GLASGOW. 



tliis great commercial and manufaifturing city undi-r the 

 following general heads. 



I. Situnlion and general JIale of th- ailjacent country, — 

 Glafgow is iituated on the north bank of the river Clyde, 

 inN. lat. 5J 52', and W. long, from the meridian of Green- 

 wich 4 '30. The extreme length from E. to W., in- 

 cluding two fnburbs, is nearly two miles, and its breadtli from 

 the cathedral or hi^h church to the mcr about one mile. 

 The lower part of the city is nearly level, and the reft is 

 upon the fouthern declivity of a hill. Perhaps no city or 

 town in Europe is, upon the whole, more regularly planned ; 

 for all the principal ftreets are either parallel or at right 

 angles to each other. The chief ftreets are better paved 

 than thofe of London, and generally wider ; all the front 

 buildings arc of line free-ftone, which is found in great abun- 

 dance in the immediate neighbourliood. The granite, or 

 •wh'm Jlone, for paving tl:> carriage ways, is alfo very plen- 

 tiful clofe by the town. The houf.'s are very large and 

 lofty, being more generally upon the French plan, where 

 every floor forms a feparate lodging, accefiibla by a com- 

 mon ftaircafe, than upon the EngliHi, where one perfon oc- 

 cupies the whole premifes. The more wealthy inliabitants, 

 however, have almoft univerfally adopted the Englilh tafte in 

 building. In the oM part of the town it is indeed much 

 to be regretted that there are too few public ftreets, fothat 

 an immenfe number of buildings are crowded together, many 

 of which are acceflible only by narrow paftages, which are 

 very ill calculated either for free circulation of air, admif- 

 fion of light, or domeftic cleanlinefs. In the modern build- 

 ings thefe inconveniences are avoided, and whatever incon- 

 venience may remain, muft rather be attributed to the habits 

 or negligence of the occupants, than to want of facilities on 

 the part of the architefts. 



There are many very fine public buildings in Glafgow, 

 the moft prominent of which we fliall very briefly enu- 

 merate. 



Churches. — The cathedral or high church is perhaps the 

 fineft fpecimen in Scotland of that fpecies of architecture, 

 generally denominated Gothic. It was founded in the 

 rear 1 1 23, and confecrated in the prefence of king David I. 

 in 1 136. This building is more fimilar to that of Litch- 

 field, than to any other of the EngUfli cathedrals, but it does 

 not appear to have ever been completely finiflied, and cer- 

 tainly until lately little care has been ufed for its prefcrva- 

 tion. After the reformation it is faid to have narrowly ef- 

 caped deftruftion from the r.iifguided zeal of the people, 

 who confounded the building itfelf with the religious or 

 fuperftitious ceremonies which they had exploded. It 

 now coT-.tains two churches adapted to the Preft)yterian form 

 of wor.'hip, and the choir is ufed as a place of in»ciTncnt. 

 The burying vaults, or cemeter\', were formerly occupied 

 as ar.Jther place of worfhip for the barony or country 

 pariih of Glafgow ; but lately a new church h.as been erected 

 for this purpofe at the oppofite extremity of the church-yard. 

 The great fpire is very loftv, ;'nd in ir.me degree refen-.bles 

 that of Salilliury. The church was dedicated to St. Mungo, 

 or Kentigcrn, whole burying-pkce in one of the vaults !s ftiU 

 (hcAvn. 



The remaining churches pofTcfs in general little claim to 

 architcflural encomium or defcription. They are fix m num- 

 ber, r;z. the college, St. Andrew's, North Weft, Iron, 

 St. Enoch's, and St. George's. 



St. Andrew's church is a handfome modern building, of 

 Corinthian architeilure, and is very fimilar in ajipearance to 

 tlic church of St. Martin in the Fields, Weftmiiifter. 



St. Enoch's and St. George's arc alfo handfome modern 

 buildings. Befidcs the eftabliilied or parocltial churches, tlicrc 



are many difTenting chapels and meeting houfes, fome of 

 which are ver)' handfome <md commodious. 



Prif/n. — This is a large and very ftrong building, fituated 

 in the centre of the city, adjoining to the Exchange. The 

 lower part is occupied by the council-chambers, and rcoms 

 for the magiftrates and tlie city clerks; the middle part of 

 the building eontains the clofe or lock-up rooms for thofe 

 imprifoTicd upon crimiiial charges; and the two upper floora 

 are allotted for the reception of civil debtors, i'he roofi 

 are lofty, the apartments airy, and the building, upon the 

 whole, commodious; but it is in contemplation to creel a 

 new prifon, with an enclofcd fpace rour.d it, where the pri- 

 foners may have the benefit of frefli air and exercife, from 

 which they are at prefent precluded. 



Bridr-zi-eH. — This is a large building which ferves as a 

 place of confinement, or penitenti;u-y houfe, for perfons of 

 depraved habits convicted of petty offences. It it very well 

 regulated, and every means of encouragement afforded for 

 reclaiming the prifoners from their vices, and promoting 

 habits of induftry. Many, at the period of their confine- 

 ment, have thus acquired and received confiderable fums, 

 befides the expence of their fubfiftence, which is dedufted 

 from iheir earnings. 



Town Hofpha! — for tlie reception of poor perfons unable 

 to maintain themfelves. The expence of this eftabliihmeni 

 is defrayed by a tax or afreflfment on the inhabitants, and by 

 the proceeds of the labour of thofe admitted, who are fup- 

 plied with work fuited to their refpective abilities. The 

 inmates are aged and infirm perfons and deftitute children; 

 the latter are well educated, and when arrived at a proper 

 age, the boys are apprenticed to trades and the girls lent t» 

 fervice. Tlie economy of the houfe is fuperintended weeklv 

 by gentlemen who aft in rotation. The whole is very well 

 managed. 



Royal Infirmary — a very fine modem building, from a 

 plan of Meffrs. Adams'. From 90 to 1 20 patients are gene- 

 rally under cure, but the houfe contains accommodation for 

 a much larger num.ber when required. It is fupported by 

 donations, legacies, and annual fubfcriptions ; the funds at 

 prefent amount to lo.oco/ or 12,000/., befides what has 

 been annually expended; the annual dift)urfement is about 

 1800/. or 2000/.: the direftion is vefted in the lord pro- 

 voll, the dean of guild, convenor of the tr.ides, profeflbrs 

 of medicine and anatomy, prefidcnt of the facidty of phy- 

 ficians, member for the city, and eighteen dircclors, ten of 

 whom are elected by the contributors, and the others by 

 various public bodies. The directors cleclcd by public 

 bodies are, one by the council, one by the merchants, one 

 by the trades, one by the univei fity, one by the minifter* 

 of Glafgow, and three by the faculty of phyficians and 

 furgeons. The medical affiftar.ce is afforded gratuitoudy. 



Theatre Royal. — This fuperb houfe was creAed a lew 

 years ago by voluntary fubfcriptions, v.pon transferab!<r 

 Iharcs ot 25/ each. The total colt was upwards of 15,000/'. 

 part of which ftill remains as a debt upon the property, the 

 whole annual rent being appropriated for its gradual liqui- 

 dation. The direction of the property is in fixtcx'u diredor*, 

 four of wliom go out annually, m rotation, but may be re- 

 eleifted. It is unqueftionably the lar,;c(l and moll magnifi- 

 cent provincial theatre in Britain. Tlie managers are merely 

 leflees, and the leafe is always given for a ihort period, iA- 

 dom exceeding two or three years. 



Concert and Alfcinlly Rooms. — Thefe rooms ain? alio very 

 fplendid, and, like the theatre, were erecled by vJmitary 

 fiiblcription, upon transferable iharcs, 



Univerjily. — The buildings of the univcrfity havitigbccn 



ereCled at various time?, and in verv different ilvlcs, cannot 



R r 2 ■ br 



