gs were appointed at which the number of
applicants was not to exceed 200. Between 1660-64, 23,601 persons were
"touched." Later, when the roads were still too bad to be traversed
without danger, many of the members of Parliament lodged in Westminster
while the House was sitting. Therefore, from the earliest date, when
bands of travellers and merchants came down the great north road, and
passed through the marshes of Westminster to the ferry, until the
beginning of the present century, there has always been a floating
element mingling with the stationary inhabitants of the parishes.

The history of Westminster itself is entwined with these two great
foundations, the Abbey and the Palace, which will be found described in
detail respectively at pp. 45 and 71.

DESCRIPTIVE ACCOUNT.

The perambulation of Westminster, undertaken street by street, differs
from that made at Chelsea or elsewhere by reason of the great buildings
aforementioned, which are centres of interest and require particular
notice. These will be dealt with as they occur, and so interesting are
they that they cause the street associations to sink into a position of
secondary importance.

Beginning at the least interesting end of Westminster--that is to say,
the west end of Victoria Street--there are not many objects of interest
apparent. Victoria Street was in 1852 cut through nests of alleys and
dirty courts, including a colony of almshouses, cottages, chapel, and
school, known as Palmer's Village. The solid uniform buildings on either
side of the street have a very sombre aspect; they are mainly used for
offices. There is still some waste ground lying to the south of Victoria
Street, in spite of the great Roman Catholic Cathedral, begun in 1895,
which covers a vast area. The material is red brick with facings of
stone, and the style Byzantine, the model set being the "early Christian
basilica in its plenitude." The high campanile tower, which is already
seen all over London, is a striking feature in a building quite
dissimilar from those to which we in England are accustomed. The great
entrance at the west end has an arch of forty feet span, and encloses
three doorways, of which the central one is only to be used on solemn
occasions by the Archbishop. One feature of the interior decoration will
be the mosaic pictures in the marble panels. The building is still
incomplete, and not open to the public. It stands on the site of Tothill
Fields Prison, wh