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"March. Sir George Etheringtou, knight, of Yorkshire, out of Thomas Threlkill's house in Leaden Forch." Holeburne itself is noticed in the Domesday Survey, where the king is said to have two cottages, which pay xxd. a year to his vice-comes.

In the fifth year of Edward III. (Chart. 5. Edw. III. Ibid. ann. 10, 40.) the Manor appears to have been granted to the family of Le Strange: and in 1386, it passed from John le Straunge, lord of Knokyn, to Richard Earl of Arundel and Surry, and to Alice and Eble le Straunge. Their mansion, if they had any on the spot, was probably re-built by the Southampton family, and became afterwards Bedford house; the site and gardens of which have been of late years occupied by different streets.

Tanner, in the Notitia Monastica, refers to a charter dated so long back as 1287, in which the grant of a place near Holborne, where the black friars had before dwelt, to Henry de Lacy, Earl of Lincoln, is recited. (Chart. 15. Edw. I m. 6.) Henry de Lacy died here in 1312; and upon its site the older part Lincoln's inn has since arisen.

The Advowson of St. Andrew's

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pears to have been given at a very early period by a presbiter of the name of Gladerinus, to the canons of St. Paul, in trust, that the convent of Bermondsey should hold it of them; paying a yearly acknowledgement of twelve-pence at the cathedral. Henry I. confirmed the donation by his charter, and it continued with the Monks tul the dissolution under Henry VIII. after which, September 15th, 1545, the Advowson was given by the king to Sir Thomas Wriothesley, afterwards Earl of Southampton. It continued in his descendants for a number of years, and is now in the possession of the Duchess of Buccleugh.

Among the certificates of colleges and chantries, in the Augmentation Office, dated the first year of Edward VI, is one which mentions Holbourn; and states that at that time there were a thousand how selyng people in the parish; as well as that Sir Nicholas Barton was parson, and his parsonage worth sixteen pounds a year: assisted by a chantry priest who had forty shillings a year.

An earlier return of chantries states that, "Amy Edyman and John Rowell by their laste willes gave unto the parson and church-wardeins of the said parish to fynde a priest, Landes, and tenementes per annum. xii. vijs. viiid.

"Will'm Forman gave to the fraternitie of St. Sythe in the said parishe, for the fynding of an obite, and for the sustentacion of a prieste, a meswag per annum. xxxvijs. injd.”

The following short extracts from a roll of the Church-warden's Accompts between the 16th of October, 1477, and the 16th of October, 1478, will throw some hule light not only on the expences of the time, but on the ceremonies which were performed in this as well as other of the larger churches.

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" Item.

To the clerc for colis to

wacche the sepulcre iijd,

"Item. For flaggis and garlands, and for a brekefast to them that bare the torchis on corpris dai xˇpi xvijd.

"Item. For birche and holme to the rode loft ijd.

"Item. For xixlb. tallowe candill xviijd.

Item. For xij gallons and a qrte of lampe oyle, price the galon xiiijd."

The tower of the church retains the original buttresses at each corner.

Within the altar rails is an inscription for Doctor Sacheverell, who died rector, 1724.

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Windsor two years after, he founded a chantry here for three priests.

DUCK LANE.

From a passage in one of Oldham's satires, Duck Lane seems to have been famous for refuse book-shops:

"And so may'st thou perchance pass up and down,

And please while th' admiring court and town,

Who after shall in Duck Lane shops be thrown."

TOWER OF LONDON.

A particular of the names of towers and prison lodgings in his Majesty's Tower of London, taken out of a paper of Mr. William Francklyn's, sometime Yeoman Warder, dated the 16th of March, 1641, as follows:

"White Tower.-TheWhite Tower, or Cæsar's tower, belonging to the office of the Ordnance.

"Martin Tower.-Martin Tower with out the Byward Gate, belonging to the porter of the Mint.

"Ro Tower.-The Byward or Round Tower,over the Byward Gate attWarder's lodgings.

"Water Gate Towers.-Water Gate Towers, over the water gate, Warder's lodgings, formerly belonging to the king's fletcher.

"Cradle Tower.-A prison lodging in the low gardens, where the draw-bridge was in former times.

"Well Tower.-A prison lodging in the corner of the low garden towards the iron gate.

"The tower gate, leading to iron gate, a warder's lodging.

"Iron Gate Tower.-An old ruinous place toward St. Katherine's.

"Sal Tower. At the end of the long gallery, a prison lodging.

"Broad Arrow Tower.-Upon the wall by the king's garden.

"Constable Tower.-Betwixt captain Coningsby's and Mr. Marsh's, a prison lodging.

"Martin Tower.-Over against Mr. Sherborn's house near the green mount, a prison lodging.

"Brick Tower.By the armoury, The Master of the Ordnance lodgings.

"Office of the Ordnance Tower by the chapel.

"Beauchamp Tower.-Cobham Tower betwixt the chapel and the lieutenants' lodgings, a prison tower.

"Bell Tower-Adjoyning to the lieu tenants' house, a prison tower.

"Wakefield Tower.-Or Bloody Tower, against the gate, a prison lodging, "Artillery Tower.-Or Record Tower, adjoyning to the bloody tower.

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Nuns Tower.-The prison over Cole Harbour gate.

"Lanthorne Tower.-Part of the king's lodgings, under which is a prison lodging with a door next the low gar dens."

MANUSCRIPT CHRONICLE OF LONDON.

In a curious old manuscript, entitled "Miscellanea HistoricaCivitatis London," preserved in the public library at Oxford, is a list of the mayors and sheriff's from the 15th of Henry III. to the last year of Henry VI. accompanied by miscellaneous particulars. The following are selected from it. It formerly be longed to Mr. Upton, the editor of Spenser.

"Edward I. anno 24. In isto anno Rex Edwardus cepit castellum de Edyng, borgh, in quo invenit regalia Regis Scotorum videl't sedem regium, coronam auream et ceptrum que or a oblata sunt Sancto Edwardo per dictum regem apud Westmonasterium in Crastino Sancti Botulphi.

"Edward III. anno 34. In isto ammo xiiij die April. s. in crastino Pascha, Rex Edwardus cum suis fuit ante Civi tatem de Parys quo die tanta fuit frigiditas et nebula densitas quod quamplures sedentes super equos moriebantur. Unde usque in hodiernum diem vocatur le blak Monday.

"Richard II. anno 3. In isto anno circa nativitatem beatæ Mariæ quatuor galea inimicorum Angliæ venerunt ad Gravesend et combusserunt magnam partem Ville ibidem.

"Henry IV. anno 7o. In isto anno quidam vocatus Travers, valettus regius, arestatus in camera regis et suspensus apud Tyburne pro intoxicatione suæ

uxoris.

"Henry IV. anno 15. Isto auno morie bant omnes Leones infra Turrim Loud, existentes.

"Henry VI. anno 18. In ista anno in die Sancti Botulphi ante festum Nativi tatis Baptistæ quidam dominus Ricardus Wyche, vicarius de Hermettisworthe, fuit degradatus apud Sanctum Paulum et combustus apud Turrim Londini propter suam heresin. In quo loco homines et mulieres de London in maxima multitodine, reputantes ipsum vicarium sanctum, erexerunt crucem cz ceperunt offerre ili argentum et ymagines de ære, quonsque, per mandatum 1égiuta, Major Civitatis

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cum vice-comitibus et manu forti fugaverunt populum et cum fumo ammalium turpaverunt locum ne ibi ulterius fieret Idolotria.

"Henry VI. anno 21. In isto anno apud Bakwellehalle in London, quidam laborarius frangendo parietem lapideum in Thesauro argenteo ibidem abscondito superscriptionis et yinaginis incognitæ

2191.

"Joh'es Cade ad Tabardum in Suth werk fecit decapitari Ric'm Haywarden qui venit ad ipsum de Sanctuario Sancti Martiini le Graunte."

Under the ninth year of Henry IV. also, there is mention of a frost, which lasted fifteen weeks; during which nearly all small birds died. People on foot during the whole time crossed the Thames from one part to another.

GILTSPUR-STREET.

Giltspur street, says Stow, was formerly called Knightrider street, and both that by Doctors Commons and this for the same reason; the knights with their gilt spurs riding that way from the Tower Royal to entertain the king and his nobles with justs and tournaments in Smithfield. They rode from the Tower Royal, through great and little Knightrider streets, up Creed-lane to Ludgate, and thence up Giltspur-street to Smithfield.

The golden or gilt spurs were the distinctive mark of a knight, those of a squire being always of silver. The original spurs were mere gonds, fastened to the heel of the shoe, as appears from a seal of Alain Fergent, Duke of Bretany, in 1084, and many other instances. Rowels were afterwards invented, and the size of these was gradually increased to such a degree, that in the reign of Charles VII. they were nearly as broad as a man's hand, and the necks of the spurs were about six inches long. At the creation of a knight, the king or prince who conferred the order, generally buckled on the spurs with his own hands: and as this was the first ceremony of investment, so the hacking of the spurs was the first act of degradation. (Way's Fabliaux. vol. i. p. 251.)

An account of a tournament in Smithfield, in the reign of Edward IV. will form no unappropriate appendage to these anecdotes: copied from an ancient manuscript.

"The bastard of Burgoyne, a man of haughte courage, challenged Anthony Lord Scales, brother to the duchesse of Bedforde, (whom the kinge maryed,) a man egall bothe in harte and valiaunt

nesse with the Bastard, to fighte with him bothe on horsebacke and on foote. The Lord Scales did gladly receave his demaunde, and promised him on the faithe of a gentylman, to answere him in the fielde at the daye appointed. The kynge entendinge to see this martial sporte, and valiaunte challenge performed; caused lystes royall to be made for the champions, and costly galleryes for the ladyes to loke on, to be newly erected in West Smithfield in London. Aud at the day by the king assigned, the two Lordes entered within the lysts, well mounted, richely trapped and curiously armed, at what tyme they entered certayne courses, and so departed with egall honoure. Havinge thus dealte with sharp speares the first daye, on the morowe they entered the field againe, the Bastard sitting on a bay courser beinge somewhat dim of sight, and the Lord Scales mounted on a graye courser, whose schafron had a longe and a sharpe pike of steele. When these two valiaunte personnes coped together at the tournay, the Lord Scales horse (either by chaunce or custome,) thruste his pike into the nostril of the horse of the bastard. So that for very payne he mounted so high that he fell on thone side with his master, and the Lord Scales rode round aboute him with his sword shaking in his hand, untill the king commanded the marshall to help up the Bastard, which openly said, I cannot holde by the clowdes, for thowghe my horse faile me, yet will not I fayle my countercompaignons. And when he was re-mounted, he made a countenance to assaile his adversary; but the king, either favouringe his brother's honour there got ten, or mistrusting the shame that might come to the Bastard if he were again foyled, caused the herald to cry-A Lostell, and every man to departe. The morowe after these two noblemen came into the field on foote, with poleaxes, and there fought valiauntly like two couragious champions; but at the last, the poynte of the axe of the Lord Scales happened to enter into the sighte of the healme of the Bastard, and by fyne forca might have plucked him on his knees, the kinge sodavnely caste downe his warder, and then the marshalls them severed. The Bastard, not content with this chaunce, vcary desirous to be revenged, trustinge on his comminge at the pole-axe, (which feate he had greatly experienced,) required the king of jus tice, that he might performe his enter

prise, which the Lord Scales refused not. The kynge said he wold aske counsaile, and so calling unto him the constable and marshall, with the officers of armes, and after long consultation had and lawes of armes rehearsed, it was declared to the Bastard for a sentence definitive by the Duke of Clarence, then constable of England, and the Duke of Norfolk, Erle Marshall, that yf he wold further prosecute hys attempted challenge, he must by the law of arms be delivered to his adversary in the same case and like condicion as he was when he was taken from him, that is to say, the pointe of the Lord Scales's axe to be fixed in the sights of his healme, as deep as it was when theye were severed. The Bastard hearing this judgement, doubted much of the sequele if he so should proceade againe, wherefore he was content to relinquishe his challenge, rather than to abyde the hazard of his dishonours."

LONG ACRE.

Among the entries in the Council Books, of the time of Edward VI. is the mention of a grant from the king to the Earl of Bedford, and his heirs male, of the Covent Garden, and the meadow ground called the Long Acre.

FETTER-LANE, HOLBORN.

Fetter, should be Faitour lane, a term used by Chaucer, for a lazy idle fellow. It occurs as early as the 37th of Edward III. when a patent was granted for a toll traverse toward its improvement. The condition in which it yet remains, certainly warrants the etymology.-Stowe agrees in it.

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known that Virgil was considered so warm an admirer of Homer as to be called Homericus, it would be sufficient to read the Æneid to be convinced of it. He has evidently throughout his poem kept his eye on the Grecian Bard, and in many places he has not so much imi tated, as he has literally translated him. But to convey the beauties of one language into another, has always been considered a mark of genius, and that such a transition is not a work of facility, may be admitted on the authority of Virgil himself, who affirmed, that it would be easier to deprive Hercules of his club, than to steal one line from Homer.' For this adherence to the greatest poet of anquity, there are few who will reproach him; but he has been more severely, and more justly, censured, for having been the plagiary of his own countrymen. Of this we may be convinced by the nume rous examples of lines, borrowed not only from the obscure poets of the time, such as Ennius, Pacuvius, Accius, and Suevius, but from the more illustrious Lucretius, Catullus, Varius, and Furius. We have not the productions of the two latter, which of Varius is to be regretted, as, from an expression of Horace, he appears to have possessed a genius peculiarly formed for the epic. Virgil so little concealed these larcenies, that he boasted of having extracted gold from the dung-hill of Eunius. This expression does not appear strictly just from the specimens which we have of the latter poet, collected from the quotations of ancient authors. There is in them all evidently a bad taste, and a style which proves that the language in his time had not attained the purity of the Augustan æra: but the many beautiful expressions and truly poetical ideas with which he has furnished Virgil, also prove that Ennius possessed the talent for which Quint lian so warmly commends him, and justi fies the veneration which Scipio Africanus, no unenlightened judge, always enter tained of him. There are still more flagrant proofs of Virgil's plagiarışın. It does not appear to be very generally known that the second Eneid, so universally admired, which presents the grand picture of the sack of Troy, was literally copied (pene ad verbum, is the expression of Macrobius) from a Greek poet, named Pisander, who wrote in verse a number of mythological tales. Macrobius spraks of this as a fact notorious in his time, even among children; and mentions P sander as a poet of the first order among

the Greeks. This we may easily credit, if that sublime description originated with him; and the loss of his works may be added to the long catalogue of losses which excite deep, but unavailing, regret.

The subject of the Æneid is, perhaps, more happy than that of the Iliad. Vir gil's design was to deduce the descent of Augustus and the Romans from Eneas and his companions. Nothing, certainly, could be more noble, nor better accord with the dignity of the epic; and at the same time nothing could be more flattering and interesting to the Roman people. The subject in itself was splendid. It presented to the poet a theme derived from the traditionary history of his own country. He was enabled to connect with it many of the scenes in Homer, and he was at liberty to adopt all his my thology. He could foretel, with prophetic pride, the future grandeur of the Romans, and he could describe Italy, and even Rome itself, in its ancient and fabulous state. The establishment of Ancas in Latium, perpetually obstructed by Juno, and not accomplished without a great diversity of events, of voyages and wars, furnished a proper intermixture of the -incidents of peace, and martial exploits. It presented also a more instructive lesson than that afforded by the Iliad. The professed subject of the Iliad is the anger of Achilles, with the consequences which it produced; and the moral to be inferred from them is, the danger of discord among the chiefs of nations. But this principle is not so forcibly presented to the imagination as the precept inculcated in the Eneid, That a virtuous person is ultimately successful, whatever may be the difficulties he has to contend with.' The original design of Homer is lost in the irregularity of his poem, and is defective by the poem ending at the death of Hector, instead of being protracted to the destruction of the city. The moral conveyed by the Eueid is more complete, and is fully accomplished at its close, for the death of Turnus and Amata leaves Eneas peaceable master of Latium and Lavinia.

It has long been a favourite opinion entertained by some critics, that the Eneid is to be considered as an allegorical poem, which has a constant reference to the character and reign of Augustus Caesar, and that, by drawing so perfect a character of its hero, Virgil designed to pay a fine compliment to the supposed virtues, and great qualities, of MONTHLY MAG., No. 158.

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But to imagine that he composed a long poem merely for a political purpose, is refining too much. He had sufficient motives as a poet to determine him in the choice of a subject, from its being, in itself, both great and pleasing, as being peculiarly suited to his genius, and calcu lated for a full display of his poetical powers.

All the distinguishing properties of the epic are perfectly preserved in the Æneid. The unity of action is no where violated. The settlement of Eneas in Italy by the order of the gods, which forms the subject of the poem, is always kept in view. The events which had taken place before the opening are very properly placed in a narrative recited by the hero; so that the real duration of the action does not exceed the time prescribed by the critics. The episodes are introduced in admirable connection with the main subject, and the nodus, or intrigue, is, according to the plan of ancient machinery, happily formed. The wrath of Juno, who opposes herself to the settlement of the Trojans in Italy, occasions all the difficulties which ob struct the undertaking, and connects the human with the celestial operations, throughout the poem. In these princi pal ingredients of an epic, Virgil has certainly composed his poem with great care, and evinced both art and judgment; but in the distribution and inanagement of his subject, he has not been so happy. All the beauties of the poem are confined to the first six books, and in th's decoration and improvement the puet evidently appears to have exhausted lus genius and his invention. The events of the latter books are tame and lifeless. The marriage of Eneas with Lavinia cannot interest us after the romantic love of Dido. The wars with the Latins, occasioned by a trivial incident, chill the imagination, hitherto warmed by the grand description of the destruction of Troy. The battles are far inferior to those of Homer, in fire and sublimity:

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