KENSINGTON PALACE.

THE palace of Kensington, though not strictly speaking in Westminster, is so near that part of the British metropolis, that it could scarcely be omitted in a work which professes to treat of its public buildings.

In the seventeenth century this edifice was the seat of Lord Chancellor Finch, afterwards Earl of Nottingham, of whose son it was purchased by William III. That king greatly improved the building, and his queen enlarged the gardens, which originally contained only twenty-six acres. Queen Anne added thirty more; and they were further enlarged by Caroline, consort of George II. under whose direction nearly 300 acres were taken in from Hyde Park, and the Serpentine River formed.

These spacious gardens, now about two miles and a half in circumference, were laid out from the designs of Bridgman, Kent, and Brown, who are considered as the inventors of the modern art of landscape gardening. They are open to the public, and are much frequented, especially on Sundays, by all classes of the inhabitants of the metropolis.

The palace, situated at the south-west corner of these beautiful grounds, is an irregular brick building, of plain appearance, but contains a handsome suite of twelve state apartments, the entrance to which is on the west side. These apartments are adorned by numerous pictures, many of which are by the first masters. The grand staircase and the ceilings of all the state-rooms are covered with paintings by Kent.

Kensington was the favourite residence of

King William and his successors. In the apartment called the Green Closet, which William used for his writing cabinet, are still preserved his table and escritoire. Queen Anne frequently supped in the beautiful greenhouse on the north side of the palace; and Caroline, queen of George II., caused a chair to be placed for herself on an artificial mount, near the present entrance to the gardens from Hyde Park, so contrived that it could be easily turned round for shelter from the wind. The mount itself was removed only a few years since.

King William, Queen Anne, her consort Prince George of Denmark, and George II. expired in this palace. Since the death of the latter, which was awfully sudden, it has been forsaken by our sovereigns. The late Queen Caroline, when Princess of Wales,

resided here; and at this time the Duke of Sussex, and the Duchess of Kent and her daughter, the Princess Victoria, heir-presumptive to the crown, have apartments in this palace.

CHELSEA HOSPITAL.

In the parish of Chelsea, adjoining to that of Kensington, and on the bank of the Thames, is situated that noble foundation for invalid soldiers, Chelsea Hospital, also called Chelsea College. It derives the latter appellation from the circumstance of its occupying the site of a college, founded in the reign of James I. for the study of divinity and the advancement of the Protestant religion, but

which, having failed for want of due support, had escheated to the crown.

The original project of this national institution is attributed to Sir Stephen Fox, the ancestor of the noble house of Holland, who said, that he "could not bear to see the common soldiers, who had spent their strength in our service, reduced to beg," and towards the execution of his humane project he gave 13,000/. Tradition has also ascribed the foundation of this hospital to the humane persuasions of Nell Gwynn, the celebrated favourite of Charles II.; and it is not at all improbable that she may have used her influence with that monarch in favour of the plan. The building was commenced by Charles in 1682, and completed by William III. in 1690, from the designs of Sir Chris