to the Mayor, defired it might always be carried before him; which it has been ever fince.

The hiftory of the great church at Exeter is remarkable. It was four hundred years in building, under the direction of feveral bishops; each adding fomething to complete the design; one of them even lengthened the nave of the church by two additional arches. Yet notwithstanding this lapse of time, in which the fashion of architecture underwent fo much change; and notwithstanding the different architects employed, whofe genius and taste must have been very different, it is fingular, that each fucceeding bishop hath so attentively purfued the plan of his predeceffor, that the whole together strikes the eye as a uniform building. On examining the parts nicely, we may here and there diftinguifh the oppofition of Saxon and Gothic; but, in general, they accord very happily. The weft front is uncommonly rich, and adorned with figures. The nave of the church is fitted up for divine fervice; which may be useful, but injures the effect.

The curious fhould not forget, before he leave the church, to fee the chalice and fapphire ring, which were dug out of a bishop's grave, when a new pavement was laid about

twenty

twenty years ago. To what bishop the ring belonged is only gueffed; but it might be tolerably ascertained by a knowledge of the progrefs of art which fome antiquarians poffefs. Such a knowledge gives the form and workmanship of these curious remains of antiquity to their proper period. If the traveller have a mind alfo to please his conductor, who leads him through the aifles of the church, he may tell him, he has heard that the great bell, called Peter, weighs above a thousand pounds more than Great Tom at Lincoln; and that the pipes of the organ are wider than those of any organ in Europe. Both these accounts he will probably hear confirmed with great folemnity, though the latter of them is a mistake; and as to the former, both it and its rival at Lincoln are mere hand-bells compared with the great bell at Moscow, which weighs 432,000 pounds, and measures at its mouth above twenty-one yards.

SECT. XXVII.

ROM Exeter to Honiton we paffsed through

FROM

a rich country, yet fomewhat flatter than we had met with on the western side of Exeter. We found, however, here and there, an eminence, which gave us a view of the distances around. At Fair-mile-hill, particularly, a very extenfive view opened before us; but nothing can make it pleafing, as it is bounded by a hard edge. A diftance fhould either melt into the fky, or terminate in a foft and varied mountain line*.

This high ground, which appeared at a diftance as a hard edge, is on the spot a grand terrace, running eight or nine miles from Honiton to Sidmouth, prefenting fometimes the fea, and fometimes a variety of hills, vales, and diftances, with which the country abounds. We had not time, however, to explore the several beauties of the landscape it overlooks. Night came on before we reached Honiton, and drew a veil over all the objects of the horizon.

At Honiton we intended to fleep; but it was ordered otherwife. This town having been twice burnt down within these last thirty years, the inhabitants take a very effectual method to prevent the catastrophe a third time, by appointing all travellers to the office of watchmen. About twelve o'clock a fellow begins his operations with a monstrous handbell, and a hoarfe voice, informing us, that all is fafe. This ferenade is repeated every quarter of an hour, with great propriety; for in that portion of time, it may reasonably be suppofed the traveller, who is ignorant of the inftitution, and not accustomed to fuch nocturnaldin in a country-town, cannot well get his fenfes compofed, especially as his ear will naturally lie in expectation of each periodical peal. In the mean time, the fly inhabitant, who is ufed to these noises of the night, enjoys a quiet repose. The inftitution may be good: we only wished it had been intimated to us before, that we might have had an option in the cafe.

We had now travelled between seventy and eighty miles from Plymouth, and found the whole of the country, (except the little devi

ation we made from Chudleigh, to examine the scenery about the Ex,) unvaried and uninteresting. Like an immenfe piece of high furrowed land, at least as far as Exeter, it is continually rising and falling; and though it has its beauties, yet they are chiefly seen near the coaft, where its vallies break down, and open to the fea; and where its eftuaries often form very pleasing scenes.

The road from Plymouth to Honiton, by the fea-coaft, was the road we ought to have taken; but as it had not been pointed out to us as particularly picturesque, we took the upper road merely for want of better information. I fhall, however, give the reader a sketch of the coaft, from fome hints which I have had on good picturesque authority. I have also myself seen a great variety of accurate drawings of this coaft, which have given me a strong idea of its character,