Nixon’s court, Barnaby street, Southwark.†
Nixon’s square, a very mean little square, by Jewin street.†
Noah’s Ark alley, Narrow street, Ratcliff.* Noble street, 1. Foster lane, Cheapside.† 2. Goswell street, by Aldersgate bars.†
Noel street, Burlington Gardens.†
Nonesuch, in Surry, is situated near Sutton and Epsom, and was formerly called Cuddington, till a most magnificent palace was erected there, by Henry VIII. which obtained the name of Nonesuch from its unparallelled beauty. The learned Hentzner, in his Itinerarium, speaking of this palace, says, that it was chosen for his pleasure and retirement, and built by him with an excess of magnificence and elegance even to ostentation: one would imagine every thing that architecture can perform to have been employed in this one work: there are every where so many statues that seem to breathe, so many miracles of consummate art, so many casts that rival even the perfection of Roman antiquity, that it may well claim and justify its name of Nonesuch.
The palace itself is so encompassed with parks full of deer, delightful gardens, groves ornamented with trellis work, cabinets of verdure, and walks so embrowned by trees, that it seems to be a place pitched upon by Pleasure herself, to dwell in along with Health.
In the pleasure and artificial gardens are many columns and pyramids of marble, two fountains that spout water one round the other, like a pyramid, upon which are perched small birds that stream water out of their bills: in the grove of Diana is a very agreeable fountain, with Actæon turned into a stag, as he was sprinkled by the goddess and her nymphs, with inscriptions.
There is besides another pyramid of marble full of concealed pipes, which spirt upon all who come within their reach.
Such was this palace and gardens when Hentzner wrote, but King Charles II. gave it to the Duchess of Cleveland, who pulled it down and sold the materials; wherewith a new house was built by the Earl of Berkley, which was the seat of the late Earl of Guildford, and is now called Durdans; and Nonesuch, though it gives the title of Baron to the Duke of Cleveland, is now only a farm house.
Norfolk street, in the Strand. The bishop of Bath’s palace in the Strand, was afterwards, says Maitland, the Earl of Arundel’s, whence Arundel and Norfolk streets had their names.