Picturesque Sketches of London, Past and Present — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
Picturesque Sketches of London, Past and Present
John Stuart Mill · en
There is but little to detain us in the streets behind Ludgate-hill,
running into Upper Thames-street and Earl-street, beyond the mere
mention of Apothecaries' Hall, which stands in the Broadway, that unites
with Water-lane, and which was built soon after the Fire of London.
There is a portrait of James I., and a statue of Delware, at whose
intercession James granted a charter of incorporation. The controversy
between this Company and the College of Physicians called forth Garth's
poem entitled "The Dispensary," which was very popular at that period,
and is still worthy of perusal.
The _Times_ Office, in Printing-house-square, is the great lion of this
neighbourhood; and the same spot was occupied by the king's printers at
least as far back as the reign of Charles II. A description of this
mighty lever of the "fourth estate" does not come within the compass of
our light pages.
Neither St. Andrew's-hill nor Addle-hill requires much notice, though
the former contains one of Wren's churches, called St. Andrew by the
Wardrobe; also a beautiful monument to the Rev. W. Romaine. Paul's Chain
and Bennet-hill bring us back again to St. Paul's; and here our readers
will consider that we make a fair start eastward, with the intention of
describing the principal objects of interest that lie between the
nearest great thoroughfare and the river on the south side of the way,
while a few of the principal objects in the streets on the north will
arrest our attention as we return on our journey westward.
Paul's Chain took its name from the chain thrown across the road during
the time of Divine service; a duty now performed by policemen, who,
although they do not bar up the way, caution the drivers to go on slowly
during service-time.