GREENWICH. 7 
dells. The cattle which feed on the lawns feem mov¬ 
ing in a region of fairy land. A thoufand natural 
openings among the branches of the trees break upon 
pi^lurefque views of the fwelling furf, which, when il¬ 
lumined by the fun, have an effect pleafing beyond the 
power of fancy to exhibit. This is the foreground of 
the landfcape : a little farther the eye falls on the noble 
hofpital, in the midft of an amphitheatre of wood ; 
then the two reaches of the river make that beautiful 
ferpentine which forms the I tie of Dogs, and prefents 
the floating commerce of the Thames. To the left 
appears a fine traft of country leading to the metro¬ 
polis, which there terminates the profpedt. 
The church, rebuilt by the commiffioners for erecting 
the fifty new churches, is dedicated to St. Alphage 
archbifhop of Canterbury, faid to have been maflacred 
by the Danes on the fcite of this church. A college 
at the end of the town, fronting the Thames, (for the 
maintenance of twenty decayed old houfekeepers, twelve 
out of Greenwich, and eight who are to be alternately 
chofen from Snottifliam and Caftle-Rifing in Norfolk,) 
is called the Duke of Norfolk’s College, though it was 
founded, in 1713, by Henry earl of Northampton, bro¬ 
ther of Thomas fourth duke of Norfolk, and fon of 
that illuftrious warrior and poet Henry earl of Surrey. 
To this college belongs a chapel, in which the earl’s 
body is laid, which, as well as his monument, was re¬ 
moved here a few years ago from the chapel of Dover 
Caftle. In 1560, the celebrated Mr. Lambard built an 
hofpital here, called Queen Elizabeth’s College, faid 
to be the firff erefted by an Englifh proteftant fubjedt. 
Lambard was a bencher of the fociety of Lincoln’s-inn; 
a mafter in chancery, keeper of the rolls and records in 
the Tower, and belonged to the alienation office under 
queen Elizabeth. To the memory and name of her 
majeffy, he founded and endowed the above college for 
the benefit of the poor. 
That noble and magnificent ftru&ure, called Green¬ 
wich Hofpital, for decayed feamen, ftands on the fcite 
of the ancient royal palace. We cannot fail to admire 
the political wifdoni of an inftitution, which unites at¬ 
tention to private diftrefs, with an eft'edfual care of the 
public intereft. Such is unqueftionably the Hofpital at 
Greenwich : the firff idea of which noble charity is 
afcribed to Mary, confort of William III. Mr. Bayer, 
inhis-Hiftory of King William and Queen Mary, thus 
exprelfes himfelf on the fubjeCt : “And the laft great 
project that her thoughts were working on, with rela¬ 
tion to noble and royal provifion for difabled feamen, 
was particularly defigned to be fo conftituted, as to put 
them in a provable way of ending their days in the fear 
of God.” King William, fenfible of its utility, rea¬ 
dily acceded to the wifhes of his royal confort: before 
her demife, a grant was made of the palace built by 
Charles II. with certain lands in the manor of Eaft 
Greenwich. He alfo appointed commiffioners for the 
better carrying on his excellent intentions, and therein 
defired the affiffance of his good fubjedts, as the necef- 
lity of his affairs did not permit him to advance fo con- 
Jiderable a fum toward this work as he defired. In 
conformity to this requeft, many benefactions were made 
in that and the fucceeding reigns to this noble charity, 
which, according to the tables hung up at the entrance 
of the hall, amount to 58,2091. It firff began to re¬ 
ceive difabled feamen on the prefent plan in 1737 ; and 
the forfeited eftate of the earl of Derwentwater, in 1715, 
amounting to 6000I. per annum, was given by parlia¬ 
ment to this hofpital. The palace, which conftitutes 
the firff wing, had coft Charles II. 36,0001. and another 
was ordered to be built on the fame model : this was 
completed with equal magnificence. The front to the 
Thames confifts of thefe two ranges of ftone buildings, 
with the ranger’s houfe at the back part in the centre, 
behind whcih the park rifes with a noble afcent. Thefe 
wings, between which is a large arqa, are each terminated 
by an elegant dome. In each front to the Thames, two 
ranges of coupled Corinthian columns fupport their pe¬ 
diments, and the fame order is continued in pilafters 
along the building. The projection of the entablatures 
gives an agreeable diverfity of light and fliade. In the 
centre of each part, between thefe ranges of Corinthian 
columns, is the door, of the Doric order, and adorned 
above with a tablet and pediment. Within the height 
of thefe lofty columns are two feries of windows en¬ 
lightening two ’floors. The undermoft, which are the 
fmalleft, have ruftic cafes crowned with pediments:' 
the upper feries, which are large and lofty, are adorned 
with the orders, and with upright pointed pediments. 
Over thefe is an attic ftory ; the entablature of the Co¬ 
rinthian columns and pilafters fupports a regular attic 
courfe j the pilafter of this order rifing over every co¬ 
lumn and pilafter of the Corinthian below, between 
which the windows are regularly difpofed ; and the top 
is covered with a baluftrade. The buildings, which 
are continued from thefe, and face the area, correfpoiid 
with them, though in a more elegant manner. In the 
centre of both is a range of columns fupporting' a pe¬ 
diment, and at each corner, a range of Corinthian pi¬ 
lafters. The front is rufticated, and there are two fe¬ 
ries of windows. The domes at the end, which are one 
hundred and twenty feet high, are fupported on cou¬ 
pled columns, as are the porticoes below ; and under one 
of thefe is the chapel. The chapel was deftroyed, on 
the 2d of January 1779, by a dreadful fire, which like- 
wife confumed tiie great dining hall, and eight wards, 
containing the lodgings of near fix hundred people. 
The whole, however, has been fince rebuilt; and the 
chapel was opened for divine 1‘ervice on the 20th of Sep¬ 
tember, 1789. The rebuilding of this beautiful (true - 
ture, with its internal decorations, which are in the 
molt pleafing ftyle of elegant fimplicity, coft eighty-tour 
thoufand pounds. The portal confifts of an architrave, 
frize, and cornice of ftatuary marble, the jambs of 
which are twelve feet high, in one piece, and enriched 
with excellent fculpture. The frieze is the work of 
Bacon, and confifts of the figures of two angels with 
feftoons, fupporting the facred writings. The great 
folding-doors are of mahogany highly enriched, and 
the whole compofition of this portal is not, at this time, 
to be paralleled in this or perhaps in any other coun¬ 
try. Within the entrance is a portico of fix fluted 
marble columns fifteen feet high. The capitals and 
bales are Ionic, after Greek models. The columns fup¬ 
port the organ-gallery, and are crowned with an enta¬ 
blature and baluftrade enriched with fuitable ornaments. 
On each fide of the organ-gallery are four grand co¬ 
lumns; their fliafts of Scagliola in imitation of Sienna 
marble, by Richter, and their capitals and vafes of fta¬ 
tuary marble. At the oppofite end of the chapel are 
four others of the fame fort, which fupport the arched 
ceiling and roof. The columns are of the Corinthian 
order, and, with their pedeftals, are twenty-eight feet 
high. Over the lower range of windows are paintings 
in chiaro ofeuro, reprefenting fome of the principal 
events in the life of our Saviour, which are accompa¬ 
nied with ornaments of candelabraand feftoons. Above 
the galleries, on each fide the chapel, is a richly-carved 
ftone fafeia, on which ftands a range of pilafters of the 
CoVnpofite order, their fhafts being^of Scagliola, cor- 
refponding with thofe of the eight great columns, and 
jointly with them appearing to fupport the epiftylum, 
which furrounds the whole .chapel. This epiftylum is 
enriched with angels, bearing feftoons of oak-leaves, 
dolphins, fliells, and other applicable ornaments. From 
this rifes the curved ceiling, which is divided into com¬ 
partments, and enriched with foliage, golochi, &c. in 
the antique ftyle. Between the upper pilafters are re¬ 
cedes, in which are painted, in chiaro ofeuro, the apof- 
tles and evangelifts. At each end of the galleries are 
concave recedes, the coves of which are ornamented 
with coffers and flowers carved in ftone; in thefe re¬ 
cedes are the doors of entrance into the galleries, deco¬ 
rated 
