Chapel; and Duke-street, St. James's Park. Here are preserved Domesday Book, or the Survey of England made by William the Conqueror, two volumes on vellum of unequal size, the earliest survey of the kind made in Europe, and is in a very perfect condition; deed of resignation of the Scottish Crown to Edward II.; the Charter granted by Alfonso of Castile to Edward I., on his marriage with Eleanor of Castile, with a solid seal of gold attached; a Treaty of Peace between Henry VIII. and Francis I. of France, with the gold seal attached in high relief, and undercut, supposed to be the work of Benvenuto Cellini.

The several instruments of the surrender to Henry VIII. of the whole of the monasteries in England and Wales.

Access to the papers in the Record and State Paper Office can be obtained by application to Duffus Hardy, Esq., Rolls' Court, Chancery Lane. Unrestricted access to State papers since the Revolution is granted only by a written order from the Secretary of State for the Home Department. A new reading room has been built.

The PREROGATIVE WILL OFFICE* in Doctors' Commons. All wills are proved and administration granted under the Prerogative of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The office abounds in matter of great biographical importance-illustrative of the lives of eminent men, of the descent of property, and of the manners and customs of bygone times. Since April, 1862, free access is given, to consult ancient wills, &c., on application, by letter, to "the Judge at the Principal Registry, Court of Probate, London," for literary inquirers, stating name, address, profession, object of search, and time of visit.

The Department for Literary Inquiry is open from 10, A.M., to 3, P.M., except from August 10th to October 10th, when it is open from 11 to 2.30. It is closed Saturdays and holidays. Visitors are allowed, without fees, to search the calendars, read registered copies of wills before 1700, and to make extracts in pencil only. Only three persons can be admitted at a time.

Here may be seen the original will of Shakspeare, on three folio sheets of paper, with his signature to each sheet; the wills of Van Dyck the painter, of Inigo Jones, Sir Isaac Newton, Dr. Johnson, Izaak Walton; in short, of all the great men of this country who died possessed of property in the south of England. The will of Napoleon, made at St.

*The building is sold to the Metropolitan Board; and it may be pulled down to make way for a street to the river.

Helena, by which he bequeathed 10,000 francs to Cantillon, a French soldier, for trying to shoot the Duke of Wellington, in Paris, was surrendered to the French, 1853.

The office hours at the Prerogative Will Office are 9 to 3 in winter, and 9 to 4 in summer. The charges for searching the calendars of names is 1s. for every name. The charge for seeing the original will is a shilling extra. Persons are not allowed to make even a pencil memorandum, but official copies of wills may be had at eightpence per folio.

At the Department for Personal Application, persons may prove a will and take out probate without assistance of Proctor or Solicitor since 1861.

VIII.-COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS AND DOCKS.

BANK OF ENGLAND, THREADNEEDLE-STREET, CITY (West End Branch in Burlington Gardens)." The principal Bank of Deposit and Circulation; not in this country only, but in Europe," was founded in 1694, and grew out of a loan of 1,200,000l. for the public service. Its principal projector was William Paterson, a Scotch gentleman (encouraged by Charles Montague, afterwards Chancellor of the Exchequer and Earl of Halifax); who, according to his own account, commenced his exertions for the establishment of a National Bank in 1691. By the laws and regulations which he left, no Scotchman is eligible to fill the post of a Director. From 1694 to 1734, the business of the Bank was carried on in Grocers' Hall, in the Poultry, when it was removed to an establishment of its own (part of the present edifice), designed by Mr. George Sampson. East and west wings were added by Sir Robert Taylor, between 1766 and 1786. Sir John Soane subsequently receiving the appointment of architect to the Bank, part of the old building was either altered or taken down, and the Bank, much as we now see it, covering an irregular area of four acres, was completed by him. It has the merit of being well adapted for the purposes and business of the Bank. The corner towards Lothbury, though small, is much admired. It is copied from the Temple of the Sibyl, at Tivoli. The stone copings, or breast-work, behind the balustrade along the top of the wall, were added by C. R. Cockerell, R.A., after the Chartist meeting on the 10th of April, 1849. The area in the centre, planted with trees and shrubs, and ornamented with a fountain, was formerly the churchyard of St. Christopher, Threadneedle-street. The management of the Bank is vested in a Governor, Deputy-Governor, and twenty-four

Directors, eight of whom go out every year. The qualification for Governor is 4000l. Stock, Deputy-Governor 3000l., and Director 2000l. The room in which the Directors meet is called the Bank Parlour. The profits accrue from interest on Exchequer-bills, discounts, interest on capital lent to Government, an allowance of about 40,000l. a year for managing the Public Debt, and some other sources. The dividend received by the proprietors is 7 per cent. In the lobby of the Parlour is a portrait of Abraham Newland, who rose from a baker's counter to be chief clerk of the Bank of England, and to die enormously rich. Madox, who wrote the History of the Exchequer, was the first chief cashier. The persons employed were at first only 54; they are now 900. The salaries rise from 50l. to 1200l. a year. The cost in salaries alone is about 210,000l. a year. There is a valuable library, for the use of the clerks. The Bullion Office is situated on the N. side, in the basement story, and formed part of the original structure. It consists of a public chamber for the transaction of business, a vault for public deposits, and a vault for the private stock. No one is allowed to enter the bullion vaults except in company of a Director. The amount of bullion in the possession of the Bank of England constitutes, along with their securities, the assets which they place against their liabilities, on account of circulation and deposits; and the difference (about three millions) between the several amounts is called the "Rest," or guarantee fund, to próvide for the contingency of possible losses. Gold is almost exclusively obtained by the Bank in the "bar" form; although no form of the deposit would be refused. A bar of gold is a small slab, weighing 16 lb., and worth about 8001.

In the process of weighing, a number of admirably-constructed balances are brought into operation. A large balance, invented by Mr. Bate, weighs silver in bars, from 50 lb. to 80 lb. troy;-a balance, invented in 1820 by Sir John Barton, of the Mint, weighs gold coin in quantities varying from a few ounces to 18 lb. troy, and gold in bars of any weight up to 15 lb. These instruments are very perfect in their action, admit of easy regulation, and are of durable construction. The balance made by Mr. Cotton, is furnished with glass weights, and weighs at the rate of 33 sovereigns a minute. The machine appears to be a square brass box, in the inside of which, secure from currents of air, is the machinery. This wonderful and ingenious piece of mechanism is so contrived, that, on receiving the