d Coffee-house under the Piazza succeeded Button's, or,
rather, came into vogue afterwards when Garrick, Quin, Foote and others
used it. The house stood at the north-east corner. It is described as a
place of resort for critics. "Everyone you meet is a polite scholar and
critic ... the merit of every production of the press is weighed and
determined." Apparently a place where the conversation was a continual
attempt at smartness; it must have been most fatiguing. The weak point,
indeed, of this public life was the demand it created for conversational
display. The greater part of Johnson's pithy sayings were delivered in
such a mixed company, and were prepared in sonorous English to suit the
company.

An article in the _London Mercury_, January 13, 1721, states that there
were twenty-two gaming-houses in the parish. Besides all these
attractions, there was Covent Garden theatre opened in 1733 by Rich,
though the first patent had been granted to Sir William Davenant. In
1746 Garrick joined Rich, but at the end of the season left him for
Drury Lane, taking with him all the best actors. In 1803 Kemble became
proprietor and stage-manager, but five years later the theatre was
completely burnt. It was rebuilt under the directions of R. Smirke, and
when re-opened was the scene of a singularly pertinacious revolt. The
prices had been raised in consequence of the improved accommodation, and
the people in the pit banded themselves together under the name of "Old
Prices," and made such an intolerable uproar that the piece could not
proceed. Smith says "the town seemed to have lost its senses." For weeks
people wore O.P. hats and O.P. handkerchiefs, and interrupted every
attempt to carry the play through. In the end a compromise was made. In
1840 Charles Kemble left the theatre, and the building was leased to C.
Mathews, Madame Vestris and Macready. In 1847 it was opened as an
Italian Opera-House after being almost rebuilt. It was again destroyed
by fire in 1856, but the facade was saved with its bas-reliefs and
statues by Flaxman and Rossi. These were placed on the present building
designed by Barry, which was opened two years later.

The Church of St. Paul, Covent Garden, was built by Inigo Jones in 1633
at the expense of the Earl of Bedford; consecrated by Bishop Juxon in
1638; destroyed by fire in 1795; rebuilt by John Hardwick in the place
of the original building. And the story goes that when the architect
heard the commissio