A Bit Of Old London.

who on the morning of Monday , the 4 th of April , 1774 , gathered in Brick Court to lament the death of him Avhose hand had never been extended to them save in pitying charity . Strange , unaccustomed group of unbidden mourners , what lesson do yon not teach us Avho have promised to renounce the vain pageantry of woe ? Goldsmith , like Gay , had " many friends " : none were with him at the last ; Avhilst of all who have been moved to smiles or tears bhis writings

y there is no one that can point out the spot in the Temple- Church burial-ground where the author of "The Traveller" and "The Vicar of Wakefield" was laid to his rest . He had purchased for £ 400—out of the profits of his "Good-natured Man "—the set of three rooms at No . 2 , Brick Court , immediately above Blackstone ' s , being , as we learn from Mr . Filb y , his tailor , on the second floor to the right hand of one ascending the stairs . Hard by , at No . 1 staircase , Inner

Temple Lane ( pulled doivn in 1858 ) , lodged Dr . Johnson during the period 1760-5 . Whilst living here he was awarded his pension , when , Lord Bute having signed the order for its bestowal , he owned that a Scotchman conld Avrite well ; ancl soon afterwards , eagerly adopting the proposal of Sir Joshua Reynolds , established the club which , at Garrick ' s funeral , became distinguished by the title of the Literary Club . They met at the "Turk's Head , " in Gerrarcl

Street , Soho , the street of Dryden and of Burke . Goldsmith , had he been the survivor , would indubitably have written Johnson ' s life . What a life of Goldsmith have we lost at the hand which penned the lives of Addison and Savage ! In No . 4 staircase , also pulled CIOAVU , lived " Elia , " who describes , in an undying theme , the benchers of the Temple . To the " Mitre , " since sadly changed—appositely-named resort of the Tory ancl good Churchman ,

Johnsonhe , Boswell , and Goldsmith often repaired . Here Avas planned the tour which gave us the delightful " Journey in the Western Islands of Scotland . " At Robinson ' s shop , in the western corner gate-house of Inner Temple Lane , Pope and Warburton first met . Between the Middle Temple Gate—which , built by Sir Christopher Wren , occupies the site of one erected by Sir Amyas Paulet asa fine to Cardinal Wolsey—ancl Temple Bar , stood the "Devil Tavern . " Its sign Avas " St . Martin and the Devil . " Here Ben Jonson held his club , the " Apollo , " for which he composed his " Leges Convivales . " This is the tavern spoken of by Pope—And each true Briton is to Bon so civil

He swears the Muses met him at the Devil . — SATIRES ( Hor . Ep . P . ii ., 1 ) . It was esteemed of good repute in the early years of the last century . " I dined to-day , " says Swift , in a letter to Stella , " with Dr . Garth and Mr . Addison at the Devil Tavern , near Temple Bar , ancl Garth treated . " Looking to the date of the letter and the political changes of the time , it is conceivable that Swift did not greatly enjoy the dinner . Frequent mention occurs in The Tatler

, ancl similar works , of many famous shops and coffee-houses in this quarter , such as "Nando ' s" coffee-house , "Dick ' s , " the " Grecian , " the "Rainbow , " ( said to have been indicted in former times for the nuisance of selling coffee ) , the shops of Jacob Tonson ancl Bernard Lintot , booksellers . In the latter of these Gay was anxious that his works should appear : —

Ob ! Lintot , let my labours obvious lie Ranged on thy stall for every envious eye . — TRIVIA , Book ii . Nor must we forget Ben Tooke ' s , a bookseller , and the shop of Charles Mather , alias Bubble-boy , the toyman . Next door to the " Devil Tavern " Francis Child conducted the banking-house that he had founded with the marriage fortune of his wifethe daughter of his masterWilliam Wheelera

gold-, , , smith . Here , at the sign of " The Marigold , " King Charles II ., Prince Rupert , Dryden , Pepys , with many others , including Nell Gwynne , kept their accounts . Of poor Nell there is little to be said that has not been said before . She , no less than Vane— Could tell what ills from beauty spring ;