Mr. URBAN,

IN

of their ftate before the hammer was lifted for their overthrow I fhall here infert. On the Weft face of the Northeaft mafs was another fmall opening, like the one above defcribed; and, between this mafs and the mafs to the South-east, were jambs on either hand, making part of a large arch-way. On the South-weft angle of the South-eaft mafs was a flight of fieps. At the fame time I was given to underftand a medal had been found, on which one of the labours of Hercules was reprefented, with a coin of Edward III. a skull, and various bones, &c.

July 17. N the Archæologia, vol. I. p. 89, Dr. Stukeley gives an account of going to view, Nov. 4, 1750, the Clochard or belfry in the Sanctuary, Weftmintler, built by Edward III. which was then pulling down in order to erect a new Market-houfe, with fome remarks upon the structure. Two plans of the basement and upper fiory, an elevation and fection, accompany his narrative. It is now nearly 55 years fince the deftruction of this molt curious and extraordinary erection took place, and we are now witnelling the demolition of that faid Market houfe for which It was remarked by fome one prethe Clochard fell. On this occafion fent that the ingenious Architect who there is brought out to our aftouifhed folately improved St. Margaret's Church, view the principal mnaffes of walls com- and who is now giving directions for poling the bafement Hory of the the annihilation of thefe wonderful reClochard, that had been left undiflies of the mafonic skill of our ancestors, turbed in order to fupport the pave ment in the area of the Market, and to give opportunity to make cellars around them. The Doctor's plans in fome measure agree with the remains before us. Thefe remains confit of four prodigious walls, each about 24 feet fquare, and 9 or 10 feet high, and are detached in a manner from each other by four spaces, 23 feet each. The different fronts and nearly with the four points of the compafs; and the centre of the work bears on a line with the third window (North fide) from the Weft Tower of the Abbey Church. On the Weft face of the North-weft mafs appears an arch-way flopped up with brick-work. On the South face of the faine is a final opening, one foot by two feet, with a flat arched head. The other three maffes have not any parti culars to mark them. Between the two Eaftern maffes the ground has been dug fome three or four feet, fhewing the foundation line. The face of the wall thus opened to fight, in point of fine-wrought mafonry is equal to the facing tones of the maffes above ground. In this part thus dug into was a quantity of water, with an accumulation of fand, which fuggefted an idea among the lookers-on that the Thames had originally flowed on this Eaftern fide of the building. The North fide ftands on a line with the avenue leading from the remnant columns of the gateway giving entrance into this part of the Sanctuary.

As I did not attend until much of these remains had been demolished, what information I received on the fpot

had no turn for Antiquities, as he had fhewn but little attention to fome curiofries dug up among the ruins in New Palace-Yard, or to the medal or coin found as above; and a long firing of other the like counts, to arraign him as no Antiquary. To this I gave it as my opinion, that he was a man properly qualified to fwesp away those veftiges of the glory of Edward's Architectural day; for, had he been of an enthufiaftic defcription, as favouring our old works, like a certain "Archi tect" whom we all know, it might have come to pafs that his plan for the new Seffions-houfe to be erected on this fpot could have been fo contrived as fill to have preferved these four maffes of wall for another 50 years, provided his projected fabrick ftands fo long as the late Market Quadrangle has done, the theme of profeffional admiration. If thefo maffes had been thus protected, what an excellent fchool of Masonry they would have proved, to inftruct young ftudents in the art of laying foundations and bafement ftories, against they came forth to practice in an age when a de fire to build for futurity might fet them to work, and with fome profpect of fuccefs! As it is, beholding with aftonishment this gigantic overthrow of Edward's walls by all the excellive force that mortal ftrength can accom plifh, as gunpowder, wedges, and every kind of rending inftrument, and at the fame time daily noticing with cons tempt modern stone-work uncramped, and taken afander by the fimple labour of the hand only, is it poffible but to repine on drawing comparitons between

the

Work

the fkill of former times, and the want of it in the paffing hour?

When I ponder on these four folid maffes of ftone-work, 24 feet diameter each, whereon was raifed an antient fquare Tower, and on the foundations now laying in Old Palace Yard of brick work, with fuperficial walls of two bricks and a half thick, in order to fupport modern octangular Tower, by way of fpecimen for a portion of a new House of Lords, I ftand amazed at the mutability of human art. Edward's Tower, that would have food for centuries to come, falls by the force of man; and that Tower which is about to adorn Old Palace Yard, and which may laft, no doubt, from the nature of its conftruction, our term of obfervation, will fall by the tooth of Time, even, perchance, before the eyes of thofe who now breathe are clofed!

which the Tranflator fuppofed to mean that he joined them all together to form a cage large enough to hold Cupid when caught.

But the fact is, that the reeds were ufed in former times for the purpose, not of encaging, but of catching the birds; and the mode appears to have been this: The fowler, having concealed himself among bushes or otherwife, rubbed bird-lime on the end of one reed, then added another and another reed to lengthen his rod, as our modern anglers do, with their jointed fifhing-rods, and fo continued adding unil it was of fufficient length to reach a bird at fome difiance from him, when he fuddenly firuck and caught the creature with the end which was fineared with bird-lime.

Many paffages might be quoted from the Antients to prove this: a few will fuffice.

Callida dum tacitâ crefcit arundo manu. MARTIAL, xiv. 218. Sublimem fequitur calamo crefcente vo

lucrem. SILIUS ITALICUS, vii. 677. Propertius (iv. 2) and Apuleius (Me. xi.) mention the joined reeds as a single rod, in the fame manner as we do an angling-rod, though composed of many pieces. J. CAREY.

P. S. I avail myfelf of this opportunity, to obferve (in antwer to numerous enquiries), that I am not the perfon who has recently advertifed certain

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drops" and " ointment;" and that I neither have nor ever had any concern, directly or indirectly, in the preparation, fale, or profits, of any quackmedicine whatever.

Mr. URBAN,

J. C.

July 16. IN anfier to D. H. p. 216, certaiuly prift Feme" is, took a wife:

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but as an explanation (that is, of the that feemingly odd expreffion), not a neceffity for the ufe and meaning of mere literal tranflation, was requested, it is hoped fome correfpondent (perhaps the learned Author of one or other of the two late Treatifes on Copyholds, neither of whom takes the leaft notice of that Report) will oblige your Law readers. It fhould feem not at all neceffary that the Executor fhould really take a wife, the better to enable him to furrender to "I. S.," and it cannot but be fuppofed that the expreffion has fome meaning.

1. H. p. 318, will pleafe to underftand, that the letters "I. S" introduced into the Report, did not mean any particular perlon: the executors were to feli the land to "I. S." that is, to any one that would purchale; or, as we fay now, to A. B. -to any body; for by the letters "I. S." we are only to fuppofe a perfon, and they are coufiantly made ufe of in all old Reports, and even of late years in the Chancery Reports.

The mode chalked out by J. H. muft be a round-about-way, as the copyholder (teftator) could have devifed immediately to "I. S." (when he would have more properly been called the devifee) inflead of devifing to his executors to fell and furrender to the purchaser.

E. G. I..

Mr.