LON 
not been for a fudden and providential change of wind, 
the conflagration would have involved the whole village 
of Bromley in the common calamity. 
The moll violent florin that had occurred in or near 
the capital for many years, took place on the morning of 
the 6th of September, between five and f'even o’clock. 
The thunder was uncommonly loud and awful, and the 
lightning refembled red and glowing balls of fire. Many 
perfons felt lhaken in their beds; and in fotne inftances 
light articles were moved as if by an earthquake. The 
greateft violence of the florin was felt near Kenfington 
Gore, where feveral trees were fplit by the lightning. A 
houfe on the road-fide was ftruck by a fire-ball, which 
demolifhed the whole flack of chimneys, and pa fled through 
the kitchen ; part of the park-wall was alfo thrown down. 
In the month of Oflober, part of the hofpital of Beth- 
lem was pulled down, and the life and materials fold. 
The lunatics were removed to St. Luke’s, where they re¬ 
main until the new hofpital, now erecting-, on a very en¬ 
larged fcale, near the Afylum in St. George’s Fields, 
(hall be completed. 
News of the glorious and decifive victory of the 
Britifli fleet, commanded by lord Nelfon, over the com¬ 
bined fleets of France and Spain, oft' Cape Trafalgar, 
on the n!l of Oflober, in which nineteen lhips of the 
line were taken or deftroyed, arrived in London on the 
6th of November. See the article Great Britain, vol. 
viii. p. 818-20. The joy arifing from this important event 
was, however, confiderably allayed by the intelligence 
that the triumph had been purchafed with the life of the 
intrepid commander by whom it had been achieved ; and 
fb powerful were the fenfations of regret for this melan¬ 
choly cataftrophe, that, with very few exceptions, the 
public demonftrations of exultation were withheld on the 
evening after the arrival of the difpatches ; and it was not 
until the following night that an illumination took place 
throughout the metropolis. 
An addrefs of congratulation on this occafion was pre¬ 
sented to his majefty, by the corporation of London, on 
the 21 It of November; and on the 26th the court of 
common-council came to a refolution to ere< 5 l a monu¬ 
ment in Guildhall, to the memory of lord Nelfon ; and 
voted a fword, of the value of two hundred guineas, to 
admiral Collingwood, his fecond in command ; and fwords, 
of the value of one hundred guineas, to admirals lord 
Northefk, the third in command, and fir Richard Strachan, 
who, with a fmall fquadron of obfervation ftationed oft' 
Ferrol, had been fo fortunate as to fall in with and cap¬ 
ture four fhips of the line which efcaped from the action 
-off Cape Trafalgar. At the fame court a letter was read 
from the Hon. Mrs. Darner, offering to execute the monu¬ 
ment upon fuch a model as the court fliould approve ; 
upon which the thanks of the court were voted to her; 
Lut, by fubfequent regulations, another defign was adopted 
at a court of common-council, where feveral models were 
prefented; and the one which was accepted by plurality 
of votes has been executed, and now ftands on the north 
fide of Guildhall. The whole has a linking rather than 
a pleating appearance. The general fuite is there—Britan¬ 
nia, the City of London, and Old Neptune in an attitude 
which commands refpe£I and aftonifhment; on the bafis, a 
very excellent bas-relief reprefents the famous and dear- 
bought viflory of Trafalgar; and in two fmall niches on 
each fide two young Jailors are cut with much fpirit, and 
a mellownefs of touch which does great honour to the 
artift. Had the invention and compofition been as fault- 
3 efs as the manual execution, the monument would have 
received the full meed of our praife. The infeription, 
which, though rather long, does not exprefs all we lhould 
feel for the hero who had, by his exertions, the lofs of his 
limbs, and laftly by that of his life, prepared the opening 
perfpeiflive of general peace and happinefs which at this mo¬ 
ment falute our eyes ; the infeription is faid to have been 
written by Mr. Sheridan. It is elegant, copious, harmo- 
.nious, true; yet it might have been fhorter, and thereby 
Vol, XIII, No. 894. 
B O N. i 33 
more certain of producing the defirable effect. A national 
tribute, however, was paid to him in a public funeral, or 
rather in a funeral triumph, of which we cannot refrain 
from giving fome particulars. 
On Wednefday, the 8th of January, 1806, the heralds 
and naval officers, who were to afiift in the proceflion by 
water, aflembled at the governor's houfe in Greenwich 
Hofpital, where they were met by the lord-mayor, aider- 
men, and committee appointed by the corporation of 
London, and proceeded to their feveral barges. The 
body was then carried from the Saloon, where it had lain 
in Irate, through the Great Hall, out at the eaffern portal, 
round the Royal-Charlotte Ward, to (he North Gate, 
and placed on-board the State Barge. The coffin was co¬ 
vered with a velvet pall, adorned with efcutcheons. Dur¬ 
ing the proceflion from the Great Hall to the barge, a 
very noble band of mufic played the Dead March.in Saul j 
minute-guns were fired ; and the bells tolled in unifon. 
The body being embarked, the Funeral-barge was rowed 
by fixteen feamen belonging to the Victory; the other 
barges by picked men from the Greenwich pejifioners. 
They had all their flags hoifted half-ftafF high; and, as 
the proceflion pail'ed the Tower, minute-guns were there 
fired. Not a veil'd was fiiffered to difturb the proceflion. 
The decks, yards, rigging, and malts, of the numerous 
fhips on the river, were all crowded with fpeffators ; and 
the number of ladies was immenfe. During the proceflion 
up the river, a lady of the name of Bayne was Jo afrefted 
at the feene, that flie fell into hyfterics, and died a few 
minutes after. 
The Navigation-barge, which is ufually Rationed at 
Kew for excuriions up the river, and which, though as 
long as a 74-gun fhip, draws but two feet water, was, on 
this occafion, for the firft time, brought through We!t- 
minfier-bridge, and moored oppofite the Temple, for the 
accommodation of fuch Members of the Corporation (in 
deep mourning and violet gowns) as were not actually 
engaged in the proceflion. 
At a quarter before three, the proceflion approached 
Whitehall-Jlairs; the King’s, Admiralty, Lord-mayor’s, 
and City,Barges, immediately drew up in two lines,through 
which the barge with the body pafi'ed. All the oars were 
advanced, and the trumpets and other bands played the 
Dead March in Saul, the gun-boats firing minute-guns all 
the time. Exactly at three the Funeral-barge began to 
difembark its charge. A proceflion then commenced from 
Whitehall-llairs to the Admiralty', on foot. Every necef- 
fary preparation had been made at the Admiralty for re¬ 
ceiving the body. The Captain’s room, in which it was 
placed, was hung with fuperfir.e black doth for this fo- 
lemn occafion. The room was lighted with wax tapers, 
placed in fconces on the fides. Here the body remain¬ 
ed, guarded by the officers of the houfe, till the ceremony 
of its removal to St. Paul’s commenced. 
On Thurfday. the 9th, an hour before day-light, the 
drums of tlve different volunteer corps in every part of 
the metropolis beat to arms; and, loon after, thefe troops 
lined the ftreets, in two ranks, from St. Paul’s church¬ 
yard, to the Admiralty. The life-guards were mounted at 
their poll in Hyde Park by day-break, where the carriages 
of (he nobiiity, See. with the mourning coaciies appointed 
to form a part of the proceflion, began to be aflembled at 
eighto’clock, inaline from Hyde-Park Cornerto Cumber¬ 
land Gate. By ten, one hundred and fix carriages were 
aflembled, of which number near fixty were mourning 
coaches, principally filled with naval officers; all of which, 
under the direction of the proper officers, were marfhalled 
in their due order of precedence, and drove into Sr. James’s 
Park, to be in readinefs to fall into the proceflion on the 
proper lignal. In St. James’s Park were drawn up all 
the regiments of cavalry and infantry quartered within 
100 miles of London, w ho had ferved in the glorious cam¬ 
paigns in Egypt, after the ever-memorable victory at the 
Nile; and a detachment of flying artillery, with eleven 
field-pieces, and their ammunition-tumbrils. At eleven 
M m the 
