composed most of his dramatic pieces. In this street also, in 1763, died the celebrated George Psalmanazer. Within a short distance from Old Street stood Grub Street, now Milton Street, the supposititious residence of needy authors, and so often the subject of ridicule and satire, both in prose and verse, as almost to be rendered classic ground.' "A spot near Cripplegate extends; Grub Street 'tis called, the modern Pindus, Where (but that bards are never friends) Bards might shake hands from adverse windows." - Fames Smith. In this street lived John Fox, author of the "Book of Martyrs." Here also, according to Pennant, lived and died the "very remarkable Henry Welby, Esq., of Lincolnshire, who lived in his house in this street forty-four years, without ever being seen by any human being." He was a man possessed of large property, but his brother having made an attempt to kill him, it produced such an effect on his mind that he determined to seclude himself entirely from the world. For nearly half a century all that was known of 'Grub Street, n. s., originally the name of a street near Moorfields, in London, much inhabited by writers of small histories, dictionaries, and temporary poems, whence any mean production is called Grub Street. — Johnson's Dictionary. - Let Budgell charge low Grub Street with his quill. — Pope. I'd sooner ballads write, and Grub Street lays. - Gay. him were his extensive and munificent charities. He died on the 29th of October, 1636. In Moorfields was born John Hoole, the translator of Tasso and Metastasio, and in Grub Street he received his education. Happening to mention the latter circumstance when in company with Doctor Johnson, "Sir," said Johnson, "you have been regularly educated." Johnson having inquired who was his instructor, and Hoole having answered, "My uncle, sir, who was a tailor," Johnson, recollecting himself, said, "Sir, I knew him; we called him the metaphysical tailor; he was of a club in Old Street, with me and George Psalmanazer and some others; but pray, sir, was he a good tailor?" Hoole having replied that he believed he was too mathematical, and used to draw squares and triangles on his shop-board, so that he did not excel in the cut of a coat, "I am sorry for it," said Johnson, "for I would have every man to be master of his own business." Boswell informs us that from this period Doctor Johnson used frequently to jest with Hoole on his literary connection with Grub Street. 66 'Sir," he used often to say, "let you and I go together and eat a beefsteak in Grub Street." CHAPTER XIII. ST. GILES'S CRIPPLEGATE, BARBERS' HALL, FORTUNE THEATRE. Monkwell Street Antiquity of St. Giles's Cripplegate Church - Celebrated Men Street - Sion College - Wood Street LET us now retrace our steps to London Wall, and stroll into the interesting and venerable church of St. Giles's Cripplegate. There are few religious edifices in London through which the poet, the antiquary, or the historian may wander with greater pleasure or quit with greater regret. The church of St. Giles "without Cripplegate” was originally founded about the year 1900, by Alfune, Bishop of London, and dedicated by him to St. Egidius, or St. Giles, a wealthy native saint 318 of Athens, whose tenderness of heart is said to have been so great, that, having expended his whole fortune in acts of charity, he gave the coat on his back to a sick beggar whom he had no other means of relieving. In 1545 the old church was injured by fire, but was shortly afterward repaired and partially rebuilt. The name of Cripplegate was derived from the neighbouring postern, or Cripple-gate, so called, according to Stow, from the number of cripples who were in the daily habit of assembling there for the purpose of begging alms from those who passed into or out of the city. The great interest possessed by St. Giles's Church is from its historical associations, from the many celebrated men who lie buried beneath its roof, and lastly, from the very interesting remains of the old fortified wall, which can only be seen by a visit to its gloomy churchyard. In the south aisle is the monument of the celebrated antiquary, John Speed, who, as the Latin inscription on it informs us,' died on 1 "Piæ Memoriæ charissimorum Parentum, Johannis Speed, Civis Londinensis, Mercatorum Scissorum Fratris, Servi fidelissimi Regiarum Majestatum Elisabethæ, Jacobi, et Caroli nunc superstitis. Terrarum nostrarum Geographi accurati, et fidi Antiquitatis, Britannica Historiographi, Genealogiæ Sacræ elegantissimi Delineatoris. Qui postquam annos 77 superaverat, non tam morbo confectus, quam mortalitatis tædio lassatus, corpore se levavit Julii 28, 1629, et jucundissimo Redemptoris sui desiderio sursum elatus carnem hic in custodiam posuit, denuo cum Christus venerit, recepturus," etc. the 28th of July, 1629, and was buried within the church. His monument, of marble, consists of a bust, which was once gilt and painted, representing the old antiquary with his right hand resting upon a book and his left upon a skull. Another monument in the south aisle is a mural tablet in memory of Robert Glover, the wellknown antiquary and herald, who died in 1588. The tablet contains a long Latin inscription, commemorative of his genius and indefatigable diligence, his blameless life and pious end. At the west end of the north aisle is a simple tablet to the memory of John Fox, the author of the "Book of Martyrs," who died in the neighbourhood in April, 1587, and who is believed to have been buried on the south side of the chancel.' The fact is well known that after Fox was reduced in circumstances, he lived for a considerable time in the house of Sir Thomas Lucy, of Charlecote, in Warwickshire, as tutor to his sons, and consequently it is not a little interesting to find "Christo, S. S. Johanni Foxo, Ecclesiæ Anglicanæ Martyrologo fidelissimo, Antiquitatis Historica Indagatori sagacissimo, Evangelicæ Veritatis Propugnatori acerrimo, Thaumaturgo admirabili; qui Martyres Marianos, tanquam Phoenices, ex cineribus redivivos præstitit; Patri suo omni pietatis officio imprimis colendo, Samuel Foxus, illius primogenitus, hoc Monumentum posuit, non sine lachrymis. Obiit die 18 Mens. April. An. Dom. 1587, jam septuagenarius. Vita vitæ mortalis est, spes vitæ immortalis." The inscription is perfect only as far as the word "hoc." |