The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and
Instruction, by Various

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title: The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction
Vol. XVII. No. 473., Saturday, January 29, 1831

Author: Various

Release Date: June 14, 2004 [EBook #12619]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MIRROR OF LITERATURE, NO. 473 ***

Produced by Jonathan Ingram, Allen Siddle and PG Distributed Proofreaders

THE MIRROR OF LITERATURE, AMUSEMENT, AND INSTRUCTION.

VOL. XVII. No. 473.] SATURDAY, JANUARY 29, 1831. [PRICE 2d.

* * * * *

[Illustration: THE STRAND, FROM ARUNDEL HOUSE, ANNO 1700.]

[Illustration: STRAND CROSS, COVENT GARDEN, &c. ANNO 1547.]

THE STRAND, ANCIENT AND MODERN.

(_Inscription copied from the original of the annexed Engraving_.)

THE STRAND,

In its ancient state, anno 1547.
With the Strand Cross, Convent Garden, &c.
With the Procession of Edward VI.

THE STRAND,

And its Neighbourhood, anno 1700.
Looking from Arundel House, northwards,
With the Maypole and Garland.

We have often, in our antiquarian notices of the Metropolis, touched upon
the olden topography of COVENT GARDEN and THE STRAND, and illustrated our
pages with some portion of its history. Thus, in vol. xii. p. 40, the
"regular subscriber" will find, an Engraving, and descriptive notes of Old
Covent Garden: in vol. xiii. p. 122, he will find a second notice of the
same spot; and in the same volume, p. 241, is a whole-page Engraving of
the original Somerset House, with ample details of its foundation, the
neighbouring district, &c. The reader should turn to these pages, and
re-read them in connexion with the few particulars we have now to add.

To aid the first Engraving, with the Strand Cross and _Covent Garden_, we
may quote that--

"Most of the ground occupied by the above parish was, in ancient times
(anno 1222), an extensive garden, belonging to the Abbot and Convent of
Westminster, and thence called the _Convent_ Garden, from which the
present appellation is an evident corruption. This estate, with other
contiguous lands of the Abbo