“London’s high column, pointing to the skies,
Like a tall bully, lifts its head and lies.”
3. Pie Corner,
West Smithfield, where you see the white projecting house, as it was left after the fire of London, which took place at midnight, 2d September, 1666, and burnt with unabated fury till the 10th of the same month.
There is also, at the corner of the lane, against a public house called the Fortune of War, a figure of a boy carved in wood, on which was painted an inscription to commemorate the event, and also stating the calamity to have been a punishment on the city for the sin of gluttony; but this being since considered a vulgar error, is not painted on the new figure, which in other respects is exactly like the old figure first put up.
4. New London Bridge.
The new London Bridge is built from a design of the late John Rennie, Esq. engineer; and the works are conducted under the direction of John and George Rennie, Esqrs. It stands a short distance westward of the old bridge. The first stone was laid by John Garratt, Esq. lord mayor, on the 15th of June, 1825.
This bridge consists of five arches: the centre one is 150, those next to it 140 feet, the extreme arches 130 feet. The roadway is nearly level, and the parapet is plain, with buttresses rising from the piers,