* * * *

[Illustration: OLD ST. PAUL'S, FROM THE SOUTH. _After W. Hollar._]

[Illustration: OLD ST. PAUL'S, FROM THE NORTH. _After W. Hollar._]

[Illustration: OLD ST. PAUL'S, FROM THE EAST. _After W. Hollar._]

[Illustration: OLD ST. PAUL'S, FROM THE WEST. _After W. Hollar._]

CHAPTER II.

THE PRECINCTS.

_The Cathedral Wall, its Course and Gates_--_Characteristic
Names_--_The North Cloister_--_The Library_--_Pardon Churchyard_
--_Minor Canons' College_--_Paul's Cross_--_Bishop's House_
--Lollards' Tower_--_Doctors Commons_--_The Cloister and Chapter
House_--_The West Front._

A wall was built round the churchyard in 1109, but was greatly
strengthened in 1285. The churchyard had got such a bad character
for robberies, fornications, even murders, that the Dean and Chapter
requested King Edward I. to allow them to heighten this wall, with
fitting gates and posterns, to be opened every morning and closed at
night. From the north-east corner of Ave Maria Lane, it went east
along Paternoster Row, to the end of Old Change, then south to Carter
Lane, thence northwards to Creed Lane, with Ave Maria Lane on the
other side. It will of course be remembered that the Fleet River ran
along at the bottom of the hill, not bearing the best character in
the world for savouriness even then, but crowded with boats as far as
Holborn. It will be remembered that there was also a gate in the City
Wall, on Ludgate Hill, a little to the west of St. Martin's Church.
The gate had a little chapel within it, but the greater part of the
building was used for a prison. Passing under it, and up Ludgate Hill,
you came to the western gate of the Cathedral Close--a wide and strong
one--spanning the street.[1] There were six of these gates; the second
was at Paul's Alley, leading to the Postern Gate, or "Little
North Door"; third, Canon's Alley; fourth, Little Gate (corner of
Cheapside); fifth, St. Augustine's Gate (west end of Watling Street);
and sixth, Paul's Chain. The ecclesiastical names bear their own
explanation: "Ave Maria" and "Paternoster" indicated that rosaries and
copies of the Lord's Prayer were sold in this street. "Creed" was a
somewhat later name. In olden days, it was Spurrier's Lane, _i.e._,
where spurs were sold. But when an impetus was given to instruction
under the Tudors, copies of the alphabet and the Creed were added to
such articles of sale, and this was the place to get