The merchants should keep their wives from visiting the upper rooms too often, lest they tire their purses by attiring themselves. Rough seas, rocks and pirates, treacherous factors, and leaking ships, affright them. They are strange politicians; for they bring Turkey and Spain into London, and carry London thither. Ladies surely love them; for they have that which is good for themfar fetched and dear bought. They may prove stable men, but they must first leave the Exchange. It is a great house, full of goods: though it be almost in the middle of the city, yet it stands by the sea. There's mauy gentlewomen come hither, that to help their faces and complexions, break their husbands' backs; who play foul in the country with their land, to be fair and play false in the city. The place (to conclude) is thought to be a great formalist, and a hazardable temporiser; and is like a beautiful woman, absolutely good, if not too

common."

ST. PAUL'S CHURCH YARD.-CHARLES THE FIRST AND HIS QUEEN.

In the "Moderate Intelligencer," No. 198, from Dec. 28 to Jan. 4, 1648-9, are the following articles on the state of Public Affairs.

Major Picher was shot to death in Pauls Church Yard. He was active and violent against those best affected to Parliament, and being taken in Penbrooke the last summer, was condemned to death: promising, that if he might have his life he would depart the kingdom for such a time, he had his discharge; yet not performing, but acting contrary, being taken was shot to death."

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Paris, Dec. 26.-The Queen of England is returned from her devotions in the house of the Carmelites, where she hath been for diverse dayes: she seems not dejected

at the present state of the King, her husband, in England, yet say her ladies, her nights are more sad than usual. Prince Charles or the Duke of York's comming hither it's conceiv'd will continue uncertain, untill it be seen what effect the Armies Declaration will produce upon their Father."

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From Windsore the 30 of December.-The King is merry, discourses upon subjects purporting a life of many dayes, doubts not but within six moneths to see peace in England, and in case of not restoring, to be righted from Ireland, Denmark, and other parts, of which he named many; nay, he is ordering seeds for his Garden at Wimbleton and other places: he saith there is more persecution now than ever, particularly in imposing the Covenant, and undoing men for refusall of it.”

GREAT FIRE IN CORNHILL, AND BISHOPSGATE STREET. -BIRTH-PLACE OF GRAY, THE POET.

On the morning of the 25th of March, 1748, a most calamitous and destructive Fire commenced at a Peruke-makers, named Eldridge, in Exchange Alley, Cornhill; and within twelve hours totally destroyed between ninety and a hundred houses, besides damaging many others. The flames spread in three directions at once, and extending into Cornhill, consumed about twenty houses there, including the London Assurance Office, the Fleece and the Three-Tuns Taverns, and Tom's and the Rainbow Coffee-houses. In Exchange Alley, the Swan Tavern, with Garraway's, Jonathan's, and the Jerusalem Coffee-houses, were burnt down; and in the contiguous avenues and Birchin Lane, the George and Vulture Tavern, with H

VOL. III.

several other Coffee-houses, underwent a like fate. Mr. Eldridge, with his wife, children, and servants, all perished in the flames; and Mr. Cooke, a merchant, who lodged in the house, broke his leg in leaping from a window, and died soon after; several other persons were killed by different accidents. All the goods of the sufferers that could be removed were preserved, as well from theft, as from the flames, by the judicious exertions of the City Magistrates, and the assistance of parties of soldiers sent from the Tower and St. James's; notwithstanding which, the value of the effects and merchandize destroyed, was computed at 200,000l. exclusive of that of the numerous buildings.

:

In that fire, the house in which the poet Gray received his birth, was consumed, and the injury which his property sustained on the occasion, induced him to sink a great part of the remainder, in purchasing an annuity his father had been an Exchange-broker. It appears from Mr. Gray's will, that the dwelling which arose upon the site of his birth-place, was, in 1774, occupied by one Natzell, a perfumer; and it is still inhabited by a perfumer, of the name of Tate. It is a few doors from Birchin Lane; and is numbered forty-one.

Another tremendous Fire, by which nearly one hundred houses were destroyed, or greatly damaged, commenced at a peruke-maker's in Bishopsgate Street, adjoining to the corner of Leadenhall Street, on the morning of November the 7th, 1765. The flames quickly spread to the corner house, and the wind being

high, they soon communicated to the opposite corners, so that all the four were on fire at the same time, and three of them were entirely destroyed. All the houses from Cornhill to the Church of St. Martin Outwich, in Bishopsgate Street, were burnt down, and the Church and Parsonage House were considerably damaged, as well as the back part of Merchant Taylors' Hall, and several houses in Threadneedle Street. The White Lion Tavern, which had been purchased for 3000l. on the preceding evening, and all the houses in White Lion Court, were burnt down, together with five houses in Cornhill, and several others in Leadenhall Street Several lives were lost, not only by the fire, but by the falling of chimnies and walls, and on the following day eight persons were killed by the sudden fall of a stack of chimnies. Several lives, however, were providentially saved by means of a gentleman who had ventured among the ruins, and "waving his hat to engage the attention of the spectators, declared that he was sure that many persons were actually under the spot on which he stood." Upon this, the firemen went to work with their pickaxes, and on removing the rubbish, two men, three women, a child about six years old, two dogs and a cat, were taken out alive.

ANECDOTES OF QUEEN ELIZABETH AND KING JAMES

THE FIRST.

The following Anecdotes of the above Sovereigns are given in the 1st volume of the "Nugæ Antiquæ,"p. 170,182, from the "Breefe Notes and Remembraunces" of Sir John Harington; but the years in which the circumstances respectively occurred are not specified.

Queen Elizabeth.-"One Sunday (April last) my Lorde of London preachede to the Queenes Majestie, and seemede to touche on the vanitie of deckinge the bodie too finely. Her Majestie tolde the ladies, that If the Bishope helde more discorse on suche matters, shee wolde fitte him for Heaven, but he shoulde walke thither withoute a staffe, and leave his mantle behind him.'-Perchance the Bishope hathe never soughte her Highnesse wardrobe, or he woulde have chosen another texte."

James the First." I thys day heard the kynge deliver hys speeche to the commons and lordes, and notede one parte thereof, wherein his Majestie callede the Devil' a busy Bishope, sparinge neither laboure nor paines. My Lorde of London tolde me, "he thoughte his Majestie mighte have chosen another name."

EARTHQUAKES IN LONDON.

Great alarm was excited throughout the Metropolis and its neighbourhood, in the beginning of the year 1761, by two shocks of Earthquakes; the one occurring on the 8th of February, and the other on the 8th of March. The first shock was most sensibly felt along the banks of the Thames from Greenwich to near Richmond: at Limehouse and Poplar, several chimnies were thrown down by it, and in several parts of London the furniture was shaken, and the pewter fell to the ground: at Hampstead and Highgate it was also very perceptible. The second and more violent shock occurred between five and six o'clock in the morning, the air being very warm, and the atmosphere, at the moment, clear and serene; though, till within a few minutes preceding, there had been a strong, but confused, lightning darting its flashings in