London Stone. 



consent that the old stone should be placed where it now is. So to 

 the antiquarian printer of London our thanks are due that any part, 

 however small, of this old relic remains; and we can better appreciate 



rials of our comparatively young city, which have been preserved to us 

 by the antiquarian printer of Albany. 



erence to the close of the sixteenth century; that might be considered 

 old for this country, but it would be a misapplication to affirm age of 

 any thing as modern as that in London. But we must admit that in 

 this case the term is properly used, when we read that Ethelstan, who 

 was king of the West Saxons, between the years 925 and 941, gave to 

 Christ church in Canterbury a fair written Gospel Book, in the end of 

 which was noted the lands or rents belonging to said church, one par- 

 cel whereof is described as lying near unto London Stone. So it must 

 be even older than that time ; since it was then well enough known to 

 determine the location of land in its vicinity. But whenever it was 

 erected it ha3, until the last one hundred years at least, been regarded 

 by the Londoners with the greatest veneration, and watched over and 

 protected with the most jealous care. Its origin, history and purpose 

 were all unknown ; yet each citizen guarded it as a part of his civic 

 rights, and would resent its destruction as he would the abridgment 

 of his personal liberty. Yet strange to say no one ever thought of 

 giving us a description of how it looked in its early perfection, nor has 

 even a print or drawing or sketch of it come down to us. We can find 

 early pictures of London, of buildings celebrated in themselves, or 

 made celebrated by celebrated persons living in them — even of fields 

 and of trees, but nowhere a description of this antiquity, or any 

 thing that would give us an idea of what it looked like. For any 

 description of it at all — and it is a comparatively modern one — we 

 are indebted to William Ilutton, the Birmingham bookseller. He was 

 a curious old antiquary, and had very much the same habit as old 

 Pepys of noting every thing that happened to him ; thinking, no doubt, 

 that what concerned, amused or troubled him would be of like interest 

 to posterity. So he puts down all he can remember, and what he does 

 not remember he records what has been told him. 



He went to London but twice on his own business he says; and 

 when he went there in 1784 it was in obedience to a subpoena to give 

 evidence at a trial in the Court of King's Bench. He wrote his jour- 

 ney to London at that time, and with his antiquarian knowledge would 

 early make a visit to London Stone. His record of his visit is as 

 follows : "There are situations justifiable in themselves in which a 



