Lime street, extends from Leadenhall street into Fenchurch street, and is thus called from its being anciently a place where lime was either made or sold. Maitland.
Lime Street square, Lime street.
Lime Street Ward, is very small, and is bounded on the north and east by Aldgate ward; on the south by Langbourn ward; and on the west, by Bishopsgate ward. It is observable that there is no church, nor whole street in this ward, though it runs through several parishes. Its principal buildings are the East India House, and Leadenhall.
To this ward belong an Alderman and four Common Council men, including the Deputy, four constables, two scavengers, sixteen wardmote inquest men, and a beadle. The jurymen returned by the wardmote inquest serve as jurors in the several courts in Guildhall, in the month of November.
Lime Tree court, Narrow wall, Southwark.‡
Limpsfield, a village near Croydon in Surry, in the Kent road.
Lincoln’s Inn, one of the four Inns of Court, is situated on the west side of Chancery lane, where formerly stood the houses of the Bishop of Chichester and of the Black Friars, the latter erected about the year 1222, and the former about 1226; but both of them coming to Henry Lacey, Earl of Lincoln, he built in their room a stately mansion for his city residence. It however afterwards reverted to the bishopric of Chichester, and was demised by Robert Sherbourn, Bishop of that see, to Mr. William Syliard, a student there, for a term of years; after the expiration of which Dr. Richard Sampson, his successor, in the year 1536 passed the inheritance thereof to the said Syliard and Eustace his brother; and the latter, in 1579, in consideration of the sum of 500l. conveyed the house and gardens in fee to Richard Kingsmill and the rest of the benchers.
The charge of admission into this house, including fees, amount to 5l. and every student, after studying there seven years, is admitted to the bar. The members are obliged to be a fortnight in commons every term, on the penalty of paying 18s. in case of absence. Stow. Maitland.
Lincoln’s Inn principally consists of three rows of good buildings, all taken up by gentlemen of the society. These form three sides of the square, and here the buildings are all new and uniform, the north side lying open to the gardens, which are greatly improved with gravel walks, grass plats, rows of trees, and a very long terrace walk, which affords a fine prospect of Lincoln’s Inn Fields. In the middle of the square is a neat fluted Corinthian column in a small bason surrounded with iron bars. This column supports a handsome sun dial, which has four sides, and on the corners of the pedestal are four naked boys spouting water out of Tritons’ shells. This is one of the neatest squares in town, and tho’ it is imperfect on one side, that very defect produces a beauty by giving a prospect of the gardens, which are only separated from it by iron rails, and fill the space to abundantly more advantage. No area is kept in better order for cleanliness and beauty by day, or illuminations and decorum by night. The fountain in the middle is a pretty decoration. The print represents as much of the square as could be taken in the visual angle at one view, with the fountain in the middle, as it appears coming into it from Portugal row. This is one of the most considerable Inns of Court possessed by the gentlemen of the law. Here is a good hall and chapel of Gothic architecture. The latter was built by Inigo Jones, who notwithstanding his skill and reputation in architecture, could not persuade them to have it in any other stile.
The above gardens, which are extremely pleasant and commodious, are, like those of Gray’s Inn, laid open for public use; the greatest part of the west side of the square is taken up with the offices belonging to the stamp duty. See Stamp Office.