nine, and twelve o'clock. The outside of this grand fabric suffers much in regard to the elegance of its appearance in consequence of the shops which surround it, and are built within its walls.

The Auction Mart.

THIS new commercial edifice is situated partly in Bartholomew Lane and Throgmorton Street, and derives some importance from its immediate contiguity to those active scenes of business, the Bank of England, Royal Exchange, the Stock Exchange, and other public offices. Though grand and imposing in its appearance, it is acknowledged that the peculiar construction of the building has made it eligible, in some degree, to sacrifice appearance to convenience. Yet, notwithstanding this sacrifice to utility, it may be considered as offering a specimen of architecture simply elegant, and highly creditable to a young architect, Mr. John Walters; who, without profuse decoration, has bestowed upon his design the characteristics of a national edifice.

London Bridge.

THIS great work was founded on enormous piles, drawn as closely together as possible: on them were laid long planks ten inches thick, strongly bolted; and on them the basis of the pier rested; the lowermost stones of which were

bedded in pitch, to prevent the water from damaging the work. Round the whole were fixed the piles, called the sterlings, designed for the preservation of the foundation piles. These contracted the spaces between the piers to such a degree as to occasion, at the retreat of every tide, the fall of five feet, or a number of temporary cataracts, which, since the foundation of the bridge, have occasioned the loss of many thousands of lives.

The number of arches was nineteen, of unequal dimensions, and greatly deformed by the sterlings and the houses on each side, which overhung and leaned in a most terrific manner. In most places they hid the arches, and nothing appeared but the rude piers. Frequent arches of strong timber crossed the street from the tops of the houses, to keep them together, and from falling into the river. Nothing but familiarity with danger could preserve the quiet of the inmates, who soon grew deaf to the noise of the falling water, the clamours of the watermen, or the frequent shrieks of the drowning wretches. In one part there was a drawbridge, useful either as a measure of defence, or for the admis→ sion of ships into the upper part of the river. This was protected by a strong tower. It served to repulse Fauconbridge, in his general assault on the city, in the year 1471, with a lawless banditti, under pretence of rescuing the unfor tunate Henry, then confined in the Tower. Sixty houses were burnt on the bridge on this occa sion. It also served to check, and at length'

to annihilate, the ill-conducted insurrection of Sir Thomas Wyat, in the reign of queen Mary. The top of the Tower, in the turbulent days of this kingdom, might be considered as 'the disgraceful shambles of human flesh, and was generally covered with the heads and quarters of unfortunate partisans. Even so late as the year 1598, Hentzner, the German traveller, counted upon it above thirty heads. The old map of the city, in 1597, represents them in a most horrible and disgusting cluster.

An unparalleled calamity happened on this bridge within four years after it was finished. A fire began on it, at the Southwark end. Multitudes of people rushed out of London to extinguish it. While they were engaged in this benevolent employment, the fire seized on the opposite end, and hemmed in the crowd. Above three thousand persons perished in the flames, or were drowned in consequence of overloading the vessels which were brought for their relief.

The narrowness of the passage on this bridge having occasioned the loss of many lives, in consequence of the great number of carriages continually passing; and the straitness of the arches, with the enormous size of the sterlings, which occupied a fourth part of the waterway, having also occasioned frequent and fatal accidents, as already mentioned; the magistrates of London, in the year 1756, obtained an act of parliament for improving and widening the passage over and through the bridge; and which