966 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
A PEDESTRIAN EXCURSION THROUGH 
SEVERAL PARTS OF ENGLAND AND 
WALES, DURING THE SUMMER OF 
1797. 
(Continued from page 735.) 
T Salifbury, the firit objeét of our 
\. attention was of courfe the Cathe. 
dral. The outward ftrufiure is, perhaps, 
fomewhat too plain for this fpecies of ar- 
chiteéture. But the proportions are ex- 
cellent, and the richnefs and loftinefs of 
its fine tapering {pire cannot be too much 
admired. In fhott, it is altogether, I 
think, the fineft and moft perfect build- 
ing of the kind I have ever feen. Within 
every thing is grand. The many fhafted 
pillars and Saracenic (or Normo-Gothic) 
arches that divide the nave and circles, are 
handfome, uniform, and in excellent pro- 
portion. The fereen of the choir is more 
modern ; and, together with the adjoining 
arch on each fide, highly wrought in the 
tile of St. George’s chapel, Windfor. 
When the doors of the choir are firft thrown 
open and the curtain drawn afide, the effect 
is truly fublime: nor is it weakened as 
you approach. All the windows in the 
neighbourhood of the altar being richly 
ftained, diffufe a fombrous and awful 
‘gloom, which finely harmonizes with the 
' general ftyle of the building ; and the con- 
ception and ftyle of colouring in the prin- 
cipal window are very impreflive. The 
Subject is the Refurrection, by Sir Jofhua. 
It confifts of a fingle figure, furrounded 
with rays ot glory and a profufion of 
clouds; with the three crofles on Calvary 
at a diftance. The drawing, indeed, like 
many of Sir Jofhua’s, is but indifferent. 
The eyes have a funken“blacknefs about 
them, and the expreflions of the counte- 
nance, altogether, are far from pleating. 
There is alfo a fine {ketch from Mortimer 
above (the elevation of the brazen ferpent) 
vilely degraded by gaudy patches of in- 
congruous colouring. In this part of the 
building are feen the lofty and flender 
fingle fhafted pillars, fo much talked 
about ; and which, perhaps, by exciting 
a fort of confufed idea of danger, heighten 
the awful impreffion of the fcene. 
The Chapter-houfe is, alfo, a very fine 
ruin, worthy of the noble pile to which 
it is attached. It is to be lamented, that 
jt was not repaired at the fame time with 
the cathedral. But its fortunate efcape 
from the foppery of white-wath almoft 
compenfates for all it has fuffered by ne- 
gleé&t. The cloifters, allo, ave exceedingly 
fine—{pacious, and highly wrought in the 
eld florid ftile. ; 
Pedeftrian Excurfion through England and Wales. [Jan. 1, 
There is, alfo, another piece of anti- 
quity worthy of obfervation, on the outer 
wall at the weft end of St. Thomas’s 
church. This is a curious wooden mcnu- 
ment, rather in a mutilated ftate, carved 
by the fculptor, whofe memory it perpe- 
tuates. it is adorned with rude reprefen- 
tations, in alto reheve, of Abraham offer 
ing up Ifaac; Jacob’s dream, his ladder, 
and facrifice, and his bargain about the 
fttiped and ringed cattle; and, in another 
compartment, with two fhepherds, one of 
them fitting, and the other learning ona 
rock. Of this I could make neither head 
nor tail; though it is the enly part the 
writer of the Salifbury Guide pretends to 
explain. He calls it ‘the Lord” (the 
Angel of the Lord he rneans) « appear- 
ing to the fhepherds.” But if this wag 
the ftory reprefenced, the angel has fince 
flown away; which (being a winged crea- 
ture) would, to be fure, be no great mi- 
racle. Below, on a {mall entablature, is 
the following infcription. ‘ Here under 
licth the bedy of Humphry Beckham, who 
died the 2d day of February, Anno 1671, 
aged 88. His >, work.” This infcrip- 
tion has given rife to a proverbial joke in 
Salifbury. Whena man prides himfelf on 
any particular performance, it is faid, in 
way of banter, to be ‘* Humphry Beck- 
ham’s own work.” 
Monday 3.--Rofe at balf paft fix ; em- 
ployed ourfelves in making notes, &c. till 
nine ; and then, having breakfalted, allied 
forth, in a heavy fhower of rain, in queft 
of further information. In our way we 
vifited the new Town-Hall; a handiome 
building of light brick, with a portico, 
and other ornaments of ffone. Ft was 
built at the {cle expence of the Eari of 
Radnor, recorder of the city: the founda. 
tion-ftone being iaid 16 Sept. 1788, and the 
building concluded 23 Sept. 1795. Ye 
was furnifhed by one of the prefent 
members of parliament. The town's peo- 
ple fay, that the corporation have fold 
them, and all their pciterity, fora neve 
houfe to banquet in. It is thought, how- 
ever, that the contract will not be indifio. 
luble; the corporation - beginning to be 
very much divided, and diffatishied with 
their fubjestion, | . 
The principal manufadures of the town 
are cutlery, woollen ferges, kerfeymeres, 
figured. goods for wailtcoats, and -fine 
flannels, The manufaéturers begin to 
feel the effefis of the war very feverely; 
particularly the war with Spain, from 
which country the demand for kerfey- 
meres, fancy woollens, and fine flannels, 
uled to be very confiderable. ee 
Phere 
