eldest son being always denominated, by courtesy lord Lewisham. An ancestor of the earls of Dartmouth was Thomas Legge, or as pronounced, Leggy, citizen and skinner, sheriff, and twice lord mayor of London, in the reign of Edward III.

Lewisham, on account of its length, has been subjected to the vulgar distinction of "long, lazy, lousy Lew isham," very undeservedly; its length is about a mile, interspersed with good houses, and gardens, the river forming a pleasant canal along the whole. The parish is of large extent, and the common between Blackheath and Sydenham, comprises nearly one thousand acres.

The church, dedicated to St. Mary, is a new and handsome structure, erected in 1774, and adorned with monuments to the memory of some of the family of Petrie; one of which, for Mrs. Anne Petrie, and her son, consisting of a bas-relief of white statuary marble, enclosed within a border of dove marble, representing, in figures of the natural size, the deceased lying on her death-bed, her rela. tions lamenting, was executed in Italy. The other, to the memory of Mrs. Margaret Petrie, who died in 1791, was executed by Banks, and represents her expiring in the arms of Religion, supported by Faith and Hope. In the vault, among others, is a memorial for Dr. George Stanhope, dean of Canterbury, and vicar of this church; and against the south wall, on the outside of the building, is a tablet in memory of the beneficent Abraham Colfe, minister, who died in 1657. Among the monuments in the church-yard is one to Benjamin Martyn, Esq. who died October 25, 1763, aged sixty-four. "He was the first promoter of the design of erecting a monument to the memory of Shakespeare, in Westminster Abbey, which was carried into execution by him, with the assistance of Dr. Mead and Mr. Pope, by the profits of a play; the prologue spoken on that occasion was wrote by him." There is also à monument to the rev. William Louth, M. A. brother to the learned bishop of Louth, vicar fifty five years.

K 2

There

There are several chapels of ease to this parish. Lew isham gave birth and sepulture to the excellent Dr. BRIAN DUPPA, bishop of Winchester, 1660. He is said to have received 50,000/. for fines' soon after his translation from Salisbury to Winton. It is certain that he remitted no less than 30,000l. to his tenants, and left 16,000l. to be expended in acts of charity and munificence. He left legacies to Christchurch, Oxford, of which he had been dean; and to All Souls, in that university, of which he had been fellow; as well as to the cathedrals of Chichester, Salisbury, and Winchester, of which he had been bishop; besides 300l. towards rebuilding St. Paul's cathedral. He also founded an almshouse at Richmond. He was such a pious prelate that the profligate Charles II. craved his blessing on his knees, as the bishop lay on his death-bed, in 1662. Bishop Duppa was author of several books of devotion and sermons. There is a head of him before his

"Holy Rules and Helps of Devotion."*

A considerable portion of Blackheath is in this parish, including Dartmouth Row, and Lewisham Hill. The earl of Dartmouth, in 1682, obtained the grant of a market to be held twice a week upon Blackheath, and two annual fairs. The market has been discontinued for many years; but the fairs, for cattle only, is held annually on the 12th of May, and the 11th of October.

SYDENHAM, a hamlet of Lewisham, is noted for its pleasant situation, and for the extensive views from its hill, which form the most beautiful, the most interesting, and enchanting scenes.

The chapel here was formerly a dissenting meeting house, rendered famous by the ministry of Dr. John Williams, author of the Greek Concordance, and other learned works, who was pastor here many years.

We quit this article by noticing the excellent Grammar School and Almshouses, founded by the reverend Mr. Abraham Colfe. The former for the education of thirty-one boys, five of whom were to be from Lewisham, ten from

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Greenwich, eight from Deptford, one from Lee, one from Charlton, three from Eltham, and three from Woolwich; in addition to which, every incumbent minister in the hundred of Blackheath, and of Chiselhurst, have the privilege of sending one son for education here. The master is to be examined and approved by the head masters of Westminster, St. Paul's, and Merchant Taylors Schools; by the president of Sion College, the ministers of the hundred of Blackheath, and of Chiselhurst; and to be chosen by them, in conjunction with the wardens of the Leathersellers Company, and the lord of the manor, who has the privi lege of nominating a Westminster scholar, to stand in election with one, two, or three candidates nominated by the other electors. The master is not to undertake any church duty, without leave of the trustees, by whom he may be displaced if he be guilty of any notorious behaviour.

The Almshouses are for six poor godly householders of this parish, sixty years of age and upwards, and able to say the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Commandments. Mr. Colfe also bequeathed other annual benefactions; besides founding an English school for thirty-one boys, to be taught reading, writing, psalm-singing, and the accidence. All the above foundations are under the guidance of the Leathersellers Company..

A school for girls was instituted in 1699, to which Dr. Stanhope bequeathed 150%. and his lady 50. To the interest of these sums are added two-thirds of the sacrament collections, amounting to a salary of twenty guineas per annum for the mistress, besides coals and candles.

At the entrance to the village, near the church, is a stately mansion, now used as a boarding school, which was built in 1680 by Sir John Letheullier, a rich Turkey merchant, and sheriff of London in 1674.

Returning to the great Kent road*, we arrive at

DEPTFORD.

This place does not feem to have been inhabited by, or

even

Horsley, in his Britannia Romana, p. 343, informs us, that in the year 1690, a Janus's head was found in the road to New Cross, near St.

Thomas's