Herbert dedicated this edifice to _St. Margaret the virgin_, {1088} or, as some say, to saint _Mary Magdalen_, St. Margaret and all the virgin saints; which probably made Mr. Britton in the Beauties of England call it St. _Mary’s church_, a name which does not appear to have been given to it by any body else. This church has been so often re-edified and repaired since its first erection, that but a small part of it, as it now stands, is supposed to be as old as the days of Lozinga. If there be any, it seems to be towards the west, or south-west end, where the style of architecture appears to bespeak much higher antiquity than any other part, according to the opinion of the best judges. The church in its original state is supposed to have been of greater dimensions, as well as more magnificent, than it is at present; and it was certainly the case in later ages, and until the last century, when the spire fell on the body of the church and demolished a great part of it. This happened in 1741. Soon after the eastern tower lanthorn was taken down, from a fear (groundless it seems) that it might also fall, as the spire had done, and occasion irreparable damage. It was therefore done to preserve the eastern part of the church. The West end being demolished by the fall of the spire, an act of Parliament was procured for re-building the body of the church. The king, it is said, contributed a thousand pounds, and lord Orford 500_l._ towards the work; and it was completed in 1747. {1089} It is much smaller than the former, but is still one of the largest and handsomest parish churches in the kingdom:—it also abounds with the tombs of our principal townsmen of other times; (and so do the other churches of St. Nicholas and All-saints,) with endless monumental inscriptions, which those who are fond of such compositions may find at large in _Mackerell’s_ volume, which contains little else. But they would take up too much room in this work. This church had formerly at least three chapels attached to it, or comprehended in it: one dedicated to the _Trinity_, one to _St. John_, and one if we are not mistaken, to _St. Stephen_; only one or two of which now remain. That of the _Trinity_ was taken down very lately, in the progress of our paving-act improvements: and long before that the whole north side of the church-yard was laid open and made a part of the street, or market place. A new burying-ground, however, of a much larger extent, has been since laid out adjoining to St. James’s Church-yard, on which a neat small chapel has been erected, merely for the purpose of reading the burial service. Had the friends of the establishment contrived to build it on a larger scale, in order to have divine service there on Sunday evenings, it might have answered a very good purpose; and such a place would have been much filter for delivering evening lectures than either of the two great churches, both of which were originally