the south front, and opens from the gallery. It is a lofty apartment, conveniently arranged, with a rostrum, or tribune, for the Lecturer, and benches for an audience of 100 persons, or upwards. The Lectures are delivered in term-time only, agreeably to the practice of the Universities: they are then read twice daily, the first time in Latin, precisely at 12 o'clock at noon; the second time in English, precisely at 1 o'clock, the duration of each being from about twenty minutes to half an hour.-According to the present regulations, which seem adapted to render the Professorships as nearly sinecures as possible, the doors are open exactly as the clock strikes, and should there not be three persons attending for admission, they are immediately closed again, and no Lecture is delivered on that day.* The following Inscription was placed over the south entrance, within the quadrangle, on the rebuilding of this edifice after the Great Fire. Hoc Greshamii Peristylivm Gentivm Commerciis Sacrvm MDCLXIX Willo Turnero Milite Prætore. Since the above was written the state of the Gresham Lectures has been made a subject of discourse in the Court of Common Council, and the question of making them more generally beneficial and efficient has been referred to a Committee. In Donald Lupton's " London, &c. carbonadoed and quartred into severell Characters," originally printed in 1532, and reprinted in the 1st volume of Park's Supplement to the "Harleian Miscellany," 1812, is the following character of the "Exchanges, Old and New." "The one of these came from Antwerp, the other from a stable :* the one was Dutch, yet made denizen; the other was not so at the beginning, but did exchange his name and nature. The Merchants are, generally, men of good habit, their words are generally better than their consciences; their discourse ordinarily begins in water, but ends in wine. The frequenting the walks twice a day, and a careless laughter, argues they are sound: if they visit not once a day, 'tis suspected they are cracking or broken. Their countenance is ordinarily shaped by their success at sea, either merry, sad, or desperate; they are like ships at sea, top and top-gallant this day, tomorrow sinking. The sea is a tennis-court, their states are balls, the wind is the racket, and doth strike many for lost under line, and many in the hazard. They may seem to be acquainted with Athens, for they all desire news. Some of them do keep two brittle vessels, their ships and their wives; the latter has less ballast and that makes them so light: the merchants respect the former most, for if that sink or be overthrown, they fall; but the fall of the latter is oftentimes the advancing of their heads. Conscience is sold here for nought, because it is as old sermons, a dead commodity. They will dissemble with, and cozen one another; though all the kings that ever were, since the conquest, overlooked them. Here are usually more coaches attendant than at church-doors. *The New Exchange was erected in 1608, on the site of the stabling of Durham House, in the Strand, but Lupton's words particularly refer to the Royal Exchange. 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 them-far 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. 66 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." 66 ‹ 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." "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 Eke 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 200,0001. 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 |