jjfr GREEN 
rated with enriched pilafters and entablatures, and a 
group, of ornaments, confiding of the naval crown, 
w reaths of laurel, and tridents. Above the doors are 
circular .recedes, containing paintings in chiaro ofcuro 
of the prophets Ifaiah,. Jeremiah, Mofes, and David. 
The communion-table is a femi-oval flab of ftatuary 
marble, near eight feet long, fupported by fix cheru- 
bims, (landing on a white marble ftep of the fame di- 
menlions. The altar-piece, painted by Weft, reprefents 
the prefervation of St. Paul from (hipwreck on the 
.i(la nd of Melita. This much-admired picture is twenty- 
five feet high, and fourteen wide, and confifts of three 
principal groups, which combine to exhibit a fcene that 
cannot fail of having a proper effeft on the minds of 
fea-faring men, and of imprefling them with a due fenfe 
of their pail prefervation, and their prefent comfortable 
fituation and iupport in this glorious afylum for naval 
misfortunes and naval worth. On either fide the arch, 
which terminates the top of this pidltire, are angels of 
ftatuary marble, as large as life, by Bacon ; one bearing 
the crofs, the other the emblems of the eucharift. 
.This excellent combination of the works of art is ter¬ 
minated above in the" fegment between the great cor¬ 
nice and ceiling by a painting of the Afcenfion, de- 
iigned by Weft, and executed by Rebecca, in chiaro 
oi'curo ; forming the laft of the feries of paintings of 
the life of our Saviour which furround the chapel. 
The middle of the aide, and the fpace round the organ- 
gallery, are paved with bl^ck and white marble, in go- 
lochi, frets, and other ornaments ; having in the centre 
an anchor and feaman’s compafs. The. pulpit is on a 
circular plan,'fupported by fix fluted columns of lime- 
tree, with an entablature above richly carved, and of 
the fame materials. In the fix inter-columns are the 
following alto-relievos, taken from the Adis of the 
Apoftles, executed after defigns by Weft : The Con- 
verfion of St. Paul, Adis, ch. ix. Cornelius’s Vifion, 
ch. x. Peter releafed from Prifon by the Angel, ch.xii. 
Elymas (truck blind, ch.xiii. St. Paul preaching at 
Athens, and converting Dionyfius the Areopagite, 
ch. xvii. Paul pleading before Felix, ch. xxiv. The 
reader’s delk is formed on a fquare plan, with columns 
at the four corners, and the entablature over them firni- 
Iar to thofe of the pulpit; in the four inter-columns are 
alto-relievos of the prophets Daniel, Micah, Zachariah, 
and Malachi, copied after defigns by the fame artift. 
The following paintings in chiaro ofcuro, relative to 
our Saviour, are placed over the lower windows : The 
firft four of the feries, painted by De Bruyn, are at the 
call end of the fouth fide of the chapel, and reprefent 
The Nativity ; the Angel appearing to the Shepherds; 
the Magi worfltipping ; the Flight into Egypt. The 
four which follow on the fame fide are by Catton, and 
reprefent St. John baptizing ; Calling of St. Peter and 
St. Andrew ; our; Saviour preaching from a Ship to the 
People onShore; the Stilling of the Temped. The 
four at the weft end of the north fide are by Milburne, 
and reprefent our Saviour walking on the Sea, and 
faving Peter from finking; the Blind Man cured by a 
Touch ; Lazarus raifed from the Dead ; the Transfigu¬ 
ration. The next four on the fame fide are by Rebecca ; 
and reprefent, the Lord’s-Supper ; Our Saviour carried 
before Pilate; the Crucifixion ; the Refurredlion. The 
Apoftles and Evangelifts in the recedes between the 
upper windows, and the four Prophets in the circles 
above the gallery-doors, are by the laft-mentioned ar- 
tifts, after defigns of Mr. Weft. On the fides of the 
gate which opens to thefe buildings from the park, are 
placed a large terreftrial and celeftial globe, in which 
the liars are gilt; and in the centre of the area is a 
ftatue of George II. 
The hall or faloon of this hofpital was painted by 
fir James Thornhill. In the centre of the cupola is a 
compafs, with its proper points duly bearing ; in the 
covering are the four winds in alto-relievo. Eurus, 
file Eaft Wind, arifing out of the eaft, vyinged, with a 
W I C H. 
lighted torch in his right hand, as bringing light to the 
earth ; with his left hand he feems to pufti the morn¬ 
ing-liar out of the firmament : the demi-figures and 
boys which form the group drew the morning dews that 
fall before him. Aufter, the South Wind, his wings 
dropping water, is preding forth rain from a bag, /the 
little boys near him throwing about thunder and light¬ 
ning. Zephyrus, the Weft Wind, accompanied by little 
Zephyrs, with balkets of flowers fcattering them around : 
a figure playing on the flute denotes the pleafure of the 
fpring. Boreas, the North Wind, with dragon’s wings 
denoting his fury : his boifterous companions flinging 
about hail-ftones, fnow, &c. Sir James Thornhill, 
when he had finiffied the ceiling and fides of the great 
faloon, in the year 1717,. delivered to the directors a 
memorial. Hating the prices which v'ere given for paint¬ 
ings of the like kind, at the banqueting-houfe, White¬ 
hall, the duke of Montague’s, the palaces of Windfor, 
Hampton-court, &c. It appears that the whole of this 
celebrated work was not completed till 1727, and coll 
66S5I. being after the rate of three pounds per yard for 
the ceiling, and one pound per yard for the fides. Se¬ 
veral eminent painters were conlulted by the diredtors, 
who reported the performance to be equal to any of the 
like kind in England, and fuperior in number of figures 
and ornaments: but if we may judge from fir James’s 
memorial, the price of other works of this nature feems 
to have exceeded that allotted to the hall at Greenwich. 
Over the three doors are large oval tables, with the 
names, in gold letters, of fuch benefactors as have 
given iool. or upward, towards the building; among 
the mod confiderable of which were, king William, 
who gave 19,5001. Queen Anne, 6,4721. John de la 
Fontaine, efq. 2000I. Robert CXbolfton, efq. 2000I. Sir 
John Crople and Mr. Evelyn, each 2000I. John Eve¬ 
lyn, efq. ioool. 
Out of all that is given for Ihewing the hall, only 
three-pence in the (hilling is allowed to the perfion that 
(hews it : the reft makes an excellent fund for the main¬ 
tenance of not lefs than twenty poor boys, the fons of 
(lain or difabled mariners ; and out of this fund thdfe 
boys are entirely provided for, and taught fuch a lhare 
of mathematical learning as fits them for the fea-fervice. 
For the better fupport of this hofpital, every feaman 
in the royal navy, and in the fervice of the merchants, 
pays fix-pence a month. This is Hopped out of the 
pay of all failOrs, and delivered in the Sixpenny Re¬ 
ceiver’s Office, Tower-hill: and, therefore, a feaman 
who can produce an authentic certificate of his being 
difabled and rendered unfit for the fea-fervice by de¬ 
fending any (hip belonging to Britilh fubjedls, or in 
taking any (hip from the enemy, may be admitted into 
this hofpital, and receive the fame benefit from it as if 
he had been in the king’s fervice. There are at pre¬ 
fent near two thoufand old or difabled feamen;.and 
one hundred and forty boys, the fons of feamen, are in- 
llrudted in navigation, and bred up for the fervice of 
the royal navy : but there are no out-penfioners. Each 
of the mariners has a weekly allowance of feven loaves, 
weighing fix teen ounces each, three pounds of beef, 
two of mutton, a pint of peale, a pound and a quarter 
of cheefe, two ounces of butter, fourteen quarts of 
beer, and one (hilling tobacco-money; the tobacco- 
money of the boatfwains is two (hillings and fix-pence 
a-week each ; that of their mates, one (hilling and fix- 
pence ; and that of the other officers in proportion to 
their rank : befides which, each common penfioner re¬ 
ceives, once in two years, a_fuit ofLblue, a hat, three 
pair of (lockings, two pair of (hoes, three (hirts, &c. 
The markets at Greenwich are on Wednefdays and 
Saturdays; fairs, Eafter-Monday, Tuefday, and Wed- 
nefday ; and Whit-Monday, Tuefday, and Wednefday, 
and are generally very numeroufly attended. 
Adjoining to Greemvich-park is Blackheath, where, 
in 1497, king Henry VII. routed the Cornilh rebels. 
This heath has alfo been the theatre of many pompous 
1 exhibitions, 
