The irregular form of this city makes it difficult to ascertain its extent. However, its length from east to weft, is generally allowed to be above feven miles; and its breadth, in fome places, three, in other two; and in other again not much above half a mile. But it is much easier to form an idea of the large extent of a city fo irregularly built, by the number of the people, who are computed to be near a million; and from the number of edifices devoted to the fervice of religion. Of thefe, befide St. Paul's cathedral, and the collegiate church at Westminster, there are 102 parish-churches, and 69 chapels of the established religion; 21 French proteftant chapels; 8 chapels belonging to the Germans, Dutch, Danes, &c. 33 baptift meetings; 26 independent meetings; 28 prefyterian meetings; 14 popifh chapels, and meetingoufes for the use of foreign ambassadors, and people f various fects; and 3 Jews fynagogues. So that here are 318 places devoted to religious worship, in he compafs of this vaft pile of buildings, without eckoning the 21 out-parishes, ufually included withthe bills of mortality.

Of these churches the moft famous is St. Paul's athedral, which is the nobleft of all the proteftant hurches in the world. This is an edifice equally remarkable for its beauty and magnificence, containing s few faults as the nature and extent of fo large a building will admit. It is built according to the Greek and Roman orders, under the direction of that elebrated architect Sir Chriftopher Wren, after the model of St. Peter's at Rome. The length within is 500 feet; and its height, from the marble pavement to the cross on the top of the cupola is 340. The expence of rebuilding this cathedral after the fire of London, is computed at about 800,000l.

Weftminster-Abbey, or the collegiate church of Westminster, is a venerable pile of building, in the Gothic tafte. It was firft built by Edward the Confeffor; king Henry III. rebuilt it from the ground, and Henry VII. added a fine chapel to the east end VOL. VII.

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of it: this is the repofitory of the deceafed Britishkings and nobility; and here are alfo monuments erected to the memory of many great and illuftrious perfonages.

Among the other churches, the most remarkable are St. Paul's Covent-Garden, the churches of St. Mary le Bow, and St. Bride's; the two latter for having the finest steeples in the world. The infide of the church of St. Stephen, Waibroke, is admired all over Europe. And, in fhort, the contrivance and beauty of many other churches, confidering how they were obliged to be thruft up in corners, is furprisingly fine. It is a great misfortune, that though this city. abounds with the most elegant ftructures, and the moft magnificent public and private buildings, yet they are placed in fuch a manner as muft tempt every foreigner to believe that they were defigned to be concealed.

There are here alfo two royal palaces, St. James's and Somerset-houfe, both of them, efpecially the firft, greatly beneath the dignity of a king of Great Britain; as to the latter, it has been generally the refidence of the queen-dowagers of England.

There are alfo in and near this city Ico almshouses, about 20 hofpitals and infirmaries, 3 colleges, 10 public prifons, 15 flefh-markets; 1 market for live cattle, 2 other markets more particularly for herbs; and 23 other markets for corn, coals, hay, &c. 15 inns of court, 27 public fquares, befide those within any fingle buildings, as the Temple, &c. 49 halls for companies, 8 public fchools, called freefchools; and 131 charity-fchools, which provide education for 5034 poor children; 7000 ftreets, lanes, courts, and alleys, and 130,000 dwelling-houfes.

The bridges of London and Weftminfter are beheld with admiration by all foreigners; that of London confifts of 19 ftone arches, 20 feet between each; it is 9co feet long, 30 wide, and 60 feet high; and has a draw-bridge in the middle. The Thames in this part is 915 feet broad.

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Weftminster-bridge is reckoned one of the most compleat and elegant ftructures of the kind in the known world. It is built entirely of ftone, and extended over the river at a place where it is 1,223 feet broad; which is above 300 feet broader than at London-bridge. On each fide is a fine balluftrade of ftone, with places of fhelter from the rain. The width of the bridge is 44 feet, having on each fide a fine footway for paffengers. It confifts of 14 piers, and 13 large, and two fmall arches, that in the center being 76 feet wide, and the reft decreasing four feet each from the other; fo that the two least arches of the 13 great ones, are each 52 feet. It is computed that the value of 40,000 I. in ftone and other materials is always under water. This magnificent ftructure was built in 11 years and nine months, and coft about 389,500 1.

Another elegant bridge is building at Black Friars, at the expence of the city of London; which, being fituated near the center of this metropolis, will be of the utmost convenience to town and country.

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Westminster-hall, though on the outside it makes a mean, and no very advantageous appearance, noble Gothick building, and is faid to be the largest room in the world, it being 220 feet long, and 70 broad. Its roof is the finest of its kind that can be seen. Here is held the coronation feafts of our kings and queens; alfo the courts of chancery, king's-bench, and common-pleas, and above ftairs, that of the exchequer.

That beautiful column, called the Monument, erected at the charge of the city, to perpetuate the memory of its being deftroyed by fire, is juftly worthy of notice. This column exceeds all the obelifks and pillars of the ancients, it being 202 feet high, with a ftair-cafe in the middle to afcend to the balcony, which is about 30 feet short of the top, from whence there are other fteps, made for perfons to look out at the top of all, which is fashioned like an urn, with a flame iffuing from it. On the bale of

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the Monument, next the ftreet, the deftruction of the city is emblematically reprefented in bas relief. The north and fouth fides of the bafe have each a Latin infcription, the one defcribing its dreadful defolation, and the other its fplendid refurrection; and on the east fide is an infcription, fhewing when the pillar was begun and finished. The charge of erecting this monument amounted to upward of 13,000 1. The Royal Exchange is a large noble building, and is faid to have coft above 80,000 1.

We might here give a description of the Tower *, Bank of England, the New-treafury, the Admiraltyoffice,

In examining the curiofities of the Tower of London, it will be proper to begin with thofe on the outfide the principal gate; the first thing a ftranger ufually goes to vifit is the wild beafts; which, from their fituation, first prefent themfelves: for having entered the outer gate, and paffed what is called the fpur-guard, the keeper's houfe prefents itself before you, which is known by a painted lion on the wall, and another over the door which leads to their dens. By ringing a bell, and paying fix-pence each perfon, you may easily gain admittance.

The next place worthy of obfervation is the Mint, which comprehends near one third of the Tower, and contains houfes for all the officers belonging to the coinage. On paffing the principal gate you fee the White Tower, built by William the Conqueror. This is a large, fquare, irregular tone building, fituated almost in the center, no one fide answering to another, nor are any of its watch towers, of which there are four at the top, built alike. One of thefe towers is now converted into an ob fervatory. In the firft ftory are two noble rooms, one of which is a fmall armoury for the fea fervice, it having various forts of arms, very curiously laid up, for above 10,000 feamen. In the other room are many clofets and prefles, all filled with warlike engines and inftruments of death. Over this are two other floors, one principally filled with arms; the other with arms and other warlike inftruments, as fpades, fhovels, pick-axes, and cheveaux de frize. In the upper ftory are kept match, theep-skins, tanned hides, &c. and in a little room, called Julius Cæfar's chapel, are depofited fome records, containing perhaps the ancient ufages and cufloms of the place. In this building are also preferved models of the new invented engines of deftruction, that have from time to time been prefented to the government. Near the fouth-west angle of the White Tower is the Spanish armoury, in which are depofited the fpoils of what was vainly called the Invincible Armada; in order to perpetuate to latest pofterity,

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office, the Banqueting-house at Whitehall, the Mews, where the king's horfes are kept; the Manfion-house

the memory of that fignal victory, obtained by the English over the whole naval power of Spain, in the reign of Philip II.

The trophies preferved here of this memorable victory, with fome other curiofities, are, 1. A Spanish battle-ax, fo contrived as to ftrike four holes in a man's skull at once; it has befide, a piftol in its handle, with a match lock. 2. The Spanish general's halbert, covered with velvet. All the nails are double gilt, and on the top is the pope's head, curiously engraven. 3. The Spanish morning ftar; à deftructive engine in the form of a ftar; of which there were many thoufands on board, and all of them with poifoned points; defigned to strike at the English, in cafe they boarded them. 4. Thumb-fcrews, of which there were feveral chefts full on board the Spanish fleet. The ufe they were intended for is faid to have been, to extort confeffion from the English where their money was hid, had they prevailed. Certain it is, that, after the defeat, the whole converfation of the court and country turned upon the discoveries made by the Spanish prisoners, of the racks, the wheels, and the whips of wire, with which they were to fcourge the English of every rank, age, and fex. The most noted heretics were to be put to death; those who furvived were to be branded on the forehead with a hot iron; and the whole form of government, both in church and ftate, was to be overturned. 5. A Spanish poll-ax, used in boarding of fhips. 6. Spanish halberts, or fpears, fome of them curiously engraved, and inlaid with gold. 7. Spanish Spadas, or long fwords, poifoned at the points, fo that if a man received but ever fo flight a wound, it would prove certain death. 8. Spanish cravats, as they are called; these are engines of torture, made of iron, and put on board to lock the feet, arms, and heads of English heretics together. 9. Spanish bilboes, also made of iron, to yoke the English prifoners two and two. 10. Spanish shot, which are of four forts; fpike-fhot, ftar-fhot, chain-fhot, and link-hot; all admirably contrived, as well for the deftruction of the masts and rigging of fhips, as for fweeping the men off the decks. 11. The banner, with a crucifix upon it, which was to have been carried before the Spanish general. Upon it is the pope's benediction before the Spanish fleet failed; for the pope, it is faid, came to the water-fide, and feeing the fleet, bleffed it, and ftiled it IxVINCIBLE. 12. An uncommon piece of arms, being a piftol in a fhield, fo contrived that the pistol might be fired, and the body covered at the fame time. It is to be fired by a match-lock, and the fight of the enemy taken through a little grate in the fhield, which is piftol-proof. 13. The Spanish ran,eur, made