travelled from his lordship's house in Holborn, near Southampton Buildings, to the Tower; and, as tradition asserts, found its way into his lordship's apartment by means of the chimney. Mr. Pennant saw at Bulstrode, the Duke of Portland's seat in Buckinghamshire, an original picture of this nobleman, in his place of confinement, in a black dress and cloak, with the faithful animal sitting by him. It is probable, that this picture may have given rise to the tradition.

Bishop Wren, uncle of Sir Christopher, was committed prisoner to the Tower, by the parliament, for his loyalty, which was then termed high treason, in company with nine other prelates, on the 31st of December 1641. This bishop continued a prisoner eighteen years, till released and restored to his see, at the Restoration.

Sir Richard Gurney, lord mayor, was committed here July 11, 1642. It would be a principal subject of our work were we to recount the many acts of flagrant injustice and tyranny exhibited here during these melancholy times, the present list closes therefore with a culprit of different complexion: Lord Chancellor Jeffries, the cruel instrument of despotism under James II. expired here a prisoner. Devoid of humanity when in his prosperous days, his spirits failed him in his adversity; he died of a broken heart, aided by intemperance. Pennant mentions a hard-hearted insult offered to this fallen peer, during his confinement. Having received, as he thought, a present of Colchester oysters, he expressed great satisfaction at the thought of having some friend left; but, on taking off the top of the barrel, he was surprized by the appearance of-an halter!The insult was equally vulgar and barbarous.

WARDERS. Henry VIII. on the death of his father, im-. mediately retired to the Tower for some time for the sake of privacy, and to have leisure to form an administration. Here he continued several months, and was attended by his yeomen of the guard. Fifteen of these were left in the Tower, and their name changed to that of Warders. They seem not to have been allowed the same distinctions

of

of dress as those who attend the royal person, till the following reign. When the protector, Duke of Somerset, was confined here for the first time, he observed the diligent attendance of the warders; and promised them, that, when set at liberty, he would procure them the favour "to weare the king's clothe as the yeomen of the guarde did." Somerset obtained his release, and caused the warders of the Tower to be sworn extraordinary of the guarde, and to weare the same livery they do; which had the beginning by

this means

The government of this fortress is by a constable, who is usually a nobleman; and under him by a lieutenant, and subordinate officers. Strype concludes the account of the Tower, with the following summary:

This Tower, says he, is a citadel to defend or command the city: a royal palace for assemblies and treaties; a prison of estate for the most dangerous offenders; and the only place of coinage for all England + at this time; the armoury for warlike provision; the treasury of the ornaments and jewels of the crown; and the general conserver of the most (antient) records of the king's courts of justice at Westminster.

"As a fabric of antiquity, it is impossible to pass by the Tower without taking some notice of it; being visited so much by the good people of England, as a place made venerable by the frequent mention of it in history; and famous for having been the scene of many tragical adventures: but I must caution those of my readers, who are unskilled in architecture, not to believe it a place of strength, beauty, or magnificence; it is large and old indeed, and has a formidable row of cannon before it to fire on rejoicing days."

Having rested a long while in our perambulation, in describing the Tower, the route is pursued to the commence

Pennant.

The copper coinage has however been lately transferred to the manufactory of Messrs. Boulton and Co. in Birmingham, by order of government.

ment

ment of a long and narrow street, denominated for its approximity THAMES STREET.

Here was antiently a large stone building, which was appointed for the residence of the sovereign princes of Wales, when they came to the metropolis, and to the court in the Tower, to do homage.

GALLEY KEY is so called, because the gallies from Italy, and other mercantile states, discharged there the wines, &c. which had been imported; and it is stated in Stow, that they had halls, storehouses, and other accommodations, equally with the Hanseatic merchants at the Steel Yard; or the merchants of Bourdeaux, at the Vintry.

But the first object of peculiar attention is

THE CUSTOM HOUSE,

The busy concourse of all nations who import their commercial tribute to the support of the British realms.

It appears that as early as 1385, in the reign of Richard IIJohn Churchman, one of the sheriffs, considering the many inconveniencies attendant upon the want of a proper place to collect the customs, erected a house in this place for that purpose. But at this period, and for many succeeding years, the irregularity of these collections was a cause of much complaint; therefore, in the year 1559, in consequence of the increase of commercial intercourse, and the frauds detected by government, an act was passed "To compel people to land their goods in such places as were appointed by the commissioners of the revenue." A Custom House was fixed here as a very eligible situation; but being destroyed by the great fire, another fabric was constructed in the reign of Charles II. at the expence of 10,000l. This structure having been also burnt down, with one hundred and twenty other houses in Thames Street, on the 13th of January 1714-15, besides fifty persons who perished in the flames; it was again rebuilt, at the expence of government, in the form in which it at present appears.

The whole building is one hundred and eighty-nine feet long, constructed in a substantial manner of brick and VOL. II. No. 38.

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stone;

stone; with large warehouses underneath, and on each side, for the reception of goods and merchandize; and the wharf next the river is spacious, though, considering the vast increase of commerce, inconvenient for all the purposes of landing. The centre standing back from the river, is twenty-seven feet in depth, terminated by deep wings..

Taken in the aggregate, the Custom House is judiciously and elegantly decorated with the various orders of architecture. Under the wings is a colonade of the Tuscan order, and the upper story is ornamented with Ionic columns and pediments. It consists of two floors; the uppermost of which is a magnificent room, fifteen feet high, running almost the full length of the building, and is distinguished by the name of the LONG ROOM; it is equally appropriated for the use of the commissioners, and the various officers of the establishment; and is also the usual place of sale for contraband and other goods by auction *.

The lesser parts of this building are disposed into offices, &c. and are well contrived to answer the various purposes of merchandize.

* The sales at the Custom House, when compared with former years, demonstrated that the quantity of sugar, coffee, and other West India commodities, seized from plunderers of every description, from being extensive in former years, was greatly reduced during the period of the operation of the preventive system, recommended by, Mr. Colquhoun.

It is believed, that upon minute enquiry, it will turn out in point of fact, that little or no sugar or coffee was seized, in the posession of thieves, during the year ending in March 1799, and that the sales were chiefly composed of private adventures seized in the ships, and not of plunder, as on former occasions. Treatise on River Police.

In

In a former part of this volume some improvements are suggested which would certainly be of considerable importance in the neighbourhood of the Custom House. But we think it a duty we owe to our fellow citizens, to recommend the structure of a New Custom House; for after all that has been said of its present conveniencies, they are inefficient to the purposes of the great currency of trade, which circulates throughout this vast metropolis; and we cannot suggest a better plan than that of Dublin, in one instance, a head without a body; but here a matter of absolute necessity. The Custom House of Dublin is an elegant quadrangle, each side the length of Somerset House. The inattention of the citizens to Sir Christopher Wren's plan of a grand quay from the Tower to the Temple, has been severely felt; it is to be hoped that future inattention will not be productive of similar inconvenience.

GOVERNMENT OF THE CUSTOMS. The establishment of the Board of Customs is employed, "not for the purposes of revenue alone, but also for carrying into effect the laws of navigation and trade; upon which the security of the empire, and the protection and encouragement of its commerce and manufactures, essentially depend.

"The commissioners therefore, under the authority of va rious acts of parliament, and also under the directions of the Treasury, exercise very extensive and important powers and functions in the general sysem, which comprises the police of the port of London.

"They superintend the execution of the laws as they relate to regulations, respecting the lading and discharging of all ships and vessels frequenting the port, which particularly apply to the mode of securing, and ascertaining the amount of his majesty's revenue of customs,-the payment of drawbacks and bounties on goods exported, the granting licenses, and taking bonds and securities from parties. concerned in the importation and exportation of goods. They authorise and appoint sufficient wharfs, where goods may be landed when the business cannot be carried on at the legal quays. They empower inferior officers to enter on

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