way thither we stopped to look again at CHRIST'S HOSPITAL, or the Blue-coat School, as it is commonly called. "Stop!' said my friend, when we reached the iron railings. Here we found a knot of people looking through at the boys who were playing in their large playground. I never saw so many boys together before, and as they jumped and ran about in their long blue petticoats and yellow stockings, they looked very singular. "There are about 1,400 children in this school,' said my friend. 'In Henry VIII.'s time the monastery of Greyfriars stood here. You know what was done to the monasteries and religious houses in that monarch's reign. This monastery was given by the king to the people of London for the use of the poor. His son, the young EDWARD VI., increased the value of the gift by adding to its riches. He signed a charter, by which it became a charity-school for poor and helpless children. From that time its riches have increased, and its income is now about £60,000 per annum. "The younger children do not reside in London; but about 500 are brought up at Hertford.' "On reaching Cheapside, we turned down a small street called King Street, and arrived at the GUILDHALL. "A strange old building it seemed, with its numerous little Gothic windows; but we quickly passed inside into a very large hall. "This,' said my friend, 'is the hall or banqueting-room, where the great City feasts are held. It is 153 feet long, and 53 feet high, and it has space for 6,000 persons. I dare say that more turtle has been eaten in this great place than in any other part of the world. Hundreds, and perhaps thousands, of dishes are sometimes served at one time. The dazzling gold and silver plate on which the various meats and fruits are brought up is worth an immense sum of money. If you were to come to see a City banquet, it might remind you of the old Romans, and their great feasts; but those given in this room by the MAYOR and CORPORATION are perhaps more magnificent. There were 6,000 people at the great feast given to the sovereigns of Europe in 1814.' Those are splendid windows at each end of the hall,' I said. 'Look at those strange men in the two further corners of the room; they look like giants.' "Those,' said my friend, are the two famous characters whom you so often heard of when you lived in the nursery. They have been the subject of many a nursery tale.' "Are they the famous GoG and MAGOG?" "Yes; let us go and see them. We may walk round the hall.' "Then, dear children, for the first time in my life, I went up to Gog and Magog, and stood close to them. I had felt great veneration for them when quite a little boy, but now my awe and corporation are the government, it is their business to use this money properly. They spend it to make improvements in the streets and buildings of the City. It is also spent in maintaining the police and prisons-in "entertainments," &c.' "Has the City of London much public money?' I asked. "Yes; the houses and lands belonging to the City are a very quickly vanished, for I found that they were made of wood. They were only ugly wooden images, covered with a great quantity of paint. One is said to represent an ancient Briton, and the other a Saxon. We soon left them to look at the more beautiful statues which were placed round the hall. There were statues of LORD CHATHAM, and WILLIAM PITT, NELSON, and ALDERMAN BECK-large property. The money FORD. "Are there any other offices in the Guildhall?' I said, 'besides this great banqueting room.' "Yes. There are several courts of law which are peculiar to the City. There is the Lord Mayor's Court, the Sheriffs' Court, the Chamberlain's Court, and a Court of Petty Session where the Lord Mayor and aldermen act as magistrates, and try all who are taken up by the policemen for petty offences. There are cases being tried in some of these courts now, but it is not worth while to stop and hear them. Let us go.' "On leaving the hall, I asked my friend,What is the use of the Lord Mayor, and what is meant by a corporation"?' 66 "The Lord Mayor and the Corporation,' he said, 'are the 66 government " of the City. Every large city has its mayor, whose business it is to keep it in order while he is in office. Most cities have a certain amount of property belonging to them. This is public property, and is to be spent for the public good. As the mayor 666 received as rent, and from other sources, is more than £160,000 per annum. This may seem to you a large sum to spend every year, but part of it is also spent in salaries to the officers of the Corporation. The Lord Mayor has £8,000 for the year that he is in office.' 66 6 6 "That,' I said, seems to be too much.' "Not at all. The Mayor generally finds while he is in office that his expenses are greater than his income. The great LORD MAYOR'S SHOW must cost a great deal of money; and the banquet that follows is, perhaps, more expensive still.' "It is a curious thing that he should spend the public money in that way. You said that it was used for the public good.' "And so it is. The public are amused, and the amusement does them good.' "But to spend so much for the dinner afterwards?' "Well! the Corporation must be kept up, and that cannot be done without dinners.' "By this time we had 'I "I understand,' I said. think I should like to be Lord Mayor. Where must I go to be chosen?' "Go where you like,' said my friend, laughing, it will not matter much. But you must first be made an alderman. I will tell you how it is all done. The government of London consists of the Lord Mayor, two sheriffs, twenty-five aldermen, two hundred and six common-councilmen, and other officers. Each alderman has his own part of the City to attend to, which is called his ward; so that there are twentysix wards, as Aldgate ward, Bishopsgate ward, Cripplegate ward, &c. Each alderman is also a justice of the peace for the City, and sits to try the prisoners which are brought into the Mansion House Court, or Guildhall Court, by the policemen.' 6 "What must I do,' I said, to be made an alderman?' "You must do a great many things. You must, I believe, become a freeman, and a liveryman, and then a common-council-man. Then you must wait until the alderman in your ward dies; then you must show the freemen of that ward that you are better fitted to be an alderman than any one else; and then-you must persuade them to elect you.' 666 "Then, I am afraid I shall not have time to do all that, as I am only going to remain in London a week. Perhaps you will try to be Lord Mayor instead. Here we are at the MONUMENT. Are you going up?' sad "No, thank you,' said my friend; 'I want to get home to tea. This is the last of the ancient buildings which we will notice. You know that SIR CHRISTOPHER WREN lived at the time of the great fire of London; and that he rebuilt a great part of the City. He also designed this monument, which was erected in remembrance of the event, at a cost of £15,000. It is situated about 202 feet from the spot where the fire began, and is, therefore, built 202 feet high. If you go inside you can ascend to the top by a black marble staircase, which is spiral. On the summit you see that there is a blazing gilt ornament. From the platform which you see around it, there is a most splendid view of the City.' "After looking at the people who were up there, and who seemed very small indeed, we turned our faces towards home, where I counted up the principal ancient buildingsof London. Here are their names. The TOWER, ST. PAUL'S, WESTMINSTER ABBEY, CHRIST'S HOSPITAL, MANSIONGUILDHALL, the HOUSE, and the MONUMENT. Think about them, and see what you can remember about each; and believe me, "Dear children, "Your affectionate friend, GOD SPEED THE PLOUGH. GOD speed the plough, the toiling plough, A blessing on his sunburnt brow God speed the plough, the peaceful plough; A fierce and sullen thing wert thou, Go, moulder with the helms and shields Of days long since gone by, For the plough hath won o'er bloodless fields A holier victory. God speed the plough, the noble plough, The tiller's manly toil, That bids the golden harvest glow O'er all the fruitful soil; Not ours the olive and the vine Of sunny France and Spain; Thou hast denied the oil and wine, Now, ploughman, trace the furrow fair Along the cultured mead, Then, Father, to thy fostering care, We leave the precious seed; Then, who has heard the lion's cry, Send down Thy blessing from on high, Canada. R. A. P. ADDRESS TO CERTAIN GOLD FISHES. RESTLESS forms of living light, Gorgeous as the hues of heaven, Was the sun himself your sire? Or of the shade of golden flowers, As gay, as gamesome, and as blith It may be that your ceaseless gambols Your wheelings, dartings, divings, rambles Your restless roving round and round The circuit of your crystal bound Is but the task of weary pain, An endless labour dull and vain; HARTLEY COLERIDGE. て |