piazzas, forming walks, to fhelter the merchants, in bad weather. Above the arches of these piazzas is an entabJature extending round, and a compafs pediment in the middle of each of the four fides. Under that on the north are the king's arms, on the fouth those of the city, on the eaft those of Sir Thomas Grefham, and on the west those of the Mercers company. In these intercolumniations are twenty-four niches, twenty of which are filled with the ftatues of the kings and queens of England. In the centre. of the area is a statue of Charles II, in a Roman habit, encompaffed with iron rails. In this area the merchants meet every day. These merchants are difpofed in separate claffes, each of which have their particular station, called their walk.

The Bank of England, a magnificent structure, is fituated in Threadneedle-ftreet. The centre, and the building behind, were erected in 1733. Before that time, the bufinefs was carried on in Grocer's Hall. The front is a kind of veftibule; the base ruftic, the ornamental columns above, Ionic. Within is a court leading to a fecond elegant building, containing the hall, and other offices. Within a few years have been added two wings of uncommon elegance, defigned by the late Sir Robert Taylor.

The Custom Houfe, to the weft of the Tower, is a large irregular structure of brick and ftone, before which, fhips of 350 tons can lie and difcharge their cargoes. It was built in 1718, on the deftruction, by fire, of a former custom houfe, on the fame fpot. In Mr. Pennant's Account of London are fome curious particulars of the produce of the customs at different times, from the year 1268, when the half-year's cuftoms, for foreign merchandize in the city of London, came only to 751. 65. 10d. to the quarter ending April 5, 1789, when the produce for the year amounted to 3,711,1261. We must refer likewife, for a comparative view of the commerce carried on by every port in England, to Mr. Payne's New Syftem of Geography; a work, which difplays, great diligence of refearch, and much hiftorical and commercial information.

The Excife Office, in Broad-ftreet, is a building of very magnificent fimplicity; erected (in confequence of an act of

of parliament, for that purpose, in 1768) on the fite of Gresham College. The payments into this office, from January 5, 1786, to January 5, 1787, were not less than 5,531,1141. 6s. 101.

The Eaft India house, in Leadenhall-street, was built in 1726. The front is very confined; but it has great extent in depth, and contains all the offices neceffary for tranfacting the bufinefs of a great commercial company. What would be the reflections of an old Roman, could he rife from the flumber of ages, and revisit this island, which his compatriots then confidered as beyond the boundaries of the world, and a voyage of difficulty and danger,† should he behold this ftructure, and be informed that it was the capital, as it were, of a republic of commercial Sovereigns, who poffeffed extenfive territories in diftant regions of the globe, maintained vaft armies, engaged in bloody and expenfive wars, and now created, now dethroned, and now reftored the mighty chiefs of nations!-The fact would appear incredible: the appearance of this ftructure, at least, would not vouch for the truth of it; for, as Mr. Pennant juftly obferves, "It is not worthy of the Lords of Hindooftan."

The South-fea boufe is a noble building, with two fpacious rooms for tranfacting the bufinefs of the South-fea annuities; the upper room, more particularly, being a lofty, fpacious, and peculiarly grand, although unadorned, piece of architecture, furpaffing any room of the kind in the Bank of England.

The General Poft Office is fituated in Lombard-street As a building, it merits no diftinction.

One of the most beautiful remains of the architecture of

the fixteeeth century was Somerfet House, built by the Lord Protector, in the reign of Edward VI. But this building has been demolished to make way for the expanded grandeur of Somerset Place; which magnificent ftructure was begun to be built, according to the plan of Sir William Chambers, when the nation was engaged in a ruinons war with America, France and Spain: it has already coft 334,7031. and remains in an unfinished state: the estimate of the expence of completing it, as delivered to the House of Commons, by Sir William Chambers, in February 1790, was 33,500l.

The defign, in erecting this ftupendous fabrick, was to bring together the moft confiderable public offices. Accordingly, here are now the following offices; namely, the auditors of imprefts, clerk of the eftreats, duchy courts of Lancaster and Cornwall, hackney coach, hawkers and pedlars, horse duty, lord treasurer's remembrancer's, lottery, navy, navay pay, pipe and comptroller of the pipe, falt, fick and hurt, fignet, ftage coach duty, ftamp, furveyor of crown lands, tax, victualling, and wine licence offices.

The king's barge houfes are likewife comprehended in the plan, with a dwelling for the barge mafter; befide houfes for the treafurer, the pay mafter, and fix commiffioners of the navy; for three commiffioners of the victualling and their fecretary; for one commiffioner of the ftamps, and one of the fick and wounded: with commodious apartments in every office for a secretary, or some other acting officer, for a porter, and their families.

The front of this magnificent ftructure, towards the Strand, confifts of a rich and ornamental basement, fupporting an excellent example of the Corinthian order, containing a principal and attic ftory. In this front, are apartments for the Royal Academy, and for the Royal and Antiquarian Societies.

The grand entrance, by three lofty arches, leads into a fpacious quadrangle, on each fide of which, to the eaft and weft, a ftreet is to be formed, beyond which the wings are to be carried.

The front to the Thames is erected on a noble terrace, 53 feet wide; and the building, when finished, will extend

about

about 1100 feet. This terrace which is unparalleled for grandeur and beauty of view, is supported on a rough ruftic basement, adorned with a lofty arcade of 32 arches, each 12 feet wide, and 24 high. The grand femicircular arch in the middle of the basement, is that intended for the reception of the king's barges. The length of the arcade is happily relieved by projections, distinguished by rufticated columns of the Ionic order.

The fouth, or principal front, erected on this terrace, confifts of a rustic basement, over which the Corinthian order prevails.

Near the parade, in St. James's Park, is the Treasury, which has a noble elevated front. Gloomy and maffy paffages lead through it into Downing-street and Whitehall. What is called The Cockpit," forms a part of this building, and is now the council-chamber for the cabinet minifters.

is

THE MANSION HOUSE.

Of this huge ponderous refidence of the Lord Mayors of the City, Mr. Pennant is content to obferve, (in the Words of Pope's character of Cromwell) that it "damned to everlafting fame." It is built of Portland ftone, and has a portico of fix lofty fluted columns of the Corinthian order in the front, the fame order being continued in pilafters, both under the pediment and on each fide. The basement story is very maffy, and built in ruftic; and on each fide rises a flight of steps of very confiderable height, leading up to the portico, in the middle of which is the door which leads to the apartments and offices. The columns fupport a large angular pediment, adorned with a very noble piece in baffo relievo, representing the dignity and opulence of the city of London, executed by Sir Robert Taylor. Beneath this portico are two series of windows ́ which extend along the whole front; and above this is an attic ftory, with fquare windows crowned by a balustrade, This building has an area in the middle, and the apartments are extremely noble, particularly what is called "The Egyptian Hall."-The firft ftone was laid in 1739; the expence of building it was 42,6381. and the fum voted for furnishing it, in 1752, was 4000l.

This

THE MONUMENT.

On

This noble column was erected, in commemoration of the great fire in 1666, when the damage occafioned by the devouring element was estimated at 10,716,000l. It was begun in 1671, and finished in 1677, by Sir Chriftopher Wren. It is a fluted Doric column, 202 feet high. the weft fide of the pedestal is a baís relief, cut by Gabriel Cibber. It is an emblematical reprefentation of this fad catastrophe; and Charles is feen, furrounded by Liberty, Genius, and Science, giving directions for the reftoring of the city. The infcription imputing the calamity to the Papifts, is now univerfally confidered as unjuft; a circumstance, in course, to which Pope not improperly alludes:

Where London's column, pointing at the skies,
Like a tall bully lifts his head and lyes.

BRIDGES.

London Bridge, to the weft of the Tower, was firft built of wood, about the beginning of the 11th century. The prefent ftone bridge was begun 1176, and finished in 1209. The length of it is 915 feet, the exact breadth of the River in this part. The number of arches was 19, of unequal dimenfions, and greatly deformed by the enormous fierlings, and by houses on each fide, which overhung and leaned in a terrific manner. Thefe were removed in 1756, when the upper part of the bridge affumed a modern and very noble appearance. But the fterlings were fuffered to remain, although they contract the fpace between the piers fo greatly, as to occafion, at the ebb of every tide, a fall of five feet, or a number of temporary cataracts, which, fince the foundation of the bridge, have occafioned the lofs of innumerable lives. If these could not have been removed with fafety to the bridge, it is to be lamented that the whole of this ill-contrived ftructure is not taken down, and a new one erected, correfpondent to the opulence and dignity of the metropolis.

Weftminfter Bridge, univerfally allowed to be the finest "Pontifice" in the world, was built by Mr. Charles Labelye, a native of Switzerland. The firft ftone was laid

on

4