DISTRICT 3.

THE

DOCTORS' COMMONS-HERALD'S COLLEGE-SOUTHWARK BRIDGEQUEENHITHE-VINTRY-WHITTINGTON'S TOMB-LONDON STONE -MERCHANT TAILORS' SCHOOL-KING WILLIAM STREET MONUMENT-LONDON BRIDGE-THAMES STREET-THE NEW COAL EXCHANGE BILLINGSGATE THE CUSTOM-HOUSE- THE

TOWER-THE ARMORIES-THE JEWEL OFFICE-THE BATTERIES AND THE PARADE-TOWER HILL THE TRINITY HOUSE-THE MINT.

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E again start from St. Paul's, taking a south-easterly direction through Watling Street, and the new streets leading therefrom, towards Queen Street and London Bridge. The money provided for these new City improvements, £200,000, was raised on bonds at interest, on the credit of the City revenues and estates. The relief to the crowded thoroughfare of Cheapside will be found most acceptable and beneficial.

DOCTORS' COMMONS, a nest of brick buildings, entered by the archway on the right of St. Paul's Churchyard, derived its name from the civilians commoning together as in other colleges. Here are the offices where wills are registered and deposited, and marriage licenses granted. The maritime and ecclesiastical courts held here consist chiefly of the Admiralty, the Arches, the Prerogative, and the Consistory Courts, in all of which the business is principally carried on in writing by the doctors and proctors. At the Prerogative Office searches for wills are made, chargeable at one shilling each, and copies, which are always stamped, are to be had on application. They are registered from the year 1383.

The COLLEGE OF ARMS, or Herald's College, is on Bennett's Hill, on the east side of Doctors' Commons. The corporation, founded in 1484, is under the control of the Duke of Norfolk, as Hereditary Earl Marshal; the present building,

a plain brick structure with Ionic pilasters, was erected in the reign of Charles II. Their office is to keep records of the genealogical descent of all noble families in the kingdom, and to search for coats of arms, &c. Strangers may view the court on application. The fees are generally moderate. Knight-rider Street was so called from the gallant train of knights who used to pass this way from the Tower Royal to the gay tournaments at Smithfield.

Passing down Watling Street, which was the ancient Roman road, we come to Queen Street, which gives a direct communication between Cheapside and SOUTHWARK BRIDGE. This bridge was first opened at midnight in April, 1819, having occupied five years in construction, at an expense of £800,000. Its centre arch has a span of 240 feet, and the two side ones measure 210. If we except the abutments and piers, the whole of the bridge is of cast iron, and the height of the centre arch above low water mark is 55 feet, whilst the weight of the cast-iron used for the bridge is computed at about 5,780 tons. There is a toll of one penny to foot passengers, but those who disembark from the steamboats that call at the bridge-pier pass over without charge.

The cross streets about here, with their narrow causeways and long lines of lofty warehouses and dark offices, are worth turning into for the signs of busy traffic they present, and the picturesque old-mansion appearance which many of the houses still retain. The venerable churches and churchyards, coming upon us unexpectedly in the very heart of a dense cluster of buildings, and the palpable struggling after vegetation of some smoke-blackened tree, putting forth a few withered green leaves at yearly intervals about the spot, tend to invest this region with some noticeable characteristics peculiarly its own. That the visitor may know something of the objects that lie around him, we here group together a few of the more interesting that will furnish him with an excuse for deviating a little from his direct course.

QUEENHITHE, at the bottom of Queen Street, and to the

right of the bridge, was formerly one of the most generally used landing-places on the banks of the river. The term hithe (signifying a wharf or lading-place) takes back its history to Saxon times and shows its early origin. It was first called Queen's hithe in the reign of King John, out of compliment to his consort. Opposite is the Church of ST. MICHAEL'S, built in 1677, by Wren.

VINTNERS' HALL, distinguished by the figure of Bacchus striding his tun, is close by in Upper Thames Street. In the great hall is a good picture of St. Martin dividing his cloak with a supposed beggar, but why the saint was selected as a patron of the company is unknown, except that the good wine he imbibed might have produced good thoughts, and thus caused good works to become the natural consequence. The vintners were first incorporated in the reign of Edward III., when the best red wine was sold at fourpence a gallon !

Thames Street is about a mile in length, and extends from Blackfriars to the Tower, along the river bank. That part of the street below London Bridge, is called Lower Thames Street, and that part of it above the bridge, Upper Thames Street. In the middle of the 18th century it was remarkable for the number of cheesemongers' shops in it. In the part of the vintry known as GARLICK-HITHE will be seen St. James's Church, built in 1676, and admitted to be the worst specimen of Wren's architectural abilities in London. Over the clock is a figure of the saint. The place derives it name from the quantity of garlick that used to be sold near the church. On College Hill, the next turning past Queen Street, stands St. Michael's, Paternoster Royal, which was made a collegiate church (hence the name) by the executors of Sir Richard Whittington, the renowned Lord Mayor. The alms-houses he founded stood on the north side of the church, but they were removed a few years ago to Highgate. This church was also one of those rebuilt by Wren after the great fire. The altar-piece was presented to the church by the directors of the British Institution, in 1820, and represents Mary

Magdalene anointing the feet of our Saviour. It is curious that Whittington, who was thrice Mayor, was in this church thrice buried,-first, by his executors, who erected a handsome monument to his memory; then in the reign of Edward IV., when it was taken up by one Mountain, the incumbent, who supposed that great wealth had been buried with him; and finally, by the parishioners, in the next reign, who were compelled to take up the body to re-encase it in lead, of which it had been despoiled on the former occasion. In this neighbourhood was the Tower Royal, a large building of considerable strength, wherein at one time the Kings of England resided, and which, with many another palatial structure, graced the banks of the river in days gone by.

Returning to Cannon Street, by way of Dowgate Hill, we shall emerge nearly opposite ST. SWITHIN's, another of Wren's churches, but more remarkable for having preserved on its outer wall, all that remains of the famed "London Stone," concerning the original purpose of which there has been so much speculation. There is evidence of a thousand years having passed away since it was first set up, but we must still say with Stowe, "the cause why this stone was there set, the very time when, or memory thereof is there none." Whether it was an ancient British relic, whether it marked the spot where proclamations were published, or whether it was a Roman milliarium whence distances were measured, is still uncertain, and probably will remain so. At the time when Stowe wrote, it stood on the south side of Cannon Street, then called Candlewick Street. In December, 1742, it was removed to the curb-stones on the north side of the street, and in 1798, it was enclosed within a modern case of an altar form, and placed in its present position, the better to preserve it. In the adjacent thoroughfare of Suffolk Lane, and on the eastern side, is the celebrated seminary of " Merchant Tailors' School," founded by that company in 1561. The present building, which is a plain massive structure, was rebuilt immediately after the great fire, and comprises a spacious school-room, a

house for the head-master, a library, and a chapel. About 250 scholars are here educated, many of whom are sent to St. John's College, Oxford.

We now approach King William Street, at the northern extremity of which is the statue, by Nixon, of William IV., placed there in 1844. It is of granite, and stands, with the pedestal, 40 feet in height. The MONUMENT is now seen to raise its lofty head above us, rising from an open area on Fish Street Hill. It is almost superfluous to tell the reader it was erected in 1677, in commemoration of the Great Fire of London, which began at the distance of 202 feet eastward from the spot, and its height has on that account been made 202 feet. It is a fluted Doric column built of Portland Stone, desigued by Wren, and executed under his superintendence, at a cost of £15,000. The pediment is 40 feet high and 21 feet square, and the column is surmounted by a blazing urn of gilt brass 42 feet in height. The north and south sides of the pedestal have each a Latin inscription, one descriptive of the destruction of the city, and the other of its restoration. Within is a spiral staircase of black marble, having 345 steps by which the visitor may ascend to the summit, enclosed by an iron railing, and obtain an extensive view of the mighty city, with its suburbs stretching miles away beyond. It is open every day from nine till dusk, except Sundays, at a charge of sixpence each person.

In Great Eastcheap, on the site now occupied by the statue of William IV., stood the Boar's Head Tavern, the scene of Falstaff's memorable vagaries as recorded by Shakspere. The original tavern was destroyed in the great fire, rebuilt immediately afterwards, and finally demolished to allow of the new London Bridge approaches in 1831. The church seen nearer the bridge is St. Magnus, erected by Wren, between 1676 and 1705. The cupola and lantern has been much admired. Miles Coverdale, who lies here buried, was the rector, and under his direction, in 1535, was published the first complete English version of the Bible.