In a straight line with this street is Blackfriars Bridge, repaired in an elegant and substantial manner in 1840 by the corporation of London. The first stone of this bridge was laid on the 30th of October, 1760, and it was completed in about eight years, from the designs of Mr. Robert Mylne, the architect, at an expense of 152,840l. 3s. 10d. It consists of nine arches, the centre of which is 100 feet wide. The view of London from this bridge is exceedingly beautiful: at no other spot can the magnificent cathedral of St. Paul's be seen to so much advantage, with the innumerable spires rising in every direction around it. The cathedral, stout and plethoric-looking-the spires, taper and half-famished in appearance—

lackfriars Bridge-Order of the Black Friars-Queen Katherine's Trial and her Defence-The fatal Vespers in Blackfriars-Theatre in BlackfriarsLudgate-hill-Bowyers' Row-Lud's Gate-Romantic incident in the Life of Sir Stephen Forster-La Belle Sauvage-Sir Thomas Wyatt captured there The Old Bailey-Sydney House there-Newgate Prison-Sir Richard Whittington-Howard, the Philanthropist-Horrible state of this Prison formerly-The New Prison-Its improved condition-Awful Calamity at the Execution of Holloway and Haggarty-Oliver Goldsmith in Green Arbour Court-St. Sepulchre's Church-Its Churchyard-John Smith, Governor of Virginia-Singular bequest to the Sexton-The Sexton's Exhortation to dying Criminals-Giltspur Street Compter.

BLACKFRIARS BRIDGE was partly built and long supported out of the proceeds of a toll, as Waterloo Bridge and Southwark Bridge are at the present time; the only peculiarity in the mode of collection was, that passengers were made to pay double toll on Sunday. This bridge, it should be known, is inscribed to the memory of William Pitt, earl of Chatham. The following is a translation of the inscription upon two plates of tin, that are placed under the foundation stone with the coins:-"On the last day of October, in the year 1760, and in the beginning of the most auspicious reign of George III., Sir Thomas Chitty,

knight, lord mayor, laid the first stone of this bridge, undertaken by the common council of London amidst the rage of an extensive war (laté tum flagrante bello), for the public accommodation and ornament of the city, Robert Mylne being the architect. And that there might remain to posterity a monument of this city's affection to the man who, by the strength of his genius, the steadiness of his mind, and a certain kind of happy contagion of his probity and spirit, (under the divine favour, and fortunate auspices of George II.,) recovered, augmented, and secured the British empire, in Asia, Africa, and America, and restored the ancient reputation and influence of his country amongst the nations of Europe, the citizens of London have unanimously voted this bridge to be inscribed with the name of WILLIAM PITT." The oll-gates at Blackfriars were among the edifices that suffered in the awful No-Popery riot of Lord George Gordon's followers. They were burned down for the sake of the plunder, as it was supposed there were considerable sums of ready money there, the produce of the tolls. Some lives were lost there and one man who was shot ran howling for thirty or forty yards, and then dropped down dead.

The bridge, which it was the original intention of the corporation of London to name Pitt's Bridge, takes its present appellation from the ancient priory and palace of the Black Friars, which stood a little to the eastward of Chatham Place, and nearly opposite the palace of Bridewell, to which, as we have already mentioned in our account of the latter, a gallery of communication was made for the convenience of the emperor, on his visit to Henry VIII.

The Black Friars, or Dominicans, who gave their name to this part of London, made their first appearance in England about the year 1221. They had their priory in 1250, near Holborn, on the site of the present Lincoln's Inn, whence they removed, in the reign of Edward I. to the banks of the Thames, where it is stated they built "a stately new priory." The order continued to inhabit this edifice until the reign of Henry VIII., when it was converted into a palace. A parliament was held in the priory of the Black Friars in the time of Henry VI., and again on the 15th of April, 1524, when the famous subsidy of 800,000l. was demanded by Henry VIII. to be raised on goods and lands, at four shillings in the pound. The amount of this property tax somewhat startled the nation, and the demand was reduced. The tax, as finally agreed upon, was 66 two shillings in the pound upon the goods and lands of those who were worth 207.,

or might dispend 207. in the year, with a progressive increase of the rate upon all incomes above that average.' This parliament was called the Black Parliament.

Here also, as has been cursorily stated in our account of the opposite palace of Bridewell, took place the celebrated proceedings between Henry VIII. and his queen Katharine, which our immortal dramatist has so beautifully portrayed in act 2, scene 4, of his "Henry VIII." The first speech which he puts into the mouth of the queen, is a paraphrase of the speech she actually made, as reported in Hall's "Chronicle," where the bard found it, and which has been transcribed in Stow's "Annals." Everybody reads Shakspeare, but everybody does not read the old black-letter chronicles; and it may not be immaterial to quote the speech, that the lovers of Shakspeare may compare the two.

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"The judges," says Hall, and after him Stow, "commanded the crier to proclaim silence while their commission was read, both to the court and the people assembled. That done, the scribes commanded the crier to call the king by the name of King Henry of England, come into court,' &c. With that the king answered, and said, 'Here.' Then he called the queen, by the name of Katharine, queen of England, come into court,' &c. Who made no answer, but rose incontinent out of her chair, and because she could not come to the king directly, for the distance secured between them, she went about by the court and came to the king, kneeling down at his feet, in the sight of all the court and people, to whom she said in effect these words as followeth Sir,' quoth she, 'I desire you to do me justice and right, and take some pity upon me, for I am a poor woman and a stranger, born out of your dominion, having here so indifferent counsel, and less assurance of friendship. Alas! Sir, in what have I offended you? or what occasion of displeasure have I showed you, intending thus to put me from you after this sort? I take God to my judge, I have been to you a true and humble wife,-ever conformable to your will and pleasure; that never contraryed or gainsaid any thing thereof, and being always contented with all things wherein you had any delight or dalliance, whether little or much, without grudge or countenance of discontent or displeasure. I loved for your sake all them you loved, whether I had cause or no cause; whether they were my friends or my enemies. I have been your wife these twenty years or more, and you have had by me divers children; and when ye had me at the first, I take God to be judge, that I was

a very maid, and whether it be true or not, I put it to your conscience. If there be any just cause that you can allege against me, either of dishonesty or matter lawful, to put me from you, I am content to depart to my shame and rebuke; and if there be none, then I pray you to let me have justice at your hand. The king, your father, was in his time of such excellent wit, that he was accounted among all men for wisdom to be a second Solomon; and the King of Spain my father, Ferdinand, was reckoned one of the wisest princes that reigned in Spain many years before. It is not therefore to be doubted but that they had gathered as wise counsellors unto them of every realm, as to their wisdoms they thought meet; and as to me seemeth, there were in those days, as wise and well-learned in both realms, as now at this day, who thought the marriage between you and me good and lawful. Therefore it is a wonder to me to hear what new inventions are now invented against me, that never intended but honesty, and now to cause me to stand to the order and judgment of this court. Ye should (as seemeth me) do me much wrong, for ye may condemn me for lack of answer, having no counsel but such as ye have assigned me: ye must consider that they cannot but be indifferent on my part, when they be your own subjects, and such as ye have taken and chosen out of your council, whereunto they be privy, and dare not disclose your will and intent. Therefore, humbly desire you in the way of charity, to spare me, until I may know what counsel and advice my friends in Spain will advertise me to take; and if you will not, then your pleasure be fulfilled.' With that she rose up, making a low curtsey to the king, and departed from thence; people supposing that she would have resorted again to her former place, but she took her way straight out of the court, leaning upon the arm of one of her servants, who was her receiver-general, called Master Griffith. The king, being advertised that she was ready to go out of the house where the court was kept, commanded the crier to call her again by these words, Katharine, queen of England,' &c. With that, quoth Master Griffith, Madam, ye be called again.' 'On! on quoth she, it maketh no matter, it is no indifferent (impartial) court for me, therefore I will not tarry,―go on your ways.' And thus she departed without any further answer at that time, or any other, and never would appear after in any court.'

Early in the following century a dreadful event happened within the precincts of the dissolved monastery of the Black

Friars. The circumstances are related in a pamphlet, by the Rev. Samuel Clark, pastor of Benet Fink, intituled "The Fatal Vespers, a true and full narrative of that signal judgment of God upon the Papists, by the fall of the house in Blackfriars, London, upon the 5th of November, 1623." The event hap pened on the 26th of October, old style, or the 5th of November, new style, and in the popular prejudice against the catholics in England, it was thought to be a judgment upon the professors of that faith, for their participation in the guilt of Guy Fawkes and the other conspirators of the famous Gunpowder Plot. The French ambassador, the Count de Tillier, who resided within the precincts of Blackfriars, allowed a building attached to the gate of his house to be used as a chapel for the celebration of the catholic ritual. On the evening of the 26th of October, upwards of 300 persons assembled in an upper room of this building, to hear a sermon preached by Father Drury, a jesuit. In the midst of his discourse, the flooring of the room gave way, and the whole of the unhappy persons were precipitated to the floor beneath, which also gave way beneath the weight, and carried them headlong to the lower story, which, being built on strong stone arches, remained firm. Assistance was immediately rendered; the dead, and the dying, and the maimed were taken from the ruins; and it was found that no less than 91 persons-some accounts say 94-men, women, and children, had been killed, including the preacher himself, and two other jesuits. Many others, the number of whom was never correctly ascertained, were maimed for life, and very few escaped without hurt altogether. One Dr. Gouge, an eye-witness, quoted by the Rev. Samuel Clark in his bigoted and uncharitable pamphlet, says: "On the Lord's day at night, when they fell, there were numbered 91 dead bodies; but many of them were secretly conveyed away in the night, there being a pair of water-stairs, leading from the garden appertaining unto the house to the Thames. Of those that were carried away, some were buried in a burying-place within the Spanish ambassador's house in Holborn, amongst whom the Lady Webb was one, the Lady Blackstone's daughter another, and one Mistress Udal a third," Various others were taken by their friends, and buried in different parts of London. "For the corpses remaining," continues Dr. Gouge, "two great pits were digged, one in the fore court of the said French ambassador's house, eighteen feet long and twelve feet broad; the other in the garden behind the house, twelve feet long and eight feet broad, In the former