Cathedral was carrying on, under the direction of the same architect. Lisle House, near Leicester Fields, was likewise erected in this reign; Leicester House had been built in the preceding reigu, and these buildings may be considered as the nucleus, F 2 round

to defie any Londoner, who dares pretend there is so much ingenious correspondence in this City, as that he can shew me one house like another: yet your houses seem to be reverend and formal, being compared to the fantastical looks of the modern; which have more ovals, niches, and angles, than are in your custards, and are inclosed with pasteboard walls, like those of malicious Turks, who, because themselves are not immortal, and cannot dwell for ever where they build, therefore wish not to be at charge to provide such lastingness as may entertain their children out of the rain; so slight and prettily gaudy, that if they could move, they would pass for pageants. It is your custom, where men vary often the mode of their habits, to term the nation fantastical; but where streets continually change fashion, you should make haste to chain up your City, for it is cer tainly mad.

"You would think me a malitious traveller, if I should still gaze on your mis-shapen streets, and take no notice of the beauty of your River; therefore I will pass the importunate noise of your Watermen (who snatch at fares as if they were to catch prisoners, plying the Gentry so uncivilly, as if they had never rowed any other passengers than bear-wards;) and now step into one of your peascod boats, whose tilts are not so sumptuous as the roofs of gondaloes, nor when you are within, are you at the ease of a chaise-a-bras.

"The commodity and trade of your River belong to yourselves, but give a stranger leave to share in the pleasure of it, which will hardly be in the prospect and freedom of air; unless prospect, consisting of variety, be made up with here a palace, there a wood-yard; here a garden, there a brew-honse; here dwells à lord, there a dyer, and between both, duomo comune. If freedom of air be inferred in the liberty of the subject, where every private man hath authority, for his own profit, to smoak up a Magistrate, then the air of your Thames is open enough, because it is equally free. I will forbear to visit your courtly neighbours at Wapping, not that it will make me giddy to shoot your Bridge, but that I am loth to describe the civil silence at Billingsgate, which is so great, as if the mariners were always landing to storm the harbour; therefore, for brevity's sake, I will put to shoar again, though I should be so constrained, even without my galoshes, to land at Puddle Dock.

round which the extensive neighbourhoods of Leicester Square, the Hay-market, Seven Dials, Soho, &c. have since been formed. Leicester Fields, however, now the Square, was actually what the name imports, till after the commencement of the last century.

During the disastrous period of the Civil Wars the augmentation of London was nearly at a stand; but on the settlement of the Government in a Commonwealth, it again advanced with accelerated rapidity. This fact we gather from the preamble to an Act of Parliament, passed about the middle of the year 1657, which runs thus: "Whereas the great and excessive number of Houses, Edifices, Out-houses, and Cottages, erected and new built in and about the Suburbs of the City of London, and the parts thereunto adjoyning, is found to be very mischievous and inconvenient, and a great annoyance and nuisance to the Commonwealth; and whereas, notwithstanding divers Prohibitions heretofore had and made to the contrary, yet the said growing evil is of late so much multiplied and increased, that there is a neces

sity

"I am now returned to visit your houses, where the roofs are so low, that I presume your ancestors were very mannerly, and stood bare to their wives; for I cannot discern how they could wear their high-crowned hats yet, I will enter, and therein oblige you much, when you know my aversion to a certain weed that governs amongst your coarser acquaintance, as much as lavender among your coarser linen; to which, in my apprehension your sea-coal smoak seems a very Portigal perfume. I should here hasten to a period, for fear of suffocation, if I thought you so ungracious as to use it in public assemblies: and yet, I see it grow so much in fashion, that me-thinks your children begin to play with broken pipes instead of corals, to make way for their teeth. You will find my visit short; I cannot stay to eat with you, because your bread is too heavy, and you disdain the light substance of herbs. Your drink is too thick, and yet you are seldom over curious in washing your glasses. Nor will I lodge with you, because your beds seem no bigger than coffins; and your curtains so short, as they will hardly serve to inclose your carriers in summer, and may be held, if taffata, to have lined your grand-sires skirts.

"I have

sity of taking some further and speedy course for the redress thereof." The Act then proceeds to state, that "by the Law, the said Houses and Nuisances ought to be abated," that is, removed or pulled down; "and the Builders, Occupiers, Conti-' nuers, and Tenants thereof, ought to make fines for the same; so that if the severity of the Law should be inflicted, it would tend to the undoing of divers persons who have laid out all, or a great part of their estates in such new Buildings." From this consideration, therefore, it was enacted, that "one year's rent, or year's value at the full and improved yearly value, of such Dwellinghouse, Out-house, and other Building, built and continued upon any new foundation within the Suburbs of the said City of London, or in any other place or places within ten miles of the Walls of the said City, since the twenty-fifth of March, 1620, and not having four acres of land at least, according to the Statute or Ordinance De Terris mensurandis," should be paid for the use of the Commonwealth, "in full satisfaction and discharge" of F 3 all

"I have now left your houses, and am passing through your streets; but not in a coach, for they are uneasily hung, and so narrow, that I took them for sedans upon wheels: nor is it safe for a stranger to use them till the quarrel be decided, whether six of your nobles, sitting together, shall stop and give way to as many barrels of beer. Your City is the only metropolis in Europe, where there is a wonderful dignity belonging to carts.

"I would now make a safe retreat, but that me-thinks I am stopt by one of your heroic games, called Foot-ball; which I conceive (under your favour) not very conveniently civil in the streets, especially in such irregular and narrow roads as Crooked Lane. Yet it argues your courage, much like your military pastime of throwing at Cocks; but your metal would be much magnified, (since you have long allowed those two valiant exercises in the streets) were you to draw your Archers from Finsbury, and during high market, let them shoot at butts in Cheapside. I have now no more to say, but what refers to a few private notes, which I shall give you in a whisper, when we meet in Moorfields, from whence (because the place was meant for public pleasure, and to shew the munificence of your City) I shall desire you to banish the Laundresses and Blechers, whose acres of old linen make a shew like the fields of Carthagena, when the five months shifts of the whole fleet are washt and spread!"

8

all fines, forfeitures, and penalties incurred by the said Builders, &c.

any Dwelling-house, Outfour acres of ground' to already mentioned; and

By the same Act, a penalty of 100l. was ordered to be levied upon every person who should erect house, or Cottage,' without assigning each respectively, within the limits every person that should uphold and continue the same,' was subjected to the fine of 201. for every month that such building should remain standing. Among the exemptions from these forfeitures which concern the Metropolis, were the following.

William, Earl of Bedford, and his brothers, John and Edward Russel, the sons of Francis, the late Earl, were allowed 70001. out of the fines payable by them in respect of the buildings in the parish of Covent Garden. This considerable remission, evinces that this neighbourhood was now greatly advanced: about this time also, Long Acre was built on an extensive field, which had previously borne the name of the Seven Acres.

James Cooper, Robert Henley, and Francis Finch, Esqrs. and other owners of certain parcels of ground in the Fields, commonly called Lincoln's-Inn Fields,' were exempted from all forfeitures and penalties in regard to any new buildings they might erect on three sides of the said Fields,' previously to the first of October, 1659; provided that they paid for the public service one full year's value for every such house, within one month of its erection; and provided that the said James Cooper and Robert Henley, &c. should convey the residue of the said Fields' to the Society of Lincoln's Inn, " for laying the

same

It was also enacted by the same Statute, "that for the prevention of the burning and firing of Houses, and for the preservation and saving of Timber for the future, that all, and all manner of Houses, Edifices, and Cottages, hereafter to be built within the Cities of London and Westminster, or the Liberties and Suburbs thereof, or within the Borough of Southwark, upon any old or new foundation, shall be built with brick or stone, or both, and straight up without butting or jetting," under the penalty of one hundred pounds.

same into walks, for common use and benefit; whereby the great annoyances which formerly have been to the same Fields, will be taken away, and passengers there for the future better secured."

By the same Act, in respect of the great charge which John, Earl of Clare hath been at in erecting severell new buildings [now Clare Market], upon his inheritance in Clement's-Inn Fields, &c. usefull for an open and free Market,' it was enacted, that a Market should be held there thrice weekly, and that the Earl should enjoy all emoluments thereunto appertaining. These buildings, with others in their immediate vicinity, now forming Clare Street, Denzil Street, Hollis Street, &c. were commenced under Licenses granted by Charles the First, in the years 1640 and 1642 respectively.

The several lessees of a piece of land in Stanhope Street, described as extending along a dead wall, from the end of BlackMoor Street to May-Pole Lane, in the Parish of St. Clement's Danes;'-and who had bound themselves to build upon the the said ground substantial and strong-built houses, which will remove many annoyances there, and make that place more secure for passengers,' &c. were also exempted from all penalties for every house they might erect on the above site previously to the first of October, 1658. All Mariners, Ship-Carpenters, and Calkers, were likewise exempted from every fine or penalty in respect to any House or Cottage below London Bridge, built within two furlongs of the River Thames, provided it was their 'proper interest, and whilest they, or any of them, their wives, widows, or families, should dwell and inhabit within the same."

The attention of the Legislature was very early directed to the improvement of the Capital, after the restoration of Charles the Second; and in the beginning of 1661, an Act was passed for repairing the Highways and Sewers, widening certain avenues, cleansing and lighting the streets, &c. in and about the Cities of London and Westminster. By this Statute the following streets