[Picture: The Guildhall]
This is the place where the public business of the corporation of London
is transacted; and where the judges sit to hear and determine causes. In
this hall the Court of Aldermen and Common Council have a very handsome
chamber, or court-room, which is ornamented with a capital collection of
paintings, presented to the City of London by the late worthy Alderman
Boydell, who greatly promoted the arts. The fine painting by Mr. Copley,
representing the siege of Gibraltar by the Spanish flotilla, and likewise
an elegant marble statue of George III. our late venerable monarch, are
well worth seeing by every admirer of the arts of painting and statuary.
Nearly opposite to the entrance of this fine building, and on each side
of the clock, formerly stood two gigantic statues, commonly called Gog
and Magog, supposed to be the figures of a Briton and a Saxon; but they
are now removed to the west end of the hall, as they are seen in the
picture, No. 31.
Two modern painted windows complete the decorations of this venerable
building; the one representing the royal arms, the other those of the
city of London.