BLACJCS FLAM Oi' iiDiH-DOH. -^Aj^ S>rTED BY R. AXD R. CLARK, EDINBURGH. Stack Annex PEEFACE. " I HOPE to see London once ere I die," was the aspiration of Justice Shallow's Davy,* an aspiration that, in the year of grace 1862, is certainly being echoed by many a man and woman at home and abroad. To supply a guide book for visitors, which, in the plainest and fewest words, should point out and describe the salient features of this great metropoHs, has been the aim of the writer. He has had in view simply to state what is most worthy of being seen, and what is the best way of seeing it, leaving those who would study manners and customs, or the works of art, constructive, architectural, or pictorial, or the minute details which compose the vast result called London, to consult the volumes specially devoted to these large subjects. As any route proposed by the writer for visiting the various objects mentioned in the following pages would probably be as unreasonable to as many persons as it assisted, he will leave each reader to devise his own scheme for making the tour of London. It seems desirable, however, to mention here, for the benefit of total strangers, what would be generally considered the objects best worth seeing. * Heury lY., Part II., Act v. 3. VI PREFACE. In London. The Thames from Chelsea to Greenwich. The Tower. The Mint. The Custom House. The London Docks. Bank of England. Royal Exchange. Mansion House. Guildhall. The Monument. The Post Office. St. Paul's Cathedral. The Temple Church. Westminster Abbey. The Houses of Parliament. Westminster Hall. National Gallery. South Kensington Museum. Soane Museum. Lord Ellesmere's Picture Gallery. Annual Picture Exhibitions. British Museum. Museum of College of Surgeons. Museum of Practical Geology. United Service Museum. India Museum. Lambeth Palace. Buckingham Palace. Whitehall Banqueting House. St. James' Palace. St. James' Park. Hyde Park, and Kensington Gardens. Pall Mall and its Club Houses. Regent Street and its Shops. Trafalgar Square. Waterloo Bridge. Westminster Bridge. Thames Tunnel. The Foundling Hospital. Covent Garden, Market, and Floral Hall. Metropolitan Cattle Market. The Zoological Gardens, Re- gent's Park. The Theatres. Tussaud's Wax Work Exhibition, The Soho or Pantheon Bazaar. In the Environs. Greenwich Hospital. Kew Gardens. Woolwich Dockyard and Arsenal. Richmond. Crystal Palace. Dulwich Picture Gallery. Hampton Court. Windsor Castle. Then there are various places where the Enghsh assemble in numbers and there see certain pageants, special musical PREFACE, TU performances, business proceedings, etc., wluch rank amongst the most interesting sights. Such are — The Opening or Closing of the Session of Parliament by the Sovereign in person. A Debate in the House of Commons. A Trial in a Court of Law. The Lord Mayor's Show on the 9th of November. The Anniversary Festival of the Sons of the Clergy at St. Paul's, about the middle of May. Performance of Sacred Music. The Anniversary Festival of the Charity Children under the dome of St. Paul's. First Thursday in June. An Oratorio at Exeter Hall or the Crystal Palace. The Floral Fetes at the Horticultural Gardens, South Kensington, and the Botanic Gardens, Regent's Park. The Derby day at Epsom in June. A Boat Race on the Thames. The Game of Cricket at Lord's Ground, St. John's Wood Road, where this national pastime may be seen played in perfection. We add a few hints to strangers who wish to make as much of their time as possible in London : — In the first place, study well the plan of the metropolis, so as to acquire a knowledge of the localities of the various objects and of the roads to them. Then make up your mind as to what you consider best worth seeing. Tastes differ ; whilst one person would wish to devote more time than is usually allotted to the inspection of scientific museums, another would prefer to study pictures, and another architectural works. Before visiting any place, read our description of it, so that you may go prepared to look for the most interesting things. If ever at a loss as to your road, make inquiry in a shop or of a policeman, not of casual passers by. Tin PREFACE. Kelly's Post Office Directory, wliicli may be seen in every hotel and in many shops, contains the addresses of all persons in business as well as those of persons of independent means. "Webster's Eed Book only gives the addresses of the latter when having houses of their own. Kelly's Directory also contains a great mass of information as to persons in government offices, the conveyances and post offices throughout the kingdom, etc. Bradshaw's Eailway Guide, published monthly, gives every information about trains and fares. J. Y. J. CONTENTS. CHAPTEK I. Page Introductory. — Position — Population — Historical Summary — Local Divisions — Local Management — Public "Works — Supply of Food — Supply of Water — Drinking Fountains — Drainage — Fires — Police — Gas-lighting — Cemeteries — Meteorology . . 1 CHAPTEE II. General Information for Strangers. — Hotels — Lodgings — Kes- taurants and Dining-rooms — Coflfee Houses — Hackney Carriages — Tolls — Omnibus Eoutes — Railway Stations — Electric Tele- graph Companies — Commissionaires — Parcels Delivery Com- pany — Patents — Foreign Money 23 CHAPTER HI. The International Exhibition Buildings of 1862 . . .43 CHAPTER IV. Royal Palaces in London. — Buckingham Palace — St. James' Palace — Marlborough House — Whitehall — Kensington Palace . 53 CHAPTER V. The Towbb. — History — Traitor's Gate — Wakefield Tower — Horse Armoury — White Tower — Salt Tower — Jewel House — Regaha — Martin Tower — New Barracks — Tower Chapel — Beauchamp Tower — Bell Tower — Lieutenant's Lodgings . . . .60 CHAPTER VI. The Houses of Parliament and Westminister Hall . . 73 X CONTENTS. CHAPTER YII. Page St. Paul's Cathedral — Westminster Abbey — Churches and Chapels 81 CHAPTER VIII. Goverkment Buildings and Public Offices. — General Post Office— Mint — Somerset House — Treasury Buildings — Horse Guards — Admiralty — Burlington House — Trinity House — Heralds' College ... 125 CHAPTER IX. Commercial Buildings. — Bank of England — Royal Exchange — Stock Exchange — Custom House — Coal Exchange . . . 137 CHAPTER X. Museums. — British Museum — Museum of College of Surgeons — Museum of Practical Geology — United Service Museum — India Museum — Missionary Museum 145 CHAPTER XI. Societies connected with Science, Literature, and the Arts. — Royal Society — Royal College of Physicians — Society of Anti- quaries — Society of Arts — Royal Academy of Arts — Royal In- stitution — Linnsean Society — Geological Society — Royal Geo- graphical Society — Royal Asiatic Society, Sion College — Institution of Civil Engineers — Royal Institute of British Archi- tects — Royal Society of Literature — Royal Agricultural Society — Smithfield Club— Libraries 169 CHAPTER Xn. Gardens belonging to Scientific Societies. — Royal Horticul- tural Society's Gardens — Royal Botanic Society's Gardens, Regent's Park — Zoological Gardens . . . . 179 CHAPTER Xm. Public Picture Galleries. — National Gallery — South Kensington Museum— Soane Museum — National Portrait Gallery — Annual Exhibitions of Pictures, etc 185 CONTENTS. XI CHAPTER XIV. Page Private Mansions and Picture Galleries. — Apsley House — Argyle House — Bridge water House — Chesterfield House — Devonshire House — Grosvenor House — Holland House — Lam- beth Palace — Lansdowne House — Northumberland House — Stafford House— Other Private Galleries 195 CHAPTER XV. Clubs. — Army and Navy Club — Athenaeum Club— Carlton Club — City Club — Conservative Club — Garrick Club — Guards' Club — Junior United Service Club — Oriental Club — Oxford and Cam- bridge Club — Reform Club — Travellers' Club — Union Club — United Service Club — University — White's — Brooks' — Boodle's — Chess Clubs 205 CHAPTER XVL Theatres, Concert Rooms, and Places of Public Amusement. — Adelphi Theatre — Astley's Amphitheatre — Covent Garden Theatre — Drury Lane Theatre — Haymarket Theatre — Her Ma- jesty's Theatre — Lyceum Theatre — Marylebone Theatre — Olym- pic Theatre — Pavilion Theatre — Princess' Theatre — Sadler's Wells Theatre — Standard Theatre — Surrey Theatre — Victoria Theatre — Exeter Hall, St James' Hall, etc. — Polytechnic Insti- tution — Tussaud's Exhibition of Wax-works, etc. — Bazaars . 211 CHAPTER XVII. The City Corporation — Guildhall — Mansion House — City Companies and their Halls 219 CHAPTER XVIII. The Thames : its Origin, Tides, etc. — Port of London — On the River from Chelsea to Hungerford — From Hungerford to London Bridge — From London Bridge to Greenwich — River Steamers . 233 CHAPTER XIX. The Bridges. — Battersea Park Bridge — Blackfriars' Bridge — Charing Cross Bridge — Lambeth Bridge — London Bridge — Southwark Bridge — Vauxhall Bridge — Waterloo Bridge — New Westminster Bridge — The Tunnel . . . 243 ■^ij CONTENTS. CHAPTER XX. Page The Docks. — Commercial Docks — East India Docks — London Docks — St. Katherine's Docks — Surrey Docks — West India Docks— Victoria Docks 249 CHAPTER XXI. The Courts of Law. — Civil Courts — The Lord Chancellor and the Courts of Chancery — Courts of Queen's Bench, the Common Pleas, and the Exchequer — Judicial Committee of the Privy Council — County Courts — Criminal Courts — Central Criminal Courts — Old Bailey — Middlesex Sessions House . . . 253 CHAPTER XXIL Inns of Court. — Lincoln's Inn — The Inner Temple — Gardens — Church— The Middle Temple— Old Hall— New Library— Gray's Inn — Minor Inns 257 CHAPTER XXIII. Criminal Prisons. — Bridewell — Holloway Prison — Coldbath Fields Prison — Middlesex House of Detention — Millbank Prison — New- gate — Pentonville Prison — Debtors' Prisons .... 265 CHAPTER XXIV. Charitable Institutions, Hospitals, etc. — Chelsea Hospital — Foundling Hospital — General Hospitals for Diseases — St. Bar- tholomew's — St. Thomas' — University College — Westminster — Charing Cross — Great Northern — St. George's — Guy's — King's College — St. Mary's — Middlesex — Royal Free Hospital — Hos- pitals for Special Diseases — Bethlehem Hospital — Cancer Hos- pital — Consumption Hospitals — Fever Hospital — St. Luke's — Ophthalmic — Orthopaedic — Small Pox — Spinal Hospitals , 269 CHAPTER XXV. Educational Establishments. — Charter-House — Christ's Hospital — Gresham College — King's College and School — Merchant Tailors' School— New College— St. Paul's School— Westminster School — University College — University of London . . .279 CONTENTS. XUl CHAPTEK XXVI. Pack Public BIarkets. — Covent Garden — Floral Hall — Smithfield — Bil- lingsgate — Metropolitan Cattle Market — Tattersall's . . 287 CHAPTER XXVII. Breweries and other Industrial Establishments .... 293 CHAPTER XXVIII. The Parks. — Battersea Park — The Green Park — Hyde Park — Ken- sington Gardens — St. James' Park — Kennington Park — Vic- toria Park 295 CHAPTER XXIX. Principal Streets in the City. — Fleet Street — Temple Bar — Ludgate Hill and Street — St. Paul's Churchyard — Chancery Lane — Holborn — Newgate Street — Aldersgate Street — Cheap- side, and the Poultry — Streets by the Bank of England — Moor- gate Street, and Finsbury — Threadneedle Street — Cornhill — Bishopsgate Street and Crosly Hall — Lombard Street — Fenchurch Street — King William Street — London Stone — Old City Mansion 303 CHAPTER XXX. Principal Streets and Squares West of the City. — Tra- falgar Square — The Strand — Lincoln's-Inn Field — Leicester Square — Whitehall — Westminster — Pall Mall — St. James' Street Piccadilly— Bond Street— Regent Street— Oxford Street . . 323 CHAPTER XXXI. Columns and Statues in the Open Air. — Monument — Nelson Column — York Column — Westminster Column — Statues . 337 CHAPTER XXXII. Excursions into the Environs of London. — Greenwich — Wool- wich — Crystal Palace — Dulwich Picture Gallery — Epsom — Kew- Gardens — Richmond — Hampton Court — Windsor Castle . . 341 LIST OF ILLUSTEATIONS, CONSISTING OF General Plan of London, Map of Environs, Plans of Public Buildings, Museums and Gardens, Railway Stations, Views of Public Buildings, and Places of Resort, Plan of London, engraved expressly for this work from the most recent and best authorities. Map of the Environs, extending from "Windsor to Greenwich, etc. Index Map of London. Do. Do. Environs, Hyde Park Corner, by Phiz Frontispiece Temple Bar. . do. . . Title Page Dome of St. Paul's Cathedral Page 1 London Bridge Railway Station 35 Waterloo Railway Station 39 View of the International Exhibition 43 Ground Plan of Ditto 45 View of Buckingham Palace . .53 View of the Tower .... . . % Ground Plan of Ditto 60 View of the Houses of Parliament 73 Ground Plan of Ditto 73 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. XV View of St. Paul's Cathedral Ground Plan of Ditto .... View of Westminster Abbey Ground Plan of Ditto .... Ground Plan of British Museum, Area ,, ,, Galleries Ground Plan of the South Kensington Museum Ground Plan of the Zoological Gardens Page 81 82 91 92 147 156 189 182 The Environs. Map of the Environs of London — Windsor, Gravesend, Crystal Palace, Richmond, Hampton Court, etc., etc. Greenwich Hospital 341 Crystal Palace, Sydenham 346 Epsom Race Course 358 Richmond ... 368 CHAPTEE THE FIRST. INTRODUCTORY. ION DON, the capital of the British Empire, lies upon both J banks of the river Thames, some fifty miles from its mouth. Its latitude may be roughly taken at 51^ 31' N. It extends into four counties, but the largest portion is in Middlesex. It returns sixteen members to the Commons' House of Parliament, four elected by the City of London proper, two by the City of West- minster, and two each by the boroughs of Marylebone, Finsbury, Tower Hamlets, Southwark, and Lambeth, tlie two last of which are on the south side of the river. Population. — According to the census returns of 1 SGI, the population of the metropolis amounted to 2,803,921 persons, living in 360,237 houses, spread over 78,029 acres of ground, or about 121 square miles. B POPULATION OF DIFFERENT DISTRICTS. The following table shews the population of the different dis- tricts of the metropolis : — Districts of London. Inhabited Houses. Population in 1S6L Middlesex. Kensington .... 25,854 186,463 Chelsea 8,318 63,423 St. George's, Hanover Square . 10,421 87,747 Westminster .... 6,880 67,676 St. Maitin-in-the-Fields . 2,283 22,636 St. James, Westminster 3,331 35,324 Marylel'one .... 16,370 161,609 Hampstead 2,653 19,104 Pancras 21,928 198,882 Islington . 20,676 155,291 Hackney . 13,412 83,295 St. Giles . 4,662 53,981 Strand 3.815 42,956 Holborn 4,125 44,861 Clerkenwell 7,t86 65,632 St. Luke . 6,368 56,997 E^st London 4,495 40,673 West London 2,616 27,144 London City 6.367 45,550 Shoreditch 17,231 129,339 Bethnal Green . 14,812 104,905 Wbitechapel 8,667 78,963 St. George-in-the-Eas t 6,187 48,878 Stepney 7.465 56,567 Mile-end Old Town 10,768 73,064 Poplar 11,163 79,182 Surrey. St. Saviour, Sonthwark 4,495 36,026 St. Olave, Southwark 2,214 19,0 '^3 Bermondsey . . . • 8,211 58,355 St. George, Southwark 7,234 55,509 Newington .... 12,815 82,157 Lambeth 23,001 162,008 Wandsworth . . . • 11,136 70,381 Camberwell .... 12,122 71,489 Eotberhithe .... 3,529 24,500 Kent. Greenwich .... 17,826 127,662 Lewisham .... 9,701 67,752 With the local government of this vast body, 7000 persons are connected. During the ten years between 1851 and 1861, the population has annually increased at the rate of 1722 per HISTORICAL SUMMARY. 3 cent. From 1600 to 1700 children are born every week, and from 1000 to 1100 persons die during that time. The annual rate of mortality is about 2*2 per cent, that is, out of every 45 persons one dies in the course of the year — a rate lower than that of any other large city in Europe, and to be ascribed to our su- perior sanitary regulations, in which, however, there is still much room for improvement. It has been ascertained that one in six of those who leave the world dies in one of the public institutions, a i^oor-house, hospital, asylum, or prison. The relief of the poor during a severe winter costs about £40,000 a-week. HISTORICAL SUIVBIARY. London was a British settlement before the Eomans came to the island, and its etymology is thought to be Llyn Dyx, the city of the lake, transformed by the Roman conquerors into Londinium. Caesar, not foreseeing its future importance, has not mentioned it, though he arrived at the valley of the Thames, which he crossed at Oatlands. The l&rst mention of London in a Roman ^vriter occurs in Tacitus, who speaks of it as a place of great resort by merchants, although it had not attained the dignity of a colonia, which it did at a later date under the name oi Augusta. Suetonius, who commanded the foreign troops, was obliged to abandon the place when Boadicea raised the standard of revolt (a.d. 62). Col- chester and Verulam were both made Roman stations before Lon- diniimi, wliich it is believed was not occupied until 105 years after Caesar's invasion, and not walled round until a.d. 306. The ancient wall commenced near the spot where the Tower now stands, and was carried by the Minories to Cripplegate, Newgate, and Ludgate, inclosing an area of rather more than 3 miles in cir- cumference. On the wall, which was 22 feet in height, there stood 15 towers 40 feet high. It is conjectured that the praetorium and its adjuncts were on the site of the Poultry and Cornhill, and London Stone, now in Cannon Street, is supposed to have been the central stone or mUliarium from which distances were measured. A himdred years ago some towers of the Roman wall still existed, but now it has all disappeared with the exception of two or three fragments. The cmious may still, however, gaze on a little of the work of those stern conquerors in Cripplegate Churchyard and at Barber-Surgeons' Hall, which was partly formed out of a bastion by Inigo Jones. The name of " Loudon 4 HISTORICAL SUMMARY. Wall," a city street, pei'petuates the site of another portion. Eoman remains have frequently been discovered in laying the foundation of modern houses, and in the British Museum, the City of London Museum, Guildhall, the museum of the Society of Antiquaries, Somerset House, and in some private museums, they may still be seen. A hypocaust well and other Roman structures were come upon when the Coal Exchange in Lower Thames Street was built. The depth at which these and other remains have been found from the surface, from 11 to 20 feet, shews on what a mass of ruin and rubbish modern London stands. Of Anglo-Saxon London we know very little. It was made the capital of the so-called kingdom of Essex in the sixth cen- tury, and in the next it became a bishop's see. Li 851 those restless robbers, the Danes, while on a second visit to the island, sailed up the Thames with 300 vesseh?, and burned London, as well as ravaged Canterbury. Although rebuilt by Alfred in 886, it was totally destroyed by an acci- dental fire seven years later. The Danes continued their attacks, until at last Canute established himself as king of England and made London his residence, it having been again rebuilt. Some names still exist to keep us in mind of the dominion of those fierce northmen. They had a church and burial-place where St. Clement- Danes now stands ; St. Olaf was one of their saints, and St. Olave's church in Southwark occupies the spot where the original edifice stood (the name Tooley Street is but a corrugation of that of the saint) ; there are two other churches dedicated to the same saint in the city ; again, St. Magnus was another of their saints, and his name still survives in connection with a church near London Bridge. The time, however, came when the Danish power was put an end to by the Anglo-Saxons, whom in turn "William the Con- queror subdued. Of him the great white Tower still speaks, and there are a few crypts of his time still existing, but buried under modern edifices. It has been pointed out that three of the great landmarks of the present day stand on the sites where the original edifices were placed many hundred years since. St. Paul's minster, founded by the Cantian Ethelbert in 610 ; Westminster Abbey, commenced by Sebert on Thorny Island in 616 ; and the White Tower of the first William — the last in great part the very build- IIISTORICAX SUMMARY. 5 ing of the Conqueror. These all testify that modem London has not shifted its position like some cities that could be named ; it has only growTi larger. There are traces of ancient Roman Catholic establishments left in the names of several places, although the buildings them- selves have long since disappeared, viz., Black-Friars, White- Friars, Crutched-Friars, Austin-Friars, the Minories, the Chart- reuse (now the Charter-House), with various priories and nun- neries. With the exception of Westminster Abbey, the Temple Church, and the church of St. Saviour (or Mary Overy), South- wark, there is nothing of ancient ecclesiastical architecture on a large scale now to be seen ; still the chapel in the White Tower, the church of St. Bartholomew-the-great, Smithfield, and the cr\^t under St. Stephen's Chapel, Westminster, are well worth the notice of the man of taste. (See the chapter on churches.) Westminster Hall, Lambeth Palace, and Crosly Hall, Bishopsgate Street, lately restored, are examples of ancient royal, baronial, or domestic architecture. Looking at an old map of London, prepared soon after Elizabeth began her reign, and at a time when there were about 145,000 inhabitants, we perceive the tower standing apart from the city on the east, Fiiisbury and Spitalfields on the north, with fields and trees ; on the west beyond Temple Bar, there are vari- ous scattered hamlets, includiag St. Giles' and Charing, whilst Westminster is far away as a separate city. The Strand, the road comiecting London and Westminster, has between it and the river, the houses and gardens of bishops and noblemen. Previous to the census of 1801, we are left to conjecture what the population of London was at any given period. By Graunt it was estimated in 1661 to be 384,000, which nmnber would be probably brought up to 460,000, by adding the population of Westminster, Lambeth, Stepney, and other neighbouring places. Gregory King, a careful writer, thought that the population of the city and the out parishes amounted in 1696 to 527,560. Between 1740 and 1750 the population is known to have de- creased, and at no time during the first seventy or eighty years of the last century did it increase rapidly. Dr. Price calculated that in 1777 it was 543,420, but there is reason for supposing that this estimate was too little by 100,000. It is amusing to find Sir William Petty, a clever man in his day, calculating in 1683 that the metropolis could not possibly LOCAL DIVISIONS. increase any more after the year 1800, at wliicli time it would contain 5,359,000 persons (in point of fact, there were about 830,000 people in it) ; but that if we were to suppose for a moment that the population would still extend after that date, it would amount in 1840 to 10,718,880 persons. LOCAL DIVISIONS. North of the River. The nucleus of London is the City, bounded on the north and east by the borough of Finsbury, on the west by the city of Westminster, to which Marylebone adjoins on the north. In the west there are the districts of Pimlico, Brompton, Chelsea, Kensington, Bayswater, and Notting Hill. In the north-west, St. John's Wood, Portland Town, St. Pancras, Somer's Town, Camden Town, Kentish Town, Islington, Holloway, and Highbury, with Hampstead and Highgate on the hill behind. In the north-east, Kingsland, Stoke Newiugton, Dalston, Hackney, and Clapton. In the east, Bethnal Green, Whitechapel, Stepney, Limehouse, Poplar, Oldford, Boro', and Bromley. South of the River. In the east Southwark, known as " The Boro'," including Bermondsey and Rotherhithe ; population, 193,942. In the west, Lambeth, with the adjacent districts of Kensing- ton, Walworth, Newington, Wandsworth, and Camberwell ; popu- lation, 386,027. Several of these divisions must have a few words of further description. The City will have a chapter to itseK. Westminster derives its name from the abbey minster, and was made a city in the reign of Henry VIII. In Domesday book, it is styled a village with fifty holders of land, and " pan- nage for a hundred hogs." In 1174, the royal palace stood about two miles westward from the City of London, with gardens and orchards between. In 1560, an old plan shews that a double line of buildings connected London and Westminster, MARYLEBONE PIMLICO CHELSEA KENSINGTON. 7 whilst a towT^i liad grown up around the hall and abbey. The present city with the adjacent districts, called the Liberties of Westminster, has a population of 213,383 persons. It is governed by a high steward and a high bailiff. Marylebone, now one of the most populous parishes in London, was at the beginning of the last century a small place, separated from London by a mile of open ground. A brook or bourne ran by the village, and the church being dedicated to St. Mary, it came to be called St. Mary-on-the-bourne, which has been corrupted into its present designation. The parish has a circumference of eight miles and a quarter, an area of 1700 acres, and a population of 161,609 persons. Two-thirds of its area were pasture fields imtil 1760. PiMLico, a name of uncertain origin, applied to the district between Hyde Park and the Thames. It is now covered with streets and houses, but so late as 1763, it is said that Bucking- ham House had an uninterrupted view south and west to the river, there being only a brewery and some scattered cottages between it and the Thames. It was a district of public gardens, nmch frequented on holidays, all of which have given way to buildings. Here are Belgrave, Lowndes, Eaton, Chester, Eccle- ston, and Warwick Squares, with many streets, and the new Victoria railway station. Chelsea, a large parish with 63,423 inhabitants, extending by the rivt^r side westward from Pimlico. The place is mentioned in Domesday book. Henry VIII. gave the manor to Katherine Parr on her marriage with him. It afterwards came into the possession of Sir Hans Sloane, from whom it went to an ancestor of the present Earl Cadogan. This will explain the names of some of the streets, etc. At the end of the seventeenth century, there was established a china manufactory, which existed for some time, the work having obtained celebrity, but it has now disappeared. Chelsea can boast of having been selected as a residence by many eminent persons, within the last two hundred years. It is connected by two bridges with the opposite bank of the river. Here are the Hospital for old soldiers, the Botanical Garden of the Apothecaries, and Cremorne Gardens, so well- known to pleasure-seekers. Kensington, including Brompton, lies north and north-\vest of Chelsea. In the interval between the last two censuses, it has made an immense stride in population. In 1861 it had 186,463 8 PAXCRAS FINSBURY ISLINGTON. inhabitants, an increase of 66,459 since 1851. And yet tHs large town population is without a representative in Parliament. The palace is not in Kensington (lucus a non lucendo), but in the parish of St. Margaret's, Westminster. At one end of this district are the International Exhibition Buildings, the Eoyal Horticultural Society's Gardens, and the South Kensington Museum, and at the other end Holland House. Pancras is the largest parish in Middlesex, haying a circum- ference of 18 miles, and a population of 198,882 persons, according to the last census. It was anciently a lonely hamlet, one mile distant from Holborn Bars, and is still called Pancras- in-the-fields. Less than a hundred years ago, the population did not amount to 600. It is mentioned in Domesday book. Of its old cliurch (recently enlarged), it has been said that it does not yield in antiquity to St. Paul's. Korden, quaintly speaks of it in 1592, as being "all alone, utterly forsaken, old, and wether-beten, yet about this structure have bin manie build- ings, now decaied, leaving poore Pancras without companie or comfort ; yet it is visited by theeves who assemble there not to praye, but to wait for praye ; and manie fall into their handes clothed that are glad when they are escaped naked. Walke not there late." Camden Town, Agar To^^'n, Somers' Town (so called from its being the freehold estate of Lord Somers), and Kentish To\\Ti, are all in Pancras. The termini of the London and North "Western Railway (Euston Square), and the Great Northern Railway (Kings Cross), are in Pancras. It has a cemetery of 87 acres in the Finchley Road. FiNSBURY takes its name from the fenny ground that existed here. The manor is held by the (Corporation of London under a lease originally granted so far back as 1315. This has been renewed from time to time, and the present lease will expire in 1867. It is said that the Mayor derives his title of lord from being lord of this manor. The tract once called Moorfields is in this district, the whole of which is now covered wdth build- ings. Islington, once a village two miles away from London, is now connected \sdth it by a dense mass of houses. Its popula- tion of 155,291 persons has increased to the extent of 59,962 since 1851. Under the name of Iseldon it is mentioned in Domesday book, where it was stated to have 1000 acres of arable land. It includes Holloway, Highbury, and part of Kingsland. SDUTHWARK LAMBETH t) Tlie new Metropolitan Cattle Market and tlie Model Prison are in this district. SouTHWARK was an early settlement of the Romans, as the remains that have been from time to time discovered testify. The name, which appears to signify the southern fortification, has been spelled in no fewer than ninety-seven ways in old writings. Edward III. sold the place to the citizens of London, making certain reservations, but Edward VL granted the full control of it to them. Tlie affairs of the Borough, as it is now styled, are managed by a high baililf and steward, appointed by the Corporations of London. It was constituted a ward of the city, under the name of Bridge-Without, and sends an alderman to the court. It has returned Members to Parliament ever since Edward the First's reign. Extensive manufactures are carried on here ; at Bermondsey the tanners and rope-makers abound ; at Rotherhithe, timber-merchants, sawyers, and boat-builders. LAiiBETH adjoins Southwark on the west. It was originally a Surrey village, with a name of uncertain derivation, but it has become a thickly populated district, covering much groimd. Here are Lambeth Palace, Bethlehem Hospital, St. George's Roman Catholic Cathedral, the County Prison, and the Queen's prison. It is the seat of much manufacturing industry, including Price's Patent Candle Works, Pellatt's Glass Works, Beaufoy's Vinegar Works, Maudslay and Field's Engineering Works, and Clowes' Printing Office and Foundry, each of which is the largest of its class in the metropolis. Let us now glance for a moment at this mighty world of London, with reference to the districts where certain classes of its inhabitants congregate. The City is the great focus of commercial business, densely crowded with banks, counting-houses, and shops. In Paternoster Row the publishers and booksellers meet in force ; in Spitalfields the silk-weavers ; in Clerkenwell the watch- makers ; whilst between Leadenhall Street and Houndsditch the Jews predominate. The Temple, Chancery Lane, Lincoln's Inn, and Gray's Inn, are filled with the chambers of the lawyers. Regent Street, Bond Street, Piccadilly, and part of Oxford Street, are stocked with the best and most expensive shops, where persons having a supply of the one thing needful may procure every luxury under the sun. 10 LOCAL MANAGEMENT. The nobility, and people of the first fashion, chiefly reside — 1st, In the district included by Regent Street, and Hyde Park, Oxford Street, and Piccadilly, within which are Grosvenor and Berkeley Squares, Park Lane, and May fair, the last designation being applied to the streets between Park Lane and Berkeley Square, which cover some fields where a fair was held for many years under grant from James XL, not finally discontinued until late in the reign of George III. 2d, The district (often styled Belgravia), lying between Grosvenor Place and Sloane Street, and including Belgrave Square. 3d, St. James Square, and the east side of the Green Park. A district of very high respectability, staid, grave, and decor- ous, like the streets, is that which lies westward of Portland Place, between Oxford Street and Marylebone Road. (Portman and Cavendish Squares, included in this district, must be con- sidered as an offshoot of that on the south side of Oxford Street, for several of the nobility reside in them.) The new, handsome, aud healthy district westward of the Edgware Road, and north of Hyde Park, is also highly respect- able. It includes Westbourne Terrace, and many squares, in- habited by merchants, bankers, and lawyers."^ The terraces around the Regent's Park and the districts of St. John's Wood and Portland Town, west of that park, are tenanted by the same classes. Lambeth, South wark, and the eastern parts of Loudon, are chiefly peopled by handicraftsmen and small shopkeepers. In these districts the manufactories of the metropolis are for the most part situate. LOCAL MANAGEMENT. By an Act of Parliament passed in 1855 (18th and 19th Vic- toria, chapter 120), a Board of forty-six persons, to be elected by * This disti-ict has been styled by Thackeray, " The elegant, the prosperous, the polite Tyburnia, the most respectable district in the habitable globe ! Over that road which the hangman used to travel constantly, and the Oxford stage twice a week, go ten thousand carriages every day. Over yonder road by which Dick Turpinfledto Windsor, and Squire Western journeyed into town, what a rush of- civilisation aud order flows now ! Wliat armies of gentlemen with umbrellas march to banks and chambers, and counting houses ! What regiments of nursery maids and pretty infantry ; what peaceful xirocessions of policemen ; what light broughams and what gay carnages ; what swarms of busy apprentices and artificers, riding on omnibus roofs, pass daily and hourly ! " LOCAL MANAGEMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS. 11 the ratepayers, was constituted for the purpose of superseding a great nmnber of local boards in the management of the streets, drains, and buildings of the metropolis. This board was autho- rized to construct a system of main intercepting drainage, to im- prove the streets and make new ones, to provide parks and places of recreation, to attend to the naming of the streets, and the numbering of the houses therein ; and in the building of new houses to enforce compliance with the existing regulations. This board is known as the Metropolitan Board of Works, and it has lately built for its own use a handsome set of offices on the site of Berkeley House, Spring Gardens, at the cost of £15,000. A ground rent of £500 a- year is paid to the Crown. In addition to the main drainage works, wliich will be de- scribed hereafter, the board has been forming new streets and widening others. The cost of improvements of this nature in London is extremely great, owing in great part to the enormous value of the land. The sums that have been paid for small patches of only a few square yards sound quite fabulous, and it becomes more valuable every day. Land has been sold in the city at the rate of £900,000 an acre ! Such being the case, it is easy to conceive that the progress of improvements is slow in consecjuence of the very large sums required to carry them out. Improvements involving the outlay of sixteen and a half millions sterling have been pressed on the board, and of these they admit that a large proportion are urgently demanded for the accommoda- tion of the traffic. Another measure involving a large expenditure has been prominently brought forward of late, viz., the embank- ment of the Thames ; but as yet no scheme has been adopted, though it seems likely that the requirements of the public will be best provided for by establishing a spacious thoroughfare be- tween Westminster Bridge, and Blackfriars' Bridge, by means of a simple embankment and roadway ; and that the new thorough- fare thus created will be continued eastward from Blackfriars' Bridge, by a new street from the west end of Earl Street, across Cannon Street to the Mansion House. The line of embankment at Westminster would coincide with the terrace of the New Houses of Parliament, and the general level would be four feet above Trinity high-water mark. As far as the Temple Gardens it is proposed to make the road 1 00 feet in width, and solid throughout. From this point eastward, it would be reduced to 12- SUPPLY OF FOOD. the mdtli of 70 feet, and carried on a "sdaduct supported on piers of masonry, leaving spaces between the piers available for barges to lie in. The cost of this scheme has been estimated at .£1,500,000. If carried outfit is j)robable that an embankment would likewise be formed on the Surrey side of the river. SUPPLY OF FOOD. Tlie quantity of food consumed by the people of London must be something enormous, but no exact information can be obtained on this head. Nevertheless, the results of some calcu- lations may be interesting. Of fresh fish, excluding shell-fish, upwards of 400 millions of pounds weight come to market in the course of a year. As to shell-fish proper, oysters may be taken as an example ; about 500 millions of these are swallowed by the Londoners. Of lob- sters, something like 1,200,000, and of crabs, about 600,000 are annually consumed. To supply the metropolis with flesh meat during the year, it is calculated that 400,000 oxen, 1,900,000 sheep, 130,000 calves, and 250,000 pigs, are sent hither, as well as about 40,000 tons of country killed meat. As to poultiy, game, and ■wild birds, it is believed that 2,000,000 of domestic fowls, 350,000 ducks, 105,000 turkeys, the same number of geese, and 1,300,000 rabbits are devoured ; and probably the total number of these things, from grouse, partridges, and pheasants, down to j)igeons and larks, is not far short of six millions, weighing several thousand tons. Upwards of 20,000 cows are kept in and near London to supply part of the milk and cream required, the rest, amounting to perhaps four millions of quarts, coming from the country by railway. Around London there are probably not less than 12,500 acres under cultivation for the supply of vegetables, and 5000 acres stocked with fruit trees. Strawberry plants alone cover more than 200 acres. Vast quantities of vegetables and fruit are poured into the Lon- don markets both from the country and from abroad. Sixty millions of oranges and fifteen millions of lemons are imported to supply the wants of London alone. It is supposed that nearly 1,700,000 quarters of wheat are turned into flour for the bread and pastr}" of the metropolis ; whilst nearly 800,000 quarters of malt are employed by the sixteen or seventeen great brewers of London in making 2,800,000 barrels of beer, to say nothing of SUPPLY OF WATER. 13 the beer made by the thousands of smaller brewers, and that sent to the metropolis from Burton and other places. An account of the methods by which all this vast quantity of comestibles is collected and distributed would fill a volame. All quarters of the world send their contributions, and there are labourers in every zone tilling the land, or searching the sea. SUPPLY OF WATER. It is supposed that the daily supply of w\ater to the metro- polis cannot be far short of a hundred millions of gallons, or about forty gallons per head per diem, the charge for which does not exceed five per cent on the rental of the houses sup- plied. This quantity is furnished by nine water comj»anies, viz., 1, The New River Company ; 2, The East London Company ; 3, The Southwark and Vauxhall Company ; 4, The Lambeth Com- pany ; 5, The West Middlesex Company ; 6, The Chelsea Com- pany ; 7, The Grand Junction ; 8, The Kent Company ; and 9, The Woolwich and Plumstead Company. The capital embarked in these undertakings is about seven and a half millions sterlinjx. In addition to the water supplied by these companies water is obtained in considerable quantities from wells sunk through the London clay. The great brewers obtain aU their water from these so-called Artesian wells, several of which penetrate to a great depth. The Messrs. Barclay's well is 367 feet deep. The well at the Royal Mint, Tower Hill, is 400 feet deep, and one of the two wells that supply the Trafalgar Square fountauis has the same depth. It is said that the water in these wells, which in no instance rises to the surface, is gradually sinking at the rate of a foot a year. Complaints having been made as to the quality of the water supplied by the London Companies, it has been proposed to obtain a supply abundantly sufficient for the requirements of the entire metropolis from some of the Welsh lakes. The cost of the scheme is estimated at from six to seven millions sterling. The quality of the London water has been much improved of late, but the organic impurities per himdred gallons still amount to from 167 to 200 grains. Of the undertakings above mentioned, we will single out the New River as more deserving of notice for its history and extent than the others. The stream called the New River is well known to those who traverse the country to the 14 NEW RIVER WATER-WORKS. north of London from its winding well-marked conrse. It commences between Hertford and Ware, at a distance of 21 miles from the Metropolis. It flows at the rate of two miles an hour, having a width of 18 feet, and a dej)th of 4, mth a fall of 3 inches in the mile, sending a supply of water into London at the rate of 1 8 millions of gallons per day. The total length of its course is 38^ miles, and the whole of it is open until it reaches Stoke Newington, where it is conducted by a subterranean channel of 300 yards under part of Islington. At Stoke Newington there are two reservoirs covering 38 acres. Here the water remains for a few days that the earthy particles in it may subside. The reservoir in Clerkenwell known as River Head has an extent of about 5 acres, and is placed at a height of 85 feet above the mid-tide level of the Thames. Iron pipes conduct the water thence to the houses of the lower dis- trict ; that for the high services being derived from another reservoir close by in Claremont Square, 30 feet higher, into which the water is forced by steam pumps. At Highgate are two more reservoirs. This useful imdertaking was planned in the reign of James I. by Hugh Myddelton, " citizen and goldsmith," a native of Denbigh. He began the works in April 1608, having divided the undertaking into 36 shares. When stopped for want of fimds, he applied for aid to the king, who consented to defray half the expense on being made a partner. In September 1613 the affair was brought to a successful termination, and on the 2 9th of that month the water was made to flow into the Clerken- well basin amidst much ceremony and rejoicing. The total cost at that time had been about .£500,000. No dividend was paid until 20 years had elapsed. More capital being required, Charles L, instead of advancing it, preferred to transfer the whole of his father's interest to Sir Hugh Myddelton (he had been made a baronet in 1622), receiving instead a fixed rent of £500 a year, which rent is still paid annually by the company into the Exchequer. That interest was then divided into 36 shares, which are known as " king's shares," whilst the others are called " adventurers' shares." From first to last about a million and a half sterling have been laid out on the New River works. A single share has been sold for <£ 14,000, and the annual net pro- fit is put down at from £50,000 to £60,000. Sir Hugh's family, we are sorry to say, came to poverty, and the baronetcy is extinct. PUBLIC DRINKING FOUNTAINS DRAINAGE. 15 PUBLIC DEINKING FOUNTAINS. Previous to the month of April 1859 there was not a drink- ing fountain for the use of the public in the Metropolis. In that month the first fountain of the kind was erected in the wall of St. Sepulchre's churchyard, City, and its utility to the poor being aj^parent, the movement was promoted by the Metropoli- tan Free Drinking Fountain Association, and has spread so rapidly that between 80 and 90 have been put up, several of them, like the first, at the expense of generous individuals. At that which stands in front of the Royal Exchange, upwards of 6000 callers have been counted in one day. It is to be regretted that so little taste has been displayed in the planning of these structures. As to fountains of a purely ornamental character, London, has little to boast of. It is generally agreed that those in Trafal- gar Square are not worthy of their situation. DEALCSTAGE. The effectual drainage of any large city, so essential to the good health of the inhabitants, must always be attended with great expense, and not unfrequently with great difiiculty. The extra- ordinarily rapid growth of the British metropolis has made the work of drainage one of continually increasing embarrassment and anxiety. Hitherto the plan adopted has been to cast the sewerage into the nearest part of the Thames, and the conse- quences have been most injurious to the river, and to those who dwell upon its banks. In hot and dry summers its condition has been so bad as to breed fevers amongst the neighbouring population ; and various temporary expedients have been had recourse to, at great cost, partially to remedy so lamentable a state of things. It has been calculated that about seven millions of cubic feet of sewerage were discharged daily into the river from the north bank, and about two millions and a half from the south side. This quantity is equal to a depth of 6 feet over an area of 36 acres ! Besides, the system of drainage thus at- tempted to be carried out was inadequate to the purpose, in con- sequence of the low level of the ground on the south bank, and the tidal rise of the river, which latter operated to stop for seve- 1 6 NEW DRAINAGE SCHEME. ral hours a day the outflow of the sewerage. The subject of an improved system becoming at last of the first importance, was discussed at great length, and many schemes were put for^vard, as well as many conflicting opinions. When the Metropolitan Board oi Works was constituted by Act of ParKament (18th and 19 th Victoria, chapter 120), the main drainage of London was the first and chief object to engage their attention. After much consideration, and aided by another Act passed in 1858, the board decided upon adopting a scheme which was the lesult of the consultations of several engineers, the chief credit being, however, due to Mr. Bazalgette. This scheme is being rapidly carried into effect, and it is supposed that the works will be completed in the course of 1863-4. The cost is calculated at three millions sterling, which is to be raised by a rate of three pence in the pound on the annual value of the property, such rate to be leviable for forty years. The scheme consists in constructing a system of intercepting sewers on both sides of the Thames, making a total length of 72 miles. On the north side of the river there are three independ- ent arterial lines of sewers at different levels, which converge at the river Lea, and proceed thence side by side in one large em- bankment to Barking Creek, a part of the river below London. In this way the sewerage will be kept out of the Thames until a point 14 miles below London Bridge is reached. It will then be thro-«Ti into the river at high water, so that the ebb tide may remove it. On the south side of the river the sewerage will be similarly dealt with. The point of discharge of the south Lon- don sewage will be midway between Woolwich and Erith, a single tunnel passing under the town of Woolwich, and uniting with the high and low level sewers near Deptford Creek. Tlie sewers have the form of tunnels made of bricks, and are for the most part concealed under ground, but those on the north of the Thames emerge from high ground on approaching the sea. Over that stream they are carried by an iron aqueduct, and across the West Ham and Barking marshes by an embankment. Each tun- nel is made large, to carry off the greatest flow of sewage which a greatly increased population will occasion, as well as a fall of rain equal to a quarter of an inch in 24 hours on the area drained. Near the sea the tunnels are 9^ feet in height inter- nally, and 12 feet wide. There are to be reservoirs at the out- lets, and at certain points pumping engines and machinery for FIRES. 1 7 lifting the seAvage of the low lying districts. Tlie works at the Deptford pumping station, where the sewage will be lifted out of the two arterial sewers into the single outfall sewer, will be on an extensive scale. The pumping engines will have a power of 500 horses. Scientific persons who are desirous of inspecting these gigan- tic works, should apjdy for permission to the chief clerk of the Board of Works, at the offices in Spring Gardens, Charing Cross. FIRES. In a city like London the losses annually occasioned by fire must be expected to be enormous. Public building after public building falls a prey to the flames. Within the last thirty years the Houses of Parliament, the Royal Exchange, and the Tower, have been destroyed. The history of the theatres is a liistory of fires. To guard against such losses every parish possesses two fire-engines ; and nearly every public establishment of conse- quence is similarly provided. The insurances offices, of course, take care to have their ovm engines in readiness in case of emer- gencies. Besides these there is the fire brigade, which costs about X25,000 a year, and has rather more than a hundred men dis- tributed amongst nineteen stations, which are supplied viith. nearly 40 fire-engines, a very insufficient establishment, as is generally admitted, notwithstanding the energy and skill of the men. It is the universal custom to insure houses and combustible pro- perty in some of the numerous insurance offices which do business in London, some of which have made very large gains. Some of these offices (such as the Commercial Union) combine the business of life and marine assurance with fire assurance, but most of them attend exclusively to the last. No night passes without there being at least one alarm. The engines rattle by at full speed, and a crowd flocks to the place to see a sight which, if the fire is a large one, is very striking. A very few hours suffice to destroy property of great value. Some years are known by connoisseurs of wine as " the comet years," from the fact of a good vintage having coincided with the appearance of a great tailed star ; the summer of 1861 ^\ill be known for some time as " the fire simimer," from the number and magni- tude of the fires that took jdace in London. One of them, which occurred during the month of June, ravaged a large piece of c 18 POLICE. ground on wliicli stood piles of warehouses, in tlie neighbourLood of London, and caused damage to tlie amount of a million and a half sterling. Mr. Braidwood, the able superintendent of the fire brigade, lost his life in assisting to extinguish this conflagra- tion, which continued alight for some weeks. The total number of fires in London during 1861 was 1183, of which 53 ended in total destruction. POLICE. The police force of the Metropolis (exclusive of the city) con- sists of about 5800 men, who wear blue cloth dresses ^^ith the number and letter of the di^dsion of each man worked in v:liite on the collar. The force was constituted under an act of Parlia- ment passed in the tenth year of the reign of George IV., and is known as Peel's act. It has been of excellent serAdce to the well- being of London. The stations are scattered over the metropolis, but the chief station is in Scotland Yard, Whitehall, where the Commissioners of Police, headed by Sir Richard MajTie, sit daily. The courts where police cases are heard are thirteen in number. They are presided over by Magistrates who are baiTisters, and these gentlemen are under the control of the Home Secretary. The courts of the Metropolitan police are in Bow Street ; Clerken- well ; Great Marlborough Street ; High Street, Marylebone ; Vin- cent Square, Westminster ; Bagnigge Wells Road, Clerkenwell ; Worship Street, Shoreditch ; Arbour Street, Stejmey (Thames Police Office) ; Lower Kennington Lane, Lambeth ; Blackman Street, Southwark ; Blacklieath Hill, for Greenwich and Woolwich ; Brick Lane, Hammersmith ; and Love Lane, Wandsworth. The vans sometimes seen about the streets, which in some respects resemble an omnibus, udth policemen for drivers and conductors, are the vehicles employed to remove ofi"enders from the police- of&ces to prison. Between 60,000 and 70,000 cases are amiually brought be- fore the magistrates of the City and Metropolitan police courts. The City Police, a distinct body from the Metropolitan police, are under the control of a Commissioner whose office is at 26 Old Jewry. They consist of a body of 627 men, who are distinguished from other policemen by the city arms on the collars of their coats, and by the yellow colour of their numbers. The only two police courts in the city are at the Mansion House, GAS COMPANIES CEMETERIES. 19 where the Lord Mayor presides, and at Giiildliall, where an Alderman sits. GAS LIGHTING. London at night is everywhere illuminated with coal gas, which has done almost as much as an improved system of police in abating robberies and acts of violence. It was first introduced by an ingenious German, named Winsor, who lighted the Lyceum Theatre Avith it in 1803. It does not appear to have been used for street illumination until 1807, when the same person employed it to light one side of Pall Mall. Two years later he sought to obtain a charter, but the evidence of Accum the chemist in sup- port of the invention appeared so supremely absurd to Mr. Brougham that he made it a topic of most effective ridicule, and stopped the project. Even at a later period the scheme of illu- mination by gas seemed highly preposterous, for Sir Humphrey Davy asked " if it were intended to take the dome of St. Paul's for a gasometer." The first gas company was established in 1810-12. In 1814 Westminster Bridge was lighted on the new method, and at the end of that year the general lighting of the Metropolis began. But such was the alarm occasioned by an ex- plosion in. a gas seasoning-house, that many persons asserted that gas was too dangerous to be used for the purpose, and the Royal Society appointed a committee to inquire how far this asseilion was true. The stronghold of fashion, Grosvener Square, held out against the innovation imtil 1842. At the doors of mansions in the older streets, the iron extinguishers may still be seen in which the links or torches of past times were put out. There are now eighteen gas companies in the Metropolis, pro- ducing about 5000 millions of cubic feet of gas in the year. More than 2000 miles of pipes have been laid down. The charge to the public is about 6s. per 1000 feet. CE^^IETERIES. Tlie barbarous practice of inteiTing human bodies within the precincts of the Metropolis has not yet been wholly abandoned, though of late years it has been much abated ; but not before several of the churchyards had become full to oyerflo^^-ing, and the neighbourhood had been rendered notoriously unheiilthy, " the plague spots of the population." Vaults and catacombs 20 METEOROLOGY. imderneatli churclies liave been in many instances closed against the future deposit of coffins therein. The coffins previously there, if not removed by the relatives of the deceased, have been col- lected in one common vaidt, which has been closed and built up, never afterwards to be opened on any pretence whatever. Within the last few years numerous cemeteries have been formed in the environs of the Metropolis, of which the largest is at TVoking in SiuTey, 24 miles fi'om London by the South Western Rail- way ; but the most accessible, and the one the best worth visiting, is Kensal Green Cemetery, about two miles north- west of Paddington Green. Omnibuses from the Edgeware Road take passengers to the Cemetery gates. Between 50 and 60 acres were laid out in 1832, and a considerable part of it has been well adorned with monuments of aU sizes and shapes. The cemetery is open to visitors on all week-days throughout the day and on Sunday afternoons. Highgate Cemetery comprises about 22 acres. Lying on the south slope of the hill, below the church, it commands a good view of London. NvMhead Cemetery, near Peckliam Rye, and Nonfood Ceriietery, near the Lower Norwood Station of the West End and Crystal Palace Railway, are to the south of London, and each contains about 50 acres. Near Stoke Newington, on the north, is the Ahiey Park Cemetery. In the West London Cemetery at Brompton Lord Cremorne has erected a splendid family tomb which cost upwards of <£2000. It is of granite, and the desigai is Egyptian. IVIETEOROLOGY. A minute and very carefully-taken series of meteorological observations has been made for several years at Greenwich Ob- servatory. Taking a series of 21 years, from 1840-1860, the mean temperatui-e of the air is 49.2° Fahr.,* the highest annual mean during that period being 51.3° (1846), and the lowest 46.9° (1855). Taking the average of 89 years, the mean tem- perature of the four quarters of the year has been as follows : — Winter (Jan.-March), 38.4°; spring (April-June), 52.1°; summer (July-SeiDtember), 59.5 °; autumn (October- December), 43.6°. The mean daily range of the thermometer during 19 years was found to be — for the year, 15.9° ; for autumn and winter, nearly 11.1° ; for spring, 19.9°; and for summer, 19.7°. * The annual mean temperature of Paris is 51.5° Fakr., and of Rome 60.7" Fahr. METEOROLOGY. 21 Tlie mean pressure of the air during 19 years was 29.778 inches. The mean annual fall of rain in the above-mentioned series of 21 years was 23.95 inches, ranging from 17 inches in 1858 to 34.4 in 1852. The mean annual fall, however, taking a series of 45 years, was 25.3 inches. The weight of vapour in a cubic foot of air, taking the mean of 1 9 years, was calculated to be 3.4 erains. CHAPTEE THE SECOND. General Information for Strangers. Hotels — Lodgings — Eestaurants — Dining-Rooms — Coffee Houses — Hackney Carriages — Toll Gates — Omnibus Routes — Railway Sta- tions — Electric Telegraph Companies — Messengers — Conveyance of Parcels — Patents— Foreign Money. HOTELS. Large and well mancaged hotels, at whicli the charges are regulated by printed tariflf, have been erected by companies at most of the railway stations ; at the Paddington terminus of the Great "Western Raihvay ; at King's Cross, the terminus of the Great Northern Railway ; at the terminus of the London and North- Western Railway (the Euston and Victoria Hotels) ; at the London Bridge Railway Station (an hotel containing 250 bed- rooms) ; and at the Victoria Railway terminus, Pimlico, where a very handsome hotel, known as the Grosvenor Hotel, has been built. The Great Western Hotel cost, with its furniture, £86,000, and it has been highly successful as a commercial speculation. Besides these, two other large hotels have been lately erected by public companies, viz., the Westminster Palace Hotel at the east end of Victoria Street ; and the Palace Hotel, Buckingham Gate, about 450 yards from the A-^ictoria Railway terminus, Pimlico. The former of these two, from its immense size, de- serves a few words of description, as hotels of this class are much wanted in other parts of London. The Westminster Hotel, at the bottom of Victoria Street, Westminster, and in the immediate neighbourhood of the Houses of Parliament and Courts of Law, is a new building erected by a company in the Renaissance style at a cost of £60,000. It is a large structure of eight storeys, with more than 400 rooms, but the India Board has obtained possession of nearly one-half, for which a rental of £6000 a year is paid. Tlie cojftee-room is 92 feet 24 HOTELS, LODGINGS, ETC. in lengtli, by 33 feet in widtli, and tlie diiiing-rooni is not mucli less. It is calculated that there are more than five acres of floor- ing in the hotel. Upon the site of this building stood the house and priuting press of old Caxton ; and here also stood the ancient Bede-house of Westminster Abbey. As to houses ia the hands of individuals, visitors Avill do well to obtain the recommendation of some friend before fixing upon an hotel ; but the follo-^ing may be safely mentioned as deserv- ing of patronage : — AVest End. — Claridge's, 42 Brook Street, Grosvenor Square ; the Clarendon, 169 Xew Bond Street ; Steven's, 181 New Bond Street ; Gullon's, 7 Albemarle Street ; Hawkin's, 29 Albemarle Street ; BroT\-n's, 21 Dover Street, Piccadilly ; Bait's, 41 Dover Street, Piccadilly ; Ellis's, 59 St. James' Street ; Fenton's, 63 St. James' Street ; Earrance's, Bel grave Street, Belgrave Square ; Ford's, 127 Brook Street ; the Blenheim, Bond Street ; Long's, Bond Street ; the Gloucester, 76 Piccadilly ; Limmer's, Conduit Street ; Hatchett's, 67 Piccadilly ; the Burlington, Cork Street ; the Queen's, same street ; and many other hotels iii Piccadilly, Jermyn Street, and the neighboui^hood. Central. — Union, Cockspur Street ; British, Cockspur Street ; Morley's, Trafalgar Square. In Covent Garden, chiefly used by bachelors, are the Bedford, Xew Hummimis, Old Hum- mums, the Ta^T-stock, and Richardson's. In or near Leicester Square, are several hotels frequented by the French, amongst which may be mentioned the Sabloniere, Hotel de Provence, Hotel de Versailles, Hotel de I'Europe, Bertolhii's, the Panton. City. — Bridge House Hotel, London Bridge ; Keyser's Eoyal Hotel, Bridge Street, Blackfiiars ; Radley's, same street ; the Queen's, St. ^Nlartbi's le Grand ; the Castle and Falcon, same street ; Cathedral Hotel, 48 St. Paul's Churchyard ; the Albion, Aldersgate Street ; the Queen's, same street. Lodgings are to be obtained in every part of London, at prices varying according to the situation and accommodation aftbrded. In the north (Islington, Pentonville, etc.), a single man may procure a clean bedroom and sitting-room, from 12s. to 20s. a week. In the more fashionable quarters, weU-fui-nished rooms will cost him from two to five guineas a- week; and families must pay for a suite of handsomely fiu-nished apartments, from ten to fifteen guineas. At the west end, the streets where lodgings are chiefly found are the streets leading out of Oxford RESTAURANTS AND DINING-ROOMS. 25 Street, Regent Street, and Piccadilly. If first-class accommoda- tion is required, the best method of obtaining it is to aj)ply to a house-agent in this neighbourhood, who will also supply a list of furnished houses with their rents. A lower class of lodgings, but still respectable, and very suitable for people who wish to be economical, and yet within easy reach of the principal sights, is to be obtained in the quiet streets leading from the Strand towards the river. A very common arrangement in middle class boarding- houses is to charge a fixed sum per day or week for bed and breakfast, the boarder obtaining his other meals at dining-rooms or coffee-houses. In this case he has not the exclusive use of a sitting-room. RESTAURANTS and DIXIXG- ROOMS. These are scattered up and down London in great numbers, and are to be found of all degrees of goodness and badness. General Dining-Rooms. "West End. — Yerrey's, Regent Street, corner of Hanover Street, has long been noted for the excellence of the fare, chiefly French, and proportionately high charges. Good general dining- rooms are the St. James' Restaurant, St. James Hall, Regent Street; and the Wellington, 160 Piccadilly; the Albany, 190 PiccadiUy ; Feetimi's, Regent Street, comer of Burlington Street ; and Campbell's, Beak Street, Regent Street; John-o'-Groat's, Rupert Street, HajTuarket ; P}^e's, Church Place, Piccadilly. Central. — At Simpson's, 103 Strand; tlie Albion, Great RusseU Street, near Drury Lane Theatre ; and the London, Fleet Street, corner of Chancery Lane — a good plain dinner with a glass of malt liquor, may be obtained at a minimum cost of 2s. 6d. City. — Izant's, 21 Bucklersbury, and other places in the same Street ; His Lordship's Larder, Cheapside ; Commercial Dining-Rooms, Cheapside; Hill and Lake, 49 Cheapside, and 13 Gracechurch Street. Ordinaries. — Salutation, Newgate Street (5 o'clock). Three Tims Tavern, BiUingsgate Market (1 and 4 o'clock). Houses for Special Dishes. Turtle— ixt the Ship and Tiutle, LeadenliaU Street. 26 RESTAURANTS, DIXIXG-ROOMS, ETC. Chops and Steaks — Ned's, Fincli Lane ; Joe's, Fincli Lane, Cornliill; tlie Cock, 201 Fleet Street; the Rainbow, 15 Fleet Street; the Cheshire Cheese, Wine Office Court, Fleet Street; Dolly's, Queen's Head Passage, Paternoster Row. Boiled ^e'^/— Williams', Old Bailey. A-la-mode Beef — Jaquet's, Clare Court, Drury Lane. WJiite Baity" — Season, June, July, August — Lovegrove's East Lidia Dock Tavern, Blackwall ; Quartermaine's Ship, and the Trafalgar, Green\^ich. Supper Rooms. The Albion, Great Russell Street; Evans' Covent Garden; Cider Cellars, Maiden Lane ; the Coal Hole, Strand ; the Cock, 201 Fleet Street; the Rainbow, 15 Fleet Street, etc. COFFEE-HoUSES. Except in the City, coffee-houses have no longer the impor- tance for the middle classes they once possessed, ha-v-ing been superseded by our modern clubs. But in the neighbourhood of the bank, there are certain establishments of this description, which are the rendezvous of commercial men, and where files of newspapers connected with commercial matters are kept ready for consultation. Deacon's Coffee and Dining House, 3 Wallbrook, has a file of the Times, extending back nearly seventy years, and files of many other newspapers. Garraway's Coffee House, 3 Change Alley, Cornliill, much frequented for light luncheons ; many sales by auction take place here. Jamaica Coffee-Hov.se, 1 St. Michael's Alley, Cornhill, which persons connected with the West Indian trade frequent. Jerusalem Coffee-House, 1 Co-^q^er's Court, Cornhill, the haunt of merchants, captains, etc., connected with the trade of India, China, and Australia, and where files of papers published in these countries are to be seen. * The white bait is a fish from two to three inches long, closely allied to the hening, pilchard, and sprat, known to zoologists under the name of dupea alba. " The fasliion of enjoying the excellent course of fish, as served up at Greenwich or Blackwall, is sanctioned by the highest authorities, from the Court at St. James' Palace in the West, to the Lord Mayor and his Court in the East, in- cluding the Cabinet Ministers and the philosophers of the Royal Society." — YarreU's History of British Fishes. HACKNEY CARRIAGE FARES, ETC. 27 New Enffland, and North and South American 'Coffee-House, 59 and 60 Threadneedle Street. There are upwards of 800 coffee-houses distributed over the metropolis, chiefly frequented by the humbler classes, to whom they are of great use, in affording a temperate meal at a cheai) rate. Tlie fare supplied consists mainly of tea, coffee, and cocoa ; chops, steaks, ham and eggs. Under a recent regulation, wine may be sold at these houses. Newspapers, as well as the monthly and weekly literary periodicals, are to be seen in most of them. A cup of good coffee is to be had at Verrey's, 229 Regent Street ; Kilpack's, 42 King Street, Covent Garden; Ries's Divan, 102 Strand; Groom's 16 Fleet Street; and Pursell's, 78 Comhill. HACKNEY CARRIAGE FARES AND REGULATIONS. Those who have occasion to make much use of cabs wiU find of great service a small red book, published under the authority of the Metropolitan Police Ofiice, and to be obtained at any book- seller's, price Is. It contains an authorized list of fares, and gives the distance in yards from numerous points in London to others. There are many places in the public streets called cab stands, where cabs are in waiting to be hired, but vehicles may frequently be met A\dth proceeding along the streets. Every hackney car- riage in the street, with the Stamp Oflice plate upon it, is to be deemed as plying for hire, unless actually hired ; and the driver, in case of dispute, must produce evidence of his carriage being hired. Fares hy distance — Within four miles of Charing Cross, the fare for cabs is sixpence a mile (1760 yards), and sixpence for any fractional part of a mile. If taken beyond that distance the fare is one shilling a mile, back fare not being allowed in either case. For any stoppage or number of stoppages, amounting to fifteen minutes, the driver is entitled to sixpence, besides the dis- tance-fare, and sixpence more for each additional fifteen minutes for which the carriage is detained. If the driver be not paid when the hirer alights, it will be considered that he is ordered to wait, and he must be paid accordingly. Two persons are to be carried in a cab at a single fare ; for each additional person sixpence for the whole journey is to be paid. Two children under ten years of age are to be considered as one adult person. An infant in arms is to be considered a person, and must be paid for extra, if there be two other persons in the cab. 28 HACKXET CARRIAGE FARES, ETC. Tlie driver must drive at a speed not less than six miles an hour, unless the hirer requests him to drive more slowly. Fares hy time. — If it is intended to pay by time, this must be stated to the driver at the time of hiring the cab. The fare by time is 2s. for an hour, and sixpence for every 1 5 minutes beyond. If taken out of the four-mile circle, and there discharged, the fare beyond the circle is to be charged by distance at the rate of Is. a mile. A driver cannot be compelled to hire his conveyance by time before six in the morning, or later than eight in the evening. If more than two persons employ the cab, the extra person or persons must be paid for as before. If the driver be ordered to drive at a greater speed than four miles an honr, he will be entitled to an additional sixpence per mile above the four miles per hour. He is bound to drive to any place not exceed- ing six miles from the place of hiring, or for any time not ex- ceeding an hour. Luggage. — A reasonable quantity of luggage is to be con- veyed, either inside or outside the carriage, without extra pay- ment ; but when more than two j)ersons are being carried, and there is more luggage than can be taken inside, twopence must be paid for each package carried outside. TicJcets, etc. — The driver of a hackney carriage is bound, when hired, to deliver to the hirer a card, with the number of the Stamp Office plate affixed to his carriage. He is also bound to produce, when requested, a book of fares for insj)ection. The re- gulations as to the fares are to be distinctlj' painted inside and outside every hackney carriage. Disputes. — If any dispute should occur between hirer and driver, the hirer may require the driver to take him to the near- est police office, where, if a magistrate be sitting, he will adjudi- cate on the case at once. If it should be after the closing of the police courts, then the driver is to drive to the nearest police sta- tion, where the complaint will be entered, and decided by the magistrate at his next sitting. Property left in hackney carriages should be inquired for at the office of the Commissioners of Police in Great Scotland Yard, Charing Cross. A driver is bound to take property which has been left in his carriage to the nearest police station within 24 hours. The owner will receive it on proving his title to it, and on payment of the expenses incurred. Turnpike or Toll Gates. — On most of the roads leading out of OMNIBUSES. 29 London are stationed these vexatious barriers, whicli persons on liorseback, or driving in a vehicle, cannot pass without pa}Tnent, according to a settled rate of toll. After paying the collectors, the money is laid out on the repairs of the roads. Tlie repairs now done, amount, it is said, to £40,000 a-year. Various attempts have been made to get rid of the nuisance, but as yet A\ithout having discovered any plan which is satisfactory to all concerned. A list of tolls leviable at every gate is conspicuously painted on a board, and should be referred to in case of doubt. Tolls are levied on several of the bridges, not only on vehicles, but on foot passengers. O^miBUSES AND THEIR EOUTES. There are many lines of omnibuses fi-om one part of London to another, the routes of which \\i.ll not be understood by a stranger miless he consults a map. They are principally in the hands of a company, styled the London General Omnibus Company, esta- blished a few years back, in imitation of the Parisian system. Xot\\i.thstanding the promises to employ new roomy vehicles, the omnibuses continue to be very inconveniently small. The system of correspondence with which they started has been aban- doned. The use made of these conveyances in London is very great, and in the principal thoroughfares, several omnibuses are in sight at one time. It has been ascertained that 1800 of these vehicles pass the Angel, Islington, daily. The highest fare is seldom more than sixpence for the whole distance, with a lower charge for shorter distance. The top of an omnibus affords a good means for seeing the streets of London, and the exteriors of the principal buildings. Before taking a seat, ascertain that the omnibus is going to the place you ^nsh to be taken to. Inside the door there is a list of fares, which the stranger should con- sult before paying. In case of overcharge take the conductor's niunber from his badge, and apply to the nearest police office. The number of passengers to be carried in and upon an omnibus is to be conspicuously painted inside ; and no more than the pro- per number of passengers is to be carried under a penalty of ^5 each against driver and conductor. Bayswater— Bank ant> London Bridge Station. Route : — Xotting Hill Gate, St. John's Church, Royal Oak, Regeut Circus, Oxford. Street, Cheapside, Bank, London Bridge. Fares, 3d., id. ; all the way, Cd. 30 OMNIBUSES. Blackwall — Regent Circcs (Piccadilly) — Every twelve minutes. Route: — West India Docks, Poplar, Limeliouse, Stepney, Commercial Road, LeadenhaU Street, CoruMU, Bank, Cheapside, St. Paul's, Ludgate Hill, Fleet Street, Strand, Charing Cross. Fares, 6d., 4d., and 3d. Bow AND Stratford— Oxford Street— Every ten minutes. Route : — Bow, White- chapel, Aldgate, LeadenhaU Street, Cornhill, Bank, Cheapside, Ludgate Hill, Fleet Street, Strand, Charing Cross, PaU Mall, Waterloo Place. Fares, 6d.,4d., and 3d. Brentford — St. Paul's — Every hour. Route : — Kewbridge, Chiswick, Tumham Green, Hammersmith, thence by the same route as the Hammersmith. Fares, Hammersmith, 6d. ; Brentford, Isleworth, or Hounslow, Is. Brixton — Caledonian Road — North London (Railway Station) — Every twenty minutes, Route :— Caledonian Road, King's Cross, Gray's Inn Lane, Chancery Lane, Temple Bar, Strand, Charing Cross, Parliament Street, Westminster Bridge, Lambeth, Kennington, Brixton Church. Fares, 9d., 6d., and 4d. Brixton — Gracechurch Street— City— " Paragon " — Every ten minutes. Route : — Brixton HiU, Tulse Hill, Kennington, Newington Causeway, London Bridge. Fares, 9d., 6d., 4d., and 3d. Brompton— Islington— Every twelve minutes. Route :— Queen's Elm, Brompton ; Knightsbridge, Hyde Park Corner, Piccadilly, Regent Street, Mortimer Street, Great Portland Street, New Road, Euston Square, King's Cross, Islington. Fares, 2d., 3d. ; all the way, 6d. Brompton — London Bridge Railway— Every seven minutes. Route : — Knights- bridge, Piccadilly, Waterloo Place, PaU Mall, Charing Cross, Strand, Fleet Street, Ludgate Hill, St. Paul's, Cheapside, Bank, King William Street, London Bridge. Fares, 4d. and 3d. Sunday after 8 p.m., 6d. Caledonian Road (North Londou Railway Station) to Pimlico (Vatjxhall Road)—" Caledonian " — Every twenty minutes. Route : — Caledonian Road, King's Cross, Gray's Inn Lane, Chancery Lane, Strand, Westminster Abbey, Victoria Street, Vauxhall Road. Fares, 3d. and 4d. Camberwell — Gracechurch Street — City— Every ten minutes. Route : — Wal- worth Road, Elephant and Castle, Ne-wington Causeway, Borough, London Bridge, Gracechurch Street. Fares, 2d. and 3d. ; all the way, 6d. Camden Town— Camberwell Gate — " Waterloo" — Every six minutes. Route : — York and Albany, near Gloucester Gate, Regent's Park, through Albany Street, Great Portland Street, Regent Circus, Regent Street, Charing Cross, Strand, Waterloo Bridge, Waterloo Road, London Road, Old Kent Road or Walworth Road, to Camberwell Gate. Fares, 4d., 2d. ; all the way, 6d. Camden Town— Hungerford Market — Everj' five minutes. Route : — Red Cap (top of High Street, Camden To^vn), through Hampstead Road, Tottenham Court Road, St. Giles', Seven Dials, St. Martin's Lane, Trafalgar Square. Fares, to Oxford Street (outside), 2d. ; all the way, 3d. Camden Town (North London Railway Station) — Kennington Gate — King's Cross — Every eight minutes. Route : — Camden Town Railway Station, through College Street, Charrington Street, near the North-Westem Railway Terminus, Euston Square, King's Cross Railway Terminus, Gray's Inn Lane, Chancery Lane, Fleet Street, Temple, Farringdon Street, New Bridge Street, Blackfriars Bridge, London Road, Elephant and Castle, High Street, Kennington Road, Kennington Gate. Fares, 6d. , 4d. , and 3d. Chelsea (near Cremorne Gardens)— Bethnal Green (Cambridge Heath Gate) OMXIBUSES. 31 — Every twelve minutes. Route: — Battersea Bridge, King's Road, Sloane Square, Knightsbridge, Piccadilly, Regent Street, Strand, Bank, Comhill, Bishopsgate Street, Shoreditch (Eastern Counties Railway Station) Betlinal Green Road, to Cambridge Heath Gate. Fares, 3d., 4d. ; all the way, Od. Sun- days after 8 p.m., 6d. Chelsea (near CREsroRNE Gardens) — Hoxton — Every twelve minutes. Route : — Battersea Bridge and Cremorne Gardens, King's Road, Sloane Square, Sloane Street, Knightsbridge, Piccadilly, Regent Street, Pall Mall, Strand, Cheapside, Bank, Moorgate Street, Finsbury Square, Pitfield Street, New North Road, Hox- ton. Fares, 4d., Charing Cross, 3d. ; all the way, 6d. Sundays after 8 p.m., 6d. Chelsea — Cadogan Pier — Up Oakley Street to International Exhibition building. Chelsea (Sloane Square) — Islington (Angel) — Every twelve minutes. Route : — Sloane Square, through Sloane Street, Knightsbridge, Hyde Park Corner, Picca- dilly, Regent Street, Mortimer Street, Great Portland Street, New Road, Euston Square, King's Cross, Islington. Fares, 3d., 2d. ; all the way, 6d. Clapham — Gracechurch Street— City — Every ten minutes. Route :— Stockwell, Kennington, Newington Causeway, Boro', London Bridge, Gracechurch Street. Fares, 4d., 6d. Clapham— Oxford Street (Regent's Circus) — Every fifteen minutes. Route : — Stockwell, Kennington Green, York Place, Westminster Bridge, "Whitehall, Charing Cross, Regent Stucet, Regent Circus (Oxford Street). Fares, 6(L, 4d. ; all the way, 9d. Clapton and Hackney — Bank — Every twelve minutes. Route : — Hackney Road, Shoreditch, Bishopsgate Street, to Bank. Fares, 6d., 4d., 3d., and 2d. Crystal Palace and Norwood — Gracechurch Street — City. Fares, Kennington or Caulberwell Gate, 4d. ; BiLxton Church, 6d. ; Brixton HiU, 9d. ; Upper or Lower Norwood, Is. Crystal Palace and Norwood— Oxford Street (Regent Circus). Fares, Is., 9d., 6d. Edgware Road (end of Praed Street)— London Bridge Railway — "Citizen" —Every twelve minutes. Route :— Edgware Road, Oxford Street, Holbom, Newgate Street, Cheapside, London Bridge. Fares, 2d. and 3d. ; all the way, 4d. Edmonton— Bank and Royal Exchange— Every twenty minutes. Route : — Tot- tenham, Stamford Hill, Stoke Newington, Kingsland, Kingsland Road, Shore- ditch, Bishopsgate Street, Bank. Return from end of Threadueedle Street in Bishopsgate Street. Fares, 9d., 8d., 6d., and 3d. Great Western Railway Station — London Bridge and Blackwall Railway, by New Road — Every ten minutes. Route : — Royal Oak, Westbourne Grove, Bishop's Road, Edgware Road, New Road, Euston Square, King's Cross, Angel, City Road, Finsbury Square, Moorgate Street, Threadneedle Street, Leadenhall Street. Fares, 3d. and 4d. ; all the way, 6d. Hackney Road — Elephant and Castle, Newington — Kingsland and Old Kent Road— Every ten minutes. Route .-—Shoreditch Church, Bishopsgate Street Gracechurch Street, King William Street, London Bridge, Borough, Newington Causeway, Elephant and Castle. Fares, 3d. and 2d. Hackney (Upper Clapton)- Oxford Street (Regent Circus) — Every half hour. Route :— Ualston Lane, Kingsland, Ball's Pond Road, Islington, City Road, New Road, Great Portland Street, Regent Circus, Oxford Street. Fares, 4d, 6d. ; all the way, 9d. Hammersmith- Bank and London Bridge. Route :— Kensington, Knightsbridge, 32 OilXIBUSES. Piccaclilly, HavmarTcet, Charing Cross, Strand, Fleet Street, Cheapside, Bank King WiUiam Street, London Bridge. Fares, 6d., 4d., and 3d. Hampstead— Baxk— Hampstead Conveyance— Every twelve minutes. Route :— Haverstock Hill, Camden To%vn, Hampstead Road— Tottenham Court Road, Oxford Street, Holborn, Newgate Street, Cheapside, Bank. Fares, 3d., 4d., 6d. all the way, 9d. HiGHGATE AND Kentish Towx—Bank— Conveyance Society— Every twelve minutes. Route :— Camden Town, cross New Road, Tottenham Court Road, Holborn, New- gate Street, Cheapside, CoiTdiill, Leadenhall Street, Aldgate, "Whitechapel Fares, 3d., 4d. ; all the way, 6d. Highbury and Islington— Blackfkiars — "Favorite" — Every twenty minutes. Route :— Holloway Road, Highbury, Islington, High Street, GosweU Street, Post Office, St. Paul's, Ludgate HiE, Blackfriars Bridge, Fares, 4d. HiGHGATE Hill— Westminster— " Favorite " —Every ten minutes. Route:— Holloway Road, Highbuiy, Islington, High Street, John's Street Road, Exmouth Street, Gray's Inn Lane, Chancery Lane, Fleet Street, Strand, Parliament Street to 'Vrestminster. Fares, 3d. ; aU the way, 6d. Holborn Hill— Marble Arch— Every five minutes. Fanlngdon Street, Holborn Oxford Street, Marble Arch. Fares, 2d, HoRNSET Road, Highbury, and Islington — London Bridge Railway—" Favor- ite" — Every eight minutes. Route: — Seven Sisters' Road, HoUoway Road, Highbury, Lslington, High Street, City Road, Finsbury Circus, Moorgate Street Bank, King William Street, London Bridge. Fares, 4d. ; aU the way, 6d. HoxTON TO Chelsea— (See Chelsea to Hoxton). Islington (Barnsbury Park)— Kensington Gate— Every seven minutes. Route — Bamsbury Road, Islington, Goswell Road, Goswell Street, Aldersgate Street, Post Office, St. Paul's, Ludgate Hill, Blackfriars Bridge, London Road, Elephant and Castle, High Street, Kennington. Fares, 4d. ; all the way, 6d. Islington (Lo^\-ER Road) to Kent Road (Southwark) — Every ten minutes. Route :— Lower Road, New North Road, Hoxton, Old Street, City Road, Moor- gate Street, London Bridge, Borough, Old Kent Road. Fares, 2d., 3d., and 4d- Islington to Chelsea— (See Chelsea to Islington). Kensington New Town to London Bridge Railway — "Brompton." Route: — Gloucester Road, Old Brompton, Knightsbridge, Piccadiily, Regent Street Bank. Fares, 3d. ; aU the way, 4d. Kensington — Bank— Every five minutes. (Same as Hammersmith to Bank. ) Kew to Bank— Every Hour. " Kew Bridge." Fares, Kew, 9d. ; Hammersmith or Kensington. 6d. ; Charing Cross to Bank, 4d. KiLBURN Gate or Royal Oak— Whitechapel — Every fifteen minutes. Route : — Maida Hill, Edgware Road, Oxford Street, Holborn, Cheapside, LeadenhaU Street. Fares, 4d. and 6d. Same to London Bridge and Blackwall Railway. KiNGSLAND Gate to Bank.— Every five minutes. Route :— Kingsland Road (Dal- ston), Shoreditch, Bishopsgate Street, Bank. Return from end of Threadneedle Street. Fare, all the way, 2d. Marble Arch (Regent's Park) — Farringdon Street. — Every five minutes. Route : — Oxford Street, Holborn. Fare, 2d. Notting Hill and Bayswater to Whitechapel Road. — Every six mrnutes. Route :— Notting Hill, Uxbridge Road, Oxford Street, Holbom, Cheapside, Bank, ComhiU, Leadenhall Street, Aldgate, Whitechapel. OMNIBUSES. 33 NoTTiKG Hill and Bayswater— Mile-Exd Gate— Every six minutes. Route :— Shepherd's Bush, Netting Hill, Bayswater, Uxbridge Road, Hyde Park, Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly, Charing Cross, Strand, Fleet Street, Ludgate Hill, St. Paul's, Cheapside, Bank, Comhill, Leadenhall Street, Aldgate, "White- chapel, Mile End. Fares, 6d., 4d., and 3d. NoTTiNo Hill and Bayswater — London Bridge — Route :— Xotting Hill Gate, St. John's Church, Royal Oak, Regent Circus, Oxford Street, Cheapside, Bank, London Bridge. Fares, 3d. and 4d. ; all the way, 6d. Paddington (Great Western Railway Station), Hungerford Market (Strand) — Every eight minutes. Route : — Edgware Road, Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly, Waterloo Place, Pall Llall, Cockspur Street, Charing Cross. Fares, 3d. and 4d. Plimlico (Grosvenor Road) — Blackwall Railway — "Royal Blue" — Every eight minutes. Route : — Victoria Road, Grosvenor Place, Piccadilly, Charing Cross, Strand, Bank, Comlxill, Leadenhall Street, BlackwaU Railway. Fares, 2d. ; aU the way, 4d. Putney and Brompton — London Bridge — Route : — Putney Bridge, Fulham, Brompton, Knightsbridge, Piccadilly, Waterloo Place, Pall Mali, Charing Cross, Strand, Fleet Street, Ludgate HiU, St. Paul's, Cheapside, Bank, King William Street, London Bridge. Fares, 4d., 3d., 2d. Royal Oak, Bayswateb — Bank, and London Bridge Station— (See Great Western Railway). Richmond, Hampton Court, Kingston, Kew, and Chertset, to Bank — Every half hour. Route :— Chertsey, Sunburj', Hampton Court, Richmond, KLagston, Twickenham, Kew, Turnham Green, Hammersmith, Strand, Bank. Fai-es, Chertsey, 23. 6d. ; Sunbury, 2s. ; Hampton Court, 2s. 6d. ; Richmond, Is. ; in- termediate, 6d. St. John's Wood — Camberwell Gate, and Old Kent Road — Atlas— Every five minutes. Route : — Baker Street, Portman Square, Orchard Street, Oxford Street, Regent Street, Charing Cross, Westminster Bridge, Lambeth, London Road, Newington, Walworth Road. Fares, 3d., 4d., and 6d. St. John's Wood — London Bridge Railway—" City Atlas " — Every seven minutes. Route :— Swiss Cottage, Marlborough Road, Wellington Road, Alpha Road, Baker Street, Portman Square, Orchard Street, Oxford Street (Tottenham Court Road), HolboiTi, Newgate Street, Cheapside, Bank, King William Street, London Bridge. Fares, 6d., 4d., and 3d. Stoke Newington — Bank — Every ten minutes. Route :— West Hackney Church, Kingsland Road, Shoreditch. Fares, 3d. and 4d. ; all the way, 6d. Westminster— Bank— Every six minutes. Route :— Strand, Parliament Street, Westminster, to VauxliaU Bridge. Fare, all the way, 3d. Westminster— Highbury— " Favourite "—Every ten minutes. Route :— Parlia- ment Street, Charing Cross, Strand, cross Holborn, Gray's Inn Lane, St. John Street Road, Angel, High Street, Islington, Highburj-. Fares, 3d., 4d., and 6d. RAILWAYS A^D RAILWAY STATIONS. For fuUer particulars as to the stations on tlie several lines, the times of departure and arrival of trains, and the fares, the reader is referred to the official time-tables or to " Bradshaw," D 34 RAILWAY STATIONS. wliicli latter publication contains a map, shewing the courses of all the railways in the kingdom. Blackwall, FenchuTch Street, City. This line, 3| miles long, is supported for nearly its whole length on brick arches. At the terminus, Brunswick Whari", steamers to convey passengers to the Victoria Docks, to Woolwich, and various places on the river. Eastern Counties, Shoreditch. This line is carried on brick arches through the unsightly districts of Spitalfields and Bethnal Green to a great depot and station at Stratford, where many lines diverge, the two principal of which, the Cambridge line and the Ipswich line, connect London with the eastern parts of the island. EusTON Square, the terminus of the London and North- Western Railway, the most gigantic concern of the kind in the kingdom, which connects London with the northern and north- western parts of England, covers 12 acres of ground, and cost, with the great depot at Camden Town, covering 30 acres, £800,000. At the Euston Square terminus is a huge gateway in Grecian Doric, 72 feet high, the supporting columns being 44 feet in height. The hall, 125^ feet by 61i feet, and 60 feet high, contains a colossal marble statue by Baily, of George Stephenson the engineer, erected by subscription. The bas-reliefs of figures representing the principal cities and towns connected by the line, are by John Thomas. Just outside the station are the Victoria and Euston Hotels, both under the same manage- ment. Great Western Station, Paddington, with a great hotel fronting Praed Street. This line connects London with the west of England. The late Mr. Brunei was the engineer, and he in- sisted on laying down the broad guage, but a narrow guage line is now being made. It has been a very expensive line, and a great number of branches have been made from time to time. The middle roof of the station has a span of 90 feet, and the lateral roofs have spans of 70 feet. There are four platforms 700 feet long, and their total width is 240 feet. King's Cross. — Here is the terminus of the Great Northern Eailway, which communicates with the midland and northern parts of England. It covers 45 acres. The passenger station has platforms 800 feet long. Each roof has a span of 105 feet, and is 71 feet high. The goods shed is 600 feet long by 80 feet PLAN OF LONDON BRIDGE STATION. 35 36 RAILWAY STATIONS. wide. The clock tower, wliich separates the two arches in the street front, is 120 feet high. In conDection with the station is a large and well managed hotel. London Bridge. — On the south side of London Bridge is a cluster of stations, irregularly combined, and without any imity of plan or architectural beauty, forming the terminus of the following railways : — Crystal Palace. — This line is carried by a timnel under Sydenham Hill to join the West-end and Crystal Palace line, which has its terminus at the Victoria Station, Pimlico. Many trains run throughout the day from one terminus to the other. Croydon ; by Forest Hill, Sydenham, and Norwood ; with a branch line through Nutcham to the South- Western Railway ; and another branch through Epsom to Guildford on the London and Portsmouth line. Brighton. — By this line, 55 miles in length, Brighton has been made a suburb of London. It has many branch lines, and from Brighton railways run east and west along the coast. South Eastern ; branches from the Brighton line at the great station of Red Hill near Eeigate, and reaches Dover by a round- about course with a branch from Tunbridge through Tunbridge Wells to Hastings. The metropolitan extension of this line crosses the river by an iron bridge to the Charing Cross Station, built on the site of Hungerford market. Greenwich. This line is upon brick arches throughout, and is the earliest of the London railways. North Kent ; by a tunnel under Blackheath to Woolwich, Gravesend, and Rochester, there branching to Maidstone in one direction, and to Canterbury and Dover in another. Mid-Kent; or the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway. The metropolitan extension of this line passes under the hill on which the Crystal Palace stands, by a tunnel 2000 yards long, cut through London clay. This tunnel is ventilated by seven shafts, penetrating vertically from the hill above. There are also 6200 yards of brick viaducts, including 600 arches, of 30 feet span. It is intended that this line shall cross the river at Blackfriars to a station at Farringdon Street. A temporary station has been built on the south side of the river. Metropolitan Railway. — One of the plans for relieving the streets of London of part of their traffic is the construction of an underground railway, which commences by a junction with the RAILWAY STATIONS. 37 Great Western Railway at Paddington, and passes under Praed Street and tlie New Road to King's Cross, in an archway 28| feet wide, and from 16^ to 18^ feet high. The minimum thickness of the brickwork in the side walls and arches is 2 feet 5 inches. At King's Cross a junction is effected ^\ith the Great Northern Rail- way, and the Metropolitan Railway then proceeds in open cut- ting to Victoria Street, Holborn Bridge, and thence to Smithiield Market, the entire basement of wliich will be filled up as a rail- way depot. There will be six intermediate stations in addition to those at the termini. By means of an extension half a mile in length, it is purposed to continue the line from Smithfield to Finsbury Pavement, within 400 yards of the Bank. The princi- pal stations "will be covered with roofs of glass, extending across the line and platforms, and all the stations -wdll be well lighted. A large sum has been expended upon this novel and difficult undertakiag, which it is hoped will be completed in the course of 1862. The North London Railway is a liae wliich connects the Blackwall Railway with the London and North-Western Railway, passing through the northern suburbs of the metropolis, and hav- ing stations at Stepney (at its east end). Bow, Victoria Park, Hackney, Kingsland, Ne^vington Road, Islington, Caledonian Road, and Camden Toavti. Here the HamiMead and City Junction Rail- way commences, by means of which, and the North and South- western Junctio7i Railway, which passes near Acton, the loop line of the Richmond Railway may be reached at Kew. Victoria Station, Pimlico. — At the end of Victoria Street, Pimlico, a quarter of a mile from Buckingham Palace, a large sta- tion has been erected on what was formerly the basin of the Grosvenor Canal, for the use of the London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway Company, the London, Chatham, and Dover Rail- way Company, the West End and Crystal Palace Railway Com- pany, and the Great Western Railway Company. Ten acres and a quarter of ground have been covered by the station. The line on the north of the river follows the course of the old Grosvenor Canal, and is enclosed by high walls, supporting a roof of iron and glass half a mile long. It is then cai-ried across the Thames by an iron bridge, wliich is in close proximity to the new Batter- sea Park Bridge. South of the river the line joins the West End and Crystal Palace Railway on the one hand, and tlie West Lon- don Extension Railway on the other. The iron bridge is 920 38 GENERAL INFORMATION TELEGRAPH OFFICES. feet long, 32 feet broad, and it is supported by two stone abut- ments at each, end, and by three piers in the river, carrying four arched spans of 175 feet each. A large and very handsome hotel, to be called the Grosvenor Hotel, is now building, contiguous to the station with which, it is connected. It has a frontage of 300 feet, and a depth of 80 feet. It will be nine storeys in height, including the basement, and contain upwards of 500 rooms. Waterloo Station, Waterloo Bridge Eoad. — Here is the ter- minus of the South- Western (Southampton) Railway, and the Richmond, Windsor, and Reading Railway, the latter having a loop line through Kew and Hounslow. The station is spacious, but makes no pretence to architectural effect. The extension of the line from Nine Elms, Vauxhall, to this station, only two miles and fifty yards, cost ^800,000. ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH COMPANIES. The London District Telegraph Company have offices in all parts of London, from which messages can be sent to any other part of London, at the rate of sixpence for fifteen words, and ninepence for twenty words, with free porterage within certain limits ; and to all parts of the United Kingdom and the Continent, by arrangement with other offices. The chief office is at 90 Cannon Street, City, E. C. The Electric and International Telegraph Company. Chief office, Lothbury, near the Bank of England. Branch offices at Charing Cross, Regent's Circus, and other parts of London. Messages at a settled rate of charge according to length, can be sent to any part of the British Islands, or to the Continent. British and Irish IklAGNETic Telegraph Company have their chief office in a new and handsome building in Thread- needle Street, near the Bank of England, erected on the site of the Baltic Coffee-house. The wares of this Company extend throughout the United Kingdom. Messages are received for transmission in a lofty hall forty feet square. The Submarine Telegraph Company have also offices here. The cables of this Company bring London into direct communi- cation with all parts of Europe. The clock in the turret indi- cates true Greenwich time. Messengers. — A charitable society, in order to give employ- PLAN OF WATERLOO STATION. 40 GENERAL INFORMATION COMMISSIONAIRES, ETC. ment to soldiers who Lave been disabled by losing a limb in the service of the country, has undertaken to form a corps of trust-worthy messengers (sometimes styled commissionaires). They are dressed in a dark green uniform, and wear badges ; and are stationed about the principal streets of the east and west ends of the town. The authorized tarijff of charges is — by distance, two-pence for haK a mile or under ; three-pence for a distance from half a mile to a mile. By time, sixpence an hour, or two- pence a quarter of an hour, walking at the rate of S^- miles an hour; half a crown for a day of eight hours. For calling a carriage, a penny. Conveyance of Parcels. — A Company called the London Parcels Delivery Company, with their chief station in Roll's Buildings, Fetter Lane, Fleet Street, undertakes to deliver parcels in all parts of London at a settled rate of charge, accord- ing to weight and distance. There are numerous receiving offices in every part of the town, and at all the railway stations. PATENTS.* The subject of patents is of more than usual importance, at this period when foreign nations are pouring in upon us the results of their invention to compete with the performances of our own inventors. A few words upon this topic may therefore be acceptable. Any person, whether a British subject or a foreigner, may obtain a patent protecting for fourteen years, such inventions as he himself has made, or has derived from foreigners not domiciled in the United Kingdom. K more persons than one have been concerned in an invention, the patent ought to be taken out in their joint names. The inventions for which patents have been granted, may generally be classed under some one of the following heads. 1. Vendible articles, the results of chemical or mechanical processes, such as dyes, vulcanized india-rubber, water-proof cloth, and useful alloys. 2. Machines or improve- ments in machinery. 3. Processes whether requiring or not special machinery to carry them into effect. A patented process is sometimes entirely new, but much more commonly a part only is new. The simple combination of tsvo known things is patent- able, when the result is advantageous; and, indeed, a process * Communicated by Messrs. J. Hemy Johnson, and Co., Patent Agents, 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields. GENERAL INFORMATION FOREIGN MONET. 41 which differed from one previously known in nothing but the omission of a step, has been decided by a court of law to be patentable. The fact that an invention has been patented abroad does not prevent an inventor from obtaining a patent in the United Kingdom, provided that the particulars of the invention have not been made known here. The business relating to patents is conducted at the ofi&ce of the Commissioners of Patents in Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, where there is a col- lection of books connected with all departments of invention, to which the public have free access. Prints of specifications {i.e., descriptions of inventions that have been patented) are sold at the same office at a cheap rate ; as well as some useful abridg- ments of specifications grouped under the different heads of invention. The Commissioners have a museum of models and patented machines at South Kensington, which is free to the public. The number of patents annually granted is about 2000. FOEEIGN MONEY. The followiag table may be of use to strangers from abroad : — America, Uxited States of. Gold. £ s. D. £ s. D. Eagle 10 dollars , from 2 1 to 2 1 3 Half Eagle, 5 ,, . 1 6 to 1 ^ Quarter Eagle, 2\ . 10 3 too 10 H Silver. Dollar 100 cents Austria 4 2 toO 4 3 Gold. Sovereign . . , 13 6 to 13 10 Ducat . , 9 2 to 9 4 SUv&r. Crown 2 florins 3 11 to 4 Florin 60 kreuzers . 1 U to 2 Zwanziger 20 France. 7^ to 8 GoU, Napoleon 20 francs . 15 10 to 16 ISilver. 5 franc piece , 100 sous , 3 11 toO 4 1 franc 20 „ . 9J to 9i 42 FOREIGN MOXEY. German States GoU. £ s. D. £ s. D. Louis d'or 16 2 to 16 4 1 Gulden piece .... 16 7 toO 16 10 Ducat 9 3 too 9 4 Silver. Crown dollar .... 4 4 toO 4 6 Convention dollar 3 11 to 4 Florin 60 kreuzers . 1 7f to 1 8 Portugal. Gold. Moeda, moidore, 4800 reis . ... 1 1 Oi Silver. Milrei or dollar, 1000 reis . ... 4 4i Crusado novo, dollar, 480 reis . ... 2 li Testao, 100 reis .... ... 5i Prussia. Gold. Frederic d'or .... 16 7 to 17 3 Silver. Thaler, 30 silber groschen . 2 11 to 3 1 silber groschen 1 to U EussiA. Gold. Half Imperial .... 16 2 toO 16 3 Ducat ..... 9 2 to 9 3 Silver. Eouble, 1 00 kopecks . 3 to 3 1 Spain. Gold. Doubloon, 1 6 dollars . 3 7 to 3 7 6 Pistole, 4 „ . . 16 6 toO 16 9 Silver. Dollar or piastre, 20 reals . 4 2 to 4 3 Peseta .... .. m. ■^t^- CHAPTER THE THIRD. The International Exhibition Buildings of 1862. The International ExMbition Buildings of 1862 are situate at South Kensington in immediate proximity to the Royal Horticultural Gardens, and at a distance of 4 miles and 50 yards from the General Post Office. The principal front is in Cromwell Road, and here, in the centre of the south side, is the grand entrance. The buildings extend from Exhibition Road on the east to Prince Albert's Road on the west, from each of which there is an entrance. They cover 24 acres of ground, and have been designed not only for the International Exhibition of 1862, but Tvith the view of serving for future exhibitions, if the funds for their purchase should be forthcoming. In the fnst in- stance they will be made simply to serve the main object of utility ; their architectural decoration will be left to the future, as the funds required shall be supplied. It has been calculated that the cubical contents of the entire structure are equal to 73 millions of feet. The arcades of the south front of the build- ing are to be decorated ^vith pictures in mosaic, the tints employed being mainly dull reds, pale buffs, browns, and grays. All the colours will be quiet, avoiding much chromatic display. The figures will be on a large scale, representing the employments of those engaged in commerce, manufactures, trade, and labour. Maclise will exemplify masonry ; Mukeady, the fine arts ; Hook, the labours of fishermen ; lyiillais, navigation ; and so on. The site belongs to the Commissioners for the Exhibition of 1851, who purchased a large piece of ground with the surplus funds of that exhibition. The Commissioners have issued the following regulations as to admission : — 1. The Exhibition will open on Thursday the 1st of May, and will be open daily (Sundays excepted) during such hours as the Commissioners shall, from time to time, appoint. 2. The Royal Horticultural Society ha\ing arranged a new entrance to their gardens from Kensington Road, the Commissioners, have agreed with the council 44 INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION. of the society to establish an entrance to the Exhibition from the gardens, and to issue a joint ticket gi\ang the o>\'ner the privilege of admission both to the gardens and to the Exhibition on aU occasions when they are open to visitors, including the flower shows and fetes held in the gardens, up to the ISth of October 1SC2. 3. There will be four principal entrances for Aisitors :— 1. From the Horticul- tural gardens, for the owners of the joint tickets, feUows of the society, and other visitors to the gardens. — 2. In CromweU Road. — 3. In Prince Albert's Road. — 4. In Exhibition Road. 4. The regulations necessary for preventing obstructions and danger at the several entrances will be issued prior to the opening. 5. Admittance to the Exhibition will be given only to the o^^Tiers of season tickets and to visitors paying at the doors. Seasox Tickets. 6. There wiU be two classes of season tickets. The first, £3, 3s., will entitle the owner to admission to the opening and all other ceremonials, as weU as at all times when the building is open to the public. The second, price £5, 5s. , wUl con- fer the same pri\aleges of admission to the Exhibition, and vnil further entitle the owner to admission to the gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society at South Kensington and Chiswick (including the flower shows and fetes at these gardens) dtuing the continuance of the Exhibition. Prices of ADinssioN. 7. On the 1st of May, on the occasion of the opening ceremonial, the admissions wiU be restricted to the owners of season tickets. 8. On the 2d and 3d of May the price of admission will be £1 for each person ; and the Commissioners reser\^e the power of appointing thiee other days, when the same charge wiU be made. 9. From the 5th to the 17th of May, 5s. 10. From the 19th to the 31st of May, 2s. 6d., except on one day in each week, when the charge will be 5s. 11. After the 31st of May the price of admission on four days in each week wiU be Is. Saxe of Seasox Tickets. 12. Season tickets are now for sale between the hours of 10 and 5 daily, at the offices of her Majesty's Commissioners, 454 West Strand, London, W.C. 13. Applications through the post (stating Christian name and sui-name) must be addressed to the secretaiy, and must be accompanied by post-office orders, payable to Mr J. J. Mayo, at the Post-office, Charing Cross. 14. No checks or country notes will be received. 15. Cases for preserving the season tickets may be obtained at the office for Is. each. F. R. Saitdford, Secretary. THE BUILDINGS. The buildings may be considered^ with reference to the chief objects which have been kept in view in planning them, viz : — I. Galleries for Pictures. II. Courts and Galleries for the exhibition of Works of In- dustry. & ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY'S GARDEN. W2ii'ijtm..yiii- 100 200 3§0 ^O^ SOO 6., inade by Hugh Draper in 1561. He was imprisoned here on the charge of hav- ing practised the art of sorcery to the injury of Sir William St. Lowe and his wife. Visitors are next conducted to The Jewel-House, where the Crown Regalia are kept within a glass case protected by an iron cage. The Tower was first em- ployed as a depository for the crown jewels by Henry III. The place in which they are now kept was built in 1842. The chief object of attraction is Queen Victoria's state crown, which Pi'ofes- sor Teimant has thus described : — " It was made by Messrs. Run- deU and Bridge in. the year 1838, with jewels taken from old crowns and others furnished by the command of her Majesty. It consists of diamonds, pearls, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds, set in silver and gold ; it has a crimson velvet cap, with ermine border, and is lined with white siLk. Its gross weight is 39 oz. 5 pennyweights troy. The lower part of the band, above the ermine border, consists of a row of 129 pearls, and the upper part of the band a row of 112 pearls, between which, in front of the crown, is a large sapphire (partly drilled), purchased for the crown of King George IV. At the back is a sapphire of smaller size, and six other sapphires (three on each side), between which are eight emeralds. Above and below the seven sapphires are fourteen diamonds, and around the eight emeralds 128 diamonds. Between the emeralds and sapphires are sixteen trefoil ornaments, containing 160 diamonds. Above the band are eight sapphires surmounted by eight diamonds, between w^hich are eight festoons, consisting of 248 diamonds. In the front of the crown, and in the centre of a diamond Maltese cross, is the famous ruby said to have been given to Edward Prince of Wales, son of Richard III., called the Black Prince, by Don Pedro, King of Castile, after the battle of Najera, near Vittoria, a.d. 1367. This ruby was worn in the helmet of Henry V. at the battle of Agincourt, A.D. 1415. It is pierced Cjuite through, after the eastern custom, the upper part of the piercing being fiUed up by a small ruby. Around this ruby, to form the cross, are seventy-five brilliant diamonds. Three other Maltese crosses, forming the two sides and back of the crown, have emerald centres, and contain respectively 132, 124, and 130 brilliant diamonds. Between the four Maltese crosses are four ornaments in the form of the French fleur-de-lis, with four rubies in the centres, and surrounded by rose diamonds. THE TOWER. 69 containing respectively 85, 86, 86, and 87 rose diamonds. From the Maltese crosses issue four imperial arches composed of oak leaves and acorns, the leaves containing 728 rose, table, and brilliant diamonds, 32 pearls forming the acorns, set in cups con- taining 54 rose diamonds and one table diamond. The total number of diamonds in the arches and acorns is 108 brilliants, 116 table, and 559 rose diamonds. From the upper part of the arches are suspended four large pendant pear-shaped pearls, with rose diamond caps, containing twelve rose diamonds, and stems containing twenty-four very small rose diamonds. Above the arch stands the mound, containing in the lower hemisphere 304 brilliants, and in the upper 244 brilliants ; the zone and arc being composed of 33 rose diamonds. The cross on the sum m it has a rose-cut sapphire in the centre, surrounded by four large brilliants, and 108 smaller brilliants. Sum mar}" of jewels com- prised in the crown : — 1 large ruby irregularly polished, 1 large broad-spread sapphire, 16 sapphires, 11 emeralds, 4 rubies, 1363 brilliant diamonds, 1273 rose diamonds, 147 table diamonds, 4 drop-shaped pearls, 273 pearls." The other objects to be noticed are — >S'^, Edward's Croicn of gold, embellished mth diamonds and other precious stones, made for the coronation of Charles II., and used at all subsequent coro- nations. It is placed, by the Archbishop of Canterbury, on the sovereign's head at the altar. Blood stole this crown from the Tower in May 1761. The Prince of Wales' Croicn, of pure gold, without jewels. The Queen Consorts Croicn, of gold, set "with diamonds and other jewels. The Queen's Diadem, made for Maria d' Este, queen of James II. ; adorned with diamonds and pearls. St. Edward's Staff, of beaten gold, 4 feet 7 inches long, surmounted by an orb containing, it is said, a part of the true cross. It is carried before the sovereign at a coronation. The Royal Sceptre, or Sceptre with the cross, of gold, 2 feet 9 inches long, the pommel adorned with rubies, emeralds, and diamonds ; the cross with various jewels, and having a large table diamond in the centre. The Archbishop of Canterbury places this sceptre in the sovereign's right hand at a coronation. The Rod of Equiti/, or Sceptre with the Dove, of gold, adorned with diamonds. It is placed in the sovereign's left hand at a coronation. The Queen Consort's Sceptre, gold, adorned \\dth precious stones. The Ivory Sceptre, made for Maria d' Este, queen of James 11., bears a dove of white onyx. A Sceptre, supposed to have been made 70 THE TOWER. for Mary, queen of William. III. It was found behind the wains- cotting of the old Jewel Office. The Curtana, or pointless Sword of Mercy, steel, ornamented mth gold. Two Swords of Justice, temporal and ecclesiastical. They are borne before the Sovereign at a coronation. Armillce, or Bracelets ; Spurs ; the amjmlla or anointing vessel, and spoon for receiving the sacred oil from the ampulla, all used at a coronation. The spoon is thought to be the last relic of the ancient regalia. The Golden Salt Cellar, the model of a castle. The Baptismal Font used at the christening of the royal children, and service of sacramental plate. The Koh-i-noor diamond, taken at Lahore in the Punjaub ; it was formerly the property of Runjeet Singh, and has a long history attached to it ; it is set in a bracelet, of Indian fashion, between two large diamonds. Near the Jewel House stands the ancient Martin or Jewel Tower, where Anne Boleyn was imprisoned, as the inscriptions in it testify. The New Baeracks, on the north side of the Tower, were erected on the site of the Grand Storehouse and Small Armoury, destroyed by fire in 1841, when 150,000 stand of arms were in it. The first stone was laid by the late Duke of Wellington, then constable of the Tower. Behind, that is to the north of these barracks, are two ancient towers, in the eastern of which, the Brick Tower, it is said. Lady Jane Grey was imprisoned ; and in the western one, the Bowj^er Tower, tradition asserts that the Duke of Clarence was murdered. Only the basements of these towers are old. The Tower Chapel, St. Peters ad Vincula, was built in the reign of Edward I. on the site of an older chapel. It consists of a chancel, nave, and north aisle, with a small bell tower ; but little of the original building remains, so many have been the alterations. Here have been interred a great number of distinguished persous who have fallen before the execu- tioner's axe. " There is no sadder spot on earth (said Macaulay) than this little cemetery. Death is there associated with what- ever is darkest in human nature and in human destiny, with the savage triumph of implacable enemies, with the incon- stancy, the ingratitude, and the cowardice of friends, with all the miseries of fallen greatness and of blighted fame." This is the burial-place of Queen Anne Boleyn, Queen Katharine Howard, Sir Thomas More ; Cromwell, Earl of Essex ; Margaret, Countess of Shrewsbury ; Thomas, Lord Seymour ; his brother, THE TOWER. 7l the Protector Somerset ; Dudley, Duke of Nortliumberland ; Lady Jane Grey and her husband ; Devereux, Earl of Essex ; James, Duke of Monmouth ; Lords Kilmarnock, Balmerino, and Lovat, All of these persons were beheaded. Sir Thomas Over- bury, poisoned in the Tower, was also buried here. Notice in the chancel a marble monument to Sir Richard Blount, and his son Sir Michael, lieutenants of the Tower in the sixteenth century; the tomb of Sir Allan Apsley, another lieutenant of the Tower (d. 1630) ; he was Mrs. Lucy Hutchinson's father ; and in the north aisle, the altar tomb of Sir R. Cholmondeley, lieutenant of the Tower in Henry the Eighth's time, and his "wife. The place of execution on Tower Green, in fi'ont of the chapel, is marked by an oval of dark flints. Here perished Anne Boleyn, Katharine Howard, and Lady Jane Grey. The Beauchamp Tower, restored by Mr. Salvia in 1854, stands about the middle of the west side of the fortress. It was erected in the thirteenth century, and derives its name from the circumstance of Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick, having been con- fined in it in 1397. It consists of two storeys, access to which is gained by a winding staircase. The public are admitted only to the lower storey. On the walls are numerous inscrip- tions and devices, said to have been carved by the persons who have been imprisoned. Amongst these carvings, notice a large piece of sculpture by Dudley, Earl of War\\dck, brother of Gmld- ford, Lord Dudley, who married Lady Jane Grey, consisting of a shield, bearing the lion, bear, and ragged staff, the family cognizance, surrounded by a wreath of oak leaves, acorns, and roses, and four imperfect lines, telling us that the de\ice re- ferred to his four brothers, all of whom were imprisoned here in 1553. Near the north-western recess is the word lANE, sup- posed to refer to Lady Jane Grey, and to have been cut by her husband. No other trace of that imfortunate lady has been found in the fortress. In the Bell Tower, which stands in the south-west angle of the inner ward, Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, was confined ; and there is a tradition that the Princess EHzabeth was imprisoned here by her sister Mary. On leaving the inner ward of the fortress by the gate of the Bloody Tower, we pass near the Lieutenant's Lodgings, which are chiefly of timber of Henry the Eighth's time. In what is called the Council Chamber, Guy Fawkes and his accomplices were examined, as is mentioned in an inscription 72 THE TOWER. couched in Hebrew and Latin on a marble monument. An in- scription carved on an old mantelpiece in another part of the building, related to the Countess of Lennox, who had been com- mitted " to this logynge," for the marriage of her son Lord Darnley to Mary Queen of Scots. Here Sir Francis Burdett was confined in 1810, when committed for impugning the right of the House of Commons to imprison a man for commenting on their proceedings ! The government of the Tower is lodged on the Constable, a sinecure ofl&ce with a salary of <£lOOO a-year, now held by Viscount Combermere, who succeeded the Duke of Wellington. Under him are a lieutenant and a deputy-lieutenant, but the duties are performed by the Major. r HOWSES DT TA-JilIAlVi:srfT o HOWSSS '0)if JFARILUAIMHT CHAPTEE THE SIXTH. The Houses of PARLiAiiEXT axd Westminster Hall. The House of Lords may be seen, free, when appeal cases are Leing heard. The sitting terminates at 4 p.m. To obtain ad- mission to the stranger's gallery to hear debates, a peer's order is necessary. To hear debates in the House of Commons, a mem- ber's order must be procured. Ladies are only allowed to enter a gallery above the reporter's gallery, where they obtain an im- perfect view of the House through a grating. The Speaker takes the chair at five o'clock. On Wednesday the House sits at noon and rises at six p.m. The old Houses of Parliament, an unsightly pile of various dates, originally a royal palace, were destroyed by fire on the 16th of October 1834. -As the best means of obtaining an edi- fice worthy of the age and nation, architects were in^-ited to send in designs. From the designs then produced, that of Mr. (after- wards Sir) Chaiies Barry was rmanimously arlmitted to be the 74 HOUSES OF PARLIAilENT. most striking, and it was accordingly selected. The first stone of th.e present magnificent structure was laid on the 27th April 1840, and the builders have been adding stone to stone ever since. Strange and lamentable to say, that although great ex- pense was incurred professedly in ascertaining what was the best stone to employ, the stone actually used is already in a state of decay ; and the authorities have been called on to consider whether some method of arresting the decay cannot be adopted, hitherto we believe without success. The present Houses of Parliament cover nearly 8 acres of ground, an area twice as great as that occupied by the old buildings. They include 11 courts, 100 stair-cases, and 1100 rooms, connected by 2 miles of lobby. Their cost, up to the 31st of December 1859, had been .£2,198,099, a sum which did not include the fresco paintings and statuary, nor the cost of maintaining and repairing the buildings and furniture. These items, up to the last day of March 1860, amounted to .£107,000. The style adopted is that of Henry the Eighth's time'; and all must admit that a very noble, if a very costly, Tudor palace now graces our metropolis, which we may point out to foreigners with satis- faction and pride. The finest fa9ade is the river front, which rises from a simple terrace 940 feet in length, and 33 feet wide. It is richly decorated with statues of kings and queens and panelled sculpture, representing coats of arms and royal devices, with shafted windows, with two pinnacled towers at each end, and two in the centre. At the end next Westminster Bridge rises the tall Clock Tower, 40 feet square and 320 feet high, which carries an eight-day clock made under the direction of the Astronomer Eoyal. Each dial is about 30 feet in diameter. The hour is struck on a bell weighing upwards of 8 tons, and the quarters are chimed upon eight small bells. This tower has been in a great measure copied from the celebrated clock tower at Bruges. From the middle of the palace a spire, crowning an open stone lantern which surmounts the dome over the central hall, reaches the height of 300 feet. The grandest feature of all is the Victoria Tower at the south-west angle, 80 feet square and 340 feet high. The Sovereign's entrance is here, with a grand and richly-decorated archway 65 feet high. Inside the porch, in niches, are statues of St. George, St. Andrew, and St. Patrick, the patron saiuts of the three kingdoms ; as well as a statue of Queen Victoria, between figures representing Justice and Mercy. HOUSES OF PARLIxiilENT HOUSE OF PEERS. 75 A bed of concrete twelve feet tMck underlies tlie whole foun- dation. The stone of the river terrace is Aberdeen granite ; that of the exterior of the palace is magnesian limestone from Anston, Yorkshire ; that of the interior, Caen stone. The internal walls are of brick ; the bearers of the floors cast-iron. All the roofs are of wrought iron covered with zinced cast-iron plates. As little wood as possible has been employed, with a view to lessen the chance of destruction by fire. It was part of the plan that Westminster Hall should be retained, and it has accordingly been incorporated with the new palace, to which it forms a grand en- trance for the public. The courts of law, which now stand on its west side facing St. Margaret's Church, -^^ill doubtless be re- moved, as their style of architecture is entirely different from the adjacent buildings, not to say anything of other reasons. Whether we enter the palace by way of Westminster Hall, or by the Old Palace Yard entrance, we pass through St. Stephen's Porch, — a square-vaulted vestibule, containing the great south window removed from the south end of the old hall, — into St. Stephen's Hall, 95 feet by 30 wide, and 56 feet high, where statues of Hampden, Falkland, Clarendon, Selden, Sir Eobert Walpole, Lord Somers, Lord Mansfield, Lord Chatham, Fox, Pitt, Burke, and Grattan have been placed. This hall is over the ancient crypt, to be mentioned presently. Thence we proceed into the Grand Central Hall, an octagon 70 feet across, and 75 feet high. In the sides, doorways and corridors alternate, the latter being filled with stained glass. The stone roof is groined, and contains more than 250 carved bosses, each four feet across, overhanging the encaustic-tile pavement. North and south from this hall corridors, adorned with fresco paintings, lead to the House of Peers and the House of Commons. House op Peers. Turning south we cross a vestibule styled the Peers' Lobby, pass between its gates of massive brass, of rich floriated design, and then reach that gorgeous room where the Peers of England meet to deli- berate. It is a double cube 91 feet long by 45 feet ^\'ide, with a height of 45 feet. At each side are six lofty windows containing stained glass, with portraitures of sovereigns. At night these windows are lighted from the outside. At each end are three archways with frescoes by difterent artists, viz., behind the throne, Edward III. conferring the order of the garter on the Black Prince, 76 HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT HOUSE OF COSDIONS. by C. W. Cope ; tlie Baptism of St. Etlielbert, the founder of St. Paul's Cathedral, by "W. Dyce ; and Prince Henry, afterwards Henry YI., submitting to the authority of Judge Gascoigne, by C. W. Cope. At the opposite end, over the Strangers' Gallery, — The Spirit of Justice, by D. Maclise ; The Spirit of Religion, by J. C. Horsley ; and the Spirit of Chivalry, by D. Maclise. The niches in the walls hold statues of the barons who compelled John to sign Magna Charta. Under the windows is a light gallery of brass, and the cornice beneath carries arms of sovereigns, lords chancellor, and bishops. The ceiling is divided into compart- ments containing symbols, devices, and monograms, amongst which, as historically interestiag, may be noticed the white hart of Eichard II., the sun of the house of York, the cro^Ti on a bush of Henry YIL, the pomegranate of Castille, the portcullis of Beaufort, the lily of France, the lions of England and Scotland. The throne stands at the middle of the southern end of the room, with a door at each side leading into the Prince's chamber. At the right hand is a state chair for the Prince of Wales. The woolsack, where the Lord Chancellor sits, is a seat covered with crimson cloth placed about the middle of the room. The re- porters have been provided with a gallery at the north end, and behind it is the strangers' gallery. Underneath, on the floor of the house, is the bar at which counsel in law apj)eal cases plead, and where deputations from the Commons make their appearance. . Beyond this bar strangers cannot pass. House of Commons. Making our way back to the central hall, the corridor at tbe opposite side, and in a Hne with the one we have just traversed, leads to the House of Commons, a room 62 feet long, 45 feet wide, and 41 feet high, lighted by six windows at each side filled with stained glass, iu which the arms of boroughs are re- presented. The walls are panelled with carved oak. At the north end is the Speaker's chair, over which is the reporters' gallery. Above the latter is a gallery for ladies, but the brass screen prevents their being seen from the house. Seats in the area, and in the side galleries, over the bar, are for the accom- modation of 476 members out of the 656 composing the lower house of legislature ; the rest must manage as they can. The gallery to which strangers are admitted is at the south end of HOUSES OF PARLIAilEXT VICTORIA TO^ER, ETC. 77 the hall, immediately opposite tliat for the reporters, and imme- diately below it are the seats reserved for the Peers who choose to visit the house, and for the sons of members attending schools. The ceiling is rich, but the other parts of the house are comparatively plain, as befits a place of business. The Minis- terial side of the house is that on the Speaker's right, Ministers occupying the front bench, facing the leaders of the opposition, seated in the front bench on the other side. Outside the house are the lobbies into which members go on a division. In front of the Speaker's chair is the table where the clerks sit, and upon which is the Speaker's mace, which does not date earlier than the Eestoration. The Serjeant-at-Arms, whose duty it is to take unruly members into custody, sits near the bar at the northern end. The floor is of cast-iron, perforated for the admission of fresh and warm air. The entrance iato the house for members is by a doorway on the east side of Westminster Hall, and through the cloisters. The entrance for the sovereign, who only attends the palace on state occasions, is at the Victoria Tower. In the Norman Porch, to which a flight of steps ascends, are statues of sove- reigns of the Norman line, and frescoes commemorating events of their time. On the right hand of this porch are doorways into the Guard Chamber and into the Queen's Kobing Eoom, which is adorned with frescoes by Dyce, representing the legends of King Arthur, and is otherwise splendidly decorated. When the ceremony of robing has been gone through, the Queen pro- ceeds to the House of Peers through the longest room in the building, the Victoria Gallery, which has a length of 110 feet, with a width and height of 45 feet. Frescoes, the subjects taken from English history, adorn the waUs ; and the ceiling is panelled and richly gUded. To this gallery the public are admitted, by means of tickets issued at the Lord Chamberlain's ofi&ce, to see the Queen pass on state occasions, such as the opening and pro- rogation of Parliament. Ladies are provided ^vith seats, as far as practicable, in a gallery in the House, but as this is usually filled with peeresses or their kin, strangers must be content with a place in the grand gallery, where gentlemen are seated apart from the ladies. The room beyond is the Prince's Chamber, also splendidly fitted up ; and containing a marble group by Gibson, representing the Queen between Justice and Mercy, bas-reliefs in oak of events connected with Tudor history, and a series of por- 78 •WESTMINSTER HALL. traits of the same period. Two doorways lead from this room into the House of Peers. The principal storey of the river front is occupied by the libraries of the Lords and Commons, their committee-rooms, and by a conference-room, where, in case of a difference between the two houses, deputations from each meet to discuss the mattejr. The Speaker's residence is at the clock-tower end of the palace ; the Usher of the Black Rod and the Lords' Librarian have re- sidences at the other end. To each chamber is attached a re- freshment-room. The number of statues in and about the building is between 400 and 500 ; those which are part of the architectural design have been executed by Mr. Thomas. St. Stejjhen's Cloisters, built by Henry YIII., adjoin the east side of Westminster Hall, from which there is a door leading to them, but its use is limited to members of the House of Com- mons. They are only on a small scale, 63 feet by 49^, but are beautifully ornamented with groining and tracery. They were restored by Sir C. Barry, and an upper storey added, to replace one that had been destroyed. A small chapel or oratory projects from the middle of the western arcade, between two of the but- tresses of the hall, and terminates in an apsis. Although these cloisters are not symmetrical with the modern buildings, as will be perceived from the plan, their destruction could not be thought of for a moment, and the architect received instructions to incorporate them as best he could with the new structure. Another interesting relic which escaped the fire is St. St€_phen^s Cryi:)t, under the modern St. Stephen's Hall. It was called St. Mary-in-the Vaults, or St. Mary-undercroft. The exact date of its erection does not seem to be known, but it appears that Henry HI. here married his sister, Eleanor, to Simon de Mont- fort, his favourite. An old picture represents Caxton presenting his first printed book to Edward lY. in this place. The Com- monwealth soldiers grossly ill-treated what had always been used up to that time as a chapel, destroying the altars and mutilating the crosses. It has lately undergone a complete restoration. Polished columns of Purbeck marble have replaced those which had been defaced, and the edifice is now used as a place of wor- ship by the residents of the palace. Westminster Hall was a part of the ancient royal palace of Westminster, and was originally built by William Rufus. It WESTMINSTER HxVLL. 79 was rebuilt, some say only repaired, but raised two feet, by Kicbard II. between 1395 and 1399 ; but all the exterior as we now see it, saving the north porch and window, is modem work. The interior, or the greater part of it, is ancient. Little of the exterior can be seen, for one side is concealed by the modern courts of law ; the other, the south end, by Barry's new Houses of Parliament. It is in the perpendicular style, and is striking for its size and its rich roof of oak (not of chestnut as usually stated). It is the largest room in Europe without pillars, with one exception, the great hall at Padua. The English hall measures internally 239 feet by 68 feet, the Italian hall 240 feet by 80. It is to be noticed that the upper haK consists of timber, the walls being only about 21 feet high. Observe on the string course which passes round the hall below the windows, Richard the Second's device of the couchant hart, and the hammer beams of the roof carved with angels bearing shields. The dormer windows were added in 1820, previous to the coronation of George IV., at wliich time the roof was thoroughly repaired, and forty loads of oak from old ships were consumed on renewing parts that had Jecayed, and furnishing a portion of the north end, which had been left incomplete. The lead had been stripped from the roof in order to lighten the pressure, and slates substituted. The hall forms a grand entrance to the Houses of Parliament and the courts of law. The great south window was removed by Barry, and placed in an enlarged form in St. Stephen's porch, facing the steps at the south end of the hall. This noble edifice has been the scene of many royal banquets and ceremonies. Richard II. gave a great feast on its completion, and not long afterwards he was here formally deposed, and sentenced to perpetual banishment. Cromwell, seated on the ancient coronation chair, " under a prince-like canopy of state,' was here inaugurated Lord Protector ; a few years passed and then his head, along with those of Ireton and Bradshaw, was placed upon the south gable, and there Cromwell's remained twenty years. In the roof were hung banners and ensigns taken on the fields of Naseby, "Worcester, Preston, Dunbar, and Blen- heim. In the hall great trials have taken place. Wallace was tried in the old haU. In this Sir Thomas More, the Protector Somerset, Devereux, Earl of Essex, Guy Fawkes and his fellow- conspirators, the infamous Earl and Countess of Somerset, and the Earl of Stafford, were tried and condemned. A grander 80 VrESTillNSTER HALL. occasion was that wten Charles I. faced Hs judges. At a later period, the seven bishops, Dr. Sacheverel, the Earl of Derwent- water, and the rebel lords of Scotland, Kilmarnock, Balmerino, and Lovat, were tried here. The rafters have rung with the wonderful eloquence of Burke, Fox, and Sheridan, before a crowd of noble and beautiful auditors, when the deeds of Warren Hastings in India were laid before the world. The last trial that took place was Lord Melville's, when he was impeached by the Commons in 1806. George IV. gave his coronation banquet here to 334 guests, when Dymock, the King's champion, clad in armour, rode into the haU, and throwing down his gauntlet, chal- lenged the world to gainsay the King's title, a ceremony which a Dymock had gone through at the coronation of Richard II., claiming the privilege as successor of the Marmions in the owner- ship of the manor of Scrivelsby in Lincolnshire. ^i?^: CHAPTER THE SEVENTH. St. Paul's Cathedral. Westminster Abbey. Churches AND Chapels. The cathedral cliiircli of the Bishops of London is not only by far the finest building in the Italian style in London, bnt the finest in Britain. The public are admitted free by the north door from eleven to three daily, and during summer from the conclusion of afternoon service until dusk. No person is allowed to remain in the nave after service has commenced. Diii^ne ser- -vice is celebrated daily at eight a.m. in the morning chapel ; at a c^uarter before ten a.m., and at a quarter before three p.m., in the choir. On Sundays, during the winter half year, there is an evening service at seven, under the dome, where 3000 persons can be accommodated. To see certain parts of the building, the following charges are made : — To the Whispering, Stone, and Golden Galleries, 6d. ; to the Library, Great Bell, Geometrical Staircase, and Model Room, 6d. ; to the Crypt, where are the tombs of Nelson and Welling- ton, 6d. ; to the Clock, 2d. ; and to the Ball, Is. 6d. It is much to be regretted that no complete general yievr of St. Paul's is obtainable, in consequence of the nearness of the surrounding houses ; but no view is more striking than that from Blackfriars' Bridge, although the whole of the lower part of the cathedral is concealed. History op the Site. — Ethelbert, King of Kent, built the first church at this place in 610. This was destroyed by fire in 1087, but another edifice, " Old St. Paul's," was shortly after- wards commenced. This was much damaged by a fire in 1 137 ; it was greatly injured by lightning in 1444; in 1561 it was again damaged by fire ; it became much dilapidated, and a con- siderable sum had been expended in repairing it, when the great O GROUND PLAN OF ST. PAUL S CATHEDRAL. CHEAPSIDE \ 1^ ST. PAULS CATHEDRAL, 83 fire of 1666 utterly destroyed it. The structure was in the Gothic style, and its plan was a Latin cross. It was 690 feet long, 130 feet broad, and the spire, springing from a tower, rose to the height of 520 feet. Near the north-east end stood Powles' Cross, so often referred to in our early literature, and a pulpit where sermons were preached, and the pope's mandates — whether blessing or cursing — read aloud to the people. The middle aisle was termed Paul's Walk, from its being much frequented by idlers as well as by money-lenders and dealers in commodi- ties. A scene in one of Ben Jonson's plays is laid " in the middle aisle of Paul's." One old writer compared the noise made by talkers and the walkers to " a kind of still roar or loud whisper." Desecrated within, it was no better treated without. A carpenter and a wine-dealer took possession of part of the vaults, trunkmakers of the cloisters ; buildings were planted against the outer walls, one being used as a play-house, and in another the owner made a hole in a buttress and baked his bread therein. The Present Cathedral. — The great fire of 1666, which has been referred to many times in this volume, destroyed 13,000 houses and 87 parish churches, reducing St. Paul's to a heap of ruins. These ruins remained pretty much as they had been left by the fire for nearly eight years. Charles IT.'s Government having taken the matter in hand, intrusted the work of rebuilding to Sir Christopher Wren, whose first design was rejected. The second was approved of, and the first stone was laid on the 21st June 1675 by the architect, assisted by the freemasons of his lodge, which lodge still preserves the trowel and mallet used on the occasion. In 1697 the choir was opened, and in 1710 the architect's son placed the last stone on the top of the lantern, so that the building occupied 35 years. What rarely happens, in the case of a large edifice like this, it was completed in the architect's life- time ; and, what is still more singular, the same persons held the offices of Bishop and Master Mason at the commencement and at the completion of the edifice. During the progress of the works, Wren received .£200 a year, and for this (said the Duchess of Marlborough) he was content to be dragged up in a basket three or four times a week. The sum expended, £747,954, was made up by a grant of <£ 10,000 by the croMTi, .£5000 a year raised by a duty on coals, and by subscriptions. The stone was brought from the Portland quarries. 84 ST. PAUL S CATHEDRAL. Exterior. — Commonly classed, says a critic, as the second of Cliristian temples, this cathedral is really the first in completeness, imity of design, and solidity of construction ; only the fifth in extent or capacity (being excelled by St. Peter's, Florence, Milan, and Amiens) ; and about the last in richness and variety of ornaments. The ground-plan shews that the general form is that of a Latin cross. Its length is 500 feet, the mdth of the nave and chou' 125 feet, the length of the transept 250 feet, the height of the north and south sides 100 feet. From the intersection of the transept with the main building springs a majestic dome, the glory of the edifice, upon which is a lantern carrying a gilt copper ball and cross, the top of which is 356 feet above the floor of the church, or 365 feet above the groimd. The grand front is on the west, facing Ludgate Hill. It is approached by a double flight of steps from an area enclosed by iron palisading, within which is a statue of Queen Anne, erected in 1712. The portico is in two divisions ; the lower one consists of twelve Corinthian columns, coupled ; the upper one of eight. On the pediment is a basso-relievo of the Conversion of St. Paul. At the apex of the pediment is placed a statue of St Paul, and at the sides statues of St. P^ter, each fifteen feet high. At each side of the portico is a bell tower, with a pyramidal summit, and these, Tvdth their open lanterns covered by domes, rise to the height of 220 feet. At the angles are statues of the Evangelists. The south tower contains the clock and the great bell, ten feet in diameter, which is only tolled at the death of one of the royal family, or of the Bishop, Dean, or a Lord Mayor, dying during his year of office. Its weight is about 12,000 lbs.; its clapper weighs 180 lbs. The west front, including the towers, is 180 feet wide. Above the doors is a marble group of Paul preaching to the Bereans. The " elevation" is composed of two orders ; the lower, Co- rinthian, has windows with semicircular headings ; the upper, Composite, has niches corresponding to the ^^indows below. In each storey the entablature is supported by coupled pilasters. The balustrade, nine feet high, on the top of the north and south walls, was not designed by Wren, and was strongly objected to by him. Each arm of the transept is entered by an external semicircular Corinthian portico, reached by a lofty flight of steps. At the east end of the choir there is a circular projec- tion or apse. The cypher W. and M., between palm branches. ST. PAUL S CATHEDRAL. 85 and surmoimtecl by ca cro^^m, indicates that this part \\'as com- pleted in the reign of William and Mary. The heavy iron railing which encloses a plot of 2 acres and 1 6 perches, weighs upwards of 200 tons. It was made at Lamberhurst in .Kent, and cost £11,200. Interior. — Entering the north arm of the transept we may make our way at once to the space under the cupola, whence the four unequal arms of the Latin cross radiate. The keystones of the arches were carved by Gibber. It will be noticed that the usual four piers at the crossing have been omitted, and that the weight of the dome is supported by eight surroimding piers, ex- actly as in Ely Cathedral. The cupola has an internal diameter of 108 feet. Tlie cornice above the arches, and the rails of the Whispering Gallery, have been gilded. Above are seen Thorn- hill's paintings. Its height may perhaps disappoint the visitor, but he wiU. be surprised to learn that it is the innermost of three shells. Like the outermost, it is merely ornamental, the weight of the lantern, ball, and cross, being borne by the intermediate conical shell. It rises to the height of 228 feet above the pave- ment, which is composed of pieces of light and dark marbles, radiating somewhat like a mariner's compass. In the middle a brass plate shews where Nelson's remains lie in the cry-pt beneath. In three of the angles are vestries, used by the Deans, the Ganons, and the Lord Mayor ; and in the fourth is a circular staircase, which leads up to the "V^^lispering Gallery. In the south arm of the transept w411 be seen an organ which Avas built by Mr. Hill for the Panopticon or Alhambra Palace in Leicester Square, and hav- ing been purchased for St. Paul's, has been lately placed here. The choir has three arches on each side, with a clerestory above. The old organ in the case, designed by Sir Christopher Wren, has been placed under the middle arch on the north side. Tlie arch next the apse on each side has been left open to the aisle behind ; the other two have the stalls before them. Here is much of Grinling Gibbons' fine carving in wood ; the Archbishop's throne on the south side, near the altar, marked by the figures of a mitre and pelican ; the Bishop of London's throne ; the Lord Mayor's seat on the north, distinguished by the city arms ; the Dean's stall, indicated by an open Bible ; the stalls of the four canons and prebendaries. The seats in front of the stalls are for the twelve minor canons, the six vicars choral, and the choristers. The communion table is in the apsidal chancel. Wren's design for the decoration of this part cf 86 ST. Paul's cathedral. the building was never carried out. The nave has likewise three arches on each side which rest on piers that form aisles, and above is a clerestory. In the north-west angle, separated from the nave by a carved screen of wood, is the Morning Chapel ; and over against it is the Consistory Court. In the south aisle is the marble Font. Ascending the staircase already mentioned, we reach the }VhiS2)erinff Gallery/, which passes round the inside of the dome upon the cornice over the arches. The circular sides of the dome convey faint sounds very distinctly from one point in the gallery to the opposite point, so that a whisper, which in the open air would be inaudible at the distance of a few feet, is brought distinctly to the ear at the distance of 100 feet. By the same staircase we gain access to the Library/ by passing along the gallery over the south aisle of the nave. Here the books number about 7000. Notice the portrait of Bishop Compton, the donor of many books ; the specimens of wood carving by G. Gibbons ; and the floor inlaid with small pieces of oak. In the Model Boom over the northern aisle is preserved a model of Wren's original design for the cathedral, which is with- out aisles, but these appendages, to his great sorrow, he was obliged to add by the heir presumptive to the throne, afterwards James II. This was wdth a view to the introduction of the Roman Catholic ceremonials. A staircase leads from the south gallery to the Clock Room, in the south-west tower. The clock was made in 1708 ; it has two dial plates facing west and south, each is nearly 19 feet in diameter. The minute hand is 9f feet long ; the pendulum 16 feet long, and the weights would balance 180 lbs. It has a beat of two seconds. This is an eight days' clock, and the hour is struck on the Great Bell, 10 feet in diameter, by a hammer weighing 145 lbs. placed outside the bell. The quarters are struck on two smaller bells. The bell toUed for prayers is in the northern tower. A curious geometrical stone staircase of 112 steps in the south-west tower affords another mode of reaching the library from the floor of the cathedral. Returning to the dome, a series, or, as architects term it, a peri- style, of 32 pilasters will be seen above the '\'\Tiispering Gallery, and above them on the carved surface which Wren had intended to cover with mosaics, are some paintings on scriptural themes by Sir James Thornhill, who was paid at the rate of 40s. per 8T. Paul's cathedral. 87 square yard. These pictures, having been mucli injured by- damp, were lately restored by Mr. Parris. They represent the principal events in St. Paul's life, viz. — 1, His Conversion ; 2, The Punishment of Elymas the Sorcerer ; 3, Cure of the Cripple at Lystra ; 4, Conversion of the Gaoler ; 5, Paul Preaching at Athens ; 6, Burning of the Magical Books at Ephesus ; 7, Paul before Agrippa ; 8, Shipwreck at MeHta. This inner painted dome is of brickwork, two bricks thick ; and there is a circular opening at its apex. Ascending from the Whispering Gallery, we next reach the Stone Gallery, above the colonnade at the eternal base of the dome, whence there is an extensive view over London, highly interesting if the atmosphere be clear, which, however, it very seldom is. From this gallery we ascend by a steep, narrow, and obscure staircase, to the Golden Gal- leries. The inner Golden Gallery is at the base of the Lantern, the outer one at the summit of the dome, whence the country around London is seen stretching into the distance on all sides, the buildings of London being singularly dwarfed by the height at which we stand above them. An artist, a Mr. Homor, once lived up here for several weeks for the purpose of sketching the panoramic prospect, and he saw the surrounding scene under all circumstances of light and shade, of quietness and bustle. The dome is of timber covered with lead, and during high winds the wood work creaks like a vessel in a storm at sea. The Zcnitern at the top of the dome is supported by the brick cone which is placed between the inner cupola and the outer dome. Above the Lantern is a globe 6 feet 2 inches in diameter, weighing 5600 lbs., and this is surmounted by a cross weighing 3360 lbs. The present globe and cross were substituted in 1826 for those originally erected, of which they are exact copies as regards shape and size. Eight persons may creep into the globe. There are 616 steps between the floor of the cathedral and this spot, which the great majority of visitors to the building will think too many for any advantage to be gained by the ascent We will now proceed to examine The Monuments in St. Paul's. Westminster Abbey has been made the mausoleum chiefly of those who have gained renown in the civil walks of life ; here the monuments for the most part relate to those who have done the state service in arms on land or sea. It is much to be 88 ST. Paul's cathedral. lamented tliat so many of the monuments display a taste that is anything but agreeable to cultivated minds. Allegorical groups, and figures either naked or clothed in an attire like nothing the originals ever wore in life, disturb the thoughts by theii- artificial appearance. However, we must take things as we find them, and, with the intention of pointing out those best worth looking at, we will commence at the north entrance, and first notice, left of the door. Sir Charles Napier's monument, lately erected by public subscription. The General is represented in a standing position, supported by a burst cannon. He is in the ordinary undress costume of an officer, -with a military cloak falling from the shoulders. The right hand rests on the hilt of a sword, the left, holding a scroll of paper, rests on the haunch. The figure is in Carrara marble, 8 feet 6 inches high, and was the work of G. C. Adams. The pedestal is inscribed, " Charles James Kapier, a prescient General ; a beneficent Governor ; a just Man." — General Sir William Ponsonby, who fell at "Waterloo : Fame crowning an almost naked figure near a fallen charger. — Captains Mosse and Riou (Campbell's " gallant good Riou ;" a sarcophagus with winged figures holding medallion portraits ; erected by the nation at the cost of .£4200. — Admiral Lord Duncan, a standing figure holding a sword — R. "Westmacott, sculptor — cost <£2100. In the Xorth-East Ambulatory is a tabular monument to IMajor- General Bowes, who is represented as falling mortally wounded at the storming of Salamanca — Chantrey, sculptor. In the North Aisle is Dr. Johnson's monument, by John Bacon ; cost 1100 guineas. In the Nave, the monument of the Marquis Comwallis, Gover- nor-General of Bengal ; the Marquis on a pedestal, at the base of which are three figures — Rossi, sculptor — cost £6300. — Admiral Lord Nelson, by Flaxman, cost £6300. Nelson, in naval dress, stands on a pedestal, at the foot of which are Britannia and other figures, with a lion. — Sir Christopher Wren ; a marble slab with the inscription " Reader, do you ask his monument ? Look around." In the South Aisle : John Howard the philanthropist, in Roman costume, by John Bacon ; cost £1365 ; the first monument erected in St. Paul's. — Bishop Heber, by Chantrey ; one of the best as a work of art in the Cathedral. ST. Paul's cathedral. 89 On the soutli-east side of the space under the Dome, a handsome marble pulpit has been lately erected " In memory of Captain Robert Fitzgerald, 12th Regiment Bombay Native Infantry," by his friends. The pulpit is 10 feet 3 inches high, and many kinds of marble have been employed in its construction, from Rome, the Grecian archipelago, Ireland, etc. In the South Transept : Admiral Earl Howe ; another of Flax- man's groups, with Britannia, Victory, History, and a Lion ; cost £6300. — Admiral Collingwood ; his body represented as Ij-ing on the deck of a man-of-war with the allegorical figures — Sir. R. Westmacott — cost £4200. — General Lord Heathfield in full uni- form, by C. Rossi ; cost £2100. — Generals Pakenham and Gibbs, who fell at ISTew Orleans in 1815 — Sir R. Westmacott — cost £2100.— General Gillespie, by Sir F. Chantrey ; cost £l575. Sir Astley Cooper, the eminent surgeon, by E. H. Baily, erected by his friends. — Sir John Moore, the dying General, and alle- gorical figures, by John Bacon, jun. ; cost £4200. — Wolfe's ode is a far better monument than this. — General Abercrombie, by Sir R. Westmacott. The General is represented as falling woimded from his horse. — The Egyptian sphynxes indicate the country where he received his death wound. — Sir "William Hoste, in naval uniform, by Campbell. Li the South-West Ambulatory : Dr. William Babington, by W. Behnes. — Sir WiUiam Jones, the scholar and Indian judge, by John Bacon, jun. In the South-West Aisle : Bishop IVliddleton in the act of con- firming two Hindoos, by Lough. — Monument to the officers of the Coldstream Guards who fell at Inkermann. Eight names are inscribed on the tablet, over which are two guardsmen in mourn- ing attitude ; by Baron Marochetti. In the Nave : Sir Joshua Reynolds, in the gown of a doctor of Laws, by Flaxman. In the North-West Ambulatory : Sir Pulteney Malcolm, a statue, by E. H. Baily. In the North Transept : Lord Rodney, by Rossi ; cost £6300. —General Picton, who fell at Waterloo — a bust with a group of allegorical figures ; cost £3150. — Earl St. Vincent — a statue, by E.H. Baily, cost £2100. In the Cri/pt below the church, the entrance is by a door near Howard's monument, are the remains of various distinguished 90 WESTMINSTER ABBEY. persons. These vaults, dimly lighted by grated windows, are divided into three avenues by pillars of great strength. In the South Aisle have been interred Sir Christopher "Wren ; John Rennie, the engineer ; Sir Joshua Reynolds, and his brother artists, Opie, Barry, West, Fuseli, Dawe, Lawrence, and Turner. Here are preserved some monuments which were in old St. Paul's — the effigies of Dr. Donne, Sir Nicholas Bacon (Lord Bacon's father), and Lord Chancellor Hatton, and the mutilated bust of Dr. Colet founder of St. Paul's schooL In the Middle Aisle lie Lord Chancellor Wedderbum, Dr. Boyce, the musical composer, with others. A large porphyry sar- cophagus contains the body of the Duke of "Wellington, and close by is an altar tomb holding the remains of Sir Thomas Picton. The Wellington Chapel is lighted by gas issuing from granite candelabra. The state funeral when the great Duke was brought to rest in the vaults of St. Paul's will be well remembered. Under the Dome is a sarcophagus of black marble, in which are laid the remains of our naval hero Nelson. His coffin was made out of the mainmast of the L^ Orient, and was given to him by one of his captains, that he might be buried in one of his owti trophies. Close by, lie Nelson's brother ; " that gallant fellow CoUingwood ;" and Admiral the Earl of Northesk. The cathedral establishment consists of a dean, a precentor, and sub-precentor, chancellor, treasurer, several prebends, and minor canons, six vicars choral, and several choristers. Dr. Milman, well-known for his historical works, is the present dean. Sydney Smith and Mr. R. H. Barham, the author of the " Ingoldsby Legends," were prebends at the same time. In May, the anniversary festival of the sons of the clergy takes place in the cathedral, when there is a grand performance of sacred music. The anniversary of the charity schools is usually held in June, when the singing of many thousand children under the cupola produces a very impressive effect. WEST]\nNSTER ABBEY.— The nave and transept are open free to the public between nine and three daily ; and also in summer from four to six p.m. To see the rest of the abbey a fee of sixpence is paid, and parties are accompanied by a guide. Enter at " Poet's Corner," in the south transept. On Sundays there is choral service in the choir at ten a.m. and three p.m.. 'I I wrESTMINSTER ABBEY. 91 and in tlie nave at seven p.m. ; and on week days service is performed at 7.45 A.M., ten a.m., and three p.m. During the time of service persons are not allowed to inspect the monu- ments. This noble building, one of the few architectural boasts of London, stands on the site of a church commenced by Sebert, King of Essex, about the year 610, on what was then an island in the Thames, called Thorney Island. When King Edgar, 360 years afterwards, completed it, it was named from being the minster west of St. Paul's. That structure was laid waste by the Danes. Edward the Confessor (1050) erected another edifice, which was probably nearly as large as the present one. This has been thought the earliest church in what is called the Nor- man style erected in Britain. Portions of that building still exist in the " Dark cloister," the sub-structure or undercroft of the dormitory (the present Westminster school-room), the lower storey of the refectory which forms the south side of the cloister, and two massive piers in the chapel of the Pyx. Edward was buried here, and his successors did much in the next century and a half towards adorning and enriching the building. Trifling remains of late Norman are found in the fragment of a chapel seen to the east of the Little Cloister. Henry IIL began in 1220 to rebuild the church, which was soon afterwards greatly damaged by fire. The choir chevets and transept of the church, and the chapter-house, belong to that period when the style in vogue was what we call pointed. Edward I. repaired the damage, and added the eastern half of the nave and the adjoin- ing part of the cloisters. The west end of the nave, the remain- ing part of the cloisters, the abbof s house (the present deanery), and the Jerusalem chamber, were added in the reigns of Edward IL and Edward III. Henry VII. removed the Lady Chapel, and built the rich edifice at the east end, which is called after him. At the Dissolution, the government of the establishment was com- mitted to a dean and prebendaries. Mary gave it to an abbot and monks ; but Elizabeth abolished their rule, and appointed a dean with twelve canons. The completion of the church went on slowly, and in the meantime the stone of the exterior had be- come so much decayed, that Sir Christopher Wren was called upon to replace it. This he did, but having no liking for " carving full of fret and lamentable imagery," as John Evelyn 92 GROUND-PLAN OF WESTMINSTER ABBEY. WESTMINSTER ABBEY. 93 expressed it, he rutUessly altered the details, and his successors were just as merciless. It is asserted that scarcely a trace of any original detail of the eastern portion of the exterior is left. In 1714 Wren removed the imfinished western towers, and put up what we now see, in a style wholly disagreeing with the rest of the building. This church has been the place where our sovereigns, from Harold down to Queen Victoria, have been crowTied. The ceremony was usually followed by a banquet in the great hall of the palace, kno^vn to us as Westminster Hall. The last occasion when this banquet was given was at the coro- nation of George IV,, on which £268,000 of public money were wasted to gratify that sovereign's taste for extravagant display. The actual imposition of the crown has taken place of late years within the Sacrarium in front of the altar, before St. Edward's Chapel. T\Tien Queen Victoria was crowned, the nave, choir, and transept were fitted up with seats for spectators, and at the intersection of the choir and transept a temporary erection, covered with cloth of gold, was placed, enclosing the chair in which her Majesty was seated when she received the homage of her ofiicers and the nobility after being crowned — enclosing also the pulpit where the coronation sermon was preached. The crown and coronation jewels are kept at the Tower, and are described elsewhere in this volume ; the ancient coronation chair in which the act of crowning is performed is in the Abbey. In ancient times a character of sacredness was attached to all persons within the precincts of the Abbey, and hither many have fled from the persecutions of their enemies. Edward IV.'s queen fled to this sanctuary w^hen her husband was imprisoned by the king-maker Warwick in 1470, and here she gave birth, " in great penury, forsaken of all her friends," to Edward V. On her hus- band's death, in 1483, she took shelter here again with the young Duke of York and her five daughters, when the Duke of Glou- cester was laying his plans for seizing the crown. " She sate low on the rushes, desolate and dismayed," wTote Sir Thomas More. The precincts of the " CoUegiate Church of St. Peter's, West- minster," as this edifice is formally styled, was constituted a parish, called the Close of St. Peter's, under a recent Act of Par- 94 WESTMINSTER ABBEY. liament. It has been licensed for the celebration of marriages, and this ceremony is occasionally performed iti it. Exterior. — Of the existing chni^ch, Mr. G. G. Scott, an archi- tect well known for his acquaintance with the Gothic styles, has said that it claims attention for its merit as "a work of art of the highest and noblest order ; for though it is by no means pre- eminent in general scale, ia height, or ia richness of sculpture, there are few churches ia this or in any other country having the same exquisite charms of proportion and artistic beauty which this church possesses — a beauty which never tires, and which impresses itself afresh upon the eye and the mind, however frequently you view it."* The plan of the Abbey is that of a Latia cross — nave, transept, and chancel — which is apsidal, and has around it radiating chapels, which recall the cJievets of the great French churches. Hemy VII.'s Chapel, which has taken the place of the Lady Chapel, prolongs the edifice eastward from the transept almost as much as the nave extends westward. The cloisters are in the angle between the south side of the nave and the transept, part of which has been abstracted by them, so that the floor of the south arm is less wide than the northern. Exa- mination shews that the eastern wall of the cloister is beneath the triforium of the west side of the south arm of the transept. Wren's western towers are 225 feet high. The great west win- dow below was built in 1498. It was probably intended to erect a light tower where the transept and nave intersect, but this was never carried out ; and even the intention to build one has been doubted, though Wren distinctly stated that the base of it existed in his day. The extreme length of the building, includ- ing Hemy VII.'s Chapel, is 530 feet ; exclusive of that chapel, 416 feet. The best view of the exterior is from the end of King Street. From this station we look upon the north side of the edifice, with its transept, containing a great rose window, 30 feet across, and a fine portico below, the beautiful gate of the temple. Interior. — The usual entrance is in the south arm of the transept, between the chaiDter-house and the chancel. This leads into what is caUed Poet's Corner, from the number of tombs of * Gleanings from Westminster Abtey, "by George Gilbert Scott, R.A., with ap- pendices supplying farther particulars, and completing the History of the Abbey Buildings. 1861. WESTMINSTER ABBEY. 95 the pcets it contains. Here vergers are in waiting, one of whom will take a party round the chapel as soon as a sufficient nuniLer of persons has collected. Visitors may walk round the transept and the nave imattended. The following are the principal admea- surements of the building : — Nave, exclusive of part used as a choir, 166 feet; width, including aisles, 71 feet 9 inches; height, 101 feet 8 inches ; width of each aisle, 16 feet 7 inches. Choir, length from iron gate to altar screen, 155^ feet. Transept, 203 feet ; width, including aisles, 84 feet 8 inches ; height of soutli arm of transept, 165 feet 5 inches. Extreme length of church from west end to Henry VH.'s Chapel, 383 feet ; including that chapel, 511 feet 6 inches. On entering the church, the great height of the roof will strike the eye as remarkable. Most persons of taste will regret that the glorious architecture should have been so marred by monimients, many of which are in the worst taste, and the best out of place. It will be seen that the choir has been constructed out of part of the nave, and that it extends across the transept. The wood work of the choir was designed by Mr. Blore, and executed in 1848. The ornamentation of the dean's stall is very elabor- ate. The canons' stalls have groined canopies, with pediments. There is much carving and tracery, representing foliage, etc., which were executed by hand. The organ formerly occupied a position that entirely obstructed a general view of the interior, but in 1848 it was rebuilt, and placed on the north, south, and east sides of the screen. It has thirty-seven stops and three cases, of which those under the north and south arches contain the " grand" and " swell" organs ; whilst that on the east side of the screen contains the " choir" organ. The altar is modern, having been erected from B. Wyatt's designs at the coronation of George IV. The Mosaic pavement is very curious. It was laid down by Eichai'd de "Ware, abbot of Westminster, in 1260, in the form of a square, the stones and workmen being brought from Eome. All the brass letters of the inscriptions, and many of its marble tesseroe are gone. The circles contained some Latin verses, the meaning of which was thought to refer to the Rolemaic system. Only one line can now be made out. A good deal of stained glass has been placed in the -ulndows within the last few years, and this adds considerably to the effect 96 WESTMINSTER ABBEY. of the interior views. Memorials in the shape of stained glass have been inserted in the seven lancet windows of the north transept, and its west aisle, to the memory of officers who fell in the Indian mutiny. The rose window in the south transept contains the word " Jehovah" in the centre, which is surrounded by thirty-two subjects taken from the life of Christ, and exterior to these are various symbols interspersed amongst Mosaic orna- ments. Before setting out on our perambulation of inspection, let us quote Addison's words, always impressive, but never more so than when in presence of the objects on which he comments : — " When I look upon the tombs of the great, every emotion of envy dies within me ; when I read the epitaphs of the beautiful, every inordinate desire goes out ; when I meet with the grief of parents on a tombstone, my heart melts with compassion ; when I see the tombs of the parents themselves, I consider the vanity of griev- ing for those we must quickly follow. When I see kings l}ing by those who deposed them ; when I consider rival wits placed side by side, or the holy men that divided the world with their contests and disputes, I reflect with sorrow and astonishment on the little competitions, factions, and debates of mankind. And when I read the several dates on the tombs, of some that died yes- terday, and some six hundred years ago, I consider that great day when we shall all of us be contemporaries and make our ap- pearance together." To this we will add some lines of the poet Wordsworth, taken from one of his sonnets : — ** Be mine in hours of fear Or'gTOveUing thought, to find a refuge here, Or through the aisles of Westminster to roam ; Where bubbles burst, and folly's dancing foam Melts if it cross the threshold ; where the -Rreath Of awe-struck wisdom droops." The Chapels — The first chapel we are taken to is that of St. Benedict, a square compartment next Poet's Corner, where may be seen some fragments of the decoration which originally ex- tended round the church. In the middle is the tomb of Lord Treasurer Cranfield, Earl of Middlesex (temp. James I.) and his countess. On an ancient Gotliic tomb lies the effigy of Arch- bishop Langham, 1376, who was monk, prior, and abbot of the Abbey. Marble tomb to Frances, Countess of Hertford, d. WESTMINSTER ABBEY. 97 1598. Mural recess, witli kneeling figure of Dean Goodman, d. 1601; another dean's tomb, Dr. Bill, -wdth engraved brass, 1561. Left of the entrance-gate to the chapels is an ancient monu- ment, date unknown, to the Saxon King Sebert and Athelgoda his queen. Over it is a curious piece of work inclosed in a glass case. It has apparently formed part of an altar decoration of the fourteenth century. Between St. Benedict's and the next chapel is a monument of Mosaic work, much defaced, to the children of Henr}^ III. and Edward I. Chapel of St. Edmund. — This is of polygonal shape, like the three next chapels, and contains an alabaster statue of John of Eltham, second son of Edward II., d. 1334, at the age of nine- teen ; a small table monument to William and Blanch, son and daughter of Edward III. ; monument to the Earl of Stafford, d. 1762 ; statue by N. Stone of Francis Holies, son of Lord Clare, d. 1622, in Grecian armour, with an epitaph in English verse ; the sleeping figure, in alabaster, of Lady Elizabeth Eussell, who died from pricking her finger with a needle ; a recumbent statue of Lord John Eussell, d. 1584, erected by his wife, a learned lady, who wrote the epitaphs inscribed on the tomb, one in Greek, three in Latin, and some English verses, which do not give a high idea of her ladyship's poetical talent ; a canopied tomb and re- cumbent efi&gy to Sir Bernard Brocas, chamberlain to Richard II.'s first queen ; he was beheaded on Tower Hill, 1399 ; low altar tomb (the engraved brass is gone) to Humphrey Bourgchier, a knight slain on Barnet Field fighting for Edward IV., 1471 ; on the pavement two engraved brasses, one to Archbishop Waldeby, 1397 ; the other, thought the finest in London, to the Duchess of Gloucester, 1399 ; an elaborate tomb to the eighth Earl of Shrewsbury, d. 1617, and his countess; their effigies on a table of black marble ; ancient monument, one of the oldest in the building, to WiUiam de Valence, Earl of Pembroke, slain at Bayonne, 1296 ; the wooden effigy was originally covered with copper, and was surrounded by thirty-three figures of the Earl's relations. This monument is supposed to be a French work, pro- bably executed by an enameller from Limoges. Chapel of St. Nicholas. — The screen is of the time of Henry IV. Here is the immense tomb of Ann, Duchess of Somerset, d. 1587, wife of the Lord Protector, who was beheaded on Tower HiU, 1551 ; another one as large (according to the guide book H 98 WESTMINSTER ABBEY. " one of tlie most magnificent in the Ab"bey") to tlie wife and daughter of Queen Elizabeth's Lord Burghley. Her epitaph states that Lady Burghley was well versed in the Greek sacred writers ; a large monument in the middle, by Stone, to Sir George Villiers and his wife, the father and mother of James I.'s favourite, the first Duke of Buckingham ; monument, with a long inscription, to the Lady Elizabeth Percy, sole heiress of Algernon, Duke of Somerset, who brought the Percy estates to the Smith- son's by her marriage with Sir Hugh Smithson, afterwards Duke of Northumberland. Amongst the old monuments are — against the screen a recumbent figui-e of Philippa, Duchess of York, d. 1431 ; under the middle window the tomb of Bishop Sutton (d. 1483) ; the brass figure has disappeared ; in the floor a brass of Sir Humphrey Stanley, knighted on Bosworth field, d. 1505. Sir Henr\^ Spelman, the learned antiquary, was interred at the door of this chapel. The remains of Katharine Valois, Henry V.'s queen, d. 1437, originally interred in the Lady Chapel, were brought here and deposited under Sir George Villiers' tomb in 1776. Henry VII.'s Chapel. — We have now arrived at the foot of the marble steps that lead up to this splendid piece of Gothic architecture. Notice the curiously wrought brass gates, exhibit- ing numerous devices of the founder. It is usual to conduct visitors first into the South Aisle (for the chapel consists of a nave and two aisles) where will be seen a number of monuments that greatly injure the efi'ect of the architecture. Monimient to Lady Mary Douglas (d. 1 5 7 7), whose relationship to fourteen kings and queens is fully chronicled thereon ; the sumptuous monument to Mary, Queen of Scots (d. 1587), erected by her son, James L, after her execution at Eotheringay ; her body was brought pri- vately hither and interred in a vault under the monument ; monument by Torrigiano to Margaret, Countess of Richmond, mother of Henry VII. ; monument to the first vrd^ of Sir Robert Walpole the minister ; monument to George Monck, first Duke of Albemarle, the chief instrument in the restoration of Charles 11. (d. 1670), and his son and his ^vife. The royal vault is below, and contains the remains of Charles II., William III. and his Queen, Queen Anne and her husband. Prince George of Denmark. We now quit the aisle for the Nave. " Entering the middle aisle of this wonderful mausoleum the visitor knows not what to WESTMINSTER ABBEY. 99 admire first or most. The fretted vault work overhead ' pendent by subtle magic ;' the close array of saints ranged beneatli the upper windows, now nearly concealed by the banners of the Knights of the Bath ;* the elaborate wood- work of the canopies and stalls, wrought, as for more than mortal eye, alike in what is seen and what is unseen, carved even to the very undersides of the misereres or turning seats, whose unstable support, when turned up, was to ensure the wakefulness of the religious in their long night services ; how noble and real is all here !" The di- mensions of this chapel within are — Nave, length, 103 feet 9 inches ; width, 35 feet 9 inches ; height, 60 feet 7 inches. The aisles are each 62 feet 5 inches long, and 17 feet wide. The entire breadth of the chapel is 7 feet. The ceiling is of stone, and persons have room to walk between it and the roof. " The plan of the chapel is neither complex nor unusual, a simple cen- tral avenue, terminating eastward in five sides of an octagon, and flanked by lower aisles, which would continue round this octagon apses did not six solid wedge-shaped masses divide this curved portion of the aisle into five square recesses or chapels as they are called, open to the central apses, but not to each other or the side aisles." At the east end is the black marble tomb of Henry VIZ. and his queen, executed by Torrigiano, an Italian sculptor. It is enclosed by a chantry of brass. Edward VI., the boy king, was interred at the head of the tomb. In a vault under the chapel lie the remains of George II. and his queen, his son the Prince of "Wales, and the Duke of Cumberland, the hero of Cul- loden. In the recesses surrounding Henry VH.'s tomb are some modern monuments, which all must consider an intrusion ; one of brass to the Duke (d. 1623) and Duchess of Richmond ; a recumbent statue of white marble (by Westmacott) of the Duke of Montpensier (d. 1807), erected by his brother Louis Philippe, Duke of Orleans, the late King of France ; the efiigy (by Schee- makers) of Sheffield Duke of Buckingham (d. 1720), who, ac- cording to his epitaph, lived doubtful, and died unresolved. On the north side of the Kjng's tomb is that of George Yilliers, Duke of Buckingham, who was assassinated by Felton in 1628. The effigies of the Duke and his Duchess are recumbent on a table supported by eight emblematical figures in gilt brass. The great west window of the chapel is 45 feet high by 31 feet wide. * These are the banners of the Knights in 1S12 ; none have been hung here since that date. 100 WESTMINSTER ABBEY. Leaving the nave for tlie North Aisle, tlie monuments of two Lords Halifax, of different families, are conspicuous. Near one of them was interred Joseph Addison (d. 1719), an honoured name in our literature. The late Earl of Ellesmere caused the spot to be marked by a white marble slab, which bears the lines WTitten by Addison's friend Tickell — " Ne'er to these chambers, where the mighty rest. Since their foundation came a nobler guest ; Nor e'er was to the bowers of bliss conveyed, A fairer spirit or more welcome shade : Oh, gone for ever ! take this long adieu, And sleep in peace, next thy loved Mountague."' Close by is the sumptuous monument erected by James I. to his predecessor Elizabeth. When some bones, believed to be those of the princes Edward and Richard were found in the tower, they were brought here by command of Charles 11. , as an inscription on the tomb records. Underneath this aisle is a vault in which the remains of James L and his queen, Anne, were deposited. At the beginning of this century, £42,000 were laid out in restoring the exquisite workmanship of this chapel, but we are sorry to say that the stone employed, being soft, is already decaying. On leaving King Henry's Chapel, we arrive at St. Paul's Chapel. The two oldest monuments here are those to Eobsart, Lord Bourchier, Henry V.'s standard-bearer at Agincourt ; and Sir Giles Daubeney, d. 1507. There is a curious monument of black marble to Lord Cottington (d. 1652), at the top of which is a circular frame of gilt brass, with the bust of that nobleman's wife. The epitaph of Sir James FuUerton has a sentence full of puns. The most interesting object here is the white marble statue of James Watt, executed by Chantrey. The pedestal bears this inscription, from the pen of Lord Brougham : — " Not to perpetu- ate a name which must endure while the peaceful arts flourish, but to shew that maiikind have learned to honour those who best deserve their 'gratitude, the king, his ministers, and many of the nobles and commoners of the realm, raised this monument to James Watt, who, directing the force of an original genius, early exercised in philosophical research, to the improvement of the steam-engine, enlarged the resources of his coimtry, increased the power of man, and rose to an eminent place among the most WESTMINSTER ABBEY. 101 illustrious followers of science, and the real benefactors of the worid." Outside the Chapel, near the monument of Admiral Holmes, John Pym the Parliamentarian, was interred. Ascending a short narrow flight of steps, we find ourselves in The Chapel of St. Edward, which has a raised floor inside the columns of the apse, and is separated by a screen from the transept. Against this screen is placed the Coronation Chair, in which all our sovereigns have been crowned since Edward I., who brought from Scotland the black stone of Scone, which will be seen imder the seat, as to which the superstition ran that it was part of Jacob's pillow. It had been previously preserved as a sacred object by the Scottish Bangs. The second chair was made for "William III.'s queen, and is used when a queen consort is crowned. Above the chairs on the screen, are some legendary sculptures relating to Edward the Confessor (d. 1065), whose shrine, erected by Henry IH. in 1269, is in the middle of the floor. It was richly decorated with gold and jewels, but is now a sad WTeck. Editha, his queen, lies interred on the south side, and somewhere near, Matilda, queen of Henry I., but there is no record of the exact place. On the north side is the tomb of Henry HI. (d. 1272), composed of porphyry and mosaic, and supporting an effigy in gilt brass. At his feet is the tomb of Eleanor, Edward I.'s queen, d. 1290. At the east end of this chapel is the chantry of Henry III., and beneath is the tomb of Henry V., where lies an oaken effigy \\4thout the head, which, being made of silver, was stolen many years ago. The saddle, helmet, and shield, in the chantry, are said to have been used by the king at Agincourt. The next tomb is that of Philippa, queen of Edward III,,* adjoining which is the tomb of Edward liimself, his effigy reposing on a slab of grey marble. Only six out of many statues remain aroimd the tomb, and these repre- sent six of his children. Observe the sliield and sword, seven feet long, carried before the king in France. Next to the stone covering Thomas of Woodstock, brother of the Black Prince, is the tomb of Richard II. and liis queen, covered by a canopy of wood, on which are the remains of an ancient painting of the * We are sorry to say that some unprincipled person lately stole from Queen Philippa's tomb two ancient statuettes, which the conservating architect of the church had only recently replaced there. It is believed that the thief knew the artistic value of his spoil 102 WESTMINSTER ABBEY. Virgin. The body of Edward I. (d, 1307), lies under a large rude tomb composed of five marble slabs. The inscription calls Mm " Scotorum malleus," and on the north side, facing Scotland, is the command "pactum serva" (observe the treaty). When this tomb was opened in 1774, the king's body, measuring six feet two inches, was found well preserved, wrapped in two robes, with a crown on the head, and a sceptre in each hand. Descending from this chapel of the kings, we next enter the Chapel of St. Erasmus where, besides some older tombs, is an Elizabethan monument to Lord Hunsdon, d. 1596 ; and the tomb of Cecil, Earl of Exeter, d. 1622 ; the marble effigy of his first wife lies beside his, and a space was reserved on the left side for his second wife, but she refused to occupy an inferior position. Nevertheless, she was buried in the vault below. St. John the Baptist's Chapel. — A square compartment formerly contained the tomb of Abbot Islip, who was employed by Henry VII. in de- corating his new chapel. In various places will be seen the abbot's punning device — an eye, and the branch or slijy of a tree, making together Islip. Tomb of Sir Christopher Hatton (d. 1619) and his wife, with their recumbent effigies. Near this chapel are two monuments of Knights Templar, one of Edmund Crouchback, son of Henry III., and the other of Aymer de Valence, " Proud Pembroke's earl was he," son of the William de Valence whose tomb is in St. Edmund's Chapel. The tomb of Aveline, Countess of Lancaster, wife of Crouchback, is the oldest in the Gothic style here. Close by is the monument of General "Wolfe, killed at Quebec in 1759. There is a monument to him in St. Paul's also. The Ohapels of St. John the Evangelist, St. Andrew, AND St. Michael, once separate, but now thrown together, occupy the east aisle of the north transept, and are almost filled up with monuments. — -Sii- Francis Vere (d. 1608), four kneeling knights, of excellent sculpture, support a slab on which loose armour is laid. — ^Admiral Kempenfeldt who went down in the Roi/al George at Spithead, 1782. Cowper's Hues on the occur- rence are weU. known. — Telford, the engineer, has a white marble statue of colossal size by Baily. As his epitaph declares, " his noblest monuments are to be found amongst the great public works of this country." — Quite at the end is a simple tablet to Dr. Thomas Young, the first promulgator of the undulatory theory of light, a man of eminent and very various ability, d. 1829. — White WESTMINSTER ABBEY. 103 marble statue of IVIrs. Siddons as Lady IMacbeth in the night scene, by Thomas Campbell. — Sarah, Duchess of Somerset, d. 1692, a monument with weeping charity boys. — Next to this is a monument by Roubiliac to husband and wife named Nightingale, which has been much admired for the vivid reality of the sculp- ture. It represents the young lady supported by her hus- band, who is endeavouring to ward off the dart aimed at her by the figure of death issuing from a tomb below. — Near the en- trance to the chapel is a tablet to Sir Humphrey Davy, the emi- nent chemist, d. 1829. — On leaving the chapel, Lord Ligonier's monimient is seen, bearing his likeness in profile. He was one of Marlborough's lieutenants. We are now in the north transept, where the guide takes his leave of visitors. Notice from this point the rose window on the south transept. The tracery and stained glass are modern. North Traxsept. — Statue, by Gibson of Rome, of Sir Robert Peel (d. 1850), represented as addressing the House of Commons in Roman costume. — Roubiliac's monument to Admiral "Warren (d. 1752), with Hercules, the figure of Navigation, etc. — Tablet to Airs. Grace Scott (d. 1645), with a punning verse. — Chantrey's monmuent to Sir John Malcohn (d. 1833), who served in India — the figure is in uniform. — Large monument to William Caven- dish, Duke of Newcastle (d. 1676), and Margaret, his Duchess, " a wise, witty, and learned lady, which her many books do well testify." " Of all the riders of Pegasus," says Horace Walpole, " there have not been a more fantastic couple than his Grace and his faithful Duchess, who was never ofi' her pillion." Large monument to another Duke of Newcastle, John Holies, who mar- ried the grand-daughter of the preceding (d. 1711). His only chUd, a daughter, married the eldest son of Queen Anne's nunis- ter, Harley ; to effect which marriage was said to be the sole object of Harley's tenure of office. — Statue, by Chantrey, of the statesman Canning. — Rysbrack's monument to Admiral Vernon. — Scheemakers' monument to Admiral Sir Charles Wager. — Bacon's statue of the first Earl of Chatham (d. 1778) in Parliamentary robes, " erected by the King and Parliament" at a cost of £6000 — "gives Chatham's eloquence to marble lips" {Cowper). — NoUe- kens' monument to three captains who were killed under Admiral Rodney in April 1782. — Statue of the Marquis of Londonderry, better known as the minister Lord Castlereagh. — Hereabouts are interred — William Pitt, Lord Castlereagh, George Canning, C. J. 104 WESTMINSTER ABBEY. Fox, Grattan, and Wilberforce. Flaxman's fine monument to the great judge Lord Mansfield (d. 1793), the friend of Pope, who has dedicated one of his poems to him. " Here Murray, long enough his country's pride, Is now no more than Tally or than Hyde." This was erected at the expense of a private gentleman. — Flaxman's statue of John Kemble in the character of Cato ; Behne's statue of Sir W. W. Follett, Attorney-General, d. 1845 ; Sir R. Westmacott's monument to !Mrs. "Warren, with the beautiful sculpture of a woman and child ; Bacon's bust of Warren Hastings, the Indian governor, d. 1818 ; Chantrey's statue of Francis Horner, d. 1817 ; monument to Jonas Hanway, the philanthropist, d. 1786 ; large monument, by Scheemakers, to Admiral "Watson, d. 1757, " where you see in the centre of a range of palm trees an elegant figure of the Admiral in a Roman toga ;" Scheemaker's monu- ment to Admiral Balchen (d. 1774), who was lost in the " Victory," with nearly a thousand other persons, the vessel being overtaken by a violent storm in the English Channel ; " from which sad cir- cmnstance we may learn that neither the greatest skill, judgment, or experience, joined to the most firm, unshaken resolution, can resist the fury of the winds and waves ;" Scheemaker's monu- ment to Lord Aubrey Beauclerk, killed in action at Carthagena, 1740. North Aisle. — Pursuing our way down this aisle towards the west entrance, we shall first see the monument by Thrupp to Sir T. F. Buxton (d. 1845), well known for his labours against slavery and the slave trade ; an old monument to Sir Thomas Heskett (d. 1605), with his recumbent efiigy on a tufted gown ; a tablet to Dr. Charles Bumey (d. 1814), the epitajDh written by his daughter, the authoress of Evelina ; tablets to three other older musicians. Dr. Blow, Dr. Croft, and Purcell (d. 1695), the com- poser of some delightful melodies. The inscription says, he " is gone to that blessed place where only his harmony can be exceeded." Brass to Bishop Monk, the Greek scholar, d. 1859 ; Chantrey's seated figure of Sir T. S. Rafiles, Governor of Java, d. 1826 ; monument to Lord Kiasale (d. 1719), descended from that de Courcy, who, by reason of his great valour, obtained for himself and his heirs the extraordinary privilege of standing covered in the presence of the sovereign ! a privilege claimed by the present Lord Kinsale ; Joseph's statue of "William "Wilber- force (died 1833), who was honoured by a public funeral ; Chan- WESTMINSTER ABBEY. 105 trey's monuments to tlie Kev. E. L. Sutton and Sir G. L. Staun- ton ; Bacon's monument to Archbisliop Agar, who, during tlie tenure of Ms archiepiscopal office, was made an earl. On arriving at Admiral Baker's monument, turn to the left and inspect the new screen behind the organ. Figures of Edward the Confessor, Edward III. and his queen Eleanor, and Eleanor, queen of Edward L, will be seen on pedestals. — Notice Rysbrack's monuments to Sir Isaac Newton (d. 1726), and the Earl of Stan- hope, d. 1720. Returning to the aisle, Scheemakers' monument to Dr. Mead, d. 1754 ; Westmacott's monument, in the window, to Spencer Percival, the minister assassinated, 1812, by Belling- ham, who took him for another person ; erected at the public expense. — Opposite IVIi-s. Beaufoy's monument lie the remains of Telford, the engineer, Robert Stephenson, and Sir Charles Barry. — In front of General Killigrew's monument, Ben Jonson was in- terred in a standing position ; near whom are the remains of John Hunter, lately removed from the vaults of St. Martin's-in- the-Field. The College of Surgeons, who now possess Hunter's museum, have placed over him an inscribed brass, let into red granite in the pavement. Near this is another brass, to the memory of General Sir Robert Wilson and his vnie. — Schee- makers' monument to Dr. Woodward, d. 1728 ; the head and lady's figure have been much admired. At the West end of the Nave, Sir R. Westmacott's monument to C. J. Fox, d. 1806 ; Theed's bust of Sir James Mackintosh, d. 1832 ; the younger Westmacott's bust of Tierney the statesman; Baily's monument to Lord Holland (d. 1840), the host of the literary and political celebrities whom he assembled at Holland House ; Weekes' bust of Zacharj' Macaulay, father of the his- torian. Over the west door. Sir R. Westmacott's monument to William Pitt, d. 1806, erected by Parliament. An immense monu- ment, 36 feet high, to Captain James Cornewall, killed at the sea- fight off Toulon, 1743, erected by Parliament. Do not omit to notice the grand Aiew to be had from the western doorway. Looking up the nave, the eye sweeps the whole body of the church up to the semicircular termina- tion enclosing the chapel of Edward the Confessor. Notice also the gallery above the aisles, or, as it is usually called, the tri- forium, which is very spacious, and capable of containing thou- sands of persons. It was no doubt intended by the architect for spectators of ceremonials and processions. The arcade, towards 106 WESTMINSTER ABBEY. the nave below the clerestory, is very beautiful, perhaps the most beautiful example in existence. It is conjectured that Caxton, our first printer, first set up his printing press some- where in this gallery. South Aisle. — Monument to Secretary Craggs, d. 1720, the friend of Pope, who wrote his epitaph. — Thrupp's statue of "Wordsworth the poet (d. 1850), placed in the baptistry. The inscribed lines, one of his own sonnets, refer to the place, and to the man. Half-length marble portrait of William Congreve the dramatist (d. 1728), erected by Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough, to whom he bequeathed his money. Opposite Bishop Sprat's monument, Atterbury, the intriguing bishop, was interred, in a vault of his own construction when Dean of this church ; monu- ment to Dean Buckland the geologist, d. 1856 ; Eoubiliac's monimient to Field-Marshal Wade (d. 1748), over the door into the cloisters (his services to the roads in Scotland, where he was governor of Fort -William, are commemorated in a popular rhyme) ; monument to Carola Harsnet, with inscriptions in He- brew and Greek ; another to Ann Fildirig, the inscriptions in Hebrew and Ethiopic ; these ladies were the wives of Sir Samuel Morland, and the epitaphs are alluded to in the Spectator as being so modest, that they conceal their praises in language un- derstood by few ; monument to Sir William Temple and his family. Sir William was Swift's early patron ; Eoubiliac's monu- ments to General Fleming and General Hargrave ; Bird's bust of Earl Godolphin, Lord Treasurer in Queen Anne's reign ; monu- ment to Sir John Chardin the traveller ; monument to Sir Palmer Fairholme, killed 1680, when Tangier, of which place he was governor, was besieged by the Moors, the epitaph was written by Dry den ; Van Gelder's monument to Major Andre, executed as a spy by Washington during the American M^ar, the figures of the bas-relief have been repeatedly stolen and repeatedly renewed ; monument to Thomas Thynne, Esq., who was murdered in his coach, 1682, by assassins hired by Count Konigsmarck (who himself afterwards came to a violent end), to prevent him marry- ing the heiress of the Northumberland Percies, the Count wishing to gain her for himself ; she, however, married the Duke of Somer- set ; notice the bas-relief representing the murder : Flaxman's bust of General Paoli, the Corsican patriot, d. 1807 ; Banks' monument to Dr. Isaac Watts, d. 1748 ; Bird's monument to Sir Cloudesly Shovell, who perished by shipwreck on the rocks of Scilly ; WESTMINSTER ABBEY. 107 monument to Sir Godfrey Kneller the painter (cl. 1723), designed by Kneller himself, the bust by Kysbrack, the epitaph by Pope ; Kneller, on his deathbed, desired he might not be buried in Wesminster Abbey, for " they do bury fools there," and he was interred elsewhere. South Transept axd Poet's Corner. — Monuments to Gar- rick, d. 1779 ; to Camden the historian, d. 1623 ; to Dr. Isaac Barrow. In front of the east. Sir AVilliam Davenant's remains are interred ; he succeeded Ben Jonson as poet lau- reate, and d. 1668. Statue of Joseph Addison, d. 1720. Near this, and in front of Dr. Outram's monument, lies Lord Macaulay. Koubiliac's monument to Handel, d. 1759, the last executed by this sculptor. Koubiliac's monument (admired by Canova) to the Duke of Argyle, d. 1743 ; over a doorway, the monument by Nollekens of Oliver Goldsmith, d. 1774 ; monument to Gay the poet, d. 1732, the epitaph by Pope, except the two lines, " Life is a jest," etc., which were his own composition ; Kysbrack's monument to Nicholas Eowe, poet laureate ; monu- ment to James Tliomson, " the sweet-souled poet of the seasons ;" monument to William Shakspere, the glory and boast of our nation, designed by Kent, executed by Scheemakers in 1742. The heads on the pedestal represent Henry V., Eichard HI., and Queen Elizabeth, three personages who appear in his plays. Dr. Johnson, Garrick, E. B. Sheridan, and Thomas Campbell, the poet, lie buried in front of Shakspere's monument ; statue of Campbell, lines from his poems are inscribed on the moniunent ; tablet to Anstey (d. 1805), author of the " Bath Guide," a witty satire, once very popular ; Chantrey's medallion of Dr. Granville Sharp, d. 1813 ; bust of the French wit, St. Evremond, d. 1703 ; Eysbrack's monument to Matthew Prior (d. 1721), executed by order of Louis XIV. ; Bacon's medallion of William Mason, the friend of Gray, d. 1797 ; monument to Thomas Shad well, poet laureate (d. 1692), bitterly satirised by Drj-den, and not forgotten by Pope ; Eysbrack's monimient to John ]\Iilton (d. 1674) ; Bacon's monument to Gray the poet (d. 1771), a medallion held by the lyric muse, who points up to Milton's bust ; monument with bust of Samuel Butler, author of Hudibras, d. 1680, erected by Barber, Lord Mayor of London, " that he who was desti- tute of all things when alive, might not want a monument when dead ;" monument to Edmund Spencer, the prince of poets in his time, d. 1598, of marbie — replacing an older one of Pui-beck 108 WESTMINSTER ABBEY. stone ^vliicli had become decayed ; medallion with the inscription "0 Rare Ben Jonson" (d. 1637) ; the emblematical figures are supposed to refer to the alleged envy and malice of his contem- poraries ; monument to I^Iichael Drayton, author of the Poly- olbion and other poems, d. 1631 ; the inscribed lines have been variously ascribed to Ben Jonson and Quarles. It is more in Jonson's manner, says Southey. Anne Clifford, Countess of Dor- set, is said to have erected the monuments of Spencer and Drayton ; bust of John Phillips, d. 1708 ; the Latin motto from Virgil was that prefixed to his poem " Cider." This monument was erected by Lord Chancellor Harcourt, the epitaph was written by Atterbury ; monument, much defaced, to Geoffrey Chaucer (d. 1400), erected 1556 ; monument to Cowley, d. 1667, a clever poet, but not exactly the Pmdar, Horace, and Yii^gil of England, as his epitaph asserts ; erected by George, first Duke of Bucking- ham of the Grenvilles ; Scheemaker's monument to Dryden (d. 1700), erected by John Sheffield, Duke of Buckingham. Near this monument the remains of Francis Beaumont the dramatist were buried. Against the screen of the choir is a monument to Dr. Robert South, the able and virulent royalist di-vine, d. 1716. Between this monument and Dr. Busby's, a fragment of that of Anne of Cleves, the fourth wife of Henry VIIL, may be seen ; and near her lies, without any record, Anne, the poisoned queen of Richard III. Monument to Dr. Busby, master of "Westminster College, d. 1695. In the middle of the transept, a white stone covers the remains of "Old Parr" (d. 1635), who is reputed to have reached the age of 152 years, and to have lived in the reigns of ten sovereigns. From this sketch of the monuments, it will be seen that the abbey serves the purpose of a Valhalla or a Pantheon, and that it is — "Filled with mementos, satiate with its part Of grateful England's overflowing dead." Behind the wall at the back of ^Milton's monument, in the south transept, is the Chapel of St. Blaise, or the old Revestry, occupying the space between this transept and the vestibule leading from the cloister to the chapter-house. Few visitors to the abbey are aware of the existence of this interesting apart- ment. Cloisters. — To reach the beautiful Cloisters, when the door out of the abbey is not open, go through Great Dean's Yard, pass- WESTMINSTER ABBEY. 109 ing the Jerusalem chamlDer in which Henry IV. expired. Eecall the passage in Shakspere's play — " It hath been prophesied to me many years I should not die but in Jerusalem, Which vainly I supposed the Holy Land ; — But bear me to that chamber ; there I'll lie ; In that Jerusalem shall Harry die." The Dean's residence is on the left after passing through the arch, but before arri\ing at the cloisters. Other dignitaries have residences close by, with entrances from the cloisters. The north and east arcades are of the reign of Edward I. ; the south and west are of later date, and have vaultings of a highly-finished geometrical character. It will be seen by an observer standing in the south walk, that the northern arcade has been brought so closely up to the wall of the nave, that it was necessary to throw the arched buttresses over the arcade, a curious and perhaps unparalleled feature. As to the east arcade, it vnR be seen from the plan that it actually enters the church, haK its length being enclosed in the south transept. As to the monuments, the oldest ones are in the south walk, where the foot-worn ej05gies of some early abbots will be seen. One slab of black marble, covering the remains of a natural son of King Stephen, is known as Long Meg, from its great size. In the east walk is a monu- ment to General Withers, with lines by Pope ; near the first pillar, under a piece of blue marble, lies I^Irs. Aphra Behn, the writer of some unreadable plays. In this ambulatory lie also the actors Betterton, Foote, and jVfe. Bracegirdle. Tom Bro"«Ti, the wit, and Milton's friend, Henry Lawes, the composer of airs which have been praised in verse by the poet. In the north walk is a monument to one John Lawrence, inscribed with some curious lines — " Short-hand he wrote, his flower in prime did fade. And hasty death short-hand of him hath made." Also a monument to Ephraim Chambers, "nee eruditus, nee Idiota," the compiler of the first encyclopaedia in the English language. In the west arcade is a tablet to Dr. Buchan, the author of a well-known work on Domestic Medicine ; and a monument to Woollett the engraver. Scattered about are monu- ments to various historical uames, Pulteneys, Montagues, and Godolphins, usually inscribed ^vith long pompous epitaphs. 110 CHURCHES. Chapter House. — A rich doorway in tlie east arcade leads to tlie Chapter House of Hemy Ill's time. The Commons sat here before they met at St. Stephen's Chapel. At the Reformation, \rhen taken possession of by the Crown, it was made a repository for records, which have been lately re- moved to the new Record Oflfice, Chancery Lane. On the east side there is a mural decoration, dating, it is supposed, from the fourteenth century, and representing CTirist surrounded by the Christian virtues. The building is octagonal in plan, has a Norman crj^t, and is supported by massive buttresses. There are eight large windows, and the vaulting of the roof springs from a central clustered pillar. A very large sum would be required to renovate this beautiful edifice, which is in a dis- gracefully dilapidated state. A little to the south-east of the chapter-house are the remains of the Jeicel House, built by Richard II. The walls, parapets, and original doorways are said to be j)erfect ; but the interior has been changed to make it a place of deposit of the records of the House of Lords. In the basement are the original groined vaults, with their moulded ribs and carved bosses. In the Chapel of the Pyx, not easily accessible, are two mas- sive early Norman piers of Edward the Confessor's time. This chapel was used as a royal treasury. In the reign of Edward I. it was the scene of a singular robbery, when the sum of .£100,000, nearly equal to two millions of our money, was abstracted. The money was intended by Edward to defray the expense of his wars against Scotland. Under the hinges of a door in this building was found not long ago some pieces of white leather, which a skilful microscopist declared to be human skin. There could be little doubt that some thief had been flayed, and that his skin had been attached to the portal as a warning to future depredators, as a fai'mer nails a kite to his barn-door. CHURCHES. The noble Cathedral of London and the ancient Abbey of "Westminster having been described at length, there still remain for notice the parish and district churches, of which up- wards of 460 exist in connection with the establishment. Of these it ^vill not be expected that we can do more than select a CHURCHES. Ill few of the more important for mention. It is to be regretted that the remains of Gothic edifices are so scanty, there being left only a few fragments here and there to tell of structures which were doubtless glorious in their day. There is the Norman chapel in the White Tower, which the public are not admitted to see ; the Norman choir, and some arches of later date in St. Bartholomew's, Smithfield ; the transition Norman of the round church in the Temple ; the early English choir and transept of St. Saviour's ; the cloisters of St. Stephen's, Westminster, and these are absolutely all. The Gothic style is now generally thought to be the most suitable for ecclesiastical purposes. But Wren was of another opinion ; his predilections were for the Italian style, and when he was called upon to add the towers to Westminster Abbey, he abjured all " cut work and crinkle- crahkle," and made the things we see. The architects who fol- lowed Wren adopted his views for several generations. Tlie time however came again when the Gothic style was once more in fashion ; but so difficult is it to shake off the trammels of authority, that it is only quite of late years that our architects have displayed any real feeling for its beauties. Some of the city churches bear very strange names, and we cite a few without attempting to explain them : St. Bennet- Sherehog, St. Peter-le-poor, St. Margaret-Pattens, St. Michael-le- quern, St. Mary's-Matfelon, St. Marj-'s Woolnoth, St. Dionis-Back- church, St. Catherine-Cree. And some of the names of the saints to which they are dedicated are not of every-day occur- rence, for example, St. Yedast, St. Alphage, St. Sepulchre, St. Pancras, St. Magnus. All Hallows Barking, east end of Tower Street, contains an ancient communion-table, font-cover, and screen, T\ith some early fimeral brasses. In the churchyard the Earl of Surrey, Bishop Fisher, and Archbishop Laud were interred after theii- execution on Tower Hill, but their headless bodies were after- wards removed. St. Andrew's Undershaft, Leadenhall Street, built 1520-32, on the site of an older church, contains much stained glass, and many brasses, tablets, and monuments, including the terra cotta monument to John Stow, the chronicler (d. 1605), representing him seated at a table with his pen and a book. Stow was by trade a tailor, who neglected his business for literary pursuits. 112 CHURCHES. From James I. he received — a license to beg. His industry was great, and deserved something better than this from a literary king. In the British museum there are sixty quarto volumes of old Stow's manuscript. All Saints' Church, Margaret Street, Eegent Street, was consecrated in 1859, having been nine years in building. It has cost, with organ, bells, and furniture, about £65,000, of which <£30,000 were contributed by a wealthy banker, and Xl 0,000 by another individual. ]\Ir. Butterfield was the archi- tect. It is of variegated brick externally, the interior being resplendent with marbles, alabaster, gilding, and stained glass. Dyce painted the frescos, including forty-eight figures on the east end wall. The Marquis of Sligo presented the marble font and baptistry. The pulpit is of marble, ornamented with inlaid j)atterns, and supported by polished pillars of red granite. The nave is 63^ feet long, the chancel 33^ feet, the banded spire 220 feet high. The service is intoned and chanted daily in this, one of the leading show churches of the metropolis, which has been sarcastically spoken of as " a sort of casket tabernacle where no poor person dare enter, and where the beadled pew-opener would be sure to turn away the twelve apostles if they presented them- selves with anything so vulgar as nets on their shoulders." St. Barnabas, Pimlico. — ^A church and college built from the designs of T. Cundy in 1846-1849 at a cost of £20,000. The Eev. TV. J. E. Bennett was the officiating minister here for some years. All the seats are free. This is one of the principal places of worship of the High Church party. St. Bartholomew the Great, West Smithfield, is a frag- ment of the Priory Church of St. Bartholomew, founded in the time of Henry I., and the interior well deserves a visit from the archaeologist. Specially notice the Norman choir, with its im- mensely strong columns, the lofty triforium with its slender pillars, and the four noble arches that once upheld the central lantern of the cruciform building. Two of these present very- early examples of the pointed arch. The north and south arms of the transept have disappeared, and only part of the first bay of the nave remains. A straight wall has replaced the apsis with which the choir terminated. The surrounding ambulatory shoidd be inspected, the style being similar to that of the Norman chapel in the "WTiite Tower. An oriel contains the rebus, a cross- bow, arrow, or holty and a tun of Bolton, prior from 1506 to 1532. CHURCHES. 113 The brick tower is dated 1628. The roof is of timber with com- partments. The entrance archway, now some distance from the church, is early English, with dog-tooth ornament. Notice amongst the monuments in the church that of Rahere, the foun- der and first prior, but much later than his time. It is a cano- pied tomb, with the prior's effigy on the north of the altar. On the opposite side is Sir Walter Mildmay's monument. He was foimder of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and died 1589. Hogarth the painter was baptised in this church. Under what was the refectory of the priory there is a crypt of considerable length, with a double row of aisles, having early pointed arches. St. Bride's, Fleet Street, one of Wren's churches, on the site of one destroyed by the great fire. This church cost .£11,430. It is remarkable for its beautiful steeple, w^hich Wren made 234 feet high, but having been struck by lightning in 1764, much of it was rebuilt, and the height was lowered by 8 feet. In 1843 it was again struck by lightning, and much damaged. The inte- rior of the church deserves examination. The east window con- tains a copy on stained glass of Eubens' Descent from the Cross. In the old church were interred Wynkin de Worde, one of our early printers ; Sackville, the poetical Earl of Dorset ; and Love- lace, the cavalier poet ; in the present church, Richardson the novelist. The opening of a short avenue from Fleet Street, after a destructive fire, cost £10,000. St. Etheldreda's Chapel, Ely Place, Holbom, is the only part remaining of the palace of the bishops of Ely for some cen- turies. In Ely House John o' Gaimt died (1399). Shakspere has made the Duke of Gloucester thus address the Bishop — " My lord of Ely, when I was last in Holbom I saw good strawberries in your garden there." Queen Elizabeth compelled the then Bishop to dispose of the property to Sir Christopher Hatton, who lived at the mansion in great state. During the time of the Parliamentary war the pro- perty went to ruin, and streets were built upon the garden. Ely Place was not erected until 1775. The chapel is now used for services in the Welsh Language. St. Giles', Cripplegate, is remarkable for its noble tower and musical chimes. It was built soon after 1545, when an older church was destroyed by fire, the tower being raised to the pre- sent height in 1682. John Fox, the martyrologist, described in I 114 CHURCHES. the register as " liouseliolder and preacher," was interred here in 1587 ; as also Sir Martin Frobisher, an early arctic voyager ; and in 1615, the famous author of Paradise Lost. The bust of this glory of oui- literature, and the conunemorative tablet, were set up by Samuel Whitbread in 1793. Oliver Cromwell was married in this church to Elizabeth Bowchier, on tlie 20th August 1620. In the churchyard is a bastion of old London Wall. St. Giles'-ix-the-Fields, High Street, Holborn, is the third church erected on this site, and was completed in 1734. This church gives a name to a parish of poor people, which comes to be often contrasted with St. James'. Over the entrance gateway is a bas-relief of the Last Judgment, preserved from the Lich gate {i.e., the gate under which the corpse rested for a while at a funeral) of the old church. Chapman, the translator of Homer, Lord Herbert of Cherbury, SMidey, the di^amatist, Sir Roger I'Estrange, the political writer, and Andrew Marvell, the incor- ruptible patriot, were buried here. Chapman's monument, erected at the expense of Inigo Jones, is placed against the exterior south wall of the church. In the cemetery in the Lower St. Pancras Road are the remains of Flaxman, the sculj)tor, and Sir John Soane, the architect. Not far distant from the church, to the south-west, was a place of public execution, where, in the reign of Henry V., Lord Cobham was roasted in chains. St. George's, Hanover Square, the most fashionable church for marriages in London, was o]3ened in 1724, having been erected from the designs of John Jones. It has an ambitious portico ; the altar picture of the Last Supper is attributed to Sir James Thornhill, Hogarth's father-in-law. Three painted windows are of Belgian work, datmg from the early part of the sixteenth century. Emma Harte, who fascinated Nelson, and whom Rom- ney painted so often, was married in this church to Sir "William Hamilton. St. George's, Hart Street, Bloomsbury, designed by Hawks- moor, consecrated 1731, is remarkable for a fine portico of eight Corintliian columns, but stilL more for having a statue, in Roman costume, of George I., on the, top of the steeple, which is com- posed of a series of steps — a masterpiece of absurdity said Walpole. " When Harry the Eighth left the Pope in the lurch. The people of England made him head of the church ; But George's good subjects, the Bloomsbury people, Instead of the church, made him head of the steeple." CHURCHES. 115 St. Helen's, Bishopgate, City, was the clmrcli of the priory of St. Helen, founded 1216, by Basing, Dean of St. Paul's. A series of the nun's seats is to be seen against the north wall. The interior is rich -sdth old brasses and monuments. Amongst the latter, observe the freestone altar-tomb, with effigies, of Sir John Crosby of Crosby Hall, and his vnie ; the knight has an alder- man's govm over plate armour. Sir William Pickering, in dress- armour, reclining imder a canopy ; Sir Andrew Judd, foimder of Tunbridge School, in armom-, with several kneeling figures, painted and gilt ; Sir Thomas Gresham, the founder of the Koyal Exchange, a large altar tomb ; Martin Bond, a captain of train bands at the time of the Spanish Armada, represented as seated in a tent with sentinels ; Francis Baneroft, the founder of alms- houses at Mile End — it was built in his lifetime ; Sir Julius Csesar, Master of the Rolls in the time of James I. ; a deed with a pendant seal is represented, and the Latin words purport that he had given his bond to Heaven to yield up his life willingly when God should appoint — this was carved by N. Stone ; Sir John Spencer, ancestor of the marqueses of Northampton, and Lord Mayor in 1594. St. JAiiEs', Piccadilly, was designed by "Wren for Jermjm, Earl of St. Albans, and was consecrated in 1684. Tlie exterior is very plain ; the interior is thought a masterpiece of the architect. The stained glass in the east window was inserted in 1846. The organ was built for James n.'s oratory at Whitehall, and was given by his daughter to this parish in 1691. The white marble font is the work of Gibbons. The cover was stolen about sixty years ago. The flowers and garlands in wood over the altar was also by Gibbons. The list of the celebrated dead interred here includes Tom d'Urfey, the play writer ; Charles Cotton, Walton's friend ; Dr. Sydenham ; the two marine painters, the Yander- veldes ; Dr. Arbuthnot, Pope's friend ; Dr. Akenside ; Gillray, the caricaturist ; and Sir John Malcolm. Lord Chesterfield, the letter writer, and the first Lord Chatham, were baptised here. In the vestry is a collection of the portraits of the rectors, three of whom became Archbishops of Canterbury — Tenison, Wake, and Seeker. St. jMargaret's, Westminster, on the east side of the Abbey, the church of the House of Commons, stands on the site of a church built by Edward the Confessor, about 1064. The cruci- fixion is represented on the painted glass of the great east ^^indow. This was executed at Gonda, in Holland, for the purpose of being 116 CHURCHES. presented, it is said, by tlie magistrates of Dort to Henry VII. It was given by tbe king to Waltham Abbey. At tbe Dissolution it was sent for safety to the abbot's private cbapel at New Hall, which came into the possession of General Monk, who, to pre- serve the window from the Puritans, caused it to be buried in the earth ; but it was replaced at the Eestoration. When the chapel was pulled down, the window was preserved in a case. In 1758 it was purchased by the churchwardens of St. Margaret's for 400 guineas, and placed in its present position. The Dean and Chap- ter of Westminster, however, were not wiLUng that it should remain there, for they commenced a suit in the ecclesiastical courts against the parishioners for setting up " a superstitious image or picture." The suit lasted seven years, and was then decided in favour of the parishioners. Notice the richly-carved pulpit and recording-desk put up in 1 802 ; the Speaker's chair of state in front of the west gallery ; and the painted glass of the north-east window. On certain occasions the chaplain of the House of Commons preaches here, and the Speaker with his ofl&cers, and a few members, represent the House. The walls have echoed the voices of some eminent Puritan divines, such as Calamy, Baxter, and Lightfoot. Case had the boldness to cen- sure Cromwell, one of his auditors ; and the same preacher, when General Monk was present, said, " There are some who will betray three kingdoms for filthy lucre's sake," and then, that there might be no mistake, he cast his handkerchief into the pew where Monk sat. Amongst the persons buried here, were Skel- ton, Henry VHI.'s poet laureate ; Sir Walter Ealeigh ; Sir WiUiam Waller, the general of the Parliament; Hollar, the engraver; and Blood, who stole the regalia. After Charles 11. had returned, several bodies which had been previously buried in Westminster Abbey, were dug up and thrown into a pit in St. Margaret's churchyard. Amongst them were the bodies of Cromwell's mother. Sir W. Constable, one of the judges of Charles I, Admiral Blake, Pym, and May the poet. One ancient brass alone remains in the church, the others having been sold in 1644, at fourpence a poimd. Amongst the monuments, notice — the Roxburgh Club's tablet to Caxton put up in 1820 ; the alabaster figures at the tomb of Marie Lady Dudley (d. 1600) ; a brass to the memory of Sir W. Raleigh, who was interred in the chancel the day he was beheaded in Old Palace yard ; Mrs. Corbet's monument, the epi- taph written by Pope ;^ Sir Peter Parker's monument with Byron's CHURCHES. 117 lines ; Cornelius Van Dun's bust, in tlie uniform of a yeoman of the guard (d. 1577). The removal of this church has often been proposed on account of its interfering wdth the view, and not harmonising with the surrounding buildings. St. IVIartixs-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square, was erected by Gibbs, 1721-26, at a cost of nearly £37,000. Its length is 161 feet, and the width 80 J feet. The portico is much ad- mired, but the position of the steejjle does much to spoil its effect. This is the church of the parish in which Buckingham Palace stands, and the births of some of the Queen's children are entered in its register books. The register of 1561 records the baptism of Lord Bacon. Amongst the persons interred here may be mentioned Nell G%vynn ; the painters Yansomer, Laguerre, and Dobson ; the sculptors Stone and Roubiliac ; Robert Boyle, the chemist ; Farquhar, the play writer ; Jack Shepherd, and John Hunter. In the vaults is the tomb of Sir Theodore May- eme, physician to James I. and Charles I., and the coffins of Miss Reay, and her murderer Hackman, connected by a chain. St. I^Iary-le-bone New Church, Marylebone Road, was com- pleted in 1817, from the designs of Thomas Hardmcke, at a cost of <£60,000. The name of the district signifies St. Mary on the bourne or brook, viz., Tyburn stream. St. Mary-le-Bow (Bow Church), Cheapside, City, is one of the most admired of Wren's churches, especially the steeple, 225 feet high, which, however, wants the grace of St. Bride's. The dragon upon it is nearly nine feet long. To have been born within the sound of Bow bell is the criterion of a cockney. A church stood on this site in very early times. It is said to derive its name, de arcubiis, from having been built upon arches. The Ecclesiastical Court of Arches, the Supreme Court of Appeal in the Archbishopric of Canterbury, derives its name fi'om hav- ing formerly been held in this church. There is an ancient Norman crypt here, consisting of columns and simple groinings, used by Wren to support his church. The crypt is full of coffins. St. Mary-le-Savoy, a church standing south of the Strand, near Waterloo Bridge, which derives its name from having been bunt on the site of the chapel of the hospital of St. John the Baptist in a palace called the Savoy, erected by Peter, Earl of Savoy, uncle of Eleanor, queen of Henry III. The present church was built in 1505. Henry VU. endowed the chapel, and 118 CHURCHES. the incumbeiit still receives a stipend from tlie Crown. The ceiling, a curious relic of the old palace, was much damaged by fire in 1860, but has been restored. Notice the altar screen •which has been restored of late years ; also the remaining niche of tabernacle work. George Wither, the poet, was interred here (1667). Here is a recumbent figure, doubtfully called the monu- ment of the dowager Countess of Nottingham, who died 1681 ; a tablet to Mrs. Anne Killigrew, celebrated by the poets ; a brass on the floor near the stove indicating the resting-place of Gawin Douglas, Bishop of Dunkeld, known in literature as the transla- tor of Virgil (d. 1522) ; a tablet to Richard Lander, the African traveller. It was here that the "Savoy Conference" between the bishops and Presbyterian clergymen took place in the reign of Charles II., with a view to a compromise. Here the Book of Common Prayer was settled. Fuller, the quaint author of " The Worthies of England," was lecturer here. A German Lutheran church is in the Savoy, as the neighbourhood is called. St. Michael's, Comhill, one of Wren's churches, is re- markable for having a Gothic tower (130 feet high), whilst the body is Italian. A Gothic porch has been recently added by ;Mr. G. C. Scott, under whose superintendence the interior has been renovated in good taste. St. Paxcras, Euston Square, one of the handsomest of the modern churches, was commenced in 1819 from Messi^. Jerwood's designs, and cost £76,679. The body was designed from the Erec- theum at Athens ; the steeple, 168 feet high, from the Tower of the Winds also at Athens. The grand portico is supported by six colimins ^Aith ornate capitals ; and the three doorways are copied from the Erectheum. The lateral porticoes at the east end are apparently supported by caryatides in terra cotta^ but really by iron pillars inside the figures. The wood for the pulpit and reading-desk was furnished by the once celebrated Fairlop oak in Henhault Forest. Beneath the church are cata- combs sufficient for the reception of 2000 coffins. St. Paul's, Covent Garden, was built 1631-38, from the designs of Inigo Jones, at a cost of £4500, defrayed by the Earl of Bedford. In 1795 a fire destroyed everything but the walls, but the church was restored soon afterwards. Butler, the author of " Hudibras" ; Sir Peter Lely, who expressed a wish not to be laid in Westminster Abbey, because they buried fools there ; Wycherley, the dramatist ; Mrs. Centli\Te ; Grin ling Gibbons ; CHURCHES. 1 1 9 Dr. Arne, the composer ; and Dr. Armstrong, the author of a poem on the " Art of Preserving Health," now almost forgotten, were interred here : Strange, the engraver, also, in the church- yard. St. Saviour's, Sonthwark, near London Bridge, one of the most interesting of the metropolitan churches, was originally the church of an Augustine priory dedicated to St. Mary Overie. It was cruciform in plan, but many alterations and restorations have been made, so that at present we have but the noble choir, Lady Chapel, and transept of the ancient church, which dated from the reign of Henry HL The nave was removed in 1840, and a paltry substitute put up in its stead. The altar-screen is attributed to Fox, Bishop of Winchester about the begin- ning of the sixteenth century. The pelican, Fox's device, is seen upon it. The Lady Chapel, restored in 1832, is re- markable from the fact of its lying north and south with three aisles of equal height. The arches supporting the central tower, and the view along the transept, are striking. In this church a commission sat in 1555 for the trial of heretics, and Bishop Hooper was one of the first condemned. The ancient monuments are nimierous. Notice that to the poet Gower, who died in 1402, a recumbent efiigy under a canopy. It was restored in 1832 by the first Duke of Sutherland, whose family name is the same as the poet's ; John Bingham, saddler to Queen Elizabeth and her successor ; Dr. Lockyer, a quack in the reign of Charles II. ; John Trehearne, James I.'s gentleman porter, wdth busts of the man and his wife ; Alderman Humble and his two wives, with figures of their children, time of James I. ; cross-legged efiigy, in oak, of a knight ; an emaciated figure wrapped in a shroud. In the Lady Chapel a marble monument to Andrews, Bishop of Winchester (died 1626), wath a recumbent effigy. In the church- yard Avere interred, the places unmarked, Shakspere's brother, Edmond ; John Fletcher, the dramatist ; his brother-dramatist Philip Massinger, called on the register " a stranger." St. Stephen's, Walbrook, near the Mansion House, City, is concealed by houses, but the interior is a celebrated work of Wren, the chief feature being a dome supported on Corinthian columns. The Grocers' Company is patron of the liA^ng, and was at the cost of the wainscoting and the stained glass of the east window. Notice the rich pulpit ; and West's painting of the Martyrdom of St. Stephen. Pendleton, the vicar of Bray, 120 CHURCHES. whose liappy facility of agreeing witb. the dominant party has passed into a proverb, was rector here. Dr. Croly, the author of several poems and romances, was the last rector. Sir John Vanbrugh, the play- writer, and architect of Blenheim (the sub- ject of the epigram " Lie heavy on him, earth, for he Laid many a heavy load on thee.") was interred in the family vault under this church. St. Stephen's, Westminster, stands in Kochester Eow, Tot- hill Fields. It was built in 1847 by ]\Iiss Burdett Coutts, from the designs of B. Ferrey, and is a good example of modern Gothic. The late Duke of Wellington gave the altar-cloth. Chapels. As to the places of meeting of religious bodies not connected with the Established Church, we have only space to give a very summary account. The Independents possess about 120 chapels, the Baptists 100, the Wesleyans 80, the Roman Catholics 30, the Calvinists 10, the English Presbyterians 10, the Quakers 7, the Jews 10, and other sects have from 1 to 5 each. Independents' Churches. The principal Independent chapels are Weigh House Chapel, King William Street, City (Rev. Dr. Binney's) ; James Street, West- minster (Rev. Samuel Martin's); Surrey Chapel (Rev. Kewman Hall). Scottish Churches. National Scotch Church, Crown Court, Covent Garden (Rev. Dr. Cumming's). Cross Street, Hatton Garden. Swallow Street, Piccadilly. Scottish Free Church, Regent Square, where (before it became the property of the present congregation) Irving preached and the imknown tongues were heard (Rev. Dr. James Hamilton's). Wesleyan Chapels. The Chapel in the City Road, opposite the Burnhill Fields burial-ground. The first stone was laid by Wesley in 1777. On his death in 1791, his body "lay in a kind of state becom- CHAPELS. 121 ing the person" in this chapel, and he was interred in a vault which he had prepared for himself. Wesleyan Model Chapel, East India Koad, Poplar, built in 1848 on an improved plan ; style decorated, with traceried Avin- dows. The Wesleyans have many other chapels in London. In 1839 this body erected a centenary hall and mission-house in Bishopsgate Street, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its foundation. Calvinistic Methodists. Whitfield's Tabernacle, Tottenham Court Road, was begun in 1756 from the designs of George Whitfield, the founder of Methodism. He preached the opening sermon, and when he died in New England, Wesley preached his funeral sermon here. The chapel is 126 feet long by 76 feet, and it will hold 7000 persons. It contains monuments to Whitfield, Toplady, and Bacon the sculptor. The Tabernacle, Finsbury, and the Surrey Chapel, Blackfriars' Road, where Rowland HiU preached for fifty years, are also places of meeting for members of this persuasion. Baptists. Metropolitan Tabernacle (Spurgeon's), Newington Butts, near the Elephant and Castle, a large building erected for the Rev. C. H. Spurgeon, and chiefly by his exertions. It is built of Kentish rag, with a handsome sex tile portico, and cost upwards of .£31,000, which sum was subscribed by the Baptists, one individual contributing £5000. The total external length is 208 feet, and its width is 106 feet. The internal height from the basement floor to the lantern light of the roof is 89 feet. There are two tiers of galleries within the chapel, which will hold about 7000 persons. Such is the preacher's popularity that it is always filled. Admission to the seats is obtained by tickets, which are sold at the booksellers, or at the vestry, the charge being 5s. a quarter each sitting. Bloomsbury Chapel, Bloomsbury Street, New Oxford Street (Rev. Mr, Brock's), opened in 1848. The principal front has a gable pediment, and large wheel window flanked by two tall spires. Friends* Meeting Houses. The Friends or Quakers have several places of meeting in ] 22 CHAPELS. London. Tlie principal one is Devonshire House, Honndsditcli, in the City, where the yearly meeting takes place in May. Irvingite. The followers of Edward Ir^dng, the preacher in unknown tongues, have erected a handsome church, which they call the Catholic Apostolic Church, in Gordon Square. Brandon designed it in the early Gothic style. It is 180 feet long, and the plan is cruciform. UXITAEIAN. The chief place of meeting for the Unitarians is at Essex Street Chapel, Strand, which was built on part of the site of Essex House. There are other chapels in Stamford Street, Blackfriars ; and Carter Lane, Doctors Commons. SWEDEXBORGIAX. The followers of Emmanuel Swedenborg have a church in Argyle Square, King's Cross, opened in 1844. It is a neat edifice, in the Anglo-Norman style, with towers and spires 70 feet high. Foreign Protestant Churches. French. — Bloomsbury Street, New Oxford Street, a Gothic edifice built in 1845. French. — St. Martin's-le-Grand, opposite the General Post- Office, opened in 1842. It was founded by King Edward YI. French. — Dutch Chm^h, Austin Friars', City, founded by Edward VI. German Lutheran. — St. James' Palace. German Lutheran. — Savoy, Strand, near the church of St. Mary-le-Savoy belonging to the establishment. Swedish. — Prince's Square, EatclifFe Highway. Emmanuel Swedenborg was interred here in 1772. Swiss. — Moor Street, Soho. KoMAN Catholic Churches and Chapels. The Roman Catholic population of London is very large. It probably amounts to 250,000, for whom there are about sixty churches and chapels, as well as several religious houses. In the principal churches the service is performed with the music of the great masters, in the execution of which the first singers in CHAPELS. 123 London are engaged. High mass usually takes place at eleven on Sundays. Cardinal Wiseman, Archbishop of Westminster, is the Pope's representative in this country. His residence is at 35 Golden Square, where he is " at home" on certain days each week. St. George's Cathedral, St. George's Road, Southwark, is the largest building for Roman Catholic worship erected in this country since the Reformation. It is of yellow brick and Caen stone, in the decorated style of the time of Edward III., and was designed by the late celebrated architect Augustus Welby Pugin to hold about 3000 persons. The cost so far has been about £38,000, and it is still unfinished, though opened for ser\^ce in July 1848. It is 235 feet long, and the spire, when completed, is intended to be 320 feet high. The stained glass of the chancel window was given by John Earl of Shrewsbury. Notice the high altar with its bas-reliefs and superb furniture, the elaborately carved stone reredos behind the altar, the pulpit. Cardinal Wise- man's throne, the font in the baptistry, and the perpendicular chantry outside the church, erected to the memory of the late Hon. E. Peter, where mass is daily performed for the repose of his soul. Adjoining the cathedral are a convent, priests' houses, and schools. St. Mart's Chapel, Bloomfield Street, Einsbury Circus. — Pope Pius VII. presented the sacramental plate. Here lay the remains of Weber the composer until they were removed to Dresden. Church of the Lmmaculate Conception, Farm Street, Berkeley Square, was designed by Scoles, and opened in 1849. It was bunt by the Jesuits, and was the first church possessed by the order in London. The high altar was designed by Pugin for the donor. Miss Monicia Preston, and the cost was nearly £1000. Bavarian Chapel, Warwick Street, Golden Square, stands on the site of a chapel destroyed in Lord George Gordon's riots of 1780. French Chapel, Little George Street, King Street, Portman Square. French preachers of celebrity are sometimes heard here. Sardinian Chapel, Duke Street, Lincoln's Inn Fields, the oldest of the existing Roman Catholic places of worship. It was built in 1648, and for many years the only entrance to it was through the Sardinian ambassador's house. It was partly de- molished in the riots of 1780, but was afterwards restored and 124 CHAPELS. enlarged. The late King of Sardinia presented the altar fur- niture, which cost 1000 guineas. Victor Emmanuel attended ser- vice here when ^^.siting this country. Spanish Chapel, Spanish Place, Manchester Square, is at- tended by the Spanish embassy. Greek Church. A striking edifice, the first in London appropriated to the Greek form of worship, was opened in 1850 in London Wall, City. The style is Byzantine, the plan a Greek cross, and the cost is said to have been nearly .£10,000. The service partakes of the magnificence of the Roman Catholic ritual, but no instru- ments are employed to assist the singing. Mass is celebrated at the richly-adorned altar "WTlth lights, etc. The priest preaches with his hat on. During the performance of service the whole congregation is standing. The Greeks in London probably do not much exceed 300. Jewish Synagogues. There are several Synagogues in London. The chief one is in Great St. Helen's, Bishopgate, City. The West London Syna- gogue, Margaret Street, Cavendish Square, was completed in 1850. The New Synagogue, Upper Bryanston Street, Bryan- ston Square. The Jewish Sabbath commences at sunset on Friday, and terminates at sunset on Saturday, during which time all the shops kept by members of the Hebrew persuasion are closed. The service, with its peculiar style of singing, is highly interesting. The men worship with their hats on, and the women sit apart. CHAPTEE THE EIGHTH. Government Buildings and Public Offices. General Post Office — Mint — Somerset House — Treasury Buildings — Horse Guards— Admiralty — Burlington House — Trinity House — Herald's College. THE GENERAL POST OFFICE, St. Martin's-Le-Grand, City, was erected in 1825-9, from the designs of Sir R Smirke. The locality derives its name from a church and collegiate buildings, dedicated to St. Martin, and founded so far back as the year 700 by Withred, king of Kent. Receiving large privileges from subsequent kings, who now and then came to reside here, it had the addition of le-grand made to its name. William of Wykeham was one of the deans and rebuilt the church. On clearing the site for the erection of the Post Office very numerous remains of the Romans were discovered. The west fa9ade of the present Post Office is 400 feet long, in a plain Grecian style, with three porticos, the central one of which has sis columns, and leads to a great hall, 80 feet long and 60 wide. This hall extends to the entire Tv^dth and height of the building. The receiving offices are on the north side of this hall, and here, at the evening post time may be witnessed a lively scene of bustle. It is said that about 130 houses, and nearly 1000 people, were displaced when this huge edifice was erected, and it is now too small for the transaction of business. The nominal chief of this Government establishment is styled the Postmaster-General, who is a member of the ministry, and usually a peer. The actual working head is the secretary. Sir Rowland Hill, K.C.B., who, in the face of strenuous opposition from the authorities, succeeded in bring- ing about the system of a universal penny rate, in January 1840, a system which has had the most beneficial result for the entire commimity, assisting commerce, and furthering the work of education. The Government derives a large income from this insti- 126 GOVERXilENT BUILDINGS AND PUBLIC OFFICES. tiition, wHcli is admirably managed tkroiigliout, and continually receiATing improvement. The number of letters delivered tkrongh tbe post-office in England in 1860 vras 462 millions, which is at the rate of 22 letters for every unit of the population. In London, the average number of letters for each person was 43 for the year. Then nearly 71 millions of newspapers were delivered in that year, and about 1 1,700,000 book-packets. To convey this immense mass of correspondence the mails travelled daily over 144,000 miles, and the persons employed throughout the British isles were 25,200. The gross revenue for 1860 was £3,267,662 from postages, and .£121,693 from money orders. The amount disbursed in salaries and pensions was .£1,066,920, and for carriage, etc., £1,184,397, leaving as the net revenue of the year .£1,102,479. Small sums of money can be remitted from one place to ano- ther- by means of money -orders^ which are obtained and paid at money-order offices. A money-order can be obtained for any sum up to £lO ; and the charges are, for a sum under £2, three- pence ; above £2, and not exceeduig £5, sixpence ; not exceeding £7, ninepence ; not exceeduig £lO, a shilling. The total amount remitted during 1860 by money-orders was upwards of thirteen millions sterling. The chief money-order office in London is a distinct building near the General Post Office, but on the oppo- site side of St. ;Martin's-le-Grand. The number of misdirected and nondirected letters in the course of twelve months is something quite extraordinary. The property in such letters amounts to £200,000 a year. If the person to whom a letter is addressed cannot be found, the letter is retained for a month, and is then turned over to the Dead Letter Office. Tlie post-offices in London are now very numerous. To faci- litate the posting of letters, iron pillar boxes have been erected at the corners of the streets, from which the letters are collected several times a-day. The postage-label stamps, which have now been imitated by all civilized nations, came into use in 1841, and the system of dividing them by perforations, the invention of Mr. Archer, was fu?st employed in 1854. They are to be pur- chased at all post-offices. The cost of their production and gum- ming is fivepence per thousand. ^Tien letters are addi^essed, " Post Office, London," or " Poste Restante," they can only be obtained between 10 and 4 at the GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS AND PUBLIC OFFICES. 127 General Post Office (St. Martin's-le-Grand), and foreigners must produce their passports. London and the neighbourhood have been recently divided into ten postal districts, and there is a list of streets published by the Post Office indicating the district of each. By placing the initials of these districts on the backs of letters their early deli- very will be accomplished. The districts are — East Central (E.G.), West Central (W.C.), North (N.), North-East (N.E.), East (E.), South-East (S.E.), South (S.), South-West (S.W.), West (W.), and North- West (N.W.) THE EOYAL MINT, Tower Hill. Tliis is the place where the current coins of the United King- dom, and of several of the colonies, are struck. The mint was originally within the walls of the Tower. The present buildings were commenced in 1806, and upon them and the machinery £250,000 have been expended. At the head of the establish- ment is a master, who was formerly a man of mark in politi- cal affairs ; but of late years the office was the award of high scientific attainments. Sir Isaac Newton held the appoint- ment. Sir John Herschel was the last master ; the present one is Thomas Graham, Esq., the eminent chemist. The machines employed are of highly ingenious construction ; and it is said that such is its efficiency, that if £50,000 worth of gold bullion be sent to the mint one day, the coins will be ready for delivery the next day. Of late years such has been the influx of gold from Australia and elsewhere, and such the extension of our commerce, that the work executed here has been astonishingly great, as will be perceived from the follo\ving statement of the numbers of gold and silver coins that have been struck at the mint during the ten years ending with 1860 Sovereigns . Half sovereigns Cro^vns Half crowns Florins Shillings . Sixpences . Groats Fourpences 48,911,848 14,416,569 466 1,493 15,633,372 23,025,506 21,735,183 1,880,874 41,580 128 GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS AND PUBLIC OFTICES. TkreeiDences 13,605,101 Twopences ...... 47,520 Pence 78,408 The precious metal to be coined is first alloyed, and then cast into small bars, which, are passed through rollers in order to be reduced to the exact thickness required. The sheets are then subjected to the action of the punching machines, which cut out circular disks. The blanks, as these are caUed, are separately tested for weight and soundness. After the rim has been raised they are taken to the coining presses, which nick the edges and stamp both sides at the same stroke, aU the time feeding itself with blanks. A single press will coin from 4000 to 5000 pieces in the hour. The dies that impress the figures on the coin are made in this way. A matrix is cut by the mint engraver in soft steel, and after this has been hardened it will strike many dies. It may perhaps interest our readers to learn the approximate number of the coins in circulation at the present time, all of which have been issued from the Eoyal IMint. Of gold coins (sovereigns and haK sovereigns), about one hundred millions. Of silver coins, as foUows : — Crowns, 2,320,000 ; haK-crowns, 37,500,000 ; florins, 10,000,000 ; shillings, 112,554,000 ; six- pences, 76,132,000; fourpences, 30,142,000; threepences, 7,572,000 ; making a total of 276,220,000 pieces of silver money. Of copper money there are about 500 millions in circu- lation, which would weigh 6000 tons. "We will now give a short account of the mode of converting bar gold into coins. The gold goes to the mint from the Bank of England in the shape of ingots 8 inches long, 3 inches wide, and 1 thick, each of which is worth £800. On receipt it is assayed, and is then transferred to the melting-house, which is at the back of the edifice that fronts the Tower. Here a certain quantity is placed in a crucible along with the copper, which appears to be necessary from the assayer's report, to reduce the gold to the standard, and the crucible is subjected to the heat of a furnace. "When melted, the mass is poured off into cast iron moulds, from which, when cold, the solid gold is ex- tracted in the shape of bars from 21 to 24 inches long, and 1 inch thick. These bars are assayed in order to make sure that the standard has been obtained, that is, that there are exactly two parts of copper to every 22 parts of gold. This being ascer- tained, the bars are handed over to the coiners, who transmit GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS AND PUBLIC OFFICES. 129 them to the rolling-room, an apartment 70 feet long and about 50 wide, in which there are six pairs of laminating rollers acting in frames that are firmly bolted to the granite pavement, and propelled by steam power. Each bar is passed singly between a pair of rollers, adjusted so as to be kept a certain distance apart. The result of this operation is to compress the bar and make it thinner. The operation is again and again repeated with the rollers nearer together, imtil the requisite thinness has been ob- tained. This repeated compression having had the effect of hardening the metal, this is counteracted by subjecting it for a short time to a moderate temperature, in what is called an an- nealing oven. The slips of gold go next to the adjusting room, which has machinery driven by steam, and where they are finally brought to the precise thickness required. In the cutting- out presses round pieces of gold are punched out of the slips at the rate of 60 a minute. The disks thus made are weighed in automatic machines costing £200 each. The action of each of these delicate machines is such, that if a disk is too light by a quarter of a grain, or too heavy by half a grain, it is separated from those of just weight, which alone are passed on to the next operation. This, technically called " marking," consists of rais- ing a rim round the edge of the disk, and is effected by special machines in a separate room. The gold pieces, or "blanks," then go into the annealing furnace in order to be softened pre- vious to their being stamped. Before they are taken to the coining press they are immersed in dilute sulphuric acid, made boiling hot with a view to render them bright. In the coining room, 70 feet long by 35 broad, there is a series of presses worked by atmospheric pressure, each provided with a pair of dies, one for each face of the coin. A rouleau of blanks being placed in a feeding tube, one of them is mechanically placed upon the lower die ; upon it descends the upper die, whilst a steel collar milled on its inner side surrounds the piece of gold. The blow is struck, and the gold, now a perfect coin, is ejected to make room for another blank about to be similarly treated. Sixty coins a minute are struck by a single press, and are turned out by it in all respects ready for circulation ; made up into col- lections of 701 pieces, they are then returned to the bank for issue to the public. Applications to view the mint should be made in WTiting to the master, giving the writer's name and full address, and stating K 130 GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS AND PUBLIC OFFICES. the number of the proposed party. If there be no objection, an order will be sent to the applicant, which is not transferable, and is only available for the day specified. SoiiERSET House, Strand, occupies the site of and derives its name from a palace commenced about 1547 by the Protector Somerset, who, however, did not live to see its completion, for he was beheaded in 1552. After having been the residence of several royal personages, it was ordered to be demolished, in order that public offices might be erected on the spot. The pre- sent building was begun in 1776 from the designs of Sir Wil- liam Chambers. It is one of the few really handsome edifices that London has to boast of, and it ought to be handsome, for it cost half a million of money. The Strand front is 1 5 5 feet long ; its centre is pierced by three arcades, leading into a quadrangle 319 feet by 224. The river front* about 800 feet in length, is very noble. Since Chambers' time the east wing, forming King's College, has been erected by Sir R. Smirke, and the west wing, facing Wellington Street, only recently built by Pennethome at a cost of .£81,000. The river terrace is 50 feet wide and elevated 50 feet above the bed of the stream. The central water- gate is surmounted by a colossal mask emblematic of the Thames. It is said that there are 3600 windows in Somerset House. There are about 900 persons employed here, who derive ,£275,000 a year from the country. On the right hand, in the entrance arcade, are the offices of the Registrar-General of Births, Deaths, and Marriages for England, the door of which is surmounted by a bust of Michael Angelo ; and on the left hand is the entrance, surmounted by a bust of Sir Isaac Newton, to the rooms of the Society of Antiquaries. Entering the quadrangle, and turning eastward towards the gateway leading to King's College, we pass the apartments of the Astronomical and Geological Societies. Con- spicuous in the quadrangle is a bronze group of George III. with a rudder, lion, and a figure of the Thames. This was the work of John Bacon and cost £2000. A large portion of Somerset House is taken up by offices connected with the aff'airs of the royal navy for which there is no accommodation at the Admi- ralty. In this department is a Naval Musemn or model room, which may be seen on application to the surveyor general. Be- sides models and sections of large British ships, there are models of various foreign craft — Chinese junk, Burmese war-boat, etc. * " My other fair and more majestic face."— Cowlet. GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS AND PUBLIC OFFICES. 131 The Audit Office (where the public accoimts of the realm and its colonies are audited) is here ; also the Inland Revenue Office, occupying the new west wing, where the sums arising from the public taxes, and the stamp, legacy, and excise duties, are dealt with. The chairman of the commissioners of this department receives .£2500 a year, the largest salary in Somerset Ho-.i-e. In the basement stamps are impressed on deeds, etc., by ma- chinery, postage stamps and newspaper stamps printed, etc. Several other public offices are contained in this huge building besides those we have mentioned. Treasury Buildings, Whitehall. Here are the offices of the Privy Council, the Treasury, the Home Office, the Board, of Trade, and the official residence of the first Lord of the Treasury. Tlie fa9ade has a length of 296 feet. The shell is old. The present handsome front was designed by Sir Charles Barry (1846-7), to replace Soane's insipid exterior, and 'v\'ith a view to extensive changes and improvements in the neighbourhood, which were afterwards abandoned. The front towards the Parade Ground, St. James' Park, was built by Kent in 1733. There has been no Lord High Treasurer for many years. The office is put in commission, and the first lord is usually chief of the cabinet or prime minister. The other commissioners are styled lords, though commoners without titles. Since the accession of George HI. the Sovereign has never sat at the Treasury table, but the throne still remains at its head. At the Privy Council Office the Judi- cial Committee sits to hear appeals, and other cases in which Acts of Parliament have given it jurisdiction. Here are preserved the minutes of the proceedings of the privy council since 1540. A privy councillor is styled " Eight Honourable" although a com- moner. The official designation of the Board of Trade is, the Committee of the Privy Council for Trade, and it has a distinct president, who has a seat in the cabinet. The Home Office is the place where the Secretary of State for the Home Department transacts business. The Colonial Office and the Foreign Office are in the mean cul-de-sac called Do^Tiing Street. Each is presided over by a principal secretary of state and cabinet minister. At the first, the business connected with our nimierous colonies is transacted ; at the second, the business arising out of our relations to foreign powers. Here foreign office passports are issued to British sub- jects, on the recommendation of a banker, at a charge of 2s. 132 GOVERXMEXT BUILDINGS AND PUBLIC OFFICES. The Chancellor of the Exchequer's Office is also in Downing Street. He is a cabinet minister and frequently the leader of the House of Commons. This is the office into which the vast income of Great Britain passes, whilst all payments are made through the medium of the Treasury and other offices. The Chancellor's duties are now purely ministerial, he no longer iiaving judicial functions in the Court of Exchequer. The Office of the Secretary of State for War (a post first established during the Crimean war), is in the old Ordnance Office, 86 Pall Mall, with the addition of Buckingham House. The Office of the Secretary of State for India in Council (a newly created post) is at present in the Westminster Hotel, Victoria Street. It has been for some time past in contemplation to erect a large pile of buildings, to contain the offices of several depart- ments of the government, and premiums were awarded, on com- petition, for designs sent in. Great differences of opinion exist as to the style of architecture, and nothing further has been done. The Horse Guards, "Whitehall, in front of which two mounted cavalry soldiers stand on guard during the day. The building was erected in 1753, from whose design is not certainly known, though Kent has usually the credit of it. The central turret bears a clock, facing two ways, which has a high character for accuracy, and is consequently the standard public time-keeper for the west end of London. The offices of the Commander-in- Chief, the Adjutant-General, and the Quarter-Master-General are at the Horse Guards. In the audience-room, where the Com- mander-in-Chief and his military secretary hold their levees, are portraits by Gainsborough of George III. and his Queen, and a marble bust of their son, the late Duke of York. Through the centre of the building is a carriage-way into St. James' Park, which only the royal family and certain privileged persons are allowed to use. Foot passengers are permitted to pass through the side arch-ways. At the rear is the parade-ground, where in- spections of the troops are made. The Admiralty, Whitehall, a building which cannot be praised for its architectural beauty, is the place where the business connected with the management of the Royal Navy is transacted. The present front was put up about 1726 by Ripley, satirized by Pope in the Dunciad. The screen, with its charac- teristic ornaments, was designed by the brothers Adam in 1776. GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS AND PUBLIC OFFICES. 133 The remains of Lord Nelson lay in state here in 1806, and hence the procession moved with the body to the place of its interment, St. Paul's. The ofl&ce of Lord High Admiral has been put in commission for nearly 200 years, with the exception of a few short periods, and many of our naval worthies have been first lords. It is now usual to make a civilian first lord, and the others are chiefly naval men. Adjoining the Admiralty is a house for the first lord, and some of the junior lords have resi- dences in the northern wing. There is here a portrait of Lord Nelson, painted at Palermo in 1799 by Guzzardi, wearing the Sultan's diamond plume, and in the secretary's house are portraits of the persons who have filled that ofl&ce, from Pepys down to the present. The Admiralty has direct telegraphic communication with Portsmouth. Burlington House, 49 Piccadilly, is divided from the street by a high wall. It was built by Boyle, Earl of Burling- ton, the amateur architect, the friend of the poets. " "WTio builds like Boyle ?" asked Pope ; and Gay declared that " Burlington 's beloved by every muse." Inside the wall there is a colonnade, which has been the subject of much exaggerated praise. Kent, the architect, and Handel were patronized by the Earl, and lived in this mansion. The Duke of Portland, George III.'s minister, resided and died here. The Burlington Arcade, which is said to produce a rental of £4000 a year, was built in 1819 on a slip of the groimd. A few years ago Government pui'chased the house and garden, about 8 acres altogether, for ,£140,000. The Eoyal Society, Linnsean Society, and Chemical Society are now established here, and the examinations of the University of Lon- don are conducted in the mansion. The whole of the National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, being required for the National collec- tion of pictures, it has been proposed that the Royal Academy should build a series of saloons in the gardens of Burlington House, where their profitable annual exhibitions may take place. Trinity House, north side of Tower Hill, built from the designs of Samuel Wyatt, 1793. This is the seat of an ancient guild, founded by Sir Thomas Spert, Captain of the Henri Grace de Dieu, and Comptroller of the navy in the time of Henry VIIL It was incorporated 1529, and now consists of a master, a deputy- master, about thu-ty elder brethren, who are for the most part either naval men, or persons connected wdth the ci\al administra- tion of the navy, and a large number of younger brethren. 134 GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS AND PUBLIC OFFICES. Prince Albert, who was master before Ms death, succeeded the Duke of Wellington. This corporation is intrusted with the charge of lighthouses, sea-marks, the licensing of pilots, etc. Its revenue amounts to about £300,000 a year, of which about one fourth remains after meeting the expenses, and this surplus is chiefly ex- pended in pensioning disabled seamen, or the widows and orphans of seamen. They have hospitals at Deptford, which are annually visited in a state yacht on Trinity Monday. At the Trinity- House are busts of many naval heroes, a picture 20 feet long by Gainsborough, representing the elder brethren of the time. In the museum are models of lighthouses, life-boats, etc., a fine model of the Royal William, made 160 years ago, a flag taken by Drake from the Spaniards in 1588, and other curiosities. To see them, apply for the secretary's order. Heralds' College (College of Arms), Benet's Hill, Doctors Commons, a relic of the feudalism of the Mddle Ages, presided over by an Earl Marshal, a post made hereditary in the family of the Duke of Norfolk by Charles H. "We are told that the duties of this college (which was first incorporated by Richard III.) consists in marshalling and ordering coronations, marriages, chris- tenings, funerals, interviews, and feasts of kings and princes ; also cavalcades, shows, jousts, tournaments, and combats before the constable and marshal ; also in taking care of the coats of arms and genealogies of the nobility and gentry. If any one wishes to assume armorial bearings, he must apply to Heralds' College. The usual cost is about seventy-five guineas. The present building was erected by Wren, in 1683, on the site of an older one destroyed by the great fire. Tlie hall in which the court of chivalry was formerly held, with the judicial seat of the earl marshal, is on the north side of the yard. Here is an old library, and a fire-proof record room. In the college are preserved several curiosities ; the WarA\ick roll, with figures of all the Earls of War\\ick from the Conquest to Richard III. ; a tournament roll of the time of Henry YIII. ; a pedigree of Saxon Kings from Adam, with pen and ink illustrations of Henry YIIL's time ; a portrait of Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury from his tomb in old St. Paul's ; a sword, dagger, and turquoise ring, said to have been the property of James lY. of Scotland, who was killed at the battle of Flodden Field ; a volume ia the handwriting of Cambden the historian; MS. collections of heralds' visitations, records of grants of armorial bearings, etc. There are also some GOVERNMEXT BUILDINGS AND PUBLIC OFFICES. 135 old portraits of ojficers of the college. Since 1622 tlie college has consisted of thirteen officers, viz., three kings-at-arms. Garter, principal ; Clarencieux ; Norroy — six heralds, Lancaster, Somer- set, Richmond, Windsor, York, Chester — and four pursuivants. Rouge Croix, Blue Mantle, Portcullis, and Blue Dragon. In old time these mock kings were crowned with pompous ceremonies in the presence of the sovereign. Amongst the officers of this college, the following have rendered themselves of note as his- torians or antiquarians : William Cambden, Sir William Dugdale, Elias Ashmole, and Francis Grose. CHAPTEK THE NINTH. Commercial Buildings. Bank of England — Eoyal Exchange — Stock Exchange — Custom House — Coal Exchange. The Bank of England covers a quadrangular space of about four acres, with a street on every side. The buildings are of one storey, and have no windows towards any of the thorough- fares. There is little in the external architecture to attract at- tention except the north-west comer, which was copied from the temple of the SybU at Tivoli. The interior, which is well ar- ranged for business, contains nine courts in addition to the offices. Several architects have been successively employed to make the bank what it now is. Sir Robert Taylor from 1766 to 1786, fol- lowed by Sir John Soane and C. R. Cockerell. The principal part of the exterior is Soane's work. This wonderful establishment, which makes itself felt in every money market in the world, and at home occupies such a conspicuous position in commercial and financial affairs, was planned by a Scotchman, named Paterson, in 1691, and three years afterwards received a charter of incorporation under the style of the Governor and Company of the Bank of England, from Wil- liam III. The subscribed capital of £1,200,000 was advanced to the government. Business was carried on at several places before the company removed in 1734 to premises on the site of part of the present bank, the other part being covered by a church, some taverns, and private houses. The first charter was only for four- teen years ; it has been renewed eight times since then, for vari- ous terms, the longest of which was thirty-three years. During its lengthened existence it has had to pass through some dangerous crises, such as the rebellion of 1745, when its payments were made in sixpences to gain time ; the trouble occasioned by the wars with France, at the end of the last century, when cash pay- 138 BANK OF ENGLAND. ments were suspended under the antliority of an Act of Parlia- ment, and not resumed until 1823 ; and during the time of the commercial difficulties in 1825, when its treasure was reduced to a very low ebb, but lucMly the tide turned before it was exhausted. The bank has met with some heavy losses through forgeries ; by Astlett it lost £320,000, and by Fauntleroy £360,000. The management of the affairs of the bank are intrusted to a governor, deputy-governor, and twenty-four directors, eight of whom go out of office every year, but are usually re-elected. The proprietors of stock to the value of £500 are entitled to vote for directors. The governor must be a proprietor to the extent of at least £4000, the deputy-governor £3000, and a director £2000. The directors and governors meet in the " Bank Par- lour," where the dividends are declared and the rate of discount announced, a point of great importance in the money market. The dividend on £lOO stock is 7 per cent, and the market price of that amount is about £228. The number of persons employed in the bank is about 900. The salary of a clerk entering at seventeen is £50, and that of the head of a department £1200. The sum paid in salaries is about £210,000. Some of the clerks have amassed large for- tunes. There was Daniel Race, whose portrait is in the parlour lobby, who was fifty years in the service, and died worth £200,000 ; and Abraham Newland, a cashier, whose name formed the burden of a once popular song, left behind him a very con- siderable sum. There is a library in the bank for the use of the clerks. The profits of the Bank arise from various sources. They issue notes and carry on the business of an ordinary bank, receiv- ing deposits, discounting bills, making loans, etc. A large cash balance belonging to the nation is always in its hands, and of this a profit is made. The remuneration allowed to the Bank for its services in managing the National Debt (which now amounts to £775,000,000), keeping the books, attending to transfers, receiv- ing the taxes, paying dividends, etc., is about £200,000 a-year. A very large amount of bullion is kept in its vaults, usually from 14 to 17 millions, as a reserve to meet any run that may be made upon it. The Bullion Office is a special department with its own staff of clerks. The gold is in bars, each weighing 1 6 lbs., and being worth £800 ; the silver is in pigs and bars, or else in bags of dollars. Here is some delicate apparatus for weighing BANK OF ENGLAND. 139 large quantities of gold and silver. In the Weighing Office, in another part of the bank, Mr. W. Cotton's ingenious machine is employed to detect light gold coin. The light pieces are sepa- rated in the process of weighing from those of full weight, and so quick is the operation, that 35,000 may be weighed in a day by one machine. When the gold coin has been weighed it is put into bags of .£1000, which are deposited in the iron presses of the Treasury, a well-secured apartment. The operation of printing bank notes is well worth seeing. The paper is of peculiar make, the texture and water marking almost beyond imitation. The printing machinery is of most in- genious construction, the invention of a father and son named Oldham. Each haK of a note is numbered alike, and as the printing proceeds, the machine alters the number in readiness for the next note. When a note that has been issued is returned to the bank, it is immediately cancelled, and consequently new notes are continually issuing to replace those that come in. Notes re- presenting from 18 to 19 millions sterling are usually in circula- tion. The principal offices are the Pay HaU, 79 feet by 40 ; the Kotunda or Dividend Pay Office, with a dome 57 feet in diameter; Transfer Offices ; the £5 note Office ; the Private Drawing Office ; and the Post Bill Office. A small military force is stationed in the bank at night to protect it from attack, and some of the clerks remain up through the night keeping watch. The public may walk through the principal offices during busi- ness hours. Admission to the other parts can only be obtained by an order from a director, the governor, or deputy-governor, and a special order is required for the Bullion Office. The Royal Exchange, the head-quarters of London commerce, occupies a conspicuous position near the Bank of England, between Cornhill and Threadneedle Street, on the site of the first Exchange, built by Sir Thomas Gresham, and presented by him to liis fellow merchants in the reign of Elizabeth. Tliat edifice had shops like the present Exchange, and we read in the old plays of " the gaudy shops of Greshani's burse." This structure was de- stroyed by the great fire of London in 1666. Three years after- wards the second Exchange was opened. This building was also destroyed by fire, an event which occurred in January 1838. 140 THE ROYAL EXCHANGE. The present Exchange, which cost £180,000, designed by 'Mi. "W. Tite, was opened by Queen Victoria in October 1844. Its total length is 308 feet. The west front has a fine portico, 96 feet wide, supported by 12 columns 41 feet high, and having the pediment ornamented by numerous allegorical figures by R. Westmacott. On the south side of the building, over the three centre arches, are the arms of Gresham, of the City, and of the Mercers' Company ; and these arms are again given on the entablature at the east end. On the north side, over the three central arches, are some mottoes ; that in the middle is Sir Thomas Gresham's Fortun a my ; that on the east side is the City's Domine dirige nos ; and on the other side is the Mercers' Company's Honor Deo. Passing through the great portico we reach an open area, surrounded by a spacious arcade or ambulatory, the roof and walls of which have been painted in fresco by F. Sang. Coats of arms, with arabesque de- signs are here given in rich and lively colours. In the middle of the area stands a marble statue of the Queen by Lough ; and in the eastern comers of the arcade are statues of Elizabeth and Charles II. The chief days on 'Change are Tuesday and Friday, and the busy time is from half-past three to half-past four. A tall tower on the east side carries a clock, and is surmounted by a great gilt grasshopper, the device of Sir Thomas Gresham. Shops and offices occupy the ground floor on three sides, which greatly spoil the effect as a piece of architecture. The principal floor is occupied by rooms appropriated to two of the great insurance offices and to the underwriters' establishment of Lloyds. To the latter, access is gained by a flight of steps at the east end of the building. The great room, where the business of under- writing {i.e. insuring ships) is transacted, is 98 feet long and 40 feet wide. In the vestibule is a statue of the statesman Hus- kisson by Gibson, and a mural tablet with an inscription record- ing the extraordinary exertions of the Times newspaper in the exposure of a remarkable fraud on the mercantile public. In the various rooms meet merchants, ship-owners, insurance-brokers, and other persons interested in foreign commerce. To this place the agents of the establishment, who are scattered all over the world, forward the earliest news of the departure, the arrival, the loss, or the damage of ships. The subscribers are about 1 900 in number ; members pay an entrance fee of 25 guineas, and an annual subscription of four guineas, but if imderwriters and THE STOCK EXCHANGE. 141 insurance-brokers the annual subscription is 10 guineas. To aid the calculations of insurers, there in here a self-registering anemometer wdth a set of meteorological instruments. TSvo other rooms are called the Merchants' Room (annual subscription four guineas) and the Captains^ Room. In the latter refreshments can be obtained. This great and useful establishment is managed by a committee of nine members whose chairman is elected annually. Six subscribers must recommend a candidate for admission, who is then balloted for by the committee. The name Lloyds originated in the fact that a man so called kept a cojffee-house in Abchurch Lane, where mercantile men were in the habit of meeting. At No. 2 White Lion Court, Comhill, is a distinct Society called Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping, whose affairs are managed by a committee of twenty-four members. The object of this society is to ascertain by the survey of competent persons, the character and condition of ships. It is here that the classification A 1, etc., applied to ships, originates. In front of the great portico of the Eoyal Exchange is a bronze equestrian statue on a granite pedestal, bearing the simple inscription — Wellington. Erected June 18, 1844. Close by is a neat fountain ; a female figure m bronze pours water from a vase into a granite basin. The Stock Exchange, Capel Court, near the Bank of England, was built in 1801, on the site of a house belonging to Sir William Capel, Lord Mayor in 1504. Here the stock-jobbers and brokers meet, to buy and sell stocks and shares. Jobbers are persons who buy and sell on their own account ; brokers, those who act only on account of others. The annual subscription is XlO, and none but subscri- bers are admitted. They are from 800 to 900 in number, and are chosen by ballot by the committee, a body of 30 elected annu- ally by the whole body of members. Every member must be re- elected at the end of the year. The hubbub during business hours is great, from the brokers calling out their terms aloud. The regular commission of a broker, on buying or selling, is 2s. 6d. per cent. Stocks and funds are the barometers of states ; they are in 142 THE CUSTOM HOUSE. continual fluctuation under the influence of a variety of circum- stances, which, are looked upon as favourable or adverse to the -will or ability of those states to pay their debts. False reports have often been circulated with a view of acting upon the funds, and our criminal courts have been sometimes called upon to investigate charges of conspiracy connected with attempts to raise or lower prices. The late Earl of Dundonald, then Lord Cochrane, was convicted of being implicated in a conspiracy of this nature, although it is now generally believed that he was entirely innocent. The quantity of spare money in the country has also much to do with the prices. Several slang terms are in use here. A lull is a person who contracts to buy on speculation, in the hope of a rise, when he will clear a profit. A lear is one who contracts to sell without holding stock at the time, in the expectation that a fall will ensue ; the contracts being made for a distant date, or '• for the account," as it is termed. Lame duck is a name given to defaulters. The Custom House, Lower Thames Street, presents a conspicuous front to the river, half-way between the Tower and London Bridge. It is the fifth Custom House built on the site. The front, 488 feet long, was designed by Sir Eobert Smirke, the architect of the Post Ofl&ce and the British Museum, when the centre of the building, built by David Laing in 1814-17, was taken down on account of the foun- dation giving way. The total cost was enormous, viz., £435,000. Between the building and the river is a broad esplanade. Up- wards of 2200 persons are employed in the custom house, or are connected with it ; for a very large proportion of the total sum raised by the customs duties (not far short of one-half) is collected at the port of London. The management of the business is in- trusted to a board of commissioners appointed by Government. There are about 170 rooms in the building, in addition to ware- houses and cellars. The Board Room contains portraits of George in. and George IV., the latter by Lawrence. The business is chiefly transacted in the " Long Boom," which has a length of 190 feet, and a width of 66, and where about 80 officers and clerks sit. In the queen's warehouse and the fire-proof cellars are kept the articles which have been seized. These are sold at quarterly sales, but the amount realized by them is not more than £5000 a year. Office hours from 10 to 4. coal exchange. 1 43 The Coal Exchange, Lower Thames Street, City, was opened by the late Prince Consort in 1849, having been erected by the corporation from the designs of J. B. Bunning. It is in the Italian style, and has two principal fronts. The tower is 106 feet high. The hall where the merchants meet is a rotunda, 60 feet in diameter, with three tiers of galleries round it, covered by a dome of glass, which is 74 feet above the floor. The floor of this rotunda is beautifully inlaid with wood, of which there are 40,000 pieces, representing a mariner's compass, with the arms of the city in the middle. The blade of the dagger on this shield is a piece of the mulberry tree, planted by Peter the Great, when working as a shipwright at Deptford. The walls of the vestibule and rotunda have been richly decorated by F. Sang, with representations of the plants found in the coal-beds, of coal-mines, and mouths of shafts, of coal-digging implements, and with emblematic figures of rivers. In digging the foundations of this building a Roman bath was discovered, which was preserved, and access to it can still be obtained. The consumption of coal in the metropolis is enormously great, as strangers would be led to guess from its soot-laden atmosphere; and the number of persons engaged in the carriage alone is large. On all sea-borne coal the corporation levies a duty, which realizes about .£170,000 a year, but a considerable portion of the quantity introduced (between three and four millions of tons) is now brought by railway. CHAPTER THE TENTH. Museums. British Museum — Museum of College of Surgeons — Museum of Practical Geology — United Service Museum — India Museum — Missionary Museum. THE BRITISH MUSEUM, Great Russell Street, Bloomsbuiy. The cliief collections of this great national establishment are open, free to the public, on Mondays, Wednesdays from 10 to 4, and on Saturdays from 12 to 4 during November, December, January, and February ; from 1 to 5 during March, April, Sep- tember, and October ; and from 10 to 6 during May, June, July, and August. It is closed on Ash-Wednesday, Good-Friday, Christmas-day, and any public fast or thanksgiving-day, also be- tween the 1st and the 7 th of January, the 1st and the 7tli of May, and the 1st and 7th of September inclusive. Artists are allowed to study in the Sculpture galleries between 9 and 4 every day except Saturday. Sir Hans Sloane, who had collected a considerable number of curious and valuable objects at an outlay of ^50,000, directed by his will that they should be offered to Government for the simi of £20,000, and in 1753 an Act of Parliament was passed to authorize the acceptance of the offer, and to vest that collection, as well as the Cottonian and Harleian collections of MSS., in certain persons, to be styled the Trustees of the British Museum ; in this way our great national establishment originated. In the year following the trustees purchased Montague House from Lord Halifax for the reception of these collections, and on the 15th January 1759 the Museum was opened to the public George III. having presented a collection of Egyptian antiquities, and the Hamilton and Townley antiquities having been purchased, it became necessary to build in order to obtain accommodation for these successive additions. In 1816 the Elgin marbles were 146 BRITISH MUSEUM. acquired, and tlie utter inadequacy of the existing buildings was manifest. In 1823 George III.'s library was handed over to the nation, and it was then determined to provide an entirely new edifice to contain the whole of the collections. The eastern side of the present structure was thereupon designed by Sir R. Smii-ke, and the Royal library placed in it in 1828. The northern, southern, and western sides of the Museum were subsequently added, old Montague House meanwhile disappearing piece-meal, the last portion being removed in 1845. In 1827 the depart- ment of Botany was created, in consequence of Sir Joseph Banks having bequeathed his botanical collections to the Museum. The contents of the Museum are now divided into eight de- partments, viz. : — Printed Books. Botany. Manuscripts. Zoology. Antiquities and Art. . Palaeontology. Prints and Drawings. Mineralogy. Each department is under the immediate care of an under- librarian as keeper, over whom is the principal librarian, an office now held by Signor Antonio Panizzi. There is also a superin- tendent of the Natural History departments, a situation now held by [Mr. Richard Owen, the English Cuvier. The appointment of officers, and the management of the affairs, are in the hands of the trustees, a rather numerous body, some of whom are ap- pointed by Government and others by certain families, to whose ancestors the nation is indebted for important gifts. Seven acres of ground are occupied by the Museum buildings and their court-yards. Their cost, including that of the new reading-room, has been nearly a million sterling. Extensive as they are, more room is urgently required, and many plans have been brought forward, but nothing has been definitely determined on. At one time the separation of the collections of antiquities and art, and their removal to South Kensington, was a plan that found favour. The grand entrance is from Great Russell Street, from which the principal court-yard is separated by a massive iron railing. Entering at the great gates, we pass buildings occupied as resi- dences by the chief officers, and approach a splendid portico, supported by columns 45 feet high, and having at their bases a diameter of 5 feet. The entire front is 370 feet in length, and is PLAN OF BRITISH MUSEUM. 147 MONTAGUE PLACE ■ciAN calV- I : < m TRANSEPT H I '■ SCR^CO ROMAN SALOONS ^ ROMa: HALL ,P LIBRARY Q oooo oooooooo P O R.T I C O IE NTRAN CEj F O R EiiCO UiR. 7 J7^ CATEWAr LsENTH SENTRYBJ GREAT RUSSELL STREET 148 BRITISH MUSEUM. of elegant proportions. The pediment of tlie portico is enriclied with a group of figures in Portland stone by Sir B. "Westmacott, representing the progress of civili2ation. The whole of the ex- terior of the buildings is in the Grecian-Ionic style. If the visitor will take the trouble to consult the plans, he will more easily understand our directions. Entering the great hall (Grecian-Doric), we may either cross it to the door leading to the new reading-room (not accessible without a special ticket), or turn to the right and enter the Grenville and Eoyal libraries, or turn to the left and enter the galleries of antiquities, or ascend the staircase to the zoological, botanical, palseontological, and miner- alogical collections. To those who desire more detailed informa- tion than our space enables us to give, we may recommend the official guide to the departments of Natural History and Antiqui- ties, sold in the hall, price 6d. Antiquities. — Turning to the left, out of the entrance hall, we enter a long narrow gallery, where a collection of Eoman antiquities found in this country is preserved, as well as some ancient statues and busts of several Eoman Emperors, and others of that nation. The greater part of the Eoman sculpture in this gallery and the succeeding saloons was collected by Charles Townley, Esq., from whose representatives they were purchased by Government for £20,000 in 1805. In 1824 a valuable addition was acquired by the bequest of E. Payne Knight, Esq. In the Greeco-Eoman saloons are to be seen works foimd in Italy, but by artists who were either Greeks, or who imitated Greek sculpture. In the first saloon is a portion of the mythological series, representing gods and god- desses. Amongst these the Townley Venus, in the middle of the room — a half-draped figure with restored extremities, deserves close attention as a very fine work of art ; as well as the torso of another Venus, stooping. Here is a head of ApoUo, remark- able for its beauty. In the second Graeco-Eoman saloon is a statue of a Discobolus (quoit-thrower), life size, supposed to be a copy of the celebrated bronze statue by Myron ; and busts of personages distinguished in Greek history or literature — Homer (a noble bust), Epicurus, Pericles, Sophocles, and others. In the third Grasco-Eoman saloon is a female bust with the lower part enclosed in a flower. This is usually called Cl}i;ie ; it is undoubtedly one of the most equisite heads of all antiquity. At the end of this saloon a staircase leads down to the Grgeco- BRITISH MUSEUM. 149 Eoman basement room, where will be seen miscellaneous objects of subordinate rank to tbose in tbe saloons, such as vases, cande- labra, animals, etc. Ascending again, we may next enter the Lycean Gallery, of which the principal contents are architectural and sculptural remains obtained from ancient cities (chiefly from Xanthus), in Lycia, Asia :Minor. They were discovered by Sir C. Fellows, and removed by two expeditions sent out by the Govern- ment in 1842-46. They range in date from the subjugation of rhe country by the Persians, B.C. 545, to the period of the Byzantine empire. Notice the bas-reliefs from the Harpy tomb, executed not later than 500 B.C. Passing through a small ante-room, we reach the first of the two rooms containing sculptures and inscriptions from Athens and Attica, known as the Elgin marbles, in consequence of their having been obtained by Lord Elgin when ambassador at Con- stantinople (1801-1803). The earl's collection was purchased from biTn for £35,000. The most important part of this collec- tion consists of the two groups arranged one on each side, which originally adorned the eastern and western pediments of the Parthenon at Athens. [See a model of the Parthenon in the Phi- galian saloon.] These sculptures are world-renowned. They were executed under the superintendence of Phidias, and they are imiversally acknowledged to be the most valuable examples of Greek art which modem times possess. The group on the western side of the room belonged to the eastern pediment. The central figures have perished, but when entire, the miraculous birth of Minerva from the head of Jupiter was represented. Beginning at the south end, we have the upper part of the figure of Hyperion driving his chariot, of which the heads of two of the horses are seen ; Theseus or Hercules reclining, Ceres and Proserpine seated ; Iris, the messenger of the deities. At the north end is a torso of Victory ; then a group of the three Fates, two seated, one lying do^^^l ; head of a horse from the Mon's chariot. The remains of the western pediment are on the oppo- site side of the room. It was intended to represent the contest of ^Minerva with Keptune for the guardianship of Athens. Some of the statues of this group remain at Athens, and casts of them appear here. Beginning at the north end, we have the river god Ilissus ; cast of two figures called Heracles and Hebe ; torso of Cecrops, first king of Attica ; part of ^Minerva's head ; part of torso of Neptune ; torso of Amphitrite ; part of Latona's figure, 150 BRITISH MUSEUM. seated ; cast of the torso of tlie river god CepHssus ; part of tlie recumbent figure of a nymph. In other parts of the room are casts from parts of figures believed to have formed portions of these pediments. The sculptures from the temple of Wingless Victory at Athens, from marble slabs belonging to the upper frieze of the building, should also be inspected as being very finely executed ; and there is here an undraped statue of Cupid of remarkable workmanship. In the second Elgin room are further specimens of the Par- thenon sculptures, viz., some of the metopes and portions of the frieze that surrounded the temple within the colonnade. This frieze represented in bas-relief the Panathenaic procession which took place at the quadrennial festival in honour of Minerva at Athens. The metopes were detached pieces of sculpture in high relief, that surmounted the colonnade, and represented combats between Greeks and Centaurs. There are here also some remains of the sculptures of the Erectheum, another Athenian temple, of the Propylaea, and other celebrated buildings at Athens. In the Hellenic room are deposited marbles that have been conveyed at various times from Greece (excepting Attica) and its colonies ; as well as casts from a temple in the Island of ^Egina, erected in the fifth or sixth century B.C. The originals, which our government foolishly neglected to purchase when it had the opportunity, are at ]\Iunich. Here are 23 sculptured slabs, part of a frieze from the temple of Apollo Epicurius near Phigalia in Arcadia, which was erected by Ictinus, the architect of the Par- thenon, to commemorate the delivery of the Phigalians from the plague, B.C. 430. One series of the slabs represents the contest of Greeks and Centaurs ; another series the invasion of Greece by the Amazons. The Phigalian marbles cost £19,000. In the Assyrian galleries, low narrow apartments more than 300 feet long, is a collection of sculptures obtained chiefly by l^Ir. Layard, 1847-50, at ancient Nineveh. Commencing our examination of these remains in the Northei-n Gallery (to reach which from the Greek collection we must pass through the Nim- roud central saloon), we shall find here a collection of bas- reliefs obtained from the ruins of a great edifice at Kouyunjik, which is thought to have been the palace of Sennacherib, who began to reign about B.C. 721. The slabs were very much broken by the action of fire, as if the palace had been burned. BRITISH MUSEUM. 151 For the most part, tlie sculptures refer to tlie battles of Sen- nacherib and bis grandson Ashurbanipal. One series represents the building of an edifice, it may be the very palace from which the slabs were taken. In the middle of the room is an obelisk of white stone, brought from Koiiyunjik, but originally executed for Sardanapalus the Great, who reigned about two centuries before Sennacherib. In the table cases will be seen clay statuettes, seals, fragments of glass vases, bronze weapons, etc. The arrow-headed characters will be observed, in numerous places. The interpretation of them has been imdertaken by Sir H. Eawlinson and others, who have displayed much ingenuity in prosecuting their difficult task. Returning to the Central Saloon, we find here sculptures obtained from different parts of the great mound at Nimroud, including colossal lions and bulls — some human-headed. Some of these date from the time of Sardanapalus the Great. There is a colossal head of a human-headed bull, which is on a larger scale than any yet brought to Eiu-ope. Bas-reliefs represent battles and sieges. An obelisk of black marble in the middle of the room is one of the most important historical monuments yet obtained. The bas-reliefs are in five tiers, representing the offer- ing of tributary presents to the king Silima Rish, son of Sarda- napalus. The names of Jehu and Hazael have been decyphered in the cuneiform inscriptions, which are supposed to give a com- plete history of the Assyrian king's reign. The adjoining gallery contains a continuation of the same Nimroud series. Battles and sieges are again prominent amongst the objects represented in the bas-reliefs. A series of six slabs represent Sardanapalus amongst his attendants, supernatural and human, sumptuously attired. He seems to have returned from battle or from the chase. These are considered to rank amongst the best examples of Assyrian sculpture. Certain parts of them are coloured black and red. In the table cases are deposited various articles of ivory and bronze. One fragment of a glass vase bears the name of the founder of Khorsabad, and is to be looked on as the oldest kno\\Ti specimen of glass manufacture. Some of the ivory carvings bear Egj^tian hieroglj^hics, and afibrd proof of the connection between Egypt and Assyria at an early period. Out of the Assyrian side-room a staircase descends into the basement, where are placed bas-reliefs from the latest period of Assyrian art, ^dz., the time of i\^hurbanipal. They were brought 152 BRITISH MUSEUM. from Kouytmjik, and cMefly represent hunting scenes and martial subjects. In an adjoining room are some remains, cMefly mosaics, witii a few seals bearing Phoenician characters, brought from Carthage. Ascending the staircase and passing through the Nimroud Gallery into the Assyrian Transept, we shall find more monuments of Sardanapalus, including two colossal human-headed lions winged and three-horned. On the opposite side are two colossal human-headed bulls and two colossal figures of mythological character. These were obtained at Khor- sabad by Sir H. Eawlinson. We may now turn our attention to the Egyptian Galleries, where are placed a very fine collection of remains from that land of wonders, Egypt. The antiquities obtained at the capitulation of Alexandria are here, as well as objects purchased from or pre- sented by various individuals. Memphis, opposite Cairo, has contributed early sepulchral monuments, but the main portion of the collection was obtained from Thebes, the capital of Egypt, under the kings of the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth dynasties. Hieroglyphics are seen on many of the stones, and have afforded scholars a most difficult subject for investigation. The characters are meant to represent visible objects, and they were employed partly as symbols to indicate the objects repre- sented or their leading qualities, and partly alphabetically, to express the first letter of the name of the object. Where a ring is employed, it was to indicate that the characters inside represented a royal name. Perhaps the most interesting object in the Southern Gallery is the celebrated Eosetta stone, with three inscriptions having the same purport ; two of them Egyptian, viz., hierogly- phical and enchorial, and the third in Greek. The subject is a decree of Ptolemy V., of about B.C. 196. It was these inscrip- tions which afforded Dr. Young a key to the interpretation of Egyptian characters. It was one of the objects collected by the French when they invaded Eg}']pt, but surrendered to the English at the capitulation of Alexandria. Here also are — a large stone beetle, the symbol of the Creator ; the sarcophagus of King Nec- tanebo I., with representations on the outside of the sun passing through the heavens in his boat ; a finely cut group in sandstone of a male and female figure seated ; and a statue of a king on his throne, with a ram's head on his knees, from Karnak. In the Central Saloon mark a colossal granite fist froia Memphis, and colossal head and shoulders in granite from the BRITISH MUSEUM. 153 Memnonium at Thebes ; also a granite statue of Rameses IL, the Sesostris of the Greeks, from Karnak. In the Northern Gallery observe two statues in black granite of King Horns ; two red granite lions from Nubia ; the head of a colossal ram from an avenue of ram-headed sphynxes that lead to a gateway built by King Horus at Karnak ; two seated statues of Amenophis III. from Thebes ; two colossal heads of the same monarch ; several statues of the cat-headed goddess Pasht (Bubastis), with the same monarch's name inscribed ; a colossal head of Thothmes IV. found by Belzoni at Karnak ; and in the central recess of the east side of the gallery, the Tablet of Abydos, with an inscription of great importance in making out the regal history. Near this are speci- mens of painting, representing banqueting scenes, fowling, etc. In the Northern Vestibule, at the foot of the great staircase, are placed the most ancient sculptures preserved in the museum. Some of the carving stones of the pjTamids are here. On the staircase itself are placed Egyptian papyri, formed of slices of the pith of the papyrus or water plant of the Nile, and shewing the three forms of Egyptian writing, viz., the hierogl}^liic already mentioned, the hieratic, which has the same characters, breaking doAvn into a running hand ; and the demotic or enchorial, a still greater debasement of the original hieroglyphics. The language of the common people was written in this hand. The papjTi consist principally of portions of the Ritual of the Dead. At the top of the staircase is the -£'yyj[??m/i^?2^froo?n, where are kept casts from bas-reliefs painted in imitation of the originals. In the two Egyptian Rooms that follow are deposited a great number of the smaller antiquities. Most of them have been discovered in tombs, and they are in an excellent state of preservation. The objects are chiefly kept in cases, and may be classed as relating, 1st, to the religion, 2d, to the civil and domestic life, and 3d, to the death and burial of the Egyptians. Notice the figures of deities, of animals sacred to them, household furniture, articles of dress, vases, armour, weapons, car^^^ngs in ivory and wood, musical instruments, etc., etc. Amongst the mummies and coffins observe part of the mummy-shaped coffin of King Men-ka-re, builder of the third pyramid, one of the earliest inscribed monuments of Egypt. The body near it is supposed to be that of the king. In the second Egyptian Room is placed a collection of Italian antiquities made by the late Sir William Temple, the British Minister at Naples, and bequeathed by him to the museum. 154 BRITISH MUSEUM. They embrace specimens of tlie arts of the Etruscans, Italian- Greeks and Romans, and consist of mosaics, sculptures, terra- cottas, vases, lamps, glass, personal ornaments, and a great num- ber of other things. Here may be seen specimens of fresco painting from the walls of houses at Pompeii. "We may now proceed to the Vase Roonis^ where we shall find a large number of ancient painted fictile vases, usually called Etruscan. In the first room there are two series — 1st, those found in Etruria and Magna Graecia, Italy ; and 2d, those from Greece and the adjacent islands. In the second room, the vases are in a later style (about 350 — 150 B.C.), and have been chiefly brought fi^om the south of Italy. In the Bronze Room is kept a collection of Greek, Etruscan, and Roman bronzes — representations of a great variety of ob- jects, mythological personages, animals, arms, candelabra, lamps, mirrors, personal ornaments, etc. The collection bequeathed by Mr. Payne Knight embraced 800 articles. Observe in case F, two inscribed helmets found at OhTupia in Greece. They were dedicated to Jupiter, one by Hiero, t}Tant of Syracuse, having been taken from the Etruscans at the naval engagement off Cumae, B.C. 472 ; the other by the people of Argos from the spoils of Corinth. The next room contains two collections — 1st, Antiquities found in Great Britain and Ireland, dating from the earliest times to the Norman Conquest ; 2d, Remains, both British and foreign, of the middle ages. The first collection is arranged imder the heads of British antiquities before the Romans, Roman antiquities found in Britain, and Anglo-Saxon antiquities. The British antiquities begin Tsith stone implements, then bronze articles are seen, and then specimens of pottery. Amongst the Roman objects will be seen a case containing articles discovered in London. The Anglo-Saxon remains have been chiefly found in barrows and ancient places of sepulture. The mediseval col- lection embraces metal work, paintings, ivory carvings, enamels, jewelry (notice the signet ring of Mary Queen of Scots), pottery, Venetian glass and Majolica ware (so called from the early examples having, it is supposed, been taken from the Island of Majorca into Italy, where the art was cultivated in several towns). Observe Wedgwood's copy of the Portland vase, the original of which is preserved in the Medal Room, and refer to that head. In the Ethnographical Room are placed articles made by BRITISH MUSEUM. 155 extra-European nations, arranged so as to complete a geographical cycle, beginning with China and proceeding westward until the eastern Archipelago is reached. There are many interesting ob- jects here, but our limited space prevents detail. The Medal Room can only be seen by special permission. The collection of coins is very extensive and valuable. Sir Hans Sloane's coins formed the nucleus, and large additions have been subsequently made to it, until it ranks amongst the first in Europe. In this room is kept the Barberini or Portland vase, belonging to the Duke of Portland. It has been deposited in the Museum since 1810, and formerly was placed in one of the public rooms until a madman in one of his lunes broke it into fragments. It has been so well repaired that the fractures are scarcely visible. This beautiful vase is of glass, 9j inches high, and 21^ inches in circumference. It was found in the early part of the seventeenth century in a sepulchral chamber a few miles from Rome. It went into the hands of the Barberini family, and then into Sir William Hamilton's, who sold it to the Duchess of Portland for 1800 guineas. When her effects were disposed of in 1786 the family bought it for £1029. The opaque white figures are relieved on a dark amethystine blue ground, which is semi-transparent. It is supposed that the whole vase was originally covered with white enamel, and that the figures were cut out in the manner of a cameo. The meaning of these figures has given rise to much difference of opinion. I^Ir. Wedgwood made copies of this vase and sold them at 50 guineas each. In this room is also preserved a gold snuff-box, bearing on the lid, set with diamonds, a portrait of Napoleon, who presented it to !Mrs. Darner, and by her it was bequeathed to the Museum. Another gold snuff-box, with a cameo lid ; this was presented by Pope Pius VI. to Napoleon, who bequeathed it to Lady Holland. In a shed under the grand portico are concealed certain in- teresting sculptures from Queen Artemisia's grand edifice to the memory of her husband Mausolus, erected about 353 B.C. These were olDtained by Mr. C. T. Newton, at Halicarnassus, the modem Budrum, in Asia JMinor. Here also are some ancient sculptures from Cnidus. NATURAL SCIENCE. Zoology. — Ascending the great staircase out of the entrance hall, we enter a saloon, on the floor of which are placed stuffed 156 BRITISH MUSEUM. specimens of large mammalia, and in the wall cases are exHbited i specimens of antelopes, goats, sheep, and bats. In the adjoining i gallery are seen on the floor more specimens of large mammalia | GR0U^*D Plan- of Gallery — British Museum. (rhinoceros, elephant, hippopotamus, etc.), and in the wall cases are llamas, camels, oxen (notice the white wild hull from Chil- lingham Park), antelopes, armadilloes and other shielded beasts, sloths, deer, zebras, and others of the horse tribe. In the third saloon the cases in the centre are occupied by corals in great variety, and the wall cases are filled with carnivorous quadru- peds, pouched animals such as kangaroos, gnawing animals such as porcupines, beavers, marmots, etc., monkeys, apes, and baboons. Notice the chimpanzee, the orang outang, and the gorillas brought by Du Chaillu from the Gaboon country of West Africa, also the enteUus or sacred monkey of the Hindoos ; the Barbary ape, the BRITISH MUSEUM. 157 only quadmmanous animal which has obtained a footing in Europe, viz., on the rock of Gibraltar. Suspended on the walls are specimens of seals, dolphins, and other marine mammalia. The door at the south side of this saloon leads to the bota- nical department, to be noticed hereafter : At present we proceed northwards into the Eastern Zoological Gallery, where the table cases will be found crowded vdfh shells, and the wall cases with birds, above which is a series of horns of deer and rhinoceros. On the walls hang 116 portraits, which, it is to be hoped, will be transferred to the national portrait gallery, unless they can be better placed than they are at present. Amongst the raptorial birds notice the condor of the Andes, which soars to a greater altitude than any other bird. The gorgeously -plumaged hum- ming-birds, birds of paradise, macaws, parakeets, peacocks, pheasants, etc., will attract attention. Notice the apteryx, the wingless bird of New Zealand, that sleeps during the day and feeds at night ; the foot of the dodo, that singular bird which formerly inhabited the Mauritius, but is now extinct. The paint- ing was made, it is said, from a living bird. Many of the speci- mens of shells ^vill attract attention from their beautiful shape or colour, but we cannot stop to enter into particulars. There are models of the animals which inhabit shells that deserve the in- spection of naturalists. In the first room of the Northern Zoological Gallery nests of birds and insects are exhibited in the wall cases (observ^e the gelatinous nests of the esculent swallow, a Chinese luxury), whilst the table cases contain objects connected with insects. On the walls are hung specimens of the larger reptiles. In the second room there are stuffed exotic reptiles, and batrachia such as frogs and toads in the wall cases, and radiated animals (sea- urchins, star-fish, etc.) in the table cases. Observe the green turtle, the alderman's friend, the imbricated turtle, which yields the tortoise-shell of commerce, the lepidosiren, or eel-shaped mud- fish of the Gambia river, which, on the approach of the dry season buries itself in the mud, and becomes torpid until the river is swollen with rains. Naturalists differ as to whether it ought to be classed with fishes or reptiles. This specimen was kept alive for some months at the Crystal Palace. The Third Room contains illustrations of the zoology of Great Britain, in all its divisions. There are specimens of two birds which have become extinct in these islands — the caper 158 BRITISH MUSEUM. cailzie or wood grouse, and the great auk. In the next room is a collection of stuffed fishes, placed in the wall cases, whilst the table cases contain select specimens of annulose animals, amongst which notice the sacred scarabaeus of the Egyptians, the diamond beetles of Brazil, and other beetles of large size or singular shape ; the walking-stick insect, the leaf-insect, and some enormous butterflies, moths, and spiders. The tsetse of South Africa, a fly which destroys cattle with its sting, is also here. Amongst the crustaceans many strange forms may be seen. In the fifth small room, which brings us to the staircase, the wall cases contain exotic fish belonging to tribes in whose structure cartilage takes the place of bone, such as the sharks, rays, and sturgeons. Sponges and other objects of low organization occupy the table cases. There are large collections of fishes, crustaceans, and insects in cabinets, not exhibited in the public rooms, but they may be seen by naturalists on application to the keeper of the Zoological Collection every Tuesday and Thursday. It is desirable to give two days' previous notice of an intended visit. The fishes, a large number of which are kept in spirit, are now in course of arrange- ment by Dr. A. Giinther, who is preparing an elaborate catalogue of them, of which three volumes have been published. Paleontology axd Mineralogy. — The collections relating to these sciences are placed in the North Gallery, a series of six saloons, numbered over the doors from I. to VI., beginning at the east end. The table cases, in Rooms from I. to IV., are filled with minerals ; in Rooms V. and VI. -^ith fossil shells. The wall-cases in all the rooms contain. fossUs. Amongst the minerals will be found specimens of meteoric stones, of native gold in the form of grains, nuggets, etc. ; of native silver ; of diamonds, with glass models of the most celebrated examples ; of rubies, emer- alds, amethysts, opals, and other gems. In Room I. is a piece of jade carved into the form of a tortoise, found in India. The fossils in Room I. are chiefly vegetable remains, including a large series from the coal. Fish remains occupy the cases in the Second Room, and reptilian remains chiefly those of the Third Room. Here notice the bones of the great Iguanodon and Mega- losaurus (land reptHes), those of the Plesiosaurus and Ichthyo- saurus (sea reptiles), and those of the Pterodactyle or flying lizards. In one of the cases is a collection of bird remains from BRITISH MUSEUM. 159 New Zealand. One species of Dinornis is thought to have been from 10 to 11 feet in height. In Koom V. are the remains of mammalia, amongst which will be seen the bones of two rhino- ceroses, an elephant, and a hippopotamus, found in England. The table-cases contain fossO. sea-urchins, crabs, corals, and shells in great variety. Those from the chalk are particularly beautiful. In Room VI. are the bones of large Pachydermata, including elephants, mastodons, and the dinotherium, a great beast having large tusks in the lower jaw, directed downwards. Here also are the bones of the megatherium, a huge extinct animal allied to the sloth. It is supposed to have fed upon the leaves and tender branches of trees which it uprooted. In this room is the fossil human skeleton brought from Guadaloupe in the West Indies, where it was found in a calcareous stratum of very late date. Arrow heads, fragments of pottery, and other articles of himian workmanship, are found in the same bed. Botany. — In the guardianship of the under-keeper in this department are placed the Herbaria of Sir Hans Sloane and Sir Joseph Banks, the latter including the plants collected by him during his voyage -with Captain Cook. Other herbaria have swollen the number of dried plants (all mounted on paper and placed in cases according to a natural arrangement) to a consider- able total. Still, the collection is much inferior to Sir "VV. Hooker's at Kew. These specimens are only interesting to botanists, and can only be seen by the special permission of the under-keeper. This situation was held for many years by the late Dr. Robert Brown, the " summus Brownius" of continental botanists. Two rooms, however, are occupied by specimens of wood and other vegetable structures, and to these the public are admitted. They are adjacent to the Southern Zoological Gallery. Here will be seen a great variety of interesting contributions from the vegetable kingdom, arranged according to the natural orders. Woods, fibres, fruits, resins, etc., come in for illustration. As we could not here ijaention a tithe of the objects which deserve inspection, and as they are all named, we shall leave the \isitor to act as his own guide. NEW READING ROOM— LITERATURE AND ENGRAVINGS. The Print Room can only be seen by special permission, and it is closed on Saturdays. Large sums have been expended in 160 BRITISH MUSEUM — NEW READING ROOM. the purchase of rare prints and brilliant impressions. The col- lection is very rich, and its money value is considerably more than .£100,000. Some choice specimens of drawings and en- gravings have been framed and glazed, and are exhibited to the public in the King's Library. Amongst the remarkable things in this room may be mentioned a series of etchings by Claude ; prints and etchings after or by Rembrandt, the finest existing collection — one, the portrait of a Dutch writing master, is worth 500 guineas ; and a fine series after Albert Dtirer. Single prints after Ostade and Backhuysen have cost 200 guineas each. The following curiosities are here: — A carving on stone by Albert Diirer, dated 1510, and representing the birth of John the Baptist, cost 500 guineas ; a richly chased silver cup, attri- buted to Benvenuto Cellini. The New Reading Room is approached by a long corridor, the entrance to which is on the north side of the great hall. Admission to read here is only granted on special application to the principal librarian, supported by the recommendation of some person of known respectability. When admission is granted to the applicant he receives a ticket, which must be renewed at the end of six months. A ticket is not transferable and must be produced whenever required by an officer of the museum. The room is open daily from 9 to 4 during the four winter months ; from 9 to 5 during September, October, March, and April ; and from 9 to 6 during the four summer months. It is closed on Sundays, and on the special days, and during the special weeks, when the museum collections are closed. Persons under eighteen years of age are not admissible. The new reading room, the finest room for the purpose in the world, was built in 1855-56 in the inner quadrangle of the museum, where it occupies an area of 48,000 superficial feet. It is circular in plan, and is covered with a dome 140 feet in diameter, and 106 feet high. In point of diameter it is larger than any existing dome, except the Pantheon at Rome which exceeds it by only two feet. The cubic contents of the room are a million and a quarter of feet. It is constructed principally of iron, of which more than 2000 tons were used. The total weight of the materials employed in the dome was about 4200 tons. The quantity of glass was about 60,000 superficial feet. Effectual means for warming and ventilating the interior have been employed ; and all the skylights, lanterns, and windows BRITISH MUSEUM NEW READING ROOM. 161 have been made double. Light colours and gilding have been employed in decorating the interior. The entire cost was about ^150,000, which includes the cost of new libraries exterior to the reading room. Here comfortable accommodation is afforded to 300 readers, each of whom has a space of 4 feet 3 inches allotted to him, with an inkstand, a hinged desk, and a folding sheK. Through the top of the screen, which divides the seats of one row from those of another, warm, or simply fresh air, can be forced into the room. There are 35 reading tables, two of which are set apart for the exclusive use of ladies. The material called kamptulicon has been laid on the floor in order to deaden the sound ; and a great many ingenious contrivances have been adopted for the purpose of rendering this a comfortable place of quiet study. Near the centre of the room are placed on shelves the catalogues of books and manuscripts contained in the library, and which readers must consult for the " press-mark " before they can send for a volume. Around the dome-room are shelves for the reception of 80,000 volumes. Those imder the gallery are filled with books of reference (about 20,000 in number), which readers may remove to their desks without any formal application. All other books must be applied for through the medium of signed tickets, and handed to attendants, who pass them to others by whom the books are fetched from their shelves in the library. The great catalogue, which has been so many years in hand, is not yet completed. The Library is supposed to exceed in extent all libraries in the world except, perhaps, the Imperial Library of Paris. It contains upwards of 600,000 volumes, and the rate of increase is not less than 20,000 volumes a year. They are deposited in the east and north sides of the ground floor of the museum build- ings, and in the new reading room with its contiguous buildings. The public is only admitted into that part occupied by the Grenville and the Royal Libraries which wall be noticed presently, and there will be seen several of the rarities of the collection. Books of divinity have blue bindings, history red, poetry yellow, and biography olive. Into this vast accumulation of books have been swept many collections, each large, or having a special interest. Four years after the foundation of the museum, (leorge 11. presented to it the library of the English kings, from the time of Henry VII., which contained many curiosities, and this is known at the museum as the " old royal collection.*' M 162 BRITISH MUSEUM LIBRARY. There are about 1700 copies of the Bible in various languages and editions ; Garrick's collection of old plays ; the musical libraries of Sir John Hawkins and Dr. Burney ; a very valuable collection of tracts relating to the contest between Charles I. and the Parliament ; a large collection of works and tracts relating to the French Eevolution ; an extensive collection of English and foreign newspapers (the oldest of which is a Venetian Gazette of 1570). The manuscripts are very numerous and valuable, and have been accumulated itom some large collections — the Cottonian, Harleian (cost £10,000), Lansdowne (cost .£4925), Sloane, Bur- ney (cost £13,500), Arundel (cost £3559), etc. Turning to the right hand out of the entrance, between Roubiliac's statue of Shakespere bequeathed by Garrick, and Chantrey's statue of Sir Joseph Banks, we enter the room in which is deposited a valuable library of 20,240 volumes, collected at a cost of £54,000 by the Right Honom-able Thomas Granville, the holder for many years of a sinecure office, and bequeathed by him, " as a debt and a duty, to the British museum, for the use of the public." In this room are placed some cases containing Block Books, that is, books printed from engraved wooden blocks before the invention of type printing. In the next room a selection of autographs and origdnal documents is seen arranged on both sides in glazed frames. Here will be foimd specimens of the handwriting of many eminent persons. The most inter- esting of these is undoubtedly the signature of Shakespere to the mortgage of a house in Blackfriars, conveyed to him. and others by a deed, the original of which is in the City Library, Guildhall. The handwriting of many royal, historical, and literary persons may be inspected here. Queen Elizabeth's prayer-book, entirely in her own writing when princess ; the original draft of the will of Mary Queen of Scots ; Sir Walter Scott's autograph manu- script of the novel of Kenilworth ; part of the manuscript of Sterne's Sentimental Journey ; the original draft of Pope's trans- lation of the Iliad and Odyssey, for the most part written on the backs of letters ; a masque by Ben Jonson ; a MS. work of Tasso ; the original agreement between MUton and Symons the printer for the sale of the copyright of Paradise Lost ; Nelson's unfinished letter, written on the eve of the battle of Trafalgar ; and part of Macaulay^s manuscript of the fifth volume of his history, are exhibited. Here also may be inspected the famous Magna Charta of King John, dated at Runnymede, with a frag- ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS. 163 ment of tlie Great Seal attached. We next enter a long gallery, built expressly to hold George III.'s library, which was handed over to the nation in 1823. It comprised upwards of 80,000 volumes, and cost about £130,000. This collection is said to be remarkable, not only for the judicious selection of the works, and the discriminating choice of the editions, but for the bibliogra- phical peculiarities and rarity of the copies. In cases kept in the King's Library, are exposed to public view specimens of the earliest productions of the printing-press in Germany, the Low Countries, Italy, France, and England ; specimens of fine and simiptuous printing ; illimiinations, illustrations on wood and copperplate, typographical and literary curiosities, oriental manu- scripts, specimens of bookbinding, and a series of impressions of the Great Seals of the English Sovereigns from Edward the Con- fessor to Queen Victoria. Notice a volume of the Arabic Koran written in gold about 860 years ago ; the original Bull of Pope Innocent III. granting the kingdoms of England and Ireland in fee to King John and his successors ; and the original Bull of Pope Leo X., conferring on Henry VIII. the title of Defender of the Faith, a title still retained by our Sovereigns. In this library are some screens appropriated to a highly interesting dis- play of original drawings by the great masters. From a series of fine engravings the development of design may be traced during the fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth centuries. In glazed cases are also shewn some fine examples by the Italian workers in niello. Notice an engraved silver plate (a Pax) by Maso Fini- guerra cost 300 guineas ; an impression on sulphur of a similar plate, by the same engraver, cost 250 guineas ; and an impres- sion on paper of a similar plate, thought to be the earliest known exemplar, cost 300 guineas. The visitor will find a useful companion in the Official Guide (price 3d.) to the printed books, autograph letters, and drawings and prints exhibited in these libraries. The Royal College of Surgeons, on the south side of Lin- coln's Inn Fields, was erected from the designs of Sir Charles Barry, 1835-7, at a cost of £40,000. It contains a very fine museimi, a library, and theatre for lectures. In the library is a portrait of Sir Csesar Hawkins, by Hogarth, and in the Coimcil- Eoom, Reynolds' often engraved portrait of John Hunter, Flax- man's posthumous bust of Hunter, and some busts by Chantrey. 164 MUSEUM OF PRACTICAL GEOLOGY. The museum is open on the first four days of the week (except in the month of September), from 12 to 4 o'clock, to fellows and members of the college, and to strangers introduced by them personally, or by written orders which are not transfer- able. It originated in the purchase by Parliament of John Hun- ter's museum, for which £15,000 were paid. In addition to the preparations illustrating the normal and abnormal structures of the human frame, which embrace subjects of the highest interest to the professional man, there are illustrations of vegetable and animal structures and forms, the whole arranged and kept in very beautiful order, and described in printed catalogues, which are distributed about the museum for the use of ^^.sitors. Amongst the numerous curiosities we shall only mention the skeletons of giants (the tallest 8 feet high) and dwarfs ; the diseased intes- tines of Napoleon ; some Egyptian and other mummies ; the embalmed body of the first wile of Martin van Butchell, prepared by injecting the vascular system with oil of turpentine and cam- phorated spirits of wine ; and the skeleton of the gigantic elephant Chunee, formerly exhibited in London. The base of one of the tusks became inflamed, and this produced paroxysms of ungo- vernable rage, so that it became necessary to kill him ; but he did not die until he had received more than a hundred bullets. Museum of Practical Geology has fronts both in Jermyn Street and Piccadilly, the entrance being in the former. It is in the Italian Palazzo style, erected from ]\Ir. Pennethorne's designs at a cost of £30,000. Open free of charge every week day, ex- cept Friday, from ten to four. This museum has Sir R. I. Murchison for its director. It was established in 1835, with the -view of exhibiting the rocks, minerals, and organic remains obtained during the geological survey of the United Kingdom, and in illustration of the maps and sections made by the surveyors ; and also to exemplify the applications of the mineral productions of these islands to useful or ornamental purposes. Here may be studied — 1. The Xatural Materials yielded by the earth as to their lithological character, their geological order, or their mineralogical constitution ; and 2. Artificial Productions formed out of those natural materials by the art of man. In addition to these principal groups there may also be seen — 3. The Iraplements and Macliinery employed ia working up the raw materials ; 4. Specimens of Ancient artificial productions placed alongside Modern specimens, with a view of she' ^-ing the MUSEUM OF PRACTICAL GEOLOGY. 165 progress or retrogression of the arts ; and 5. Foreign and Colonial Minerals. To this establishment is attached the Government School of Klines, in which such branches of science are taught as have reference to mining and metallurgical industry. Lectures are delivered in the theatre (large enough to contain 500 per- sons seated) by men eminent in their several sciences ; and there is a library attached to the institution. Another branch of the establishment is the Mining Record Office, in which plans and sections of mines, and important statistical details, are preserved with a view to the prevention of loss of life and property. From this office annually issues a publication setting forth the mineral statistics of the United Kingdom. The importance of an estab- lishment of this kind may be gathered from the fact that the annual value of the mineral produce of the British Isles, exclu- sive of building stone and clay, is upwards of thirty millions sterling. The contents of the museum (says the official prospectus) may be classed under the following heads : — 1. Fossil organic re- mains, arranged in their order of superposition or age, so as to illustrate the geological maps and sections. 2. The geological maps of England and Wales imited in one general map, to exhibit the progress of the survey (see the large map hanging on the western wall of the hall), with illustrative sections, the remainder of these documents being kept in the map office. 3. Specimens of British sedimentary rocks, arranged partly in order of super- position, and partly with reference to their mode of accumulation and their subsequent modifications ; also specimens of igneous rocks arranged lithologically. 4. Specimens illustrative of the ores of the useful metals, of their mode of occurrence, and of the methods used in preparing them for smelting, 5. The various arts, such as pottery enamelling, glass-making, founding, etc., connected with the mineral and metallurgical resources of the country, as illustrated by specimens she-^Tug varieties or pecu- liarities of manufacture. 6. Models of mines, mining tools, and working models of mining machinery, with a ^dew of exhi- biting the various modes of mining in different districts. In the Vestibule and Hall are deposited specimens of build- ing and ornamental stones, marbles, granites, etc. Ascending a flight of stairs we find ourselves on the principal floor, where many objects of interest are preserved. Worthy of notice are cases illustrating the manufacture of swords and gun barrels, the 166 UMTED SERVICE MUSEUil. manufacture of glass, tlie art of painting on enamel, the art of printing and painting pottery, and the art of working in mosaic. Here also ^yiU. be found cases containing cut agates of great beauty, models of gold nuggets, models of celebrated gems, models of coal and lead mines ; also the model of an Australian gold digging, with quartz - crushing machinery ; and Captain Ibbetson's model of the Isle of Wight. In the Model Room at the north end of the museum are many models of mining ma- chinery and tools. In the two galleries which surround the upper part of the principal room are deposited fossils illustrat- ing the geology of the British Isles. United Service Museum, Whitehall Yard. — Free to per- sons with members' orders, which are easily procurable, from eleven to five in summer, and from eleven to four in winter. This museum was founded in 1830, and is supported by the subscription of members belonging to the two services. Li the theatre, lectures are occasionally delivered on subjects con- nected with the profession of arms ; and there is a good collection of books relating to military and naval affairs. Here are pre- served autograph letters of Nelson, Wellington, and other heroes. On the ground floor of the museum is a large collection of the armour, weapons, and accoutrements of many nations. There are also the swords of several distinguished persons, CromweU's, Wolfe's, and Nelson's being amongst them. Notice the dress worn by Tippoo Sahib when he was killed at Seringapatam, and his pistols. One room is filled with models of steam-engines from the earliest times ; another with models illustrating naval construction. In an adjoining room is an intensely interesting assemblage of articles belonging to Sir John Franklin and his unfortunate comrades, brought from the Arctic Eegions by Cap- tain M'Clintock. Close by are more relics of Nelson ; and Cap- tain Cook's chronometer. Ascending the stairs we fijid a room containing models illustrating various systems of fortification, methods of attack and defence, etc. Here is a model of a New Zealand War-Pah. In an adjoining room are specimens of mili- tary accoutrements, with models of guns and mortars. The manufacture of the Enfield rifle is Likewise illustrated by speci- mens of the different parts in various stages. Up a second flight of stairs is Captain Siborne's vast model of the battle of Waterloo, ^vith 190,000 metal figures ; also Colonel Hamilton's model of Sevastopol and the surrounding country. In this room INDIA MUSEUM. 167 are Russian relics from tlie Crimea, Frencli relics from "Waterloo, the skeleton of Marengo, Napoleon's charger at "Waterloo, and some relics of Wellington. India Museum, Fife House, Whitehall Yard. Open free to the public on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday, from 10 to 4. On Thursday, persons who have obtained special orders from members of the Indian Council, or from Heads of Departments, can alone be admitted. The expenses are paid out of the revenue of India. This collection of objects from our Indian Empire was removed from the India House, in Leaden- liaU Street, previous to the sale of that building, and has been temporarily deposited in an inconvenient private house, imtil better quarters can be foimd for it. In the grounds around the house have been placed certain sculptured marbles, remarkable for the delicacy of their finish, from the ruined temple of Amra- wuth, which was dedicated to the worship of Buddha. In the entrance hall are specimens of Indian sculpture, casts of faces of different races, statues, and busts of eminent persons connected with India. Above stairs, there is a room with specimens of the metals, precious stones, and soils of India; and a suite of rooms exemplifying her vegetable productions, cereals, starches, oils, fruits, fibres, etc., also the animal productions connected with manufactures, with specimens of textile fabrics. Glass cases are resplendent A\'ith weapons, jewellery, works in gold and silver, and gorgeous dresses, with cashmere shawls, and Dacca muslins, carvings in ivory, horn, and wood, will be noticed. A number of clay figures illustrate the races, castes, and employments of the people. In another department is a collection illustrating the natural history of the country, of which the birds form the best part. Here also are huge fossil bones from the Sewalik Hills. Notice a model of the car of Juggernaut; Runjeet Singh's golden chair of state ; Hindu idols in precious metals ; gauntlets of elaborate workmanship made at Lahore ; Tippoo Sultan's tiger, represented as devouring a man ; a State Howdah ; and a model of a Kutcherrie, or Law Court. About Fife House, there is a curious story to this effect. The terrace fronting the Thames is wholly made of gravel and earth, brought by sea from Banffshire, by the directions of an Earl of Fife, who, when he was made a British peer about a century back, declared that if he was compelled to live in London haK the year, he would at least walk on Scotch soil. 168 MISSIONARY MUSEUM. Missionary Museum, Bloomfield Street, Finsbury. Here are many objects of natural history collected by missionaries in various parts of tbe world, and amongst other curiosities may be seen examples of war implements, and of the idols worshipped by uncivilized man. Notice the household gods of Queen Pomare of Tahiti, simple logs of wood, or formed of grass and rags ; a large wooden figure from an ancient building on one of the Sand%^'ich Islands ; a wooden figure covered in parts with childi'en representing Tauroa, Upao, Valore, the supreme deity of Poly- nesia ; Teriapatura, the protector of the Society Islands ; Inquad- datra, the mother of the world, according to the suj)erstition of Hindostan, standing on a lion, Yv'hich is stationed on an elephant ; Kulec, the black goddess of cruelty, a hideous figure with a necklace of human heads, and a robe formed of hands and arms ; the Burmese idols glittering with tinsel and gilding. There are numerous articles for domestic use ; personal ornaments ; pro- pitiatory ofi'ermgs to the gods ; the Chinese Bible with the blocks cut at one of the missionary stations from which it was printed ; the club with which Williams the missionary was killed, etc., etc. The inspection of the objects by visitors is facilitated by their being labelled. Open free on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, during the summer half of the year from 10 to 4; and from 1 to 3 during the rest of the year. CHAPTEE THE ELEVENTH. Societies connected with Science, Litekature, and the Auts. Royal Society — Royal College of Physicians — Society of Antiquaries — Society of Arts — Royal Academy of Arts — Royal Institution — Linnsean Society — Geological Society — Royal Geographical Society — Royal Asiatic Society, Sion College — Institution of Civil En- gineers — Royal Institute of British Architects — Royal Society of Literature — Royal Agricultural Society — Smithfield Club — Lib- The societies in London connected witli science and literature are of course very numerous, and it will not be expected tliat we can do more than mention tlie principal of them here. It will be observed that most of them affect the title of Eoyal We begin with the oldest, which also stands highest. The Royal Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, received its charter of incorporation in 1663, from Charles H., who pre- sented a silver gilt mace to it, still in its possession, and always laid on the table at meetings. This is not the " bauble " of the Long Parliament as traditionally asserted. Charles signed him- self as " Founder," iu the charter book, where also appear the signatures of his brother James and Prince Rupert as " Fellows." Their places of meeting have been numerous. For several years they had rooms in Somerset House, before removing to their present quarters. Most persons of scientific eminence in this country, for the last 200 years, have belonged to it. Newton was a member, and presented to it the manuscript of his Prin- cipia, which is carefully preserved by it. The members are at present upwards of 750, and consist chiefly of medical men and mathematicians. They are elected by ballot, on being proposed by six members. Each on admission pays £lO as an entrance fee, and £4 annually. The annual meeting takes place on the 30th November. Major-General Sabine is the present President. 170 ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS. The library is a valuable one, and it possesses several portraits of eminent persons, of wbicli a good catalogue with annotations bas been drawn up ; three of Sir Isaac Newton, one of which, by C. Jervas, is placed over the presidential chair ; two portraits of Halley ; two of Thomas Hobbes ; Sir Hans Sloane ; Sir Christo- pher "Wren ; Robert Boyle ; Pepys, the diarist ; Benjamin Frank- lin; Sir Humphrey Davy, by Laurence, and several others. Also busts of Charles II. and George III., by Nollekens ; Sir Joseph Banks, by Chantrey; Sir Isaac Newton, by Roubiliac; James AYatt, Cuvier, and others. The follo\\ing relics of Newton are preserved by the society : a solar dial made by him when a boy ; his gold watch with a medallion portrait of him, presented to him, as shewn by the inscription, by Mrs. Conduit, in 1708 ; the first reflecting telescope of his invention, made by his own hands ; the mask of the philosopher's face, from the cast taken after his death ; a lock of his silver white hair. Amongst other curiosities is the original model of Sir H. Davy's safety lamp, made by his own hands, and a MS. of Wren. Four gold medals are distributed annually by the society. The memoirs read at its meetings, when published, are known as the " Philosophical Transactions." The fellows place the letters F.R.S., after their names. The Royal College op Physicians, Pall Mall, East, comer of Trafalgar Square, was erected in 1824-5 from the designs of Sir R. Smirke, at the cost of ^30,000. The college was founded by Linacre, physician to Henry VII. and Henry VHI. He was the first president, and he bequeathed to it liis own house in Knight-Rider Street, where the members had been in the habit of meeting. The buildings afterwards designed for them by Wren, in Warwick Lane, Newgate Street (described by Garth in his poem " The Dispensary "), are still standing, but have been converted partly into a meat market, and partly into shops. The style of the present college buildings is Grecian-Ionic. Amongst the portraits preserved here are those of Sir Thomas Browne, author of the Religio Medici, Sir Samuel Garth by KneUer, Dr. Radcliffe by Kneller, Harvey by Jansen, Sir Hans Sloane (whose collections were the nucleus of the British Museum, "Sloane's wondrous shelves " — Pope) by Richardson, and William Hunter. In the lecture-room are several busts of eminent physicians, a picture of Hunter lecturing on anatomy before the Royal Academy, by Zoffany. In a gallery in the library are various SOCIETIES OF ANTIQUARIES AND ARTS. 171 anatomical preparations, including some used by Harvey to illus- trate Lis lectures on the circulation of the blood. The order of a physician, a member of the college, 'will admit persons to see the objects above mentioned. The Society of Antiquaries has rooms in Somerset House, Strand. It was founded in 1707, and has had many migrations before it settled in its present quarters. The society was incor- porated in 1751, by George H. An applicant for the fellowship must be proposed by three fellows, and will then be balloted for. Five guineas are paid on admission, and two guineas annually. Their meetings are held weekly on Thursdays, beginning with the third Thursday in November, and ending with the third in June, and the anniversary meeting takes place on the 23d of April. Fellows are entitled to write F.S.A. after their names. The transactions of the Society are published under the name of Archceologia, and they date from 1770. It has also issued many independent works, as well as prints. It possesses a valuable library and collection of MSS., and museum. Here are portraits of distinguished antiquaries, portraits of Henry V., Henry VL, Edward IV., Richard IH., Henry Yll., Henry YIIL, and Mary (by Lucas de Heere) ; also of Schoreel, a Flemish artist, by Sir An- tonio More his pupil ; and the Marquis of Winchester, Lord High Treasurer, who died 1572. Amongst other curiosities are a folding picture of Preaching at St. Paul's Cross (1616) ; Porter's map of London, time of Charles I. ; prescriptions of the physicians for Charles II. on his death-bed; Cromwell's sword; brass-gilt spur from the battle-field of Towton, " the bloodiest field between the white rose and the red," with a rhyming posy on the shanks, " en loial amour tout mon coer ; " Bohemian astronomical clock made in 1525 for Sigismimd, King of Poland ; early proclama- tions ; early ballads and broad-sides ; Roman antiquities found in Britain ; coins, medals, and provincial tokens. For permission to see these things apply to the secretary, at Somerset House. The Society of Arts, John Street, Adelphi, is one of the most useful associations in London, established 1754, incorpor- ated 1847. It styles itself the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce. With this end in view, it ofi'ers prizes for new inventions and memoirs on subjects deserv- ing of investigation. It publishes a weekly journal. Recogniz- ing the great value of competitive examinations, it holds one annually, and grants certificates and prizes on the awards of the 172 THE ROYAL ACADEMY. Board of Examiners. In the spring there is an exlubition of new inventions, of which an illustrated catalogue is published. In the council-room are six large pictures, illustrating the progress of the arts, by James Barry, " interesting and remarkable." The society has taken a deep interest in the subject of international exhibitions, and it is doubtful whether, without its exertions, those of 1851 and 1862 would have taken place. It is supported by the subscriptions of members, who pay two guineas a year. The Royal Academy of Arts occupies the east wing of the National Gallery, but as the rooms are required for the exhibition of the national collection of pictures, it is proposed to send the Academy elsewhere. It was established in 1768, and it consists of forty Royal Academicians, who attach the letters " RA." to their names, twenty associates " A.R.A.," and six associate en- gravers. The Academicians elect a president from their own body, and appoint a secretary and keeper. Vacancies in the body are filled up from the associates. The Council consists of eight members, and they elect from " the forty," professors of paintiug, sculpture, and architecture. The professor of anatomy must be a surgeon. These professors deliver lectures to the students without charge. Medals are distributed annually as prizes amongst the sudents, and the most deserving of the latter are sent to Rome free of expense to study their art in that city. Sir Joshua Reynolds was the first president, and West the second. Theii collection of prints, and library of books, is open to students. Persons wishing to be admitted as students should apply to the secretary. They also possess a good collection of casts, as weU as some paintings, the most noticeable of which is an old Italian copy of Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper, the size of the original. This is the oldest and best copy that has been made of that celebrated fresco, and it has become of great value, in consequence of the decay of the original. Here are also two cartoons by L. da Vinci, and a bas-relief in marble of the Holy Family, by ^lichael Angelo. It is a rule that each Academician, on his election, shall pre- sent to the Academy a work of art of his own execution. These diploma-pictures and sculptures are placed in the council-room, and may be seen on application to the secretary. They include a portrait of George III., by RejTiolds ; a rustic girl, by Lawrence ; boys digging for a rat, by "Wilkie ; portrait of Gainsborough, by himself ; portrait of Sir TV. Chambers, the architect, by Reynolds; EXHIBITION OF PAINTINGS, ETC. 173 and of Sir Joshua, by himself. Amongst the sculptures are Cupid and Psyche, by Nollekens ; bust of Flaxman, by NoUekens : and a bust of West, by Chantrey. The palettes of Hogarth and Eeynolds are preserved here. The Exhibition of Paintings by living artists, which annually takes place in the rooms of the Eoyal Academy, is open from the beginning of May to the end of July, and is one of the great sights of the London season. Many hundred pictures are hung on the -walls, and a room is appropriated to sculptures. The Academy realizes a large income (and this is the only source of their income) from this exhibition, by charging Is. admission for each person, and selling a catalogue at Is. As to the conditions on which works of art are admitted to the exhibition, these may be ascertained from the secretary. EoTAL Institution of Great Britain, 21 Albemarle Street, Piccadilly, established 1799 ; the objects in view being the diffusion of knowledge, and the facilitating the general introduc- tion of useful mechanical inventions, and the teaching by courses of philosophical lectures and experiments the application of science to the common purposes of life. This institution has taken a leading part in the great work of popularizing science, and applying its discoveries to the benefit of mankind. Benjamin Thomson, Count Eumford, was one of the early promoters ; and here Sir Humphrey Davy and Faraday have worked with such excellent result. There is a well selected library of about 30,000 volumes ; a theatre where lectiu-es are delivered ; a laboratory for the promotion and advancement of the chemical and physical sciences ; a mineralogical museum ; and a reading-room, in which are found the principal newspapers and periodicals of Britain and the Continent. Certain professorships have been foimded, which have been held by such men as Owen, Huxley, and Tj-ndal. who have delivered their lectures in the theatre. The institution is entirely supported by the subscriptions of members and the bequests of generous benefactors. Dr. Bence Jones is the pre- sent secretary. The LiNNiEAN Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, was founded in 1788 by Dr. (afterwards Sir James Edward) Smith, and received its charter in 1802. The object of the society is the study of zoology and botany in all their departments, and it is well supported by the scientific men of the coimtry. They 174 GEOLOGICAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETIES. possess a museum and excellent library. Tlie nucleus of tlie museum and herbarium was formed by the collection of Linnaeus himself. When Smith was a young man he was breakfasting with Sir Joseph Banks, who informed him that Linnaeus' collec- tions had been offered to him for 1000 guineas, but that he had no intention of purchasing them. Smith conceived the desire of acquirmg them, and with some difficulty prevailed on his father to supply him with money for the purpose. The King of Sweden, Gustavus III., happened to be absent from the country when the negotiations were proceeding, and hearing on his re- turn that a vessel ■svdth the collections on board had just sailed for England, he immediately despatched a ship to intercept it. It was too late, and the collections reached England in 1784 in twenty-six cases. The society publishes its transactions, on which many valuable memoirs have appeared. The anniversary meet- ing is held on the 24th May. Applicants for the fellowship must be proposed by three fellows. The admission fee is £6, and the annual subscription <£3. Fellows annex the letters F Jj.S. to their names. The Geological Society, Somerset House. Instituted in 1807, incorporated in 1826. This society has been of eminent service to the science of geology, and is well supported by the subscriptions of nearly 900 fellows (F.G.S.), who pay an admis- sion fee of six guineas, and an annual subscription of three guineas. They have a large collection of fossils, and a good library. They publish a quarterly journal, and they have a fortnightly meeting of fellows to hear papers read. The Eotal Geographical Society, 15 Whitehall Place. Established in 1830. Fellows (F.R.G.S.), admitted by ballot, pay an entrance of £3, and an annual subscription of £2. The society possesses a good collection of books and maps, and pub- lishes a quarterly journal. The Royal Asiatic Society, 5 New Burlington Street. Founded in 1823 for the investigation and encouragement of art, science, and literature, in relation to Asia. Their library is rich in oriental MSS. and Chinese books. The museum con- tains a collection of oriental arms and armour, which may be seen any day, except Saturday, by a members order. Members resident in the British Isles pay an admission fee of five guineas, and an annual subscription of three guineas. Certain societies in India are branches of this. It publishes its transactions. CIVIL ENGINEERS AND OTHER SOCIETIES. 175 SiON College, London Wall, City, was founded in 1623 for the benefit of the clergy of London, the incumbents of parishes within the city and Liberties of London being the fellows. Jn connection with it are almshouses for twenty poor persons. The library contains upwards of 35,000 vols. This library was one of those that received gratuitously a copy of every book published, but this privilege was abolished, and the library now has an annual treasury grant of £363 instead. An order from a fellow will admit to this library daily from 10 to 4. There are several pictures here, the most noticeable of which is a costume portrait of a citizen's wife of William and Mary's time. Institution op Civil Engineers, 25 Great George Street, Westminster. Licorporated 1828, having been established ten years previously. It is supported by the subscriptions of persons connected with the various branches of civil engineering. Tel- ford, the engineer of the Menai bridge, was the first president, and there is a portrait of him here. There is a good professional library, part of which was the bequest of Telibrd, who also be- queathed a sum of money, directing the interest to be expended in annual premiums. Royal Institute of British Architects, 16 Lower Gros- venor Street, Grosvenor Square. Incorporated in 1837. Sup- ported by the subscriptions of fellows and associates. Here is a good library of architectural works, including the works of Pira- nesi and Canina, and a large collection of original drawings of ajicient and modern buildings. Royal Society of Literature, 4 St. Martin's Place, Charing Cross. Incorporated 1826. Valuable library. Transactions published occasionally. In addition to the societies already mentioned there are the Royal Astronomical Society, Somerset House. Statistical Society, 12 St. James' Square. Zoological Society, whose gardens are described elsewhere in this volume. Entomological Society, 17 Old Bond Street. Numismatic Society, 41 Tavistock Street, Covent Garden. Geologists' Association. Microscopical Society. Chemical Society. Pharmaceutical Society, etc. etc. There are also several societies for the publication of scien- 1 / 6 ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. tific works, and ttie reprinting of old books, such, as no publislier could undertake without loss ; such are the Eay Society, the Cayendish Society, and the Camden Society. The Eoyal Agricultural Society, 1 2 Hanover Square, was established in 1838, and incorporated by charter in 1840, for the purpose of improving the agriculture of the country. One annual meeting is held in London, and another in the country. At the latter there is a cattle-show, an exhibition of agricultural implements, and a trial of cultivating machinery. Prizes are awarded, and the affair excites so much interest that crowds of people are attracted from all parts. A quarterly journal is pub- lished. The society is supported by the subscriptions of the governors (who pay <£5 each annually) and members (who pay <£l each annually). It has been of signal advantage to British agriculture by pointing out improved systems of cultivation, and explaining the principles to be attended to. The Smithfield Club is an agricultural association, founded about seventy years ago, which annually in December has an ex- hibition of cattle and sheep. Hitherto this exhibition has taken place at the Baker Street Bazaar, but this place is too small for its increased importance, and a structure, to be called the Agri- cultural Hall, is being erected in the Liverpool Koad, near the Angel, Islington, at which future cattle-shows will be held. The exhibition hall will have an area of 384 feet by 217 feet, be covered with a roof of iron and glass having a span of 130 feet, and have a gallery 36 feet wide all round it. There will be a tower of 95 feet high at each side of the front. In addition, there will be a place for the exhibition of pigs, 100 feet square. First and second class refreshment rooms, lavatories, etc., will be attached. The facade, of red and white brick, is Italian. A com- pany finds the funds for this structure, which is estimated to cost £25,000, and LIr. Peck of Maidstone has furnished the designs. This spacious hall will in every respect meet the requirements of the club, and that body has agreed to lease its exhibition to the company for twenty-one years. LlBRAKIES. Besides the libraries which have been spoken of in other parts of this volume we must mention — The London Institution Library, occupying a handsome LIBRARIES. 177 building (opened in 1819) in Finsbury Circus, wbich also con- tains a theatre where lectures are delivered. The library con- tains about 62,000 vols. The institution was established by the issue of £100 shares, and is supported by annual subscriptions. Porson, the learned Greek scholar, was the first librarian. The Eussell Institution, Great Coram Street, Brunswick Square, has been established somewhat on the plan of the Lon- don Institution, but on a smaller scale, the library only contain- ing about 16,000 vols. The London Library, 12 St. James' Square, is simply a library with about 80,000 vols., which are lent out to subscribers paying £3 a year, or £2 a year with an entrance fee of X6. There are about 850 members, and the late Prince Consort was patron. CHAPTEE THE TWELFTH. Gardens belonging to Scientific Societies. Eoyal Horticultural Society's Gardens — Royal Botanic Society's Gar- dens, Regent's Park — Zoological Gardens. The Royal Horticultural Society's Gardens, South Ken- sington, are situate on a quadrangular plot of ground about 500 yards in length by nearly 300 in width, abutting, south, on the Great Exhibition buildings of 1862, and west, on Exhibition Road, where the principal entrance is placed. There is a tempo- rary roadway for admission from Kensington Gore, leading to the back of the conservator}^ The ground is part of that pur- chased out of the surplus fund of the Great Exhibition of 1851, and has been leased by the commissioners of that Exhibition to the Royal Horticultural Society upon certain conditions, one of which was that the society should expend at least ^50,000 upon the Garden, the commissioners binding themselves to lay out an equal sum on ornamental arcades. The garden occupies about 22 acres, and the arcades around it afford a sheltered walk of three-quarters of a mile. Here will be held flower-shows and fetes similar to those for which the Chiswick Gardens were renowned. The garden lies on three levels, and is decorated with terraces, waterworks, and cascades, the principal of wliich is 20 feet wide, and with a fall of 10 feet. When the trees have extended themselves, the eftect of these gardens, with their embroidered beds and geometrical flower-plots, will be very good. Amongst the statuary there are two copies in bronze of Rauch's Victory, 9 feet in height. The four terra-cotta statues represent- ing Strength, Temperance, Justice, and Ti*uth, placed at the sides of the entrance to the maze, were given by the late Prince Consort, of whom a marble statue, the gift of the Prince of Wales, is to be placed here. At the north end is a grand con- servatory, 270 feet long, 75 feet high, and 100 feet wide. The cost, including the engine-house, was about £16,000. The north and central arcades were designed by Mr. Sydney Suiii-ke. The 180 HORTICULTURAL GARDENS. north axcade, in tlie style of that of the Villa Albani at Rome, is 600 feet long, 22 feet high, and 26 feet wide. The capitals and shields are in terra cotta. The central arcades are after the Milanese brickwork of the fifteenth century. They are 630 feet long, 20 feet high, and 24 feet wide. In both sets of arcades red brick has been chiefly employed on account of the colour harmonizing with the gardens. Captain Fow^ke, R.E., designed the south arcades after the cloisters of St. John Lateran at Rome, which were erected in the tweKth century. Their length is 1980 feet, with a height of 20, and a width of 27 feet. Here the pillars are of terj-a cotta. Upon the highest terrace are two circular houses for musical bands ; and near them are the trees planted by the Queen and the late Prince Consort. The Horticultural Society was founded in 1804, and formed the garden at Chiswick in 1822. Five years later began those exhibitions of horticultural produce w^hich for many years were among the most attractive events of a London season. Of late, however, the attendance of visitors, from one cause or other, materially diminished, and the income of the society was conse- quently much lessened. The society, indeed, w^as almost on the point of being broken up, when the late Prince Consort stepped forward, and under his patronage it has been brilliantly resus- citated, at a spot more conveniently situate for the meeting of pleasure-seekers. It w^as formally opened on the 5tli June 1861. From the great benefits already conferred on the community by the society, it deserves every encouragement. Collectors of plants and seeds were sent into all quarters of the world ; and the experiments of plant-growing conducted at Cliiswick have been attended with highly valuable results. As at present con- stituted, the society's affairs are managed by a council, assisted by a secretary, who is at present the eminent botanist Dr. John Lindley. Every candidate for fellowship must be proposed by at least three feUows, one of whom must be personally acquainted with him. A fellow pajing an entrance fee of 2 guineas, and an annual subscrij)tion of 2 guineas (comj)ounded for by a single payment of 20 guineas), is entitled to admission at all times, and has the right of personally introducing tw^o friends, except on certain great show days. A fellow paying an entrance fee of 2 guineas, and an annual subscription of 4 guineas (compounded for by a single payment of 40 guineas), is entitled, in addition BOTANIC GARDENS. 181 to the preceding privileges, to a transferable ticket, the bearer of which has precisely the same pri%ileges. A fellow sub- scribing 2 guineas annually is also entitled, on pa}Tnent of 10 guineas, to an extra transferable ticket for life, admitting one person both on ordinary days and show days. A subscriber of 4 guineas may have three such tickets on paying the same amount. Fellows are entitled to free admission to the garden at Chiswick every day except Sunday from nine to six, and each fellow can introduce by written order four friends a day to the Chiswick Garden. A person not being a fellow may, on payment of 5 guineas, obtain a joint ticket admitting him both to the International Exhibition and to the Horticultural Garden on eveiy day when they are open to the public, from the 1st of May to the 18th of October. The prices of admission to the public on single days must be ascertained from the advertisements in the newspapers. The Royal Botanic Society's Gardens are in the inner circle. Regent's Park, where they occupy about 18 acres. The society was incorporated in 1839 for the promotion of botany, but its principal attention is directed to making the gardens an agreeable rendez^^ous for the gay world. There is a spacious conservatory well stocked with beautiful plants. During the spring months promenades are held, at which military bands attend. There are also splendid exhibitions of fruit and flowers, which are very attractive, and at which prizes to a large amount are distributed. The gardens are supported by the subscriptions of fellows and members, as to which the secretary, ^Mr. De Carle Sowerby, who resides in the grounds, will give information. The exhibition days are advertised in the newspapers. The Zoological Gardens, Regents P^vrk, are amongst the most interesting and attractive sights of London. During the year 1860-61, the visitors amounted to 293,995. They be- long to the Zoological Society, which was instituted in 1826 under the auspices of Sir H. DaA'y, Sir Stamford Raffles, and other eminent persons. The gardens were opened in 1828, and since that time a very large number of animals from all quarters of the world have been sent here ; some presented by foreign potentates, colonial governors, and travellers, but chiefly pur- chased. Fellows pay a fee of £5 on admission to the society, and an annual contribution of X3. Annual subscribers pay .£3. 182 PLAN OF ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS. \^ ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS. 183 EXPLANATION OF FIGURES ON THE PLAN. New Aviary. Crane Inclosure. a. Impeyan Pheasants' Inclosure. Swine-House. Southern Ponds. Young Pheasants' and Emeus' Inclosure. Brush-Turkeys' Inclo- sure. Small Camivora House Pheasant & Pea-Fowl's Aviaries. Alpacas' Inelosures. Waders' Inclosure. Zebra & Antelope Ho. Cages of Grt. Camivora Bear Pit. Bear Pond. Eagle Owls' Aviary. Camel House. Water-Fowls' Lawn. Pelicans' Inclosure. Old A\iary. North Pond. Falcon Aviary. Bison House. Mandarin Ducks' Pond Seal Pond. Kites' Aviary. Winter Aviary. Small Mammals' House Racoon's Cage. 30. Garganeys' Ponds. 32, 33. Dens of Wolves and Foxes. South Entrance. Antelope Inclosure. Three-island Pond. Fish-House. Harpy's Aviary. Eagles' Aviaries. Beaver Pond. Otter Cage. 42. Armadillo Inclosure. 43. Coypu's Cage. 44. Refresh MEKT Room. 45. Monkey House. 46. Porcupine Inclosure. 47. Rock-Rabbits' House. 48. Virginian Owls' Cage. 49. Reptile House. 50. Paradise House. 51. Kangaroo Inelosures. 52. Sheep Sheds. 53. Parrot House. 54. Sambur Deer House. 55. Wapiti House. 56. Elephant House. 57. 58. Small Deer's Inclos. 59. Superintendent's Office 60. Hippopotamus Houses 61. Giraffe House. 62. Eland House. 63. Ostrich House. 64. 65. Goat & Deer Sheds. Visitors are admitted to the gardens on Mondays on payment of 6d. each, and on the other days of the week on payment of Is. each ; children pay 6d. only. Open from nine to sunset. On Saturday afternoon there is usually a military band perfoiming in the gardens. The office and library of the society are at 11 Hanover Square. Dr. P. L. Sclater, the ornithologist, is the secretary, whose official guide (price 6d.) contains a plan of the gardens and several illustrative woodcuts. Refreshments may be obtained in the gardens at prices specified in a printed tariff. Enter at the north entrance in the outer circle of the park, and turn to the right to the New Aviary, where some of the most interesting birds in the collection are kept. Here are the sacred ibis, the scarlet ibis, and the American mocking bird ; close by is the crane inclosure, where numerous specimens of this long- legged tribe may be seen, the handsomest being perhaps the crowned crane. Near at hand is the swine-house, where many species of this dirt-loving family are preserved. Passing ponds where water-fowl are living, we arrive at the inelosures where the llamas and alpacas are confined ; adjacent to which is the inclosure of the wading birds. Opposite this are the new houses containing gnus, antelopes, and zebras. Amongst the latest additions are specimens of the sable antelope, and the hartebeeste, both from Africa ; the latter from the Cape Colony, where it has now become rare in the inhabited districts. Pro- ceeding, we reach the terrace below, in which are found the great 184 ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS. carnivora — lions, tigers, leopards, and hyenas. Close at liand are the bear pit and the bear pond. Two species of camel will be found near the clock tower ; and a little beyond are inclosures where water-fowl and pelicans are confined. Not far from the clock tower is a house where the Brahmin bulls and some yaks from Thibet live. Near the seal pond are aviaries containing kites and vidtures. In a neighbouring house are some carnivorous animals, including the beautiful clouded tiger, and some mar- supials, including the Tasmanian devil, whose singular habits will attract attention. Making our way to the fish-house, where fishes and many specimens of the lower aquatic animals, such as sea-anemones, are living in large tanks, eagles and vul- tures are placed in a house close by ; and near them will be found beavers, otters, and armadillos. In the monkey-house are many curious species of baboons, apes, and monkeys, those caricatures of humanity. Passing to the north part of the gar- dens, by means of a tunnel carried under the public road, and turning to the right, we arrive at houses tenanted by snakes and other reptiles, amongst which the gigantic salamander from Japan is particularly to be noticed. The great python lately laid a number of eggs, which it incubated. Such an event never oc- curred before in this country in the case of a large serpent. This reptile came from West Africa, and has been eleven years in the garden. The kangaroos are close at hand. Passing through a house containing a remarkably rich collection of parrots, we reach a house tenanted by several foreign species of deer ; a house where Indian elephants and rhinoceroses are living ; and the tank where the hippopotami like to disport themselves. In this part are the giraffes and the elands, animals which have now been established in the parks of some noblemen in our island. The last house in this portion of the garden is tenanted by ostriches, emus, mooruks, and the curious apteryx or kiwi, from New Zealand, which has purely nocturnal habits, and is there- fore only seen by the visitors when brought out by the keeper. It may be well to mention that the pelicans, etc., are fed at half-past two o'clock ; the otters, at three ; the eagles (Wednes- days excepted), at half-past three ; and the lions, etc., at four. In addition to the entrance where carriages can set dovm visi- tors, there is the south entrance in the Broad Walk, only available to pedestrians. This is distant about 300 yards from Gloucester Gate, near which an omnibus passes every ten minutes. CHAPTER THE THIETEENTH. Public Picture Galleries. National Gallery — South Kensington Museum — Soane Museum — Na- tional Portrait Gallery — Annual Exhibitions of Pictures, etc. In addition to the public galleries, the subject of this chapter, the lover of pictures ought to visit the galleries at Windsor Castle, Hampton Court, and Dulwich, which are described elsewhere in this volume. The National Gallery is on the north side of Trafalgar Square, one of the finest sites in Europe, according to Sii* Robert Peel. The eastern half is in the temporary occupation of the Royal Academy, the other half contains the national collection of pictures by the old masters, and the paintings bequeathed to the nation by J. W. M. Turner, the works of bis own pencil. The pictures are very much crowded, but the arrangement is only temporary. Many plans for the enlargement of the gallery have been put forward, but nothing has been hitherto decided on. Open free to the public on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday, of each week, from 10 to 6, from the beginning of May to the end of September, and from 10 to 5 from the beginning of November to the end of April. During the month of October it is closed. Students are admitted on Thursdays and Fridays. Speaking now of the ancient masters, the nucleus of the col- lection was acquired in 1824 by the purchase for £57,000 of 38 pictures brought together by Mr. John Julius Angerstein, a London banker. Two years later Sir George Beaumont presented a collection of 16 pictures to the nation; and in 1831 the Reverend W. H. Carr left to the nation 31 pictures. Subse- quently, 17 pictures were bequeathed by Lieutenant-Colonel Ollney, 15 by Lord Farnborough, 14 by R. Simmons, Esq., and 8 by Lord Colborne — honour to tlieii' names ! The nation has had many other generous benefactors in this way, and a large number 186 PICTURE GALLERIES. of pictures have been purchased witli public money, until the collection now amounts to upwards of 400 paintings. This is only a small number for a national collection, and it is far ex- ceeded in extent by several galleries on the continent, but then ours promises to increase much more rapidly than those ; and in course of time we may hope to possess a gallery worthy of the nation. At present some of the leading schools are inadequately represented. Of Raphael, for example, we have a first-rate speci- men ; of the Spanish and the Dutch schools the specimens are extremely few. On the other hand, in Correggios, Claudes, Gaspar Pousins, Nicolo Pousins, and Paul Veroneses, we are fairly rich. The late J. W. M. Turner bequeathed to the nation a large collection of oil paintings and water-colour drawings, executed by his own hand, upon the condition that a suitable place for their exhibition should be provided for them within a certain time. At first they were placed in Marlborough House, then they were removed to the South Kensington Museum, and -within the last few months they have been brought to Trafalgar Square. There are to be seen about 125 oil pictures in the artist's various styles, as well as a number of water-colour drawings and unfinished studies. These are placed in the great western room, which has been named the Turner Gallery. In the entrance hall of the National Gallery are placed a marble statue of Sir David Wilkie, by S. Joseph (the painter's jDalette is let into the pedestal) ; a marble alto-relievo, by Thomas Banks, of Thetis and her Nymphs ; and a bust in bronze of the Emperor Napoleon, the bequest of P. C. Crespigny, Esq. Of the attendants in this hall may be purchased at various prices official catalogues of the pictures. These are hung on the walls of five saloons, the largest of which, only recently constructed, is 75 feet long and 30 feet wide. We shall now mention those pictures amongst the old masters that best deserve the visitor's attention, arranging them with reference to their schools. Italian. Fra Angelico : Chiist surrounded by angels, saints, etc., the predella of an altar piece, in five compartments, cost £3500. Giovanni Bellini : portrait of a Doge ; and Madonna and child. Bronzing : portrait of a lady ; Venus, Cupid, Folly, and Time. Canaletto : two views in Venice. Annibale Caracci : Christ appearing to St. Peter ; St. John in the wilderness ; Pan teaching Apollo. Caracci LoDovico : Susannah and the Elders. Cima da Conegliano : Infant Christ on the knees of the Virgin. Correggio : Mercury instructing Cupid ; Ecce Homo— for PICTURE GALLERIES. 187 these two pictures £10,000 were given to the late Marquis of Londonderry ; Holy Family, cost £3800 ; Christ's agony in the garden, a repetition of the picture in the Duke of Wellington's collection. Francesca : Virgin with the Infant Christ; Vir- gin and two angels weeping over the dead body of Christ ; Virgin and child with two saints. Gdercino : Angels weeping over Christ. Guido : Perseus and Andro- meda ; Venus attired by the Graces ; the Magdalen ; the coronation of the Virgin ; Ecce Homo. Fra Filippo Lippi : Madonna and child enthroned ; the Annuncia- tion ; St. John the Baptist and saints. Carlo Maratti : portrait of a Cardinal. PoNTORMO : portrait of a knight. Raphael : St. Catherine of Ale.xandria, cost £5000 ; portrait of Pope Julius II. Sebastian del Pio.mbo : Resurrection of Laza- rus, very fine, " ihe most important specimen of the Italian school in England" (Dr. Waagen)— £1.5,000 were offered for it by Mr. Beckford to Mr. Angerstein, and re- fused ; the composition and drawing are by Michael Angelo, and it was painted in competition with Raphael's celebrated Transfiguration, now in the Vatican. Sal- VATOR Rosa : landscape. Titian : the Music Lesson ; Bacchus and Ariadne, a pic- ture finely criticised by Elia ; Madonna and child ; the Tribute Money, cost £2604 ; liortrait of Ariosto. Paul Veronese ; adoration of the Magi ; Family of Darius at the feet of Alexander, cost £14,000. Leonardi da Vinci : Christ disputing with the Doctors. Spanish. MuRiLLO : ■ Holy Family, cost £3000 ; St. John and the lamb. Velasquez : Philip IV. of Spain hunting. Zurbaran : a Franciscan Monk. Flemish and Dutch. Bakhuizen : Dutch shipping. Berghem : Crossing the Ford. Cuyp : land- scape. Gerard Dow : the Painter's Portrait. Van Evck ; portrait of a Flemish Merchant and lady, painted 1434, cost £630 ; and two portraits of men. N. Maas : Dutch Housewife ; the Idle Ser\-ant. Mabuse : Man's portrait. Moretto : por- trait of an Italian nobleman. Moro : portrait of a lady. Rembrandt : Woman taken in Adultery, cost £5250 ; adoration of the Shepherds ; portrait of a Jew mer- chant ; portraittof a Capuchin Friar ; portrait of a Jewish Rabbi ; his own por- trait ; the Amsterdam Musketeers. Rubens : Abduction of the Sabine Women ; Peace and War ; the Brazen Serpent ; landscape with Rubens' Chateau ; the Judg- ment of Paris, cost £4200. Ruysdael : two landscapes with waterfalls. Teniers : Music party ; Boors regaling ; the Money Changers ; Players at Tric-trac. A. Van DER Neer : River Scene by Moonlight. Van der Weyden : portraits of himself and his wife. Vandyck : the Emperor Theodosius refused admission into the Church by St. Ambrose ; portrait of Gevartius. French. Claude : landscape, Cephalus and Procris ; Seaport at sunset ; landscape, David at the cave of Adullam ; the Chigi Claude ; Seaport ; the Embarkation of the Queen of Sheba; the Bouillon Claude; Seaport, morning, Embarkation of St. Ursula; small landscape, death of Procris ; landscape, a study of trees ; small landscape, given to the nation by Sir George Beaumont, but so admired by him that he asked leave to retain it during his life, and he made it his travelling companion. Gaspar PoussTN : landscape, Abraham preparing to sacrifice Isaac ; a Land Storm ; land- scape. Dido and .^neas taking refuge from the storm ; view of La Riccia ; Italian landscape, town on the side of a hill. Xicolo Poussin : Nursing of Bacchus ; Bacchanalian Festival ; Dance of Bacchanals in honour of Pan. The South Kensington Museum at Brompton is about one mile distant from Hyde Park Corner, in neai' neighbourhood to 188 SOUTH KENSINGTON MUSEUM. the Great ExliilDition Buildings of 1862. It stands upon part of the ground which was pui'chased by the comraissioners of the Exhibition of 1851 with the surplus funds derived from that Exhibition. About twelve acres of land were obtained from the commissioners at a cost of £60,000. Public money to the amount of nearly £140,000, has been further laid out here on buildings, and on those parts of the collections that have been purchased. ■ The cost of management is about £7000 a year. Admission free on Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday of each week, the whole day from 10 a.m. till 10 FJd. In the evening the galleries are lighted with gas ; students are admitted on Wed- nesday, Thursday, and Friday. On these days the public must pay 6(L each person — hours from 10 a.m. till 4 P.M. Here are refreshment rooms, waiting rooms M'ith lavatories, etc. In 1860, the ^^.sitors to this museum amounted to 610,696. The collections here are so large that a careful examination would occupy some days. They consist of — 1. Objects of ornamental art, as applied to manufactures, with an art library. 2. British pictures, sculpture, and engravings. 3. Architectural examples, models, casts, etc. 4. Appliances for teaching in schools, school furniture, books, maps, diagrams, models, and apparatus used in primary educa- tion. 5. Materials for building and construction, stone, bricks, tiles, glass, etc. 6. Substances used for food. 7. Animal products employed in the arts, leather, furs, feathers, wools, hair, etc. 8. Models of patented inventions, machines, etc. 9. Keproductions, by means of photography and casting, of antique sculpture and paintings. The two last named collections have entrances distinct from that leading to the other collections. The photographs are sold at cost price to the public. The collections of materials for building and construction, and animal products, have been almost wholly presented by private individuals, without cost to the state. The food collection is very interesting. Here may be seen the various articles used as human sustenance, from all quarters of the world, with analyses of those which are chiefly employed, shelving their comparative values as feeding agents. A collection PLAN OF SOUTH KENSINGTON MUSEUM. 189 190 SOUTH KENSINGTON MUSEUM. of preserved articles from China, will give some insight into the nature of a Chinese dinner; and there are curious collections from Siam and Japan, including rhinoceros' hide, and elephant's trunk. In the department of useful art, many articles of great value have been lent for exhibition with the best results. Here are shewn specimens of China and pottery ware, glass, jewellery, fancy work in metals, mosaics, carvings in wood and ivory, etc. etc., both antique and modern. Many of these things are mere curiosities, or illustrating the progress of the arts, but there are many which are highly instructive as examples for imitation. Lectures are delivered in the theatre on the art collections. Amongst the sculptures will be seen Cibber's statues of Melancholy and Madness, removed from Bethlehem Hospital. With the exception of the Turner pictures, which are now in the National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, all the paintings of the English school belonging to the nation are exhibited at the South Kensington Museum, in galleries well lighted from above. The collection of British pictures was commenced by JMr. Sheepshanks, who, on gi"V"ing 234 oil paintings to the nation, stipulated that they should be kept either in the immediate neighbourhood of Kensington, in a suitable building, or failing this, at Cambridge. This gift has been valued at <£52,595. It was followed by a gift of water-colours by Mrs. Ellison, valued at .£3000. The remaining part of the collection belongs to the trustees of the National Gallery, and comprises the British pictures purchased vdih the Angerstein collection, and the munificent gift and bequest of ]\Ir, Robert Vernon and Mr. Jacob Bell. The Vernon collection contained 162 pictures, 6 busts, and a group of figures in marble — a splendid gift indeed. They were given in 1847, the donor d}Tiig two years subsequently. Amongst the older paintings, notice Hogarth's Marriage a la mode — a series of six paintings — and the artist's portrait of himself ; Wilson's Maecenas' villa, and a landscape with the story of Niobe ; Gainsborough's Market-Cart, and the Watering Place ; Constable's Com-Field ; Lawrence's John Philip Kemble as Hamlet; portrait of West the painter ; portrait of Mr. Angerstein ; Copley's death of Lord Chatham ; Wilkie's Blind Fiddler, and Village Festival ; Rey- nold's Graces sacrificing to HjTnen (the daughter of Sir William Montgomery) the Banished Lord, the Infant Samuel, studies of angels — five heads " painted with astonishing lightness, delicacy, and feeling," portrait of Lord Heathfield. THE SOANE MUSEUM. 191 In the Vernon and Sheepshanks collections will be found many excellent specimens of the artists of the modern British school, including pictures from the easels of AVilkie, C. R. Leslie, Edwin Landseer, Mulready, Webster, Maclise, E. M. Ward, D. Roberts, Creswick, Stanfield, E. W. Cooke, and other painters. Notice amongst the Vernon pictures, Sii" Joshua Reynolds' Age of Innocence, which cost o£l522 : 10s. ; a landscape by Gains- borough; Wilkie's bagpiper; and Leslie's Sancho and the Duchess. The Soane Museum, on the north side of Lincoln's Inn Fields (No. 13), is distinguished from the neighbouring houses by some architectural embellishment. This was the residence of Sir John Soane, the founder of the museum, who, born the son of a brick- layer, died a knight in 1837, at the age of 84, after ha\'ing amassed a large fortune as an architect. He vested <£'30,000 stock in trustees, to apply the dividends in support of the museum, and obtained an Act of Parliament for settling it for the benefit of the public. Vi'-i;, "^ ■ ' yi >' In ordinary years, the museum is open free between the hours of 10 and 4, on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, during the'months of April, May, and June. Also to foreigners, and others having special reasons for soliciting admission, on Tuesdays in February, March, July, and August. Those who wish to obtain admission should apply by letter to the curator, or personally at the musemn, a day or two before the day of the visit. The name and address of the person requiring admission, with the number of the proposed party, must be stated, and the caller's card is expected to be left. If there be no reason against complying, the curator will forward by post a card of admission for the next open day. To obtain access to the books, dra-vvings, MSS., or permission to copy pictures or other works of art, special application must be made to the trustees or the curator. It is highly probable, however, that hereafter the museum wiU be more freely open to the public than it has liitherto been. " There is no institution in London (says Mrs. Jameson) in which a few houi-s may be more pleasantly wliiled away, or even more profitably employed, than in this fairy collection of virtii, where the infinite variety of the objects assembled together in every department of art — many, indeed, suflicieutly trivial, some also of peculiar beauty and value — suggest to the intelligent mind 192 THE S0A2fE MUSEUM. and cultivated taste a thousand thoughts, remembrances, and associations, while the ingenuity shewn in the arrangement amuses the fancy in a very agreeable manner." The objects are distributed over 24 rooms, every comer being crammed, every inch of wall turned to account. In the entrance hall is a bust of Sir Thomas Lawrence, and in the first room is a portrait by that artist of Sir John Soane, as well as a picture by Sir Joshua Keynolds, the Snake in the Grass, which cost 510 guineas. Passing Banks' model of a sleeping child, we reach a room, the capabilities of which for exhibiting pictures are considerably enlarged by the emplojTnent of shutters moving on hinges. In this room are placed Hogarth's four pictiu^es, rejDre- senting the scenes of an election mth his accustomed humour. The successful candidate, whose chairing is depicted on the fourth, was Bubb Doddington, afterwards Lord Melcombe Regis, who, in his self-complacent diary, gave a specimen of the political morality of that day. These pictures were purchased from the painter by Garrick. Soane bought them for 1650 guineas when the effects of the actor's widow were sold. The Rake's Progress is delineated in another series of eight pictures by the same painter. Repeated engravings have made these paintings weU known. In the same room is a very fine view on the Grand Canal at Venice by Canaletto, and two smaller works by the same artist ; also a large work by Calcott, and several other paintings by Puseli, Danby, and others. In a lower storey are numerous relics of antique sculpture, painted glass, and cinerary urns. The most interesting object, however, is an Egyptian sarcophagus, discovered by Belzoni in 1816 in a royal tomb at Thebes, 9 feet 4 inches long, 3 feet 8 inches wide, ancl with an average depth of 2^ feet. It has been cut out of a single piece of arragonite, so transparent that the rays of a candle penetrate through it even where it is three inches thick. It is sculptured within and without with hundreds of hieroglyphical figures, and bears the name and titles of the father of Rameses the Great. The lid was found in another place broken in many pieces. The fragments now lie underneath the sarcophagus. Soane paid £2000 for this curious relic after it had been refused by the trustees of the British Museum. In the gallery under the dome is a bust of Sir John Soane, by Chantrey, and a good cast of the Apollo Beh-idere. Ascending the stairs to the first floor we pass Flaxman's model of the Archangel Michael NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY. 193 overcoming Satan, a noble composition, and then a Mercury in bronze by Giovanni de Bologna. In the south drawing room are a series of medals, 140 in number, struck in France during the consulate and reign of Napoleon. They were once in the posses- sion of Josephine, ha\ang been selected for her by the Baron Denon. Here are an ivory table and four ivory chairs brought from Tippoo Sahib's palace at Seringapatam ; Sir Christopher Wren's watch ; a piece of jewellery found amongst the royal bag- gage after the battle of Naseby. In the next room are several modern pictures, the best of which is Turner's Yan Tromp's Barge entering the Texel. In glazed cases are gems, cameos, and intaglios. At the foot of the next flight of stairs is Flaxman's bust of the yoimger Pitt ; and in a recess is a cast of the shield executed in silver gilt for George IV., at a cost of 2000 guineas, after the designs of Flaxman, who in not less than a hundred figures has endeavoured to display the shield of Achilles, as de- scribed in the Iliad. Amongst the objects, which are only shewn by special permission, are the manuscript of the Jerusalem Delivered in Tasso's autograph ; a Latin manuscript embellished ■with exquisite miniatures by Giulio Clo^io ; and a missal of the fifteenth centur}', with miniatures by Lucas van Leyden and his scholars. The National Portrait Gallery is a collection of about 100 portraits and busts of persons famous or infamous in our history and literature, brought together since 1858, and placed temporarily in a house, 29 Great George Street, West- minster, to which the public has free access on Wednesdays and Saturdays, between the hours of twelve and five in summer, and twelve and four in winter. The collection is being gradually in- creased by gifts and purchases. Here may be seen the Chandos Shakspere, with rings in the ears ; Mary Queen of Scots, the Fraser-Tytler portrait ; Elizabeth, the unfortunate Queen of Bohemia, daughter of our James I., by JMirevelt ; John Locke, at the age of 72 ; Pope, by Jervas, a j)ainter to whom the poet addressed some lines : — Alas ! how little from the grave Tve claim ; Thou but preserv'st a face, and I a name. Judge Jeffries, by Kneller ; Sir Robert Walpole by Vanloo (a painter whose success Hogarth styled " an inundation of folly and puif ") ; Hogarth himself, a terra cotta bust by Roubiliac ; Han- 194 ANNUAL EXHIBITIONS OF PICTURES. del, by Hudson ; Eeynolds, by himself, shading bis face witb a band ; AVilkie, by himself ; Dr. Jenner, by Northcote ; Bm-ns, by Nasmith ; Pitt, a bust by Nollekens ; John Hunter, by Jack- son ; George IV., "Wilberforce, and Mackintosh, by Sir Thomas Lawrence, the first, a study for the coinage ; Moore the poet, a bust ; Wordsworth, by PickersgiU ; John Wesley, preaching, by Hone ; and Sir Richard Arkwright, by Wright of Derby. Annual Exhibitions of Pictures. During the spring and summer there are several exhibitions of pictures, chiefly modem, to which the price of admission is one shilling. Those marked t are the best worth Adsiting. t Royal Academy, east wing of National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, Sculpture as well as oil paintings. British Artists, Suffolk Street, Pall MaU. British Institution, 52 PaU MaU. (February, March, and Aj)ril.) French Gallery, 120 PaU Mall. German GaUery, 168 New Bond Street. t Exhibition of the Old Society of Painters in water colours, 5 PaU MaU, East. Exhibition of Xew Society of Painters in water colours, 53 PaU MaU. At the rooms of the British Institution, 52 PaU Mall, during the months of June, July, and August, there is an exhibition of paintings by the old masters, and deceased British artists, lent by noblemen and gentlemen from their gaUeries. Here may be inspected exceUent pictures which it would be difficult to see at any other time. Admission, one shiUing. There are also one or two exhibitions of photographic works, which wiU be seen advertised in the newspapers. CHAPTEE THE EOUETEENTH. Prh^ate Mansions and Picture Galleries, Apsley House — Argyle House — Bridgewater House— Chesterfield House — Devonshire House — Grosvenor House — Holland House — Lambeth Palace — Lansdowne House — Northumberland House — Stafford House — Other Private Galleries. Apsley House, Hyde Park Corner, the residence of the Diike of Wellington. Here lived the first Duke for many ^-ears previous to his death in 1852. It was built by Lord Chancellor Bathurst. When the late Duke purchased it in 1820, it was a plain edifice of brick ; he caused it to be faced \vith Bath stone, and built the portico, the west wing, and a picture gallery 90 feet long, laying out, it is said, <£l 30,000. He afterwards purchased the Crown's reversion in the property for £9530. The Duke celebrated the victory of Waterloo by a grand banquet every 18th of June in the picture gallery. The house contains a good collection of pic- tiu-es, and many valuable objects j)resented to the Duke by foreign sovereigns and public bodies, e.g.^ a dessert service, painted with the Duke's "victories, given by the King of Saxony ; services of china, presented by the Emperor of Austria, the King of Prussia, and Louis XVIII. ; and a silver plateau, to hold 106 wax tapers, given by the King of Portugal. The Duke's bed- room, with its simple furniture, is preserved in the state in which he left it. Amongst the pictures is the famous " Christ on the Mount of Olives," by Coreggio, of which there is a duplicate in the National Gallery. This picture was foimd in Joseph Buonaparte's carriage when captured in Spain. It was restored by the Duke to the King of Spain, and by him presented to the captor. The interior of the house can only be seen by sjiecial per- mission. Aegyle House, Argyle Street, a plain mansion at the middle 196 MANSIONS. of the east side' of the street, is the residence of the Earl of Aberdeen, It formerly belonged to the Dukes of Argjle, but was sold to the present earl's father, the premier of the Aberdeen ministr}^, which was planned here in 1852. We call attention to the house, however, for the purpose of mentioning that the dining-room wing which overlooks the garden at the rear has been lately converted by the direction of the earl into an indus- trial school for about sixty boys. There is a class-room, a mess- room, work-rooms in which various useful trades are taught, and a lecture-room, where lectures Avill be delivered to the poor of the neighbourhood. The coach-house in Marlborough mews has been fitted with baths and lavatories. Sleeping accommodation will be afforded to some of the boys, whilst the others ^vill leave in the evening and return in the morning. The boys are also to be fed and clothed. The most destitute children of the neigh- bourhood will be selected. This is making a noble use of money, and we trust so good an example will be followed by other wealthy people. Bridgewater House, Cleveland Row, St. James', the resi- dence of the Earl of Ellesmere, was erected by the late Earl (once well known as Lord Erancis Egerton) from the designs of Sir Charles Barry, the style being Italian palazzo. It has a front 122 feet long towards the Green Park, and on this side it is seen between the Duke of Sutherland's and Earl Spencer's mansions. The pictiu'e gallery, 110 feet long, contains the Bridgewater col- lection, which was a portion of the celebrated Stafford gallery. The last Duke of Bridgewater, who died in 1803, bequeathed his pictures, valued at £150,000 to his nephew, the first Duke of Sutherland, during whose life the collection, added to one formed by himself, was known all over Europe as the Stafford gallery. On the death of the duke in 1833, his second son Lord Francis succeeded to the Bridgewater estates and pictures, the other part of the Stafford gallery going to the eldest son, father of the pre- sent Duke of Sutherland. Here are about 320 pictures, and this is the most accessible of the private collections in London. " Whether we love pictures as representations of beauty, or as emanations of mind, in every j)rovince of ideal or imitative painting, there is here sufficient to form the uncultivated or en- chant the cultivated taste. Yet not merely because of the value, variety, and interest of its contents, does this collection take the first rank, but its history is so connected with the history of the MANSIONS. 197 progress of art in England as to render it peculiarly interesting. Of all the private collections, it will be found to be one which has had the most favourable, the most refining influence on the pub- lic and individual taste." — Mrs. Jameson. Here are 4 Raphaels, 2 Guidos, 6 Ludovico Carraccis, 7 Annibale Carraccis, 5 Domeni- chinos, 4 Claudes, 4 Caspar Poussins, 5 Titians, 5 Berghems, 6 Cuyps, 3 G. Douws, 3 Hobbemas, 6 Adrian Ostades, 5 Rem- brandts, 6 Ruysdaels, 8 Teniers, 7 Vanderveldes, etc., besides several pictures of the modern English school, and a master-piece of Paul de la Roche. For cards to view apply to Messrs. Smith, 137 New Bond Street, and Messrs. Colnaghi, 15 Pall Mall, East. There is a separate entrance for the public, who are admitted on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, from 10 to 5. Chesterfield House, South Audley Street, opposite Great Stanhope Street, w^as built (1749) for the fourth Earl of Chester- field, the author of the well-known letters, and the ancestor of the present owner. His favourite rooms remain as they were, when he boasted of them. The gardens are particularly fine. The pillars of the court-yard screen, and the marble staircase, each step a monolith 20 feet long, came from Cannons, the seat of the Duke of Chandos. Devonshire House, Piccadilly, the residence of the Duke of Devonshire, was built on the site of Berkeley House by William Kent for the third duke. It is a plain brick structure, and cost ,£30,000. The modern portico ill agrees with the main building. The late duke (the seventh) built a state staircase of marble, and refitted the whole interior, except a small room decorated by the duchess, his mother, a lady renowned for her beauty and politi- cal zeal. The grounds are large. In addition to a few interest- ing pictures, this mansion contains the Devonshire gems, a celebrated collection of cut stones and medals, Claude's Liber Veritatis, outlines drawn by his own hand of the pictm^es he had painted, and the Kemble plays, a series of English di'amas, 's\-ith examples of the first editions of Shakspere's plays. These were brought together by John Philip Kemble, and were sold at his death for £2000. Grosvenor House, Upper Grosvenor Street, the residence of the Marquis of Westminster, is recognizable by the coloimade with double archway before the street front, and by the colonnade with six statues in the front facing Hyde Park. The first Earl 198 MANSIONS. Grosvenor began in 1750 tlie celebrated collection of pictures wbick is to be found here. Tbe next earl made splendid addi- tions, and of tbe gallery as it now appears Mrs. Jameson has said that no private gallery in this country exceeds it in point of variety. " The fascination of the Claudes, the imposing splendour of the Eubenses, and the interest attached to a number of English pictures, long contributed to render this gallery quite as popular as the Bridgewater gallery as a resort for the mere amateur, and not less attractive and impro^dng to the student and enthusiast." Unfortunately it has been less accessible of late years to the public. Here are three Murillos, two Titians, five Guidos, ten Claudes, 11 Eubenses (four of them brought from the convent of Loeches, near Madrid, cost ^10,000), seven Eembrandts, one Paul Potter, " a very miracle in its way ; " then, of the English school, two Hogarths, Sir Joshua's Mrs. Siddons as the tragic muse, Gainsborough's Blue Boy, and "West's chef d'oeuvre, the Death of General WoKe. Holland House, Kensington, a fine old mansion of the time of James I., around which cluster pleasant associations, with several generations of arts, politicians, and literary men. It was built for Sir Walter Cope in 1607, and passed on his death to his son-in-law Henry Eich, Earl of Holland, the son and father of Earls of Warwick. The Earl was beheaded by the Parliament in 1649, and the house was then occupied by Fairfax as his head- quarters, but was afterwards restored to the Eiches. William and Mary resided here a short time before going to Kensington Palace. Addison marrying the -widow of the son of the decapitated earl, lived and died here ; it was, consequently, the scene of the inter- view between the young earl and Addison on his death-bed, unless that story be apocryphal. The Eich family having become extinct in the male line, Henry Fox was created Baron Holland, and purchased the mansion from Lord Kensington, to whom it had descended through female heirs. Here lived in his youth and early manhood Charles Jam^s Fox, the baron's second son. In the time of Henry Eichard, third baron, C. J. Fox's nephew, the house was famous for the hospitality shewn there to literary men. Here met Eogers, Moore, Mackintosh, Hallam, Macaulay, Sydney Smith, and George Selwj^n. They have all passed away with their host, and that host's son. " Where be your gibes now ] your gambols, your songs, your flashes of merriment that were wont to set the table in a roar ?" The property has gone into MANSIONS. 199 the hands of anotlier family, and the time prognosticated by Sir Walter Scott has come, when rows and crescents lord it over the place. The seclusion of the park has been broken in upon, and parcelled out for " \dlla residences ;" the end of the house itself cannot be far off. It is of red brick, embellished with turrets, gable-ends, and mullioned windows. A stone gateway on the east of the house was designed by Inigo Jones. In the house are several busts, and some pictures of value. The eastern "vving of the house is formed by the long gallery, 102 feet in length by 1 7 feet, used as a library, where, besides books, many curiosities are or were stored. Lambeth Palace, the residence of the Archbishops of Can- terbury, Primates of all England, is on the south bank of the Thames, opposite the Houses of Parliament. This property was acquired in 1197, by the then Archbishop. Since that time large sums have been spent here, either in enlarging or rebuild- ing. A late Archbishop (Howley), laid out <£ 6 0,0 00 in erecting the inhabited part of the palace, and restoring other parts, from the designs of Edward Blore. The garden front, in the Tndor style, is much admired. The gardens and grounds occupy eighteen acres. The gate house ^ of red brick, was built by Archbishop Morton, about 1499. Spiral staircases on the towers lead to the record room, where many of the archives of the see are preserved. In the small prison-room adjornuig the gate- way, are three iron rings, and the walls bear figures made by prisoners. On the left of the outer court is the Lollard's Tower, of red brick, faced with stone. Archbishop Chicheley was the builder (1434-5). The "post-room" in tliis tower has a curious flat panelled ceiling, with angels and scrolls. The river front bears the builder's arms, above a niche where an image of St. Thomas a Beckett was formerly placed. Passing by a spiral staircase into an adjoining tower, we reach a chamber 15 feet by 1 1 feet, and only about 8 feet high, which is called the LollarcVs Prison, though it is more than doubtful whether any Lollards were confined in it. That the cell has been used as a prison is plain enough, for there are eight heavy iron rings fixed in the wall, and on the oaken wainscotting are inscriptions and figures, cut by the captives. " Nosce teipsmn," " I.H.S., cyppe me out of all il compane, amen," may be decyphered amongst others. The entrance is guarded by two doors, each 3^ inches thick. .Amongst the persons confined at Lambeth, were Queen 200 MANSIONS. Elizabeth's Earl of Essex, Sir Thomas Armstrong, who suflFered capital punishment for sharing in Monmouth's rebellion, and Lovelace the poet. The Cha'pel is early English ; its lancet windows are filled with stained glass, of Archbishop Howley's time. The oldest part of the chapel was built by Archbishop Boniface (1244-70). The roof is modern. Notice the primate's stall ; the marble slab over Archbishop Parker's remams, which were taken up and indignantly treated by the Parliamentarian soldiers, but re-interred at the Restoration. All the Archbishops of Canterbury, since Boniface, have been consecrated here, as well as more than 150 bishops. The west side of the inner court is formed by the Great Hall, and the Great Dining Room. The former is of red brick, 93 feet by 38 feet, and upwards of 50 feet in height. It was built by Archbishop Juxon about 1622. The oaken roof has eight main ribs, with pendants and a central lantern. Notice in the glass of the bay window, an ancient portrait of Archbishop Chicheley, also the arms of Philip II. of Spain, Mary's husband, and those of some arch- bishops. The archi-episcopal collection of books is kept in this hall. Archbishop Bancroft began it. Amongst the 25,000 volumes are some rare editions of the Bible, some early printed books, black letter tracts, and many other curiosities. There is also a valuable collection of MSS. The only known portrait of Edward V. is here, in an illumination of Lad River's MS. trans- lations from the French, from the Notable Wise Sayings of Philosophers, in which Caxton is represented as being brought to Edward IV., his queen, and prince Edward. The Guard Chamber, 58 feet long and 27^ feet wide, con- tains a number of portraits of archbishops, the series since 1633 being complete. In the Picture Gallery are many more portraits of more or less value, including Luther, Queen Catherine Parr, and Henry Prince of Wales (son of James L), in a very curious dress. The entrance to the new buildings of the palace is between two octagonal towers on the north side of the inner court. In the archbishop's private library is a portrait by Holbein, of Archbishop Warham, consecrated in 1504; and in an ante-room is a portrait of Charles I., attributed to Vandyke. The history of this interesting place would fill a volume. The adjoining church with a perpendicular tower is St. Mary's, the mother church of the parish. The oldest part dates from about 1375, and it contains the tombs of seven archbishops. MAirsiONS. 201 Here also are tlie tombs of Dollond the well-kno^Ti optician, and Ellas Ashmole the antiquary. In the churchyard lie, under an elaborate mausoleum, the elder and younger Tradescant, the gardeners. Lansdowne House, south side of Berkeley Square, was erected for George III.'s Marquis of Bute, but was sold before completion to the Lord Shelbume, afterwards first Marquis of Lansdowne, for'£2 2,000. Priestley made the discovery of oxygen when living in the house as Lord Shelbume's librarian, in 1774. Here is a good collection of ancient sculpture, cliiefiy placed in the gallery, 100 feet long. The greater part of it was formed by Gavin Hamilton, who resided many years at Rome. A statue of Mercury, heroic size, was pronounced by Canova to be " not only the finest in the collection, but finer and more perfect than the Mercury of the Vatican." There are also works by Ranch and Canova, including the Sleeping Woman, the Italian artist's lost work, and a duplicate of the Venus in the Pitti Palace. The present Marquis came to the title in 1809, and has himself entirely formed the valuable collection of pictures, about 160 in niunber. These are divided between this mansion and Bowood, the Marquis's comitry residence, and are frequently changed from one place to the other. " The collection is quite miscel- laneous in character ; every school, every style, every age, every country, is here represented by one genuine specimen at least ; of a few favourite painters the examples are niunerous. It is strictly a private collection, the pictures being distributed through the family apartments. Of the most distinguished masters in the different schools of art, we fimd here sometimes a single good and genuine specimen, sometimes two or three. But the painter whose works so predominate that they may be said to impart a certain colour and character to this charming collection — the painter whose presence is most felt as we look around us, is Sir Joshua Reynolds" — Mrs. Jameson. Of that painter there are twelve examples, and amongst them are the celebrated straw- berry girl, and the portraits of Sterne and Mrs. Sheridan. Here also are Hogarth's portraits of Peg Woffington and himself; Gainsborough's Dr. Franklin, and three Wilkie's, Northumberland House, Charing Cross, the residence of the Duke of Northumberland, is concealed from the view by a high screen, over the gateway of which is the lion (cast in lead) of the 202 MANSIONS. Percies. Tlie house* was built by Henry Howard, Earl of Nortb- ampton, son of the poet Earl of Surrey, from whom it went to a nephew, whose granddaughter took it on marriage to Algernon Percy, tenth Earl of Northumberland (whose portrait by Vandyke is in the house), and it then received its present name. General Monk, a guest of the earl, planned here the restoration of Charles 11. The proud Duke of Somerset, who married the earl's grand- daughter, kept great state here. From him it has descended through a female heir to its present occupant. Very little of the old house remains, the greater part having been rebuilt in the last century. The interior contains a noble double staircase with marble steps, a state-gallery 106 feet long and 27 wide, and some good paintings, amongst which is lUtian's picture of the Comaro family, bought from Vandyke by Algernon, Earl of Northumberland. There is a copy at Hampton Court. Stafford House, the residence of the Duke of Sutherland, stands near St. James' Palace, T\T.th the west front looking into the Green Park, and the south front into St. James' Park. The greater part of the mansion was built for the late Duke of York, on whose death the Crown lease was sold to the first Duke of Suther- land for £72,000, and a ground rent of £758 a-year. Sir Charles Barry, who planned the interior, added the upper storey. The hall and state staircase, 80 feet square, extend thi'ough the whole height of the house. There are eight state rooms ; the great dining- room, 70 feet by 30, contains a Ganymede by Thorwaldsen ; the picture gallery, 126 feet by 32 feet in "width, is "not only the most magnificent room in London, but is also excellently adapted to its purjDose in the management of the light and the style of decoration." Altogether, this mansion, whether as regards size or splendour, has not its equal in London, and is worthy of the residence of a noblemen who is reported to be the wealthiest of the English aristocracy. The collection of pictures is large, and includes that part of the famous Stafford Gallery which was brought together by the first Duke of Sutherland, as well as many paintings acquired by the late duke. They are not only hung in the picture gallery, but in many of the other rooms. Ajnongst them is " The Return of the Prodigal Son " by Murillo, of which * On the site once stood the Hospital of Rouncevall, built upon land given by William Mareschall, Earl of Pembroke, in the reign of Henry III., to the Prior of Rouncevall in Navarre — " With him there rode a gentil Pardonere Of Rouncevall."— CAawcer. MANSIONS. 203 Mrs. Jameson has said, that " in point of truth of expression, and in execution, Raphael himself never exceeded it ; " a portrait of a Jesuite, called Titian's Schoolmaster, by Moroni, " which every painter must look at with a sort of desperation ; " a portrait, by Giorgione, "exceedingly fine;" Correggio's Muleteer, "a cele- brated little picture, in a style of composition quite unusual Mith the painter ; " a wood scene, by Hackert, " a most charming pic- ture ;" a landscape, by Van Goyen, " eminently beautiful, soft, clear, and light ;" St. Grisogono borne aloft by angels, by Guer- cino, forming the centre of the ceiling of the picture gallery, " a celebrated picture, painted with powerful effect." Amongst the modern pictures are portraits, in one canvas, of the present Duchess Dowager of Sutherland and her eldest daughter, by La-vvrence, " beyond comparison the first of his works ; " a Festi- val before the Flood, by Etty, " one of his very finest works, in conception most poetical, Titian-like ;" the Day after the Battle of Chevy Chase, by Bird, " one of the best and most expressive pictures left by that painter ;" Lady Eveh-n Gower and the pre- sent Duke of Sutherland, by Sir Edwin Landseer, " beautifully painted." Lord Strafford going to Execution, by Paul de la Roche, " has transcendent merit in conception and execution." Dr. Johnson by Sir Joshua, and Lord Chancellor Thurlow by Romney. In addition to the principal collection of about 200 ancient and modern paintings, there is a very interesting assemblage of 150 portraits illustrating French liistory, memoirs, literature, and art, during a period of three centuries. Tliese formed the well- known Cabinet le Noir, which was purchased entire by the late duke when the French Government was hesitating on accoimt of the jjrice. In addition to the private galleries previously mentioned, the follo\ving noblemen and gentlemen possess collections of pictures of more or less extent. Special permission must be obtained from their respective owTiers before they can be seen : — Ashburton, Lord, Bath House, 82 Piccadilly — large and very good collection, especially of the Dutch and Flemish schools. Barker, Alexander, Esq., Piccadilly. Bedford, Duke of, 6 Belgrave Square — small, but very choice ; chiefly Dutch pictures. Bromley, Rev. Davenport, 32 Grosvenor Street. 204 MANSIONS. Caledon, Lord, 5 Carlton House Terrace. De Grey and Ripon, Earl, 4 St. James' Square. Dudley, Earl of, Dudley House, Park Lane — large and good col- lection. Eardley, Sir Culling, Bart., Belvidere, near Erith. Garvagh, Lady, 3 1 Portman Square. Here is a chef cVoeuvre of Raphael, a Madonna and child. Hertford, Marquis of, Hertford House, 105 Piccadilly — a very valuable collection, to which, the owner frequently adds. Here is Sir Joshua Reynolds' picture of ;Mrs. Hoare and child, for which the Marquis gave the largest sum ever paid for a work of this master, viz., 2550 guineas. Holford, R. S., Esq., Dorchester House, Park Lane — a large and very handsome mansion, contauiing a collection of very good pictures, brought together by Mr. HoKord. Hope, H. T., Esq., M.P., Piccadilly, corner of Do^vn Street. The house is new, and cost £30,000. The collection of pictures and sculptures divided between this mansion and Deepdene, Surrey, jSL?. Hope's country seat, is very valuable. Londonderry, Dowager Marchioness of, Holdernesse House, Park Lane — a handsome mansion, containing statuary, pictures, and articles of 'vertu. Morrison, Charles, Esq., 57 Upper Harley Street. Munro, H. A. J., Esq., Hamilton Place, Piccadilly. Korfolk, Duke of, 21 St. James' Square. Overstone, Lord, 2 Carlton Gardens — prbicipally Dutch, very choice. Peel, Sir Robert, Bart., 4 Whitehall Gardens,T^'^litehall — a collec- tion of Dutch paintmgs, formed by the late baronet, the pre- mier ; " not only is there not one mediocre picture in the collection, but there is not one which is not of celebrity, and first rate." — Mrs. Jainemn. Here is the Chapeau de Paille, by Rubens, which cost 3500 guineas. Rothschild, Baron Lionel, Piccadilly, near Apsley House — collec- tions of china, carved ivory, mediaeyal curiosities, besides pictures. Wynn, Ellis, Esq., 30 Cadogan Place. Yarborough, Earl of, Ai'lington Street, Piccadilly. CHAPTEE THE FIFTEENTH. Clubs. Army and Navy Club — Athenteum Club — Carlton Club — City Club — Conservative Club — Garrick Club — Guards' Club — Junior United Service Club — Oriental Club — Oxford and Cambridge Club — Pieform Club — Travellers' Club— Union Club — United Service Club — Uni- versity—White's — Brooks' — Boodle's — Chess Clubs. The Clubs form a peculiar feature of London life, and their houses as peculiar a feature in London architecture, not to be paralleled in any foreign city. They consist no longer of a small number of persons meeting at a tavern or coffee-house to spend a social evening, and talk eloquently over their cups. They are large assemblages of gentlemen, who, adopting one bond of union or another, have subscribed their guineas, and built themselves handsome houses, splendidly decorated, and luxuriously furnished, where they can take their meals, read the papers, and discuss the news of the day with their fellow-members. Some of the houses are amongst the finest edifices in the metropolis. They are in- tended chiefly for bachelors ; and a man of moderate income may enjoy comforts ia them only otherwise to be commanded by a large fortune. The two principal rooms on the ground-floor are the morning room, where the members find a spacious sitting room supplied with newspaj^ers, and the coftee-room, in which meals are served. On this floor is frequently a house diidng- room where set dinner parties can meet. On the upper floor will be found a splendid drawing-room, a card room, and the library well stocked with books. In some part of the building, generally on the floor above the drawing-room, are billiard and smoking rooms. It will thus be seen that all the appliances for a comfortable existence are supplied, except as regards sleeping, no beds being provided. The aftairs of a club are in the hands of a committee of management, appointed by the members out 206 THE CLUBS. of their own body. This committee acts in all respects as masters of the house, appointing the servants, receiving suliscriptions, paying bills, and making regulations for the orderly ongoing of the household. A complete establishment will embrace a secre- tary and librarian ; a steward and house-keeper ; groom of the chambers, butler, hall-porter ; clerk of the kitchen, chief cook, under-cooks, with waiting and other servants of various kinds. Viands are supj)lied at cost price, the general charges of the establishment being defrayed from the fund arising from entrance- fees and annual subscriptions. At some of the clubs a member .may entertain his friends at dinner, there being a strangers' room provided for the pm3)0se. Another convenience is that members can have their letters addressed to them at their club. Gam- bling is not permitted ; and deep drinking has long gone out of fashion, moderation in wine being happily the order of the day. In order to procure admission to a club, a gentleman must be proposed by a certain number of members, and must then sub- mit to the ordeal of the ballot-box, in which the presence of a regulated number of black balls will exclude the candidate. The entrance-fee varies from nine guineas to thirty-one guineas, but it is usually about twenty-five guineas. The annual subscription also varies, ranging from six to ten guineas. The club-houses congregate in Pall Mall and the neighbour- ing streets, and Pall ]\Iall derives its palatial aspect altogether from them, for the real palace of St. James' is but a poor affair by the side of the noble structures erected by the subscriptions of a few gentlemen. The " city " possesses only one club. "We shall proceed to give a few details respecting the principal clubs, and it will be seen that the bond of union has been furnished by various circumstances : sometimes it is political, sometimes de- rived from the universities, and sometimes professional. The Army and Navy Club-House, a veiy handsome build- ing, stands in Pall Mall, at the corner of George Street. It was commenced in 1848 from designs by Messrs. Pamell and Smith, who took for their models, to a considerable extent, two Venetian buildings, Sansovino's Palazzo Cornaro, and the Library of St. Mark. The entrance is in St. James' Square, by a loggia of three arches, leading to a spacious hall, where hang an eques- trian portrait of the Queen by Grant, which cost 400 guineas, and a piece of Gobelin tapestry presented by the Emperor Louis Napoleon, an honorary member. The coffee-room is Six feet by THE CLUBS. 207 301 feet ; tlie morning room 71 feet by 27^ feet. Tlie site cost £52,000 ! and the building £35,000. The number of members is limited to 1450. The entrance-fee is £30 ; the annual sub- scription £6 : lis. The Athen^cm Club, Waterloo PLace, Pall Mall, was insti- tuted in 1823 by Sir Walter Scott, Sir Humphrey Davy, Sir T. Lawrence, Sir F. Chantrey, and others, for the association of individuals known for their literary or scientific attainments, artists of eminence, and noblemen and gentlemen, distinguished as liberal patrons of science, literature, and the arts. The club- house was built in 1829 from the designs of Decimus Barton. The building cost £35,000 ; the furnitiu'e, plate, linen, and glass, £7500 ; the library £4000. The library contains the best collection of books of any club-house in London. In it is a por- trait of George IV., on which Lawrence was working only a few hours before he died. On the principal front is a frieze copied from the Panathenaic frieze of the Parthenon ; and over the portico is a colossal statue of Minerva by Baily. The club is limited to 1200 members; the entrance-fee is 25 guineas; the annual subscription 6 guineas. The Carlton Club-House, Pall Mall, is the head quarters of the Conservatives. The building was originally in the Grecian style, after designs by Sir R. Smirke, but was subsequently en- larged and refronted in a totally different style by his brother Sydney Smirke. The present design owes much to Sanso\Tiio's Library of St. Mark at Venice. The fa9ade is 130 feet long, in two orders — the lower Doric, the upper Ionic. Polished red granite columns and pilasters adorn the Caen-stone front, and catch the eye at once. The interior contains some splendid rooms, one of which, the coffee-room, is 92 feet long by 37 feet broad. The niunber of members is limited to 800, exclusive of peers and members of the House of Commons. Tlie entrance-fee is 15 guineas, the annual subscrijDtion 10 guineas. The City Club is established at 19 Old Broad Street. It was built in 1833, from Ph. Hardwick's designs, upon the site of the old South-Sea House. Merchants, bankers, and professional men, constitute the members, who pay an entrance-fee of 25 guineas, and an annual subscription of 6 guineas. The Conservative Club-House stands on the west side, and near the bottom of St. James' Street. It is a handsome Palladian building, erected in 1845, from the designs of Sydney Smirke 208 THE CLUBS. and G. Basevi. The morning-room is 92 feet long bv 28^ feet wide. The splendid drawing-room is of the same size, and its coved ceiling is supported by 18 Scagliola columns. The coffee- room has a length of 80 feet, and a width of 28^ feet, and the library has the same dimensions. The hall and staircase are richly decorated with encaustic embellishments by Sang. A gallery runs round the hall. The expenses of building and fur- nishing amounted to £73,000. Members limited to 1500. The entrance-fee is 25 guineas, the annual subscription 8 guineas. The Garrick Club meets at No. 35 King Street, Covent Garden, and derives its name from the celebrated actor. It was instituted in 1831, and consists of members of the histrionic art and patrons of the ckama. Clarkson Stanfield, Da\dd Eoberts, and Louis Haghe, have adorned the walls of the smoking-room with paintings. Members limited to 350. Entrance-fee 30 guineas ; annual subscription 6 guineas. Here is a collection of theatrical portraits, brought together principally by Charles Matthews. Strangers must be personally introduced by a member, and the pictures can only be seen on a Wednesday between eleven and three. The Guards' Club-House, 70 Pall Mall, has the external appearance of a private house. Officers of the household troops alone can be members. The Junior United Service Club-House is a handsome edifice at the comer of Charles Street and Regent Street. It was rebuilt in 1857, from the designs of Messrs. Nelson and Innes. The members are limited to 1500. The entrance-fee is <£30, the annual subscription £6. The Oriental Club, 18 Hanover Square, was instituted in 1824 for the convenience of gentlemen officially connected with our Indian empire, or who have travelled in Asia or Egypt, or at the Cape of Good Hope. It is limited to 800 members, who pay an entrance-fee of <£21, and an annual subscription of £8. The Oxford and Cambridge Club, Pall MaU, for members of the two universities. It was erected, 1835-8, from designs by Sir Eobert Smii^ke and his brother. The facade is 80 feet in length, and 75 feet in height. Over the window of the upper floor are bas-reliefs in panels. The members are limited to 585 from each imiversity. The entrance-fee is 25 guineas, the annual subscription 6 guineas. THE CLUBS. 209 The Eeform Club, Pall Mall, stands between the Travellers' and the Carlton. Sir Charles Barry furnished the designs, and the building was erected in 1838-39. It has been greatly ad- mired as a successful imitation of the Italian palazzo. It has a front of 135 feet, 6 floors, and 134 rooms. A leading feature of the interior is the grand hall, 56 feet by 50, covered with glass, and surrounded by colonnades, the upper one forming a picture gallery. The principal drawing-room is over the cofi"ee-room in the garden front, each about 130 feet in length. This is the only club-house at which members can obtain sleeping accom- modation. Soyer was chief cook here for some years. The kitchen arrangements are very complete, and are shewn to strangers as one of the admirable points of the establishment. Water is obtained from an Artesian well 360 feet deep. The number of members is limited to 1400, exclusive of peers and members of the Lower House. The entrance-fee is 25 guineas ; the annual subscription for the first five years 10 guineas, after- wards 8 guineas. The Travellers' Club is between the Athenceum and the Eeform. It was built in 1832, and is another of Bariy's designs in the Italian palazzo style. The garden front has been highly eulogized. One of the rules of this club is, that no person shall be eligible for a member who shall not have tra- velled out of the British Islands to a distance of at least 500 miles from London in a direct line — not so great a feat now-a- days, as it was when the rule was instituted. Foreigners are admitted to the privileges of this club during their temporary stay in London, if properly recommended. Talle^Tand was accustomed to play whist in the card-room of the Travellers'. Members are limited to 700 ; the entrance-fee is 20 guineas ; the annual subscription 10 guineas. The Union Club is at the corner of Cockspur Street, with a front in Trafalgar Square. Sir Robert Smirke was the archi- tect, and the building was erected in 1824. The stock of wine is reputed to be larger here than in any other club-house. Members limited to 1000. Entrance-money 31 guineas ; annual subscription 6 guineas. The United Service Club have their house over against the Athenpeum, at the corner of PaU Mall, and the approach to St. James' Park. It was built in 1826 from Nash's designs. Stan- field's Battle of Trafalgar, and other pictures, adorn the interior. P 210 THE CLUBS. Members limited to 1500 ; entrance-fee <£30 ; annual subscrip- tion £6. The University Club limits its members to 500 from Oxford and 500 from Cambridge, who pay an entrance fee of 25 guineas, and an annual subscription of .£6. The club-house was built in 1824, in Suffolk Street, PaU Mall, east, from Wilkins' designs. Besides these, the principal clubs, there are several others of more or less note, some of which boast of considerable age. For instance, White's, 37 and 38 St. James' Street, a Tory club which originated about 1736. It is written in its annals that the club in 1814 gave a ball to the allied sovereigns, then in London, which cost .£9850 ; and three weeks afterwards a dinner to the Duke of Wellington, which cost X2480. Brooks' has always been a "Whig club. It was founded in 1764 by Charles James Fox and the leading Whigs of the day ; the pre- sent house, 60 St. James' Street, was opened in 1778. Both this and White's were notorious for high play, as was Crock- ford's, 50 ' St. James' Street, at a later period, now converted into a public dining-room. Boodle's, 28 St. James' Street, also dates from the last century. Fox, and Gibbon the historian, were members. Chess Clubs. — Strangers who may delight in the noble game of chess may like to know that, besides the public rooms where chess is played (amongst which Kilpack's Divan, 42 King Street, Covent Garden, and the Divan opposite Exeter Hall in the Strand, should be mentioned), there are two chess clubs in the metropolis — viz., the St. George's, meeting at 20 King Street, St. James' ; and the London, at the George and Vulture Tavern, CornhiU, City. For information respecting them, apply to the secretaries. A great chess congress has been arranged for the summer of the present year, which is to comprise a grand tournament, blindfold chess play, consultation matches, and several other interesting events. Mr. Hampton of the St. George's Club, or Mr. G. W. ]\ledley of the London Club, will give information and receive subscriptions. CHAPTER THE SIXTEENTH. Theatres, Concert Rooms, and Places of Public Amusement. Adelphi Theatre — Astley's Amphitheatre— Covent Garden Theatre — Drury Lane Theatre — Haymarket Theatre — Her Majesty's Theatre — Lyceum Theatre — Marylebone Theatre — Olympic Theatre — Pa- vilion Theatre — Princess' Theatre — Sadler's Wells Theatre — Standard Theatre — Surrey Theatre — Victoria Theatre — Exeter Hall, St. James' Hall, etc. — Polytechnic Institution — Tussaud's Exhibi- tion of Waxworks, etc. — Bazaars. THEATRES. Those who intend to partake of theatrical and musical entertain- ments should consult the advertising colimms of some of the daily newspapers, where they will he kept advised from day to day of the pieces to be performed, the actors and singers who are to take part in them, and the hours of commencement, with the prices of admission. Here we must confine ourselves to a short description and history of the principal houses, which we shall place alphabetically. Strangers must keep in mind that gentle- men are not admitted into either opera-house, who are not in full evening dress, viz., dress-coat, black trowsers, and black or white waistcoat, and tie. The Adelphi Theatre is opposite Adam Street in the Strand. It is a most comfortable theatre, ha^'ing been lately re- built on an enlarged scale, by the lessee Mr. Benjamin Webster, who has long been known as a successful manager. The first house on this site was called the Sanspareil. It was built about sixty years ago by a Mr. Scott, a colour maker. The piece called " Tom and Jerry" was brouglit out at this house some forty years since, and the combined names have hardly yet died out of recollection. Terry, Sir Walter Scott's friend, became joint 212 THEATRES, ETC. lessee and manager -svith. Yates. Afterwards Charles Matthews the elder took the house and brought out his popular " At Homes." Since Mr. Webster has had the management, a number of comic actors of note have assisted him in giving a high charac- ter to the house. There are seats for 1400 persons. The size of the present theatre (of which i\Ir. T. H. Wyatt was the architect) is about 70 feet in breadth and 107 feet in depth. Astlet's Ajiphitheatre, Westminster Bridge Eoad, Lam- beth, where equestrian performances take place. The present house is the fourth house erected on the site, the three previous houses having been destroyed by fire. Astley, after whom it was called, was a cavalry soldier, whose first theatre was a structure of deal boards, put up in 1773. The place afterwards passed into the hands of Andrew Ducrow, and was called by his name. During his proprietorship it was burned down, and he died in- sane a few months subsequently. City of London Theatre, Shoreditch ; principally for melo- dramas. CovENT Garden Theatre (Royal Italian Opera), Bow Street. The first playhouse on this site was opened in 1733. This was destroyed by fire ; and another theatre, erected from the designs of R. Smirke, was opened in 1809, the cost having been about .£180,000. The prices of admission having been raised, there en- sued the famous O. P. riots, which were only terminated at the end of tv\^o months by a retui'n to the previous charges. The taste of the public running upon musical entertainments, the theatre was converted into an Italian opera house in 1847. Smirke's building was destroyed by fire in 1856. The present handsome theatre is not quite so large as its predecessor. It was designed by E. M. Barry, and was erected in the space of six months (at a cost of nearly £80,000), being opened to the public in May 1858. When used for the opera it will hold about 2300 comfortably-seated spectators ; when otherwise fitted, 3000 or more visitors can be easily accommodated. The statues of tra- gedy and comedy, and the figures on the friezes in bas-relief at the Bow Street front, are from Flaxman's chisel. The following table will give some dimensions of the house in comparison mth those of other large theatres. THEATRES, ETC. 213 11 .2 s= il - o >< 11 o.| n% H| i^ ^'5 s ®1 C rq ^§ ■all "«! = ii 5S " ^1 CSS Feet. Feet. Feet. Feet. San Carlos, Naples . . 53 29 6 70 70 70 La Scala, Milan . . . 43 41 5 66 884 69 Theatre at Bologna . . 51 25 5 57 78 634 Theatre at Turin . . . 42^ 29 6 52 61 534 Her Majesty's Theatre, Hay market .... 37 43 6 59 88 51 Covent Garden . . . 50 36 4 63 81 654 Drurt Laxe Theatre, near Covent Garden Market, is re- no^Tned in the annals of the British drama, the first house on this site dating from 1663. It was bnilt for Thomas Killigrew, and others, " the king's servants," in Charles the Second's rei