The structure having also become in a very decayed and ruinous state, petitions were presented to parliament to re: build it, and a bill passed for that purpose, in consequence of which the first stone of the new fabric was laid in De cember 1788.

The present parish church of

ST. JAMES, CLERKENWELL,

was consecrated on the 10th of July, 1792, by Dr. Beilby Porteus, present bishop of London. The inside of the building is rather plain, without pillars, a flat ceiling, galleries, in one of which is a fine organ, by England. The altar-piece is under a blank Venetian window, and decorated with the representations of the various utensils of the Communion.

The exterior of the church is very plain, of brick and stone; on the south side are two wings, which project but a short way; within these are large entrances of the Doric order, over which are large arched windows, with quoins at the corners, a cornice, and balustrade. The east end is finished with a pediment; this and the north side is nearly enclosed by houses. The tower of the steeple at the

west end is of the Tuscan order, crowned by balustrades and vases. The lantern is octagon, a sexagon obelisk placed on balls, with a vane, terminates the whole. Within the tower are eight musical bells, and a clock.

In the old church were monuments to several eminent persons; particularly to Elizabeth, countess dowager of Exeter, who died in 1653, aged eighty years; several of the noble family of Booth, lords Delamere.

On a pillar, at the west end of the church, were these lines on a table, with a black frame, in memory of the learned antiquary Mr. John Weever, buried here:

Weever who labour'd in a learned Strain

To make Men long since dead to live again,
And with Expence of Oil and Ink did watch

From the Worms mouth the sleeping Corps to snatch
Hath by his Industry begot a way

Death (who insidiates all things) to betray,

Redeeming freely, by his Care and Cost,

Many a sad Herse, which Time long since gave lost;

And to forgotten Dust 'such Spirit did give,

To make it in our Memories to live;

For wheresoe'er a ruin'd Tomb he found,
His Pen hath built it new out of the Ground.
'Twixt Earth and him this Interchange we find,
She hath to him, he been to her like kind:
She was his Mother, he (a grateful Child)
Made her his Theme, in a large Work compil'd
Of Funeral Relicks, and brave Structures rear'd
On such as seem'd unto her most indear'd.
Alternately a Grave to him she lent,

O'er which his Book remains a Monument.

Mr. Weever on himself:.

Lancashire gave me Breath,

And Cambridge Education;
Middlesex gave me Death,

And this Church my Humation,
And Christ to me hath given
A Place with him in Heav'n,

Ætatis suæ 56.

On

On the north side of the chancel, a very large and curious old marble tomb, of the Gothic order; the middle part resting on five twisted marble columns, in appearance like a small cloyster, where laid the figure of Sir William Weston, carved in stone, in his shroud. The upper part of the tomb supported by two fine columns, each counter twisted in basso relievo; and in the middle between the columns on one brass plate, these words in an antient character:

Spes non me fallat quam in te semper habebam,
Virgo da facilem vot. natum pum atq; indicem.
And in another place more easterly these:

Ecce quem cernis semper tuo nomini devotum
Suscipe in sinum virgo Maria tuum.

The tomb and inscription were engraved in the Gentleman's Magazine for June 1788; and in Malcolm's Londinium Redivivus, vol. III. p. 212.

A grave-stone, with effigies in brass, and the following inscription, to the memory of the last prioress:

Hic jacet Isabella Sackevile, quæ fuit Priorissa nuper prioratus de Clerkenwell, tempore dissolutionis ejusdem Prioratus qua fuit 21 Octobris Anno Domini Millesimo quingentesimo Septuagesimo & An. Reg. Elizab. Dei Gratia, &c. duodecimo.

In this fabric were also interred the bodies of Dr. JOHN BELL, bishop of Worcester, 1543; and those of bishop BURNET, and his family.

The Monuments in the present church are, to the me mory of the Rev. WILLIAM SELLON, thirty-three years curate, who died July 18, 1790, aged sixty years. THOMAS CROSSE, Esq. 1712, a great benefactor to the church and school. HENRY PENTON, Esq. 1714. The first stands in the south-east corner of the church; and near it, on the wall, is an old tomb, to the memory of Sir WILLIAM WOOD, whose merits were thus exhibited in an epitaph against the south wall of the old church:

Sir William Wood lies very near this stone,

In's time of archery excell'd by none.

Few

Few were his equals. And this noble art
Hath suffered now in the most tender part.
Long did he love the honour of the bow,
To him long love tho' that alone did owe.
But how can art secure? Or what can save
Extreme old age from an appointed grave?
Surviving archery much thy loss lament,
That in respect bestow'd this monument,
Where whistling arrows did his worth proclaim,
And eternise his memory and his name.

Ob: Sep. 4. Anno Dom. 1691. Ætat. 82.

This monument was restored by the Toxopholite Society of London, 1791*.

The present curate is the rev. HENRY FOSTER, a popular preacher.

A roll of parchment in the possession of ABRAHAM RHODES, Esq. informs us that in 1619, the following persons of quality were residents in this parish. In CLERKENWELL CLOSE, ladies Willoughbie, Ryston, Price, Goldsmith, and the earl of Clanricard. On CLERKENWELL GREEN, Sir William Tresham, lady Browne, and Sir Wil liam Sands. Within ST. JOHN's, lord Burghley, Sir Justinian Lewyn, Sir Paul Tracey, Sir Francis Lovell, Sir Henry Mynnes, Sir Thomas Pelham, Sir Francis Co

Sir William was marshal to a society of archers, who incorporated themselves, about the year 1676, under the title of "Finsbury Ar chers," in honour of Katharine, the queen of Charles II. The marshal wore a badge of silver, with this circumscription: “ Reginæ Katharina Sagitarii ;" and the device on it was an archer drawing a bow in relief. The weight of the badge was twenty-five oz. five dwts.; and was given by contribution when the society was instituted. These Finsbury Archers revived the titles of duke of Shoreditch, earl of Pancras, &c. and therefore honoured their marshal with an imaginary knighthood. Mr. Granger had seen a print of this William Wood. Mr. Barrington, in his Memoir on Archery (Archeol. Vol. VII.) says, that the badge had on the reverse, the arms of England impaling Portugal, supported by two bowmen. Wood published a thin octavo volume of eighty pages (A. D. 1682) called "The Bowman's Glory," which, from the rage for archery a few years since, sold for one guinea and a half.-Pennant.

ningsby,

ningsby, lady Hubbard, lady Seckford, and Sir John An, drewes. In ST. JOHN'S LANE, Sir James Arthur Long, lady Cheteley, Sir Michael Stanhope, and Sir Anthony Barker. In ST. JOHN'S STREET, Sir Edward Clune, lord Sturton, and John Sotheron, Esq. one of the barons of his majesty's Exchequer *.

On the west side of Clerkenwell Green is situated THE SESSIONS HOUSE FOR THE COUNTY OF MIDdlesex.

This structure was built in place of one which stood facing the end of St. John's Lane, in St. John's Street, built by Sir Baptist Hicks, in 1612; but that fabric becoming ruinous, the justices applied to parliament to rebuild it in its present situation, in 1778; and a freehold piece of ground having been purchased for about 2000l. the present building was raised, the front of which is of stone, with a rustic basement. Four Ionic pillars, and two pilasters, support an architrave, frieze, and cornice, with a pediment above the pillars. The windows alternately

arched or flat. Over that in the centre is a medallion of George III.; the spaces over the others are filled with the implements of justice. The tympanum contains the arms of the county, and the roof is terminated by a done. The remainder of the structure is of brick.

At the lower end of Clerkenwell Green, in Ray Street, opposite Mutton Lane, is the celebrated fountain, deno

* In the British Museum is an official return of the residents and their rents, in 1677, by which it appears that the earl of Northampton had lands let at 1001. per annum; the earl of Clarendon, 1301.; lady Cropley, 801.; lady Weeks, 201.; lady Pollard, 401.; earl of Ailesbury, 301; alderman Richardson, 281.; Sir Thomas Davis, 661. The principal inhabitants, and the rents paid by them, were, Sir James Edwards, 251.; lady Porey, 181.; Sir William Bowles, knight and baronet, 241.; Sir Richard Chiverton, 451; lady Wright, 401.; William Thorowgood, Esq. 201.; Sir John North, his own, (121.); George Walsh, Esq. his own, (201.); William Wharwood, Esq. 231.; Sir William Palmer, 201.; lady Dormer, 401.; the earl of Ailesbury; lord Brockley; Erasmus Smith, Esq.; lieutenant-colonel Powell, 261; William Barker, Esq.; Henry Dacres, Esq. 101.; Sir Edward Smith, 201.; esquire Bruce, 201.; Dr. Rodgers, 271. col. Thompson, 201. &c. -Malcolm.

minated