"Neare unto this place are interred ye bodies of Bartholomew Saunders, Gent. and Marie his wife, daughter to Henry Oxenden, late of Wingham, Esq. deceased, having had iiii sons and two daughters; in memorie of whose parents, Henry Saunders, Esq. their eldest sonne, who married lane the eldest daughter of Thomas Paramore, Esq. hath caused this small monument to be erected, assuringe future ages confidently, that Religiously his parents lived, as man and wife should live, [tually did strive; To please each other next to God, ye muThey so well loved livinge, that the wife

Abrahamus Rutten, Prætoriano hujus Oppidi officio fungens, præfuit prudens, vixit probus, obiit pius, vitam hanc terrestrem cœlesti commutans, 16 Septembris, 1608, mense præfecturæ suæ decimo, an'o ætatis 43. Multiplici interim prole, septem nimirum masculis, sex fœmellis, è Susanna uxore ejus carissima, prospere prognatis; quæ hoc delectissimi defuncti conjugis memoriæ et amoris ergo posuit.

In the right aile of Canterbury Cathedral is this inscription, without date, to the memory of a person of the name of Barkeley:

He that's imprisoned in this narrow roome, Wer't not for custome, needs nor verse nor

tombe,

(Jan.

fame;

For

stone

That covers him, and to their fellowes crye, T' is here, t' is here about Barkeley doth lye. To build his toombe then is not thought soe

safe,

Whose virtue must outlive his epitaphe.

Also, in the Church of Battel in Sussex, in the middle aile, on an almost obliterated brass plate, is this inscription: Thomas Alfrage, good curteous frend, in

terred lyeth heere,

Who so in active life did passe, as none was found his peere;

And Elizabeth did take to wyfe, one Ambrose Comfort's child,

Who with hym thirty one yeares lyvid, ■ virtuous spouse, and mild, By whom a sonne and daughter eke, behind alyve he left, [hym of lyfe bereft. And eare he fiftie yeares had rune, death On newe yeares daye, of Christe his birth, which was just nighitie nine,

One thousand and five hundreth eke, loe here of flesh the fine.

But then his wofull wife of God, with piteous

praiers gann crave,

That her own corps wth husbands hers, might

joyne in darkso' grave.

And that her soule, his soule might seeke, amongst ye saints above, And there in endless blysse enjoye her long desired love,

The which our gracious God did graunt, to her of Marche ye last,

When after that devorcement sower, one yere and more was past.

In the chancel is a brass effigy of one of the Deans of this Church, and from the mouth on two labels, proceed

these lines:

Tædet animam meam vitæ meæ ; Cupio dissolvi et esse cum Christo. and underneath the figure,

Hic jacet Johannes Wythines, in prænobili civitate Cestria natus, et in Academiâ Oxon. educatus, ibique Ænei Nasi Collegii Socins, Sacræ Theologiæ Doctor, Academiæque Oxon. præd'c'ee Vicecancellarius, hujusque ecclesia de Battel XLII annos Decanus qui obiit xvIII die Martii, Anno Etatis suæ 84, et Salutis Humanæ 1615. Vixi dum volui, volui dum, Christe, volebas,

Nec mihi vita brevis, nec mihi longa fuit. Vivo tibi, moriorque tibi, dum, Christe, resurgam,

Mortuus et vivus, sum maneoque tuus.

1825.]

ST. BRIDE'S CHURCH, LONDON.

IN consequence of the calamitous fire which happened in Fleet-street on the 14th of November (see our last volume, p. 462), an opportunity was afforded to the thousands daily passing that crowded thoroughfare, of viewing the Spire of St. Bride's Church,-that most beautiful specimen of the skill of the great architect, Sir Christopher Wren. A suggestion given by a correspondent in The New Times newspaper, of purchasing the ground left vacant by the fire for the purpose of leaving open the view of the Church, met with spontaneous and earnest of fers of support. This induced several gentlemen in the neighbourhood to apply themselves seriously to the business; and the result was a meeting at the London Tavern on Tuesday January the 4th, at which the Lord Mayor took the chair. His Lordship stated, that "the object of the meeting was to consider the best means of raising a fand sufficient to preserve the view of the beautiful Steeple of St. Bride's Church, which had lately burst upon the publick. It appeared to him, that the great architect of that edifice (Sir Christopher Wren) had not contemplated such an avenue to it as that now proposed; for if he had, not only would the Spire but the Church itself have been exexposed to public view and admiration. The design to effect this very praiseworthy object originated with some respectable individuals in the immediate neighbourhood of St. Bride's Church, but he was sure that other individuals, lovers of the arts, would contribute towards it. There were in the City of London few steeples that could be compared with that of St. Bride's. Bow Church and Steeple were very fine, but were exposed to view from the time of their erection; St. Bride's, on the contrary, had remained, as it were, buried for 140 years, and had only been brought to light by a recent calamity for previously it could only be seen from Blackfriars Bridge. We were annually visited by crowds of foreign ers, who remarked the paucity of fine public buildings in this great and im portant City; but if St. Bride's Church and Spire, those monuments of Sir Christopher Wren's great genius, should be thrown open to view, they would form proud ornaments of the GENT. MAG. January, 1825.

17

Metropolis, and go far towards removing the stigma to which he had just alluded, and be highly honourable to our taste and public spirit. There were in the whole kingdom but three spires equal in height to St. Bride's, and none more beautiful. A drawing would be submitted to the meeting, shewing the proposed plan, and he would say, to carry it into execution would reflect great honour on all who should contribute to it. The expences of the undertaking were estimated at 7,000l.-a considerable sum certainly; but such an opportunity for improvement could not again occur, and it would be only an act of justice to the great Architect of St. Bride's Church, to rescue it from the obscurity with which it was again menaced, and from which fate he trusted the result of that day's proceedings would ensure it."

The meeting was then addressed in suitable speeches by Thomas Wilson, esq. M. P., W. Williams, esq. M. P., the Chamberlain of London, Sir Peter Laurie, Messrs. Spottiswoode, Cutler, S. Dixon, Blades, Obbard, Galloway, Marriott, Slade, H. Butterworth, Poynder, &c. on moving and seconding the following Resolutions:

1. That one of the strongest proofs of the high degree of advancement in a taste for the fine arts, which the people of England have attained, is to be found in that desire for the improvement and embellishment of the metropolis, which so honourably distinguishes the present age.

2. That the view recently opened to the Tower and Spire of St. Bride's Church, by the demolition of several houses in Fleetstreet, which had obscured it from the public sight for upwards of a century, having clearly shewn that this building may be made highly conducive to the beauty and larly when the adjoining buildings are made ornament of the Metropolis, and particuto enter into architectural combination with it, as shewn in the plan, it appears to this meeting very desirable that the view thus obtained should be preserved.

3. That this structure, which for proportion, symmetry, and grandeur of effect is not surpassed, if equalled, by any spire in this country, also possesses this strong claim upon the public attention, that it was designed by one of the most eminent architects England ever produced, Sir Christopher Wren.

4. That the carrying into effect the plan now proposed will in one instance, at least, rescue the national taste from the reflection so often cast on it by foreigners, that while

the

18

the Metropolis of the British Empire contains public edifices which would not have been unworthy the proudest era of the arts, they are so completely concealed by the surrounding buildings that a view of them can scarcely be obtained.

5. That relying upon the encouragement usually given by the public to works of national ornament and utility, a subscription be now opened, to which the publick be respectfully invited to contribute.

The result of the meeting was of the most gratifying description. An unanimous feeling was shewn in favour of improvement generally, and of the present improvement in particular. Nor was the expression of this feeling confined to words only; several interested parties stated their willingness to cooperate in the furtherance of the project. Mr. Marriott, who we understand suffered far more than any other person injured by the late fire, voluntarily offered to submit his claims to arbitration, in order to give an example, the universal adoption of which would render the expence and delay of a legislative enactment entirely unnecessary. Mr. Galloway also, who had an interest in two of the houses, declared that he would sacrifice his private advantage to the public conveniA subscription commenced, at the head of which were three highly respectable and old inhabitants of St. Bride's parish, Andrew Strahan, Philip Rundell, and John Blades, esqrs. each 501. A Committee was then appointed; Mr. Blades was requested to act as Treasurer, and Mr. Atwood Smith as Secretary.

ence.

The plan exhibited was the production of Mr. Papworth. Its principal feature is the opening of an avenue, with houses on both sides, in a suitable style of architecture, so as to appear to have been erected with the Church, and to combine picturesquely with the Spire. Heartily wishing success to this praiseworthy undertaking, we have se

lected as an Embellishment to our present Number a view of this cele. brated Spire (see Plate II.) not without the hope that it may induce some of our public-spirited Readers to contribute their mite for the purpose of carrying the plan into effect.

We are aware that a view of this Spire appeared in one of our early volumes (xx1. 580); but after an interval of more than 70 years, it may be allowable to give another representation of it, for the gratification of our present very numerous readers who do not possess a complete series of this Work.

[Jan.

The following account of the Church is abstracted from a very able article by E. W. Brayley, esq. F.S. A. printed in Messrs. Britton and Pugin's Illustrations of the Public Buildings of London," a beautiful work, highly deserving of commendation:

The present Church was erected and comby Sir Christopher Wren, pleted about the year 1680, at an expence of 11,4301.; and additionally embellished in 1699.

The elevation of the West front (see Pl. II.) will convey an accurate idea of the design and proportions of this Spire. The base of the tower is carried up to a height of 60 feet, and crowned by a well-proportioned cornice; this supports a stylobate, or continued plinth, which sustains a cubical story of the Corinthian order (inclosing the belfry), having a large latticed window on each side, flanked by pilasters and columns: these are covered by circular headed pediments, a blocking course, and a balustrade. At the angles of the latter are ornamental vases of good proportions. Within the balustrade is a circular plinth, forming the base of the Spire, which consists of a series of four stories of different orders, the two lowermost being Tuscan, the third Ionic, the fourth Composite or Roman. Here vases are again judiciously introduced; and from the balls on the surmounting basement, the obelisk springs that terminates this fine example of architectural science. Before the Spire was struck by lightning in 1764, its height from the ground was 234 feet t; but on its reparation was reduced to 226 feet, which is still 24 feet higher than the Doric column called the Monument, near London Bridge. There is no spire in the kingdom, designed after the Roman orders, that equals this in point of elevation; and except those of Salisbury, Norwich, and Lichfield Cathedrals, there is, probably, no one in the Pointed Style that exceeds it in loftiness. That Sir Christopher Wren has not attained to the towering grandeur, the elegant fancy, and the exuberant richness of the Pointed Style, will be readily admitted: for the inimitable graces of that style cannot be reached by invention from other orders so dissimilar to itself, and in their principles so utterly at variance with stee

The upper part of the Steeple of St. Bride's, then taken down, is commendably preserved entire on the premises of a mason in Old-street-road, near St. Agnes le Clare.

ple-like