most give one the impression that the latter is
indicated.

Many more notes might be added, but I fear lest this paper should already
be too local to interest general readers. Suffice it to say, that Clayton
Street, close to the Common, takes its name from the Clayton family; one
member of which, Sir Robert Clayton, was sometime Master of the Drapers'
Company, in whose Hall a fine portrait of him is preserved. Bowling Green
Street derives its name from a bowling green which existed not very many
years since. And White Hart Street from a field, which was so called
certainly as early as 1785. On the Common was "a bridge called Merton
Bridge, which formerly was repaired by the Canons of Merton {296} Abbey,
who had lands for that purpose." (Lysons' _Environs_, edit. 4to., 1792,
vol. i. p. 327.)

It is due to your readers to state, that the authorities for the statements
made in the former part of this paper are these: Lysons' _Environs_, ut
supra, vol. i. pp. 325. 327.; Manning and Bray's _Surrey_, Lond., 1809,
fol., vol. iii. pp. 484-488.; Stow, _Annales_, edit. 4to., 1601, pp. 432,
433.; and _Bibl. Top. Brit._, 4to., 1790, vol. ii. "History and Antiq. of
Lambeth," p. 89.

W. SPARROW SIMPSON.

Kennington.

* * * * *

LIFE AND DEATH.

I have thrown together a few parallel passages for your pages, which may
prove acceptable.

1. "_To die is better than to live._"

"I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which
are yet alive. Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet
been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the
sun."--_Eccles._ iv. 2, 3.

"Great travail is created for every man, and a heavy yoke upon the sons
of Adam, from the day that they go out of their _mother's womb_, till
the day that they return to the _mother of all things_."--_Ecclus._ xl.
1.: cf. 2 _Esdr._ vii. 12, 13.

"Never to have been born, the wise man first
Would wish; and, next, as soon as born to die."--_Anth.
Graec._(Posidippus).

In the affecting story of Cleobis and Biton, as related by Herodotus, we
read,--

"The _best end of life_ happened to them, and the Deity showed in their
case that _it is better for a man to die than to live_."

[Greek: Diedexe te en toutoisi ho Theos hos ameinon eie anthropoi
tethanai mallon e zoein.]--Herod., [Greek: KLEIO]. i. 32.

"As for all other living creatures