New Church at St. James's, elegantly built; the altar was especialy adorn'd, the white marble enclosure curiously and richly carved, the flowers and garlands about the walls, by Mr. Gibbons, in wood; a pelican, with her young at her breast, just over the altar, in the carv'd compartment and border, invironing the purple velvet fringed, with I. H. S. richly embroder'd, and most noble plate, were given by Sir R. Geere, to the value (as was said) of £200. There was no altar any where in England, nor has there been any abroad, more handsomely adorned."

BLACK FRIARS, NEAR HOLBORN.-LINCOLN'S INN,

ON part of the ground now occupied by Lincoln's Inn, the Friars Preachers, or Black Friars, had formerly an establishment, or House, as the phrase was. That Order first came into England, in 1221, and settled "without the Wall of the City, by Oldbourne, near unto the old Temple." Hubert de Burgh, Earl of Kent, was a great benefactor to this foundation, to which he gave his palace at Westminster, and was afterwards buried in their church; Margaret, the widow of Geffery, Earl Marshall, and sister to the King of Scotland, was also interred there. "In the yeere 1250," says Stow, "the Fryers of this Order of Preachers, thorough Christendome, and from Jersusalem, were by a Conuocation assembled together, at this their house by Oldbourne, to entreat of their estate, to the number of 400, hauing meate and drinke found them of Almes, because they had no possessions of

their owne. The first day the King came to their Chapter, found them meate and drinke, and dined with them. Another day the Quéene found them meate and drinke; afterward the Bishop of London, then the Abbot of Westminster, of S. Albans, Waltham, and others. In the yeere 1276, Gregory Rokesley, Maior, and the Barons of London, granted, and gave to Robert Kilwerby, Archbishop of Canterburie, two lanes or waies next the street of Baynards Castell, and the Tower of Mountfichet to be destroyed. On the which place the said Robert builded the late new Church, with the rest of the Stones that were left of the said Tower. And thus the Black Fryers left their Church and House by Oldbourne, and departed to their new."*

In the 16th of Edward the First, the old House of the Black Fryars was given by the King to Henry de Lacy, Earl of Lincoln, on the grounds or site of which he erected an Inn, where he frequently resided and died in 1310. Tradition says, that this Earl being " a person well affected to the study of the Law" assigned Lincoln's Inn, as it was called, to the Professors of the Law, as a residence; and they afterwards acquired a considerable part of the adjoining demesne, southward, of the Bishops of Chichester.† That estate had originally belonged to a John Herlirum, or Herlizini, but having been forfeited to Henry the Third, was granted by him

*Stow's "Survey," p. 825; edit. 1618.

+ Chichester Place, on the west side of Chancery Lane, and Bishop's Court, opposite to it on the east side, still indicate the exact site of the ancient Palace and Gardens of the Bishop of Chichester.

in 1228, to Ralph de Nova Villa, or Neville, Lord Chancellor and Bishop of Chichester. Richard Sampson, who held that See in Henry the Eighth's reign, sold the inheritance of this House, with an attached Garden, called Cotterel Garden, to the brothers William and Eustace Sulgard, who were eminent legal practitioners, and his grant was confirmed by the Dean and Chapter of Chichester. Sir Edward Sulgard, knt. the son and heir of Eustace, conveyed the whole, in the 22nd of Elizabeth's reign, to the Benchers and Society of Lincoln's Inn, in fee, for the sum of £520.

The most ancient part of Lincoln's Inn, is the Hall, which was erected in 1506: it is 62 feet in length, and 32 feet in breadth; the windows, which are in the pointed style, contain numerous coats of arms. At the upper end, over the bench occupied by the Lord Chancellor, who occasionally holds his court here, is Hogarth's picture of Paul before Felix. The Gatehouse in Chancery-lane was erected in 1518, by Sir Thomas Lovel, knt., a fellow of, and also a great benefactor to, this Inn; but its venerable appearance has been much deteriorated by the modern alterations of the windows. It is a brick building, with square towers on the flanks; over the pointed archway, towards the street, are the royal arms, with those of De Lacy on the dexter, and of Sir Thomas Lovel on the sinister side; underneath is the date 1518. The Chapel was erected in 1623, from the designs of Inigo Jones, but in 1791 it underwent great alterations and repairs, under the superintendence of Mr. Wyatt. In the windows are many emblazoned coats of arms. Underneath