NExt without the Bar and Liberty of the City of London, the New Temple is a Liberty pertaining to the Dutchy of Lancaster: Which beginneth in the East on the South side or left Hand, near unto the River Thames, and stretcheth West to Ivy Bridge, where it endeth. And again, on the North side or right Hand, some small distance without Temple Bar in the High Street, from a Pair of Stocks there standing, stretcheth one large middle Row or Troup of small Tenements, partly opening to the South, partly towards the North, up West to a Stone Cross, now headless, over against the Strand.

In the room of which Cross of later Years was placed a May Pole, commonly called The May Pole in the Strand, being above 100 Foot in Height. This being grown old and decayed, was Anno 1717, obtained by Sir Isaac Newton, Kt. of the Parish; and being taken down, was carried away thro' the City in a Carriage of Timber, unto Wansted in Essex. And by the Leave of Sir Richard Child, Bar. Lord Castlemain, granted to the Reverend Mr. Pound Rector of that Parish, was reared up and placed in his Park there; the Use whereof is for the raising of a Telescope the largest in the World, given by a French Gentleman to the Royal Society; he being a Member thereof. It had not long been set up there, but these witty Verses were fastned upon it by an unknown Hand.

Once I adorn'd the Strand.
But now have found
My Way to POUND,
In Baron Newton's Land.
Where my aspiring Head aloft is rear'd,
T' observe the Motions of the Æthereal Herd,
Here sometimes rais'd a Machine by my side,
Thro' which is seen the sparkling Milky Tide:
Here oft I'm scented with a balmly Dew,
A pleasing Blessing which the Strand ne'er knew.
There stood I only to receive Abuse,
But here converted to a nobler Use:
So that with me all Passengers will say,
I'm better far than when the Pole of May.]

And these are the Bounds of this Liberty.

But to go over the Bounds again, with the modern Names of the Places, for the better understanding thereof, according to a late Survey.

This Dutchy Liberty begins without Temple Bar, and runs on the South side as far as the East side of Cecil Street: which is built on the Ground where Great Salisbury House and Garden stood: and so running down to the Thames, and thence to Essex Buildings, taking in all to Temple Bar. Then on the North side, some Distance from Temple Bar, there is a large Row of Houses which runs up in the Strand side as far as the said May Pole, where antiently stood the Stone Cross: And so coming down Hallowel Street, commonly called the Backside of St. Clements, passeth by the Butcher Row, taking in all that large Rank of Buildings: Then beyond the Place of the May Pole, this Liberty again begins by the Fountain Tavern in Catharine Street, and thence into the Strand by Wimbleton House; thence to Exeter Exchange; and so turning up Burleigh Street runs up to the Corner of Exeter Street, except four Houses; and thence it crosses over the Buildings into Catherine Street by the Fountain Tavern.]

And these are the Bounds of that Liberty, which sometime belonged to Brian Lisle, since to Peter of Savoy, and then to the House of Lancaster, as shall be shewed.

By a Record, I am apt to think that this Place of the Savoy did also sometime belong to Montford, Earl of Leicester, before it was the Earl of Lancaster's. The Record is this. Tho. Comit. Lancastr. placea subtus litus Thamisie, ubi Com. Leic. aliquando hab. mansum suum, &c. "The Earl of Lancasters Place near the Thames side, where sometime the Earl of Leicester had his Mansion House, and 37s. Rent there, of a Messuage below the Bars called the New Temple, and 4l. 9s. Rent belonging to the same Messuage of a Place of Land near the Thames side, bordering upon the Curtalage of the Bishop of Landaff."

In the Reigns of Edward the First and Second, were many vacant Pieces of Land, from Temple Bar and so toward the Strand, lying in the Parishes of St. Clement Danes and St. Mary Strand, which were then granted and built upon. These I have met with: In the 29 Edw. I. "Walter Le Barbur had granted him a void Place in the High Street in the Parish of St. Clement Danes without the Bars of the New Temple." The same Year "Robert Le Spencer had another vacant Place of Ground in the same Parish, containing forty Foot in Length and forty in Breadth." The 2 Edw. 2. "Thomas Earl of Lancaster granted to the Bishop of Landaff, a Place of Ground near the Church of St. Mary atte Strond, containing fourscore Feet in Length and eight in Breadth pro manso suo ibidem elangand. i.e. for the enlarging of his Mansion House there." And 15 Edw. 2. "John de Langton obtained for the Bishop of Worcester a Place in the Parish of St. Mary atte Strond, containing thirty Perches in Length and four in Breadth.]"

Henry the Third, in the thirtieth Year of his Reign, did grant to his Uncle, Peter of Savoy, all those Houses upon the Thames, which sometimes pertained to Brian de Insula, or Lisle, without the Walls of this City of London, in the Way or Street called the Strand, to hold to him and to his Heirs, yielding yearly in the Exchequer, at the Feast of St. Michael the Archangel, three barbed Arrows for all Services. Dated at Reding, &c. This Peter of Savoy, builded the Savoy.

This Liberty of the Dutchy, lying between London and Westminster, was lookt upon as some Security to the Court, when any Plague should happen to be in the City, by the Care that should be taken to keep it thence. And therefore when the Plague came among the Citizens, great Care was taken to keep it from spreading Westward. In the Year 1577. the City being infected, and the Court removed to Windsor and elsewhere, in this Dutchy was appointed one Ledsham, Bailiff;