be found in many directions, by which means the ancient enclosure of these extensive buildings might be traced with considerable accuracy. We must pass over the monuments, &c. in the interior, as being in themselves almost sufficient to occupy a small volume. We now proceed to St. James's Park, which is of an oblong form, and nearly two miles in circumference. The beauty of this park is heightened by the prospect of the Green Park, separated from it by an iron railing, but which gradually rises into a fine verdant eminence, called Constitution Hill. The Green Park extends to Piccadilly, and leads to Hyde Park. In St. James's Park the guards parade every day between ten and eleven o'clock; this, with a full band of music, renders it very lively and attractive. On the north side of the parade, within a chevaux-de-frize fence, is the, cele, brated piece of Turkish, ordnance, represented in the wood cut., It is of great length, and was taken by the British troops at Alexandria in Egypt, during the revolutionary war. It is mounted on a very handsome carriage, ornamented with hieroglyphics. St. James's Park affords many pleasant walks, and is a grand thoroughfare from London and Westminster to Chelsea, Kensington, &c. At the east end, facing the Treasury, is the spacious parade for the exercise of the horse and foot-guards. This spot has lately received the singular embellishment, known by the common appellation of the Prince Regent's Bomb. The history of this celebrated piece of ordnance, which was first exposed to public view on the 12th of August 1816, is as follows: In 1812, the city of Cadiz having endured a long siege by the French, it was raised on the 24th and 25th of August, when, amongst the artillery abandoned by the French to the Spaniards, was an enormous mortar, which, being left spiked, was, with one of smaller dimensions, presented by the Cortes to the Prince Regent. It had been employed in throwing shells the immense distance of three miles; and it has actually thrown to the distance of three miles and a half. Soon after its arrival at Woolwich, orders were issued for constructing an appropriate carriage. An emblem has been selected (in allegorical allusion to the means by which the siege of Cadiz was terminated) from the labours of Hercules, who destroyed the monster Geryon, the tyrant of the isle of Gades, thus figuratively describing the raising of the siege, and to illustrate the fame of the hero, who had broken the enchantment of the modern Geryon. Some liberties have been taken with the principal figure, in substituting wings for the heads; the tails twist round to the vent, in order to convey the scorpion fire. The heads of the tyrant's guardian dog are represented in the alternate state of activity and repose, to denote eternal watchfulness. Its station being fixed on the Parade in St. James's Park, a few yards from the iron railing enclosing the canal, and immediately opposite the centre of the Horse-Guards, the work proceeded within a canvas enclosure. On Thursday, August 2, the mortar was lifted on a carriage, cast in gun-metal, under the direcof General Cuppage. It was four years in completing. On the breech of the gun is the founder's inscription: "No. 7,390-Seville, 11 de Marco, 1811." The length of the mortar is eight feet; the diameter of its bore at the mouth is twelve inches; its weight, five tons. The pedestal is nine feet long, four feet wide, two feet eight inches high, and weighs five tons and a half: it was cast all in one piece. The total weight of the mortar, its carriage, and pedestal, is about fifteen tons. The height of the whole, from the ground, is about nine feet and a half. The mouth of the mortar points at an elevation of forty-three degrees over the Horse-Guards. The front of the pedestal bears the Prince's plume of feathers in alto-relievo. The following are in raised brass letters : : INSCRIPTION ON THE BACK OF THE PEDESTAL : "Constructed in the Carriage Department, Royal Arsenal, EARL of MULGRAVE, Master-General, 1814." INSCRIPTION ON THE SOUTH SIDE, NEXT WESTMINSTER ABBEY; Devictis, a WELLINGTON, Duce propre Salamancam, Gallis, Solutàque exinde GADIUM obsidione, hanc, quam, aspictis, Basi superimpositam BOMBARDAM, Vi Præditam adhuc inauditâ Ad urbem portumque GADITANIUM destruendum, conflatum Et a copiis turbatis relictam, CORTES HISPANICI pristinorum haudquaquam Beneficiorum obliti, summæ venerationis testimonio donaverunt GEORGIO: ILLUS: PRINC: Qui in perpetuam rei Memoriam, hoc loco ponendam, et his ornamentis decorandam, jussit. INSCRIPTION ON THE NORTH SIDE, NEXT CARLTON HOUSE: The raising of the Siege of CADIZ, in consequence of the glorious victory gained by the Q DUKE OF WELLINGTON Over the French, near SALAMANCA, on the XXII. of July, M.DCCC This MORTAR, cast for the destruction of that great Port, with powers surpassing all others, And abandoned by the BESIEGERS on their RETREAT, TO HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE REGENT. This chimera of its kind, has been by some persons, compared to the chimerical imagination of its former master, Buonaparte. Those who notice curious coincidences will observe, that as Homer's chimera was overcome by Bellerophon, so Buonaparte's surrendered to the British ship of war of the same name. Nor can any one deny that a strong similarity exists between Homer's chimera, as translated by Pope, and this extraordinary piece of ordnance: First dire chimera's conquest was enjoin'd, But, added to its natural beauties, this park perhaps never appeared in greater splendour than in the summer of 1814, when, in honor of the allied sovereigns who visited England, the beautiful Chinese Bridge was first erected over the canal. Upon the centre of this bridge an elegant and lofty pagoda was then constructed, consisting of seven pyramidal stories. The pagoda was illuminated with gas lights; and brilliant fireworks, both fixed and missile, were displayed from every division of this structure; * Bellerophon. |