These buildings, for the same expense which they must have cost, might have been made a splendid ornament to this fine part of the metropolis; but, as it is, from their total want of uniformity or apparent design, they produce no continuity or singleness of effect whatever. The back-fronts of these buildings, which look towards the Park, though comparatively small and insignificant, are much more uniform and pleasing.

In the same street there is a very good specimen of modern architecture, called Whitehall-out of one of the windows of which Charles the First was led to the scaffold. I could not learn to what purpose this edifice is now appropriated.

Most of the other government offices are situated in Somerset-House. This is the only public building in London which can be said to have any pretensions to the character of grandeur and magnificence; the only one in which there appears any evidence of a comprehensive and well-digested plan; the only one which for extent, variety, and yet completeness, is worthy of the largest city in the world. SomersetHouse is a modern building of Portland stone. It is situated on the banks of the Thames; over which the grand front looks. This front is elevated on arches; and at high tide it appears to rise-and, indeed, does rise-out of the water. It extends four hundred feet along the banks of the river. The arches, which rise directly from the bed of the river, support a balustraded terrace fifty feet wide; immediately behind which the grand front rises. This front is by no means sufficiently elevated to form a corresponding whole with the immense substructures on which it stands:-a defect that is especially remarkable at low water, when the whole basement is exposed to view, and, from its disproportionate size, gives the appearance of smallness to what is intended to be the most striking part of the building. This front is not yet finished; but the architecture of it, though more varied in its details, corresponds in style with those parts which I shall describe more particularly. The north front, looking towards the Strand, is an elegant and complete piece of architecture. It consists of a basement of nine arches, of which the three centre ones form the principal entrance to the whole building. On the key-stones of the arches are sculptured masks, representing Ocean, and the eight principal rivers of England. On this basement rises an elegant Corinthian order of ten columns, which support an entablature and balustrade; and over the three centre intercolumniations is an attic, ornamented with four statues, and surmounted by a sculptured allegorical group. The arches of the basement, and the intercolumniations of the second order, are filled by Doric windows, with pilasters, pediments, &c. The shafts of the Corinthian columns are not fluted: a peculiarity which is, I believe, not authorized by ancient examples. On passing through a very beautiful vestibule, formed by the three centre arches of this front, you enter a fine quadrangle, considerably more than 300 feet long and 200 wide, formed by the back fronts of the two principal elevations which I have described, and by two side-fronts to correspond. The style of the architecture of this quadrangle, though varied in parts, yet corresponds generally with the principal fronts-excepting, however, a dome which rises over the south front, and a cupola over each of the sides which join it. These are small and insignificant in themselves, and

their effect on the coup-d'œil from the centre of the quadrangle is very bad. So also is the effect produced by the paved court of the quadrangle being sunk considerably below the level of the street, and of the principal entrance.

I had forgotten to mention that, immediately on passing through the vestibule, you are faced by a bronze statue of the present King. All that struck me concerning this specimen of the fine arts was, that if it had never been produced, it would have been better for the artist, the person whom it represents, and the place where it stands.*

Upon the whole, Somerset-House, though it has no peculiar claims to the character either of grandeur or beauty, and though it does not evince genius in the architect, is yet a distinguished ornament to the metropolis: and, as a structure built for, and exclusively appropriated to public offices, it is perhaps not to be paralleled in Europe.

Although this building has been erected little more than forty years, the sea-coal smoke, and the effects of this horrible climate together, have turned it entirely black, and given it the appearance of age without that of antiquity.

That part of Somerset-House which looks toward the Strand is appropriated to the use of three of the principal public Institutions connected with the Arts and Sciences, viz. the Royal Academy of Arts, the Royal Society, and the Society of Antiquaries. The rest of the building is occupied by different offices, mostly connected with the administration of the Finances.

The other public buildings of London are chiefly appropriated to commercial purposes. The Bank and the India-House are the chief of these. The Bank is a structure, the style of which is, fortunately, quite unique and indescribable-though it has not inaptly been likened to a huge Mausoleum. The India-House belongs to a joint-stock Company, who are allowed by law certain exclusive privileges in the trade with the East Indies and China. It is a fine stone building, with a noble Corinthian portico; and if it were situated in some open space where it could be seen to advantage, it would be as great an ornament to the metropolis as any other single building it contains: but its front forms part of the side of a narrow dirty street, where it is totally lost. You pass, as it were, under it, and without even seeing it.

Near to this part of the city there is a single column raised to commemorate the great fire which destroyed a considerable part of London about one hundred and fifty years ago. It is fifty feet higher than the column in the Place Vendome; and is of stone, with a sculptured pedestal and a fluted shaft. It stands in the midst of houses, and produces no good or grand effect whatever, when you are near it; but, in all the distant views of the metropolis, it forms a very striking object, being considerably higher than any other structure, except the dome of St. Paul's. By the by, does it not evince rather a strange taste, to expend an immense sum in raising a national monument to commemorate a national calamity? And this is called, too, par excellence, The Monument.

London contains no other public buildings worth particular notice on

• This statue was executed by the elder Bacon, who is long since dead.-T.

their own account, except the bridges over the River Thames. These, however, though they afford little scope for description, are finer single objects of sight than any other structures in London. This arises partly from their immense extent, but chiefly from the good taste which has been displayed in the building of them. There is also a new one now erecting, which is in a state of great forwardness, and is still finer than either of the other three. When finished, it will probably be the noblest structure of the kind in Europe.

I am afraid I have quite tired you with these formal descriptions of tangible and visible objects. But you know our agreement extended to every thing. But we will have done with them now; and I think I may promise you, that the rest of our communications together shall take place in regions in some way or other connected with that of intellect: for nowhere else do I ever feel true freedom or delight; and therefore, nowhere else can I expect to receive impressions in the descriptions of which I may hope to convey any pleasure to you. In my next I shall commence in the field of literature. D. S. F.

BY T. CAMPBELL.

Men of England! who inherit

Rights that cost your Sires their blood!
Men whose undegenerate spirit
Has been proved on land and flood.
By the foes ye've fought uncounted,
By the glorious deeds ye've done,
Trophies captured-breaches mounted,
Navies conquer'd-Kingdoms won!
Yet, remember, England gathers
Hence but fruitless wreaths of fame,
If the patriotism of your fathers
Glow not in your hearts the same.
What are monuments of bravery,
Where no public virtue blooms? .
What avail in lands of slavery,
Trophied temples, arches, tombs?
Pageants!-Let the world revere us
For our people's rights and laws,
And the breasts of civic heroes
Bared in Freedom's holy cause.
Yours are Hampden's, Russell's glory,
Sydney's matchless shade is yours,
Martyrs in heroic story,
Worth a hundred Agincourts.

ΤΟ

THE THIRD VOLUME.

Chantrey, stanzas on a monument by,
336.

Chess, on the game of, in Europe, dur-

ing the thirteenth century, 316, 497.
Clairon, (M.) account of, 311.
Como, sketch of, 568.
Concealment, a song, 348.
Confessional, the, 349. No. I.-Love,
450, II.

Courtship, modern, 71.
Craniology and physiology, 121.
Crecy, lines on the field of, 261.

Boruwlaski, Count, his history, 51 to 54. Fair, Brook Green, 554.

Campaigns of a Cornet, 365, 463.
Campbell's (T.) Lectures on Poetry,
193, 385-the Spectre Boat, by, 550-
songs by, 572, 576.

Casanova's Visit to Voltaire and Haller,
171, 232.

Catiline, review of, 471.
Celio Magno, sonnet of, 245.
Cemetery of Père la Chaise, 155-monu-
ments in, 156, 157-funerals in, 159. |
VOL. III.-1822.
D 4

Kemble (John), his residence near Lau- Milk and Honey, or the Land of Pro-