Wombwell has written a letter to the Editor of the "Morning Post," in which he endeavours to excuse himself from the charge of cruelty by saying that the first lion did not suffer any very material injury, and that the last did not even receive a scar. Nothing is said about the sufferings of the dogs, in which Mr. W. may perhaps think that he has no concern. It is, however, gratifying to read the very proper declaration that Mr. W. has now made. He says, "I now declare that another exhibition of such a scene will never be encouraged or engaged in by me. George Wombwell."This is as it should be,

Origin of the names of various parts of the Metropolis.London, called by the Saxons Lundenburg, takes it name from Llyn, a lake, and Din, a town, because formerly the whole of the Surrey side of the Thames lay under water; and having the appearance of a lake, might have given rise to the name of Llyn-din, or the City on the Lake.

Westminster, from Minster, or Conventual Church and West, in opposition to the New Abbey on Tower-hill, that being East Minster, from being built east of London.

Southwark was called by the Saxons, Suthvurk, or the South Work, in respect to some fort or fortification, bearing that aspect from London.

Aldgate was originally Eald Gate, signifying Old Gate, it being one of the earliest gates that was built.

Barbican, or Watch-tower; belonging to every fortified place. That of London stood near the present street called Barbican; hence its name.

Bell Savage Inn is a corruption from La Belle Sauvage, a beautiful woman, described in an old French romance, às being found in a wilderness in a savage state.

Bull and Mouth Inn is a perversion of Boulogne Mouth, or Harbour, which grew into a popular sign after the costly capture of that place by Henry VIII.

Bird Cage Walk, (St. James's Park) takes it title from the cages which were hung in the trees, belonging to an aviary adjacent, made by Charles II.

Bishopsgate Street owes it name to one of the gates of London, which stood near the end of Camomile-street; it was originally built by Erkinwald, Bishop of London, A.D., 675, and from him called Bishop's Gate.

Blackfriars proceeds from the fraternity of Dominicans, or Black Friars, who built a large house in that place.

Bridewell springs from a well formerly in that neighbourhood, dedicated to St. Bride, or Bridget.

Charing Cross.-Here formerly stood one of the crosses erected by Edward I. in memory of his beloved Queen Elea

Extracts from the Public Newspapers.

431

nor. This being then a village called Charing, gave the name of Charing Cross.

Cheapside received its name from Chepe, a market, as being originally the great street of splendid shops.

Covent Garden, originally Convent Garden, being attached to a convent belonging to the Abbot of Westminster.

Cripplegate owes its name to the number of cripples and beggars which formerly haunted that gate of the city.

Crutched Friars, from the House of the Crutched, or Crossed Friars, a fraternity which wore a large red cross on their garments: hence "The Red Cross Knight."

Eastcheap, from Chepe, a market, and East, the aspect it bears to the Chepeside.

Finsbury Square, or rather Fensbury, from its being a large fen. This was the case in the days of the historian Fitzstephen. In his description of the pastimes of the Londoners, he gives an account of the awkward substitute for the skate. He says, "And when that vast lake, which waters the walls of the city towards the north, is hard frozen, the youth in great numbers go to divert themselves on the ice; some taking a small run, for an increment of velocity, place their feet at a proper distance, and are carried sliding sideways a great way. Others there are who are still more expert in these amusements on the ice; they place certain bones, the leg-bones of animals, under the soles of their feet, by tying them round their ancles, and then taking a pole shod with iron into their hands, they push themselves forward by striking it against the ice, and are carried on with a velocity equal to the flight of a bird, or a bolt discharged from a crossbow.

Goodman's Fields, from farmer Goodman, who had a farm here" at which farme I myselfe (says Stowe) in my youth, have fetched manye a halfe-peny-worth of milk, and never had lesse than three ale pints for a halfe-peny in the summer, nor lesse than one ale quart for a halfe-peny in the winter, alwaies hot from the kine."

Hatton Gardon, from the residence of the Lord Hattons, built on the gardens belonging to Ely House, which were famous for strawberries: recorded by Hollinshed, who informs us, that Richard III., at the council held in the Tower the morning be put Hastings to death, sent to request a dish of them.

Holborn is corrupted from Old Bourne, one of the brooks which ran through London, and over which was Old Bourne Bridge, now Holborn Bridge: up to which the river Thames flowed through the Fleet Ditch, and brought barges of consi

Houndsditch was formerly a filthy ditch, into which was thrown dead dogs and all manner of filth-hence its name. Knight Rider-street is so named from the gallant train of knights who were wont to pass this way in the days of chivalry, to the gay tournaments at Smithfield.

Lombard-street dates its origin from the Lombards, the great money-lenders and usurers of former times, who came from Lombardy, and settled in that street. The sign they made use of was the three golden balls, which the pawnbrokers use to this day.

Long Acre takes its name from being built on a piece of ground called the seven acres.

May Fair from a fair formerly kept there in May.

Old Jewry derived its origin from the great synagogue of the Jews which stood there.

Pall Mall and The Mall (St. James's Park), take their titles from being used as a walk, or place for the exercise of the Mall, a game long since disused.

Peerless Pool, was originally called Perilous Pool, from the number of youths who had been drowned in it while swimming.

Piccadilly, from Piccadilla Hall, built by one Higgins, a tailor, and so called, because he got his estate by making stiff collars, in the fashion of a band, then called Piccadillas or Turnovers, formerly much in fashion.

Strand was originally an open highway, with here and there a great man's house, with gardens to the water's edge ; hence the name.

St. John's Gate, is the only remaining part of a priory founded there by the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem.

Temple Bar.-The Strand was formerly divided from Fleetstreet, by nothing but posts, rails, and chains; hence the name of bar. From being near the house of the Knights Templars (a religious military order), it received the title of Temple Bar.

Threadneedle-street, having Merchant Tailors' Hall in it; decides its origin at once.

Windmill-street (Haymarket), from a windmill, which stood in a field on the west side.

NOTICE TO CORRESPONDENTS.

We have received the communication of A. Z.; An Artist Deaf and Dumb; D. I.; Q.; and P.B.

THE

Cottager's Monthly Visitor.

OCTOBER, 1825.

ON BAPTISM;

FROM

VILLAGE CONVERSATIONS, ON THE OFFICES OF

THE CHURCH.

(Hatchard's and Rivington.) '

Dialogue between William Walker and Thomas Brown.

Thomas. I WANT to ask a favour of you, William. William. What is it, Thomas?

T. Why, I want you to stand godfather to my boy. It is time, now, that he should be christened, and I am very desirous that the godfathers and godmother should be people who know something about the business they take in hand. I call it a very solemn thing, William, to undertake a business of this sort.

W. A very solemn thing, indeed, Thomas! And it requires a little time to consider of it before one undertakes such a charge. You have taken me rather by surprise; and, therefore, I hardly know what answer to give you, just at first. If I can be of any use to you, I shall, I am sure, be truly glad. But let us talk over the matter a little.-You seem to think it a very solemn thing to have a child christened. Pray how long have you considered the matter in this way? You have other children did you always look upon Baptism as a thing of such great consequence as you do now?

:

T. Why no: I used to think nothing about it. I never considered the business we were going about; and, as to godfathers and godmothers, we took any of our relations, or any body that we could get,

without once thinking whether they intended to do their duty by the child, or whether they did not :I cared nothing about it.

W. Now there, Thomas, I think you were wrong.

T. Wrong! To be sure I was. And the chil dren might just as well have had no godfathers and godmothers at all. Not one word of Christian advice have any of them ever given the children, from the time they made their solemn promises to this very moment.

W. Why, Thomas, as you and your wife are both living, and both able to instruct your children yourselves, there was not the same occasion for the godfathers and godmothers to interfere, as if the dear children had been left without their parents.

T. Why true, William. But I think people should not take upon themselves these solemn vows, if they are not in earnest. And, if they were in earnest, a word of advice might have been thrown in now and then; and a little inquiry how the children were going on in their education; and whether they were learning those things which were promised for them. I should not have called this interfering; I should have thought it kind.

W. When I said interfering, I did not mean to consider it wrong to make such inquiries as you speak of; but some people would be very angry any body attempted to doubt whether all was right

or not.

if

T. Yes, but how strange that must be! How very strange it must be for any parents to ask their friends to enter into a solemn engagement for them, and then to be offended because these friends seem desirous of keeping their engagement! My wife and I always, I hope, loved our children; but we certainly have not thought as we ought to have done of the great engagements which were made for them at their Baptism; and we truly did stand in need of advice.