GOUGH’S HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF PLESHYs 
on Sundays, as well as on the usual days 
appointed by the church. 
** The hall, sixty-two feet long and thirty- 
two feet broad, was built in the time of Henry 
VII. The interior is spacious and well-pro- 
ortioned. At the upper end isa fine picture 
* Hogarth, (14 feet by 10 feet 6 inches) 
representing Paul before Felix; and on the 
windows and pannels round the hall, the 
arms of the various law dignitaries (a list of 
which is subjoined) former members of this 
society. 
_ © Tts exterior has lately been repaired, and 
completely covered with patent stucco com- 
position, in imitation of stone. 
«© The stone building forms only part of 
amore spacious design, by Sir Robert Taylor, 
who was the architect, and under whose di- 
rection it was builtin 1780. These cham- 
bers, from their magnificence, let and sell at 
high prices; but very good chambers may 
be had in different parts of the Iun, (by ap- 
plying to the steward) on very. reasonable 
terms, cither on purchase or to rent. The 
‘chambers in the stone building are held upoa 
leases, dated June 1780, for 99 years and 
three lives named at the time, with power to 
Dominate a fourth at the death of the last, 
transferable during life ou payment of a fine 
of 101. for each set of chambers. 
«« The rooms in the stone building com- 
mand @#oble view of Lincoln's Inn Fields, 
one of the largest squares in Europe, con- 
taining about eight acres of ground, forming 
the size of the base of one of the Egyptian 
vramids, and is now laid out upon a very 
- improved plan.” 
' It isa singular circumstance, marking 
both the antient and modern history of 
this square, that every attempt suggested 
for its improvement, by public spirited in- 
dividuals, has been rendered abortive by 
_ avarice, or want of taste in the trustees. 
A more dreary blank never disgraced an 
opulent city than the area of Lincoln’s 
Inn Fields. This seemed to invite a build- 
ing of magnificent proportions, and such 
Was proposed more than one hundred 
_ years past, to serve as a parish church ; 
"that failing, Drury-lane play-house might 
‘have been transferred there, or St. Cle- 
~ment’s church, from the strange situation 
_ *WHEN we take up the production 
of an author, whose life has been princi- 
pally devoted to one particular branch of 
“study, and also know that he possesses 
the combined advantages of an ample 
fortune, a learned education, a profuse 
library, and all the desireable adventi- 
‘tious requisites to produce an excellent, 
and nearly perfect, book, our expecta- 
“Ass. Rey, Vou. I. 
385 
in wuich it now stands ; but No, no, no! 
has proved the invariable reply to every 
plan, till the auspicious year 1802 intro- 
duced athousand diminutive bushes, and 
a number of circular and right-lined 
gravel-walks, which a singular fatality in 
the surface prevents the passenger from 
beholding, except in partial glances. 
‘* The whole of Lincoln’s Inn is.extra 
parochial except a part of Serle court, and 
most (if not the whole of the chambers) en- 
title the proprietor to a vote for the election 
of a member of parliament for Middlesex or 
Westminster.” 
“¢ The library occupies an elegant suite of 
apartments on the ground floor of No. 2 in 
the stone building, and is open from ten 
o'clock until two every day for the use of 
members of the Inn. The collection of 
books is extensive, containing about eight 
thousand volumes, and which are increasing 
annually. It has many valuable MSS. ; is 
ornamented with a few very good pictures, 
among which are landscapes on copper by 
Brughel, and portraits of Lord Chief Justice 
Hale, and Lord Chief Justice Rainsford 4 
there is also a fine marble bust of Cicero.” 
Furnival’s Inn is an Inn of Chancery, 
and an appendage to Lincoln’s Inn: it 
was purchased by the society Ist Edward 
VI. and let on a lease which is now 
nearly expired. . 
Thavies Inn belonged to Lincoln’s 
Inn, but was sold in 1769, afterwards 
burnt, and rebuilt like a street. 
After giving a general account of the 
place, Mr. Lane proceeds to the principal 
object of the work, which is too dry for 
amusement, but extremely useful to any 
person wishing to enter the society. 
The commens, or public dinners, are 
provided every day during term in the 
hall, where students may dine for Is. Gd. 
each, who receivea black gown from the 
porter in the lobby, paying 2s. 6d. for it 
the firstterm,and ls.eachterm afterwards. 
The meat and vegetables are served 
in messes for four persons. The students 
sit at the side tables, and the benchers 
and barristers at the cross tables. 
| ‘Arr. IV. The History and Antiquities of Pleshy, in the County of Essex, the Svat of the 
i High Constable of England. By Ricuarp Goucu. 4to. pp. 195. Appendix 132. 
tion and curiosity are greatly excited ; 
we eagerly anticipate an intellectual 
feast, and prepare the mental appetite 
for a rich repast. But, if instead of the 
anticipated treat, we become nauseated, 
our disappointment and displeasure ex- 
cite complaint and reprehension. The 
former of these sentiments was excited 
upon our first view of Mr. Gough’s his- 
c 
