Produced by Clarity, Graeme Mackreth and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) THE LITERARY HISTORY OF THE ADELPHI AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD [Illustration: _Allen & Co. (London) Ltd. Sc._ _The Terrace. York Buildings. 1796._ _From a water colour by J. Richards R.A._] THE LITERARY HISTORY OF THE ADELPHI AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD _By_ AUSTIN BRERETON WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION [Illustration] NEW YORK: DUFFIELD & COMPANY 36-38 WEST 37th STREET 1909 _First Edition_ 1907 _Second Edition_ 1908 (_All rights reserved._) Note This book is intended for the general reader, as well as for the antiquarian and the lover of London. To this end, the history of the Adelphi and its immediate neighbourhood to the west and on the south side of the Strand has been related in--as far as possible--narrative form. At the same time, it need hardly be said, every care has been taken to present the multitude of details correctly and as a truthful picture of one of the most interesting parts of the great metropolis. I should be ungrateful if I did not take this opportunity of again--as in the case of my chronicle of the Lyceum and Henry Irving--thanking Mr. E. Gardner for so courteously placing at my disposal his unique and invaluable collection of London records and engravings. The majority of the illustrations were kindly lent by him; others were copied from prints in the British Museum. I have also to thank the officials of St. Martin's Library for their ready help in enabling me to consult, at my leisure, some scarce books connected with the literature of historical London. A.B. INTRODUCTION