ornamented niche, containing a statue of her Majesty, the work of Mr. John Thomas, celebrated for his numerous productions in the decorative parts of the New Palace of Westminster. A fine terraced walk is formed on the east side of the building, and continued to the northern extremity of the garden. In the hall is placed Hogarth's picture of Paul before Felix.

The Chapel is situated north of the old Hall, and is elevated on an open crypt of three arches, separated by buttresses of six gradations; the arches are richly covered with tracery, quartrefoils, and geometrical figures, and at the period of its erection was used as an ambulatory, or a place for lawyers to "walk in, to talk and confer their learning." Independently of the sacred purpose to which it is dedicated, it possesses features of peculiar interest to the architect and antiquary; erected at a period when architecture of a mixed character prevailed in most of our ecclesiastical structures, it has been the subject of much criticism, and has called forth various opinions, both as regards its merits and antiquity.

Notwithstanding some eminent architects have claimed for it a high antiquity, it is proved from the records of the Inn, to have been erected in 1613, and is generally considered to be the work of Inigo Jones. Horace Walpole says "he was by no means successful when he attempted Gothic. The chapel of Lincoln's Inn has none of the characters of that architecture. The cloisters seem oppressed by the weight of the building above."

The appearance of the chapel, on entering, is remarkably impressive—an effect produced by the chastened light transmitted by the stained glass in the very fine windows, of which there are three on either side, the beautiful colours of which far surpass the generality of works in this style of art. The windows on the north and south sides, each containing four lights, are filled with a series of figures of prophets and apostles, in brilliant stained glass, executed by Bernard and Abraham Van Linge, Flemish artists, whose works are amongst the most celebrated of their period. The colours are generally well preserved, and increased in brilliancy by the strong contrast of bright lights and opaque shadows, characteristic of the work of the Van Linges. The large east window is filled with a series of armorial bearings.

LINCOLN'S INN FIELDS.

The interior of which is of the same extent as the base of the largest Egyptian pyramid, has been the residence of many eminent statesmen. That distinguished artist, Inigo Jones, formed a plan for the buildings, but the two centre houses (formerly one), on the west side, are the only specimens erected. On its south side stands the Royal College of Surgeons; on the north Sir John Soane's museum; on the east side, the New Hall and Library of Lincoln's Inn, form a completion to the square. It was in this square that Lord Russell was beheaded.

THE SOANE MUSEUM, No. 13, Lincoln's Inn Fields, contains a valuable collection of architectural and other relics of ancient art, and some paintings bequeathed to the nation, with the house in which they stand, by Sir John Soane, architect, who died in 1837. A most interesting exhibition, open on Mondays and Fridays (but indeed almost at all times), upon making previous application to the curator.

THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS

is situated on the south side of Lincoln's Inn Fields. Henry VIII. granted a charter to the surgeons and barbers jointly; and this confraternity existed down to the year 1800, when a separate charter was given to the former. No person is entitled to practise as a surgeon in London or within seven miles of it, without having passed his examination here. The present college was built from designs by Sir Charles Barry. The museum (cóntaining 23,000 specimens) is one of the finest of the kind in the

world, and had its nucleus in the collection formed by the celebrated John Hunter, puachased by Government for £15,000.

KING'S COLLEGE HOSPITAL,

situated in Portugal street, Lincoln's Inn Fields, is connected with the medical school of King's College, and supported by voluntary contributions. Annual subscribers have the privilege of recommending one in-patient and two out-patients for each guinea subscribed, and contributors by donations have the same privilege for every ten guineas presented to the institution. Annual subscribers of three guineas or donors of thirty guineas are Governors of the Hospital. King's College Hospital is surrounded by a population of nearly four hundred thousand, of whom about twenty thousand receive relief from the Hospital annually, and in one year as many as three hundred and sixty-three poor married women have been attended in their confinement at their own houses. The Hospital, containing more than a hundred beds is visited daily. Within the last few years the hospital has been considerably enlarged.

Returning to Holborn we shall next proceed to notice some of the Inns of Chancery of this vicinity. It is probable they were so called because they were anciently inhabited by clerks, who chiefly studied the forming of writs, which regularly belonged to the cursitors, who are officers of chancery.

Thavie's Inn, on Holborn-hill derived its name from John Tayve in the reign of Edward III. It has since been purchased by the society of Lincoln's Inn, and is now occupied by private persons.

Staple Inn, Holborn, was the place where the wool merchants were accustomed to assemble, and probably given to the law students about the reign of Henry V. The hall contains busts of the twelve Cæsars, and portraits of Charles II., Queen Anne, Lords Cooper and Macclesfield.

Barnard's Inn, Holborn, was so called from a gentleman of that name, who had leased it from the executors of Dean Mackworth, and given by him to law students.

Furnival's Inn, Holborn, was formerly an Inn of Chancery attached to Lincoln's Inn, since (about 1818) a series of Chambers, wholly unconnected with any Inn of Court. It was formerly the residence of the Furnival family, which became extinct in the reign of Richard II. The greater part of the old Inn, described by Stow, was taken down in Charles I.'s time and a new building erected in its stead. The Gothic-hall, with its timber roof, (part of the original structure), was standing in 1818, when the whole Inn was rebuilt by Mr. Peto, the contractor.

Symond's Inn, Chancery-lane, is a series of private tenements let to students of the law and others. This was formerly the station of the Masters of Chancery, until they were removed to their present more commodious offices in Southampton Buildings, Chancery-lane.

Clifford's Inn, Fleet-street, behind St. Dunstan's Church, was formerly the mansion of Lord de Clifford. In the hall is an oak case of great antiquity, in which are preserved the ancient institutions of the society. It was in the hall of this Inn that the judges sat after the great fire of 1666, to determine causes between claimants, arising out of that calamity.

Clement's Inn, Strand, is contiguous to the Church of St. Clement Danes, from which it derives its name. The antiquity of the Inn is not at present known, but it is mentioned in a book of entries, dated in the nineteenth year of Edward IV. Shakspeare, if his chronology may be relied upon, makes it of much older date, for Justice Shallow, in the second part of Henry IV., speaks two or three times of his freaks and of his acting in the shows when he was a member of this Inn, and boasts, "I was once of Clement's Inn, where I think they still talk of mad Shallow yet." In the hall, built 1715, is a portrait of Sir Matthew Hale, and five other pictures. In the garden, which is small, there is a sundial, supported by the figure of a negro, brought from Italy by Holles, Lord Clare. It is said to be