their labour, and the passage to and fro is so aptly ordered," and the room so large for their attendance." A curious retrospect of the state of this street comparatively with the present.

The fine street called the Minories, covers part of the ditch which surrounded the antient city wall. This ditch was open to the foot path, and being often cleansed from filth, its breadth and depth were so great, that persons who were in the habit of watering horses, were often deceived by the supposed shallowness of its banks, and drowned before any relief could be brought to their assistance. The consequence of these disasters occasioned it to be partitioned off, and the banks were let out for garden plots, carpenter's yards, bowling allies, and houses so as to obscure the city wall; and the channel was reduced in its width. Being afterwards filled up, the ditch was covered by the western side of the Minories; the back of which being filled by dunghills, outhouses, and gardens, were esteemed a nuisance. Commerce in these places, as well as many others, has occasioned considerable improvements; for, on this dangerous and filthy site, are now constructed the convenient and elegant districts of Aldgate parish, denomiated George Street, America Square, the Circus, and the Crescent.

The approximity of the convent of St. Clare, so named from certain poor ladies of the order of St. Clare, or Minoresses, occasioned the eastern side of the ditch to be inhabited from an early period.

This religious sisterhood was founded by Blanch, queen of Navarre, consort of Edmund, duke of Lancaster, in the year 1293; and from this circumstance, when the neighbourhood was formed into a street, it was called The Minories.

Father Ribadeniera, an author in great repute among those of the Roman Catholic persuasion, informs us, that "this admirable virgin, light and mother of the poor religious of St. Francis," was born at Alsise, in the province of Umbria, in the Italian states, of rich and noble parents. A a 2 Being

Being inclined to a solitary life; or, as the father has it, having offered to God her virginity, she made great resistance to her parents, who would have her marry." St. Francis, having conversed with the damsel, so operated upon her mind, that she was soon induced to run away from her parents, who, by the bye, were also of the same persuasion; and St. Francis, illumined with light from heaven, ordained, that having secretly quitted her father's house, he would admit her into his convent, and give her the habit; aud here she enclosed herself " for the love of her heavenly spouse." Not satisfied with running away herself, she misled her sister Agnes to do the same; "she prayed," says the father, "for that purpose, and in seventeen days after her conversion, her request was granted* ;" and thus a worthy family was deprived. We cannot enter into the many mortifications which this holy recluse endured; but we must say something concerning her miracles." One. day it happened, that there was but one loaf of bread inthe monastery; she commanded half of it to be given in alms to the friars, and the other half to be set upon the table before fifty nuns, under her subjection; St. Clare made her prayers to Almighty God, and he so multiplied the bread,. that they all eat of it, and were satisfied; and one night as she was in prayer, and melted into tears, the devil appeared to her in the shape of a blackamoor, and told her she did not well to weep so much, and she would do better service by governing her monastery, than in shedding so many tears: she gave him a suitable answer, and he fled from her. Pope Innocent IV. was so struck with such an abundance of mortification, miracles, and sanctity, that he wished to canonize St. Clare before she was buried; but upon the re-. monstrance of the cardinal bishop of Ostia, the canonization did not take place till the pontificate of Alexander IV. in 1255, two years after her decease.

The length of this abbey was fifteen perches and seven feet near unto the king's highway, as appears by a deed dated 1303. In the fourteenth of Edward II. it was called

Hence we suppose is derived St. Agnes et Clare, not le Clare.

"the

"the abbey of the Minoresses of St. Mary, of the order of St. Clare ;" and in a charter granted at that time, there were confirmed to it certain messuages in the Vintry, Wood Street, Lad Lane, Old Fish Street, and two shops in Lombard Street, Christ Church (Cree Church) Lane, and Sherburgh Lane. These sisters had afterwards many other grants, more particularly Appledurcobme, in the Isle of Wight; and Herteshorne, in the parish of St. Mary Matfellon, Whitechapel. The yearly revenue at the Dissolution was 4181. 8s. 5d.

Being a spacious structure, it was inhabited by various nobles, and other great men, by privilege from the king. The first possessor was Dr, Clerk, bishop of Bath and Wells, and master of the rolls; who having been sent ambassador to the Duke of Cleves, to apologize for Henry's treatment of his sister, the bishop is supposed to have been poisoned in consequence of his mission; and was buried in the Minorite's church, but afterwards removed to Aldgate. In the year 1552, Edward VI. granted the chief messuage or mansion, called the Minory House, to Henry Grey, Duke of Suffolk, father of lady Jane Grey; besides divers houses in London, belonging to the monastery, of the clear yearly value of 36l. 11s. 5d. to hold in free soccage; and the mansion in capite. On his attainder it reverted to the crown, in which it continued till the Restoration, when Charles II. granted it to colonel William Legge, who resided there, died in it in 1672, and was buried from thence," with great funeral pomp, in the adjoining church; his descendants of the Dartmouth family still continue to make that church the place of their interment *. It was afterwards appropriated for military stores, and an armoury; and ultimately separated into lesser tenements.

Pennant.

TRINITY

AFTER the suppression of the nunnery, and the destruction of its buildings, it was rendered necessary to establish a place of worship for the use of the inhabitants in the precinct. A parish church was therefore constructed and dedicated to the Holy Trinity; and the incumbent, .or curate, for it is neither a rectory or vicarage institutive, holds the living by donation, under the great seal of England. Being old, and out of repair, the structure was taken down in 1706, and the present church erected at the expence of seven hundred pounds.

The dimensions of the building are, sixty-three feet in length, twenty-four in breadth, and about twenty in height. The tower is low, and the whole building is of brick, and void of ornament. It is however worthy of notice for the following monuments:

"In memory of colonel William Legge, eldest son of six to Edward Legge and Mary Walsh, which Edward was only son to William Legge and Ann Bermingham, of the only noble and ancient family of the Berminghams of Athenree, in the kingdom of Ireland. He was groom of the bed-chamber, and lieutenant-ge

neral

neral of the ordnance to king Charles I. and in the late civil war, was governour of Chester and Oxford, and upon the happy restauration of the royal family in 1660, was, in consideration of his untainted fidelity to the king, and his many and great sufferings, restored to his place of lieutenant-general of the ordnance, and groom of his majesty's bed chamber by king Charles II. and as a farther mark of his royal favour, superintendant and treasurer of the ordnance. He married Elizabeth, eldest daughter to Sir William Washington, and Ann Villars, daughter to Sir George Vil lars, and sister to the most noble prince George, duke of Buckingham, by whom he had three sons and two daughters. He died October 13, 1672, in the eighty-third year of his age, and lieth in a vault under this place."

A little westward, on the north side of the chancel, is a handsome white and veined marble monument, adorned with a cornice, cartouch pediment, and an urn, under which is the following inscription:

To the memory of the right honourable George Lord Dartmouth, distinguished by his early and eminent deserts, and many high marks of royal trust and favour; he was governour of Portsmouth, master of the ordnance, privy counsellour and cabinet to king Charles and king James II. and master of the horse to king James. After many singular proofs of his courage, conduct and affection to his country, given in several engagements at sea, he commanded in chief, and carried the flag as admiral of the whole English fleet, in two solemn expeditions.

"He died October 25, 1691. in the forty-fourth year of his age, and lies interred near this place.

"He married Barbara, daughter and coheir of Sir James Arch bold, in Staffordshire, by whom he had issue one son, and seven daughters, two of which lie in the same vault, as do also his lordship's father and mother (aforesaid) and Philip, eldest son of Sir Christopher Musgrave, of Ednal in Cumberland, who married Mary the eldest daughter, and deceased August 6, 1688."

At the back of this church, in Haydon Square, are large warehouses belonging to the East India Company, one range being appropriated for the housing of tea and drugs; the other for the reception of drugs only.

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