This church is the largest, and of the most regular of the many built by sir Christopher Wren; it is situated on the south side of , at the corner of , and is separated from the highway by a spacious church-yard, the approach to which is by a noble pair of iron gates, decorated with a gilt statue of the patron saint, and sustained by piers finished with urns. The churchyard is considerably above the street, owing to its surface having been raised to a level with the highest part of the hill.

It is a rectory, and was originally in the gift of the dean and canons of , London, who transferred it to the abbot and convent of ; and they continued patrons thereof till their convent was dissolved by Henry VIII. His majesty granted this church to Thomas lord Wriothesley, afterwards earl of Southampton, from whom it descended by marriage to the noble family of Montague.

The plan shews a nave, aisles, and chancel, with small rooms occupying the angles formed by the projection of the latter, and a square tower at the west end, flanked by spacious vestibules, containing stairs to the galleries. The church is lofty, but owing to the great height necessary to be given to the east end to gain the level with the higher parts of the church-yard, space is afforded for extensive catacombs.

The tower is partly ancient; it is made in height into stories, the comprise the whole of the old structure, the is an addition of Wren's. The west front has a disused doorway, with a modernized pointed arch in the lower story, which by the accumulation of the earth is greatly abridged of its original height; the story has a pointed window of lights, with arched heads, inclosing sweeps, divided by mullions; the head of the arch being occupied by perpendicular mullions of similar design to the others, but smaller; the story has a small pointed window of lights, which is also repeated in the flanks; the upper story has a large round headed window in every aspect, with handsome dressings; the elevation is finished with a ballustrade, on a cornice sustained on brackets, at the angles are pedestals surmounted by pyramidal formed ornaments, composed of cartouches, sustaining a vane; the old part of the structure have buttresses at the angles, and the whole has been covered with a modern ashlaring of Portland stone; the vestibules attached to the sides of the tower, occupy in height the stories; each has a segment arched window, and above it an entire circular ; the flanks have doorways instead of the lower windows; the elevations are finished with a cornice and blocking course. The south side of the church has tier of windows, in the upper , in the lower ; the latter are segment arched, the former semicircular; the place of windows at the extremities are supplied by doorways, lintelled, and covered with elliptical pediments sustained on consoles; the elevation is finished with a cornice and ballustrade. The north front is uniform with the southern. The east end of the aisles have windows corresponding with the upper tier of the flanks. The elevation of the chancel, viewed from the street, is exceedingly lofty, half its height being occupied by the wall of the catacombs; in the superstructure is a large and handsome Venetian window, in stories, each story made into lights by columns, with corresponding pilasters, sustaining their respective entablatures; the lowest order is Corinthian, the upper composite; the elevation is finished by a cornice surmounted by a pediment; in the tympanum is a circular window, and on acroteria are lofty urns. The rooms which flank the chancel are uniform, and contain windows agreeing with the lower tier of the church in each of the fronts, they are covered with domed roofs. The southern is used as a registry, the northern as a vestry. The whole church is substantially built with Portland stone, and the roof covered with lead. It has no western entrance in use, the approaches being by the doorways in the flank walls. The tower is pierced in the north, east, and south walls, with pointed arches, sustained on semi-columns, from which circumstance it is evident it has always stood within the

last supper,

the resurrection.

I. PRICE,

1718

.

the holy family

our Saviour giving sight to the blind,

the Sermon on the Mount,

EX DONO THOMAE HODGSON DE BROMWICH IN AGRO ERORACEN.« MILITIS.

A bench in the centre aisle is inscribed,

For the

four

almes men in Grays Inn lane,

For the

six

almeswomen in Grays Inn lane.

This church was built in , and the additions to the steeple in , sir Christopher Wren being the architect. The expense was ; the length is feet, the breadth , and the height . The tower is feet high.

There are several elegant modern monuments in this church. In the north aisle is an elegant marble tablet to the memory of W. Manley, esq. sergeant at law, who died , aged . Near it is a similar erected by the parish to the memory of the rev. T. G. Clare, B. D. rector of this parish, died , aged . In the gallery over the same aisle is a handsome monument consisting of Corinthian columns, supporting an arched pediment and arms, to the memory of John Manningham, bishop of Hereford.

Among the records of this parish, Mr. Malcolm found the following :--

In the reign of Henry VII. the churchwardens compelled

sir Harry

Henry VIII. The little organs were made, and bought at the charges of the parish, and devotion of good people, and cost

Edward V.

My lord of Lincoln gave a pair of organs.

[] The tower was began in the 25th year of Henry the VI and the bells placed in the 35th year of the same king; it was not completed till the 7th or 8th of Edward IV.-Malcolm.