oaken roof, and lead, the most durable covering in our climate, so he
covered and hid out of sight the brick cone, with another cupola of
timber and lead; and between this and the cone, are easy stairs that
ascend to the lanthorn. Here the spectator may have a view of such
amazing contrivances as are indeed astonishing. He forbore to make
little luthern windows in the leaden cupola, as are done out of St.
Peter’s, because he had otherwise provided for light enough to the
stairs from the lanthorn above, and round the pedestal of the same,
which are now seen below; so that he only ribbed the outward cupola,
which he thought less Gothic than to stick it full of such little lights
in three stories one above another, as is the cupola of St. Peter’s,
which could not without difficulty be mended, and, if neglected, would
soon damage the timbers.”
As Sir Christopher was sensible, that paintings, tho’ ever so excellent,
are liable to decay, he intended to have beautified the inside of the
cupola with mosaic work, which strikes the eye of the beholder with
amazing lustre, and without the least decay of colours, is as durable as
the building itself; but in this he was unhappily over-ruled, tho’ he
had undertaken to procure four of the most eminent artists in that
profession from Italy; this part is however richly decorated and painted
by Sir James Thornhill, who has represented the principal passages of
St. Paul’s life in eight compartments, viz. his conversion; his
punishing Elymas, the sorcerer, with blindness; his preaching at Athens;
his curing the poor cripple at Lystra, and the reverence paid him there
by the priests of Jupiter as a God; his conversion of the jailer; his
preaching at Ephesus, and the burning of the magic books in consequence
of the miracles he wrought there; his trial before Agrippa; his
shipwreck on the island of Melita, or Malta, with the miracle of the
viper. These paintings are all seen to advantage by means of a circular
opening, through which the light is transmitted with admirable effect
from the lanthorn above.
The highest or last stone on the top of the lanthorn, was laid by Mr.
Christopher Wren, the son of this great architect, in the year 1710; and
thus was this noble fabric, lofty enough to be discerned at sea
eastward, and at Windsor to the west, begun and compleated in the space
of thirty-five years, by one architect, the great Sir Christopher Wren;
one principal mason, Mr. Strong; and under one Bishop of London, Dr.
Henry Compton: whereas St. Peter’s at Rome, the only structure that can
come in competition with it, continued an hundred and fifty five years
in building, under twelve successive architects; assisted by the police
and interests of the Roman see; attended by the best artists of the
world in sculpture, statuary, painting and mosaic work; and facilitated
by the ready acquisition of marble from the neighbouring quarries of
Tivoli.
_The curiosities in this cathedral which strangers pay for seeing._ On
entering the south door, there is a pair of stairs within a small door
on the right, leading to the cupola, and the stranger by paying two
pence may gratify his curiosity with a prospect from the iron gallery at
the foot of the lanthorn, which in a clear day affords a fine view of
the river, of this whole metropolis and all the adjacent country,
interspersed with pleasant villages.
The ascent to this gallery is by 534 steps, 260 of which are so easy
that a child may without difficulty ascend them; but those above are
unpleasant, and in some places very dark; but the little light that is
afforded is sufficient to shew amazing proofs of the wonderful
contrivances of the architect. But as the first gallery, surrounded by a
stone balustrade, affords a very fine prospect, many are satisfied, and
unwilling to undergo the fatigue of mounting higher.
On the stranger’s descent he is invited to see the whispering gallery,
which will likewise cost two pence; he here beholds to advantage the
beautiful pavement of the church, and from hence he has the most
advantageous view of the fine paintings in the cupola. Here sounds are
magnified to an astonishing degree; the least whisper is heard round the
whole circumference; the voice of one person softly speaking against the
wall on the other side, seems as if he stood at our ear on this, though
the distance between them is no less than an hundred and forty feet: and
the shutting of the door resounds through the place like thunder, or as
if the whole fabric was falling asunder. To this gallery there is an
easy ascent for persons of distinction, by a most beautiful flight of
stairs.
The stranger is next invited to see the library, the books of which are
neither numerous nor valuable; but the floor is artfully inlaid without
either nails or pegs, and the wainscoting and book cases are not
inelegant.
The next curiosity is the fine model Sir Christopher first caused to be
made for building the new cathedral. It was not taken from St. Peter’s
at Rome, as is pretended; but was Sir Christopher’s own invention, and
the model on which he set the highest value; and it is a great pity,
that what was performed as the utmost exertion of the abilities of this
great architect, should be suffered to run to decay.
He is next shewn the great bell in the south tower, which weighs 84 c.
weight. On this bell the hammer of the great clock strikes the hour, and
on a smaller bell are struck the quarters.
The last thing shewn, are what are vulgarly called the geometry stairs,
which are so artfully contrived as to hang together without visible
support; but this kind of stairs, however curious in themselves, are
neither new nor uncommon. _Parentalia. Historical account of the
curiosities of London_, &c.
The cathedral church of St. Paul’s is deservedly esteemed the second in
Europe, not for magnitude only but for beauty and grandeur. St. Peter’s
at Rome is undoubtedly the first, but at the same time it is generally
acknowledged by all travellers of taste, that the outside, and
particularly the front of St. Paul’s, is much superior to St. Peter’s.
The two towers at the west end, though faulty in some respects, are yet
elegant, and the portico finely marks the principal entrance. The
loggia, crowned with a pediment, with its alto relievo and statues, make
in the whole a fine shape, whereas St. Peter’s is a straight line
without any break. The dome is extremely magnificent, and by rising
higher than that at Rome, is seen to more advantage on a near approach.
The inside, though noble, falls short of St. Peter’s. The discontinuing
the architrave of the great entablature over the arches in the middle of
the isle, is a fault the architects can never forgive. Notwithstanding,
without a critical examination, it appears very striking, especially on
entering the north or south door. The side isles though small are very
elegant, and if it does not equal St. Peter’s, there is much to be said
in defence both of it and the architect, who was not permitted to
decorate it as he intended, through a want of taste in the managers, who
seemed to have forgot that it was intended a national ornament. St.
Peter’s has all the advantages of painting and sculpture of the greatest
masters, and is encrusted with a variety of the finest marbles, no cost
being spared to make it exceed every thing of its kind. The great
geometrical knowledge of the architect can never be sufficiently
admired, but this can be come at only by a thorough inspection of the
several parts.
For the farther satisfaction of the curious reader, we shall conclude
this article with an account of the dimensions of St. Paul’s cathedral
compared with those of St. Peter’s at Rome, from an account published
some years ago: the measures of the latter being taken from the
authentic dimensions of the best architects of Rome, reduced to English
measure.
│ FEET.│ FEET.
The PLAN, or Length and Breadth. │ St.│ St.
│ Peter.│ Paul.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────┬────────┬────────
The whole length of the church and porch │ 729│ 500
The breadth within the doors of the porticos │ 510│ 250
The breadth of the front with the turrets │ 364│ 180
The breadth of the front without the turrets │ 318│ 110
The breadth of the church and three naves │ 255│ 130
The breadth of the church and widest chapels │ 364│ 180
The length of the porch within │ 218│ 50
The breadth of the porch within │ 40│ 20
The length of the platea at the upper steps │ 291│ 100
The breadth of the nave at the door │ 67│ 40
The breadth of the nave at the third pillar and │ 73│ 40
tribuna │ │
The breadth of the side isles │ 29│ 17
The distance between the pillars of the nave │ 44│ 25
The breadth of the same double pillars at St. │ 29│
Peter’s │ │
The breadth of the same single pillars at St. │ │ 10
Paul’s │ │
The two right sides of the great pilasters of the │ 65:7½│ 25:35
cupola │ │
The distance between the same pilasters │ 72│ 40
The outward diameter of the cupola │ 189│ 145
The inward diameter of the same │ 138│ 100
The breadth of the square by the cupola │ 43│
The length of the same │ 328│
From the door within the cupola │ 313│ 190
From the cupola to the end of the tribuna │ 167│ 170
The breadth of each of the turrets │ 77│ 35
The outward diameter of the lantern │ 36│ 18
The whole space, upon which one pillar stands │ 5906│ 875
The whole space, upon which all the pillars stand │ 23625│ 7000
│ FEET.│ FEET.
The HEIGHT. │ St.│ St.
│ Peter.│ Paul.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────┬────────┬────────
From the ground without to the top of the cross │ 437½│ 340
The turrets as they were at St. Peter’s and are at│ 289½│ 222
St. Paul’s │ │
To the top of the highest statues on the front │ 175│ 135
The first pillars of the Corinthian order │ 74│ 33
The breadth of the same │ 9│ 4
Their basis and pedestals │ 19│ 13
Their capital │ 10│ 5
The architrave, frize, and cornice │ 19│ 10
The Composite pillars at St. Paul’s and Tuscan at │ 25½│ 25
St. Peter’s │ │
The ornaments of the same pillars above, and below│ 14½│ 16
The triangle of the mezzo relievo, with its │ 22½│ 18
cornice │ │
Wide │ 92│ 74
The basis of the cupola to the pedestals of the │ 36½│ 38
pillars │ │
The pillars of the cupola │ 32│ 28
Their basis and pedestals │ 4│ 5
Their capitals, architrave, frize, and cornice │ 12│ 12
From the cornice to the outward slope of the │ 25½│ 40
cupola │ │
The lantern from the cupola to the ball │ 63│ 50
The ball in diameter │ 9│ 6
The cross with its ornaments below │ 14│ 6
The statues upon the front with their pedestals │ 25½│ 15
The outward slope of the cupola │ 89│ 50
Cupola and lantern from the cornice of the front │ 280│ 240
to the top of the cross │ │
The height of the niches in the front │ 20│ 14
Wide │ 9│ 5
The first windows in the front │ 20│ 13
Wide │ 10│ 7
The whole expence of erecting this edifice, on deducting the sums
expended in fruitless attempts to repair the old cathedral, amounted to
736,752_l._ 2_s._ 3_d._
_St._ PAUL’S _Bakehouse court_, Godliman’s street.
_St._ PAUL’S _chain_, a lane on the south of St. Paul’s Church yard.
_St._ PAUL’S _Church yard_, 1. The area round St. Paul’s cathedral,
surrounded on the north and west chiefly by booksellers and toy-shops,
and on the south side by the makers of chairs, screens and cabinets. 2.
Behind Covent Garden church.
_St._ PAUL’S _College court_, St. Paul’s Church yard.
_St._ PAUL’S _Covent Garden_, a very noble edifice built by Inigo Jones
for a chapel, but now a parish church. See COVENT GARDEN.
PAUL’S _court_, 1. Huggen lane, Thames street. 2. Wood street, Cheapside.
PAUL’S HEAD _court_, Fenchurch street.
_St._ PAUL’S _School_, at the east end of St. Paul’s Church yard, was
founded by Dr. John Collet Dean of St. Paul’s in the year 1509, for a
Master, an Usher and Chaplain, and an hundred and fifty-three scholars;
for the teaching of whom the founder appointed a salary of 34_l._ 13_s._
4_d._ for the upper Master; for the under Master 17_l._ 6_s._ 8_d._ and
for the Chaplain or third Master, 8_l._ _per annum_. He appointed the
company of Mercers trustees of this school, and by the improvement of
the estate since that time, the good management of the company, and some
additional sums left to this foundation, the salaries of the Masters are
become considerable; the upper Master having 300_l._ a year, besides the
advantage of additional scholars and boarders, by which he generally
makes about 200_l._ a year more; the second Master has 250_l._ a year,
and the third 90_l._ a year.
The original building was consumed by the fire of London, and soon after
the present structure was raised in its place. It is a very singular,
and at the same time a very handsome edifice. The central building in
which is the school, is of stone; it is much lower than the ends, and
has only one series of windows, which are large, and raised a
considerable height from the ground. The center is adorned with rustic,
and on the top is a handsome pediment, in which are the founder’s arms
placed in a shield; upon the apex stands a figure representing Learning.
Under this pediment are two windows which are square, and on each side
are two circular windows crowned with busts, and the spaces between them
are handsomely ornamented by work in relievo. Upon a level with the foot
of the pediment runs on either side a handsome balustrade, on which is
placed on each side a large bust with a radiant crown, between two
flaming vases.
The buildings at the ends of this elegant structure are narrow, and rise
to a great height. They are of brick ornamented with stone, and have
each a small door, and are crowned at the top with a small balustrade.
_St._ PAUL’S _Shadwell_, owes its existence to the increase of buildings.
Shadwell, though now joined to London, was anciently a hamlet belonging
to Stepney; but being greatly increased in the number of its
inhabitants, Thomas Neale, Esq; erected the present church in the year
1656 for their accommodation; and in 1669, this district was by act of
parliament constituted a distinct parish from that of Stepney, and
120_l._ _per annum_ was granted for the maintenance of the Rector in
lieu of tithes, besides a considerable glebe, oblations and church dues,
so that the living is worth about 324_l._ a year. _Maitland._
This church, which is but a mean edifice built with brick, is
eighty-seven feet long, and sixty-three broad; the height to the roof is
twenty-eight feet, and that of the steeple sixty. The body has a few
windows with rustic arches, and some very mean ones in the roof. At the
corners of the building are balls placed on a kind of small pedestals.
The tower is carried up without ornament, and is terminated with balls
at the corners in the same manner as the body of the church, and is
crowned with a plain low turret.
PAUL’S _wharf_, near Bennet’s Hill.☐
PAUL’S _wharf stairs_, Paul’s wharf.☐
PAY OFFICE _of the Navy_, a plain building in Broad street near London
wall, under the direction of the Treasurer and Paymaster, who pay for
all the stores for the use of the royal navy, and the wages of the
sailors in his Majesty’s service.
The Treasurer, who is the principal officer, has a salary of 2000_l._
_per annum_, and the Paymaster, who is also accomptant, has 500_l._ a
year; under this last are eight clerks who attend the payment of wages;
three, who have 80_l._ a year; and five who have 40_l._ a year each:
besides two extra-clerks, who have each 50_l._ a year. There are also
five clerks for paying bills in course, and writing ledgers, viz. three
who have 80_l._ a year; and two who have only 40_l._ a year each;
besides an extra-clerk who has 50_l._ a year.
In this office there is likewise a Cashier of the victualling, who has a
salary of 150_l._ _per annum_, and has three clerks under him, one of
70_l._ one of 50_l._ and one of 40_l._ a year.
PEACHTREE _court_, Butcher row, without Temple Bar.‡
PEACHY _court_, Sheer lane, within Temple bar.
PEACOCK _alley_, Milford lane, in the Strand.*
PEACOCK _court_, 1. Fleet market.* 2. Giltspur street, without Newgate.*
3. Whitechapel.*
PEACOCK _lane_, Newington butts.*
PEACOCK _yard_, 1. Islington.* 2. Porter’s street.* 3. Whitecross street,
Cripplegate.* 4. Whitehorse alley, Cowcross, Smithfield.*
PEAD’S _yard_, Bankside, Southwark.†
PEAK _street_, Swallow street.†
PEAL _alley_, Upper Shadwell.†
PEAL _yard_, Mint street.†
PEARL _court_, Little Pearl street, Spitalfields.* 2. White Friars.*
PEARL _street_, 1. Grey Eagle street, Spitalfields.* 2. Silver street,
Bloomsbury.*
PEARTREE _alley_, 1. Cinnamon street.‡ 2. Shoreditch.‡ 3. Wapping.‡
PEARTREE _court_, 1. Aldersgate street.‡ 2. Clerkenwell close.‡ 3. Hockley
in the Hole.‡
PEARTREE _street_, Brick lane, Old street.‡
PEASCOD _court_, St. John’s street, Smithfield.
PEAS PORRIGE _alley_, Gravel lane.‖
PEAS _yard_, Nightingale lane.
PECKHAM, a pleasant village in Surry, in the parish of Camberwell. Here is
the seat of the late Lord Trevor, built in the reign of King James II.
by Sir Thomas Bond, who being deeply engaged in the pernicious schemes
of that imprudent Prince, was obliged to leave the kingdom with him,
when the house was plundered by the populace, and became forfeited to
the crown. The front of the house stands to the north, with a spacious
garden before it, from which extends two rows of large elms, of
considerable length, through which the Tower of London terminates the
prospect. But on each side of this avenue you have a view of London; and
the masts of vessels appearing at high water over the trees and houses
up to Greenwich, greatly improve the prospect. _Peckham_, which lies on
the back side of the gardens, is shut out from the view by plantations.
The kitchen garden and the walls were planted with the choicest fruit
trees from France, and an experienced gardener was sent for from Paris
to have the management of them; so that the collection of fruit trees in
this garden has been accounted one of the best in England.
After the death of the late Lord Trevor, this seat was purchased by a
private gentleman, who began to make very considerable improvements, and
had he lived a few years longer, would have rendered it a very
delightful retreat.
There are also at Peckham several other villas, and neat houses of
retirement, inhabited by the tradesmen of London, and those who have
retired from business.
PECKHAM RYE, a village in Surry, on the south side of Peckham.
PEDLARS _street_, New Bond street.
PEEL _court_, Glasshouse yard, Goswell street.
PEEL _yard_, near Peel court, Glasshouse yard.
PEERLESS POOL, near Old street road, was formerly a spring that
overflowing its banks, caused a very dangerous pond, which from the
number of persons who lost their lives there, obtained the name of
Perilous Pool. To prevent these accidents it was in a manner filled up,
till in the year 1743, Mr. Kemp converted it into what may perhaps be
esteemed one of the compleatest swimming baths in the world; and as it
is the only one of the kind in Christendom, it may deserve a particular
notice.
You enter from a bowling-green on the south side, by a neat arcade
thirty-feet long, furnished with a small collection of modern books for
the entertainment of those subscribers who delight in reading.
Contiguous are many dressing apartments; some of which are open, and
others rendered private, all paved with purbeck stone; and on each side
of the bath is a bower divided into apartments for dressing. At the
other end is placed a circular bench, capable of accommodating forty
gentlemen at a sitting, under the shelter of a wall. One side is
inclosed by a mount 150 feet long, planted with a great variety of
shrubs, and on the top is an agreeable terrace walk planted with limes.
The pleasure bath is 170 feet long, and above 100 broad; it is five feet
deep at the bottom in the middle, and under four feet at the sides, and
the descent into it is by four pair of marble steps to a fine gravel
bottom. Here is also a cold bath, generally allowed to be the largest in
England, it being forty feet long, and twenty feet broad, with two
flights of marble steps, and a dressing room at each end; at four feet
deep is a bottom of lettice work, under which the water is five feet
deep. To these the ingenious projector has added a well stocked fish
pond 320 feet long, for the diversion of those subscribers who are fond
of angling, and adorned on each side with arbours, and with a terrace,
the slopes of which are planted with many thousand shrubs, and the walks
one of gravel, and the other of grass, are bordered with stately limes.
The east end the garden extends to a genteel public house, and the
westward is terminated by another garden, and a well-built private house
inhabited by Mr. Kemp, the son of the ingenious projector, who after
having made these improvements, changed the name from _Perilous_ to
_Peerless Pool_.
PEGHT’S _yard_, Castle lane.†
PELHAM _street_, Brick lane, Spitalfields.†
PELICAN _court_, Little Britain.*
PELICAN _stairs_, Wapping.*
PELICAN _yard_, Butcher row, East Smithfield.*
PEMBERTON’S _rents_, 1. Hand alley.† 2. New street.†
PEMBERTON _row_, Fetter lane.†
PEMELL’S _Almshouse_, at Mile-end, was founded by Mr. John Pemell, citizen
and draper, in the year 1698, for four poor drapers widows, and the same
number of seamen’s widows, to be presented by the Churchwardens of Old
Stepney parish. Each of these almswomen have an allowance of 1_s._ 8_d._
per week, half a chaldron of coals every year, and a gown every other
year. _Maitland._
PEMLICO, near Buckingham House, St. James’s Park.
PENNINGTON _street_, Old Gravel lane.†
PENNYBARBER’S _alley_, Stony lane.‖
PENNYFIELD _street_, Poplar.
PENNY POST OFFICE, an office unknown in other countries, was projected by
Mr. David Murray, an upholder in Pater noster row in the year 1683, who
by this admirable and useful project, deserves to be considered as a
benefactor to the city, and to have his name transmitted down to
posterity. He communicated the scheme to Mr. William Dockwra, who
carried it on for some time with great success, till the government laid
claim to it as a royal prerogative; Dockwra was obliged to submit, and
in return had a pension of 200_l._ _per annum_ allowed him by the King
during life.
It was erected for carrying letters not only of one sheet but of
several, to any part of this great metropolis, or the adjacent villages,
on paying only one penny on delivering the letter to be thus carried:
but at some of the more distant villages, an additional penny is
demanded of the person to whom the letter is delivered.
This office is under the direction of the Postmaster-general; who
appoints, as managers, a Comptroller, an Accomptant, a Receiver and
Comptroller’s clerk; who have under their management six sorters, and
eight subsorters of letters, seventy-four messengers, or
letter-carriers, and 334 houses within the bills of mortality, for
receiving or taking in letters, which are divided among the six offices
following; the general office in St. Christopher’s Church yard, and the
five offices called the sorting houses, one at Westminster, one at
Lincoln’s Inn, St. Paul’s office, in Pater noster row, St. Mary Overy’s
in Southwark, and the Tower hill office: besides these there are 500
shops and coffee-houses, from whence the messengers collect and carry
the letters to their proper offices every hour, where being sorted, they
are sent out again to be delivered. But as each of the six offices has a
number of villages under its peculiar direction, those letters that
require great speed should be sent to that office, whose peculiar
province it is to forward them to the village to which you would have
them sent. This renders it necessary to give a list of these villages
and places, peculiarly under the care of each office: but we shall not
attempt to follow the other writers, who have prefixed to the names of
these villages the number of times to which letters are carried to, and
returned from each; because that is entirely uncertain, and it is
sufficient that letters are carried and returned from each at least once
a day; since this is all that can be depended upon.
In the map we have given of the environs round London, the extent and
limits of the Penny Post are shewn by a circular coloured line drawn
round the city.
The chief office in St. Christopher’s alley, Threadneedle street, to
which belong, one sorter, two subsorters, twenty messengers, and
seventy-three receiving houses. This office collects, receives, conveys,
and delivers letters to and from the following places, besides what it
delivers in its own proper district in London.