The corps here gave three cheers, and being, by another signal gun, thrown into line, they fired three vollies of battalions, from right to left of the line.

On another signal gun being fired, the whole line wheeled backwards by companies, and by a similar signal stepped forward in ordinary time to pass the royal party, &c. in review order. Her royal highness the princess Charlotte of Wales was in a close carriage; she stood at the window, and returned each salute with a wave of her hand from her bosom, in a very attractive manner.

This spectacle was the most interesting which had for a long time been witnessed, and afforded infinite gratification to thousands of spectators.

This heath is skirted with the villas of her ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCESS OF WALES; and her august mother, her his maSERENE HIGHNESS THE DUTCHESS OF BRUNSWICK, jesty's eldest sister. The princess's villa is an irregular stuccoed brick building, on the west side of Greenwich Park. The house had been inhabited by the duke of Buccleugh, and his lady's father the late duke of Montagu, from whom the avenue was denominated MONTAGU WALK.

CHESTERFIELD HOUSE, so called from having been formerly the residence of the celebrated earl of Chesterfield, is now the property of Richard Hulse, Esq. held by lease from the crown. Mr. Hulse has a fine picture gallery, containing the works of the most eminent antient masters, and among other portraits, those of Philip, the seventh earl of Pembroke, by Vandyke; and Sir John Coke, secretary of state to Charles I. by Jansen.

Near this is the house which is rendered famous for having been the occasional residence of the immortal general WOLFE; now the residence of Mr. Helton.

Adjoining to the house of the countess dowager of Dartmouth*, is an elegant chapel, which was rebuilt by the

late

* In digging in the earl's garden, a few years since, at about one foot below the gravel, which here forms the natural surface of the heath, se

veral

late lord, and hath public service in it three times a week, for the benefit of the neighbourhood. On the north side. of the great road, near the five mile stone, behind a pleasant grove, is a row of genteel houses, called Chocolate Row, from the house where the assembly is kept. At the west end of those houses, is a delightful lawn, named The Point, from which is one of the richest prospects that the imagination of the poet or painter can conceive. At the north-east corner of the heath, and almost joining to Maize Hill, are Vanbrugh Fields, so called from Sir John Vanbrugh, who erected upon this spot some buildings in a peculiar taste, designed to resemble a fortification with towers, battlements, and other military appearances. There is also a gateway of a like construction, under which you pass in your approach to them. One of these whimsical houses was lately the habitation of lord Tyrawley, who sold it Mr. Charles Brett; it is now inhabited by Mr. Halford.

The greatest ornament of Blackheath, was the magnificent seat of Sir Gregory Page. It consisted of a centre, united to two wings by a colonnade; and was adorned with masterly paintings, rich hangings, marbles, and alto-relievos. Sir Gregory died in 1775, and left this seat to his nephew, Sir Gregory Turner, who took the name and arms of Page. Sir Gregory Page Turner disposed of the noble collection of paintings by auction; and, by virtue of an act of parliament, the house and grounds were sold in the same manner to John Cator, Esq of Beckenham, for 22,550l. This gentleman sold it again by auction, in a very different way; all the materials, with its magnificent decorations, being sold in separate lots*.

On

veral Roman urns were found, an account of which was communicated by the earl of Dartmouth to the society of antiquaries; the urns were presented to the British Museum.

* The remains of this noble seat, now a melancholy shell, may remind the reader of Canons, near Edgeware, the once princely palace of the princely Chandos, which rose and disappeared in less than half a century! Similar was the fate of Eastbury in Dorsetshire, a magnificent seat,

On the south side of Blackheath lies the village of LEE; in which, on the north side of the street, is an old seat of the Boon family, with the remains of a grove, and a piece of water in the ground adjoining; near which is the mansion of lady Dacre. The shortest road from London to Maidstone is through Lee village. On the summit of the hill next the heath stands the antient church of Lee; within which are some curious monuments to the memory of the family of ANSLEY. The churchyard is neat, much ornamented with costly monuments of statuary and black marble; exposed to all the inclemency of the open air and winter storms; among them is that of the great astronomer, Dr. EDMUND HALLEY, with an inscription of some length in Latin. Sir SAMUEL FLUDYER, bart. lord mayor of London, 1761, when he entertained the royal family at Guildhall. His niece married the right honourable TREVOR CHARLES ROPER, LORD DACRE, a most exemplary character, whose monument is also here. In this cemetery rest the remains of Mr. THOMAS SPENCER, the famous horse painter, and WILLIAM PARSONS, Esq. the celebrated comedian.

In the church, on the north of the communion-table, is a stately arched monument of alabaster, supported with columns of grey marble of the Corinthian order. The rectory house, and that of Thomas Edlyne, Esq. on the eminence, near the church, command from every side of them very pleasing views, the adjacent grounds being highly improved, and the near and distant prospects enriched with scats, farm houses, towns and villages; the Kentish and Dulwich hills in the front, Blackheath and Greenwich Park behind; with an extensive view over London and West

which cost 100,0001. It was built by the famous George Bubb Dodington. This seat, on his death, devolved on the late earl Temple, who lent it to his brother, Mr. Henry Grenville, on whose death, the earl offered to give 2001. a year to any gentleman to occupy and keep it up; but the proposal not being accepted, he determined to pull it down, and the materials produced little more than the prime cost of the plumber and glazier's work.

minster,

minster, and of the Middlesex hills, which bound the horizon to the north-west. The manor of Lee came from the last earl of Rockingham to lord Sondes.

RECTOR OF EMINENCE. The honourable HENRY REGINALD COURTENAY, LL. D. prebendary of Rochester, which he resigned; rector of St. George, Hanover Square; and successively bishop of Bristol and Exeter. Died 1803.

MORDEN COLLEGE, on the east side of Blackheath, for the support of decayed merchants, was erected by Sir John Morden, bart. a Turkey merchant, previously to his death, which happened in 1708. The principal building is of brick, with two small wings. The entrance is decorated with Doric columns, festoons, and a pediment, over which rises a turret, with a dial: the inner square is surrounded with piazzas. The chapel is neatly wainscotted, and has an altar-piece. This structure Sir John erected at a small distance from his own habitation of Old Court, and endowed it, after his lady's decease, with his whole estate, to the value of about 1300l. per annum; and placed here twelve decayed Turkey merchants during his life-time. Lady Morden, however, finding that the share allotted her by Sir John's will was insufficient for her support, on account of a diminution in the value of the estate, was obliged to reduce the number of pensioners to four. Upon her death, the whole estate coming to the college, the number was increased; and the number not being limited, it is to be encreased as the estate will afford. The building will conveniently hold forty decayed merchants. The treasurer has 40l. per annum; the chaplain, who reads prayers twice a day, and preaches twice every Sunday, had at first a salary of 30l. per annum, which lady Morden augmented to 60%. at her death. This lady was, in other respects, a benefactress of the college, and the trustees placed a statue of her in a niche adjoining to that of her husband. The pensioners have each an annual stipend of 201. They have a common table in the hall; and each has two convenient rooms, with a cellar. The treasurer, chaplain, and pensioners, are obliged to reside in the college; and, except in

case

case of sickness, no other persons are to reside or lodge there. No person can be admitted as a pensioner under sixty years of age. Seven trustees of the corporation of Turkey merchants have the direction of this hospital, and the nomination of pensioners.

The rev. Moses Browne, author of Piscatory Eclogues,' 'All-Bedevilled,' and other pieces, was a chaplain to this college, and was buried here, at the age of eighty-two, in September, 1787. The manor-farm of Old Court, which is supposed to have been the original site of the manor of Greenwich, was one of the estates bequeathed to this foundation by Sir John Morden; who having purchased the unexpired term of a lease of it from the heirs of Sir William Boreman, in 1699, procured, in the same year, a grant from the crown, of the perpetuity *.

WOODLAND HOUSE, is the villa of John Julius Angerstein, Esq. on the north side of Blackheath, toward Charlton. It is faced with a beautiful stucco. The front has a handsome portico, enriched on each side by elegant statues, representing the young Apollo and the Dancing Fawn. Immediately over each niche is a circular bassorelievo, with a semicircular window in the centre. The gardens communicate with a paddock, and command the same beautiful prospect as Westcomb Park, of Shooter's Hill, and the Thames. The interior is fitted up in a handsome stile; among the pictures is Garrick between Tragedy and Comedy, by Sir Joshua Reynolds; the Venus, by the some artist; a beautiful landscape, by Cuyp; and a portrait of Sir Peter Paul Rubens, by Vandyke. The botanic garden has been greatly improved, by extensive collections of curious plants and heaths.

Other seats on Blackheath, are East Combe, and West Combe; the latter, originally belonging to the Abbey of Westminster, came into the family of John Lambard, alderinan of London, 1553, whose son, WILLIAM LAMBARD, Esq. made it his residence. It was latterly the retirement of the duchess of Bolton, (formerly Miss Lavinia

*Lysons, Hasted, Beauties of England, &c.

Fenton