perb,' and that it is without doubt the most perfect Grecian church in England, except St. Paul's. Vast vaults extend from the portico to the east end of the structure, which are light and dry, and contain great numbers of bodies, deposited within separate apartments, and on the floor of the open space. The flight of steps to the magnificent Corinthian portico, the pillars which compose it, the entablature and pediment, are in excellent proportion, and would have a grand effect, if the execrable warehouse and sheds before it were removed, and an area thus opened from St. Martin's Lane to the King's Mews; whence only the steeple, the pediment, and part of the pillars can be seen without distortion of the spine. The sides composed of a double range of windows, between Corinthian pilasters, with an entablature and balustrade, are infinitely improved by the introduction of isolated columns near the angles; but these are lost in courts, where houses approach them almost to contact. The steeple equals the best specimen of skill in that species of structure left by Sir Christopher Wren, and has the merit of originality, in not resembling one of the steeples erected by that great archi tect." The want of a point of view from which this edifice may be conveniently inspected, so justly complained of by the writers above cited, is likely to be soon remedied; as it has been publicly announced, that the opening of a wide street in continuation of Pall Mall, to terminate at the west front of this church is one of the improvements lately projected in this part of the Metropolis. The interior contains eight Composite pillars, and four pilas ters and entablatures, which support beautiful ceilings over the side ailes. The enriched bands spring from brackets and cherubim, between which are slight domes marked with plain circles. The vault of the nave is too elaborately ornamented for description: the decorations, however, are grand, not too much crowded, yet sufficiently profuse to satisfy the man of taste. The saerarum commences with a semicircle, and terminates in a Compo site recess; but the arch to this is too much depressed A glory covers the ceiling. The vestry-room detached from the south-east corner of the church, contains a fine model of this structure, admirably executed. In a recess is a half-length of George I. and over the door, a bust of Richard Miller, Esq. who gave 5001, to the charity-schools; 3007, to the library, and free-school; and 300l. towards building the vestry-house. In a south window is a pretty painting of St. Martin, dividing his mantle with a beggar. The walls are adorned with half-lengths of the vicars, from the year 1670, almost all of whom attained high distinction in the church. In the waiting-room are portraits of the architect Mr. Gibbs, and the unfortunate Sir Edmondbury Godfrey. Mr. Malcolm records the following singular event which occurred in this church. On the 10th of September, 1729, during evening prayers, a gentleman abruptly entered and fired two pistols at the Rev. Mr. Taylor, who was repeating the service: one of the bullets grazed the surplice, but the other entered the body of Mr. Williams, farrier, of Bedfordbury, who was sitting in a pew near the minister. The congregation fled in alarm from the church, but a sturdy car-man resolutely proceeded to secure the offender, which he could not effect without a severe encounter, and much bruising him, particularly on the head. On his examination, it was found that this man, named Roger Campaznol, was the son of the Governor of Brest, in France, that having been cheated by his landlord, a Hugonot, resident near the Seven Dials, of 138. his mind became deranged, so that he had not sufficient discrimination to distinguish the victim of his revenge. After his commitment to Newgate he endeavoured to hang him-. self with his garters in the chapel; but being prevented, he fastened himself into his cell; and when the door was forced open, he was found eating part of a bottle pounded into fragments with bread. Of the subsequent fate of this lunatic we have no information. Between York House and Charing Cross stood the hospital Ac of St. Mary, a cell to the Priory of Rounceval, in Navarre. This hospital was founded by William Marischal, Earl of Pembroke, in the reign of Henry III. and confirmed by that monarch. cording to Speed, it was suppressed by Henry V. as an alien priory; but re-edified by Edward IV. After the general suppression, it was given by Edward VI. to Sir Thomas Cawarden, to be held in free soccage of the honour of Westminster. It then came to Henry Howard, Earl of Northampton, out of the ruins of which he built a mansion, which he denominated Northampton House, and died there in 1694. He left it to his ́kinsman, the Earl of Suffolk; and by marriage of Algernon Percy, Earl of Northumberland, with Elizabeth, daughter of Theophilus, Earl of Suffolk, it passed into her family about the year 1642, and has ever since been distinguished by the name of Northumberland House. I have hitherto entered as little as possible into biographical details; but in the present instance it is proper to give a few important particulars of that branch of the noble family of the Percys into whose possession Northumberland House first came. * According to a Bill in Sion House, one of the Percy estates in Middlesex, it appears that Algernon Percy, the tenth Earl of Northumberland, was born in London, and baptized on the 13th of October, 1602. Anthony Wood says he had his education at Christ Church, Oxford; and that the celebrated Robert Hues was his mathematical tutor. According to Anstis, † at the creation of Charles, Prince of Wales, the Earl was made one of the Knights of the Bath. He was second in precedency, James, Lord Maltravers, eldest son to the Earl of Arundel, being the first. He was called by writ to the House of Peers, by the title of Lord Percy, &c. This was on the accession of Charles I. and during his father's life-time. In May 1626, he was one of the thirty Athenæ Oxoniensis, I. p. 490. Essay on the Knighthood of the Bath, p. 75. thirty-six Lords who made a voluntary protestation, upon their honours, in Parliament, that Sir Dudley Digges did not speak any thing, on delivering his charge against the Duke of Buckingham," which did, or might, intrench on the King's honour; and if he had, they would presently have reprehended him for it." * His father dying in the year 1632, he succeeded to the title and honours, as Earl of Northumberland, &c. The following year he attended Charles I. into Scotland, in order to his Coronation, † at which he was present, on the 18th of June, in the same year; being then of the Privy Council. On the 13th of May, 1635, he was, with great magnificence, installed one of the Knights of the Garter. The year following he had the command of a Royal Fleet, of sixty sail, and destroyed the Dutch busses that were sailing on our coasts. § He first required the Dutch to forbear, and, on their refusal, he took some, and sunk others; thereupon the Dutch begged him to mediate with the King, that they might have permission to fish on our coasts; and, for that summer, agreed to give the King 30,000%. which was paid accordingly. We find his lordship, in November, of the same year, busily employed in the dubious character of a Reformer; but his exertions were directed to a noble purpose, and he effected great and salutary reforms in the Royal Navy. || After this he was prouoted, on the 30th of March, 1637, to be Lord High Admiral of England; and, two years afterwards, Captain General of the Army, then raised by the King upon his expedition into Scotland; but was prevented from entering on his command by a dangerous illness. ¶ Rushworth's Historical Collections, Vol. I. pp. 364, 365. Kennet, ut sup. 84. Sidney's Letters and Memorials, II. 445. Clar, Hist. Reb. I, 144. The The author on whose authority this is stated, relates that "when the bulk and burden of state affairs, whereby the envy attending them likewise, lay principally on the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Earl of Strafford, and the Lord Cottington, the Earl of Northumberland for ornament, the Lord Bishop of London by his place, (being Lord High Treasurer of England) and the two Secretaries, Sir Henry Vane, and Sir Francis Windebank, for service and communications of intelligence: These were reproachfully called The Junto, and enviously at Court, The Cabinet Council." It appears from a series of his Letters among the Sidney Pa* that in 1639, his lordship was at the head of public affairs. pers, By a Letter, dated February 13th, 1639, + it is evident that his Lordship was appointed General of the Army before that period. This Letter is addressed to the Earl of Leicester at Paris, and he there says that his commission gives power to all the commissioners of the army, without excepting any, and that no money would be taken for commissions, as heretofore, in Holland. He farther acquaints the Earl of Leicester, that he had raised two troops of horse-guards; one of one hundred cuirassiers, the other of sixty carabiniers, and that he had given out commissions for the present raising two thousand horse . In another letter, dated July 10, 1640, he writes: "We are now almost in the middle of July, and yet I have no more certainty of the time when I shall be going into the North than I had at Christmas." On the 6th of the following month he informs his lordship, that being commanded suddenly into the North," and," says he, " now upon disbauding my Lord Hamilton's regiments, I am so extremely full of business, and am so tired, that I can scarcely hold up my head." Almost immediately after this he was seized with a dangerous illness, Vol. II. Folio. + Sidney Letters and Memorials, II. 637. + Ibid, p. 640. |