675 
LON 
5ft the corner of Sutton-ftreet, is Carlifle-houfe, celebrated 
fbme years ago as a place of evening-entertainment for the 
nobility and gentry ; and immediately adjoining is Berke- 
ley-houfe, now converted into a coffee-houfe.—But, the 
moft worthy fubjeCt of notice in this fquare is, that it 
has been long the refidence of a moft refpeftable and be¬ 
loved man, fir Jofeph Banks, whofe travels round the world 
with captain Cook,'and whofe liberality in encouraging 
the arts and fciences, and inftruftive hofpitality, are too 
well known and too jultly appreciated to want our enco¬ 
miums. 
In Sutton-ftreet, leading from the fquare to Crown- 
ftreet, (formerly Hog-lane,) is St. Patrick’s chapel, a con¬ 
siderable efta'blifhment fupported by Roman catholics. 
The organ, which is particularly tine, has been played for 
many years by one of the firft organifts of France, who 
emigrated at the beginning of the revolution; and the 
altar-piece does honour to Mrs. Cofway. It is a Defcent 
from the Crofs ; and the compofttion evinces a great deal 
of pathos and t 3 fte. 
We now enter Oxford-ftreet, or as it is fometimes called 
Oxford-road ; on the left-hand fide of which, the firft pub¬ 
lic building we find is that called the Pantheon, origi¬ 
nally begun in 1768, and finifhed in 1771, being intended 
for concerts and other mufical performances. It was 
built by Mr. James Wyatt, (a firft-rate architeft, who 
lately met his death by being unfortunately overturned 
in a chariot;) and regarded both by natives and foreign¬ 
ers, as the moft elegant ftrufture in Europe, if not on the 
globe. This fplendid and elegant edifice was opened as a 
place of public entertainment, on Monday, January 27, 
17.72 ; and, as we are informed by the Gentleman’s Ma¬ 
gazine of that month, “ to a crowded company of be¬ 
tween fifteen hundred and two thoufand people. Imagi¬ 
nation cannot well furpafs the elegance and magnificence 
of the apartments, the boldnefs of the paintings, or the 
difpofition of the lights, which laft are reflected from gilt 
vafes, fufpended by gilt chains. Befides the fplendid or¬ 
naments that decorate the rotundo or great room, there 
are a number of ftatties, in niches below the dome, repre¬ 
senting moft of the heathen gods and goddeffes iuppofed 
to be in the ancient Pantheon of Rome. To thefe are 
added three more of white porphyry, the two firft repre- 
fenting the prefent King and Queen, the laft Britannia. 
The whole building is compofed of a fuite of fourteen 
rooms, all of which are adapted to particular ufes, and 
each affording a linking instance of the fplendour and 
profufion of modern times.” During the firft winter there 
were aftemblies only, without dancing or mufic, three 
times a-week. On other days, each perfon paid five (hil¬ 
lings for feeing the building only. But the great room, 
though fpacious, was fo crowded on all thefe occafions, 
that In July a general meeting cf the proprietors was ad- 
vertifed, in order to take into confideration the enlarging 
of the building. After the opera-houfe in the Haymarket 
was burnt down in 1790, this mafter-piece of architecture 
was transformed into a theatre for the performance of 
operas; when, though many of its internal beauties were 
hidden or annihilated, it itill was a perfect model of a 
complete theatre in its new form. But unhappily, before 
it had been ufed as a lyric theatre two feafons, it was 
burnt down by fome fatal accident or defign, which has 
never yet been divulged to the fatisfadion of the public. 
During its pre-exiftent ftate, it was here that the Agu- 
jari and Pacchierotti exercifed their talents; it was here 
that the king, queen, and royal family, with all the firft 
nobility in the kingdom, altembled at the commemoration 
of Handel in 1784; and it was here that one of the firft 
bands in Europe graced the orcheftra, alternately headed 
by Giardini, La Motte, Cramer, or Giornovichi, who, with 
Fifcher, Crofdil, Cervetto, &c. produced effeCts in fym- 
phonies, concertos, folos, and vocal accompaniments, 
which had never before been heard in this country. No 
perfon of tafte in architecture or mufic, who remembers 
the Pantheon, its exhibitions, its numerous, fplendid, and 
DON. 
elegant, aftemblies, can hear it mentioned without a figh f 
The front in Oxford-ftreet (till remains, and prefents a 
fimple but claffical portico. The building lias been of 
late years principally ufed for exhibitions, and occafion t - 
ally for mafquerades and operas. About ten years ago, 
an ingenious French emigrant exhibited there a fort of 
orrery, called Coftnoramn, in which, by the contrivance 
of an interior moveable roof, the revolutions of the hea¬ 
venly bodies were made conspicuous and peifeftly intel¬ 
ligible to the vifitors ; but, the expenfes exceeding confi- 
derably the fums of money received at the door, the pro¬ 
prietors were obliged to give up the concern, and a total 
eclipfe took place. 
On the fouth of Oxford-ftreet we find Golden-fquare, 
which is very neat, though final), containing about two 
acres. The centre of it is encompafled by a plain iron 
railing, within which are grafs-plats and gravel-walks; 
and the whole is furrounded with handfome and uniform 
buildings. It was originally called Gelding-fquare, from 
the fign of a neighbouring inn. 
Weft of St. James’s pariflt, is that of St. George, Han- 
over-l'quare, the church of which ftands in Great George- 
ltreet. This pariflt was alfo taken out of St. Martin’s in 
the Fields. The commiftioners for building the fifty new 
churches, appointed by aft of parliament in the reign of 
queen Anne, obferving the want of one in this part of 
the town, on account of the great increafe of buildings 
and inhabitants, erefted this elegant ftrufture, which was 
finiflted in 1724, and, in compliment to the reigning mo¬ 
narch, was dedicated to St. George the Martyr. It has 
a plain body, with an elegant portico ; the columns, which 
are Corinthian, are of a large diameter, and the pediment 
has an acroteria, but without further ornament. It has a 
tower, which is elegantly adorned at the corners, with 
coupled Corinthian columns that are very lofty; thefe 
are crowned with an entablature, which, at each corner, 
fupports two vafes ; and over thefe the tower Itill riles, 
till it is terminated by a dome, crowned with a turret, 
that fupports a ball, over which is a vane. It is a rec¬ 
tory, the patronage of which is in the biftiop of London. 
The ground on which this church ftands was given by 
lieutenant-general William Stewart, who alfo bequeathed 
four thoufand pounds to the pariflt, towards erefting and 
endowing a cbarity-fchool. 
At the north end of George-ftreet is Hanover-fquare, 
from which the church receives itsdiftinftive appellation. 
This fquare is fo called in compliment to the prefent 
royal family. It contains about two acres of ground, in 
the centre of which is a garden, enclofed with rails ; the 
houfes, which are built in the modern tafte, make an ele¬ 
gant appearance, and are inhabited by perfons of the firft 
diftinftion. The houfe in the fouth-weft corner is conli- 
dered the belt piece of brick-work in the metropolis. 
Weft from Hanover-fquare is Grofvenor-fquare, which 
is fo named from fir Thomas Grofvenor, its original pro¬ 
prietor. The area of this fquare contains about five acres ; 
and in the middle is a large garden, furrounded with pa- 
lifado-rails, placed upon a circular dwarf wall. The gar¬ 
den is laid out into walks, and adorned with an equef- 
trian ftatueof king George I. gilt, which ftands on a pe- 
deftal in the centre. The fquare is furrounded with ele¬ 
gant houfes, which, however, are very far from being 
uniform ; fome being of ftone, others of brick and (tone, 
and others of brick only. Indeed, here is the greateft 
variety of handfome buildings that is any where to be met 
with in fo fmall a compafs. 
It is curious to fee the difference between this vveftern 
part of the metropolis, and the city. Here we do not 
find that hurry, that trepidation occafioned by urgent bu- 
finefs. The pavements, if crowded, exhibit another fort 
of beings ; the ftreets are much larger, and (kies clearer, 
the houfes free from the befmearing breath of fmoaking 
chimneys; the carriages of the nobility are fubftituted 
for carts and drays. In faft, the viator thinks himfelf 
tranfported to another hemifphere. The fltops are per¬ 
haps 
