other parts of Christendom, were apprehended and committed to prison,
and five years after Edward II. gave Aimer de la Valence, Earl of
Pembroke, this house of the Templars, with all their possessions within
the city of London. At his death it reverted to the crown, and in
1324, was given to the knights Hospitallers of the order of St. John
of Jerusalem, who had driven the Turks out of the isle of Rhodes, and
had their chief house where St. John’s square is now situated. These
knights soon after let this edifice to the students of the common law,
in whose possession it has remained ever since.
The Temple which contained all that space of ground from the White
Friars westward to Essex house, is divided into two inns of court, the
Inner Temple, and the Middle Temple. These inns have separate halls,
but both houses resort to the Temple church: And yet the buildings
which have been erected at very different times, with very little
order or regularity are perfectly united, and it is impossible for a
stranger to know where the Inner Temple ends and the Middle Temple
begins, except at the entrances, which are the only visible fronts
to the street. Backwards there are many courts of handsome new built
houses, and behind them, the buildings of the Temple have gardens and
walks fronting the Thames. That side lies open and airy, and enjoys a
delightful prospect into Surry.
The Middle Temple gate, next Fleet street is built in the stile of
Inigo Jones, It was erected in 1684, and there is here a graceful
front; but it is extremely narrow, and cannot be called the front of so
vast a building, or rather number of separate buildings, as the Temple.
It is of brick-work, with four large stone pilasters of the Ionic
order, and a handsome pediment with a round in the middle in which is
inscribed in large capitals SURREXIT IMPENSIS SOCIETAT. MED. TEMPLI,
MDCLXXXIV. and beneath, just over the arch, the figure of a holy lamb.
In the treasury chamber of the Middle Temple is preserved a great
quantity of armour, which belonged to the knights Templars, consisting
of helmets, breast and back pieces, together with several pikes, a
halbard, and two very beautiful shields, with iron spikes in their
centers, of the length of six inches in diameter, and each of about
twenty pounds weight. They are curiously engraved, and one of them
richly inlaid with gold: the insides are lined with leather stuffed,
and the edges adorned with silk fringe; and broad leathern belts are
fixed to them, for the bearers to sling them upon their shoulders.
In garden court in the Middle Temple is a library founded by the will
of Robert Ashley, Esq; in the year 1641, who bequeathed his own library
for that purpose, and 300_l._ to be laid out in a purchase, for the
maintenance of a librarian, who must be a student of the society, and
be elected into that office by the benchers. Mr. Ashley also bequeathed
all his furniture to be disposed of for the benefit of his library.
The number of volumes in the year 1738 amounted to 3982, in most
branches of literature; but more especially in law and parliamentary
affairs; and as it is continually encreasing, by the benefactions
of authors and others, it will probably become a numerous, and very
valuable collection.
This library is duly kept open (except in the dead time of the long
vacation) from ten in the morning till one in the afternoon, and from
two in the afternoon till six in summer, and four in winter.
The Inner Temple is situated to the east of Middle Temple gate, and has
a cloister, a larger garden, and more spacious walks than the other.
This society consists of benchers, barristers and students; the former
of whom, as governors at commons have their table at the upper end of
the hall, and the barristers and students in the middle. Anciently at
these entertainments their bread served instead of plates, and they had
no other drinking vessels than wooden cups; but at present they are
allowed trenchers for their meat, and coarse green earthen pots for
their liquor. However, though the antient custom of using mean vessels
still prevails, yet there are few who fare better.
All the members of the society who have chambers, are obliged to be in
commons a fortnight every term, for which they pay about 10_s._ a week.
Sixteen of these terms, with a regular course of study, qualifies a
student for the bar.
Upon the admission of a member, the fees of the house are 3_l._ 6_s._
8_d._ which, with other disbursements, amount to 4_l._ 2_d._
The parliament, wherein the affairs of the society are treated is
commonly held twice every term.
The officers and servants of the house are, a treasurer, a
sub-treasurer, a steward, a chief and three under butlers, an upper and
under cook, a pannierman, a gardener, two porters, and two wash pots.
The Middle Temple, which joins to the Inner Temple on the west, is
thus denominated from its having been the middle or central part of
the antient Temple or Priory of knights Templars. The chief officer of
this house, like that of its neighbour, is a treasurer, who is annually
elected from among the benchers, and whose office is to admit students;
to assign them their chambers, and to receive and pay all the cash
belonging to the society.
The officers and governors of this inn, are in all respects like that
of the Inner Temple, except the charge of admission, which is 5_l._ and
the time to qualify a student for the bar, instead of sixteen terms in
that, is twenty-eight in this.
The print exhibits the entrance of the Middle Temple, which is elegant,
together with the east side of Temple Bar, as it appears from the end
of Chancery lane in Fleet street, the situation of the Temple along the
side of the river is very fine, yet nothing can be more void of harmony
or decoration than the buildings of which it is composed, owing chiefly
to the division and subdivision of property, which renders regularity
next to impossible. The thing most worthy of notice in the Temple is
the old church which belonged to the knights Templars of Jerusalem. You
enter it through a circular tower of Saxon architecture in which are
buried some Knights Templars, whose figures lying on the ground are
preserved by iron rails. The church is purely Gothic, and it is great
pity that the altar, pulpit, organ, gallery, &c. had not been kept in
the same stile of architecture. This would have made it as regular
though not so rich, as the chapel of Henry the seventh.
But the temple church requires a more particular description. We shall
therefore trace it from its origin, and describe its several parts.
The first church here was founded in the year 1185, by the knights
Templars; it was dedicated to the Virgin Mary, but was more generally
called by the name of the founders, than the protectress. In 1240, the
old structure was taken down, and another erected after the same model.
The present edifice was one of those that escaped the fire of London in
1666; but in 1695 the south-west part was new built, and in 1706 the
whole was thoroughly repaired.
The whole edifice is stone firmly put together and enriched with
ornaments. It consists of a long body with a turret, and a round tower
at the west end, that has much the air of a piece of fortification.
The length of the church from the altar to the screen is eighty-three
feet, its breadth sixty feet; and the height of the roof thirty-four.
The round tower is forty-eight feet high; its diameter at the floor,
fifty-one feet, and its circumference 160 feet.
The windows which enlighten the body of the church are large and well
proportioned. They are composed of three Gothic arches, a principal,
and a lower on either side. These windows stand so close that there are
but very slender piers left between them to support a very heavy roof;
they are therefore strengthened with buttresses; but these buttresses,
as in most other Gothic structures, exclude more light than the piers
would have done, had they been larger, and the windows considerably
smaller.
The tower which is very massy, has few windows, and those small, yet
there are buttresses carried up between them; the top is crowned with
plain square battlements, and from the center rises a fane.
The turret upon the body of the church is small and plain, and serves
to receive a bell. In short, what can be seen of the outside has a
venerable aspect, but nothing either grand or elegant: the principal
beauties are to be seen within.
On entering the round tower, you find it supported with six pillars,
wainscotted with oak six feet high, and adorned all round, except the
east part, which opens into the church, with an upper and lower range
of small arches, and black apertures; but what is most remarkable in
this part, is, that there are here the tombs of eleven of the knights
Templars who lie interred here; eight of which, are covered with the
figures of armed knights; of these five, to shew the veneration they
had for the cross of Christ, lie cross legged; and these had made a
vow, to go to the Holy Land, in order to make war on the infidels.
Three of these are the tombs of the Earls of Pembroke, William Marshal
the elder, who died in 1219; his son, who died in 1231, and Gilbert
Marshal, his brother, who was slain in a tournament at Hertford in
1241, The other effegies lie strait legged; and the rest of the tombs
are only coped stone; but both the effegies and these stones are all
gray marble.
This tower is divided from the body of the church by a very handsome
screen in the modern taste; which will be described hereafter. On
passing this screen we find the church has three roofs supported by
tall and slender pillars of Sussex marble. The windows are also adorned
with small neat pillars of the same stone, and the floor paved with
black and white marble. The isles are five in number; three, as usual,
running east and west, and two cross isles.
The walls are neatly wainscotted with oak above eight feet high, and
the alterpiece, which is of the same wood, is much higher, finely
carved, and adorned with four pilasters and two columns of the
Corinthian order: it is also ornamented with cherubims, a shield,
festoons, fruit and leaves. The pulpit, which is placed near the east
end of the middle isle, is finely carved and veniered; the sounding
board is pendant from the roof, and enriched with several carved
arches, a crown, festoons, cherubims and vases.
The screen at the west end of the isles is like the alterpiece, of
wainscot, and adorned with ten pilasters of the Corinthian order, with
three portals and pediments. The organ gallery, over the middle gallery
is supported by two fluted Corinthian columns, and ornamented with an
entablature and a compass pediment, with the King’s arms well carved.
Near the pediment on the south side is an enrichment of cherubims
and a carved figure of a Pegasus, the badge of the society of the
Inner Temple, and in the pediment on the north side an enrichment of
cherubims, and the figure of a Holy Lamb, the badge of the society of
the Middle Temple: for though these two houses have one church, they
seldom sit promiscuously there; but the gentlemen of the Inner Temple
on the south, and those of the Middle Temple northward from the middle
isle.
In the church are the tombs of many judges, masters in chancery, and
eminent lawyers.
Since the reign of Henry VIII. there has been a divine belonging to
this church named a master, or _custos_, who is constituted by his
Majesty’s letters patent, without institution or induction. Besides the
master, there is a reader, who reads divine service twice a day, at
eight o’clock in the morning, and at four in the afternoon. Formerly
they had a fixed lecturer for Sundays in the afternoon; who had 80_l._ a
year from each house, convenient lodging, and his diet at the benchers
table; but of late the lecture is carried on by various preachers
appointed and paid by the treasurers of the two houses.
TEMPLE BAR, at the end of Fleet street, and at the extremity of the
liberties of the city, is a very handsome gate, where anciently
were only posts, rails, and a chain, such as are now at Holbourn,
Smithfield, and Whitechapel-bars. Afterwards a house of timber was
erected across the street, with a narrow gateway, and an entry through
the south side of it. But since the fire of London, the present
structure was erected, and is the only gate at the extremity of the
city liberties.
This gate is a very noble one, and has two posterns, one on each side,
for the advantage of foot passengers. It is built entirely of Portland
stone, of Rustic work below, and of the Corinthian order. Over the
gateway on the east side, in two niches are stone statues of Queen
Elizabeth and King James I. with the King’s arms over the keystone, and
on the west side, are the statues of King Charles I. and King Charles
II. in Roman habits.
Since the erection of this gate it has been particularly distinguished
by having the heads of such as have been executed for high treason
placed upon it.
TEMPLE _key_, Thames street.☐
TEMPLE _lane_, White Friars.☐
TEMPLE _mews_, Fleet street.☐
TEMPLE _stairs_, Temple lane.☐
TEMPLE _street_, White Friars.☐
TEN BELL _court_, Snow hill.*
TENCH _street_, Bird street, Wapping.†
TENDERDOWN _street_, Hanover square.
TEN FEET _way_, Nightingale lane, East Smithfield.
TENNIS _court_, 1. Church entry, Black Friars: 2. High Holbourn: 3.
Middle row, Holborn.
[Illustration:
_S. Wale delin._ _E. Rooker sc._
_Entrance into the Temple & Temple Bar._]
[Illustration:
_S. Wale delin._ _E. Rooker sc._
_York Stairs._]
TENTHS OFFICE, in the Temple. In this office is a receiver of the
tenths and his clerk, and a comptroller of the first fruits and tenths.
TENTER _alley_, 1. Little Moorfields.☐ 2. Tooly street, Southwark.☐
TENTER GROUND _alley_, Castle street.☐
TENTER _grounds_, Curtain row, Norton Falgate: 2. Gravel lane: 3. Hog
lane, Shoreditch.
_The_ TENTS, near Maze pond, Snow fields.
TERRAS _walk_, York buildings.
TERRITS _court_, Duck lane, Smithfield.† 2. Islington.†
THACKET’S _court_, Bishopsgate street without.†
THACKHAM’S _court_, Vine street, by Chandois street.†
THAMES. As this river is the principal source of the wealth of this
metropolis, and as the Lord Mayor’s jurisdiction over it is very
extensive, a particular description of it in this place can be neither
improper nor unnecessary.
The Thames if considered with respect to its course and navigation, is
not to be equalled by any other river in the known world. It rises from
a small spring near the village of Hemble, in the parish of Cubberly or
Coberley, a little to the south-west of Cirencester in Gloucestershire;
and taking its course eastward, becomes navigable at Lechlade for
vessels of fifty tons, and there receives the river Colne about 138
miles from London. From Lechlade it continues its course north-east to
Oxford, where it receives the Charwel; after which it runs south-east
to Abingdon, and from thence to Dorchester, where it receives the
Thame, and continues its course south-east by Wallingford to Reading,
flowing through Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Surry, Middlesex, Essex
and Kent, and washing the towns of Henly, Marlow, Maidenhead, Windsor,
Eaton, Staines, Chertsey, Weybridge, Shepperton, Walton, Sunbury,
Hampton, Thames Ditton, Kingston, Twickenham, Richmond, Shene,
Isleworth, Kew, Brentford, Mortlake, Barnes, Chiswick, Hammersmith,
Putney, Fulham, Wandsworth, Battersea, Chelsea, and Lambeth, from
whence both shores may be termed a continued city, through Westminster,
Southwark, and the city of London, Horselydown, Wapping, Rotherhith,
Shadwell, Ratcliff, Limehouse, almost to Deptford, and Greenwich; and
from thence this river proceeds to Woolwich, Erith, Grays, Gravesend
and Milton.
It is impossible to represent the beauties with which the banks of
this noble river are embellished from Windsor to London; the numerous
villages on both its banks being all along adorned with the magnificent
houses and fine gardens of the nobility.
A person unaccustomed to the sight, cannot behold without surprise the
vast number of barges and boats, as well of pleasure as of burden,
above bridge, continually passing and repassing for the convenience
and supply of the towns and counties washed by its gentle stream; and
much more observe the vast fleets which constantly appear below bridge,
carrying away the manufactures of Britain and bringing back the produce
of the whole earth.
We should be inexcusable, if we did not here introduce Sir John
Denham’s fine description of this river, in his _Cooper’s Hill_, as it
would be difficult to say any thing so just, and impossible to say any
thing so well upon the subject.
My eye descending from the hill surveys
Where Thames among the wanton valleys strays.
Thames, the most lov’d of all the Ocean’s sons,
By his old sire to his embraces runs,
Hasting to pay his tribute to the sea,
Like mortal life to meet eternity.
Tho’ with those streams he no resemblance hold,
Whose foam is amber, and their gravel gold;
His genuin and less guilty wealth t’explore,
Search not his bottom, but survey his shoar;
O’er which he kindly spreads his spacious wing,
And hatches plenty for th’ ensuing spring.
Nor then destroys it with too fond a stay,
Like mothers which their infants overlay.
Nor with a sudden and impetuous wave,
Like profuse Kings, resume the wealth he gave.
No unexpected inundations spoil
The mower’s hopes, nor mock the plowman’s toil:
But godlike his unwearied bounty flows;
First loves to do, then loves the good he does.
Nor are his blessings to his banks confin’d,
But free and common as the sea or wind;
When he to boast, or to disperse his stores
Full of the tributes of his greateful shores
Visits the world, and in his flying tow’rs
Brings home to us, and makes both Indies ours;
Finds wealth where ’tis, bestows it where it wants,
Cities in deserts, woods in cities plants.
So that to us nothing, no place is strange,
While his fair bosom is the world’s exchange.
O could I flow like thee, and make thy stream
My great example, as it is my theme!
Tho’ deep yet clear, tho’ gentle, yet not dull,
Strong without rage, without o’erflowing full.
Heav’n her Eridanus no more shall boast,
Whose fame in thine, like lesser currents lost.
The great advantage of this river is the tides flowing above seventy
miles up it, twice in every twenty-four hours, and hence arises its
great convenience with respect to trade and navigation; and as the
tide is influenced by the moon, so each tide is twenty-four minutes
later than that before, and therefore wants but twelve minutes of a
whole hour in twenty-four: by this rule the return of the tide at
any distance from the new or full moon may be easily computed by the
following tide table at London Bridge.
+----------+--------------+
| | Time of |
| | high-water |
| | at London. |
+----------+--------------+
| N. Moon. | Hour. Min. |
| F. Moon. | 3 |
+----------+--------------+
| 1 | 3 48 |
| 2 | 4 31 |
| 3 | 5 14 |
| 4 | 6 52 |
| 5 | 6 30 |
| 6 | 7 3 |
| 7 | 7 36 |
| 8 | 8 24 |
| 9 | 9 27 |
| 10 | 10 30 |
| 11 | 11 28 |
| 12 | 12 26 |
| 13 | 1 19 |
| 14 | 2 12 |
+----------+--------------+
Any person who wants to be informed when it will be high-water at
London Bridge may by this table be immediately satisfied if he does but
know how many days it is since the last new or full moon; for supposing
it is the eighth day after, by looking at 8 in the first column he
finds the tide on that day is at the 8th hour and 24 minutes, or
twenty-four minutes past eight o’clock.
The Lord Mayor’s jurisdiction over the river Thames extends from
Colne ditch, a little to the westward of Staines bridge, to Yendal or
Yenleet, to the east, including part of the rivers Medway and Lea,
and his Lordship has a deputy or substitute named the water bailiff,
whose office is to search for, and punish, all offenders who infringe
the laws made for the preservation of the river and its fish. Eight
times in the year the Lord Mayor and aldermen sit in person in the four
counties of Middlesex, Surry, Kent, and Essex, in order to maintain the
rights and privileges of this river, and to charge four juries by oath
to make inquisition after all offences committed on the river in order
to proceed to judgment against those who are found guilty.
The laws with respect to fishing and preserving the fry and spawn are
very numerous, among which are the following:
No fisherman shall use any net under two inches and a half in the mesh
above Richmond Crane, nor any net in the work called beating of the
bush, flag or reed, of less than three inches in the mesh; nor use any
weights or stones to their nets, upon the forfeiture of 2_l._ for each
offence.
That no pike net or other net or engine be drawn over the weeds for
catching of pikes by any fisherman within the jurisdiction of the Lord
Mayor, by reason it is destructive to, and occasions the driving of all
the other fish out of the western rivers, that would otherwise lie,
spawn, and breed in the weeds, upon the same penalty of 2_l._ for every
such offence.
That no fisherman shall bend any net by anchors, or otherwise, across
the channel, or so as to draw another net into it, whereby the spawn of
barbel and other fish may be destroyed, upon the forfeiture of the same
sum for each offence.
That no such person shall draw any net for salmon of less than three
inches in the mesh, from the 10th of March, till the 14th of September,
in any part of the river of Thames, from Kew pile westward, to the city
of London mark Stone above Stains bridge, upon forfeiture of 2_l._ for
every offence.
That no person shall take or sell any fish contrary to the ancient
assize: pike, fourteen inches; barbel, twelve inches; salmon, sixteen
inches; trout, eight inches; tench, eight inches; roach, six inches;
dace, six inches; and flounders, six inches.
That every fisherman shall have on his boat both his christian and
surname, and the name of his parish legibly painted, where any one may
see it; on the forfeiture of 1_l._ for every offence.
No person whatsoever shall fish for smelts or shads, or any other fish
whatsoever, or lay leaps, or rods, for eels in any place within the
Lord Mayor’s jurisdiction, without a licence from the water bailiff,
who shall appoint the proper seasons for fishing: And that upon every
such occasion all the fishermen shall upon due summons or notice given,
repair to the water bailiff at the chapel at Guildhall, to take out
their several licences for going to fish, and to hear the ordinances
for the preservation of the fisheries publicly read, that they may be
the better able to preserve and keep them; and that none go out to fish
without such a licence; and that every fisherman offending herein shall
pay 5_l._ for every such offence.
For the better preventing the use of unlawful nets or engines it is
farther ordained, that any person or persons authorized by the water
bailiff may enter any fishermens boats or vessels, to view and search
for all unsizeable nets and engines, and for any fish they shall
suspect to be taken contrary to the laws of this kingdom; to seize and
carry such nets to the water bailiff, with the names of the offenders,
that they may be brought to justice; likewise to seize the fish taken
contrary to law, and distribute it among the poor; and whosoever
shall resist or disturb the water bailiff, or his deputies, in their
searching for and seizing unlawful nets, engines, or fish, shall
forfeit twenty marks.