the church, with the exception of some large houses in St. John's Lane, St. John's Street, and Cow Cross; at the back of which, towards the Fleet river, running on one side of Saffron Hill and towards Ely House, the ground was entirely vacant, or filled with gardens; a great part of which, including the site of Red Lion Street, Clerkenwell, remained in this state until the commencement of the reign of George the First. The precincts of the monastery of St. John of Jerusalem occupied ten acres in this vicinity. At that time there were houses on both sides of the way from Holborn Bridge to Red Lion Street; but further up to about Hart Street the road was entirely open. A garden wall commenced there, and ran almost as far as Broad St. Giles's, and the end of Drury Lane, where a small cluster of houses, mostly on the right, formed the principal part of the village of St. Giles, which in process of time was called" The Ruins of St. Giles," and were taken down about sixty years since to make room for Bedford Chapel and the new streets adjacent. The precincts of the old hospital at St. Giles's were spacious, and surrounded with trees. Beyond this, both to the north and west, all was country. From Oxford Road southward to Piccadilly, and thence along the highways named the Haymarket and Hedge Lane, not a house was standing, excepting three or four near the site of Carlton House. St. Martin's Lane had only a few houses beyond the church abutting on the Convent Garden, which extended quite into Drury Lane. No houses then stood in Drury Lane from near Broad St. Giles's, to Drury House, at the top of Wych Street. Nearly the whole of the Strand was a continued street, mostly formed of spacious mansions, the residence of noblemen and prelates, with their large grounds and gardens, extending towards the Thames, which have since given names to the streets built upon their sites, as Howard Street, Norfolk Street, Essex Street, Durham Yard, York Street, &c. Spring Gardens were literally gardens, reaching as far as where the Admiralty Office now stands. Along King Street, to St. Margaret's Church and the Abbey, the houses stood closely; and from Whitehall to Palace Yard they were also thickly clustered on the banks of the Thames. Adjacent to Abingdon Street were several buildings, and some others stood opposite to Lambeth Palace. On the Surrey side, the plan exhibits only a single house at a small distance from the archbishop's residence; but more northward, near a road that took the same direction from Westminster as the present Bridge Road, were six or seven buildings; nearly opposite to which was a stage landing-place. All beyond these, to the banks of the Thames opposite to White Friars, was entirely vacant; there a line of houses, with gardens and groves behind them, commenced, and was continued with little intermission beyond Bank Side, to the vicinity of the Stews and Winchester House, Christ Church, and the next parish, then occupied by the theatre and gardens, called Paris Gardens. Further eastward, but behind the houses, and nearly opposite the Broken Wharf and Queenhithe, were the circular buildings and enclosures appropriated to bull and bear baiting, amusements to which Queen Elizabeth seemed partial. Southwark, down the Borough High Street, was tolerably clustered with houses, and London Bridge was com pletely encumbered with them. Along Tooley Street to Battle Bridge they stood thickly; but were much thinner from Horsley Down to where the plan ends nearly opposite St. Katherine's, below the Tower of London. Such was London about the period of Queen Elizabeth's accession to the crown of England. In the time of Edward the Third, the shops in London appear to have been detached and separate tenements, or at least separate properties unconnected with houses. The shops, or rather stalls or stands, in Cheapside, St. Lawrence Jewry, the Old Jewry, and those, next to those of the goldsmiths, are reputed to have been the most splendid in London. The domestic conveniencies, however, had but little correspondence with this outward appearance: the general use of woollen was unfavourable to cleanliness, and the want of chimneys both inconvenient and prejudicial. The fires were made in the halls, against a reredoss, or screen; and the smoke generally found a passage through the openings of the roof. The windows also were principally latticed: the use of glass was generally confined to religious houses, churches, and palaces. ORDER OF THE BATH.-Some of the daily journals have, we are glad to perceive, noticed the article in our last Number on the Second and Third Classes of this Order, with respect to the payments for their banners, plates of style, and statutes; but as they have fallen into the common error of imputing the conduct complained of to the Herald's College, we think it right to state, that those fees were paid to one individual only of that Corporation, in his capacity of Officer of the Order, and that the College of Arms, as a body, had nothing whatever to do with the transaction. That the Kings of Arms, who have been expressly named as being concerned in the affair, should have so quietly submitted to the imputation, is almost as extraordinary as that so respectable a corporation should not have taken immediate measures to repel an accusation which can scarcely fail to lessen it in the public esteem. As our next Number will probably contain the History of the Order of the Bath, to which we alluded, it is not now necessary to enlarge on the subject. THE following translation of a petition from Richard de Bettoyne of London to the King and his Council, in the 11th Edw. III., 1337, affords some idea of the splendid retinue by which the Mayor of London was attended at the King's coronation. He states, that, at the coronation of that monarch, he was Mayor of London, and performed the office of Butler, with three hundred and sixty valets, dressed alike, each carrying in his hand a cup washed with silver', as other Mayors of London had done at the coronations of his majesty's predecessors: that the fee appertaining to that day, namely, a cup of gold with the cover, and an ewer of gold enamelled, was delivered to him by the consent of the Earl of Lancaster, and other "grantz" who then formed the King's Council, by the hands of Sir Robert Wodehouse, but that an estreat was issued from the Exchequer to the Sheriffs of London to levy 891. 12s. 6d. on his goods and chattels for the said fee, for which he prayed redress, &c.—Rolls of Parliament, vol. ii. p. 96. 2 "Vestutz d'une sute, chescun portant en sa mayn un coupe blanche d'argent." "Et le fee q' appendoit a cet jorne." PERQUIRENDA. We are well aware that it is a symptom of ill-breeding to ask impertinent questions; but we shall nevertheless, from time to time, make such inquiries as may strike us as being deserving of attention, though we flatter ourselves the persons to whom they may be addressed will not entertain quite so much horror of this mode of obtaining information as Sir William Draper evinced. Why does not the Record Commission endeavour to print the Calendars to the Wills in Doctors'-Commons? We use the word endeavour because it is possible that the jurisdiction of the Commission does not extend to the contents of the Prerogative Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury; but when the importance of those Calendars is considered, we are convinced that means ought to be found of removing whatever obstacles may exist. So far from the publication lessening the fees of that office, we are convinced they would be very materially increased; for numerous persons are deterred from consulting a will from the doubt they entertain whether it be registered there, and the innumerable nuisances which attend a search to ascertain the point. If it be found impossible to print the whole of these Indexes, but which we are convinced would not exceed three or four folio volumes, the Calendars from 1383, when they commence, to the end of the sixteenth century, might at least be published. Perhaps the shortest way would be to compel the Registers in future to publish their Calendars regularly, out of the proceeds of the office, by an act of Parliament, and to give them a small grant to defray the expenses attending the printing of the present ones. Why are some of the most useful MSS. in the British Museum allowed to remain unindexed? We allude, for instance, to the Harleian MSS. 294, 2197; the Additional MS. 5511; the Cottonian MSS. Faustina, C. x., Claudius, C. viii., &c. If this be the duty of the Keeper of the Manuscripts, the sooner he fulfils it the better. What is the cause of six years being allowed to elapse since the appearance of the Third volume of the "Calendarium Inquisitionum Post Mortem," without its being followed by the Fourth volume? Is the spirit of "jobbing" never to terminate, or is the convenience of the Sub-commissioners always to be preferred to that of the public? Twenty-seven years is certainly a reasonable time to wait for four volumes, containing a mere copy of a Calendar already prepared. In so long a period, it might have been expected that that Calendar would have been what it professes to be, instead of containing notices of records which are no more Inquisitions post mortem," than Inquisitions "de lunatico inquirendo." We have not forgotten that a new edition of the "Fœdera" is in course of publication, and hope to be forgiven for calling the at The first volume appeared in 1806, the second in 1808, and the third in 1821! tention of its editors to the circumstance. Perhaps the most useful commissions which could be instituted would be one to inquire into the proceedings of the Commission for the Publication and Preservation of the Public Records. It has, we acknowledge, done much, but we are no less convinced that it has not performed one tithe of what it ought. Why is there not a Catalogue of the Prints in the British Museum? Why is the White Horse of Hanover represented in gold on the Royal Banner at Windsor Castle? Is the anomaly to be attributed to carelessness, or ignorance, or both? NOTICES OF WORKS LATELY PUBLISHED. The Creation of the World, with Noah's Flood, written in Cornish in the year 1681, by William Jordan, with an English translation by John Keigwin; edited by Davies Gilbert, F. R. S. F. S. A., 8vo. pp. 237. Nichols. Mr. Davies Gilbert has distinguished himself by devoting part of an ample fortune, and that portion of his time which is not occupied by his more important duties, to the publication of curious literary relics connected with his native county. Honourable as this conduct is, it is increased by a total absence of all bibliomaniacal feeling: hence that, which his zeal and research have preserved from the jaws of time, is not printed merely for the gratification of a few insane collectors; but, by being published at a moderate price, may be attained by every one who is interested in the subject. A short time since Mr. Gilbert edited a work, somewhat similar to that under our notice, entitled "Mount Calvary, a poem, descriptive of the passion, death, and resurrection of our Saviour, written several centuries ago in the Cornish language," and which was translated into English by Mr. Keigwin in 1682. It would be impossible in so confined a space to give an analysis of either of those volumes; but the following remarks will convey some idea of the contents of the one immediately before us. The "Creation of the World" is one of those interludes or mysteries of which many specimens exist; and, as the title implies, is a dramatic description of the creation, and the fall of our first parents. Act the first opens with God the Father, in a cloud, describing his own attributes; after which a dialogue occurs between Lucifer and other angels, and the drama then proceeds; in which the chief personages are Adam, Belzebub, Eve, the Serpent, Death, Cain, Abel, Calmane, Cain's wife, &c. On the one side Mr. Gilbert has given the original, and on the other the translation; and, as some of our readers may be curious to see a few lines of a language now forgotten, but which, not many centuries since, formed the vernacular tongue of Cornwall, we shall extract a single passage, with the translation; and which, it will be seen, is as literal as possible. 1 See an elaborate article on the subject in the Retrospective Review, Old Series, vol. i. p. 332, et scq. The following is the exclamation of Calmana to Cain on the death Ty a wruge pur throoge ober, Tha latha Abell, dean da. Theth omno vrodar y tho va, Sor Dew yma thyn rag tha. A wos an keth oberna. Calamana. O Cain! Cain, my dear husband, Thou didst do a very wicked act, Thine own brother he was, The wrath of God is on us for this. On account of this same act. At the end of the volume the Editor has inserted some Cornish verses, tales, proverbs, and other specimens of the language. Engraved Illustrations of Ancient Arms and Armour, from the Collection of Llewelyn Meyrick, Esq., after the Drawings and with the Descriptions of Dr. Meyrick. By Joseph Skelton, F.S.A.—This beautiful work, of which eight parts have appeared, is equally deserving of the attention of the admirer of the fine arts, the antiquary, the artist, and the historian, since their respective studies will receive from it the most important illustrations. The ancient Armour in the possession of Mr. Meyrick has long been a source of gratification to the numerous persons who have visited it; and whilst they have been impressed with the judgment, taste, and munificence of its founder, with the liberality with which he allows it to be viewed, and with the profound acquaintance with the subject which he displays in his personal descriptions of the various relics, they have felt no little astonishment that the collection, which, from its extent, might almost be termed "national," has been purchased by the purse, and procured by the labour of one individual. These feelings have not, however, been unmixed with regret; for, who that has seen the collection has not lamented that he must rely on his memory alone for the form and character of the many articles which excited his interest, and feared that the description by which that interest was increased tenfold might be forgotten? The work before us fortunately, however, removes, as far as is possible, that regret and those fears. The pencil of the learned founder has, with the assistance of the graver, produced most accurate resemblances of the various pieces of that unrivalled assemblage; and his pen has detailed every thing which can be said of them with perspicuity, elegance, and truth. Whether viewed as a distinct publication, or as an additional volume to the "Critical Inquiry," its claims to public attention are great and irresistible. The former is a History of Armour in all ages and countries; the latter, illustrations, from existing remains, of that history, as well as of the history of England, or, to speak more correctly, of Europe. Nor is there a single writer of the middle ages whose productions are not elucidated by that knowledge of the Armour of the times which these works, and these works only, contain. With respect to the Arts, it is to be remembered that when armour formed the costume of the higher orders of society, human ingenuity was taxed to the uttermost to embellish every piece in |