The New York herald., 1876-10-14
TEMPLE BAR.
The improvements in London's
Heart.
HISTORICAL "REMINISCENCES.


Another of tho landmarks OF Loudon-and this
time mos. familiar one-has been doomed 10 de-
s,rucson The warrant has been signed, as 1t were.
Tor tho immediate execution OF Temple Bar, and
shortly the decrepid old structure which has for two
years past straddlcc erutches Fleet street,
will receive us nnaI coup dc grdce and be cartcd away
II may be mentioned, however, that the toterng old
gate dies hard and not without a vigorous expiring
kick The the civic authorities tho
question Of its destruction stood 60 for and As against
and thus the Bar condemned only by majority OF
"a strongly does the OF old relics and associ
atioss st sway the civic bosom. In its last days. too.
Temple Bar has found an active champion In tho per-
son Of Sir George Bower, who vainy ran Qn'xotic
th ~ the windmill OF modern Improvement.
rHx CAUSE or THE
Temple Bar owes its destruction TO tho new Law
Courts which were commenced two years ago, and tho
foundations OF which, being deeply cxcava,ed in close
proximity TO the north wall oil the Bar actually under
mined IL Presently ihero appeared . large Longitude
nal wrnke the weather beaten face OF the old gate
and II became evident that tho structure was In
dangerous condition. Forthwith the aid Of the sur
geons called In and scienlc series of props and
crutches arranged beneath and around Tho arch,
and the omnibus and cab drivers were forbidden 10
pass through except at a walking rate. There will be
general rejoicing doubt among this fraternity ut the
disappearance OF the obstsce; the hanson Jchu will
chuckle as he drives fariously the spot where
he had restrain his own and his horses ardor
aud the bus driver will congratulate himself tha. onc
arleast, oil hts many "sops has been removed.
'.LovEs tue noBJEcr, KSow.n
Tempe Bar is--soon must be SAID was--the most
familiar OF all objects to the cockney, and The first
shock the idea oil there being Temple Bar must be
TO MIN almost AZ startling would be the announce
mcnt that the sound Of Bow Bells must for
But the hat gono orth and the hideous old build
Ing which has so long formed the termination OF the
Strand and the beginning OF Fleet street. marked the
bounaary between the city and the siire and divided
the freedom OF the city Of London from the liberty ol
the city OF Westminster, viii soon De swept into tho
wallet At tho back Of Father Tlme and the place whcn
has known IL for FOG years shall know il no As
thing OF beauty cannot regret the loss Of Temple
Bar but there many who would preserve 1t for tho
associations connected with It, although to be sure
there is nothing particularly interesting about them in
Guy every loot OF which almost Is historic ground
Such they are, however may interest your readers
to recall TO mind some OF The events which have
clustered around tho site.
TnE ANCIENT BAR
Previous to the present structure therc existed
the spot wooden atehouse, which prvUably
erected IN tho reign Henry VIII It is SHOWN IN two
maps ot the time Of Ehzaoeth and Charles Ii. Before
the wooden house was bull. there existed only posts
rails and cham, similar to those Hoborn, Smith,
1eId aud WhltechapeL With this primitive Bar we
must nrst DEAL and then take rapid survey OF the
principal pagcants and professions which havo passed
tho ancient boundary ln 1855, alter The death
OF tho heroic Simon de Monifort, thu founder the
House OF Commons at the battle OF Evesaam, Prince
Edward, a;terward Edward l., took away IRON the
citizens OF London all their tobars and ocked up the
chains and posts 10 the Tower as punishment for
their rebcilious conduct and doubt the Bar tho
Temple suffered the fate OF all the others In 1927
occurs tho hrst written notice o: the Bar IN
1860 II Is again referred to in squabbIe about
the right OF way through tho gate OF the Templars,
which stood within Temple Bar. Some twenty-five
. ,ho Suav 40 ihc Ras Across h , sre ~ M
was slowly borne, in November 1422, the corpse Of
the warrior king, henry v, on rs way from south
in 1908 tho coffin OF Elizabeth OF York, wife oi
Henry VII, halted at tho Bar and was blessed By the
Abbois OF Westminster and Bermondscy
GATcuoUsK.
But the memories Of later days are still more pa
Rovn ,ns IN %"v i ,sn Inc W.
smiles and unconceacd JOY ON her way 10 the
acsmatons and congratulations OF the citizens before
50 desperately 10 win At the coronation Of the OF
Jane seymour her rival and successor IN the Ist Of
the blum Kings wives, Edward VI, thcre great
dCinks Al the Bar. Tie gate "newly painted with
battlemonis and buttresscs richly hung with
cloth OF arras ana WITH fourteen standard
OF ''boody Mary" the amiabe and accomplished
young Kinss sister and successor In her reign ,he
gateway was the scene Of \ desperate struggle Sir
Thomas Wyatt carried the standard OF rebellion along
the strand and forced Temple Bar Fightsg his way
trail sac Ia The western wall OF London Here he was
beaten back, and, retiring along his limo o attack
was surrounded and captured at Temple Bar. The
head Of the beautiful and gutless Lady Jane Grey and
those Of sixty valiant gentlemen Tell tho scafold
consequence OF this Wild insurrection. IL may be
imagined trat
rnE DAYS OF THE GREAT GLoRIAxA
were festive days ior tho old gateway Her corona
tion procession from the Tower passed through the
arch in January 1859; above 1t stood tho city giants
Gocmagog anu Corncus. In 1888 the Queen
great return thanks the Cathedral Church
OF ST. Paul for the deiveraDcc from the Spanish
was probably uneqoallcd by any that has gone before
Tho Of the gate was occupied ny chorsters tho
Lord Mayor and Aldermen in their scarlet gowns de-
vcred up tho sword and keys Of the city and fell
as the procession, after tho halt swept It's way
the great church. The ceremony which took place
preserved 10 US by Philips Miltons nephew. A herald,
with trumpcter, knocked AZ the closed gate and
promptly asked his business To this ho rcpcd that
II thu Lord Mayor would como out he would tell him.
Forth the Lord Mayor, accompanied by Alder
man. The herald then eaid:--"Wc the herald-a at
arms appoirtcd and commanded by the Lords and
Commons assembled in Parliament, and demand
entrance into the famous city of London to proclaim
Charles III. King OF England, Scotland, France ana
ireland, aud expect your speedy answer 10
mand - The Alderman then said:-"Thc message
is accepted" ana the herald rode through. In the
days OF tho "Acrry Monarch' came The great
IRE which lard the city oil London In ashes,
Bar by lew yards the old wooden gate was taken
down and the general rcbuiiaing that followed
gateway, the same one that s now on ts last legs was
Sin CHRISTOPHER WREN.
Ii is incom prcbcnsbla that the classic mind which
conceived Tho glorious Cathedral oi 81. PAUL should
Temple Bar apparently was, however. and The
pn ca oft ho uu prc old TCdor