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L O N 
wick ward.—'This name brings with it a mean idea. One 
is prone to think that the narrownefs of the ftreets and 
lanes in this part of the city, forcing the inhabitants to 
ufe artificial light at mid-day, might have ftamped this di- 
vifion with its odd name. But, recurring to ancient re¬ 
cords, we find that, by a lingular effect of the defire which 
tradelinen feel of emulating each other, or becaufe 
“man is a gregarious animal,” the'place was originally 
and entirely inhabited by tallow-chandlers, then vulgarly 
called candle-zvrigfits, or makers of tallow and wax candles. 
Indeed, when we confider the quantity of wax and tallow 
tapers burnt in churches, chapels, and chantries, and the 
number of thefe chantries, chapels, and churches, in the 
city, we need not wonder if a whole ward was entirely de¬ 
voted to the manufacturing of this fort of merchandife. 
At the corner of St. Martin’s lane there is the fign of a 
cannon upon its carriage, in remembrance of what origi¬ 
nally gave name to the ftreet, which ends at Clement’s 
lane. Great Eaftcbeap begins at that point, and extends 
to Filh-ftreet-hill. It took its name from a market kept 
there, to ferve the eaft part of the city; which market was 
removed to Leadenhall-fquare; and, by the early account 
we have of Eaftcheap-market, and its vicinity to the ferry, 
or Roman trajeftus, over the Thames, vte have great rea- 
fon to fuppole this to be the firft, or one of the firft, mar¬ 
kets in London, even of a Roman date. In this ftate it 
continued for many ages, efpecially for vitfluals; as may 
be collected from the fong called London Lickpenny, made 
by Lydgate the poet, in the reign of king Henry V. who, 
in the perfon of a countryman, coming to London, and 
walking through the city, fays, “In Weftcheap I was 
called on to buy fine lawn, Paris thread, cotton, umbel, 
and other linen clothes, and fuch like; (but not a word 
of filks.) In Cornhill, to buy old apparel and houfehold 
fluff. In Candlewright-ftreet, the drapers preferred me 
cheap cloth. In Ealtcheap, the cooks cried, hot ribs of 
beef roafted, pies well baked, and other victuals. There 
was clattering of pots, harp, pipe, and fawtrie ; yea by 
cock, nay by cock, for other greater oaths were fpared. 
Some fang of Jenkin and Julian, &c. all which melody 
liked the paffenger; but he wanted money to abide by it, 
and therefore gat him into a Gravefend barge, and home 
into Kent.” 
Here Hood the Boar’s-head Tavern, immortalized by 
Shakefpeare as the f'cene of the frolicfome exploits of fir 
John Falftaff and the prince of Wales, afterwards Henry 
V. But the mirth of thefe celebrated guelts was not always 
confined within due limits; nor was the heir apparent the 
only one of the blood-royal who indulged in fuch exceS'es. 
. His brothers John and Thomas, being here at flipper, on 
St. John’s eve, in the year 1410, raifed fuch a riot in the 
ftreet, between two and three o’clock in the morning, that 
the mayor and flieriffs were called up to quell it. This 
the princes took as an infult to their dignity. The 
jnagiftrates were fummoned before the king by the cele¬ 
brated chief juftice, Gafcoyne; but they flood on their 
defence, and were honourably difmiffed, it being proved 
that they had done no more than their duty, for the main¬ 
tenance of the peace. 
The boar’s head is flill ftuck up, on the fouth fide of 
Ealtcheap, between the firft and fecond floor, and on the 
divifion of two houfes (both kept at prefent by perfumers) 
which have been built on the lite of this famed tavern. 
The head of the boar is mafterly carved, and feems as if 
of an older date than the infcription above it; (fee Plate 
VII. b.) Having been painted in a fort of bottle-green or 
bronze colour, it appears at fome diftance as if made of 
brafs and inlaid in the ftone. The figure which we give 
of it is perfectly correct, the Iketch having been taken on 
the fpot, except that the ornaments round the flab at ftone 
on which is the boar’s head are now gone. We have 
been told that this piece of fculpture was after the fire 
,of London placed over the chimney-piece of one of the 
principal rooms of the public houfe or tavern rebuilt on 
lire premifes of the ancient one; and that it is but re- 
D O N. 
cently that it has been hoifted up again. This very ftone 
might have been found among the rudera, the ruins of the 
conflagratiqn, aftd preferved to this moment; the name 
and date having been added by thofe who fixed it up again. 
But the reader, aware that this is a mere conjecture, will 
be at liberty to form an opinion for himfelf. 
Oppofite, on the north fide, is another ftone bas-relief, 
fet in the wall, and nearly facing the boar’s head. It is 
the bold and animated figure of a Mermaid, with her ufu- 
ally-diftievelled hair about her flioulders, and holding in 
her right hand fomething refembling a bundle of flax or a 
diltaff. Was there any public houfe or tavern under the 
fign of the Mermaid in Great Ealtcheap ? or was this 
carved piece of work dug out of the rubbilh after the fire, 
and placed there without meaning? did a comb-maker, 
or a fifti-monger, live under it?—We have mentioned 
above, after Stow, that this ftreet was once famous for re¬ 
vels and good eating. Perhaps, while the boar’s head was 
beckoning and inviting the hungry paffenger to feed upon 
flefli, the mermaid, on the other fide, was calling them to 
the dainties of the ocean and of the river. However, the 
worktnanlhip ought to be taken notice of, for the anima¬ 
tion and fpirit breathed by the artift into the figure of 
the female menfter. We could not find any date that 
might have led us to guefs when, where, and why, this 
was originally put up : but it is worth noting down, as 
it may, at fome future day, become a fort of clue to diredl 
the fearch of keener antiquaries towards fome iaterefting 
fafts belonging to the hiltory of the metropolis. Many 
and many times we have paffed in Great Ealtcheap, and 
yet the boar’s head never attracted our notice, till the 
etching in Pennant’s London routed our curiofity, and di¬ 
rected our fteps to the fpot. But what a change this fa¬ 
mous place has undergone !—The cries of victuallers are 
heard no more: the fumes of their viands do not now fill 
the air; and no jolly knight repairs there to quaff his 
fack, as in the days of Falltafr'. Ealtcheap is now occu¬ 
pied by a few plodding tradefmen ; and is nothing but a 
fort of fag-end, lefs bufy, lefs alive, lei's wide, than Can- 
non-ltreet. Pennant mentions not the mermaid, but 
takes notice of “a fwan cut in ftone:” furely he could 
not have miltaken the Nereid for the Bird of Leda. How. 
ever, the fwan has hopped off, as is ufual to the tribe ; but 
the faithful fea-dame remains with us. 
Crooked-lane, fo well named on account of its turn¬ 
ings, is remarkable for the great number of (hops devoted 
to fowling and angling, cages of all forts, moufe and rat 
traps of all forms, and all works in which white or yellow 
wire is employed. Probably, as it is the neareft way to 
London-bridge, thofe whointend togoand enjoy the above- 
mentioned diverfions of angling and bird-catching, taking 
St. Michael and Crooked-lane in their way, attracted there 
the venders of the commodities and implements neceflary 
for the rural (ports. - 
The church of St. Michael ftands on the eaft fide of 
that lane, a little before the turning off into Crooked-lane. 
This church is of ancient foundation, John de Borhain 
appearing to have been reftor thereof in the year 1304; at 
which time it was a very ordinary fmall building, and 
flood amidllTayltalls and (laughter-grounds ufed by the 
butchers of Eaftcheap-market. But, in 1366, John Loveken, 
or Loufken, four times lord-mayor of London, obtained 
a grant of the ground where thelayltalls were, and built 
a handfome and capacious church thereon. This church 
received confiderable additions from firWilliam Walworth, 
lord-mayorin theyeari 374,and formerly fervant toLoveken. 
He likewife founded a college for a mailer and nine priefts ; 
fettled his own new-built houfe, adjoining to the church, 
fora habitation of the laid matter and chaplains or priefts 
for ever, and was buried in the north chapel by the choir. 
This church, however, beingentirely deltroyed by tliegreat 
conflagration in 1666, the prefent edifice role in its ftead. 
It is a plain itrufture built with ftone, and lighted by a 
Aeries of large arched windows. The tower, which is at 
the welt end, is carried fq.uare to a conliderable height; 
and 
