heir preservation, should do their utmost to prevent the
demolition of these churches, in consideration of their history and
their association with the past.

Looking at a picture of London after the Fire, you will certainly remark
the great number of spires and towers. London, in fact, was then, and
much more so before the Fire, a city of churches. Those which are here
represented and those which now remain are nearly all the work of
Christopher Wren, the architect of St. Paul's. Many of them are very
beautiful internally; many have been decorated and adorned with the most
splendid carved woodwork. About many there cling the memories of dead
men and great men who worshipped here and made gifts to the church and
were buried here.

Let us show, by a few examples, how worthy these City churches are of
preservation and respect.

First, many of them stand on the sites of the most ancient churches in
the history of London. Those about Thames Street, dedicated to St.
Peter, St. Paul (the Cathedral), St. James, probably represent Christian
temples of Roman London. The church of St. Martin's, Ludgate Hill, was
traditionally built by a British prince: that of St. Peter, Cornhill, by
a Roman general. The tradition proves at least the antiquity of the
churches. St. Augustine's preserves the memory of the preacher who
converted the Saxons. St. Olave's and St. Magnus mark the Danish rule:
St. Dunstan's, St. Alphege, St. Ethelburga, St. Swithin, St. Botolph,
commemorate Saxon saints. Why, for instance, are there three churches
all dedicated to St. Botolph just outside City gates? Because this
saint--after whom the Lincolnshire town of Icanhoe changed its name to
Botolph's town, now Boston--was considered the special protector of
travellers. Then the names of churches still commemorate some fact in
history. St. Mary Woolnoth, marks the wool market: St. Osyth's--the name
exists in Sise Lane, was changed into St. Bene't Shere Hog--or
Skin-the-Pig--because the stream called Walbrook which ran close by was
used for the purpose of assisting this operation. St. Austin's was the
chapel of Austin Friars Monastery. St. Andrew's Undershaft tells that
the City May Pole was hung up along its wall. St.
Andrew's-by-the-Wardrobe commemorates the existence of the Palace
formerly called the King's Wardrobe. In St. Michael's Bassishaw survives
the name of an old City family--the Basings. In St. Martin Orgar's--now
destroyed--we have another old City