_Sacred to the memory of the best of men._ Interr’d within this consecrated ground, Lies he, whom HENRY his protector found: Good HUMPHRY, Gloc’ster’s Duke, who well could spy Fraud couch’d within the blind impostor’s eye. His country’s light, the state’s rever’d support, Who peace and rising learning deigned to court; Whence his rich library at Oxford plac’d, Her ample schools with sacred influence grac’d: Yet fell beneath an envious woman’s wile, Both to herself, her King, and country vile; Who scarce allowed his bones this spot of land: Yet spite of envy shall his glory stand. About 40 years ago in digging a grave, a pair of stairs were discovered that lead down into a vault where his leaden coffin was found, in which his body was preserved entire, by a kind of pickle in which it lay, only the flesh was wasted from the legs, the pickle at that end being dried up. Many curious medals and coins are to be seen in the church, that have been dug out of the ruins of Old Verulam that stood on the other side of the river Ver, or Moore, which runs south west of the town. Near St. Alban’s is a fort, at a place called by the common people the Oyster Hills, which is supposed to have been the camp of Ostorius, the Roman Proprætor. This town is the largest in the county, and besides the four churches, has several meeting-houses, two charity schools, and three fairs, and has on Saturday one of the best markets for wheat in England. It gives the title of Duke to the noble family of Beauclerc. The great John Duke of Marlborough erected a seat here, called Holloway-house, and several neat alms-houses have been built here by him and his Duchess. _St._ ALBAN’S, _Wood street_, on the north side of London, and the east side of Wood street, Cheapside, is dedicated to St. Alban, the British Proto-Martyr, who suffered under the persecution of Dioclesian. The first church in this place was erected in the year 930, and dedicated to the same Saint. After various repairs, the old church was pulled down in 1634, and another erected, which was destroyed by the fire of London thirty-two years after, when the present edifice was built from the same model as the former. It is entirely in the Gothic stile, and consists of a spacious body, and a handsome tower with pinacles. This church is a rectory in the patronage of Eton College, and the parish of St. Olave, Silver street, is united to it. The Rector, besides other advantages, receives 170_l._ in lieu of tithes. Munday in his edition of Stow mentions several uncommon epitaphs in this church, from which we have only selected the following: