Lane, and was chiefly inhabited by "pepperers," or dealers in spice. The name of Sopar was derived from Allen le Sopar, the lord of some land here in the reign of Edward II. The street was also famous for pastry in the time of Henry VIII. The author of "The Lamentation against the city of London," in 1545, exclaims, "Thou must at Easter receive the God of AntiChrist, and thou must buy it and pay for it, as men sometimes bought pies in Sopar Lane."

CHAPTER XI.

Southwark Iron Bridge-Watling Street; course of this Roman WaySermon Lane, its original name-Labour-in-Vain Hill-Mansion of Mount Alto of Norfolk-Cordwainers' Hall-Broken Wharf; residence of the Earls of Norfolk, and Mansion of the Abbotts of Chertsey-St. Peter the Little, English Liturgy used there in Cromwell's time-Sir Thomas Ladbroke's mansion-Beaumont's Inn, afterwards Huntingdon HouseMosaic pavement discovered-Anecdote of Sir William Littlebury— Skinners' Hall-Festival of Corpus Christi-Walbrook-The Three Cranes in the Vintry-The Painted Tavern-Sumptuous Entertainment in the Vintry to the French and English Monarchs by the Lord MayorDowgate Hill-The old Roman Wall-The Tower Royal; the Queen's Wardrobe-Queen Joan retired there on Wat Tyler's insurrection— Richard III. there; ensdrtains there the King of Armenia-Queen Hithe, origin of the name-Cannon Street, its original name--The London Stone, incidents connected with.

THE lower part of Queen Street was formerly called Broad Lane. It was formed after the fire of 1666 as a continuation of Sopar Lane, and a more direct passage from the Guildhall to the Thames. There was a public stairs at the end, at which the lord mayor and sheriffs usually embarked, when they went in their state-barges to be sworn into office at Westminster Hall. Blackfriars Stairs were afterwards used for this purpose. At the extremity of this street is Southwark Iron Bridge, a beautiful structure, erected in 1818, from the designs of Mr. Rennie. It consists of three grand arches of cast iron, the centre one of which is 240 feet in span, and the side ones 210 feet each. is one of the narrowest portions of the Thames in London. view of London from the middle arch is very striking, although scarcely equal to that from Waterloo Bridge, of which we have already spoken.

This

The

Watling Street, which intersects Queen Street, is part of the ancient Roman way that traversed England from Dover to Cardigan. The name has been derived from Adeling, a nobleman,

from whence Watheling and Watling; but this does not seem very clear. The course of this road or street is thus represented by antiquaries:-It commenced at Dubris or Dover, and then continued over Barham Downs through Canterbury, it then crossed Harbledown, and passed by Broughton, Judde Hill, Stowe, Beacon Hill, Bapchild, and Sittingbourne, to the Roman station of Durolevum, the exact position of which has not been satisfactorily ascertained; thence up Chatham Hill to Durocolrivum or Rochester, where there was a ferry over the Medway; thence through Cobham Park, and on to the Roman station of Noviomagus, supposed to have been near Crayford, and over Bexley Heath, Shooter's Hill, and the borders of Blackheath, towards Lewisham, to Kent Street, Southwark. Here there was

a ferry from Dowgate Wharf, and the road continued by the street of which we are now speaking, by Aldersgate Street to Islington, and across the country, to Cardigan, by St. Alban's and Dunstable.

A little below Watling Street is Little Carter Lane, and beyond it Sermon Lane, a corruption of Sheremoniers' Lane, from a place appointed for preparing, cutting, and rounding the silver for the coiners in the Old Change; this building was called the Black Loft, and had four shops adjoining to it.

At the south-west angle of the Old Change, we meet with the parish church of Old Fish Street, a place so called, from being one of the resorts of fishmongers, and where two of their halls were situated. Labour-in-Vain Hill was formerly called Old Fish Street Hill, but received its new name from its steep ascent, and a court bearing that name. On the west side of this hill stood the ancient mansion of Mount Alto of Norfolk. In 1234, Ralph de Maydenstone, bishop of Hereford, purchased it of that family for his residence. The last Bishop of Hereford that lived in it repaired it in 1517, after which it was neglected and fell to ruin, the offices being converted into small tenements, and the principal apartments used for a sugar-house. The great fire levelled the whole, and the name is only preserved in the parish church of St. Mary Monthaw, built upon the site of the old chapel. William of Wickham, bishop of Winchester, lived in this parish in the reign of Richard II.

Cordwainers' Hall is situated at the top of Distar, corruptly called Distaff, and Maiden Lane. In the way to Basing Lane was the church of St. Margaret Moses, burnt down in 1666, and never re-built. Sir Richard Dobbs was buried here, who had so much praise from Bishop Ridley, for moving Edward VI. to the foundation of the city hospitals.

Passing Five Foot Lane, we come to Broken Wharf, so called from a great part of it having fallen into the Thames, and remaining unrepaired. Here was the residence of the ancient Earls of Norfolk. Hugh Bygod, in the forty-third of Henry III., was constable of the Tower; Lord Mowbray lived here; till at length, being deserted by its noble owners, the mansion was converted into the city brewhouse. The ancient hall was standing in Stow's time, and was still capacious enough for the occupation of Thomas Sutton, esq., founder of the Charter House Hospital. Opposite Broken Wharf is the parish church of St. Mary Somers Hithe, corruptly called Somerset. The first name it took from Somers Hythe or Wharf, belonging to a person named Somers. Near to Fig Lane is Boss Alley, from a boss, or water-course, similar to that at Billingsgate, erected by the executors of Sir Richard Whittington. Here also stood the city mansion of the abbots of Chertsey; afterwards inhabited by Lord Sandys.

Lambert Hall, adjacent, contains a handsome structure, formerly used as the Blacksmith's Hall, St. Peter the Little, or St. Peter's, Paul's Wharf, a small church which was remarkable for its persisting in the use of the liturgy of the church of England during Cromwell's time. For the accommodation of the bettermost sort of people at that time, we are told "the galleries were richly hung with Turkey carpets," &c. There are six almshouses on St. Peter's Hill, called Embroiderers' Almshouses, founded by David Smith, embroiderer to Queen Elizabeth; after the fire of London they were re-built by Sir Thomas Fitch, knight, and baronet, and formerly a bricklayer.

Opposite the north end of St. Peter's, is the handsome house, built for the town residence of Sir Robert Ladbroke, father of the city from 1758 to 1773, and a member in several parliaments. In Thames Street, opposite this hill, stood Beaumont's Inn, belonging to the noble family of that name in the reign of Edward IV. This mansion afterwards came to the family of Lord Hastings, and hence, being the inheritance of the noble family of Huntingdon, it was called Huntingdon House. The abbots of St. Mary at York lived on the east side of St. Peter's Lane; their house afterwards came into the possession of Sir Michael Hicks, knight, secretary to the lord treasurer Burleigh, under Queen Elizabeth.

During the repair of the sewers in 1839, the workmen found, about the middle of Queen Street, at a depth of nineteen feet below the surface, the remains of an elegant mosaic pavement, which belonged to a Roman dwelling-house. The position of this pavement showed that the earth had accumulated over the

On the east

original surface to a height exceeding fifteen feet. side of Queen Street, passing to College Hill, was anciently called Kerion's Lane, of one Kerion, its owner. Richard Chaucer, the father of the poet, citizen and vintner, gave to the church of St. Mary Aldermary, Bow Lane, his tenement and tavern, the corner of Kerion Lane. It is not certain that the father of English poetry was born here: some claim the honour of his birth-place for Oxfordshire, and some for Berkshire. Camden says he was born in London; and if so, most probably at the corner of this lane, in the house just mentioned.

Sir William Littlebury, alias Horn, so named by Edward IV. on account of his excellent blowing of the horn, was an inhabitant of this quarter, and distinguished himself by his legacies to the church of St. Thomas the Apostle, and several other places, which, Stow observes, were not performed, though his executors were charged with the same, as they should answer before God. This Sir William was the son of Thomas Horn, of Snaylewell, in Cambridgeshire, who was knighted on Bosworth Field by Henry VII.

Dowgate, Queenhithe, and the neighbourhood, were important places in old London, and claim some notice, as well as Cannon Street, in the same quarter.

The

The hall of the Skinners' Company is on Dowgate Hill. company was incorporated in the year 1327, and is of great note in the annals of London. A full and interesting account of them may be found in Mr. Herbert's " History of the Twelve Companies. It was customary for the Skinners to march in procession through the streets of London, on Corpus Christi day, every year, bearing, says Stow, "more than one hundred torches of wax, costly garnished, burning light; and above two hundred clerks and priests in surplices and copes, singing; after which came the sheriffs' servants, the clerks of the compters, chaplains for the sheriffs, the mayor's serjeants, the lord mayor and the aldermen in their robes of state, and the Skinners in their best liveries."

Near Dowgate, runs concealed into the Thames, the ancient Wal-brook, or river of Wells, mentioned in a charter of the Conqueror to the college of St. Martin-le-Grand. It rises to the north of Moorfields, and passed through London Wall, between Bishopsgate and Moorgate, and ran through the city; for a long time it was quite exposed, and had over it several bridges, which were maintained by the priors of certain religious houses, and others. Between two and three centuries ago it was vaulted over with brick, the top paved, and formed into the street

called Wal-brook, and, for a long time past, known only by

name.

The Three Cranes, in the Vintry, was the next wharf, which, in old times, by royal order, was allotted for the landing of wines, as the name imports. The cranes were the three machines used for the landing of the wines.

In the adjacent lane was the Painted Tavern, famous as early as the time of Richard II. In this neighbaurhood was the great house, called the Vintrie, with vast wine-vaults beneath. Here, in 1314, resided Sir John Gisors, lord mayor, and constable of the Tower. But the memorable feasting of another owner, Sir Henry Picard, vintner, lord mayor in 1356, must not be forgotten, who, "in one day did sumptuously feast Edward, king of England, John, king of France, the King of Cipres (then arrived in England), David, king of Scots, Edward, prince of Wales, with many noblemen and others; and after, the sayd Henry Picard kept his hall against all commers whosoeuer, that were willing to play at dice and hazard. In like manner the Lady Margaret, his wife, did also keepe her chamber to the same intent."

In the 13th volume of Chaucer, page 159, in Bell's edition of "The British Poets," is a poem in praise of Chaucer, written by one Henry Scogan, entitled "a Moral Ballad to the Prince, to the Duke of Clarence, the Duke of Bedford, the Duke of Gloucester, the king's son, by Henry Scogan, at a supper among the merchants, in the Vintry of London, in the house of Lewis John."

Dowgate Hill is at present occupied on each side with ware houses. Here it is said the obit or annual donation of John Brickles of bread and cheese, to the poor, is still distributed with the ceremony enjoined; for instance, the person who gives it away stands on the hearth of the apartment. The pious me mory of the donor and his wife is drunk in a cup of sack, and a Latin grace is pronounced on the occasion.

The excavations in progress in the city for improvements in the sewerage and for other public works, are continually affording new matters of interest to the antiquary. In June, 1839, the labourers engaged in deepening a sewer in Thames Street, opposite Vintners' Hall, in the middle of the street, at a depth of ten feet from the surface, discovered the perfect remains of an old Roman wall, running parallel with the line of the river. The wall was formed of alternate layers of flint, chalk, and flat tiles, and offered considerable obstructions to the workmen, from the firmness with which the materials were fixed together.

Close by Dowgate was a place called the Tower Royal, sup