It was so called, because it was constructed in Holland, entirely of wood, and, being brought over in pieces, was erected in this place with wooden pegs only, not a single nail being used in the whole fabric. Its situation is even yet pointed out by the seventh and eighth arches of London Bridge, from the Southwark end, being still called the draw lock, and the nonesuch lock. On the London side of the bridge, the Nonesuch House was partly joined to numerous small wooden dwellings, of about twenty-seven feet in depth, which hung over the parapet on each side, leaving, however, a clear space of twenty feet in the centre; though, over all these, its carved gables, cupolas, and gilded vanes, majestically towered. Two sun-dials, declining east and west, also crowned the top on the south side; on the former of which was painted the old and appropriate admonition of Time and Tide stay for no man;' though these ornaments do not appear to have been erected until the year 1681, in the mayoralty of Sir Patience Ward. We know not at what exact period London Bridge was first occupied by shops, but in the survey of bridge-lands, it appears very probable that some of the shops in the Bridge-street were actually erected on the bridge. Houses with distinguishing signs, however, must have been built upon this edifice at a very early period; for the first notice of one is in the fire which broke out at the Pannier, at the north end of the bridge, in 1504; whilst the next is not older than 1619, and occurs in a letter written October the 6th, by George Herbert, the pious author of the Temple, and printed at the end of Izaak Walton's Lives. The principal ancient residences of the London booksellers were— St. Paul's Churchyard, Little Britain, Paternoster-row, and London Bridge: the title-pages of many books showing that they were printed for publishers on the latter site. There were also chapels. The custom of erecting religious houses on bridges is certainly of great antiquity. A notable instance of this kind was on the bridge at Droitwich, where the road passed through the chapel and separated the congregation from the reading desk and pulpit. Another famous bridge-chapel is also to be found erected over the river Calder, at Wakefield, in the West Riding of Yorkshire. This beautiful fane was built by King Edward IV, in memory of his father, Richard, Duke of York, who was killed in the battle fought near Wakefield, on December the 31st, 1460. Markets, too, were held on London Bridge. In 1760, all the buildings on London Bridge were removed: but it is not for us to go through all the alterations and accidents which the author so circumstantially relates. We ought, however, to mention, that the history of the water-works-of the estates and their produce-of wages and salaries, showing the value of money-and of a multitude of other relative circum stances,-is replete with information, and must be esteemed of great importance by the citizens and corporate body of London. In January 1665-6 (as noticed by Pepys), a hurricane blew away the pales on London Bridge, upon which a jesting ballad was made at that time, and we quote it to prove how much has been stolen from it by later writers. Some Christian people all give ear Caused by the death of three children dear, And eke there befel an accident, By fault of a carpenter's son, Woe worth the time may Lon May London say: woe worth the carpenter! Would he were hanged up like a sarpent here For into the chips there fell a spark, That it was known into South-wark Which lies beyond the Thames. For loe! the bridge was wondrous high, O'er which as many fishes fly As birds therein do breathe. And yet the fire consumed the brigg, So many pewter dishes, That a man might have taken up very well And thus the bridge of London town, Thus you have all but half my song,- I'll tell you what the river's name's Where these children did slide-a, It was fair London's swiftest Thames, Which keeps both time and tide—a, All on the tenth of January, To the wonder of much people; 'Twas frozen o'er that well 'twould bear Almost a country steeple ! Three children sliding thereabout, Upon a place too thin: That so, at last, it did fall out, That they did all fall in. A great lord there was that laid with the king, He said it would bear a man for to slide, The king said it would break, and so it did, Of which, one's head was from his should- Who then cried out as loud as he could, 'Oh Lon-a, Lon-a, Lon-don, Oh, tut-tut-turn from thy sinful race!' I wonder that, in such a case, He had no more to say. And thus being drowned, alack, aláck! The water ran down their throats, And stopped their breath three hours by the clock, Before they could get any boats! Ye parents all that children have, And ye that have none yet, Preserve your children from the grave, For had these at a sermon been, Why then I never would have been seen, Even as a huntsman ties his dogs, God bless our noble parliament, God bless all the commons of this land, Howell the poet has some very bombastic verses in praise of the bridge-an imitation (with augmentation) of Sannazario's sonnet to the Bridge of Venice. It runs thus When Neptune from his billows London spyde, As if the Thames with Nile had changed her shore; Yet, notwithstanding this author's praises of the Bridge of the World,' as he calls it, he makes us acquainted with what may be considered as an ancient satire upon it; since he says, 'If London Bridge had fewer eyes, it would see far better.' The arches of this edifice, and the dangerous passage through them, have also given rise to another quaint saying, which is recorded in the Rev. J. Ray's Collection of Proverbs, and which is, 'London Bridge was made for wise men to go over, and fools to go under.' Astronomical Occurrences In MARCH 1829. SOLAR PHENOMENA. THE Sun enters Aries at 37 m. past 8 in the evening of the 20th of this month, and he rises and sets during the same period as in the following TABLE Of the Sun's Rising and Setting for every fifth Day. March 1st, Sun rises 35 m. after 6, sets 25 m. past 5 25 35 5 ...... 11th 15 .... 16th 5 6 The hour indicated by a good sun-dial being observed, and corrected by means of the corresponding equation of time, gives the hour which ought to be specified by a well-regulated clock, and consequently affords an easy method of ascertaining how much it is too fast or too slow, and of correcting it accordingly. TABLE Of the Equation of Time for every fifth Day. m. s. Sunday March 1st, to the time by the dial add 12 38 |