HORSE-GUARDS, ADMIRALTY-OFFICE.

confine myfelf to thofe which relate to our own country, I fhall only mention a small three-quarters of Mary Stuart, with her child, an infant, standing on a table before her. This beautiful performance is on white marble.

A HEAD of Charles I. when prince of Wales, done in Spain, when he was there in 1625, on his romantic expedition to court the Infanta. It is fuppofed to have been the work of Velasco.

A PORTRAIT of William earl of Pembroke, lord high chamberlain in the beginning of the reign of Charles I; a finall full length in black, with his white rod in one hand, his hat in the other, ftanding in a room looking into a garden. Such is the merit of this piece, that, notwithstanding it is fuppofed to have been the performance of Jamefon, the Scotch Vandyck; yet it has been often attributed to that great Flemish painter *.

In the vacant part of Privy Garden is ftill to be seen a noble ftatue in brass of our abdicated monarch, executed by Grinling Gibbons, the year before he deferted his throne.

THE horfe-guards had their ftables in the place they occupy at this time: but the prefent elegant building was erected in the reign of his late majefty, after a defign, I think, by Vardy. I have given a print of the Horfe-guards as they were in the time of Charles II. In it is the merry monarch and his dogs; and in the back view, the banquetting-house, one of the gates, the prefent treasury in its antient ftate, and the top of the cockpit.

THE Admiralty-office ftood originally in Duke-ftreet Westminfter; but in the reign of king William was removed to the present

103

spot,

104

PALACE FOR

KINGS OF SCOTLAND.

CHARING CROSS.

PALACE FOR KINGS OF SCOTLAND.

fpot, to the house then called Wallingford-boufe, I believe from its having been inhabited by the Knollys's, viscounts Wallingford. From the roof, the pious Uber, archbishop of Armagh, then living here with the countess of Peterborough, was prevaled on to take the last fight of his beloved mafter Charles I. when brought on the fcaffold before Whitehall. He funk at the horror of the fight, and was carried in a swoon to his apartment.

THE prefent Admiralty-office was rebuilt in the late reign: it is a clumfy pile, but properly veiled from the street by Mr. Adams's handsome skreen

*

A LITTLE farther to the north ftood, in the place now occupied by Scotland-yard, a magnificent palace built for the reception of the Scottish monarchs, whenever they vifited this capital. It was originally given by king Edgar to king Ken, for the humiliating purpose of his making to this place an annual journey, for the purpose of doing homage for the kingdom of Scotland, and in after times for Cumberland and Huntingdon, and other fiefs of the Here Margaret, widow of James V. of Scotland, and fifter to Henry VIII. refided for a confiderable time after the death of her husband and was entertained with great magnificence by her royal brother, as foon as he was reconciled to her fecond marriage with the earl of Angus.

crown.

A LITTLE above ftood one of the celebrated memorials of the affection of Edward I. for his beloved Elianor, being the cross erected on the last spot on which the body rested in the way to the abby, the place of fepulture. This and all the others were built after the defigns of Cavalini. This was destroyed by the religious

* Mr. Walpole.

fury

CHARING-CROSS.

fury of the reformers. From a drawing communicated to me by Doctor Combes, it appears to have been of an octagonal form, and in an upper stage ornamented with eight figures: but the gothic parts far from being rich.

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THE cross was in the next century replaced by a most beauti-FINE STATUE OF CHARLES I. ful and animated equestrian statue in brafs, of Charles I. caft in 1633, by Le Sœur. It was not erected till the year 1678, when the parlement had ordered it to be fold and broke to pieces: but John River, the brazier who purchased it, having more taste or more loyalty than his mafters, buried it unmutilated, and fhewed to them fome broken pieces of brafs in token of his obedience. M. d'Archenholz gives a diverting anecdote of this brazier : that he caft a vast number of handles of knives and forks in brass, which he fold as made of the broken ftatue. They were bought with great eagerness; by the loyalifts, from affection to their monarch; by the rebels, as a mark of triumph over the murdered fovereign*.

CEVAL.

On the fite of part of Northumberland-house, stood the chapel ST. MARY ROUNof St. Mary Rounceval, a cell to the priory of Rouncevăux, in Navarre. It was founded by William Marfbal earl of Pembroke, in the time of Henry III. It was fuppreffed by Henry V. among the alien priories, but rebuilt by Edward IV. who fixed a fraternity in it . In the reign of Edward VI. a grant was made of the fite to Sir Thomas Cawarden ‡.

Nor far from hence, oppofite to Charing-Crofs, was an hermi

See M. Archenholz's Tableau d'Angleterre, i. 163.

+ Newcourt, i. 693.

↑ Tanner.

P

tage,