still exists; the judge of ecclesiastical cases is still known as "the
Dean of Arches." And when this St. Mary's Church was rebuilt after the
Fire of 1666, Wren placed its magnificent spire on an arched base--a
memorial of the ancient ecclesiastical dignity.
We are now in a position to look back, and take a comprehensive survey of
our great city in the Middle Ages.
_First._ We have the Tower on the east side, guarding the approach from
the sea, and the high and spacious wall surrounding the whole city.
Fitzstephen, a monk of Canterbury, gives an interesting picture of the
times of Henry II. He describes London as bounded on the land side by a
high and spacious wall, furnished with turrets and double gates. These
were Aldgate, Bishopsgate, Cripplegate, Aldersgate, Newgate, Ludgate, and
probably Bridgegate. But see Stow's comment (Ed. Thoms, 1842, page 11).
There was also a postern near the Tower. The latter he calls "the Tower
Palatine," and also names "two castles well fortified" in the west,
Baynard and Montfichet. The former stood at the western extremity of the
city wall on the site of the present Castle Baynard Wharf, and adjoining
Carron Wharf. The name survives also in the name of "Castle Baynard Ward."
It was built by Baynard, a follower of William the Conqueror, and though
it was burnt more than once, it was duly restored, and lasted till the
Great Fire. It became a Royal palace, and in it Edward IV. assumed the
title of King. Henry VIII. made it one of his residences. So did Edward
VI., on whose death Queen Mary was here proclaimed Queen. Montfichet Tower
was between the site of Ludgate Hill Station and Printing House Square. A
bastion of the London Wall still remains in the churchyard of St. Giles',
Cripplegate.
_Secondly._ The great market-place--the Cheap--with the principal streets
all leading into it, represents the commercial magnitude of the city. The
residences of the merchants and traders had, for the most part, each its
garden, large or small. It is a commonplace saying that there is not a
street in London from some part of which you cannot see a tree. This was
more true a few years ago than it is to-day. Thus, there was a beautiful
plane-tree in front of Grocers' Hall, in Princes Street, but exigencies of
building-space led to its destruction but lately. Cheapside still rejoices
in its fine tree at the corner of Wood Street, which has found a great
poet to write pleasantly about it. Down in secluded streets the London
saunterer comes on more of these trees, relics of old citizens' gardens
and resorts, as well as those in closed churchyards. The parish of St.
Martin Pomeroy preserves in its second name the memory of the ancient
orchard which once gladdened the Londoner's eyes.
[Illustration: A TOURNAMENT.
_From a MS. of the Romance of Sire Jehan de Saintre. British Museum, Nero
D. ix._]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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