The waters issue from the mouth of a marble serpent, and amid the bustle of Stall Street, this poetical idea situated on one side of the room, where the poor

vale- of the ascent and descent of angels upon the ladder, tudinarians gather to quaff out of glasses tinctured, by sculptured in enduring stone on each side of the great the medicinal qualities of the water, a deep yellow west window, seems to realize some Scripture dream colour. During the season a fee is demanded of of one's youth, and to lead one back to those days strangers who visit the room while the band is playing, when the white-robed angels, with the brightness of but at all other times it is open as a public promenade. the celestial mansions still surrounding them, descended

As we leave the Pump-room, our footsteps are upon earth and formed a link between the Eternal naturally led towards the Abbey Church, the richly- and his earthly creatures. We fear all our praise embellished west-front of which the eye wanders over must be confined to the effect of the west front, as the with delight. There was a monastery situated here at a general design of the building is not beautiful, neither very early date, and a church dedicated to St. Peter and are the details particularly elegant. It was the last St. Paul, which was elevated into a bishopric in 1090, and abbey built in England, and with it Gothic ecclegranted to John de Villola, bishop of Wells, for the pur- siastical architecture, as a really living style, might be pose of enlarging that see; and the two Abbey Churches said to have died. Like the religion with which it and dioceses have ever since remained united under grew up, it had become so debased that its destruction the same episcopal head. This building having fallen was inevitable. Upon the dissolution of the religious into decay, the present church was commenced in 1195, houses, the Abbey was entirely stripped, by Henry's by Oliver King, bishop of the diocese, who, it is as- Commissioners, of the lead, glass, iron, and timber that serted, was prompted to the good work by a vision he it contained, and reduced, in fact, to its naked walls ; beheld in his sleep, wherein lie saw the Holy Trinity in which condition it remained until 1606, when it was with angels ascending and descending by a ladder, 10 restored by Bishop Montague, and converted into a which was a fair olive-tree supporting a crown. This parochial church. The Bathonians, with a singular dream tlie prelate construed into a command from notion of the beauties of Gothic ecclesiastical archiHeaven to restore the Cathedral Church; which he tecture, pride themselves upon the lightness of the immediately set about, but did not live to see it interior of its edifice, which, from its being lit by the completed. (Cut, No. 4.)

enormous number of fifty-two windows, is styled 'The Viewed from beneath the Pump-room Colonnade, Lantern of England.' The mid-day glare that meets

а

the eye in the nave, certainly warrants them in giving Each thought was visible that roll’d within, it this appellation ; but they should not deceive them- As through a crystal case the figured hours are seen : selves with the idea that this is a beauty. The early

And Heaven did this transparent veil provide, architects, whose aim seems to have been to produce

Because she had no guilty thought to hide :

All white, a virgin saint, she sought the skiesthat “dim religious light” which gives such solemnity

For marriage, though it sullies not-it dyes ! to our York and Westminsters, would indeed smile, could they witness the manner in which that simple High though her wit yet humble was her mind, daylight effect is praised, which they used all their As if she could not or she would not find marvellous art to modify and subdue. The Church is

How much her worth transcended all her kind.

Yet she had learn’d so much of Heaven below, crowded with cheap marble-slabs, which give it the

That when arrived she scarce had more to know; most meagre appearance; nay, almost turn it into a

But only to refresh the former hint, marble-mason's shop. Among the multitude of urns,

And read her Maker in a fairer print : sarcophaguses, weeping willows, and the like mediocre

So pious, as she had no time to spare emblems of grief, scarcely more than half a dozen For human thoughts, but was confined to prayer ; monuments deserve a better fate than to be ground up Yet in such charities she pass’d the day, into marble dust; and yet we can almost forgive them 'T was wondrous how she found an hour to pray. their existence, for the sake of the following capital A soul so calm, it knew not ebbs or flows, epigram to which they have given rise :

Which passion could but curl, not discompose!

A female softness with a manly mind, “ These walls adorn'd with monument and bust, Show how Bath waters serve to lay the dust."

A daughter duteous, and a sister kind,

In sickness patient, and in death resign'd!” Nash, who was buried here with great pomp,

has monument with an inscription, in which the visitor is Another interesting monument is that to the memory requested to consign to his remains "one grateful tear;" of Lady Jane Waller, wife of the Parliamentary General. what for we know not, as the Beau, during the latter On the tomb lies the effigy of the knight in armour, in part of his life, at least, was little better than a "hell

à mourning attitude by his wife's side, and two children keeper.” A more interesting monument is that of in the like position. The old sextoness, who shows Quin, the actor, which consists of a finely-carved head you the lions of the Abbey, draws your attention to a and bust of the deceased, in marble. Quin contested fracture in the knight's face, which, she informs you, for a short time the palm with Garrick, as a tragic actor, was made by James II., who passing through the but was soon driven from the stage by that genius ; church, and happening to espy Waller's obnoxious when he retired to Bath with a handsome annuity, effigy, drew his sword, and knocked off its nose. But and lived there many years the prince of good fellows, unfortunately for this very pretty tale, Pepys spoils it, and the sayer of good things. Bon mots were not the for he inspected the Abbey on his visit to Bath in 1668 only invention of his brain : he seasoned his viands as -long enough before James was king; and, as he tells well as his conversation, and his Blood-Sauce was a us, “ looked over the monuments, when, among others, famous condiment among his friends. As he grew feeble, Dr. Venner, and Pelling, and a lady of Sir W. Waller's; he used to be wheeled along the South Parade, where, as he lying with his face broken.” Warner, in his History he basked in the sun, he would declare " that Bath was of the city, gives another story respecting James and the finest place in the world for an old cock to go to the Abbey, which is perhaps true. It seems certain roost in." Garrick, who saw him off the great stage of that shortly after his succession to the throne, he visited life, as well as off that of London, wrote his epitaph ; and made some stay in Bath; and that, among his other but it is a poor hybrid affair. Dryden has one of his attendants, he brought with him his confessor and friend, beautiful mortuary inscriptions to Mary Frampton, Father Huddlestone, the Jesuit. As the tale goes, this which is quite delightful to read after the mass of friar, by James's orders, went to the Abbey and exhiaffected and strained lines which everywhere meet the bited on the altar all the paraphernalia of the Romish eye. So exquisite is this epitaph that we cannot for- ritual ; and then wrathfully denounced all heretics, at bear quoting it:

the same time exhorting them to an immediate change “ Below this humble monument is laid

from the errors of Protestantism, to the true faith from All tbat Heaven wants of this celestial maid :

which this country had apostatised. Among the numPreserve, O sacred tomb, thy trust consign'd!

ber of his listeners was Kenn, then bishop of the diocese, The mould was made on purpose for the mind ;

and the consistent and firm supporter of the Reformed And she would lose, if at the latter day,

religion. Fired with indignation at this open display One atom should be mix'd of other clay.

of hatred to his faith and to the established religion of Such were the features of her heav'nly face,

the land, the bishop, as soon as Huddlestone had conHer limbs were form’d with such harmonious grace,

cluded his sermon, mounted a stone pulpit which then So faultless was the frame,-as if the whole Had been an emanation of the soul,

stood in the body of the church, and desiring the departWhich her own inward symmetry reveal'd,

ing congregation to remain for a little while, he preached And like a picture shown, in glass anneald,

an extempore sermon in answer to Huddlestone, exOr like the sun eclips'd with shaded light,

posing his fallacies and displaying the errors of his Too piercing, also, to be sustain’d by sight.

church and the absurdity of its ceremonies in a strain

of such fervid eloquence as astonished his congregation | The tone of a city can generally be ascertained from
and confounded Huddlestone and the Royal bigot. the character of its shops : in Milsom Street we see
Such is the tale as it goes; but it does seem rather at once that Bath is entirely a place of 'genteel resort
strange that a Romish priest should be allowed to play and independent residents. The perfumers, milliners,
such pranks in a cathedral of the Established Church, tailors, printsellers, circulating libraries, &c., which
and in the very presence of its bishop. There are some wholly occupy the principal streets, proclaim it a city
monuments by Bacon and Chantrey in the church, but of easy and elegant life.
nothing very striking; and Bishop Montague, who re- From Milsom Street we might either climb the
paired the building, bas an imposing tomb in the fashion ascent of Belmont and Belvedere (two very fine ranges
of James the First's time. Prior Bird's Chapel is the of houses), until we reach Lansdowne Crescent, which
architectural gem of the building, the delicate tracery circles the fair forehead of the city, or by turning off
of which has lately been restored. The roof of the to the left along Bennet Street, enter the Circus,
nave is formed of lath-and-plaster work, and in a style which might be called her zone : choosing the latter
which comes, we suppose, under what is called 'Mo- way, let us pause for a moment at what might, at the
dern Gothic,' which includes anything that a master present time even, be considered the chief attraction
mason might imagine, The roof of the choir, how- of Bath — the Assembly-room. This magnificent
ever, is as beautiful as that of the nave is common. building was erected by Wood the younger, in 1771,
Those who have seen that of Henry the Seventh's several years after the death of Nash; consequently,
Chapel at Westminster will have seen this ; for they none of the associations connected with him and liis
are both of the same age and style. The clustered days are to be sought within its walls. The Assembly-
pillars spreading out into a fan-like tracery, which room over which he reigned stood upon the site of
covers the roof. Two long galleries totally deface the the Literary Institution : it was destroyed by fire in
appearance of the choir. We wonder that in this age 1810. When both buildings were in existence, they
of restorations, when it is the fashion to rail at church- were presided over by distinct masters of the cere-
warden barbarity, they have not been removed. The monies, and were distinguished by being called the
exterior of the building was repaired in 1833 (a period Upper and Lower Rooms. We question if the metro-
anterior to that in which most of the intelligent revivals polis can boast so noble a suite of apartments as the
have taken place), or rather botched in a most dis- Upper Rooms. The Ball-room is 106 feet long by
graceful manner. The pinnacles on the tower are such 42 wide, and is finished in that elegant yet solid
gross absurdities, that their having been allowed to

manner that prevailed towards the latter end of the last
remain astonishes us. Returning again into Stall century. The Master of the Ceremonies receives the
Street, the main artery of the city, a short walk up company in an octagon of 48 feet in diameter, and
Union Street brings us into Bond Street-a locality vaulted at a great height. The wails are surrounded
which reminds one of the West end of London, from with portraits of defunct kings of Bath, among whom
the elegance of the merchandise in the shops and the Nash, with his white hat, stands conspicuous; but
general metropolitan air of the place. This paved the artistic eye is more attracted by one of Gains-
court (for it has only a footway for passengers) is but borough's lifelike heads. This artist was driven from
the ante-chamber to what might be justly called the London by the competition of Sir Joshua Reynolds,
pulse of modern Bath
Milsom Street.

who was all the fashion of the day, and something
menade is one of the most, if not the most, elegant and more; yet we question whether his noble manner was
pleasant streets in the kingdom; not so long as Regent after all as true a thing as the fine nature of his less
Street in the metropolis, or Sackville Street of Dublin, successful competitor. Gainsborough, like Quin, re-
yet just the length to form a pleasant promenade. tired to Bath from his rival, and lived and painted here
Its architecture, too, is noble and cheerful, and its shops for some time.
are crowded with elegant novelties. Milsom Street is, The Octagon-room and another, 70 feet in length
in fact, the fashionable lounge of the city, and in the by 27 feet in width, are devoted to cards. A guinea
season the scene it presents more resembles the walk is the sum paid for the season Subscription Balls, and
in Kensington Gardens than anything else that we five shillings extra to the Card Assembly; and sixpence
know of. To the ladies it must be pleasant indeed ; each is all the charge for tea. Moderate prices these,
for here they mingle the two great joys of female life- for admittance to one of the most polite assemblies in
flirting and shopping: when tired of their beaux they the kingdom. “Nobodies," however, must not expect
can drop in at the milliner's, when, fitted with a charm- to mingle with the "somebodies” of high life on such
ing bonnet, they can issue forth again and smile gaily easy terms. Certain rules are drawn up, by which all
to the "How do's" that shower upon them from the retail traders, articled clerks of the city, theatrical and
mob of fine gentlemen who seek

other public performers, are excluded from its saloons,
The Master of the Ceremonies goes on the principle, we

suppose, of Dickens's barber, who refuses to shave a
By walking up in order to walk down.”

coal-heaver,

remarking, we must draw the line someThe street being situated upon a slight ascent, a full where : we stops at bakers." It must be confessed, view of its bright scenes is gained from either extremity. however, that the term “public performers" is rather a

This pro

renown