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58 THE old Roman pretorium, GROWTH OF no information to offer. Southwark must have been well defended with a wall, as its name imports, apart from the fact that Cnut had to get round it, as he could not cross it. The city houses without exception must have been but poor wooden constructions, the streets and lanes very narrow and crooked; and the few churches, some three or four at the most, very small, and afraid, in the presence of the enemy, to raise their short towers above the level of the surrounding fortifications. In times of peace Billingsgate would be crowded with the larger craft—which to our modern eyes would ia _ úm ET
