Evans's) where the lean old wiry Colonel takes his boy for an evening's innocent amusement, spoilt at the end by a ribald song from Captain Costigan; and the veteran's fierce exit with bristling moustache and uplifted cane, "which," as the narrator said, "seemed to fall on the shoulders of every one of us"?

CHAPTER IV

St. Paul's Church-Cost and date of construction-Inigo Jones-Consecration ceremony--Dispute between the Earl of Bedford and the Vicar of the parish of St. Martin's-in-the-Fields-Criticisms on the church-First destructive fire-Celebrated persons buried thereThe churchyard-The Actors' Church-Tom King's coffee-house- The hustings: exciting scenes The "Finish "-Statue of Charles I. at Charing Cross.

THE parish church of St. Paul is perhaps the most interesting spot in the vicinity of Covent Garden. Built in 1633, it has suffered many vicissitudes, being on one occasion almost totally destroyed by fire. Fortunately it was completely restored, and it still dominates the busy market of to-day, as it has done since its erection.

It was built by Inigo Jones, to the order of Francis, Earl of Bedford. Pennant ascribes it to the second Earl-a statement which is contradicted by Horace Walpole, who writes: "I conclude Earl Francis, who

died in 1641, was the builder, as the church was not erected till after the Civil War began." Mr. Peter Cunningham agrees with Walpole, who was undoubtedly correct in his statement.

An old story with reference to this church, believed to have originated with Walpole, runs to the effect that the Earl did not wish to incur too great an expense in its construction, and so told the architect that he "did not wish for a building much bigger than a barn"; to which Jones is reported to have answered, "Then you shall have the handsomest barn in England."

The cost of the edifice was £4,500. To obtain the relative purchasing power of coin in those days, compared with that in our own, it is quite reasonable to multiply the sums by ten. The cost therefore was considerable. The building was not consecrated till 1638. The delay was caused by a dispute between the Earl and Mr. Bray, vicar of St. Martin's-in-the-Fields, as to the right of presentation.

"Londinium Redivivum " gives a full account of the proceedings, which were held before the King in Council at White

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hall on April 6, 1638, when a petition. addressed to His Majesty, and signed by one hundred inhabitants of Covent Garden, was read. The petition stated that the parish church of St. Martin's had become too small for the inhabitants of the newer neighbourhood of Covent Garden, which edifice was fit to be parochial, "whither the new inhabitants, without trouble of the other, might resort to their service of God."

The Earl gave it as his opinion that, as he had presented the ground and erected the church at his own cost, and promised £100 a year to the minister as an extra remuneration, he ought to be the Patron, and to nominate "a clerk" to the living. The Vicar, holding that Covent Garden and all its recently erected buildings were in the parish of St. Martin's, and that the new church, when consecrated, could not be made parochial without an express Act of Parliament, insisted on the right of nominating a curate himself, undertaking to allow him 100 marks a year. The decision was given in the Earl's favour, the King ordering a special Act to be