next heir to the crown after Canute. Close by the last mentioned monument is a brass plate to the memory of Sir Anthony Grey, of Groby, knighted by Hen. VI. at Colney; but slain next day, near the castle, at the first battle of St. Alban's, 1455. St. Cuthbert's skreen is still standing, and breaks the view in the long aisle.

Near the west door, on the wall, is a Latin inscription, setting forth that during the pestilence in London, in the reigns of Hen. VIII. and Elizabeth, the courts of Justice were held in this abbey.

In this ancient edifice is a monument of Offa, who is represented seated on his throne, with a Latin inscription, thus translated:

The founder of the church, about the year 793,
Whom you behold ill painted on his throne

Sublime, was once for MERCIAN OFFA known!

Not the least vestige remains of Offa's magnificent abbey, except the church, and the gateway, a large square building. A murder was the true source of Offa's munificence: he invited Ethelbert, Prince of the East Angles, to his court, on pretence of marrying him to his daughter, beheaded him, and seized his dominions. The pious Offa had recourse to the usual expiation of murder in those melancholy ages, the founding of a monastery.

To the south of St. Stephen's church are the remains of the church and house of St. Julian, founded for lazers by Gaufridus, Abbot of St. Alban's.

free the country from the yoke which threatened. They, however, found that any attempts to this purpose were vain; and therefore contented themselves with the Conqueror's oath, "To govern them according to the laws of Edward the Confessor;" and upon this they swore fealty to him.

The Abbot's resolute answer to William is remarkable: Being asked by him, Why he felled the trees to impede his progress?" boldly replied, "That he had done no more than his duty; and if all the clergy in the realm had done the same, they might have stopped his progress." This produced a menace from King William, "That he would cut their power shorter, and begin with him." He accordingly deprived the abbey of some of its possessions; but did not make general havoc of the church till Frederic's death. Probably the Abbot's bravery charmed him into a better humour, or he stood in awe of the heroic spirit of a man of such consequence, and avoided proceeding to extremities with him.

In the church of St. Michael is the monument of the illustrious Viscount St. Alban (more commonly, but erroneously styled Lord Bacon) whose effigy is in alabaster, finely executed, but the sculptor is not known. There is a Latin inscription, by Sir Henry Wotton, of which the following is a translation:

Francis Bacon, Baron of Verulam, Viscount St. Alban's, or, by more conspicuous titles, of sciences the light, of eloquence the law, sat thus: who, after all natural wisdom and secrets of civil life he had unfolded, Nature's law fulfilled, Let compounds be dissolved!' in the year of our Lord 1626, of his age 66. Of such a man, that the memory might remain, Thomas Meautys, living his attendant, dead his admirer, placed this mo

nument.

This panegyric, as it respects the literary character only of this great man, will be universally allowed; and the gratitude of the faithful old servant, thus extended beyond the grave, will be ever pleasing to a virtuous mind: but we must here subjoin two poetical characters of this philosopher, as awful lessons of instruction to all who contemnplate splendid talents, without adverting to the superior splendour of moral excellence:

If parts allure thee, think how Bacon shin'd
The wisest, brightest, meanest of mankind!

Thine is a Bacon hapless in his choice,
Unfit to stand the civil storm of state,
And through the rude barbarity of courts,
With firm, but pliant virtue, forward still

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To urge his course; him for the studious shade
Kind Nature form'd; deep, comprehensive, clear,
Exact, and elegant; in one rich soul,

Plato, the Stagyrite, and Tully join’d.

The great deliverer he! who, from the gloom
Of cloister'd monks, and jargon-teaching schools,
Led forth the true Philosophy, there long
Held in the magic chain of words and forms,
And definitions void, he led her forth,
Daughter of Heaven! that, slow-ascending still,
Investigating sure, the chain of things,
With radiant finger points to Heaven again!

THOMSON.

In the centre of St. Alban's stood one of the magnificent crosses, erected by Edward I. in honour of his Queen Eleanor. A building was erected in its stead, in 1703, which retains the name of "The Cross."

On the river is a curious mill, erected for the purpose of polishing diamonds, but now employed in the cotton manufactory of Messrs. Gill and Maxey. On its banks also is Holywell House, the seat of Countess Dowager Spencer, built by Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough, who here founded nine almshouses for thirty-six persons. In Holywell House is preserved the portrait of the Duchess, in white, exquisitely handsome. "In this," observes Mr. Pennant," are not the least vestiges of her diabolical passions, the torments of her Queen, her husband, and herself."On ascending into the town, up Fishpool Street, is a bottom on the right, which was once a great pool. The Saxon Princes are supposed to have taken great pleasure in navigating on this piece of water. Anchors have been

found on the spot; which occasioned poets to fable that the Thames once ran this way. Drayton, addressing the river Ver, says:

Thou saw'st great burden'd ships through these thy vallies pass,
Where now the sharp-edged scythe shears up thy springing grass
And where the seal and porpoise us'd to play,
The grasshopper and ant now lord it all the day!

Near the town is a Roman fortification, supposed to have been the camp of Ostorius, the Proprætor; the common people call it "The Oyster Hills," but Mr. Pennant, who calls this bury or mount, Osterhill, conjectures it to have been the site of the Saxon palace at Kingsbury.

St. Alban's is famous for the victory obtained in 1455, over Henry VI. by Richard Duke of York; the first battle fought in the famous quarrel, which lasted thirty years, and is computed to have cost the lives of eighty princes of the blood, and to have annihilated, almost entirely, the an cient nobility of England. In 1461, a second battle was fought here, in which Queen Margaret defeated the great Earl of Warwick.

The town is governed by a Mayor, High Steward, Reeorder, 12 Aldermen, &c. and sends two Members to Par

liament. It has given the titles of Viscount, Earl, and Duke to the families of Bacon, Jermyn, and Beauclerk. There are two places of worship for dissenters in the town, to one of which belongs a charity school, established near a century ago, and extremely well conducted. Such schools are a blessing to society.

ALBINS, in the parish of Stapleford Abbot, in Essex, 16 miles from London; the seat of the late Rev. Thomas Abdy Abdy, and now possessed by his widow, is ascribed to Inigo Jones: " but," says Mr. Walpole, "if he had any hand in it, it must have been during his first profession, and before he had seen any good buildings." The house is handsome, has large rooms and rich ceilings, but all entirely of the King James's Gothic.

ALBURY HOUSE, in the parish of Cheshunt, the seat of John Russell, Esq. part of whose garden is inclosed by a fragment of the wall which surrounded Theobalds Park.

AMWELL, a village near Ware, 21 miles from London, famous for giving rise to the New River, which, proceeding in a direct course by the church, receives a spring which flows with great copiousness. In this village are Amwell Bury, the villa of Captain Brown, Esq. and the house and gardens of Mr. Hooper. These gardens were laid out by the late Mr. Scott, who has rendered the village interesting to the sentimental traveller, by a beautiful poem called "Amwell." From his epistle to a friend we extract a poetic description of the curious grotto which he constructed at this place:

"Where China's willow hangs its foliage fair,
And Po's tall poplar waves its top in air,
And the dark maple spreads its umbrage wide,
And the white bench adorns the bason side;
At noon reclin'd, perhaps, he sits to view
The bank's neat slope, the water's silver hue,
Where, 'midst thick oaks, the subterraneous way
To the arch'd grot admits a feeble ray;

Where glossy pebbles pave the varied floors,
And rough fiint-walls are deck'd with shells and ores,
And silvery pearls, spread o'er the roofs on high,
Glimmer like faint stars in a twilight sky:

From noon's fierce glare, perhaps, he pleas'd retires,
Indulging musings which the place inspires.
Now where the airy octagon ascends,
And wide the prospect o'er the vale extends,

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'Midst evening's calm, intent perhaps he stands,
And looks o'er all that length of sun-gilt lands,
Of bright green pastures, stretch'd by rivers clear,
And willow groves, or osier islands near!"

Besides being the residence of Mr. Scott, Amwell boasts of having had amongst its inhabitants Mr. Hoole, the translator of Tasso, and Mr. Walton, the Angler; the scene of his "Angler's dialogues," is the vale of Lee, between Tottenham and Ware: he particularly mentions Amwell Hill.

In the churchyard, is the following curious epitaph:

That which a Being was, what is it? show:
That Being which it was, it is not now.
To be what 'tis, is not to be, you see:
That which now is not, shall a Being be.

Here also lies buried William Warner, author of Albion's England, Argentile and Curan, &c.

"The delightful retreat in this neighbourhood, denominated Langley Bottom, is adapted to contemplation ; and possesses such capabilities of improvement, that the genius of a Shenstone might easily convert it into a second Leasowes. The transition from this solitude to Widbury. Hill, is made in a walk of a few minutes, and the prospect from that hill, in a fine evening, is beautiful beyond "description.'

ANKERWYKE HOUSE, the seat of Lady Kingsborough, is situated in the parish of Wraysbury, Bucks, on the side of the Thames opposite Runny Mead. It was formerly a Benedictine nunnery, built in the reign of Henry II.

ANKERWYKE PURNISH, delightfully situated on Cooper's Hill, in the parish of Egham, is the seat of Lord Shuldham, during the life of his Lady, the Widow of Simon Harcourt, Esq.-Near it was the house of Sir John Denham, the bard of Cooper's Hill; but not a trace of it remains.

ASCOT HEATH, six miles from Windsor, on the road to Bagshot, is a celebrated race ground, on which the King's plate of 100 guineas is annually run for, and many other plates and sweepstakes, that usually constitute five days sport. These races commence a fortnight_after Whitsuntide, and are frequently attended by the Royal Family. Near the course is the lodge for his Majesty's