present Town Clerk of the City, F. Woodthorpe, Esq., that I am enabled to give some extracts from these ancient records relating to the Bar. The First entry to be found is dated 1502, and relates to the custody of Temple Bar at the period of some excitement not stated :—

By this entry it would appear pretty conclusive that a building of some sort then existed beyond an ordinary bar across the street. At all events, there is some interest attached to it, because Robert Fabian, who was alderman of our ward of Farringdon, but better known as the author of the "Chronicle," which bears his name, probably here performed his last civic work of any consequence as an alderman, for in that same year he resigned his gown on the plea of poverty. He had served office as sheriff 1493; John Brook in 1489; and John Warner in 1494.

It is thirty years later, in 1533, that we have the first notice of Temple Bar as a building—when "sweet Anne Bullen" passed from the Tower to her coronation at Westminster, on the 31st May; when the Fleet Street Conduit, surmounted by angels, and with music that made "a heavenly noyse," poured claret and red wine; and Temple Bar was "newly paynted and repayred, where stood also divers singing men and children."|| When the youthful Edward "of fair memory the Sixth passed to his coronation February 19th, 1547, the Bar was "painted and fashioned with battlements and buttresses of various colours, richly hung with cloth of arras, and garnished with fourteen standards of flags; there were also eight French trumpeters blowing their trumpets, after the fashion of their country, and a pair of regals with children singing to the same." It is at this date that we have the earliest picture of the Bar, and by no means a light structure was it. The ancient painting of this coronation procession formerly existed in one of the apartments of

"This gatte was throwne downe by the Kentish rebels in the time of Ric. 2."-Specvlum Britanniæ (Harl. MS., 570, fo. 41 B).

+ I cannot refrain from mentioning three citizens' names who have been engaged in this necessary and seasonable work: Mr. B. B. Orridge and Dr. W. S. Saunders, the past and present chairman of the Guildhall Library Committee, and Mr. W. H. Overall, the Corporation librarian. It was a bright event in the City annals when, on July 22, 1869, Dr. Saunder's proposal to erect a library worthy of the City was unanimously adopted by the Common Council.

the great dining-room at Cowdray, in Sussex, which was unfortunately totally destroyed by fire in 1793. The paintings were first thought to be by Holbein, but more rightly presumed to be by Theodore Bernardi, who painted the south transept of Chichester Cathedral, and resided near by. These paintings represented the procession at different points-Ludgate, Temple Bar, and Charing Cross-and engravings exist luckily of them. It is somewhat remarkable that the young Lord Montague, for whose return home the house was being restored, lost his life at the Swiss Falls a month after the fire, and before the news reached him of the disaster.* When the half-sister of the youthful King journeyed westward to her coronation, September 27th 1553, the Bar was again "newly painted and hanged;" but at the time of her marriage with Philip of Spain, shortly after, we find it undergoing another process. The Guildhall records supply us with an interesting entry, clearly showing that the old gates must have become "time honoured," to require to be renewed; or perhaps more likely in the ill advised rebellion of Sir Thomas Wyat, a short time previous, when Sir Maurice Berkeley had the honor of taking him prisoner, "by the Tempull Barre," the fabric had suffered in the cause, and who can tell, perhaps the district?

"1st Mary. 9th June [1554].

"Item yt was agryed that Mr. Chamblyn shortelye, after that the Prynce of Spayne, shall "have passyde threwghe the Citie, shall cause a good and substancyal new payre of gates, to be "made and hanged up at Temple Barre."†

The progress of Phillip is fully detailed in a curious "Copie of a Letter," in black letter, quoted in a subsequent chapter. The procession passed through Fleet Street on the 18th of August; at the Conduit therein was the Fifth Pageant of the day's triumph, while at Temple Bar "they stayed a little in viewinge a certayn oracion in Latin, which was in a long table, wrytten with Romayne letters above the porte thereof, as they passed and departed forth of ye citie."

It is not long after before we meet with another entry in the records, showing that the corporation had not delayed the erection of the new gates :

"1 & 2. Phil. & Mary. 23 Oct. [1554].

"Item yt was agreid that Mr. Chamb'leyne shall com'ytt the custodye of the key of the new gates, now sett up at Temple Barre, to the cyties ten'nte, dwellinge nyer unto the saide gates, "takinge nev the lesse especial order wth hyme, for the shutinge and openynge of the same gats "at convenyente houres."

Here then we find a special keeper appointed; though some recent writers adopt the plural of "tenants," when quoting to whom anciently the key was given.

Four years afterwards, another Queen passed to her coronation. This time, it was "Good Queen Bess," who seems to have been so great a favorite with the citizens of Farringdon Ward, that they not only erected a statue to her honor at Ludgate—a statue still standing in a niche, over the east entrance of St. Dunstan's Church,--but actually obtained from her a grant of a Free Grammar School (since unfortunately lost to the parish); they had her portrait in painted glass set up in the

*See "Archælogia,” vol. viii., p. 406. Dallaway's "Sussex,” vol. i., p. 243-28 "Repertory" 13, part 1, fo. 170.

"Letter Book," R. fo 311.

church window, while as late as 1672 we find "Given by Mr. John Saunders,* one of the Common Councillmen of this parish, the picture of Queen Elizabeth, in a faire guilt frame, at the time of the setting of this inquest, being the 13th day of January, 1672." It was on the 14th of January, 1558, this good lady passed through Fleet Street; the last pageant was as usual at the Conduit, while Temple Bar " was dressed finely with the two ymages of Got Magot and Albione, and Corineus the Briton, two gyats, bigge in stature, furnished accordingly, which held in their hades eve above ye gate, a table wherein was written in Latin verses, the effect of the pageantes, which the citie before had erected, which verses were also written in English meter, in a lesse table. On the south side were appointed by the citie, a noyse of singing children, and one child richly attyred as a poet, which gave the Queene's Majestie her farewell, in ye name of the hole citie."

Soon after this, the plan of the City of London attributed to Ralph Aggas, and bearing date 1560, made its appearance; and this plan, which has caused in its time much discussion, was by Vertue" re-engraved to oblige the curious," and has so often been copied, that every citizen must be now pretty well acquainted with it. Only a few years since it was re-engraved on a reduced scale by Mr. Weller, and issued in two sheets by the proprietors of the Fleet Street newspaper, the "Weekly Dispatch." The chief feature in this curious plan is that it gives us a most minute view of Old London 300 years ago. The Strand, with the mansions of the nobility, with the gardens sloping to the river, the Convent Garden, St. Giles's Fields, Drury Lane, then a bye road leading from St. Clement's to "Broad St. Giles," Chancery Lane, with but few buildings, and those chiefly at its southern end; Fetter Lane and Shoe Lane, which appear to have a continuous row, with gardens in the rear ; the Fleet Conduit in the centre of the street, and the Fleet itself crossed by Bridewell, Fleet and Holborn Bridges, the Bridewell Hospital with buildings reaching to the Thames, and thence as we glance along the river bank westward, there is the river wall, with stairs or landing places from the river at Whitefriars, the Temple and Paget Place (Essex House) with buildings freely clustered, except the portion between the east side of the south end of Water Lane and the Bridewell Hospital, being the gardens of the Dorset House. Last, but not least, we have Temple Gate, the arched house with which Wolsey's name is so curiously connected. Old St. Dunstan's Church and the Temple Bar itself, a covered building adjoining to which is the Shire Lane, not yet the "Rogue's Lane," mentioned in the manuscript of the reign of James the First already quoted-for it seems but a pathway across the fields to Holborn.

Now, talking of fields and rogues, brings to mind that a few years after, the Wardmote Inquest of St. Dunstan specially noticed the frequency of visits paid to the neighbours by such gentry-and at the same time proves how necessary it was thought to close up all avenues opening a way from the City into the fields.

"1576.

"Item we pr'sent Crowne Cot. in Chancery Lane for wante of a gate by means whereof roges "and idle persones have recourse out of the ffeilde in the night season through the saide court in "the high streete."

* He was a benefactor to the parish; also gave "the Kinges arms fairely painted in a black frame," 1671. +"Wardmote Enquest Book."