683 
WINDSOR. 
Neptune: the state bed, now removed to the room late the 
public dining-room, is of rich flowered velvet, manufactured 
in Spitalfields, by order of queen Anne. The king’s draw¬ 
ing-room represents Charles II. in a triumphal car, drawn by 
the horses of the sun, attended by Fame, Peace, &c.; in 
other parts of the ceiling are the labours of Hercules. Here 
is also a magnificent glass of English manufacture, being 11 
feet by 6. On the ceiling of the apartment formerly the 
king’s public dining-room, but now converted into a bed¬ 
chamber, is the banquet of the gods. The carving of this 
room is most beautiful, representing fish, fowl, fruit, &c. 
done in lime-wood. St. George’s hall is set apart entirely to 
the honour of the most illustrious order of the garter. The 
centre of the ceiling is a large oval, wherein is represented 
Charles II. in the full uniform of the order, attended by the 
ihree Kingdoms, Religion, Peace, and various other figures; 
with the devices and motto of the order. At the back of the 
sovereign’s throne is a painting of St. George encountering 
the dragon, and on the lower border is inscribed “ Veniendo 
rcstituit rem," alluding to king William, who is painted 
under a royal canopy, in the habit of the order, by sir God¬ 
frey Kneller. This painting is now nearly obliterated by 
various alterations. The ascent to the throne is by five steps 
of marble. On the north side of the chamber is a painting 
of the triumph of Edward the Black Prince ; and at the up¬ 
per part of the hall is a representation of Edward III. on his 
throne, receiving the kings of France and Scotland captives. 
This, with several others of the pictures in this hall, is by 
Verrio, an artist employed by Charles II.; and they are ge¬ 
nerally thoughtto.be over-done, and extravagant in their 
style. The length of this superb chamber is 108 feet. The 
chapel of St. George was erected by Edward III., on the site 
of a smaller structure, built by Henry I., and dedicated to 
Edward the Confessor. The origin of its magnificence, how¬ 
ever, may be attributed to Edward IV., by whom it was very 
considerably enlarged, and rendered one of the most beau¬ 
tiful structures of that era. In the reigns of Henry VII. and 
his successor, it underwent several alterations; but it is in¬ 
debted for the improved and highly elegant state in which it 
now appears, to the taste and munificence of George III., 
who expended nearly 20,000/. in its repairs and embellish¬ 
ments. At this period it may be considered as the most 
complete and elegant specimen of what Mr. Warton termed 
the florid Gothic, in the kingdom. The inside of the chapel 
is singularly neat. The root is an ellipsis, composed of stone, 
and admirably executed. The pillars are of the ancient Go¬ 
thic kind ; the ribs and groins that support the ceiling are 
disposed with considerable judgment. The interior space is 
formed into a choir, a nave, and correspondent aisles. The 
whole ceiling is decorated with heraldic insignia, inter¬ 
mingled with the arms of many sovereigns and knights of 
the garter, beautifully emblazoned. The nave is separated 
from the choir by the organ gallery. The roof and co¬ 
lumns that support the loft, form a light and elegant co¬ 
lonnade, perfectly in unison with the rest of the chapel, 
and embellished with appropriate devices. The screen 
was made from the designs of Mr. Emlyn, and is composed 
of Coade’s artificial stone : the expense of its erection is said 
to have amoupted to 1,500/. The organ was built by Mr. 
Green, and the organ case by Mr. Emlyn : the latter is richly 
ornamented. The choir may be regarded as a pattern of the 
most admirable workmanship. It was built by Edward III. 
but greatly improved during the reigns of Edward IV. and 
Henry VII. The vaulting of the roof was not completed 
till the latter end of the year 1508. This division of the 
structure is appropriated to the more immediate worship of 
the Deity; to the installation of the knights of the garter, 
and to the preservation of their names and honours. The 
stalls of the sovereign, and companions of the order, are 
ranged on each side the choir. Formerly their number was 
26, but is now increasedto 40, including the sovereign, the 
royal dukes, and foreign princes. The ancient stall of the 
sovereign was removed in the year 1788, and a new one, 
highly decorated with tracery, erected under the direction of 
Mr. Emlyn. In the centre are the arms of the king, encircled 
with laurel, and crowned with the royal diadem; the whole 
is surrounded with J/eurs dcs /is, the letters G. R. and the 
star of the order. The curtains and cushions are of blue 
velvet, fringed with gold. The stalls of the knights display 
a profusion of rich carved work. On the pedestals is a series 
of delineations, representing the History of the Redeemer, 
from his nativity to his ascension ; and on the front of the 
stalls, at the west end of the choir, the actions of St. George 
are pourtrayed. The mantle, helmet, crest, and sword of 
each knight, are placed on the canopies of their respective 
stalls. Over the canopies, the banner or arms of the knights 
are displayed, elegantly emblazoned on silk; and at the 
back of each stall are the titles of the personage to whom it 
belongs, with his arms neatly engraved, and blazoned on 
copper. The sovereign’s banner is of rich velvet, and much 
larger than those of the knights: the mantling is of rich 
brocade. The carved work of the choir abounds with variety 
of imagery, and several figures of saints, patriarchs, and 
kings: these, previous to the late repairs, were much muti¬ 
lated, but have since been restored to nearly their original 
state. The altar is embellished with a painting of the Last 
Supper, by West, which is a very masterly composition, and 
executed with great taste and judgment, The beautifully 
carved wainscot surrounding the altar, was designed by Mr. 
Thomas Sandby, and executed under the inspection of Mr. 
Emlyn. It contains the arms of Edward III. Edward the 
Black Prince, and those of the original knights of the garter, 
with various symbols of the order, displayed within two 
circular compartments. The ornaments consist of pelicans, 
grapes, wheat, sacramental vessels, and other devices, judi¬ 
ciously disposed, and executed with considerable taste. The 
altar was formerly adorned with rich hangings of crimson 
velvet and gold, but was disrobed of its splendid furniture 
in the year 1642, by captain Fogg, under pretence of par¬ 
liamentary authority. At the same time also, it was plun¬ 
dered of the numerous gold vessels which the munificence or 
piety of successive sovereigns and knights of the garter had 
here consecrated to religious uses. The plate thus seized is 
said to have weighed 3580 ounces, and to have been wrought 
in a very exquisite manner. On the restoration of Charles 
II. a subscription was opened, and every requisite for the 
re-establishment and service of the altar, supplied from the 
liberal contributions of the sovereign and knights of the 
garter, and other benevolent persons. Several windows of. 
this superb fabric are beautifully painted, and, for general 
composition, brilliancy of colour, and correct execution, 
rival most embellishments of a similar' nature in the king¬ 
dom. The subject of this painting, which is of superior 
excellence, is the Resurrection. The east window of the 
south aisle is painted with a very animated representation of 
the angels appearing to the shepherds; and the west window 
of the north aisle is decorated with a representation of the 
adoration of the Magi. This chapel has been the burial- 
place of several royal and illustrious personages. At the east 
end of the north aisle the remains of Edward IV. are depo¬ 
sited. Over his tomb is a beautiful monument of steel, 
representing a pair of gates between two towers, curiously 
worked. On the 13th of March, in the year 1789, the work¬ 
men employed in repairing the chapel, perceived a small aper¬ 
ture in the side of the vault where Edward was interred. This 
was soon rendered sufficiently large to admit an easy en¬ 
trance ; and on the interior part being laid open, in pre¬ 
sence of the surveyor and two of the canons, the skeleton of 
the monarch was found inclosed in a leaden and a wooden 
coffin ; the latter measuring six feet three inches in length. 
Henry VI. was also buried in this chapel, near the choir 
door in the opposite aisle. Here lie interred under the choir, 
the bodies of Henry VIII. and Jane Seymour, Charles I. and 
a daughter of Queen Anne. Many other distinguished 
persons are interred within this fabric. Adjoining the east 
end is a neat building, erected by Henry VII. as a burial- 
place for himself and successors; which is now the royal 
mausoleum, and in which their late majesties, princess Char¬ 
lotte, 
