Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/614

578 the modem buildings which now occupy the space. Mr. Griffith, the architect, thus describes what can now be found of its remains:—“The enclosure wails can still be traced on the north, south-east, and west sides, and the modern dwellings in St. John-square are mostly built upon the old rubble walls of the Hospital. Fragments of the ancient buildings are frequently discovered. The northern boundary comprised the north postern and the priory buildings, and walls extending from the north postern westward towards Red Lion-street, and from the north postern eastward towards St. John-street. The foundation of the priory buildings and walls form the foundations of the cellars under No. 19 and the basements of No. 21 and 22 on the north side of St. John-square. An opening was made in the basement wall between Nos. 19 and 20, St. John-square, in 1851, and the wall was found to be seven feet thick, and formed of squared stone on the outer or north side and chalk rubble within. Some of the stones had been used for windows, etc.; one stone was covered with black shining flinty particles, as if it had been subjected to fire. The north postern was evidently covered, and by a plan in the commissioner’s book it appears to have been 17 feet 10 inches long and 10 feet 1 inch wide at the south end, enclosed next St. John-square by a light enclosure, with a gate 10 feet 7 inch high, and at the other end by a gate 5 feet 5 inches wide and 8 feet high. This was an outer gate in the north boundary wall. The priory was enclosed on the south side from St. John-street towards Red Lion-street, with St. John’s-gate in the centre. Of the southern boundary there are St. John’s-gate and 67 feet of wall extending westward from the gate remaining. Of the eastern boundary Hollar has given a view as it appeared in 1661. It portrays the east end of St. John’s church with the Hospital gardens and boundary wall, all of which faced St. John-street. Regarding the westward boundary, there are remains of the old priory wall in Ledburyplace, being originally the west garden wall of Bishop Burnet’s house, and in the west garden wall of Dr. Adam Clarke’s house. which adjoins Burnet’s house southward, and was the western boundary.”

It now remains to trace the tenure and occupation of St.