I daresay you remember that the Bishop of Ely's house is mentioned in Shakespeare's play of King Richard III.; and there are some remains of that still left.

However, this road is not of the same importance, now that the ancient city is gone, walls and all." He drove on again, while I smiled faintly to think how the nineteenth century, of which such big words have been said, counted for nothing in the memory of this man, who read Shakespeare and had not forgotten the Middle Ages.
We crossed the road into a short narrow lane between the gardens, and came out again into a wide road, on one side of which was a great and long building, turning its gables away from the highway, which I saw at once was another public group.

Opposite to it was a wide space of greenery, without any wall or fence of any kind.

I looked through the trees and saw beyond them a pillared portico quite familiar to me--no less old a friend, in fact, than the British Museum.

It rather took my breath away, amidst all the strange things I had seen; but I held my tongue and let Dick speak.