and Cleveland House, and out-buildings; and also the street which leads from the outward gate of the said house, fronting part of St. James's House to the gate of the said house, and thence to the said Pall Mall Street, comprehending all the buildings and yards backward to the wall which incloses part of St. James's Park, which hath been lately made into a garden, extending to a house inhabited by Anthony Verrio, painter; and late by Leonard Girle, gardener; and from thence to the house and garden of Thomas, Earl of Sussex, including the same, together with the south side of Warwick Street, to the White Hart Inn there."

The palace of St. James's being extra-parochial, I have described as belonging to St. Martin's in the Fields.

The annexed view will convey some idea of the exterior of one of the most beautiful structures of the kind in the metropolis.

The Church of ST. GEORGE, HANOVER SQUARE, is one of the fifty new churches built by Act of Parliament. The parish was taken out of one of the out-parishes of St. Martin's in the Fields; and the first stone was laid by General Stewart, on the 20th of June, 1712. This first stone being placed in the east wall, the General struck it several times with a mallet; then making a libation of wine, pronouneed the following short prayer: "The Lord God of Heaven, preserve the Church of St. George."*

It was dedicated to St. George the Martyr, in honour of the reigning monarch; and being situated near Hanover Square, received its additional epithet.

The ground on which it is built was given by General Stewart, who some time after bequeathed to this parish the sum of four thousand pounds, towards erecting and endowing a Charity School therein.

The church is a rectory, and was consecrated by Edmund, Bishop of London, on the 23d day of March, 1724.

2 P4

This

• Mal. Lond. IV.

p. 239.

This new parish, consisting of the two outwards of St. Martin's, was constituted a distinct parish by Act of Parliament, which gave the perpetual advowson of the rectory to the Bishop of London, and his successors. The only disbursement, on account of the cure, is ten shillings procuration, which is paid to the Bishop rather by compliment than right.*

The parish consists of four wards, denominated Conduit Street, Grosvenor Street, Dover Street, and the out-ward; but at present we must proceed with a description of the church. It is built of stone, the roof covered with lead, and arched over each of the three aisles.

The west front has a most commanding and noble aspect. It is supported by six Corinthian pillars, with an entablature, and handsome pediment,, on the apex of which is a base, apparently intended to have supported a statue; behind the columns are pilasters to support the architrave. The cornice of the entablature extends round the north side and east end, which is bold rustic work. The south side, which is almost concealed is quite plain.

Mr. Malton †, says that the portico is inferior in majesty to that of St. Martin's in the Fields, but is superior to every other. He farther adds, that an accurate examination and measurement of these two porticos, would be an advantageous study for a young architect; and geometrical drawings, placing their dimen- . sions and proportions in a comparative view, be a valuable addition to his library.

The steeple, though it possesses few ornaments, is upon the whole, grand and majestic. It consists of a tower, rising from the roof; and contains a handsome clock. The steeple that rises from this tower, is an octagon, with double Corinthian columns at the four sides; the capitals are surmounted by vases, and between the respective couples are festoons of flowers. Above these columns rises a magnificent entablature, surmounted by a cupola, or dome, and a small turret, on the top of which is a ball and vane, of gilt copper.

Here,

* Maitland Lond. II. 1837. Picturesque Tour, &c. p. 106.

Here, however, end the beauties of this church: all within is just the reverse, in point of taste, order, and beauty of what appears on the outside. Mr. Malcolm thus very accurately notices this frightful discrepancy:

"There certainly never was a greater contrast in architecture designed by the same person than is observable in this church, the front of which equals the temples of the ancients, and the interior would almost disgrace the worst of their productions. It is dark, disproportioned, and the orders are inverted in their gradations; the six Composite pillars of the nave are clevated on the same number of Tuscan, two marble Ionic pillars support the organ gallery, and the sides of the sacrarium consist of two Tuscan pillars with a Composite arch; the vaults of the nave contains Tuscan pannels, and the arches of the aisles Corinthian lozenges with decorations.

"A large picture of the Last Supper, said to be the work of Sir James Thornhill, covers the whole of the altar-piece beneath a Venetian window, except two pillars and part of the architrave: there are many excellent touches in this painting, particularly in the heads, and several defects in the colouring and lighting of the groupe.

“A branch with four large lamps burning is suspended over the table, but the superior light of day appears to enter we see not where, which obscures the flames, and renders them merely dim spots of white. Besides this error, the drapery seems to have faded, and the limbs are clumsy.

"The pulpit, desk, and organ, are handsome; and neat pannels on the galleries are inscribed with the names of the wardens in succession: but there are no monuments, nor any interments in the church."

There seems to have been a determination to render the interior as much unlike the exterior as possible; and to give it all the gloom of a cave, by ground, or whited glass, in the windows.

This church has no monuments, the burial-ground belonging to it being in Oxford Road. Dr. Charles Moss, Bishop of St. David's,

6

David's, in 1766, and Bishop of Bath and Wells, 1774, the Hon. Dr. Courtenay, afterwards Bishop of Exeter, should be mentioned among its rectors of eminence.

It was by an indirect attempt to procure this valuable rectory, that the unfortunate Dr. Dodd was first ruined in the public estimation.

To relieve himself from those difficulties which long continued habits of extravagance had brought upon him, he took a most dishonourable step. On the preferment of Dr. Moss to the see of Bath and Wells, this rectory fell to the disposal of the Crown: upon which Dr. Dodd caused an anonymous letter to be written to Lady Apsley, offering the sum of 3000l. if by her means he could be presented to the living. Alas! he was unfortunate in his woman: the letter was immediately communicated to the Chancellor; and, after having been traced to the sender, was laid before the King. His name was ordered to be struck out of the list of chaplains: the press abounded with satire and invective: he was abused and ridiculed in the public journals in the most unbounded manner; and, to crown the whole, the transaction became the subject of public entertainment in one of Foote's pieces at the Haymarket Theatre.

It is impossible to justify Dr. Dodd's conduct in this simoniacal attempt; but, surely, it was not necessary to drive him to desperation; and, by the severe measures which were adopted, totally to destroy him: there was but little delicacy manifested towards this ingenious but improvident and erring man by Lady Apsley. He might have been prevented from ever making a similar attempt, by being struck off the list of the Royal chaplains; and possibly a proper and becoming rebuke from the bishop of his diocese, given in a private way, might have saved a valuable life-for such a great portion of Dodd's most unquestionably had been, and have restored and reclaimed a man who was calculated to be an ornament to his professiou, and a blessing to society; for

"the tear that is wip'd, with a little address, May be follow'd perhaps with a smile."

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