ing of the society; a lion, in alto relievo, indifferently sculptured, and beneath, the date 1700.

ST. CLEMENT'S INN.

St. Clement's Inn appears to have derived its name from the church near which it stands, and a celebrated holy well adjoining; both of which were dedicated to the Roman pontiff St. Clement'. This well was one of the principal springs at which the city youth on festival days used to entertain themselves with a variety of diversions, and is the same which is now covered, and a pump placed in it, on the east side of St. Clement's Inn, and lower end of Clement's Lane.

A house, or inn of chancery, for the education of the students of the law, was situated on this site in the time of king Edward IV. as appears from the book of entries 2, from the record of Mich. 19 E. 4. fol. 61, titulo, misnomer; where the defendant, to shew that he was not named of the right place of his abode, pleaded thus:- Dicit, quod tempore impe

"There are (saith Fitzstephen) near London, on the north side, special wels in the suburbs, sweete, wholsome, and cleere: amongst them, Holywell, Clark's well, and Clement's well, are most famous, and frequented by scholers and youths of the city, when they walk forth to take the ayre *."

"The fountain called St. Clement's well, north from the parish church of St. Clement's, and neere unto an inne of chancery, called Clement's Inne, is faire curbed square, with hard stone, kept clean for common, and is always full +."

trationis brevis, fuit de hospicio de Clement's Inne, in parochia S. Clementis Dacorum, extra barram Novi Templi, Lond. in comitatu Midlesexiæ : quod quidem hospicium est, et tempore ante impetrationis brevis, et diu ante, fuit quoddam hospicium hominum curiæ legis temporalis, necnon hominum consiliariorum ejusdem legis."

Whose inheritance it anciently was, however, is not known. In the year 1486 (2 Henry VII.) sir John Cantlowe knight, by a lease 3 bearing date the 20th of December, in consideration of xl. marks fine, and 47. vis. viiid. yearly rent, demised it for eighty years to William Elyot and John Elyot (in trust, as may be presumed, for the students of the law).

About the year 1528 (20th of Henry VIII.) Cantlowe's right and interest was passed to William Holles, citizen of London, afterwards knight, and lord mayor of that city, and ancestor of the dukes of Newcastle, one of whom, John earl of Clare, son and successor of sir John Holles, the first earl, and whose residence was on the site of the present Clare market, demised it to the then principal and fellows.

The buildings of the present inn are all modern, and occupy three small courts; through which there is a thoroughfare in the day-time to Clare market and into New Inn. The chambers are by no means so good as those of the latter place.

The hall fills one side of the middle square, or court, and is a well-proportioned and elegant room.

• Ex autogr. penès principalem et socios hujus hospicii. Videsis etiam Rot. claus. de anno 2 Hen. 7.