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CARLTON PALACE.

"As you turn down your footsteps thro' Regent Street,
The pillars of Carlton's fam'd palace you meet,
Their order Ionic, their row very fine,

As like straight grenadiers, they stand four in a line:
But just venture to ask them, "Pray what do y' here,
My good pillars ?" (fellows)-They'd answer,-
"Can't say we declare!"

Carlton House, once the celebrated town residence of George the Fourth, derives its name from its original possessor, Viscount Carleton, of whom it was purchased for Frederick, Prince of Wales, father of George the Third.

CRIPPLEGATE.

St. Giles is the patron of Beggars. Going to church in his youth, he gave his coat to a sick beggar who asked alms of him-the mendicant was clothed, and the garment miraculously cured a disorder with which he was afflicted. He was also the patron of Cripples. It is related of him, by that pious chronicler of the saints, Ribadeneira, that one day when the French king was a hunting near a thicket where St. Giles was concealed, he was wounded by an arrow from a huntsman's bow while in the act of praying; whereupon being found unmoved from his position, the king fell at his feet, craved his pardon, and gave orders for the cure of his wound, but this the Saint would not permit, preferring to remain a Cripple, and thereby increase his merits.

Our church of St. Giles, Cripplegate, is dedicated to him; hence the name of the locality.

COAL HARBOUR LANE.

Here stood a spacious and stately edifice, denominated Cold Her. berg, or Harbrough; the latter being a corruption of the former, which signifies an Inn, or Mansion-house; the epithet of Cold was probably added, on account of its bleak situation, so near the river Thames. However, the site thereof, and buildings thereon, are at present known by the name of Coal Harbour Lane.

CHARING CROSS.

Here, formerly stood the village of Charing, from whence the present name is derived. The Cross was an ancient Gothic structure, placed there by order of Edward the First, as a memorial of conjugal affection, to the manes of his beloved wife, Eleanor. "But neither its ornamental situation, the beauty of its structure, nor the amiable design of its erection," says an intelligent writer, "could preserve it from the merciless zeal of the times." It was demolished by the House of Commons, during the Commonwealth, as a relic of Popish superstition.

CHARLES THE FIRST'S STATUE.

This noble equestrian statue at Charing Cross is the work of Hubert le Soeur, a Frenchman, who came to England about the year 1633.

"The commanding grace of the figure, and the exquisite form of the horse, are striking to the most unpractised eye," says Horace Walpole. This piece was cast in 1639, in a spot of ground near to

Covent Garden, and not being erected before the commencement of the civil war, it was sold by the Parliament to John Rivet, a brazier, living at the Dial, near Holbourn Conduit, with strict orders to break it to pieces. This worthy, we may presume, was a royalist. At any rate, he was a sagacious wight, for he produced a quantity of fragments of old brass, and concealed the statue and horse under ground until the Restoration. "He cast a number of knives and forks," says M. de Archenholz, "in brass, which he sold as manufactured from the statue. These were purchased with avidity by the royalists, out of affection to their unfortunate sovereign; and sought with equal eagerness by the rebels, as a trophy of the downfall of a despot."

COVENT GARDEN.

On the site of the western Piazza of Covent Garden, or as it is vulgarly called Common Garden, formerly stood a Convent of Sisters, which was with other monasteries seized and confiscated by order of our Eighth Harry. Where the market is held now, formerly was the Convent Garden, and which circumstance gave it its present name.

"I conclude with being Edward Honeycomb, in the time of Henry the Eighth, helping to undo the convent that stood there. I strike his Majesty's warrant on the door, and change every thing like a harlequin. The convent becomes a play-house, monks and nuns turn actors and actresses. The garden, formal and quiet, where a sallad was cut for a lady abbess, and flowers were gathered to adorn images, becomes a market, noisy and full of life, distributing thousands of fruits and flowers to a social metropolis. Who is this coming this way, looking so earnest and full of frown? Is it a little dominican friar, longing to denounce us all to the Inquisition? No; it is Mr. Kean, in his great coat, who delights us all, and does us good, in a profane play-house. Miss Stephens, and Miss Tree, too, instead of

"Chaunting faint hymns to the cold fruitless moon," raise their voices in delightful duets, and have good warm benefits. -Landor's Conversations.

CANNON STREET.

Cannon Street was originally Candlewick Street, deriving its name from its formerly being principally occupied by the wax and tallow trades, which were of great importance till 1548, when by order of Henry 8th, the burning of candles in religious services were prohibited.

CROSBY SQUARE.

The house in Crosby Square, called Crosby House, was the city residence of Richard the Third, and is alluded to in the play; such, however, is the mutability of human affairs, that, what was a palace, is now a packer's warehouse. It was built by one Sir John Crosby.

CURTAIN ROAD.

The road which runs parallel with Shoreditch, from Worship Street to Old Street Road, is thus denominated from one of the ancient theatres being here. They were then denominated Curtains, from their temporary nature, having merely a Curtain drawn round, to separate the audience and actors from passing observation.

CUCKOLD'S POINT.

"His head aches, his forehead burns, his horns cut."
All in the Wrong.

Cuckold's Point, so well known to Thames voyagers, as situate between Rederiffe, or Rotherithe, and Deptford, and which is marked out to the passer-by, by the staff and horns, derives its cognomen from the tradition of Charles the 2d cuckolding the Miller.-See Horsleydown.

DEVONSHIRE SQUARE.

Devonshire Square, Bishopsgate, derives its name from the mansion formerly there, the residence of the Devonshire family.

DUKE'S PLACE.

Duke's Place, in the city, the great resort of the Jews, took its name from Thomas, Duke of Norfolk, who, in 1652, had his resi dence here.

DRURY LANE.

Near this place stood Drury-house, the habitation of the great family of the Drury's-built by Sir William Drury, K. G. from which it derived its appellation. It is remarkable that this lane, of later times so notorious for intrigue, should receive its title from a family name, which in the language of Chaucer, had an amorous signi fication

"Of bataille, and of chevalrie,

Of lady's love and druerie
Anon I woll you tell."

EAST CHEAP.

East-Cheap, from Chepe, a Market, and East, the aspect it bears to Cheapside. This street was famous in old times for its convivial doings.

"The cookes cried-hot ribbes of beef roasted, pies well baked, and other victuals. There was clattering of pewter pots, harpe, pipe, and sawtrie," evident symptoms of the jollity of this quarter. Here, too, was the celebrated "Boar's Head," the resort of Prince Hal, and his pot companion Falstaff.

EXETER CHANGE.

This place received its name from being built on the site of the old mansion house of the Earls of Exeter. It was erected for the purpose of trade, and consists of three floors: the upper ones, which are spacious, have been the scenes of many interesting exhibitions, now a menagerie of wild beasts.

In the ancient plans of London, the original house covered a Jarge space, and had its quadrangles, towers, and turrets, in the style of Burleigh-house, the country residence of the Marquis of Exeter.

FINSBURY SQUARE.

Finsbury is a corruption from Fens-bury, from that locality being originally a large Fen. The chief magistrate of the metropolis is Mayor of London, and Lord of the Manor of Finsbury.

FLUDYER STREET.

Fludyer Street, near to Downing Street, derives its name from Sir Samuel Fludyer, Lord Mayor of London, about the year 1740; he having built it.

FOSTER LANE.

This Lane derives its name from Sir Stephen Forster, knight, some time Lord Mayor of London; and the founder of the privileges of Ludgate prison, himself having been a prisoner there, from whence he was released by a lady, whom he afterwards married, and on which circumstance was founded the play of "The Widow of Cornhill," or "A Woman ne'er Vext.”

FORE STREET.

This street was so denominated, because it was the first street built without the walls of Cripplegate. The present street was built 1761.

FISH STREET HILL.

This Hill or Street is thus denominated from its originally being principally occupied by dealers in dryed or salt fish.

FLEET STREET.

This Street, Fleet Market, and the Fleet Prison, all derive their name from a small river or ditch, called the Fleet from its rapidity, which flowed up from the Thames. It was at length arched over, and New Bridge Street and Fleet Market formed thereon.

"Friday, September 30, 1737, the stalls, &c. in Stocks's market, (now where the Mansion-house stands), being pulled down, the Lord Mayor proclaimed Fleet Market as a free market." From this record, it appears that it has been opened 89 years.

FENCHURCH STREET.

This locality was formerly denominated Fenny-a-bout, from being a very marshy situation. There were several brooks or bournes, also, which emptied themselves into the Thames.

GOODMAN'S FIELDS.

Mansel, Prescott, Leman, and Ayliffe Streets, with a few smaller streets and courts in the vicinity, comprise what is called Goodman's Fields.

Citizen Stowe writes, that he remembers it a farm, belonging to the Minoresses* of St. Clare, who gave a name to the neighbouring street, called the Minories. "At which farme," says Stowe, "I myself, in my youth, have fetched many a halfpennie-worth of milke, and never had less than three ale pints for a halfpennie in the summer, nor less than one ale quart in the wintre, always hot from the kine, as the same was milked and strained." One Trollop, and afterwards Goodman, were the farmers there; the latter having purchased the farm and fields, so increased his property, that he had thirty or forty cows for milking.

Farmer Goodman's son afterwards letting out the ground for grazing horses, and for gardens, the name of Goodman's farm was

See Minories.

entirely lost in that of Goodman's Fields, which it retains, notwithstanding all the changes it has undergone.

The backs of the houses of the four streets above-named form a large square, called the Tenter Ground, having formerly been used by a dyer; it was afterwards converted into a handsome garden, in which state it continued until the idle threat of invasion set the whole country marching and counter-marching. Harnessed and armed, big with valorous loyalty, the garden of the Tenter Ground became the field of Mars, and the spring and summer flowers yielded to the flowers of Chivalry. But of all the gallant days for Goodman's Fields, the 21st of June, 1799, must be remembered; Prescot and Leman Streets were filled with volunteers of the East, waiting to be reviewed by his late Majesty. On that day not less than 50,000 men, well clothed, armed, and accoutred, at their own expense, to defend their native soil, had been reviewed in various parts of London by their sovereign; but, alas, for the volunteers assembled in Goodman's Fields: some mistake happened in the marshalling, which led to the most ludicrous result: the king was looking after the soldiers, and the soldiers were seeking the king; it was a race between loyalty and majesty. "The king is in Ayliffe Street," cried a scout to the soldiers; the soldiers left Prescott Street for Ayliffe Street. "The soldiers are in Prescott Street," cries a scout to the king; away went the king to Prescott Street; a prettier game of hide and seek never was played. It ended, at length, by the king leaving the ground, unable to review his volunteers, and the volunteers following him, unable to view his majesty.

GREAT WARDROBE STREET.

This street takes its name from the royal mansion called the Great Wardrobe, which formerly stood in Wardrobe-Coat, Great Carter Lane.

GREEN PARK.

This park receives its appellation simply from its verdure continaing green throughout the year, numbers of springs being on the spot.

GERARD STREET.

The name of this street is derived from Gerard-house, the residence of Gerard, the gallant Earl of Macclesfield.

GOLDEN SQUARE.

Golden Square was formerly Gelding Square, from the sign of a neighbouring inn; but the inhabitants, indignant at the vulgarity of the name, changed it to the present.

GILT-SPUR STREET.

This way towards Smithfield, was anciently called Gilt-Spurre Street, because of the knights, who, in quality of their honour, wore Gilt Spurs, and who rode that way to the tournaments, justings, and other feats of arms used in Smithfield.

GRACE CHURCH STREET.

By referring to Stowe, or looking into any of the old accounts of London, it will be found that this was a Grass Market, and which in the course of time was called Gracious Street, and ultimately Gracechurch Street.

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