LON 
jsifw»»-snd' ftys, that in Ms days it was ufed as a car¬ 
penter’s yard. The prefent building was begun in the 
year 14115 and completed in about ten years 5 towards 
defraying the expenfe of which, contributions were made 
by molt of the city, companies, and feveral fums were re¬ 
ceived from private benefaflors. This old hall was greatly 
damaged by the fire of London, but was foon after re¬ 
paired and beautified, at the expenfe of two thoufand five 
hundred pounds. 
The entrance into this building is by a large gate, un¬ 
der a Gothic arch* Over this riles the new front, ereifted 
in the year 1789; which confiftsof four fluted pilalters, 
between which are Gothic windows. In the ipace above 
the great door, there are two feries of windows, above 
which is the city motto, Domine dirige nos ; and the 
top of the building, is crowned with the city-arms and 
fupporters.—We ought to obf'erve here, that thefe fabulous 
animals, welUknown in the works of ancient poets, were 
ffuppofed to be the tutelary genii of freffi-water-fprings in 
the bofom of dark forelts and enchanted rocks ; Gut they 
were alfo,the guardians of the golden apples of the Hef- 
perides,. of the golden fleece of Colchis, and in leveral 
parts of the world fet as truftees to the carbuncles and 
other precious ftones hidden at the bottom of wells and 
fountains. .They have long been fupporters to the arms 
of the city, as if to guard the wealth which commerce 
brings here from all parts of the world.—In the fide com¬ 
partments are four ranges of windows; and the top is ter¬ 
minated by.reverfed arches. The pilalters are higher than 
the other parts of the front, and are crowned with tur¬ 
rets, in two flages; the two centre ones are decorated with 
the mace, and the other two with the city fword. See 
the annexed engraving.—The hall is one hundred and 
fifty-three feet long, forty-eight broad, and fifty-five high. 
The roof is flat, and divided into pannels ; and the fides 
are adorned with demi-pillars. 
On the north fide of the hall, nearly oppofite to the en¬ 
trance, is a flight of fleps, leading to the refpe&ive courts 
and offices. On each fide the Iteps is a l'mall inclol'ure, 
ufed occafionally as offices for clerks to write in. Be¬ 
neath each of thefe is a prifon, called Little Eafe, from 
-the. ceiling being fo low that a confined perfon cannot 
Hand upright; this is a place of punilhment for difobe- 
dient apprentices, who may be committed there, at the dis¬ 
cretion of the chamberlain. Over the Heps is a balcony, 
Supported by twelve iron pillars, in the form of palm- 
trees. In the front of the balcony is a clock, on the 
/Fame of which are carved the four cardinal virtues, with 
the figure of time on the top, and a cock on each fide of 
Mm. But the molt Angular ornaments of this balcony 
are two gigantic images, which Hand one on each fide 
of it. Thefe enormous figures are in. the Roman war¬ 
like drefs, and have laurel crowns on their heads. The 
one on the right leans on a fmall Ihield, on which is em¬ 
blazoned a black eagle on a field or; and bears a loqg 
weapon, the lang-bard of the Germans, ufed in guarding 
the halls of the great in ancient times ; from which the 
French kallebarde, as well as our halbert, took its origin. 
Its lhape llill exilts in the weapon borne, by the king’s 
guards, called beef-eaters, or buvetiers. The weapon, and 
the arms on the fhieid, denote this to be intended to re- 
prefent a Saxon. The other, which reprefents an ancient 
Briton, has. a fword by his fide, and a bow and quiver on 
bis back. In his right hand, he holds a long pole, with 
a ball ftuck. full of Ipikes fufpended from its top ; a wea¬ 
pon which had been in ufe among our anceltors. The 
origin and fignification of thefe colofl’al figures has given 
. rile to many ingenious conieftures, the molt reafonable of 
■which appears to be that which confiders them as types 
of municipal power; luch.itatues being found in the haLls 
of judgment in many parts of Germany, where they are 
called Weickbilds, and are fet up as fymbolic of the privi¬ 
leges of the town, and protestors of its freedom and 
laws; w ick Signifying a town, and bitd a fecure or privi¬ 
leged place, . The Roman coltume in which they are ha- 
D O N. 47 i 
bited is not eafily accounted for; perhaps it was adopted 
by the fculptor, to (how that London was a city adorned 
and enlarged by the Romans, and a Roman colony.—-The 
infide gate is admired as a fpecimen of the purelt Roman 
architecture; and its ogee-branches arecarved with a bold- 
nefs not to be furpafl'ed. 
Round the ball are fourteen demi-pillars, of the cluf- 
tered Gothic kind, on the capitals of which are the royal 
arms, the arms of London, and thole ol the twelve prin¬ 
cipal city-companies. In the intercolumniations, and at 
the welt end of the hall, are portraits of the judges who 
fo particularly diltinguilhed themfelves in determining 
the differences between landlords and tenants after the 
fire of London, without the expenfe of law-l'uits. To 
thefe was afterwards added that of loru Camden, who, 
when chief juftice of the court of common-pleas, obtained 
this mark of elteem from the city by his decilion againlt 
the legality of general warrants. At the eall end of the 
hall is the court of hullings, above which are the city 
arms, and portraits of their prefent majefties, kings George 
II. and I. and William III. and queens Caroline, Anne, 
and Mary; in the order here deferibed, beginning at the 
centre. 
Clofe to the huftings, on the north fide of the hall, is 
the monument ereSted to the memory of the late earl of 
Chatham; which confifts of a grand group of complete 
ftatues in alto relievo, defigned to convey the idea of the 
national profperity under the aufpices of that celebrated 
Aatefman. To this end, lord Chatham is reprel'ented as 
the pilot of the ftate, retting on a rudder, with his right 
arm i'upporting Commerce, who tits by his fide, attended 
by the four quarters of the globe, in the aft of pouring the 
contents of a capacious cornucopia into the lap of Bri¬ 
tannia, who is feated upon her lion. Before lord Cha¬ 
tham ltands a female figure, reprefenting the City of Lon¬ 
don, crowned with turrets; her right hand refting upon a 
fhieid with the city-arms thereon, and her left arm extend • 
ed towards Commerce; her whole attitude feeming to be- 
fpeak that protection which the pofition of his arm fliows- 
him already inclined to afford her. Various emblems are 
introduced with great propriety in different parts of the 
work; fuch as a mariner’s compafs and a top-maft in the 
hands of Commerce, and at her feet a fail furled to the 
yard and an anchor. Below London is a bee-hive, fym- 
bolical of induftry ; and behind her fhieid are the infignia 
of the city. 
On the other fide of the fleps is the monument ereCted - 
to the memory of lord Neifon, according to a vote of the 
corporation, and at the expenfe of the city. See p. 133, 
At the well end of the hall is the Sheriffs’ Court; above 
which is a white marble ftatue of alderman Beckford, . 
who died in the year 1770, during his fecond mayoralty. 
He is reprefented as large as life, dreffed in his robes, 
and ftanding. in the attitude he appeared when he made 
a reply to the king on his majeity’s anfwer to the 
city-remonltranee, May 23, 1770. The likenefs is fo 
ftrongy and the attitude in which he Hands lo natural on 
fuch an occafion, that little more than found is wanting 
to realize the reprefentation. On each tide of him is a 
figure fitting in a languifhing poiture: that on the right 
hand reprefents the City of London ; and that on the left. 
Commerce. The head of Commerce is adorned with a 
crown; her right arm, which holds a cornucopia, almofi 
empty, relts on a mariner’s compafs, and her left arm fup- 
ports an anchor. The City ot London is diftinguifhed 
by refling her right arm, which fupports her head, on an 
elcutcheon containing the city-arms; in her left hand is 
the city-fword inverted ; on her head is.the cap of main¬ 
tenance; and by her lies the city-mace. Beneath the lta- 
tue is a large taolet of black polifhed marble, on which 
are written the words fpoken by Mr. Beckford to the 
king on the memorable occafion alludfd to. For a cor¬ 
rect copy of this addrefs, fee the article Beckford, vol. is 
p. 843. 
Oppofite to the monument of the great lord Chatham, as~ 
t 
