Being a rectory, it was originally in the gift of the bishops of Winchester, and rebuilt by sir John Poultney, who purchased the advowson, and appropriated it to his college of St. Lawrence. The steeple and choir of Allhallows the Less stood on an arched gateway leading to the mansion of Cold Harbour. After the purchase and appropriation, the living became a donative or curacy, and coming to the crown as an appendage to the monastic foundation of St. Labrence. Pauliney College, queen Elizabeth granted it on a lease for twenty-one years to William Veale, at the end of which James I. sold it to William Blake, &c. and their

heirs in fee soccage for ever. It was destroyed by the great fire in 1000, and the parish united to that of Allhallows the Great. The church of Allhallows the Great is situated between Hayes Wharf lane and Allhallows lane. The appellation of Great was bestowed on it to distinguish it from its neighbouring ruin it was also called R. Da ad fæmum in the Ropery, from its proximity to a Hay Wharf, and it ample busWe

Its situation among Rope-makers, who formerly 11 2T 9 of 900961 bis 9.10

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had their walks here. The church is a rectory, founded by the noble family of the churchbl Despensers, the favourites of Edward 11., and the family presented to the living in 1961. From them it passed with the heiress to the earl of Warwick and Salisbury, and at last to the crown by settlement, from the widow of Richard Nevil, earl of Warwick, upon VII. Henry VIII. in the 37th year of his reign, exchanged this church with the archbishop of Canterbury, who for churchholding doing th the time opp holle novia lide 9 time being has continued patron of the living, and it is numJito noing a word mit bered among the the peculiars of that said itine see. The old church was very handsome, with a large cloister on the south side, surrounding the T churchyard, and was rich and beautiful within: it fell in the gene ral conflagration of 1666. The present edifice, was finished in 1683, from a plan of Sir Christopher Wren's, but was not executed with the same accuracy, with which it was designed. The church 19 is 87 feet long, 60 broad, and 33 feet high to the roof, built of volle of State construction. for stone, and of very solid construction. The walls are plain and mary, the ornaments few and simple, and the windows, though Targe in order to enlighten such a considerable breadth, are not nebo tol tuo talinn og boot di 9FU094 209

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numerous. The tower is plain, square, and divided into five stages, but terminates absolutely square and plain, without spire, turret, or pinnacles. The cornice is supported by scrolls, and over these rises a balustrade of great solidity, suitable to the rest of the building. It is well finished and ornamented within, and is very beautiful, from its extreme simplicity; it has no pillars, and the walls are slightly coved from the cornice; the roof is flat, and there are no galleries except one for the organ.

The altar is elegantly designed in the Corinthian order, and there are two very good stone figures of Moses and Aaron, about four feet high, as ornaments. A caryætide supports a handsome marble table. On the front of the organ gallery is a fine figure in alto relievo of Charity treading on Envy and Avarice, very spiritedly executed. The pulpit, which is placed against the north wall, is ornamented with some excellent carved work, representing little naked boys supporting festoons of fanciful and delicate workmanship.

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The chancel is separated from the body of the church by a fine piece of carved work, consisting of small open twisted columns, with their arches; in the middle of which are two open carved pilasters (on both sides of the door case) with their architrave, frieze, cornice and large open pediment of the composite order; at the upper part of the door case, is carved a large eagle, with outspread wings, and over that the queen's arms, with supporters, &c. and these (on the cornice of this partition) between two smaller pediments. In the middle are two shields, with fine compartments. beautifully carved in wainscot.

This exquisite specimen of wrought work was performed at Hamburgh, and presented to the church as a token of the ancient connexion subsisting between this country and the Hanse towns, of which the Stilyard in this parish was the principal place of commerce. There is still a pew in the church set apart for the agent of the Hanse towns. There are no monuments particularly worthy of observation.

Among the rectors may be noticed the following celebrated persons;-William Litchfield, D.D., who compiled many works,

sacred and moral, particularly «The plaint of God anto sin fæl man;” he wrote no less than 3,083 sermons, and died in 1447. Edward Strong, D.D. chancellor of the university of Cambridge, bishop of Carlisle 1468, and of Chichester 1477. This prelate built Chichester cross. George Day, D.D. provost of Ring's College, Cambridge, and bishop of Chichester 41543. Under Edward VI. he was deprived and imprisoned, but restored by Mary Ist., and died in 1556. Thomas White, D.D. bishop of Peterborough 1685. William Cave, D.D. canon of Windsor, and chaplain to Charles II., and author of The lives of the Apvis tles and Fathers,” and other eminent works. William Vincent, D.D. high master of Westminster school 1788, afterwards; déans of Westminster, and author of "The Voyage of Nearchos to the Eu phrates;" "The Periplus of the Erythrean Sea; audǝserral other learned and critical works.

In Suffolk-lane is Merchant Taylor's School, formerly a large mansion called the Manor of the Rose, (probably by Henry Stufford, duke of Buckingham, the agent and took of Richard 44E, in honour of the York family, which he espoused) This man appears to have been influenced by mercenary views all his undertakings, for his grandfather Humphrey Stafford, duke qf Buckingham, having been slain in the battle of Northamptony and his father, Humphrey, the duke's son, having fallens im the battle of St. Alban's, both fighting for the government of the house of Lancaster, Henry, of whom we are now speaking, having married Catharine Woodville, daughter of earh Rivers, and niece to EdwV. became the chief confidant of Richard duke of Gloucester; was the first to bring him the welcome tidings of the decease of Edw. IV. and to proffer his own services to the aspiring Richard: these were too important, to be rejected. These worthy coadjators in treason and murder, therefore, concerted the destruction of the young princess and to unites this worthy i nobleman'istill more firmly in his interests, Richard, now "protector,” heaped titles and riches so profusely, that the protector boasted of having as many liveries of Stafford's knots, as Richard. Nevile, the grent earl of Warwick, had of ragged staves." alluding to thesensigns which