Once a Londoner always moat pugnaciously a Londoner, and nothing more' so, than. one's Melight in all that belongs to" Old London, the sugges Hames of City streets and churches, Bhe envious uniforms of the sorvante Bf City Companies, and the quaint 'Gustoms and privileges which to a ange extent the Companies preserve this day, with the Jealous solicride with' which old things are pt going in England just because hoy are old, So, being in King William Street, Where it slopes down towards. the Fiver, and seeing a large. placard Annolincing "Centenary Exhibition bf London Bridge," I naturally wont at once, Why' the exhibition has jot been better advertised T cannot for it is quite one of the most Anteresting and best arranged T have Neon, Ibis in aid of "the funds Magnus the Martyr his church Anil charitiog "of which T fear nly know that his church stands hear by London Bridge; a1 patrons are the Alderman of (Ward of Bridge Within, the Chair-aman ofthe Bridge Hotwe stars, ind the Prime Warden and Court the Worshipful. 'Company of mongers—avhose inspectors have examined, and still examine, every. fish that' comes into the City of London since the days of Richard TE, and can reject' whatever dis-leases them, with no appeal against 1 T did not "know before that old London Bridge was in. existence Very little more than 100 years ago that is the bridge that had stood For! six centuries, familiar through Thany old engravings, standing ong' boat shaped, pies, to closely Plated that the tide rushed throug! hem like a mill race, and with close jumble of half-timbered houses built all along on top. One of thi Inhabitants. of those houses was. 'Wiolin-maker named Thomas Wright, who was making very good violin'
the middle of the 18th century: here is one on show dated 1749 and pxeeedingly handsome. And there is a wonderful model of the whole bridge, 25 ft. long, with little carts land" horses and. people in. early Btuart dress moving across it. Dutton fs touched, the daylight slowly dies, and Tights twinkle out inthe latticed windows. "One could with If for hoars.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.