The Portland daily press., 1881-03-25
EARLY London.


The lecture of DIR. Bolles on early London"
which was given in Congress Square Church
on Wednesday evening deserves more than
the passing notice, which the crowded columns
of the PRESS could give yesterday First,
we must notice what was the general subject
of comment, that on account of the height of
the choir gallery, the illustrations were larger
and clearer than in any previous place where
the lectures have been given. DR.. Bolles
stated in the commencement, that the object
of all Of these lectures was to show how Lon
don had grown from prehistoric times, and to
illustrate the story from its antiquities, its
monuments, and. the environments of its
modern scenes.
The attention of the audience was called to
geographical description of prehistoric Lon
don, and the first view, was one of series of
ideal antiquarian restorations How long the
prehistoric man or the Briton Gf ended the
two are not the same) had his home in Lon
don we can never know, but the history of
Roman London should cover almost 400 years.
1t can hardly have begun with the coming of
Caesar B. G. 30, it can hardly have ended with
the withdrawing of the legions A. D. Ali. But
marks upon classical manuscripts, which have
been studied as carefully under the microscope
of criticism, as ever were the lines of suspec-
ted forgery. We known that London grew to
be great commercial por t; at one time 800
vessels were employed to carry its corn to
Italy. 1t was named Augusta from its magni-
fcence. Seven out of fifteen of the Roman
roads in Britain began at London. It was
never colony nor the Roman capital. The
most vivid scenes of its early years are in the
first century, when the outraged Boadicea
swept it with fire and sword. By an illustrated
map, modern London which covers 100 square
miles, was contrasted with Roman London
which was less than 400 acres in extent. Till
the great fire of 1866 little was thought or said
of the vanishing Roman vestiges in London.
Since then the relics yielded by dredging in
have been more closely examined, and more
intelligently studied. 1t is no easy task to re-
construct city that has not only disappeared,
but is marked by another city, and the debris
of 400 years, but the careful and pains-taking
science of the antiquarian gives us the neces-
sary information. The subject of Roman Lon
don was continued for half an hour, illustrated
by copies from rare old prints and making
more real the vivid picture which the descrip-
lions portrayed.
quest, London was in Saxon hands. The
most illustrious name of the Saxon occupation,
if not of all early English history, is that of
Alfred the Great The turning point of Lon
don fortunes is the year 1874, in which he
finally recovered the city from the Danes.
1t was in the time of Saxon London, that
London became the capital and royal residence
of the kingdom which before was fixed at
Canterbury or Winchester.
The assemblies of wise men, the precursors
of Parliaments, began to be held in London
under Saxon kings. Again the first London
bridge dates from Saxon times It is assigned
to Ethelrid's reign, and to the year 1914. Sebert,
the East Saxon king at the beginning of the
7th century. laid the foundation of the first
Westminster Abbey. The second West
minister was the last work of Edward, the
Confessor, with whom the Saxon glory ends.
When we consider how very meagre must be
the materials for illustration of these remote
periods, we marvel at the number which Dr.
Bolles has procured. 1t would be impossible
in brief abstract to convey any idea of the
research and study which these carefully pre-
pared lectures must have involved. So rare
an opportunity of acquiring valuable instruc-
ton should not be neglected.