10(5 L O 
nion, and aflerts that it was only repaired in the above- 
mentioned reign, and that it was anciently denominated 
Chamberlain-gate \ but, if this be true, it is very extraordi¬ 
nary that this gate is not once mentioned before the con- 
queft. It appears, however, from ancient records, that it 
was called Newgate, and was a common jail for felons 
taken in the city of London, or the county of Middlefex, 
as early as the year 1218 ; and that fo lately as the year 
1457, Newgate, and not the Tower, was the prifon for the 
nobility and great officers of Hate. Newgate, being much 
damaged by the fire of London in 1666, was repaired in 
the year 1672. The weft fide of this gate was adorned 
with three ranges of Tufcan pilafters, with their entabla¬ 
tures, and in the intercolumniations were four niches, in 
one of which was a figure reprefenting Liberty, having the 
word Libertas infcribed on her cap ; and at her feet a cat, 
jn alhifion to the ftory of fir Richard Whittington. (See 
p. 67.) The eaft fide of the gate was likewife adorned 
with a range of pilafters, and in three niches the figures 
of Juftice, Mercy, and Truth. Newgate flood acrofs the 
eaft end of Newgate-ftreet; and was removed in the year 
1777 ; at-which time the prefent Newgate was built on 
one fide of the ficite, and Giltfpur-ftreet Compter on the 
other. 
Thefe four ancient Gates are reprefented on Plate IV.— 
We now have but one non-exi fling gate to mention, which is, 
9. The Pojlern-gate. This ftood at the eaft end of Pof- 
tern row, on Tower-hill; and, by a part of it which was 
remaining when Stow wrote his Survey of London, ap¬ 
peared to have been a ftrong, handfome, arched gate. It 
was erected loon after the conq.ueft, partly wfith Kentifn 
Itones, and partly with (tones brought from Caen in Nor¬ 
mandy. The deftruftion of this gate commenced in the 
year 1190, when William Longchamp, bifliop of Ely, and 
chancellor of England, (the favourite of Richard I.) caufed 
a part of the city-wall to be broken down to enlarge the 
Tower of London, which he then encompafled with a 
wide ditch, and an embattled wall, which is the outer 
wall of the Tower at this time. The Poftern-gate, being 
thus deprived of the fupport of the city-wall on one fide, 
fell down in the year 1440, and was never rebuilt,,; but in 
the place of it was erected a mean building fit timber, 
lath, and loam ; which is likewife decayed, and all re¬ 
mains of it totally removed. In the place where this gate 
ftood, pofts are now fet up to prevent the paffage of carts 
and coaches, room being left, between the pofts, for foot- 
paflengers. Adjoining hereto was till lately a double de¬ 
scent, by fteps on each fide protected by railing, to an ex¬ 
cellent fpring of water, called the Poftern-fpring. On the 
4th of June, 1763, (the king’s birth-day,) a dreadful ac¬ 
cident happened here. It had long been a cuftom to ex¬ 
hibit fireworks upon thefe occafions, at the public expenfe, 
on Tower-hill. At this time the concotirfe of people was 
fo great, that a vaft number were prefled againft this rail¬ 
ing, and it gave way : of the multitude which were preci¬ 
pitated to a depth of near thirty feet, fix were taken up 
dead, fourteen more died of their bruifes, and many others 
were much hurt. The fireworks were never afterwards 
repeated; and the railing was replaced by a dwarf-wall. 
This has, however, been fince removed, "the cavity filled 
up, and a pump eredted on the fcite. 
10. St. John's Gate. It is a well-known faff, that St. 
John’s Gate, as it is called, near the end of St. John’s 
ltreet, was not originally a city-gate, but the folemn en¬ 
trance to the famous priory of the Knights of St. John of 
Jerufalem or Knights Hofpitallers. This foundation came 
into the poflefiion of great wealth, and attained to the ho- 
aiour of being the chief feat of the Knights Hofpitallers 
in England. Their prior ranked as the firft baron in the 
realm, and lived in royal fplendour. The rebels under 
Wat Tyler, determining to mortify their haughty luxury, 
burnt their houfe to the ground; but it was loon reltored 
in a grander ftyle than before. It was fupprelfed by Hen¬ 
ry VIII. who appropriated it to the ufe of a repofitory for 
martial ftores and the royal hunting-equipage, In the 
D O N. 
following reign, the profeclor Somerfet deftroyed the 
church, with its fine fteeple, (which was beautifully fculp- 
tured, gilt, and enamelled,) with the defign of applying 
the materials towards erefting his own palace,in the Strand. 
Queen Mary partly reftored this priory; but her protef- 
tant fucceffor, Elizabeth, entirely fuppreffed it. It foon 
after went to decay, and the remaining gate became a 
public way from Clerkenwell into the city through Smith- 
field. This old building confifls of a lofty Gothic arch, 
and on each fide over the gate were not long fince feveral 
efcutcheor.s, which are engraved in Pennant’s London, 
but are now entirely undiftinguifhable. The arms were 
carefully carved, and had infcriptions under them. This 
remnant offers a plain but grand idea of what the whole 
of the monaftery may have been in its fiourifhing ftate. 
From this gate the Gentleman’s Magazine firft iflued into 
the world in the year 1731 ; and has continued ever fince 
to exhibit a view of the place in the front of every number. 
ri. Temple Bar. Neither was this a city-gate till the 
year 1670. By ir the. Strand is divided from Fieet-flreet, 
and the weftern limits of the city finally marked. Before 
tire building of it, that is, before the fire of London, in 
1666, nothing but pofts, rails, and chains, intercepted the 
road. On the fide towards the eaft, are, in niches, the fta- 
tues of James I. and Anne of Denmark his queen, or, as 
others fay, of queen Elizabeth ; which has been conjectured 
becaufe,in that cafe, the gate would prefent the effigies of 
four fucceffive fovereigns; as Charles I. and Charles II. 
during whole reign it was built, are in the niches towards 
the weft. The whole architecture, according to the ftyle 
of the time, is good and elegant. The fabric is of Port¬ 
land ftone, and the work of John Bufhnel, who died in 
1701. The fupporters of the king’s arms, the lion and 
the unicorn, are placed on each fide of the pediment as 
appropriate ornaments ; and the height of the arch is 
about twenty feet. On this gate has been the fad'exhi¬ 
bition of the heads of thole who fell victims, in 1746, ro 
principles now fortunately extinft and nearly forgotten, 
The improvements that have taken place of late on the 
weftern fide, by laying open the area between the Bar and 
St. Clement’s church, and the enlargement of the fpace 
on each fide that ancient and curious church, do honour 
to thole who planned and executed them. The houfes 
thereabout are of an uncommon height, and add grandeur 
to the fpot. 
Near Temple-Bar ftood, till within a few years, the De¬ 
vil Tavern, fo called from its fign, of St. Dunftan feizing 
the old gentleman by the nofe with a pair of tongs. Ben 
Jonfon has immortalized it by his Leges Convwiales, writ¬ 
ten for the regulation of a club of wits, who aflembled 
here in a room called the Apollo. 
We have now the latisfaction of entering upon the reign 
of his prefent majefty. No acceffion to the throne, either 
in Great Britain or in any other Itate of Europe, was ever 
more aufpicious. Born an Englifhman, though of a fo¬ 
reign race, George III received the reins of government 
under more happy circumftances, or amidlt more univer- 
fal applaufe from his lutjjefts, and in particular from the 
citizens of London, than any of His piedecefiors. The 
Ipirit of the Whigs and Tories was worn out, and the 
Brunfwick dynalty moft fecurely feated upon the throne. 
The torch of f'uperftition was waning apace ; and the tu¬ 
multuous din of war was loon to be exchanged for the 
charming voice of peace. The whole of the metropolis 
fliouted with rapturous joy on the day of the king’s pro¬ 
clamation, at which the lord-mayor and aldermen, with a 
great number of perfons of the firft diftinflion, lurrounded 
by a vaft concotirfe of fpedtators, were prefent. 
On the 28th of October, 1760, the lord-mayor and al¬ 
dermen of London attended his majefty, at Leicefter-houfe, 
with compliments of condolence and congratulation; an 
addrefs W'as prefented to him by the citizens, in their cor¬ 
porate capacity ; as alfo another to the princefs-dowager of 
Wales, Iris mother. This example was followed by the 
merchants and traders of the city, the clergy of London 
& and 
