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remember, years ago, when "ticket porters" were in vogue in this neighborhood, a singular specimen of the class, who was afflicted with St. Vitus's dance. It was amusing to see him start off all at once without any apparent object in view, and running impetuously for some time suddenly "pull up," as if to reflect upon his precipitate course, and convulsively twirling his fingers, and making strange grimaces, as if repentant of his folly, quietly retrace his steps. We now pass through a dark archway, the Temple Gate, which leads us to one of the most interesting historic relics of the City. The Temple is of great antiquity, dating back as far as 1185. At the downfall of the Knights' Templars, in 1313, the Temple was bestowed upon the Earl of Pembroke, at whose death the property passed to the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, by whom the Inner and Middle Temples were leased to the students of law, in 1326. Spencer makes the following allusion to this locality:

"Those bricky towers

The which on Thames' broad aged back doe ride,
Where now the studious lawyers have their bowers,
There whilom wont the Templar knights to bide,
Till they decayed through pride."

The Church of the Knights' Templars is model

led in part after the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem.

[graphic][subsumed][subsumed]

ashes of Oliver Goldsmith.

His funeral took

place on the evening of the 9th of April, 1774.

[graphic]

INTERIOR VIEW.

The place is undistinguished; but a tablet recently erected on the north side of the Choir commemorates the circumstance

Many learned divines have been lecturers in Temple Church, among the number Hooker, the author of the 'Ecclesiastical Polity,' and Archbishop Usher, who preached the funeral sermon of Selden. The organ at this church was long celebrated as being the grandest in London. Shakespeare lays the

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scene of the first part of Henry VI., it may be } remembered, in Temple Gardens. We first hear of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night in connection with. its performance in this fine old Hall. These gardens front the Thames, and are laid out with great taste, and are ornamented with stately trees. The Hall of the Middle Temple is venerable and magnificent; it has witnessed more than one royal banquet. Crown Office Row, Temple, was the birthplace of Charles Lamb; he says in "Elia," "Cheerful Crown Office Row, place of my kindly engender."

Among the distinguished literary names connected with the Temple, may be mentioned the following: Raleigh, Selden (who died in Whitefriars), Clarendon, Beaumont, Ford, Wycherly, Congreve, Rowe, Fielding, Johnson, Burke, and Cowper: also Goldsmith, who had chambers there. He resided first on Library-Staircase, afterwards in King's Bench Walk, and finally at No. 2 Brick Court. It was in Wine Office Court, Fleet-street, he wrote his "Vicar of Wakefield." The following is the interesting account by Boswell, of the circumstances under which this charming tale was sold:

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"I received one morning," said Johnson, a message from por Goldsmith, that he was in great distress, and, as it was

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not in his power to come to me, begging that I would come to him as soon as possible. I sent him a guinea, and promised

to come to him directly. I accordingly went to him as soon as I was dressed, and found that his landlady had arrested him for his rent, at which he was in a violent passion. I perceived that he had already changed my guinea, and had a bottle of Madeira and a glass before him. I put the cork into the bottle, desired he would be calm, and began to talk to him of the means by which he might be extricated. He then told me that he had a novel ready for the press, which he produced to me. 1 looked into it, and saw its merit; told the landlady I should soon return, and having gone to a bookseller, sold it for sixty pounds. I brought Goldsmith the money, and he discharged his rent, not without rating his landlady in a high tone for having used him so ill.”

Those who are familiar with Boswell's "Life of Johnson" will remember the following amusing anecdote of the Doctor: "When Madame de Boufflers was first in England, she was desirous to see Johnson. I accordingly went with her to his chambers in the Temple, where she was entertained with his conversation for some time. When our visit was over, she and I left him, and were got into Inner Temple Lane, when all at once I heard a noise like thunder. This was occasioned by Johnson, who, it seems, upon a little recollection, had taken it into his head that he ought to have done the honors of his literary residence to a foreign lady of quality, and eager to show himself a man of gallantry, was hurrying down the staircase in

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