a compofite, in which the Doric is predominant. Within the columns is a large femicircular niche, ferving as a feat, which revolves on a pivot, and may with great eafe be turned by one hand to any expofition, notwithstanding its fize. The Temple of Solitude is fituated very near the fouth front of the palace. "At the head of the lake, and near the temple of Eolus, ftands a Chinese octagon building of two ftories, built a good many years ago, I believe, from the designs of Mr. Goupy. It is commonly called THE HOUSE OF CONFUCIUS. The lower ftory confifts of one room and two closets; and the upper ftory is one little faloon, commanding a very pleafing profpect over the lake and gardens. Its walls and cieling are painted with grotefque ornaments, and little hiftorical fubjects relating to Confucius, with several tranfactions of the Chriftian miffions in China. The fofa and chairs were, I believe, defigned by Mr. Kent, and their feats and backs are covered with tapestry of the Gobelins. In a thicket, near the houfe of Confucius, is erected the engine which fupplies the lake and bafons in the gardens with water. It was contrived by Mr. Smeaton, and executed under his direction in the year 1761. It answers perfectly well, raifing, by means of two horses, upwards of 3600 hogfheads of water in twelve hours. "From the houfe of Confucius a covered clofe walk leads to a grove, where is placed a femi-octagon feat, defigned by Mr. Kent. A winding walk, on the right of the grove, leads to an open plain, on one fide of which, backed with thickets, on a rifing ground, is placed a Corinthian colonnade, defigned and built by me in the year 1760, and called The Theatre of Augufta. THE TEMPLE OF VICTORY. is the next building which offers itfelf to view. It ftands on a hill, and was built in commemoration of the fignal victory obtained on the 1ft of Auguft, 1759, near Minden, by the Allied army, under Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick, over the French army, commanded by the Marshal de Contades, "The The figure is the circular peripteros; the order Ionic decaftyle, fluted and richly finished. The frize is adorned with foliages; and round the Attic are suspended feftoons of laurel. The cell, which commands a pretty profpect towards Richmond, and likewife over Middlefex, is neatly finished with ftucco ornaments. Thofe in the cieling represent standards, and other French trophies. The whole was defigned by me, and executed under my infpection, in the year 1759, foon after the above-mentioned battle. "As you pafs along from the temple of victory, towards the upper part of the gardens, are feen the ruins of an arch, furrounded with feveral veftiges of other structures. Its defcription will be given hereafter. "The upper part of the garden compofes a large wildernefs; on the border of which stands a Morefque building, commonly called THE ALHAMBRA, confifting of a faloon, fronted with a portico of coupled columns, and crowned with a lantern. "On an open fpace, near the centre of the fame wildernefs, is erected the tower, commonly called THE GREAT PAGODA. It was begun, under my direction, in the autumn of the year 1761, and covered in the fpring of the year 1762. The defign is an imitation of the Chinefe TAA. The base is a regular octagon, 49 feet in diameter; and the fuperructure is likewife a regular octagon on its plan, and in its elevation compofed of ten prifms, which form the ten different ftories of the building. The loweft of these is 26 feet in diameter, exclufive of the portico which furrounds it, and 18 feet high; the second is 25 feet in diameter, and 17 feet high; and all the reft diminish in diameter and height, in the fame arithmetical proportion, to the ninth ftory, which is 18 feet in diameter, and ten feet high. The tenth ftory is 17 feet in diameter, and, with the covering, 20 feet high; and the finishing on the top is 17 feet high; fo that the whole ftructure, from the bafe to the top of the fleuron, is 163 feet. Each story finishes with a projecting roof, after the Chinese manner, covered covered with plates of varnished iron of different colours and round each of them there is a gallery inclosed with a rail. All the angles of the roof are adorned with large dragons, being 80 in number, covered with a kind of thin glafs of various colours, which produces a moft dazzling reflection; and the whole ornament at the top is double gilt. The walls of the building are compofed of very hard bricks; the outfide of well-coloured and well matched grey ftocks, neatly laid, and with fuch care, that there is not the least crack or fracture in the whole ftructure, notwithstanding its great height, and the expedition with which it was built. The stair-cafe, which leads to the different stories, is in the centre of the building. The profpects open as you advance in height; and from the top you command a very extenfive view on all fides, and, in fome directions, upwards of 40 miles distance, over a rich and variegated country. "Near the great pagoda, on a rifing ground, backed with thickets, ftands THE MOSQUE. It was defigned and built by me in the year 1761. The body of the building confifts of an octagon faloon in the centre, flanked with two cabinets, finishing with one large dome and two fmall ones. The large dome is crowned with a crefcent, and its upright part contains 28 little arches, which give light to the faloon. On the three front fides of the central octagon are three doors, giving entrance to the building; over each of which there is an Arabic infcription, in golden characters extracted from the Alcoran by Dr. Moreton, from whom I had the following explanation, viz. Ne fit coactio in religione. Non eft Deus ullus præter Deum. Ne ponatis Deo fimilitudinem. "The minarets are placed at each end of the principal building. In my defign of them, as well as in the whole exterior decoration of the building itself, I have endeavoured to collect the principal particularities of the Turkish architecture. With regard to the interior decoration I have not fo fcrupulously adhered to their style in build building, but have aimed at fomething uncommon, and at the fame time pleafing. The walls of the cabinet are painted of a rich rofe colour, and those of the faloon are traw-coloured. At the eight angles of the room are palm-trees modelled in ftucco, painted and varnished with various hues of green, in imitation of nature; which at the top spread and fupport the dome, represented as formed of reeds bound together with ribbons of filk. The cove is fuppofed to be perforated, and a brilliant funny fky appears, finely painted by Mr. Wilfon, of Covent-Garden, the celebrated landscape painter. "In the way from the mofque towards the palace there is a Gothic building, defigned by Mr. Muntz; the front reprefenting a cathedral. "The Gallery of Antques was defigned by me, and executed in the year 1757. Continuing your way from the laft mentioned building towards the palace, near the banks of the lake, stands THE TEMPLE OF ARETHUSA, a fmall Ionic building of four columns. It was defigned and built by me in the year 1758. "Near it there is a bridge thrown over a narrow channel of water, and leading to the island in the lake. The defign is, in a great measure, taken from one of Palladio's wooden bridges. It was erected in one night. "In various parts of the garden are erected covered feats, executed from two defigns compofed by me in the year 1758. "There is alfo erected in the garden of Kew a Temple, defigned by me, in commemoration of the prefent peace*. The portico is hexaftyle Ionic; the columns fluted; the entablature enriched; and the tympan of the pediment adorned with baffo relievos. The cell is in the form of a Latin crofs, the ends of which are clofed by femicircular fweeps, wherein are niches to receive ftatues. It is richly furnished with ftucco ornaments, allufive to the occafion on which it was erected. *That of 1763. THE 66 THE RUIN AT KEW. was defigned and built by me in the year 1759, in order to make a paffage for carriages and cattle over one of the principal walks of the garden. My intention was to imitate a Roman antiquity, built of brick, with an incrufțation of stone. The defign is a triumphal arch, originally with three apertures, but two of them are now closed up, and converted into rooms, to which you enter by doors made in the fides of the principal arch. The foffit of the principal arch is enriched with coffers and roses, and both the fronts of the structure are ruftic. The north front is confined between rocks, overgrown with briars and other wild plants, and topped with thickets amongst which are seen feveral columns and other fragments of buildings; and at little distance beyond the arch is feen an antique ftatue of a Mufe. The central ftructure of the ruins is bounded on each fide by a range of arches. There is a great quantity of cornices, and other fragments, fpread over the ground, feemingly fallen from the buildings; and in the thickets on each fide are seen several remains of piers, brick walls, &c." These gardens are opened every Monday from Midfummer to the latter end of Autumn. The exotic garden, fince Sir William Chambers wrote the preceding account, has been enriched with a great number of new and curious plants; with several, in particular brought from New South Wales, and the islands in the fouthern ocean. They are under the fuperintendence of that ingenious Botanift, William Aiton, Efq. celebrated throughout Europe, for his excellent work, entitled "Hortus Kewenfis," in three volumes large 8vo. An ingenious poet thus celebrates this garden, in his "Botanic Garden, Part I," just published ; So fits enthron'd in vegetable pride Prop |