MAFRA.

Mafra :-" It occupies more ground than the Escurial, and the treasures lavished upon it, if properly applied, would raise a pile much superior to the Escurial in point of architecture; but, unfortunately, the designer of it had neither a mind to conceive, nor a hand to execute, a design for a glebe-house, much less a basilick and royal palace. The name of this mechanic was Frederic Ludovici; he was a native of Germany, and a goldsmith by profession. Having amassed a considerable fortune in executing the gold and silver utensils for the patriarchal church, he was appointed, under the specious title of architect, to design and execute this fabric, through the interest of one of his majesty's ministers, with whom his money had greater weight than his talents.

"The plan of this edifice forms a quadrangle, measuring from east to west 760 feet, and from north to south 670 feet. In the centre of the west front is a sort of an Ionic hexastyle portico, which leads to the church; at each side is a pavilion, one for the accommodation of the royal family, the other for the patriarch and mitred canons. At the rear of the building is a monastery with three hundred cells. It has also a college, instituted in 1772, by Joseph I."

Mr. Murphy, as an architect, may quarrel justly with the style; but none can see the Palace of Mafra without being struck with its vastness and the magni

ficent grandeur of its lengthened façade, in Mr. D. Roberts' beautiful drawing. This vastness is admirably given by the fine effect of throwing a mass of shadow across the middle of the building, as if a cloud could only obscure a part of it at the same moment.