disposition, and, on pretences as absurd as cruel, deprived her of all her possessions, and restrained her to this Abbey, where she passed the remainder of her life in mournfulness and penury. By her will, which bears date on the 10th of April, 1492, she appears to have been almost entirely destitute of property of any kind; for after assigning "her small stuff and goods to the contentation of her debts," she merely bequeaths her blessing to her Children, in the following plaintiff and pathetic manner :Whereas I have no worldly goods to do the Queen's grace, my dearest daughter, a pleasure with, neither to reward any of my Children according to my heart and mind, I beseech Almighty God to bless her Grace, with all her noble issue, and with as good heart and mind as is to me possible, I give her Grace iny blessing, and all the aforesaid my Children."

"Item.

In 1537, this foundation was surrendered to Henry VIII., by Robert de Wharton, alias Parfew, its last Abbot, who in the preceding year had been raised to the See of St. Asaph, and was likewise rewarded with a pension of 500 marks. According to Speed, its annual revenues amounted to 5481. 2s. 53d.; but Dugdale states them at only 4741. 14s. 44d. In July, 1541, the site of the Abbey was granted to Sir, Robert Southwell soon after which the conventual Church was pulled down by Sir Thomas Pope, by whom it had been purchased, and who erected a splendid mansion upon the site. That edifice became the habitation of the Ratcliffs, Earls of Sussex, and within its walls, Thomas Ratcliff, the Earl of Leices

ter's great rival in the favour of Queen Elizabeth, breathed his last.

The ancient Gateway, with its postern, shewn in the print, stands at the north-west corner of King John's Court, in which also was a house of considerable antiquity, bearing a like appellation. St. Mary Magdalen's Church was originally founded by the Priors of Bermondsey for the conveniency of their neighbouring tenants. It was made parochial after the Dissolution; and, in 1680, re-built in a very plain style, but it has since been repaired and ornamentally fitted up.

WESTMINSTER HALL.

Such a short period has elapsed since the removal of the Coffee-houses from the great entrance of WESTMINSTER HALL, that no proof is required of their having actually stood there; but, that this capacious apartment was once fitted up with counters, &c. for Book and Printsellers, Mathematical Instrument Makers, Sempstresses, and other tradespeople, is now a fact so fast receding from memory, that a short article upon the subject may not be uninteresting.

The annexed Print, which represents the Interior of the Hall, as it appeared early in George the Second's reign,* was taken from an engraving by C. Mosley, after a delineation by Gravelot. At the

*The date 1770, at the bottom of the Print, is a mistake for 1730.

bottom are the following lines, which are illustrative of the view itself.

Westminster Hall in Term Time.
When Fools fall out, for ev'ry flaw
They run horn mad to go to Law;
A Hedge awry, a wrong-plac'd Gate,
Will serve to spend a whole Estate;
"Your Case," the Lawyer says,
" is good,
"And Justice cannot be withstood."
By tedious Process from above
From Office they to Office move;

Thro' Pleas, Demurrers, the Dev'l & all,
At length they bring it to the Hall;
The dreadful Hall, by Rufus rais'd,
For lofty Gothick Arches prais'd.
The First of TERM, the fatal day,
Doth various Images convey;

First, from y Courts wth clam'rous bawl
The Criers their Attorneys call:

One of y' Gown, discreet and wise,
By Proper Means his Witness tries:
From Wreathock's Gang, not Right or Laws,
H' assures his trembling Client's Cause.
This Gnaws his Handkerchief, whilst that
Gives the kind ogling Nymph his Hat:
Here one in Love with Choiristers,
Minds Singing more than Law Affairs.
A Serjeant limping on behind
Shews Justice Lame as well as Blind:
To gain new Clients some dispute,
Others protract an Ancient Suit;
Jargon and Noise alone prevail,
While Sense and Reason 's sure to fail.
At Babel thus Law Terms began,
And now at Westmer go on.