reached only his forty-fifth year. As an actor Emery had scarcely a competitor in his day, and left no successor possessing, as he did, a natural and rich humour, untainted by vapid trickery or grimace. He was strikingly effective in serious characters, and his Robert Tyke, in the School of Reform, was a masterpiece of acting. Many an old actor has been encountered in the course of these "visits," upon whom could be traced the marks of sixty or seventy summers; but poor John Emery was suddenly snatched from the footlights in the prime of his life. There is a tablet to his memory in the south aisle of St. Andrew's church.

We have now to visit another church which the fertile genius of Wren assisted in giving to the metropolis-that of St. Clement Danes. To reach this from St. Andrew's we will ascend Holborn Hill, and pass through Lincoln's Inn Fields, the name of which is derived from the founder of the adjacent inn, Henry Lacy, Earl of Lincoln, who died here in 1312. It was in these "Fields" that William Lord Russell lost his head upon the block in 1683. Tradition has a story that Ben Jonson worked here as a bricklayer on the garden-wall next to Chancery Lane. Aubrey is an authority for this story, and Fuller also says, "He helped in the building of the new structure of Lincoln's Inn, where, having a trowel in his hand, he had a book in his pocket." Gifford, however, in his edition of Jonson's works, denies that the poet ever worked as a bricklayer, and treats the entire story as a "figment." In that little thoroughfare opening on the western side (Dukestreet) Benjamin Franklin occupied apartments when employed in the neighbourhood as a journeyman printer.

We will for a few moments turn into Portugal-street, on the south side of the square, and so named in compliment to the queen of Charles II. Here stood the Duke's Theatre; and here, consequently, Congreve, Betterton, and Mrs. Bracegirdle-over whose ashes we have paused in Westminster Abbey-frequently acted before Charles and his gay court. That inclosure on the side opposite to where the theatre stood, the site of which now forms part of the hall of the College of Surgeons, was long the upper burying-ground of the parish of St. Clement Danes; and here were interred the remains of the world-renowned

JOSEPH MILLER.

The first notice of the stage career of this parent of all orphan jests appears in a bill announcing the performance of The Constant Couple, in which he played Young Clincher. This was in 1715. His last appearance upon the stage was on the 30th of May, 1738, when he played the parts of Clodpole (Amorous Widow), and the Miller (King and the Miller of Mansfield). He was such a favourite at court that Caroline, queen of George II., commanded a play for his benefit, and disposed of a great many tickets at one of her drawing-rooms. He died on the 15th of August, 1738, having then reached his fiftyfourth year. The stone which once marked his grave has been preserved: its inscription is as follows:

"Here lye the remains of

Honest Joe Miller,

WHO WAS

A tender Husband,
A sincere Friend,

H

A facetious Companion,

And an excellent Comedian.

He departed this life the 15th day of August, 1738, aged 54 years. If humour, wit, and honesty could save

66

The humorous, witty, honest, from the grave,
The grave had not so soon this tenant found,
Whom honesty, and wit, and humour crown'd.
Could but esteem and love preserve our breath,
And guard us longer from the stroke of Death,
The stroke of Death on him had later fell,

Whom all mankind esteem'd and loved so well."

These lines are attributed to Stephen Duck, the thrasher poet."

Miller was not the wit for which he has received the credit of posterity. He was accustomed to visit "the Black Jack," in Portsmouth-street, where numerous tradesmen were wont to assemble and exercise their mirthful fancies. Their pleasantry, however, fell harmless upon the ears of Joseph Miller, whose taciturn countenance relaxed not from its accustomed gravity From this peculiarity his name (lucus à non lucendo) became linked with some of the jests of the day, a collection of which was made at his death by John Mottley, the author of several dramatic pieces. To this collection the name of "Joe Miller" was appended, and the work was published for the benefit of his family. The first edition appeared in December, 1738 (the year of Miller's death), although no date was affixed to it. A copy of this edition, at the Bindley sale, was sold for eleven pounds five shillings.

Previously to visiting the church of St. Clement Danes let us enter Chancery Lane, the great legal thoroughfare of London. A few doors from Fleet-street, on the left-hand side, is the site of the shop of Izaak Walton,—

Except himself."

The shop of the respected hosier has long been swept away. In a house which abutted upon Sergeants' Inn, but which has likewise disappeared, the poet Cowley was born; and Cowper was at one time here located in the capacity of an attorney's clerk.

We have now reached the bottom of Chancery Lane, and, crossing Fleet-street to the Inner Temple gate, at the bottom of the Lane is the

TEMPLE CHURCH.

This round, half-fortress-looking structure was founded by the Templars, the famous warriors, whose professed object was to " conquer the Holy Land, and to befriend all oppressed Christians." These knights of old blended piety with military skill and courage, and formed a mighty fellowship known through every country of Christian Europe. It was in the year 1128 that this band of men established themselves in London, their first house being in Holborn the spot now occupied by Southampton Buildings-whence they removed to the present site, where they erected this beautiful church and other buildings on a scale of great splendour. The church was consecrated in 1185 by Heraclius, patriarch of Jerusalem, whose presence in this country was owing to a battle fought on the banks of the Jordan in 1179, when the Knight Templars were almost all annihilated by Saladin, and the grand master taken prisoner. To seek fresh aid throughout Europe was the object of the visit of Heraclius to England. The order of the Templars was finally

abolished in 1312: the site and shortly after became the property law, who have enjoyed the same fo centuries.

"Where now the studious lawye There whilom wont the Templ Till they decay'd through pride The Temple suffered greatly i Tyler, and narrowly escaped destr century, during the outbreak und tions were subsequently effected, name of "improvements." In 1 of restoration was commenced in t years later the present interestin was completed. There, on the f figures of Crusaders "in cross stretched;" whilst from the entran the altar, there is presented, on a s the great ecclesiastical structures o

Connected with the Temple wer Gower, and Spenser. The learne came from Oxford to the Inner cincts ultimately found a grave. inhabited the Temple we might of Dorset, one of the authors of English tragedy; Beaumont, Cor mund Burke, and Cowper. Samu resided on the first floor of the hou Lane, taken down in 1857. The troduced to him, and subsequently "found the giant in his den."