purpose of clearing it off, and to make the tap-room more uniform,
proposed to Hogarth the subject of the Hudson's Bay Company's porters
going to dinner; they at that time, as they still do, frequenting the
house. This picture represents Fenchurch-street as it appeared more than
a century ago, with the old Magpie and Punch Bowl public-house in the
distance, which house has not long since been taken down. The Elephant
public-house was taken down and rebuilt in 1826, and is now occupied by
Mrs. Eaton, in whose family the business has been for more than a hundred
years, and from whom these particulars have been obtained. The first
named picture is considered to be the original from which Hogarth
afterwards painted the one known as the "Modern Midnight Conversation,"
in which there are one or two figures less than in the original. Orator
Henley and the other principal characters, occupy the same situation in
both performances.

Mr. Soane, the architect, upon hearing of the present condition of the
pictures, said, that he in early life, while at Rome, knew that various
attempts had been made for the purpose of removing oil paintings from
walls, but without success, and expressed himself highly gratified at the
result of the exertions of the persons who bought and removed them at no
small risk and expense, viz. Mr. Lyon, 5, Apollo-buildings, East-street,
Walworth, and Mr. H.E. Hall, a Leicestershire gentleman of great
ingenuity; who have placed them for sale in the gallery of Mr. Penny, in
Pall Mall.

A CONSTANT READER.

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