a small church of exquisite beauty, the master-piece of Sir Christopher Wren. Perhaps Italy itself can produce no modern building that can vie with this in elegance and proportion. There is not a beauty which the plan would admit of, that is not to be found here in the greatest perfection; and foreigners very justly call our taste in question, for understanding the graces no better, and allowing it no higher degree of fame. Over the altar is a beautiful picture of the martyrdom of St. Stephen, by West. The character of the Saint is fully expressed in his angelic countenance, resigned to his fate, and full of the hope of immortality.

Bow Church, in Cheapside; St. Bride's, in Fleet-street; St. Dunstan's in the East, near the Tower; and St. Martin's in the Fields; are among the other churches distinguished for fine architecture. Other churches are distinguished for curious monuments; as, St. Andrew Undershaft, Leadenhall street, for that of Stow the historian; St. Helen, of Sir Thomas Gresham; St. Giles, Cripplegate, where Milton, Fox the martyrolygist, and Speed the historian, were buried. The parish churches, in what are called the Bills of Mortality, amount to 146; namely, 97 within the walls, 16 without the walls, 23 out parishes in Middlesex and Surry, and 10 in the city and liberties of Westminster.

Besides these Churches, that belonging to the Temple, one of our celebrated seats of law, merits attention. It was founded by the Knights Templars in the reign of Henry II., upon the model of that of the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusa lem. The reader will find a full description of this church, and its ancient monuments, in Mr. Pennant's Account. Among the illustrious persons of later date, interred in this Church, were the celebrated lawyer Plowden, Treasurer of the Temple in 1572 (of whom Camden says, that in integrity he was second to none of his profession) and Selden, the best skilled of any man in the English constitution, and in the various branches of antiquity; but who, toward the close of his life, was so convinced of the vanity of all human knowledge, as to say, that the 11th, 12th, 13th, and 14th verses of the second chapter of the Epistle to Titus, afforded him more consolation than all he had ever read. St. Catharine, by the Tower, is also well worth inspecting; the choir is very curious.

There are likewise a great number of chapels for the

Established church, Foreign protestant churches, Roman catholic chapels, Meetings for the dissenters of all persua sions, and three synagogues for the Jews. Indeed so very various and diversified are the places of worship in London, that a wag once remarked, that those who were very scrupulous as to their religion, might here suit themselves to a shaving!

PALACES AND PARKS.

The magnificence of Royalty is not to be found in the palaces of the Metropolis. The palace of St. JAMES was originally an hospital for leprous females, dedicated to that Saint. It was surrendered to Henry VIII., who erected on its site the present palace; of which it has been observed, that, notwithstanding its mean exterior appearance, it is the most commodious for the parade of royalty of any in Europe. He likewise laid out a large piece of ground adjoining into a park, and formed a canal and walks, calling it, in conformity to the former name of the contiguous building, St. James's Park. Charles II. enlarged and improved this spot, adorning it with plantations of trees; but, a few years ago, it was rendered still more beautiful by the genius and taste of Brown, the distinguished pupil of the illustrious Kent, who, in the most happy manner, adopted and improved the principles of gardening which were laid down by his predecessor. The beauty of this park is heightened by being contiguous to another of less extent, called, "The Green Park." Here too, on the most elevated part, is a fine piece of water, which is recruited every tide from the Thames, by the waterworks at Chelsea; and forms a reservoir for the supply of the houses in the neighbouring parts. In this park the Deputy Ranger, Lord William Gordon, has a neat lodge, surrounded by a shrubbery, which has a pleasing rural effect, although so near the houses in Piccadilly. A fine ascent, called "Constitution Hill," from the salubrity of the air, leads to Hyde Park, another royal demesne. This is adorned with a noble piece of water, called "The Serpentine River," and with diversified plantations of various kinds of trees, which, together with its elevated situation, commanding extensive views, render it a captivating scene. Hence it is the place of fashionable morning resort, for the nobility and gentry, both in carriages and on horseback, and incredible is the number of visitors

on a Sunday in the summer season! Near the eastern edge of this park is a fine bason of water, supplied by the Chelsea water-works, from which the houses in Grosvenor-square, and its vicinity, are provided.

The QUEEN'S PALACE stands in a most favourable situation that St. James's Park could furnish. It was erected by John Sheffield, Duke of Buckingham, in 1703, and called Buckingham House, until it was purchased, in 1761, for the royal residence; when it acquired its present name. In 1775, Parliament settled this house upon the Queen, in case she should survive his Majesty, in lieu of Somerset House. Here is a fine collection of prints, and a great variety of pictures by the most eminent masters; also many curious Time Pieces, his Majesty being deemed very curious in such kinds of machinery.

CARLTON HOUSE, in Pall Mall, the residence of the Prince of Wales, the gardens extending to St. James's Park, is a stately building, on which vast sums have been expended. Its front has a princely appearance, and the centinels pacing to and fro, add to its grandeur and dignity.

The BANQUETING HOUSE, at Whitehall, was begun in 1619, from a design by Inigo Jones*. It is only a small part of the vast plan of a palace, intended to be worthy of the residence of the British Monarchs, but left incomplete, on account of the unhappy times that followed. The ceiling of this noble room was painted by Rubens, who had 30001. for his work. The subject is the Apotheosis of James I. It forms nine compartments. One of the middle represents our pacific monarch on his earthly throne, turning with horror from Mars and other discordant deities, and giving himself up, as it were, to the amiable goddess he had always adored, and to her attendants, Commerce and the fine Arts. A few years ago, this ceiling underwent a repair by the masterly hand of Cipriani. Little did James think, that he was erecting a pile, from which his son was to step from the throne to the scaffold! The Banqueting House has been long converted into a chapel; and George the first granted a salary of 301. a year to twelve Clergymen (six from Ox

It is remarkable, that this great Architect, who was Surveyor of the Works, had only 8s. 4d. per diem, and 461. per ann. for house rent, a clerk, and incidental expences.

ford, and six from Cambridge) who officiate a month each.

Beside the Royal Palaces, there are many fine houses of the Princes of the Blood, and of the Nobility and Gentry. Of these we shall only mention the most distinguished, namely, Aldborough House, Stratford Place; Earl Bathurst's, Hyde Park Corner; the Earl of Chesterfield's, South Audley Street; the late Duke of Cumberland's, Pall Mall, now an Hotel for Irish Members since the Union; the Duke of Devonshire's, and the Earl of Egremont's, and Albany House, now an Hotel, Piccadilly; the Bishop of Ely's. Dover-Street; Foley House, near Portland Place; the Duke of Gloucester's, Upper Grosvenor Street; Earl Harcourt's, Cavendish Square; the Marquis of Lansdown's, Berkeley Square; Manchester House, the Marquis of Hertford's, Manchester Square; the Duke of Marlborough's, Pall Mall; Lord Melbourne's, Whitehall; the Duke of Norfolk's, St. James's Square; the Duke of Northumberland's, in the Strand; Burlington House, the Duke of Portland's, Piccadilly; Earl Spencer's, St. James's Place; the Earl of Uxbridge's, Burlington Street; Lady Charlotte Wynne's, St. James's Square; Lord Grenville's, in the Green Park, &c.

COURTS OF JUSTICE.

WESTMINSTER HALL, now the seat of Parliament, and of the Courts of Law, stands on the site of a Royal Palace built by Edward the Confessor. The stairs to it on the river still retain the name of Palace Stairs; and the two Palace Yards belonged also to this extensive pile. Many parts of it exist to this day, appropriated to other uses. The great hall was rebuilt in its present form by Richard II., who, in 1399, kept his Christmas in it, with his characteristical magnificence; the number of his guests, each day, being 10,000! This great hall exceeds, in dimension, any in Europe, which is not supported by pillars. Its length is 270 feet; the breadth 74; and the height in proportion. Parliaments often sat in this Hall; and, in 1397, when it was very ruinous, Richard II. built a temporary room for his Parliament, formed with wood, and covered with tiles. It was open on all sides, that the constituents might see and hear every thing that passed: and, to secure freedom of debate, he surrounded the House by 4000 Cheshire arch

ers, with bows bent, and arrows notched, ready to shoot. This fully answered the intent; for every sacrifice was made to the royal pleasure. The Lords now meet in a room hung with tapestry, which records our victory over the Spanish Armada; and the Commons assemble in a place, which was once a chapel, built by King Stephen; and dedicated to his namesake, the Protomartyr. Upon enlarging it for the accommodation of the additional Members on account of the union with Ireland, several curious antiquities were found.

Courts of Justice, even in early times, sat in this Hall, where our Sovereigns themselves once commonly presided; for which reason it was called Curia Domini Regis and one of the three courts now held here is called the Court of King's Bench. In this Hall was held what was called "The High Court of Justice," for the trial of the unfortunate Charles I. Here also was carried on the impeachment against the arbitary Minister, Thomas Earl of Strafford, who had been once the zealous patriot, Sir Thomas Wentworth. In mentioning this, Mr. Pennant relates an anecdote, to shew the simplicity of one part of the manners of the times. "The Commons," says this entertaining writer," who had an inclosed place for themselves, at a certain hour pulled out of their pockets bread and cheese, and bottles of ale; and, after they had eat and drank, turned their backs from the king, and made water, much to the annoyance of those who happened to be below *. His Lordship was brought into the Hall by eight o'clock in the morning." This hall has been made famous of late years by the long and tedious trial of Warren Hastings, Esq. late Governor of Bengal; and more recently by the trial of Lord Melville, which created a general interest throughout the country.

The GUILDHALL of the City, situated at the end of King Street, Cheapside, was built in the year 1431 + Its great Hall is 153 feet long, 50 broad, and 58 high; in

*Mr. Pennant quotes, as his authority, the Letters of Provost Baillie of Scotland, 1641.

+ Before the year 1711, the Court-hall, or Bury, as it was called, was held at Alderman's Buy, so denominated from the meeting of the Aldermen there.