in respect to dates, for Vertue's print of the Procession on July 7th, 1713, shews the old May Pole in its original state, near Little Drury Lane, on a spot now covered by the west end of the church of St. Mary le Strand. Strype, also, who lived at the time, says, that "the May Pole in the Strand, being above 100 feet in height, and grown old and decayed, was, auno 1717, obtained of the parish by Sir Isaac Newton, Knt. and being taken down was carried away through the city, on a carriage of timber, unto Wanstead, in Essex,* where, by permission of Sir Richard Child, Bart. afterwards Lord Castlemain, given to the Rev. Mr. Pound, the Rector, it was erected in Wanstead Park, for the support of a vast Telescope, 125 feet in length, which had been presented by Monsieur Hugon, a French Astronomer, to the Royal Society, of which he was a member. Shortly afterwards, the following doggrel verses were affixed against this shaft. "Once I adorn'd the Strand, But now have found My way to Pound In Baron Newton's Land. Where my aspiring Head aloft is rear'd, To observe the Motions of the Ethereal herd. Here's sometimes rais'd a Machine by my side, A pleasing Blessing which the Strand ne'er knew. Strype's "Stow," B. Iv. p. 104. In p. 106, Strype says, the May Pole was bought by Sir Isaac Newton, and carried through London to Wanstead, in April, 1718. There stood I only to receive Abuse, CHURCH OF ST. MARY LE STRAND. After the demolition of the old church of St. Mary le Strand, as mentioned in the account of Somerset House, the parishioners were obliged to join the congregations in the Savoy and other neighbouring districts, until the erection of the present church, under the commission for building fifty new churches, issued in Queen Anne's reign. This was the first so built, but it was made the subject of a particular act, passed in July, 1713, for " a new Church near the May Pole in the Strand." Part of the ground was purchased of John Walker, Esq. for 244l. 11s. 1d., and the first stone was laid on the 25th of February, 1714: the steeple was completed in September, 1717, but the church was not consecrated till the 1st of January, 1723. The charge of erecting it amounted to 16,341. 1s. 2d. The prominent situation of this building has occasioned it to be subjected to much severe criticism; not undeserved, probably, in respect to its merits as an architectural composition, but the architect him Ibid. Malcolm states that the new May Pole was taken down in May, 1718, and then relates the same particulars as Strype has done respecting the removal of the Pole to Wanstead Park. self is far less to blame than is generally imagined. He had the caprices of the Commissioners to consult, and it was their determination to spare no cost "to beautify it," on account of its being situated in such › very public place. Hence every part is loaded with a redundancy of ornaments, and the eye, having no repose, seeks in vain for that harmonious simplicity which conduces to elegance. The oblong plan of the steeple is, also, extremely objectionable, and, as Gwynn remarks, it forms "a confused jumble of rich parts, piled one upon another without any regard to the shape of the whole," and having the "additional fault" of appearing "to stand on the roof of the church."* Gibbs, the architect of this building, says, that it was the first on which he was employed after his arrival from Italy. He states, likewise, that it was originally intended to have had only a small campanile, or bell-tower, over the west end, and no steeple. Instead of the latter, a majestic column, 250 feet high, was to have been erected in honour of Queen Anne, at the distance of 80 feet from the west front of the church. On the top, the Queen's statue was to have been placed, and a great quantity of stone was brought to the spot for laying the foundations of the column, but after her Majesty's decease the design was relinquished, and the architect was ordered to erect a steeple in place of the "London and Westminster Improved," p. 46. |