lower compartment of the cieling, is the collar of the Order of the Garter fully difplayed. The painting of this room was by Verrio, and is heightened with gold. St. George's, or the King's Chapel, is no lefs royally adorned. On the cieling is finely reprefented our Lord's afcenfion; and the altar-piece is adorned with a noble painting of the laft fupper. The north fide of the chapel is ornamented with the reprefentation of our Saviour's raifing Lazarus from the dead, his curing the fick of the palfy, and other miracles, beautifully painted by Verrio; and, in a group of fpectators, the painter has introduced his own effigy, with thofe of Sir Godfrey Kneller, and Mr. Cooper, who affifted him in thefe paintings. The east end of this chapel is taken up with the closets belonging to his Majefty and the Royal Family. The carved work is done by that famous artist Gibbons, in lime-tree, reprefenting a great variety of pelicans, doves, palms, and other allufions to fcripture history, with the Star and Garter, and other ornaments, finished to great perfection. From this chapel we are conducted to the Queen's Guard Chamber, the first room we entered; for this is the last of the ftate apartments at prefent fhewn to the public, the others being only opened when the court refides at Windfor. They confift of many beautiful chambers, adorned with paintings by the greatett masters. In paffing hence, we look into the inner or horn court, fo called from a pair of ftag's horns of a very extraordinary fize, taken in the foreft and fet up in that court, which is painted in bronze and stone colour. On one fide is reprefented a Roman battle, and on the opposite fide a fea fight, with the images of Jupiter, Neptune, Mercury, and Pallas; and in the gallery is a representation of David playing before the ark. From this court a flight of stone steps leads to the King's Guard-Chamber; and, in the cavity under these steps, and fronting this court, is a figure of Hercules alfo in a ftone colour. On a dome over the steps is painted the Battle of the Gods; and, on the fides of the ftair cafe, is a reprefentation of the Four Ages of the world, and two Battles of the Greeks and Romans in frefco. St. The St. George's Chapel, or the Collegiate Church, already mentioned as fituated in the middle of the lower court of the castle, muft not be confounded with St. George's, or the King's Chapel, in the caftle. It is a beautiful ftructure, in the pureft ftyle of Gothic architecture, and was first erected by Edward III, in 1377, for the honour of the order of the Garter, and dedicated to St. George. But however noble the first design might be, Edward IV, not finding it entirely completed, enlarged the ftructure, and defigned the present building, with the houses of the Dean and Canons, on the north and weft fides of the chapel. work was carried on by King Henry VII, who finished the body of the chapel; and Sir Reginald Bray, K. G. affifted in ornamenting the chapel and completing the roof. The architecture of the infide has always been efteemed for its great beauty; and, in particular, the ftone roof is reckoned an excellent piece of workmanfhip. It is an ellipfis fupported by Gothic pillars, whofe ribs and groins fuftain the whole roof, every part of which has fome different device well finished, as the arms of feveral of our kings, and great families, &c. On each fide of the choir, are the ftalls of the Sovereign and Knights of the Garter, with the helmet, mantling, creft, and fword of each Knight, fet up over his ftall, on a canopy of ancient carving curioufly wrought. Over the canopy is affixed the banner of each Knight blazoned on filk, and on the back of the ftalls are the titles of the Knights, with their arms neatly engraved and blazoned on copper. The Sovereign's ftall, on the right hand of the entrance into the choir, is diftinguished by rich ornaments. The Prince's ftall is on the left, and has no diftinction from thofe of the reft of the Knights; the whole fociety, according to the ftatutes of the inftitution, being companions, equal in honour and power. In a vault under this choir are interred Henry VIII, his Queen Jane Seymour, Charles I, and a daughter of Queen Anne. In the fouth aifle, near the door of the choir, is buried Henry VI; and Edward IV is interred in the north aisle. Let fofter ftrains ill-fated Henry mourn, Here Here o'er the martyr-king the marble weeps, The grave unites; where ev'n the Great find reft, POPE. On the 13th of March 1789, the workmen employed in repairing the church, discovered the vault of King Edward. The body, inclosed in a leaden and wooden coffin, measuring fix feet three inches in length, appeared reduced to a fkeleton. The bottom of the coffin was covered with a muddy liquor, about three inches deep, of a ftrong faline tafte. Near this was found a wooden coffin, fuppofed to have contained the body of his Queen, who died about three years after the King, in confinement, at Bermondsey Abbey, and is fuppofed to have been fecretly interred. On the fides of this vault were infcribed, in characters refembling those of the times, "Edward IV," with several names, probably thofe of the workmen employed at the funeral. The tomb of the King is fronted with touchftone: over it is a beautiful monument, compofed of steel, faid to have been the work of Quintin Matfys. There are feveral chapels in this church, in which are the monuments of many illuftrious perfons; particularly, of Edward Earl of Lincoln, a renowned naval warrior; Sir George Manners, Lord Roos, and the Lady Anne, his confort, niece of Edward IV; Anne Duchess of Exeter, mother of that lady, and fifter to the King; Sir Reginald Bray, before mentioned; and Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, who married the fifter of King Henry VIII. This church was fhut up a confiderable time, in order to be completely repaired and beautified. It was opened again on the 17th of October, 1790. The moft confpicuous alterations are, firft, the altar, which confifts of the moft curious and delicate workmanship, in various carved devices, furrounding Weft's picture of the Laft Supper ; particularly that of the two compartments where the arms of all the prefent Knights of the Garter encircle thofe of his Majefty and the Prince of Wales. The whole of this performance has been coftly in the extreme, and is confi dered dered as a ftriking proof of the abilities of the artists of this country, and a wonderful fpecimen of modern taste. The organ of Gothic exterior conftruction, built by Green, is allowed to be a noble production of genius. The cafe is of brown varnish, which covers at the front next the choir fome gilt pipes, giving it a fine effect. The carved work to this erection is also very coftly, much time and labour having been spent in executing it. The afcent to the choir, from the weft door, is by a flight of steps, and under an arcade or piazza of Coade's artificial ftone, extending the whole width of the choir; and it af fords a pleafing, airy view of the organ, which is fupported by its pillars. The improvements in the choir are general, and particularly the ftalls of the Knights of the Garter, which have received confiderable embellishments; the most confpicuous of which is the King's ftall, compofed of a very curious carved circular front; curtains of purple velvet, bordered with a deep gold fringe and taffels, and cushions of the fame; over the ftall is a new velvet banner, quartered with the King's arms in embroidered gold, a beautiful helmet and creft, with a Knight's fword fufpended. The Knight's ftalls have all been completely repaired and ornamented; and the old banners of those who have been installed are taken down, and beautiful new filk ones fubftituted, with helmets crefts, and fwords. Vacancies are left for the new-elected Knights. No part of the church appears to have been neglected. Tafte, as well as convenience, has been confulted; a great degree of airinefs pervades the whole and the effect of the stone work, with the neatnefs of the finishing, ftrikes the fpectator with wonder. The tout enfemble is one of the most magnificent ever feen in a place of divine worship, in this or any other country. Adjoining to the east end of St. George's chapel, is a free-ftone edifice, built by Henry VII, as a burial-place for himself and his fucceffors; but this prince afterward altering his purpose, began the more noble ftructure at Weftminster; and this remained neglected, until Cardinal Wolfey obtained a grant of it from Henry VIII, and with a profufion of expence, began here a fumptuous mo 02 nument nument for himself, whence this building obtained the name of Wolfey's Tomb Houfe. The monument was fo magnificently built, that it far exceeded that of Henry VII, in Weftminster Abbey; and, at the time of the Cardinal's difgrace, the tomb was fo far executed, that Benedetto, a ftatuary of Florence, received 4250 ducats, for what he had already done; and 380l. 18s. had been paid, for gilding only half of this fumptuous monument. The Cardinal dying foon after his disgrace, was buried in the cathedral Church at York, and the monument remained unfinished. In 1646, the ftatues and figures of gilt copper, of exquifite workmanship, were fold." James II converted this building into a popifh chapel, and mafs was publicly performed here. The cieling was painted by Verrio, and the walls were finely ornamented and painted; but the whole having been neglected fince the reign of James II, is now in a state of decay, and being no appendage to the college, waits the royal favour, to retrieve it from the difgrace of its prefent appearance. The royal foundations in this caftle are the most noble Order of the Garter, which confifts of the Sovereign and twenty-five Knights Companion: the Royal College of St. George, confiting of a Dean, twelve Canons, feven Minor Canons, eleven Clerks, an, Organift, a Verger, and two Sacrifts: and the Alms Knights, who are eighteen in number, viz. thirteen of the royal foundation, and five of the foundation of Sir Peter le Maire, in the reign of James I. The Order of the Garter was inftituted by Edward III, in 1349, for the improvement of military honour, and the reward of virtue. It is alfo called the Order of St. George, the patron of England, under whose banner the English always went to war, and St. George's Crofs was made the enfign of the Order. The Garter was at the fame time appointed to be worn by the Knights on the left leg, as a principal mark of diftinction; not from any regard to a lady's garter, "but as a tye or band of affociation in honour and military virtue, to bind the Knights Companion, strictly to himself, and to each other, in friendfhip and true agreement, and as an enfign or badge of unity or combination, to promote the honour of God, and the glory and intereft of their Sovereign." At that time, King |