{2a} Dart’s History of Westminster Abbey, vol. 1. p. 11.—“Westmonasterium.” {2b} Peter-Pence, or Rome-fee. {2c} Monasticon Anglicanum, vol. i. p. 266. {3} “An History of Westminster Abbey,” p. 6. London, 1751. {4} This commission undoubtedly did a great deal for the public; but it must not be forgotten that it made use of a very considerable amount of public money, and left the work it had to do in a very imperfect state. At the present time vast stores of most valuable information are lying buried in language ineligible only to a few; and if any enquirer wishes to make out what particles of knowledge there may be in this store-house relative to the object of his search, he has not only the ancient English character, cramped, and contracted, law-latin to learn; but for the want of well-arranged indices—more especially good indices locorum—a life-time to spend in collecting his materials. All this was exceedingly well managed to keep out the inquisitive gaze of a curious public, who were to be kept in ignorance; but since knowledge is acknowledged to be power, and since the people have been admitted to know, it would, surely be good policy to offer facilities for making that knowledge as perfect as possible. {5a} Vide Appendix to second General Report from the Commissioners on Public Records, p. 386. {5b} Bawdwen’s translation of the Record called Domesday. Middlesex, &c. Doncast. 1812. {5c} Some writers have been unable to account for this diminution in the value of land; but I think the writer of the article Domesday in the Penny Cyclopædia has satisfactorily accounted for this decrease in referring it to the revolution produced by the Conquest. {5d} Edward de Sarisberie held Cherchede or Chelched for two hides. {6a} This “Description of London” which Stowe printed as an appendix to his History, is translated and published with Annotations. Lond. 1772. {6b} Maitland’s History of London. See also Park’s Topography of Hampstead. {9} Elms-lane is the first opening on the right hand after getting into the Uxbridge road from the Grand Junction road, opposite the head of the Serpentine; the Serpentine itself being formed in the bed of the ancient stream which I take to have been first called Tybourn, then Westbourn, then Ranelagh Sewer. While the stream which crossed Oxford Street, west of Stratford-place, first bore the name of Eyebourn, then Tybourn, then King’s Scholars Pond Sewer. {10a} That part of Edgar’s first charter, dated 951, relative to the boundaries of Westminster, as translated by Sir Henry Ellis, is printed in Mr. Saunders’ Inquiry, as follows:—