the hotel, in Temple-row, was erected in
the year 1772, upon the tontine principle. There being fifty shares,
of course the same number of lives must be nominated at that time,
of whom there were, in the middle of October, 1818, forty-five still
living.

Another instance may be adduced, equally appropriate. There are at the
present time, 1818, still living, and in health, seventeen persons,
(and there may be several more), who all of them received their
education under one schoolmaster, the youngest of whom is sixty-nine
years of age.

And what is still more remarkable, although there were in the middle
of November more than three hundred and eighty children in the asylum,
there was not one sick person in that numerous family.

_ST. MARTIN's CHURCH_

Is undoubtedly of great antiquity, and to trace its foundation is
at present impossible, tradition itself not giving any clue. It was
originally erected with stone, but the exterior being decayed by time,
in the year 1690 the body of the church, and also the tower, were
cased with bricks of an admirable quality, and mortar suitable to
them, for at this time there is scarcely any symptoms of decay. The
elegant spire has been several times injured by lightning, and during
its repairs the workmen have contracted the length of it considerably.
It was at one time (whatever it is now) the loftiest spire in the
kingdom, measuring from its base to the weathercock. The person who
repaired it in 1777 made the observation.--There are, no doubt,
several steeples more lofty, measuring from the ground, the towers
of which extend to a great height, whilst this at Birmingham is very
low.--There are within the church two marble monuments, with recumbent
figures upon them, but no inscription, and are, like the church, of
such ancient date, that no person has yet presumed to say when they
were executed nor for whom, (only by conjecture); but let the artists
be who they would, the effigies do them great credit, and were highly
deserving of better treatment than they have experienced. In the
church is a fine-toned organ. In the steeple are twelve musical bells,
and a set of chimes, that play with great accuracy a different tune
every day in the week, at the hour of three, six, nine and twelve; and
they are so contrived, that they shift from one tune to another, by
means of their own machinery. On the south side of the tower there is
a meridian line, which was affixed there by Ferguson, th