the venerable majefty of its former state, yet the beautiful carving with which it once adorned, is irretrievably loft; the buttreffes, once capped with turrets, are now made in plain pyramidical forms, and topped with freeftone; and the statues of our ancient Kings that formerly stood in niches, near the tops of thofe buttreffes, are for the most part removed, and their broken fragments lodged in the roof of Henry the Seventh's chapel. Three of these statues are still standing next the towers on the north fide, and indeed that is the only fide where you can take a view of the Abbey, the other fide being fo incumbered with buildings, that even its fituation cannot be distinguished.

What next to the new towers principally engages the attention on the outfide, is the Gothic portico which leads into the north cross, which by fome has been stiled the Beautiful, or Solomon's Gate. This was probably built by Richard II. as his arms carved in ftone was formerly over the gate. It has been lately beautified, and over it is a new window admirably well executed. Befides these there is little in the outward appearance capable of engaging the atten

tion,

tion, and its principal beauties are to be found within.

The author of the work entitled English Architecture, seems to prefer the Gothic to the Grecian architecture, as most suited to the purposes of devotion, and gives this edifice as an inftance. "There is in it, fays he, a majesty and grandeur, a "fedate, and if we may fo fpeak, religious dignity, which immediately ftrikes "the imagination; and never failed to

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imprefs on the most infenfible observer, "that holy awe which thould attend, and "which always difpofes the mind to de"votion." But this holy awe, thus mechanically incited, would be as friendly to Paganism as to Christianity; and indeed, this awe is fo far from being holy, that it is a thing intirely diftinct from rational piety and devotion, and may be felt without any inclination to enter the choir.

Indeed the multiplicity of puerile ornaments profufely lavished, the ftrong and beautiful perspective, and that romantic air of grandeur fo visible in this structure, and above all the height of the middle isle at our first entrance, fill the eye, strike us in a very forcible manner, and at once raise

our

our admiration and astonishment. To which let it be added, that the ranges of venerable monuments on each hand, fome of them moft magnificent, have a natural tendency to strike the mind with an uncommon degree of folemnity, and to raise the most serious reflections.

The extent of the building is very confiderable; for it is 360 feet within the walls, at the nave it is 72 feet broad, and at the cross 195. The Gothic arches and fide ifles are fupported by 48 pillars of grey marble, each compofed of clufters of very flender ones, and covered with ornaments. The moment you enter the weft door the whole body of the church opens itself at once to your view, the pillars dividing the nave from the fide ifles being fo formed as not to obftruct the fide openings, nor is your fight terminated to the east, but by the fine painted window over Edward the Confeffor's chapel, which anciently, when the altar was low, and adorned with the beautiful fhrine of that pretended faint, must have afforded one of the finest profpecs that can be imagined.

The pillars are terminated to the east by a fweep, inclofing the chapel of Edward the Confeffor, in a kind of femicircle. And

it is worthy of observation, that as far as the gates of the choir, the pillars are fil. letted with brafs, but all beyond with ftone. Answering to the middle range of pillars, there are others in the wall, which as they rife, fpring into femiarches, and are every where met in acute angles by their oppofites, and meeting in the roof are adorned with a variety of carvings." On the arches of the pillars are galleries of double columns fifteen feet wide, covering the fide ifles, and enlightened by a middle range of windows, over which there is an upper range of larger windows, and by thefe, together with the four capital windows, facing the north, east, south and weft, the whole fabric is fo admirably enlightened, that in the day you are never dazzled with its brightness, nor incommoded by its being too dark. But before we leave thefe capital windows, which are all finely painted, it is neceffary to obferve, that in the great weft window is a curious painting of Edward III. to the left of which in a fmaller window is a painting of one of our Kings, fuppofed to be Richard II. but the colours being of a water blue the features of the face cannot be distinguished. On the other fide the

great

great window is a lively representation of Edward the Confeffor in his robes, and under his feet are painted his arms. At the bottom of the walls between the pillars are shallow niches, arched about eight or ten feet high, on which the arms of the original benefactors are depicted, and over them are their titles, &c. but these are almost all concealed by the monuments of the dead placed before them, many of which are extremely noble, and which we fhall particularly examine after having gone through the several parts of the edifice.

After viewing the open part of the church, the next thing to be feen is the choir, which can only be done during the times of divine fervice. The grand entrance into it is by a pair of fine iron gates, on each fide of which is a very magnificent tomb. The floor is paved with the finest black and white marble. The ancient ftalls are covered with Gothic acute arches, fupported by fmall iron pillars, and are painted purple; but what is most worthy of obfervation, is an ancient portrait near the pulpit, of Richard II. fitting in a gilt chair, dreffed in a green vest flowered with gold, with gold fhoes powdered with pearls. This piece is fix feet eleven inches in length,

and