[40] A Dance of Death (for the subject was often repeated) is a procession of the various ranks of life, from the pope to the peasant, each led by a skeleton for his partner. Holbein enlarged it by the addition of a series of visits privately paid by Death to the individuals. The figurantes, in his work, by no means go down the dance "with an air of despondency." The human beings are unconscious of their partners (which is fine); and the Deaths are as jolly as skeletons well can be. [41] Brayley, vol. ii., p. 320. [42] See Todd's Milton, vol. vii.; Aubrey's Letters and Lives; and Ben Jonson's Poems. Gill's specimen of a satire is very bad, and the great laureate's answer is not much better. The first couplet of the latter, however, is to the purpose:-- "Shall the prosperity of a pardon still Secure thy railing rhymes, infamous Gill?" [43] History of London, vol. ii., p. 1166. [44] Life of Sir Christopher Wren, in the Library of Useful Knowledge, No. 24, p. 27. [45] Wordsworth. CHAPTER II. ST. PAUL'S AND THE NEIGHBOURHOOD. The Church of St. Faith -- Booksellers of the Churchyard -- Mr. Johnson's -- Mr. Newberry's -- Children's Books -- Clerical Names of Streets near St. Paul's -- Swift at the top of the Cathedral -- Dr. Johnson at St. Paul's -- Paternoster Row -- Panyer's Alley -- Stationers' Hall -- Almanacks -- Knight-Riders' Street -- Armed Assemblies of the Citizens -- Doctor's Commons -- The Heralds' College -- Coats of Arms -- Ludgate -- Story of Sir Stephen Forster -- Prison of Ludgate -- Wyatt's Rebellion -- The Belle Sauvage Inn -- Blackfriars -- Shakspeare's Theatre -- Accident at Blackfriars in 1623 -- Printing House Square -- The Times -- Baynard's Castle -- Story of the Baron Fitzwalter -- Richard III. and Buckingham -- Diana's Chamber -- The Royal Wardrobe -- Marriages in the Fleet -- Fleet Ditch -- The Dunciad. We remember, in our boyhood, a romantic story of a church that stood under St. Paul's. We conceived of it, as of a real good-sized church actually standing under the other; but how it came there nobody could imagine. It was some ghostly edification of providence, not lightly to be inquired into; but as its name was St. Faith's, we conjectured that the mystery had something to do with religious belief. The mysteries of art do not remain with us for life, like those of Nature. Our phenomenon amounted to this: