L O N 
are of a beautiful opaque white ; and the ground, which is 
in perfect harmony with the figures, is of a dark tranf- 
parent blue. The fubjeCt of thele figures is extremely 
obfcure, and has not hitherto received a fatisfaftory elu¬ 
cidation ; but the delign and the fculptu're are both truly 
admirable. This fuperb fpecimen of Greek art was de- 
polited in the Eritift) Mufeum, in 1810, by the prefent 
duke of Portlar 1 .—The twelfth room is the cohesion of 
the late fir William Hamilton, which has been removed 
from the faloon. It principally confifts of penales, or 
houfehold goods, bronze vefiels, utenfils, &c. fpecimens 
of ancient glafs, necklaces, bullre, fragments of balfo-re- 
Jievos, and ancient armour, tripods, knives, paterae, lamps, 
feals, weights, fculpture in ivory, bracelets, hits, fpurs, 
and ancient paintings, from Herculaneum, Babylonilh 
bricks, and bis unrivalled collection of Greek vafes ; the 
greater part of which were found in the fepulchres of 
Magna Grecia. The forms of the vafes are much varied, 
and are equally fimple and beautiful.—In the thirteenth 
room is depofited the extenfive and valuable collection of 
prints and drawings, the rnolt important part of which 
was bequeathed by the Rev. William Cracherode. The 
contents of this room, as well as thofe of the coins and 
medals, can be feen only by a few perfons at a time, by 
particular permiflion. 
The reading-room of the Mufeum is kept open from 
ten till four every day in the week, except Saturday and 
Sunday, and for one week at Chriftmas, Ealter, and Whit- 
funtide, and on thankfgiving and fait days. One oft the 
librarians conftantly attends during the above hours. 
Perfons defirous of admiflion into this room, are to fend 
their applications in writing to the principal librarian, 
who will lav the fame before the truftees, when, if they 
fee no objection, they will grant admiflion fora term not 
exceeding fix months; and every reader, at the expiration 
of his term, may apply for a prolongation of the fame 
without a frefh recommendation. In applications for ad- 
miilion to this room, it will be neceifary to fpecify the 
defeription of the perfon, and his place of abode ; and it 
is expected that a recommendation from fome perfon of 
known and approved character may accompany the ap¬ 
plication. Readers are allowed to take one or more ex¬ 
tracts from any printed book or manufeript; but no whole 
cr greater part of a manufeript is to be tranferibed with¬ 
out a particular leave from the truftees. In all cafes 
w here perfons engaged in works of learning, or in the 
profecutions of any ufeful defign, have occafion to exa¬ 
mine any part of the collection with more attention than 
can be done according to the ordinary rules of the Mu¬ 
feum, or who wifh to make any drawing of any thing con¬ 
tained in the Mufeum, they are to apply fo the trultees in 
a general meeting, or to the (landing committee, for par¬ 
ticular leave for that purpofe, wdio will give directions 
according to the circumftances of the cafe. 
The collection of coins and medals is not ikown but 
by leave of the truftees, or of the principal librarian. 
Not more than two perfons are admitted at the fame time, 
unlefs the principal librarian, or fome officer, is prefent. 
At the eaft end of Great Ruftel-ftreet is Bloomfbury, 
formerly Southampton, fquare; a very handfome fquare, 
in the centre of which are grafs-plats and a gravel walk, 
encompafled with neat iron rails. On the eaft, fouth, and 
weft, iides, are fome handfome buildings; but much of 
their beauty is taken off by their want of iymmetry. The 
whole of the north fide was occupied by Bedford-houfe ; 
a magnificent maniion, built after a defign of Inigo Jones, 
which was taken down in the year 1800; and the north 
fide of the fquare is now formed by a row of uniform brick 
buildings. Behind this row, on the fite of the gardens 
of Bedford-houfe, and of fome fields to the north of them, 
called the Long Fields, feveral good Itreets, and a hand¬ 
fome fquare, called Ruffel-fquare, have been erected. 
Ruffel-fquare is confiderably larger than any other in 
London, Lincoln’s-Inn Fields excepted. Its dimenfions 
nearly (for it is not perfectly at right angles) are 678 feet 
Vol. XIII. No. 929. 
<* 
DON. 585 
on each fide. The north and fouth fides are built in an 
uniform manner; but the weft and eaft fides are totally dif- 
fnnilar; the latter confining partly of the old buildings at 
the north end of Southampton-row, and of Bolton houfe, fo 
called from its noble founder, but halt the refidence of the 
late earl Rofslyn. Since his deceafe, it has been new 
frontedj_and, w ith fome additions made in the court-yard 
of it, has been formed into three feparate houfes. The 
area of the fquare is laid out in grafs-plats, fhrubberies, 
and gravel walks, and encompaffed with an iron railing ; 
and on the fouth fide of it, fronting Bedford Place, which 
leads into the centre of Bloomfbury-fquare, .is the ftatue 
in bronze of the late Francis duke of Bedford, by Mr. 
Weftmacott. This piece of foundery does the fculptor 
great honour. The noble duke is reprefented in his par¬ 
liamentary robes, (landing in a graceful attitude and one of 
his hands retting on a ploughfhare, in ailufion tohis fuccefs- 
ful and expenfive exertions in bringing the firft of all arts, 
agriculture, to that (fate of perfection which fo particu¬ 
larly diltinguifhes this country. Four children at the 
corners of the pedeltal exemplify by their attributes the 
four feafons of the year ; and we congratulate the artill on 
having given free fcope to his imagination, and having 
left the common track fo often trod by uninventive fculp- 
tors. The bas-reliefs are boldly executed ; and the whole, 
furrounded by an iron railing, has an excellent etfeCf. 
We fnould have wifiied that the flieep, which is iquatted 
at the feet of the ftatue, had been left out; its inl'ulated 
fituation renders it awkward, and its allegorical meaning 
is ufelef's, as the balfo-relievos and other accompaniments 
are more than fufikiently expreffive of the noble duke’s 
partiality for the triptolemian art. We hope that this 
firft attempt of adorning public places and fquares with 
the lfatues of our worthies will be followed, in order that 
we may behold the fculptured image of departed worth 
without being obliged to pay for it. The (fleets of Co¬ 
rinth and Athens were peopled with thole reprefentations; 
and we doubt not but their prefence bad an excellent ef¬ 
fect upon the morals of the people. Who would have 
dared to tell a lie at the foot of Ariftides’ ftatue; or to 
prove a coward before the pedeftal that fupported the 
image of Cynegyras! 
Thefe reflections lead us to mention the ftatue of fir 
Jofliua Reynolds, the late prefident of the Royal Academy, 
placed in the north-weft corner of the great area under 
the dome of St. Paul’s. It has been expofed to view fince 
we furveyed the metropolitan church ; and is not one of 
the leaft ornaments to the interior of that noble pile. It 
is the work of Mr. Flaxman, and does him much honour ; 
for, as long as fimplicity is united with elegance, cha¬ 
racter and likenefs with unencumbered fluency of drapery 
and dignified attitude, the ftrokes of the chifel are fur'e 
to pleaie the fculptor and the public. What emulation 
may not the introduction of this worthy favourite of the 
chromatic mule into the company of the illultrious cha¬ 
racters who have already obtained a place in our Chrif- 
tian Pantheon, create among our artifts !—The ftatuary 
himfelf, whofe genius, like Rhea, gives a (tone to old 
Time to devour, in order to preferve the life of her fon, 
(for this mythological allegory had fculpture in view,) 
has identified the block of marble with our affections and 
regrets; and the painters who have fucceeded fir Jofliua 
in the fame career, will not fail to hear fweet wliifperings 
of hope, that, when their mortal labours are at an end, 
their effigies will be placed in the other recedes of this 
church. Let us beg the reader’s indulgence for this di- 
greffion, and we will conclude by remarking, that under 
the dome of St. Paul’s, in the 1110ft confpicuous ftation 
the truftees of the cathedral have not admitted the he¬ 
roes, who, by fea and land, could not fight their coun¬ 
try’s caufe without (bedding the blood of their fellow- 
creatures ; but that they have confecrated this folemti (pot 
to the memorials of thofe who praCtifed the milder arts - 
thofe arts fo intimately connected with the charities of 
our boiom. Philanthropy in Howard, domeltic philology 
