DOORWAY AND STEPS IN KING'S
BENCH WALK.

AT the northern end of King's Bench Walk survive some of the oldest Doorways in the Temple. The row of buildings—taking their name from the original preference among them of the Offices of the Court of King's Bench—dates from early in the 17th century. The Chambers at the northern extremity suffered by fire—as from time to time, especially when timber entered largely into its architecture, the Temple has had to suffer—and an Inscription over No. 4 in the row records that it was rebuilt with others after one such conflagration, in 1678.

Oliver Goldsmith sojourned for a while at No. 3. William Murray, afterwards Lord Mansfield, had chambers in No. 5. It was Pope's encomium on his friend,—

"So known, so honoured, at the House of Lords"

that provoked the Parody, attributed to Colley Cibber:—

"Persuasion tips his tongue, whene'er he talks,
And he has Chambers in the King's Bench Walks."

B1980.14.6 A

obj-53847

-0002

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97L

50L

20L

Yale Center for British Art, 2012