BRISTOL. 



IBT part of tlie fpire, viclily ornamented witli carved work, 

 and alfo a variety of niches and (latiies. Though a kifty 

 and maffy building, yet, from t!ie pecuhar beauty of its ma- 

 foniy, it has a ligiit and airy appearance both without and 

 within. I'he roof, nearly 60 feet in height, is arched with 

 ftone, and ornamented with various devices. The church, in- 

 cluding our lady's chapel, is in length 239 feet, and the tran- 

 fept, from north to fouth, 1 1 7 feet. The breadth of the nave 

 and aides is 59 feet, and at the crofs, nave and ailles, 1 14 feet. 

 The height of the aides both direCl and tranfepts is 25 feet. 

 The height of the nave is 54 feet. St. Mary's chapel has 

 been feparated from the church, and is ufed as a grammar- 

 fchool. A peculiarity obfervable in Redciide-church is 

 that the trani'ept coniifls of three divifions, or aides, limilar to 

 the body of tlie church, which has a fine cffeiR when the 

 fpetlator places hinilclf in the centre of the building, and 

 looks around him. Belides the above, there are 15 other 

 paridi churches in Bnllol, fome of which are modern ftruc- 

 turcs. Temple church is rather curious, and its tower is out 

 «f the perpendicular. There are alfo 22 chapels, or places 

 of wordiip tor difi"entcrs of different denominations, and 5 

 chapels of the eftablillicd religion. 



The Hxr/.-dn^e, diiilhed and opened in 174,^, was built by 

 V/ood, the architect of BkiIi, at an expence of 50,000 1. 

 It is a handfome building, in the Grecian llyle, no feet in 

 front, and 14S feet in depth. The principal front is upon a 

 bold rufticatcd bafement, the central part of which makes a 

 tetrailyle of almod whole columns, with Corinthian capitals, 

 fiippoitlng a pediment, in the tympan of which are the arms 

 of England carved in ftone. The place intended for the 

 merchants is a perillyle of the Corinthian order, 90 feet by 

 80, and capable of containing 1440 perfons. 



The General Hofpitul, for the reception of all cafes, and all 

 perfons of whatever nation, is a handfome edifice, though 

 it has unfortunately never been yet completed. 



The Theiitre-royal, King-ttreet, is a peculiarly neat and 

 convenient ftrufture : indeed, Mr. Garrick pronounced it to 

 be the completed in Europe of its dimenfions ; and he wrote 

 a prologue and epilogue, which were delivered at the open- 

 iiig, May 30th, 1766. 



The Brijlol City Library, is fo called, becaufe part of its 

 coUeftion belongs to the corporation, and the greateft part 

 te a focicty of gentlemen. It contains an excellent affem- 

 blage of ancient and modern books, which, by donations and 

 annual fubfcriptions, are rapidly increafing. They are con- 

 tained in a large freeftone building erefted for the purpofe, 

 with a convenient houfe for the head librarian, who has alfo 

 an affiftant librarian. 



The AJfemhly-room, in Prince's-ftreet, has a beautiful front 

 of free-ftone, coniilting of a ruftic bafement, with a central 

 projctlion fupporting four Corinthian columns, coupled and 

 crowned with an open pediment. On the frieze, in relievo, 

 is the follov.'ing nwtto : " Curas cithara toUit," Mufic dif- 

 pcls care. 



To thefe may be added, the Gu'ihUmll, where the aflizes, 

 Itdlons, and other public bufinefs are tranfafted. 



Crjveriiment, civil OJJtcers, Sec. — The original govern- 

 ment of Brillol feeniB to iiave been mixed, military and civil ; 

 the chief authority redding in the lord conftable of the 

 caftle, who deputed another officer for the execution of 

 JBllicc, called " prepodtus villas," or provoft of the town. 

 The earlieft account of this officer occurs in Domcfday- 

 book. In the reign of king John, Briftol obtained a 

 charter to be governed, like London, by a mayor. Sic. 

 From the Annals, it appears, that the civil government, 

 'at different periods, has been varioufly modelled, as nppears 

 itom the following lift : 



1. Till A. D. 1205. A prcpofitor under the cullos of the 



cadlc. 



2. 1266. A mayor and two prcpofitors. 



3. 13 '3- A mayor and two fcnefchals. 



4. i.S"^' -A mayor and two bailiffs. 



fj, 1500. A mayor, dieriff, and two bailiffs. 



6. To this day. A mayor and two fheriffs chofen an- 

 nually. 



Thegovcrnmcnt of thecity isnowadminidercd by a mayor, 

 a recorder, twelve aldermen, who arc all jufticcs of the 

 peace, two dieriffs, an undcr-dierilf, twenty-eight common- 

 council-mcn, town-clerk, deputy town-clerk, ci>amberlain, 

 vice-chamberlain, fteward of the dieriffs' court, clerk of the 

 arraigns, re giftrar of the court of confcience, and alfo a high 

 fteward. There arc other officers pertaining to the corpora- 

 tion, as fword-bearers, two coroners, water-bailiff, quay-maf- 

 ters, fchool-madcrs, clerk of the markets, keepers of the pri- 

 fons, infpcSors of nuifanccs, eight fcrj cants at mace, criers of 

 the court, common-crier, exchange-keeper, dieriffs' officers, 

 club-men, city marflial, and a band of muficians in conftant 

 pay. Great form is obfervcd on the ijtii of September, 

 in tile clcftion of mayor, when the whole body corporate is 

 convened. He is allowed icool.for the year of his mayoralty, 

 and the dieriffs -ocl.each for th;: year of their dirievalty. The 

 mayor has the highell marks of honour granted to magi- 

 ftracy, fcarlet ermine gowns, fword, mace, cap of main- 

 tenance, &c. He holds a daily fedlons in the council, 

 houfe to iicar complaints, and accommodate diflerences, courts 

 of confcience, and pie-powder, quarterly ftfTious, and a ge- 

 nera4 jail delivery twice a year : one for the decidon of civil, 

 and the other of criminal caufes, wherein the court has the 

 power of life and death. The mayor, aldermen, and com- 

 mon council have the cuftody of the city feal, which is im- 

 predl'd with the city arms. Tliefe are gules, a cadle on a 

 hill by the fea-fide, and the helm of a fliip pafling by, all 

 proper ; to which were afterwards added two unicorns as 

 fupporters. The motto is, " Virtute et Induftria." 



From the time Bridol was made a county of itfelf, 

 it has, by various charters, and grants, been endowed 

 vi'ith additional privileges and immunities, all of which 

 were confirmed by a new charter from queen Anne. 

 By another of king Edward IV. 1461, Bi-iftol was ex- 

 empted from the authority of the high admiral of Eng- 

 land by land and water ; and 'the right of determining 

 differences, belonging to the court of admiralty, was re- 

 ferred to the mayor and corporation. The jurifdic- 

 tion by water extended up the river only to lower 

 Harrate, till an aft of William carried it to Hanham ; 

 thence it reaches to Kingroad and down the channel to the 

 Flat-holmes. To this place, Gildas, the ancient Britidi 

 faint and liidorian, retired, and here he died. The opulent 

 corporation of Brillol is poffefled of large edates, both in 

 the city and in the country ; and they arc the patror,s of 

 feveral church livings, fo that they not only podefs 

 great influence, but have it in their power to encourage 

 genius, and reward induftry and merit. The city is divided 

 into twelve wards, each of which has an alderman to pre- 

 fide over it. The recorder is always one of the aldermen, 

 and, by virtue of his oifiee, the principal. The fenior 

 alderman, as in Eondon, is called the father of the city. 

 Every ward has one chief conftable, and twelve others, a 

 night conftable, and aproper number of watchmen under him. 



Briftol contains three prifons : Newgate, at tlie end of 

 Wine-ftreet, which is a gaol for malefactors and debtors ; 

 Bridewell, or the city prifon, for the confinement and cor- 

 reftion of kfs offenders; and at the end of Gloucefter-dreet 

 is a prifon, on Howard's plan, for that part of the fuburbs 

 U u 2 wiiich 



