BAT 



in Rta!1-!\rect, arc fom*.- new private batlis, wliich wcvc 

 crtdcd by Mr. Baldwin in 1 788. Thcfe baths belong to the 

 corporation. There are alfo the private baths, called the dake 

 of Kiii:(ft"n's, or the abbey ballis, belonging to lord New- 

 ai-k, and in the occupation of Mr. Sloper. Sec Bath 

 Water. 



Bath, P-Mc Bmldhi;;!. The Guildhall is a very liandiomc 

 ftrurture, built after a dtlign of Mr. Baldwin, :ind contains 

 a luinibtr of ufeful and convenient rooms for public biifinefs. 

 In the common-council room, one of the moft elegant of the 

 kind in England, are portraits of the king and queen, the 

 late prince and princef^ of Wales, and the late earb Chatham 

 and Camden. The Pump-room was conllruded, by the 

 fame arehiua, in the year 1796: its length is S5 feet, in- 

 cluding tlie recefTes at the ends; in breadth 46 feet, and 34 

 f.et in height. The infide is fet round with Corinthian 

 tliree-quarter columns ; and lighted by a range of large 

 windows below, and (;f lelTer ones above. Here is a marble 

 ft-it'.'.« of Ricliard Nalli Efq. the arbiter _ elcgantianim of 

 Bath ; a gentleman to v>-hom this city is principally indebted 

 for !ts falliionable celebrity. The pump is held under a 

 beneficial kafe from the corporation for three years, the rent 

 being Soo gnineas, exclufive of taxes ; which, however, is 

 fufficicntly low to enable the kdee to lay up 1200I. or 

 1 500I. during the term. Moft of the elegance of ftreet- 

 building in Bath is owing to the late Mr. Wood; who 

 commenced his operations with fpirit, and conduced them 

 with tafte. To him the city is indebted for Queen-fquare ; 

 the northern fide of which prefents a chafte and neat range 

 of ftruclures, decorated with all the ornaments of the Corin- 

 thian order. 



The Circus is of his Jefigning ; here the houfes partake 

 of the three orders, Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian, highly 

 ornamented. To the grandeur of his defigns, the North 

 and South Parades bear ample teftimony ; as do feveral 

 ftreets ftretching to the northward of the old city, which 

 ftronjly mark his judgment and execution. Subfequent ar- 

 chitects havj followed Mr. Wood's example, and hence arifes 

 a profufion of new fquarts, crefcents, parades, and ftreets ; 

 thus increafing Bath to fix times its original fizc ; and 

 the beauty of the city is equal to its extent. 



The new Aflembly Rooms are the moft elegant of the kind 

 in Europe ; thefe were built by Mr. John Wood in 1771, at 

 an expence of 20,dool. The ball-room is 105 feet 8 inches 

 long, 42 feet 8 inches wide, and 42 feet 6 inches high ; the 

 other parts of the building are compofed of the oftagon 

 room, the tea-room, and the card-room, all of equal beauty. 

 'J'h.e regulations to prtlerve order and decorum in thefe rooms 

 are fimplc and fatistadory. Tlie lower rooms, near the 

 north parade, have a convenient fuite of apartments appro- 

 priated to the elegance of the place ; and here are to be leen 

 the original regulations by Mr. Nadi, which he virote for 

 the purpofe of reducing politenefs and urbanity to a fyftem. 

 A neat fmall Theatre was crefted inOrchard-ftreet by the late 

 John Palmer Efq. who obtained a patent for dramatic enter- 

 tainments in 1768; and here plays are performed on Tuef- 

 days, Thurfdays, and Saturdays. Sydney gardens are laid 

 out in a very pkafaut and elegant ftyle, for the purpofe of 

 evtning promenades: where gaUs and public mufic and 

 tinging are given fimilar to the entertainments at Vauxhall 

 gardens of London. 



Hofpiials, &c. Buildings and inftitutions of this nature form 

 a ftriking feature of Bath ; and no place in the realm, accord- 

 ing to its fize, exhibits fo many foundations for the extermina- 

 tion of difeafe and wretchednefs, for the fupport of the poor, 

 and tbeinftruftion of the ignorant. The general holpitaljfrom 



B A T 



the muuificcnce of its p'an, is an inftitution open For all thf 

 fick poor in the united kingdom, who labour under difeafes to 

 wiiich the hot waters of Bath particularly apply, with an ex- 

 ception to thofe perlons inhabiting the city, who have the 

 waters at their own houfes for a fmall expence. Mr. Natli 

 had the honour of fugoxlling the idea for its foundation, in 

 1715, and the firil Hone was laid in 1738. St. John's hof- 

 pital, originally founded by Reginald Fitz-Jofelinn in 1180, 

 and the chapel attached to it, Hand near the crofs bath, and 

 were built in 1728, upon the fcite of an old ftruilure for 

 the accommodation of fix infirm men and women. St. Ca- 

 tharine's hofpital, called alfo the Black alms and Bimberries, 

 is another afylum for ten poor perfons. Btllot's hofpital en- 

 tertains twelve poor men and women, who have each an 

 apartment, the liberty ot bathing, and a fmall weekly allow- 

 ance. The 15ath city Dilpenlary and afylum, is equally 

 open to the inhabitants and ftrangers in cafes ot phyfical 

 and furtrical emergency ; and is a moft excellent inftitution. 

 The Caiualty hofpital is appropriated to paupers who have 

 been injured by accidents. The Puerperal, or child bed 

 charity, is another benevolent inftitution, whole obje&s are 

 explained by its name. 



Bath has, beiides thefe eftablKhments, a public grammar 

 fchool, charity and Sunday fchools, with many humane and 

 fcientilic focieties. The principal of thefe are, the ftrangers 

 friend fociety, and the Bath and weft of England fociety. 

 The firft is eilablilked and conduftcdon the moft benevolent 

 principles of uaiverfal philanthropy ; and the only recom- 

 mendation for relief, is a fufficient proof of evident diftrcfs. 

 The fecond was ellablifhed by Mr. Edmund Rack, in 1777, 

 for the encouragement of agriculture, arts, nianufaftures, 

 and commerce ; and from the judicious management of its 

 founder, and late fecretary Mr. W. Matthews, it has ac- 

 quired fome celebrity, and proved of extenfive utility. The 

 philofophical lociety was eftabliflied in the year 1799, by 

 iome relpeftable literary characters at Bath, upon a plan 

 fomewhat fimilar to tliat at Manchefter, for the promotion of 

 fcience and the diflufion of knowledcre. 



Par'ijhes. Bath is divided into the pariilies of St. Peter and 

 St. Paul, St. James, St. Michael, and Walcot. Bathwick, 

 though conncfted by Pulteney bridge, and coniifting of a 

 great number of handfome houfts, is out of the jurifdiftion 

 of the city. Each of thefe parilhes has its church ; and in 

 that of Walcot are feveral chapels of eafe. Of thefe, the prin- 

 cipal is the Abbey Church, which prefents a noble fpecimen 

 of Englilh arcKitefture. It is built in the form of a crofs, 

 from the centre of which rifes a tower 162 feet high, orna- 

 mented with beautiful light perforated battlements. Tiie 

 length of the body, from eaft to weft, is 210 feet, from 

 north to fouth, 126 ; and the breadth of the body and fide 

 allies, 72 feet. The grand entrance at the weft is through 

 a noble arched doorway ; and the chafte uuilormity, propor- 

 tion, and harmony in the ftrufture of the interior of this 

 ftately building, powerfully arrefts the attention of the be- 

 holder. The weft window is of extreme richnefs, and the 

 whole of this front difplays a reprefentation of allegorical 

 carving, not ufually met with. The roof, confifting of two 

 parts, the nave and the choir, is equally remarkable ; the 

 ribs which compofe its tracei7 being the only folid work, the 

 intermediate fpaces having been originally left open, and af- 

 terwards filled up with lath and plafttr. The windows are all 

 large, of admirable and nearly uniform conftrudion ; this has 

 occafiontd the church to be called " The Lantern of Eng- 

 land." A profufion of marble monuments ornament, or rather 

 crowd up, the lufide ; among which may be noticed thofe of 

 biHiop Montague, Quin, beau Nalh, lady Miller, and fir 



WilUam 



