144 
« laborious,” § elaborate ;.” 
declared that “it brings together a large 
‘quantity of useful information from a 
vast variety of sources ;” in fine, that 
“he has not noticed either faults or im- 
perfections in it,” after so favourable a 
character of the work, was it not incon- 
sistently and ineonsiderately trifling with 
the opinion of the public, and degrading 
himself as a critic, to besprinkle his. cri- 
tique with such fooleries and absurdities 
as have beén exposed in the preceding 
remarks? It is, unquestionably, a matter 
both of public and private justice, to hold 
up sucli grave trifling to general repro- 
bation. Aud this can be done by no 
means more eifectual thaa the respect- 
able channel of the Monthly Magazine. 
Crouch End, Your's, &c. 
February 6, 1809. J, GRANT. 
aa 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
A S | am in the press with my new 
yf edition of “ Ames’s Typographi- 
eal Antiquities,” by Herbert, permit me 
to enquire, through the channel of your 
Magazine, where the Plates of the 
work (with the exception of the printers’ 
portraits) are to be found; and whether 
the owner of them would be disposed to 
part with them on reasonable terms. 
Kensington, Your’s, &c, 
Feb.18,1809. Tuo. Erognatt Dispin. 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
HE Commissioners for directing the 
improvements now making in the 
vicinity of Westminster Abbey, having 
invited a competition of architects; by 
offering an honorary compensation for 
the most appropriate design for the build- 
ings intended to be erected, I take the 
liberty of offering, through the medium: 
of your widely circulacng Miscellany, a 
few hints which a serious consideration 
of this important subject has suggested. 
It may be necessary to premise for the 
information of your readers, who may 
not lately have visited the spot, that the 
whole of the dilapidated buildings which 
obscured Saint Margaret’s Church, situ- 
ate between King-street- and Palace- 
yard have been removed; the buildings 
also on the west side of King-street, be- 
‘tween the Abbey and Great Georce- 
street, and those in the broad Sanctuary, 
east and west of the new Sessions House, 
are Cleared away; and an Act has been 
passed for purchasing a plot of ground 
now covered with buildings, lying be- 
4 
Intended Improvements in Westminster. 
after he has: 
[March 1, 
tween the Sessions House and Prince’s- 
street. The intended improvements are. 
proposed to comprehend the whole of 
this area which exhibits a spacious field 
for the display of architectural taste and 
IMBEMU Ey a 
On the spot of ground between King- 
street and Palace-yard a square has lately. 
7 i = . 
been enclosed, in the centre of which, a . 
statue of a fate illustrious statesman is 
to be placed; and it has been determitied 
that the buildings to be erected west of 
King-street shall not project beyond a 
line drawn from the north transept of 
Westminster Abbey, to the Banguetting 
House at Whitehall, by which means a 
grand view will be opened frédm each to 
the other of these noble edifices, and the 
breadth of a narrow street encreased to- 
one hundred aud twenty feet. Since no 
erections are to be made on the cast side - 
of King-street, a magnificent view of the 
Abbey will continue to be exhibited at 
the intersection of Parliament-street and 
Bridge-street. This view, again, will 
-derive a considerable accession of gra 
deur from the new stone buildings de- 
signed to cover,the now-vacant ground, 
which are to consist, principa!ly, ot hand- 
some dwelling houses. and of chambers- 
adapted to the constant or occasional 
residence of persous who may have to at. 
tend the Houses ef Parliament, or the 
Courts of Record in Westminster Hall. 
But in forming a design suitable to’ this 
situation, the architect has great difficul- 
ties to encounter, occasioned by the irre- 
gular outline of the ground itself, and 
the disadvantageous position of the Ses- 
sions House, which though a late erec- 
tion, was built before the intended im- 
provements had been suggested, and has 
a situation that was necessarily deter- 
mined by the buildings then in its vici- 
nity. 
The fronts of the buildings to be erect- 
ed on the west side of King-street, be- 
coming conspicuously exposed to view, 
should be designed in a simple, bold, and 
dignified style, to prevent their being 
overpowered by the colossal magnitude . 
of Westminster, Abbey. 
necessarily be. left insulated, which will 
*% 
The Court . 
House having windows on all sides, must. 
agourd an opportunity of forming a square . 
open towards the Broad Sanctuary... The 
buildings on the west of King-street, will 
preset a front upwards of two hundred 
and fifty feet in extent, looking towards 
Palace-yard. This should form a straight - 
line, but those in the Broad Sanctuary 
east and west of the Court House, should 
forrr 
j 
