claps of thunder. The effect is not so perfect if the visitor sits down half way between the door and the matted seat, and still less so if he stands near the man who speaks, but on the other side of the door.

The marble pavement of the church is extremely beautiful, seen from this gallery. The paintings on the inner side of the dome, by Sir James Thornhill, are viewed with most advantage here. The ascent to the Ball is attended with some difficulty, and is encountered by few, yet both the Ball and passage to it well deserve the labour. The diameter of the interior of the Ball is six feet two inches, and twelve persons may sit within it.

The prospect from every part of the ascent to the top of St. Paul's, wherever an opening presents itself, is extremely curious. The effect is most complete from the gallery surrounding the foot of the lantern. The metropolis, from that spot, has a mimic appearance, like the objects in a fantoccino. The streets, the pavements, the carriages, and foot-passengers, have the appearance of fairy ground and fairy objects. The spectator, contemplating the bustle of the diminutive throng below, is moved a little out of the sphere of his usual sympathy with them; and, as if they were emmets, asks himself involuntarily "about what are those little, inconsequential animals engaged ?”

The form of the metropolis, and the adjacent country, is most perfectly seen from the gallery at the foot of the lantern, on a bright summer day. The ascent to this gal◄ lery is by 534 steps, of which 260, nearest the bottom, are extremely easy; those above difficult, and in some parts dark and unpleasant. In the ascent to this gallery may be seen the brick cone that supports the lantern, with its ball and cross; the outer dome being turned on the outside of the cone, and the inner dome turned on the inside. The entire contrivance to produce the effect within the church, and on the outside, intended by the architect, is extremely fine, even marvellous. From the pavement of the church, the interior appears one uninterrupted dome to the upper extremity; but it consists, in fact, of two parts, the lower and principal dome having a large circular aperture at its top, through which is seen a small dome, that appears part of the great and lower dome, although entirely separated

from it, being turned also within the cone, but considerably above it.

WESTMINSTER ABBEY.

[See Plate, No. 81.]

THIS interesting edifice derives its name of Westminster Abbey from its situation in the western part of the metropolis, and its original destination as the church of a monastery. The present church was built by Henry III. and his successors, with the exception of the two towers at the western entrance, which are the work of Sir Christopher Wren. The length of the church is 360 feet; the breadth of the nave 72 feet; and the cross aisle 195 feet. The roof of the nave and of the cross aisle is supported by two rows of arches, one above the other, each of the pillars of which is a union of one ponderous round pillar, and four of similar form, but extremely slender. These aisles being extremely lofty, and one of the small pillars continued throughout, from the base to the roof, produce an effect uncommonly grand and awful. The choir is one of the most beautiful in Europe. It is divided from the western part of the great aisle by a pair of noble iron gates, and terminates at the east by an elegant altar of white marble. The altar is enclosed with a very fine ballustrade, and in the centre of its floor is a large square of curious mosaic work, of porphyry, and other stones of various colours. In this choir, near the altar, is performed the ceremony of crowning the kings and queens of England.

At the southern extremity of the cross aisle are erected monuments to the memory of several of our most eminent poets. This interesting spot is called Poet's Corner; and never could place be named with more propriety; for here are to be found the names of Chaucer, Spencer, Shakspeare, Ben Jonson, Milton, Dryden, Butler, Thomson, Gay, Goldsmith, Addison, Johnson, &c.-Here also, as if this spot was dedicated to genius of the highest rank, are the tombs of Handal, Chambers, and Garrick.

The curiosities of Westminster Abbey consist chiefly of its highly-interesting chapels, at the eastern end of the church, with their tombs. Immediately behind the altar stands a chapel dedicated to Edward the Confessor, upon an elevated floor, to which there is a flight of steps on the

northern side. The shrine of the Confessor, which stands in the centre, was erected by Henry III. and was curiously ornamented with mosaic work of coloured stones, which have been picked away in every part within reach. Within the shrine is a chest, containing the ashes of the Confessor. The frieze representing his history from his birth to his death, put up in the time of Henry III. is highly curious, and deserves the study and attention of every lover of antiquity. The tomb of Henry III. is in this chapel; it has been extremely splendid, but is now mutilated. The table on which lies the king's effigy in brass is supported by four twisted pillars, enamelied with gilt. This tomb, which is a fine specimen of its kind, is almost entire on the side next the area. It likewise contains the tombs of Edward I. and his Queen Eleanor; of Edward III. and Queen Philippa; of Richard II. and his Queen; of Margaret, daughter of King Edward IV.; of King Henry V.; and of Elizabeth, daughter of King Henry VII.

The grand monument of Henry V. is inclosed by an iron gate. The great arch over the tomb is full of ribs and pannels, and the headless figure of Henry still remains; the head was of solid silver, and was stolen during the civil wars. There was a chantry directly over the tomb, which had an altar-piece of fine carved work. The armour of Henry once hung round this chantry; his helmet yet remains on the bar, and the very saddle which he rode at the battle of Agincourt, stripped of every thing which composed it, except the wood and iron, hangs on the right.

Contigious to the eastern extremity of the church, and opening into it, stands the famous chapel of Henry VII. dedicated to the Virgin Mary, one of the finest and most highly-finished pieces of Gothic architecture in the world. On its site formerly stood a chapel, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and also a tavern, distinguished by the sign of the White Rose. Henry, resolving to erect a superb mausoleum for himself and his family, pulled down the old chapel and tavern; and on the 11th of February, 1503, the first stone of the present edifice was laid by Abbot Islip, at the command of the King. It cost £14,000., a prodigious sum for that period, (equal to £280,000. of our money;) and still more so, considering the parsimonious temper of the King. The labour merely of working the

materials will, at a glance, be seen to be immense, and almost incredible; and the genius employed both in this structure and Henry's tomb, must be mentioned with admiration.

The exterior of this chapel is remarkable for the richness and variety of its form, occasioned chiefly by fourteen towers, in an elegant proportion to the body of the edifice, and projecting in different angles from the outermost wall. It has lately been repaired and renewed with exquisite taste, and at great cost. The inside is approached by the area behind the chapels of Edward the confessor and Henry V.

The floor is elevated above that of the area, and the ascent is by a flight of marble steps. The entrance is ornamented with a beautiful Gothic portico of stone, within which are three large gates of gilt brass, of most curious open workmanship, every pannel being adorned with a rose and a portcullis alternately.

with

The chapel consists of the nave and two small aisles. The centre is 99 feet in length, 66 in breadth, and 54 in height, and terminates at the east in a curve, having five deep recesses of the same form. The entrance to these recesses being by open arches, they add greatly to the relief and beauty of the building. It is probable they were originally so many smaller chapels, destined to various uses. The side aisles are in a just proportion to the centre; which they communicate by four arches, turned on Gothic pillars. Each of them is relieved by four recesses, a window running the whole height of each recess, and being most minute and curious in its divisions. The upper part of the nave has its four windows on each side, and ten at the eastern extremity, five above and five below. The entire roof of the chapel, including the side aisles, and the curve at the end, is of wrought stone, in the Gothic style, and of most exquisite beauty.

An altar tomb, erected by HENRY, at the cost of £10,000. to receive his last remains, stands in the centre of the chapel. It is of basaltic stone, ornamented with gilt brass, and is surrounded with a magnificent railing of the same. This monument is by Pietro Torregiano, a Florentine sculptor, and possesses uncommon merit. Six devices in bassrelief, and four statues, all of gilt brass, adorn the tomb.

It is impossible to conceive Gothic beauty of a higher

degree than the whole of the interior of Henry the Seventh's Chapel; and it is with regret that the antiquary sees the stalls of the knights reared against the pillars and arches of the nave, forming screens that separate the smaller aisles from the body of the chapel, and diminish the airiness, and interrupt the harmony of the plan.

The prospect from the top of one of the western towers, the ascent to which consists of 283 steps, is infinitely more beautiful, though less extensive, than that from St. Paul's. The many fine situations and open sites at the west end of the town, and its environs, occasion the difference. The Banqueting House at Whitehall, St. James's Park, with the Parade and Horse Guards, Carlton House, the Gardens of the Queen's Palace, the Green Park, the western end of Piccadilly, and Hyde Park, with its river, lie at once under the eye, and compose a most grand and delightful scene. The bridges of Westminster, Waterloo, and Blackfriars, with the broad expanse of water between them, the Adelphi and Somerset House on its banks, St. Paul's stupendous pile, and the light Gothic Steeple of St. Dunstan's in the East, are alike embraced with one glance, and happily contrast with the former prospect. From this tower, the exterior form of St. Paul's, when the sun falls upon it, is distinctly seen: and here its exquisite beauty will be more fully comprehended than in any part of the city, for a sufficient area to take in the entire outline is not there to be found.

THE TOWER OF LONDON.

THE Tower of London was anciently a palace inhabited by various sovereigns of England,till the reign of Queen Elizabeth. Its extent within the wall is twelve acres and five roods. The exterior circuit of the ditch, which entirely surrounds it, is 3156 feet. The ditch, on the side of Tower-hill, is broad and deep; on the side next to the river it is narrower. A broad and handsome wharf, or gravel terrace, runs along the banks of the river parallel with the Tower, from which it is divided by the ditch.

Within the walls of the Tower are several streets, and a variety of buildings. The principal buildings are the Church, the White Tower, the Ordnance Office, the Record Office, the Jewel Office, the Horse Armory, the grand