himself, can bask in the sunshine of science. I digress no farther.

The situation of St. Martin's church is another reason for fixing the
original centre of Birmingham at the Old Cross. Christianity made an
early and a swift progress in this kingdom; persecution, as might be
expected, followed her footsteps, increased her votaries, and, as was
ever the case, in all new religions, her proselytes were very devout.

The religious fervor of the christians displayed itself in building
churches. Most of those in England are of Saxon original, and were
erected between the fourth and the tenth century; that of St. Martin's
is ancient beyond the reach of historical knowledge, and probably rose
in the early reigns of the Saxon kings.

It was the custom of those times, to place the church, if there was but
one, out of the precincts of the town; this is visible at the present
day in those places which have received no increase.

Perhaps it will not be an unreasonable supposition to fix the erection
of St. Martin's, in the eighth century; and if the inquisitive reader
chooses to traverse the town a second time, he may find its boundaries
something like the following. We cannot allow its extension northward
beyond the east end of New-street; that it included the narrow parts of
Philip street, Bell street, Spiceal street, Moor street, and Park
street. That the houses at this period were more compact than
heretofore; that Digbeth and Deritend, lying in the road to Stratford,
Warwick, and Coventry, all places of antiquity, were now formed. Thus
the church stood in the environs of the town, unincumbered with
buildings. Possibly this famous nursery of arts might, by this time,
produce six hundred houses. A town must increase before its appendages