farmed, and leased to the said Thomas Downton, one eighth part of a fourth part of all such gains in money as should thereafter, during the term of thirteen years, arise, grow, accrue, or become due, or properly belong to the said Philip Henslowe and Edward Alleyn, &c. for or by reason of any stage-playing, or other exercise, commodity or use whatsoever, used or to be used or exercised within the play-house of the said P. Henslowe and E. Alleyn, commonly called 'The Fortune,' situate and being between Whitecross Street, and Golding Lane, in the parish of St. Giles without Cripplegate, London, in the county of Middlesex, &c.

The condition upon, which this share was granted appears strict, with respect to Downton; for he was not only to pay ten shillings per year for rent, at four quarterly payments; and bear, pay, and discharge one equal eight part of a fourth part of all such necessary and needful charges as should be bestowed or laid forth in the new building or repairing of the play-house during thirteen years without fraud or covyn; but also, that he should not at any time during the term give over the faculty or quality of playing, but should in his own person, exercise the same to the best and most benefit he could within the play-house aforesaid, during the term, unless he should become unable, by reason of sickness, or any other infirmity, or with consent. Downton, also, was not at any time during the term to play or exercise the faculty of stage-playing in any common play-house then erected or to be erected within the said city of London, or two miles compass, other than in the said play-house called THE FORTUNE, without the special licence, will, consent, and agreement of Henslowe and Alleyn, or one of them, their, or one of their executors or assigns, first therefore had and obtained in writing under their hands and seals; nor was he to give, grant, bargain, sell, or otherwise do away any part of his place, without the licence of Henslowe and Alleyn, &c.

This Henslowe or Hinchloe, was Mr. Alleyn's father-inlaw, to whom, in February 1610, he sold the BEAR GARDEN in Southwark, for 960l. It had cost him for the purchase 2001. for the patent 250l. and having held it sixteen years at a rent of 60l. so that it had stood him in 14107.

The term of the above agreement was scarcely completed, when an accidental fire in 1621 consumed the building, with all the dresses, books, and other property.

It was soon rebuilt, and had a sign of the fickle goddess upon the front. In 1661 it was offered to sale, together with the ground on which it stood; and was represented large enough to afford room for twenty-three tenements with gardens, and a space for a street. Its present appearance is deplorable: the front of the house is divided into mean shops, and wretched apartments, and the street, now called Playhouse Yard, exhibits a contemptible miniature of Rag fair.

The following list of play-houses built in London and the suburbs, between the years 1570 and 1629, when that in White-Friars was finished, is extracted from Dodsley's Preface to his "Old Plays:" St. Paul's singing school; the Globe, on the Bank-side, Southwark; the Swan and Hope, in the same place; the Fortune, which Maitland asserts to be the first play-house erected in London; the Red Bull, in St. John's Street; the Cross Keys, Gracechurch Street; the Tuns; the Theatre; the Curtain; the Nursery, in Barbican; Black-Friars; White Friars; Salisbury Court; the Cock-pit, and the Phoenix in Drury Lane.

Mr. Stevens, in continuation observes, "that the Curtain was in Shoreditch, a part of which district still retains the name of The Curtain. The original sign hung out at this theatre, was the painting of a striped curtain. We learn, likewise, from Prynne's Histriomastrix, that in the time of queen Elizabeth there were two other play-houses, the one called the Bell Savage (situated very probably, on Ludgate Hill), the other in Bishopsgate Street; and Taylor, the water poet, in the "True Cause of the Waterman's Suit concerning Players, in 1613," mentions another Theatre called the Rose. On the opposite side of Golden Lane, a number of intricate streets lead to

BRIDGEWATER SQUARE;

which is small but neat, surrounded with plain, but handsome and convenient houses; the centre of the square is a grassplat, shaded with trees, and encompassed by iron rails.

This site was formerly occupied by BRIDGEWATER HOUSE, the mansion of the earls of that title, till a fire in 1687 destroyed all the premises, in which the honourable Charles and Thomas Egertons, sons of the earl, with their tutor, fell a prey to the devouring flames.

Mr. Evelyn tells us that this place in his time was celebrated for its orchards, & productive of such quantities of fruits as never were produced before nor after." This he attributed to the decrease of smoke, resulting from the scarcity of coal, when Newcastle had refused to supply the city with that article during the civil wars. He inveighs at the time with great indignation at the increase of that species of fuel; and at the introduction of so many manufactories, productive of smoke, which not only deformed our noblest build. ings with the sooty tinge, but also, from the quantity of coal, brought on catarrhs, coughs, and consumptions, in a degree unknown in Paris, and other cities which made use of wood only. His words are strong: "The city of London, resembles rather the face of mount Etna, the court of Vulcan Stromboli, or the suburbs of Hell, than an assembly of rational creatures, and the imperial seat of our incomparable monarch." The project of this good and able writer, of supplying London with wood fires, was certainly very humane; but, from the destruction of the woods, even in his days, was as little feasible as it would be at present.*

Through an alley at the north-west corner, we are led to Brackley Street, and Fan's Alley, in which is a private house a few years since belonging to a Mr. Rogers, and called Monmouth Hall. He was a yeoman of the guard to king George III. and having saved money in his situation, built this house, and gave it the name of Monmouth Hall, from the county in which he was born.

At the end of Fan's Alley, are the boundary posts of the city in ALDERSGATE STREET.

Lower down towards the south is an elegant house, the residence of the late THOMAS SKINNER, Esq. who, from a humble line of life, rose by probity and assiduity in his business of an auctioneer, and by the good opinion which he

Evelyn's Fumifugium. Pennant.

just!

justly merited from his fellow citizens, to the highest dignity in the city; and during the year 1795, when he was lord mayor, by his prudent conduct, maintained good order in the city whilst the state trials of Mr. John Horne Tooke, &c. took place at the Old Bailey, on charges of high treason. Mr. Alderman Skinner, had previously rendered himself valuable to his fellow citizens in his magisterial capacity on the following occasion.

On the 17th of May, 1790, between the hours of twelve and one in the morning, a dreadful fire happened near the corner of Long Lane, which destroyed all the houses to Carthusian Street, and property to the value of 30,000%. A person of the name of James Flindall, being detected and sentenced to transportation for stealing at the fire, caused a letter to be written to Mr. Skinner, offering to disclose all the horrid particulars of that calamity, provided the alderman procured his majesty's pardon. By the laudable exertions of the alderman, two accomplices were appre hended, and Flindall, the third accomplice, was admitted evidence for the crown; who disclosed a scene of most de, liberate and unparalleled villainy, the object of which was the concerted scheme of firing the premises in question, for the sake of the plunder. On the 30th of October, Edward Lowe and William Jobbins, were tried for the offence at the Old Bailey, and fully convicted. They were executed op. posite the place of their depredation, on the 20th of No. vember, and confessed the fact for which they suffered. An inscription in stone affixed in the corner house facing Bar. bican, records the transaction.

BARBICAN. We have very fully stated the nature of the watch tower, whence this street was called *. It had antiently been called Houndsditch, as a receptacle for the filth of the city, as was that before mentioned near Aldgate. An inquifition was made in the third year of the reign of Edward 1. concerning purprestures in the city, and concerning one Thomas Juvenal, "who had appropriated to himself of the king's soil without Le Barbekan, a certain place, conVol. I. p. 21.

VOL. III. No. 64.

taining forty feet in length, and four feet in breadth, and inclosed it with an earth wall: and master Nicolas Brabanzoun then held it. Upon this presentment, made by the jurates, the king's juftices commanded the sheriffs of London to summon the said Nicolas; who said, that he had nothing to do with, nor laid any claim to the said purpresture; but that he was tenant to Thomas Fitz-Simon de Burgh. The said Thomas came, and prayed that he might - arrent the same of the king for three-pence per annum, which was granted, because the twelve sworn men witnessed, that the said inclosure was no annoyance. And it was adjudged, that the king might recover the arrearages of the said purpresture, to wit three shillings. But no forfeiture, because it was not of the said Thomas's doing." It is evident that the Barbican, and all its appurtenances, was held by the king as one of his castles.

In the reign of Edward III. it was entrusted to the care of Robert de Ufford, earl of Suffolk. It had before this time been esteemed an antient royal manor, by the name of Base Court, or the Barbican; the house of which had been de troyed in 1251, but restored in favour of the earl of Suffolk. His son William, deceasing without issue, the custody of the Barbican descended to his sister Cecilia, married to Sir John Willoughby, afterwards created Lord Willoughby of Eresby. It descended from him to Catharine, widow of Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, in her own right baronefs Willoughby, of Eresby; and in the right of Mary I. wife of Richard Bertie, ancestor of the Duke of Ancaster, and of Lady Gwyder.

This lady, who was an enemy to, and ridiculed the doctrines of the church of Rome, had in her zeal, dressed a dog in a rochet; and, in affront to the notorious persecutor, Bishop Gardiner, given his name to that of a dog, in the reign of Edward VI. She was therefore marked for destruction by Mary and her coadjutors; on which lady Catharine and her husband, fled from their house in the Barbican, to the Continent, till the danger was over; and lived in a retired and distressed manner in Poland. During