LON 
from the bridge, according to the plan, it was expected 
that St. Magnus’ church, the tower of which flood in a 
direft line with thofe houfes, muft have been taken down 
alfo, in order to continue the foot-path ; but, very for¬ 
tunately, the diftinguifhed architect of that beautiful edi¬ 
fice had forefeen, that the time muft arrive when the im¬ 
proved tafle of the metropolis would demand the altera¬ 
tion which was now at length to take place ; and the 
workmen foon difcovered that he had providently formed 
an arch under the tower, and had filled it up with rub- 
bifh: nothing therefore was required but to open the arch, 
and the church remained untouched. The repairand en¬ 
largement of the bridge were at length completed, in 1758, 
at the expenfe of nearly ioo,oool. but without anfwering 
its principal object, which was, to diminifh the fall at the 
ebbing of the tide, and confequently to leffen the dan¬ 
ger of a paflage which has proved a watery grave to fo 
rhany people. Inftead of making repairs, it is the opi¬ 
nion of good judges that the whole ought to have been 
removed, as a very magnificent ftrufture might have been 
erefted ; t a much lefs expenfe; and it has been laid that 
this is intended to be done ; but that, previoufiy, a new 
and very handfome bridge is to be erefted from the bot¬ 
tom of Queen-ftreet, Cheapfide, on a line with King- 
flreet and the Manfion-houfe, A view of London-bridge, 
in its prefent ftate, is given on the Architecture Plate 
XXXVIII. vol. ii. and, for a few particulars relating to the 
water-works, fee p. 85 of this article. 
Though London-bridge was now completed, and opened 
to the public,, another bridge had been for f'ome years 
thought neceflary, in conlequence of the increafed trade 
of the city with its l’uburbs and with the country-towns 
beyond the Thames. Several plans havihg been propofed 
to the committee appointed for managing the conftruc- 
tion of a new bridge near Black Friars, the preference 
was given to the conception and drawing of Mr. Mylne, 
a Scotch architeft; and the firll pile for the bridge was 
driven in the middle of the river, on the 7th of June, 1760. 
At the fame time many of the llreets of the city, parti¬ 
cularly that leading to the intended bridge, were confi- 
derably widened and improved, purfuant to refolutions 
palled in the common-council, and confirmed by an act 
of parliament. And, amongft other regulations under 
that aft, it was thought proper to pull down the city- 
gates. In confequence of which, the committee of city- 
lands fold Aldgatefor 177I. 10s. Cripplegate for 91 1 . and 
Ludgate for 148I. to be pulled down and taken away by 
the purchafers within a limited time. 
This aft relative to the gates may be faid to have clofed 
the late king’s reign, as far as the city of London is con¬ 
cerned. We (hall therefore, in this place, prefent the rea¬ 
der with an hiftorical account of thofe ancient bulwarks 
and boundaries, accompanied with engravings of fuch 
as no longer fubfift. 
Previoufiy to the difcovery of gun-powder, and the 
nearly irreiiftible ftrength of modern artillery, the gates 
of cities were generally ftrongly fortified, flanked with 
towers, armed with barbicans and portcullifles, defended 
by drawbridges over ditches and folfes, in order to with- 
ifand the aflaults of an enemy. The gates of ancient 
towns are celebrated by poets and hillorians, both facred 
and profane. Samfon carried off the gates of Gaza, and 
Milo thofe of Crotona; and left both places without de¬ 
fence. 
■ There appears to have been anciently but four gates in 
the wall of the city of London; and thefe were placed 
nearly according to the divifion of the compafs on the 
four cardinal points of the horizon, eall, north, weft, and 
fouth, as we learn from Fitzllephen. Their names were; 
Ealdgate, or Aldgate, on the eaft ; Alderfgate, on the 
north ; Ludgate, on the weft; and Bridgegate, on the fouth. 
“But,” fays the fame ancient chronicler, “in the reign 
of Henry II. there were feven double gates in the wall of 
this city ;” and Stow fuppofes the three others to have 
been, the Poftern upon Tower-hill, Newgate, and Bifhopf- 
D O N. 103 
gate. Thefe openings were contrived in procefs of time 
to facilitate the ingrefs and egrefs of goods in and out of 
the city, and for the accommodation of citizens who cul¬ 
tivated their fields and gardens in the pomcerium around 
the wall. 
1. Ealdgate, now Aldgate, fo called, it feems proba¬ 
ble, from its great antiquity, and not from its eaftern 
fituation, as fome authors have been pleafed to fuppofe, is 
reckoned the firll of the four original and principal gates 
of London. “It has had,” fays Stow, “two paire of 
gates, though now but one ; the hookes of them both re- 
maine.” He adds, that there had been two portcullifles, 
the place of which, and grooves in the mafonry to let 
them down, were (fill manifeft in his time. The earlielt 
mention we find of this gate is in a charter of king Ed¬ 
gar, about 967. Being in a very ruinous condition, it 
was pulled down in the year 1606, and rebuilt; but it 
was not completed till 1609. In digging the foundation, 
feveral Roman coins were difcovered, refemblances of two 
of which, being of the time of Trajan and Diocleflan, 
Mr. Bond, one of the furveyors of the work, caufed to 
be cut in Hone, and placed on each fide of the eaft front, 
where they remained till the demolition of the gate. In 
a large fquare, on the fame fide of the gate, was placed 
the ilatue of James I. in gilt armour, with a golden lion, 
and a chained unicorn, both couchant at his feet. On 
the welt fide of the gate was a figure of Fortune, gilt, and 
Handing on a globe, with a profperous fail fpreading over 
her head ; under which was carved the king’s arms, with 
the motto Dieu et mon Droit, and a little below it Vi vat 
Rex: fomewhat lower, on the fouth fide, flood Peace, 
with a dove perched on one hand, and a gilded wreath in 
the other. On the north fide was the figure of Charitv, 
with a child at her breaft, and another in her hand. On 
the top of the gate was a vane, fupported by a °-iit 
fphere ; on each fide of which flood a foldier holding a 
bullet in his hand, on the top of the upper battlements. 
Over the arch of the gate were carved the following- 
words : 
Senatus Populufque Londinenfis 
Fecit, 1609, 
Humphrey Weld, Maior. 
There were two polterns through this gate ; that on the 
fouth fide of which was made as late as the year 1734. 
There were likewife apartments over the gate, which were 
appropriated to the ufe of one of the lord-mayor’s carvers, 
but had, of late years, been uled as a charity-fchooL 
We mull obferve, that the figure of this gate, given in 
Plate III. does not agree with the above defeription, on 
account of the drawing having probably been made when 
the ornaments mentioned above had already fallen to de¬ 
cay ; but the two medallions after the coins are confpicu- 
oufly preferved. 
2. Alderfgate was the fecond of the four original gates,, 
as Stow fuppofes, although Maitland could find no men¬ 
tion of it before the conqueft. As to the etymon of this 
gate, authors confiderably vary. We are of opinion that 
it originated from one or a group of alder-trees, grow¬ 
ing naturally and thriving by the fide of this entrance; the 
probability of which is llrengthened by the well-known 
preference which thefe trees give to wet, fat,, and marlby, 
foils : 
-- Craflilque paludibus alni 
Nafcuntur. Virg. Georg. II. no. 
And the circumftance of a deep well on the eaft fide of the 
gate, the water of which role nearly level to the ground, 
is a proof of the great moifture and humidity, of the fpot. 
We cannot agree with Stow, who believes that this, as well 
as the preceding gate, w-ere both called Old-gate, w’hich 
is repugnant to good fenfe and invariable cuftom. 
This gate being in fo ruinous a condition as to be in 
danger of falling, the lord-mayor, aldermens and com¬ 
mon-council, ordered it to betaken down, which was ac¬ 
cordingly done in the year 1616, when it was rebuilt in 
a fubltantial manner; Mr..William Parker, merchant-tay- 
loi> 
