pations, and is used for the purpose of theatrical representations, and also as a ball-room; and for that dubious species of amusement called masquerades.

Over and above the entrance, on each side, are three tiers of boxes, amounting in the whole to about four and twenty. The first range above the ground tier is ornamented with elegant antique bass-reliefs in bronze; the upper tier is of ætherial blue, decorated with scrolls in stone colour, and both are enclosed with scrolls in rich gold mouldings.

Over each box is a beautiful circular bronze chandelier, with cut-glass pendants: the draperies are of scarlet; and the supporters between the boxes represent the Roman ox, and fasces, in bronze and gold.

At the opposite end are the orchestra and stage, over which is the following appropriate motto: "Sollicita jucunda oblivia vite." The walls of the middle space, of an ample size, are superbly ornamented with ranges of Corinthian pillars, representing porphyry with gold capitals. On the intermediate pannels, which are surrounded with borders of blue and gold, are bassreliefs, in stone colour, as large as life, the subjects of which are admirably adapted to the purposes for which they are placed there.

On each side of this magnificent room are tiers of benches, covered with scarlet, over which are suspended eight superb glass chandeliers; and the whole internal space is marked out with chalk, in the most fanciful manner.

Contiguous to this are a refectory, painted with landscapes, and wreathes of flowers; and a billiard-room, fitted up with similar neatness.

On the other side is a spacious, chamber appropriated to cardparties, the ceiling of which is richly painted, and the windows are hung with scarlet drapery. Adjoining is a small apartment called the blue room, decorated in a most pleasing and elegant style. The drapery is of light blue; and the sofas with which the room is completely surrounded, are all of the same colour.

The

The walls are ornamented with much fancy, to harmonize with the furniture; and in the middle of the ceiling, which represents the open sky, is an eagle suspending a chandelier of bronze and gold.

Since these rooms were first opened, some very valuable additions have been made to them, and the Institution is calculated, in the most admirable manner, to combine pleasure with utility, and elegance with convenience.

Golden Square is about one-eighth part of a mile north of Piccadilly, along Air Street, Francis Street, and George Street. It was once called Gelding Square, from the sign of a neigh. bouring inn; but the inhabitants, disgusted with so vulgar an appellation, changed it to its present name. The access to it is dirty; and it has altogether no very high claims to distinction. for its beauty or magnificence. It was built soon after the Revolution of 1688, in what were then called The Pest-House Fields, which remained a dirty waste till within these comparatively few years, when Carnaby Market occupied much of the western portion of this tract.

In Pest-House Fields the Lord Craven built a Lazaretto, which, during the dreadful plague of 1665, was used as a pesthouse, and hence arose the name. His lordship boldly facing the danger, remained in London during that great calamity; and, as it has been observed of him, "braved the fury of the pestilence with the same coolness as he fought the battles of his beloved mistress, Elizabeth, titular Queen of Bohemia; or mounted the tremendous breach of Creutznach. He was the intrepid soldier, the gallant lover, and the genuine patriot."

Crossing Swallow Street, in which is a Scots Presbyterian Meeting House, we reach a Square of a very different character to the one just mentioned: it is HANOVER SQUARE. This was entirely unbuilt in the year 1716; but its name is mentioned in the Plans of London of the year 1720, and was built soon after the accession of the present family to the throne of these kingdoms. Both here, and in George Street adjoining, there

there are several specimens of the German style of building. The Square occupies a space of about two acres; the middle is enclosed with a handsome iron railing.

In a periodical publication of early date,* appears the following paragraph: "Not far from Tavistock Street lives a man, by profession a measurer and surveyor: this fellow is everlastingly boasting of himself, and vapouring of his performance, and has the boldness to style himself the prince of that calling. If towards being a prince of a trade, it is necessary to make himself wealthy and great, by undoing all that are subject to his management, he richly deserves the name; for you must understand, that, as among authors, there is a cacoethes scribendi, so there is a ædificandi cacoethes, or an itch of building, that prevails much among our tribe that dabble in mortar. All the raw and inexperienced workmen that lie under this evil, have been drawn by this boaster to buildings about Hanover Square, till they have built themselves quite out of doors in this part of the world, and so are obliged to cross the water to another climate, and take up their lodgings in the streets adjacent to MintSquare, where they still rear their palaces in their imaginations, and metamorphose themselves into that species of men called castle-builders; and there they and their families fill their mouths with curses against this their projecting prince.".

In the same publication of the preceding year, are the following observations: "Round about the New Square, which is building near Oxford Road, [now Oxford Street,] there are so many other edifices, that a whole magnificent city seems to be risen out of the ground, that one would wonder how it should find a new set of inhabitants. It is said it will be called by the name of Hanover Square. The chief persons that we hear of who are to inhabit that place when it is finished, having bought houses, are these following: The Lord Cadogan, a General, General Carpenter, General Wills, General Evans, General Pepper, the two General Stuarts, and several others, whose names▾

The Weekly Medley for Sept. 1718.

we

we have not been able to learn. On the opposite side of the way, towards Mary-le-bone, which seems a higher and finer situation, is marked out a very spacious and noble square, and many streets that are to form avenues to it. This Square we hear is to be called Oxford Square; and that ground has been taken to build houses on it by the Right Honourable Lords, the Earl of Oxford, the Earl of Carnarvon, the Lord Harcourt, the Lord Harley, and several other noble peers."

Many "projecting princes" have sprung up since the year 1718, as the present state of this neighbourhood will amply de

monstrate.

BERKELEY SQUARE is situate on the north side of Piccadilly. Mr. Malcolm observes, that the circumstance of its being on one of those few descents within London, renders it worthy of notice, rather than any magnificence in the buildings. The whole south side is occupied by the wall of an extensive garden, in the midst of which is a large stone house of heavy proportions, built by the Earl of Bute, circa 1765, and sold incomplete to the Earl of Shelburne, afterwards Marquis of Lansdowne, for 22,000/ It is now called LANSDOWNE HOUSE,* and belongs to the present Marquis of that name. The front is white, and is ornamented with Ionic pillars, and a pediment, which is just observed peeping above the rich foliage by which it is surrounded; giving the whole a very pleasing effect, and making a beautiful termination of the Square. It was built by Adams, and is an excellent piece of architecture. The interior is enriched with whatever is requisite to the mansion of such an enlightened nobleman as the present proprietor. The late Lord collected a rich library of books and valuable manuscripts, the latter of which have been purchased by Parliament, and are now lodged in the British Museum.

In the centre of the Square, which contains three acres of ground, is a most gigantic equestrian statue of his present Majesty

See the annexed plate.