manner, but the congregation is much thinner. In this chapel of eafe the doctrines preached at the other are frequently revised and examined, and fometimes cenfures have been inflicted; but they have no power over the revenues.

As to the religion of St. Stephen's chapel, much difference of opinion has prevailed. All we can fay for certain is, that the prayers are the prayers of the church of England. The doctrine and difcipline have varied at various periods. They contend, in general, for a ftanding miniftry, and allow of patronage. Sometimes we hear of the Gospel, but moft frequently the Law predominates, and the doctrines of the Antinomians are very much cried down. At other times faith without works is the prevailing doctrine; and hence probably it is that repentance is fo feldom infifted upon, and that woful inftances of apoftacy are not cenfured as they ought. As they do not exclude the fectaries, fome of the minifters are Prefbyterians, but, at least of late, the Independent intereft has been much difcouraged. Nay, we have known inftances in which Dienters, even of moderate principles, have been threatened with the terrors of the bottomlefs Pit.

The livings belonging to this chapel are reckoned very good, and they are always improvable by the incumbent, as pluralities are allowed without even the formality of a difpenfation. Some, accordingly, hold three, four, or even five or fix livings, and by bringing up their fons in the fame perfuafion, are enabled to provide for them very handsomely: and after officiating here for a number of years with zeal and affiduity, and a confcientious ufe of their gifts and graces, they are often tranflated into the chapel of cafe above mentioned, where they become poffeffed of perpetual advowfons.

It only remains to be mentioned, that this chapel is generally very much frequented; the galleries are always very full, but in the body of the chapel it is very difficult to procure a feat. The number admitted here is restricted, and no perfon can apply for a pew but in case of a vacancy, and the pews are let for a term not exceeding feven years. Some of thefe pews belong to the officiating minifters, fome to the preachers in the chapel of eafe, and fome are in the gift of certain parishes, who choose a perfon to fit to give them an account of what is preached. Of the latter kind, however, there are not fo many as fome people think there ought to be.

It has been lately propofed to repair this chapel, by pulling down the rotten parts, or what were faid to be rotten; and this occafioned a fchifm among the preachers. The officiating minifters, however, appointed a committee from among themselves to infpect the premises, who reported that there was no immediate danger, and that it would laft their time. On which the defign was dropped..

Thefe are the chief particulars I have been able to collect of the hiftory and prefent ftate of this chapel. It may, however, be added, that the clerks only wear. gowns, and a gentleman who officiates fomewhat in the manner of the moderator of the General Affembly of Scotland. He is very kind to the poor preachers, and often gives them a dinner in winter. There are no marriages celebrated here. One was lately intended; but the bride, a tall Irish woman, forbid the banns *. As to external decorum, it is but little attended to, and even during the moft ferious parts of the fervice no perfon kneels with his own confent!

*Since this was written, the lady has complied, though not without reluctance.

EDIT.

NEW HOUSE OF LORDS.

MR. EDITOR,

[From the fame.]

IT gives me great pleasure to learn by a paragraph in your paper of this morning, that Mr. Wyatt is to be employed in conftructing a new House of Lords; for while it is certain that a new Houfe of Lords is very much wanted, it is equally certain that no perfon in our times is fo ably qualified for the tafk. I agree alfo cordially with the writer of your paragraph in obferving, that the prefent Houfe is ill fuited to the dignity of this Affembly."

Various architects have been employed in making additions to this building, but this has been attended with no other effect than to prove that additions are not improvements; and that he is a very unfkilful workman who attends more to the quantity of his materials than to their quality, and is content that his tools fhall make up in number what they want in sharpness. All this, you must allow, is very abfurd-as abfurd, indeed, as if I were to employ a perfon to repair my houfe in the country, and he were to do nothing more than pitch his rubbish from the neighbouring commons.

As I am unacquainted with the defigns Mr. Wyatt may have made, it would be impertinent in me to make any anticipatory remarks. Undoubtedly a gentleman of his fkill will take care that ftrength and folidity be united with beauty and magnificence; and that there fhall not be, as we have feen in the works of fome modern architects, a profufion of Corinthian capitals without bafes, things that ought to be called pilafters and not pillars; for though very ornamental, and having the fame proportions as a column, they are in fact" props that yield no fupport." And above all, I hope he will take care that the whole be confructed

ftructed in an uniform manner. It was very lately objected to the old Houfe, that there was a great inequality between fome of the columns, fome being higher than others; it is needlefs to add, that the fuperior, in fuch a cafe, must render the inferior use. lefs.

I hope, however, that, in this great undertaking, Mr. Wyatt will not object to take a hint now and then from the Surveyor, who lives in Downing Street, and is fuppofed to understand the plans and elevations of this Houfe as well as molt men. The beautifulperfpective of the avenue leading to the Houfe was conftructed by him. He is alfo complete mafter of all the mouldings neceffary in the alteration of old columns, or the introduction of new. His fkill, indeed, has been rewarded by numerous patents, none of which being expired, he muft, in fome measure, co-operate with Mr. Wyatt in forming the interior of the building at least.

But I fhall make no further remark on this fubject at prefent, as it is a fubject of peculiar delicacy,. and has always been treated as fuch even by our best writers, with a degree of timidity, that one would think they wrote with a rod hanging over them! During the progress of the building, I may, perhaps, trouble you again. Meantime,

I am, Mr. Editor, yours, &c.

July 12, 1799.

THIS

VITRUVIUS JUNIOR,

PORTRAIT OF JACOBINISM.

[From the True Briton.]

HIS is the power which, nurfed by Ambition, Vanity, and Atheism, has founded the pillar of French Republicanism upon the ruins of the palace, the throne, and the altar; which has reared it amid

heaps

heaps of flaughtered victims, and cemented its parts with their blood. This is the power which, trained in the fchools of Philofophifm, affumed the dress of Mildness, Virtue, and Religion; but, when arrived at full maturity, difcovered its fanguinary and deftructive fpirit, and avowed its oppofition to every inftitution, human and divine, that obftructed its gigantic designs; that with philanthropy ever in its mouth, and malice and vengeance in its heart, talks of honour, and practises perjury-of liberty, and exercifes the moft intolerable tyranny; that harangues on the Rights of Man, while it makes property a crime, robbery a virtue; and not only perpetrates, but juftifies murder. This execrable power, which alone can fteel the hearts of its votaries against every feeling of nature, has dared to fanction treafon, parricide, luft, and maffacre; and to infuse into the breafts of his fubject multitudes a new paffion, which has funk them beneath the level of the brute creation-a paffion for the fight of their fellow-creatures in the agonies of death, and a literal thirst for human blood.

This is the power that, firft enthroning feven hundred tyrants in the place of one King (deliberately murdered, only because he was a King), ruled twentyfour millions of flaves with the iron fceptre of terror, and for five years made France a flaughter-houfe; that formed the web of its laws of the most complex and intricate texture, and changed them at the fancy of the moment, or for the exprefs purpose of enfnaring the innocent; and, abfolute in all things elfe, difdained to preserve the prerogative of Mercy; that,

calling evil good, and good evil; putting darkness for light, and light for darknefs," has "thought to change times and laws," for the exprefs purpose of destroying every veftige of true religion, and has deified human reafon, after having degraded it to madness; that has fettered its vaffals in the chains of

requifition,