LONDON. 
sated from its founder, fir Baptift Hicks, by whom it was 
erefted in the year 1611, and given for the perpetual ufe 
of the magiffrates of the county. This building having 
become very ruinous, and being alto extremely inconveni¬ 
ent, an aft of parliament was obtained, in the year 1779, 
for erefting a new one; and a convenient fpot of ground 
having been purchafed on Clerkenwell-green, the firlt done 
of the prefent edifice was laid on the 20th of Auguft in 
that year, and it was opened for bufinefs in 1782. The 
eaft and principal front of it, towards Clerkenwell-green, 
is compofed of four three-quarter columns, and two pi- 
lafters, of the Ionic order, fupported by a rultic bafement. 
The county-arms are placed in the tympanum of the pe¬ 
diment. Under the entablature are two medallions, which 
reprefent Juftice and Mercy. In the former, Juftice holds 
the feales and fword; and, in the latter, Mercy grafps 
the blunted fword, and the feeptre furmounted with the 
Britifh crown, on which, as emblematic of the mildnefs 
of the Britifh laws, reds a dove, with an olive-branch in 
her mouth. In the centre, between Judice and Mercy, is 
his majedy’s profile, in a medallion, decorated with feftoons 
of laurel and oak-leaves, the emblems of drength and va¬ 
lour. At each extremity are the Roman fafees and fword, 
the infignia of authority and punifhment. The extent of 
this building is a hundred and ten feet from ead to wed, 
and feventy-eight from north to fouth. The hall is thirty- 
four feet fquare, and terminates at the top in a circular 
dome lighted by fix circular windows, each four feet eleven 
inches in diameter. This dome is pannelled in ducco, 
and the fpandrils under it are decorated with fhields and 
oak-leaves. The fides of the hall are finifhed with pilaf- 
rers of the Compofite order, crowned with an entablature, 
the frieze of which is ornamented with foliage, and the 
caduceus of Mercury and the Roman fafees in medallions. 
From the hall, a double flight of fieps leads up to the 
court, which is in the femicircular form of a Roman am¬ 
phitheatre, thirty-four feet by thirty, and twenty-fix feet 
high, with fpacious galleries on the fides, for the auditors. 
The rooms on each lide of the entrance are appropriated 
to the meetings of the magidrates. In one of them is the 
original portrait of fir B. Hicks, tvhich was brought from 
the old feifions-houfe, with the arms and ornaments which 
decorated the chimney of the dining-room there; and in 
the other is a good copy of the pifture. 
The idea of a court of judice is commonly affoci- 
ated with that of a prifon ; and brings us to notice three 
places of confinement which Hand in this parilh. Two 
of them, adjoining to each other, have lately been re¬ 
paired and enlarged. The one is a prifon of eafe to 
Newgate, for the county of Micdlefex, called the New 
Prifon ; and the other, a houfe of correftion for diforderly 
perfons, called Cierkenwell Bridewell, which was builc 
in the year 1615, for the punidiment and employment of 
rogues and vagabonds belonging to the county, who had 
formerly been taken into Bridewell in the city, but were 
now refufed, both becaufe the place was unable to con¬ 
tain and employ them, and becaufe it was thought an in¬ 
fringement of the privileges of the citizens, who, however, 
contributed five hundred pounds towards the erection of 
this' New Bridewell, the whole expenfe of which amounted 
to two thoufand five hundred pounds. 
At lome diftance from thefe prifons is a place called 
Cold-Bath Fields, which confifts of feveral fmall Itreets 
that furround a lquare, in the centre of which is a low 
old building, with a garden and a cold bath; the latter 
of which gave name to the place. The fite and appear¬ 
ance of thele baths are really pifturefque, being furrounded 
with trees and houfes, clad with ivy, jeflamine, pailifloras,, 
and other creeping plants, which give a country air to 
the fquare. 
Cokl-Bath-Fields Prifon, the houfe of correftion for the 
county of Middlefex,which has long been ftamped with the 
name of the “ New Baltille,” is on the north fide of the 
lquare. This prifon was erefted in puftiiance of an aft 
491 
of parliament palled in the twenty-fixth year of the reign 
of his prefent majefty, “ for enabling the jultices of the 
peace for the county of Middlefex to raife money for 
building a houfe of correftion within the faid county.” 
But it is alfo ufed as a penitentiary-houfe. The fpot on 
which this edifice is erefted having been a fwamp on the 
declivity of a hill, it was found necelfary to lay the foun¬ 
dation fo deep, and to pile it fo fecurely, that it is fup- 
pofed there are as many bricks laid under ground as ap¬ 
pear in fight. The building, with few deviations from 
uniformity, is laid out and divided into feparate and dif- 
tinft cells, or Jingle apartments, as well on the ground- 
floor as on the upper Itories, each cell being eight feet 
three inches long, and fix feet three inches wide. To- 
each cell are two apertures or windows for light and ven¬ 
tilation, each two feet fix inches wide by two feet high ; 
the one over the door, the other at the height of feven 
feet from the floor in the oppofite direftion : thefe aper¬ 
tures are ciofed or opened by preans of wooden fhutters,- 
ailing at the will of the perfon confined. The cells on 
the ground-floor are built on arches, and are raifed twen¬ 
ty-one inches from the pavement of the yards ; thofe of 
the upper floors reft on the arches of thofe below 5 and, 
as the ufe of combuftibie matter is by this means ex¬ 
cluded, they are all fire-proof. The whole number of 
folitary cells is two hundred and eighteen; fixteen of 
thefe, which have no other light but from the apertures 
over the doors, are ufed for the occafional confinement of 
refractory prifoners. In addition to thefe, in each qf fix 
of the yards belonging to the building, there are two- 
apartments containing the fpace of two Angle cells, and 
intended for lodging two prifoners. Some larger apart¬ 
ments are formed, by throwing together the fpace of fe¬ 
veral cells 5 thefe are ufed for various purpofes connefted 
with the inllitution, fuch as an infirmary, vvork-rcoms for 
the male convifts, a fpinning room for the female con- 
vifts, day-rooms with fire-places, ufed by the prifoners in 
winter ; (the folitary cells of courfe have no fire-places ;) 
a laundry, ftore-roofns, &c. There are eight large yards, 
to which the prifoners of different claffes have occafional 
accefs, where they can be flickered from the weather by 
pent-houfes, which extend the whole length of them 3 
there are alfo eight other airing grounds, to which the 
offenders of the lead criminality have free accefs. Water 
is brought into all thefe yards by pipes, for the ufe of the 
prifoners, either to drink or to wafh themfelves, which 
they are obliged to do every morning before they receive 
their breakfalts, and again in the evening before being 
locked up. Communicating with the centre gallery there 
is a building of three Itories, with two rooms in each dory. 
Three of thele are let to fuch prifoners as chooferto pay 
ten (hillings and fixpence per week for their hire ; the 
other three are occupied by the fervants of the houfe, or 
as ftore-roorns. At the entrance of the prifon is a com¬ 
mittee-room, and over it two lodging-rooms occupied by 
fervants belonging to the prifon; and in the centre of the 
building is a neat and airy chape!,, fufficiently fpacious to 
contain the whole number of prifoners which can be ac¬ 
commodated in the cells. The keeper’s houfe is a dif- 
tinft building on the eall fide of the entrance, and is an 
addition to the original plan, as are alfo feveral commo¬ 
dious (hops, fuited to the various trades and manufaftures 
in which the. prifoners are occafionally employed ; parti¬ 
cularly for carpenters, turners, fawyers, taylors, and (hoe- 
makers, with an extenfive ftage for drying oakum. The 
whole of this building is furrounded with a high brick 
wall, ftrengthened on the outfide with ftone buttreffes. 
To return to our walk; we may take a round through 
Saffron-hill and Chick-lane towards Smithfield.; hut it 
will not be of much intereft either to us or to our readers, 
unlefs juft to remark the manner in which the ground has 
been tormented there by fome ancient convuifion of the 
earth. The channel in which the little bro.ok winds its 
way along is even now eafily traced in the hollow Ihage- 
