building, with two pavilions by way of wings; you enter it through a spacious and regular court, but it has no garden belonging to it, the Fort being built on the brink of the rock. This defect is supplied in some measure with a beautiful gallery, with a balcony, which reaches the whole length of the building: it commands the road, to the middle of which one may be easily heard, by means of a speaking-trumpet; and hence, too, you see the whole Lower Town under your feet. On leaving the Fort, and turning to the left, you enter a pretty large esplanade, and by a gentle declivity you reach the summit of Cape Diamond, which makes a very fine platform." Such was the state of the Castle of St. Lewis, with occasional reparations and additions, until near the close of the last century; when, from its tendency to decay, it was found necessary to erect a new building for the residence of the Governor, on the opposite side of the square. This structure has no pretensions to beauty or style of architecture, but contains several well-proportioned rooms. The ancient Castle, notwithstanding, continued to be occupied by the officers of government until 1809, during the administration of General Sir JAMES HENRY CRAIG, Knight of the Bath; when it was put into complete repair, at an expense of ten thousand pounds, a third story superadded, and it recovered its former honors as the residence of the GOVERNOR-IN-CHIEF of Lower Canada. Thus renovated, it acquired, insensibly, the name of the NEW, while the building opposite obtained that of the OLD Chateau. By popular error, therefore, as is not unfrequently the case, the attributes of these two buildings were reversed. In the latter continue to be held the Levees on state occasions; and there are spacious and convenient rooms of reception for public entertainments, with apartments for the residence of one of the officers of the GOVERNOR's personal staff. In this building are to be seen two paintings of lasting interest, being the likenesses of THEIR MAJESTIES, KING GEORGE THE THIRD, and QUEEN CHARLOTTE, painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds, and presented by HIS MAJESTY to this Government. To those who remember the venerable Monarch in his latter days, this picture, taken in early manhood, will assume the character almost of antiquity. In the ballroom, there is also a good copy of Sir Thomas Lawrence's full length portrait of KING GEORGE THE FOURTH. The length of the modern Castle of St. Lewis, including the wings, was more than two hundred feet; and that was the extent of the gallery in front, commanding one of the most beautiful views in the world. The depth was about forty feet. Its exterior was plain and unassuming, the interior well arranged, and apparently well adapted for the purpose for which it was designed. The apartments on the first floor, in which the family of the GOVERNOR-IN-CHIEF resided, were furnished in an elegant and tasteful manner, ornamented by valuable paintings, drawings and prints, and various objects of vertu. Although by no means large, or equal to those found in the private residences of the nobility generally, they presented a very pleasing coup d'ail, when thrown open to those who were honored with the entrée. Here were given the private entertainments of the GOVERNOR, to which the gentry of the city and vicinity were freely invited during the winter, always the season of hospitality in Canada. We have now to record the destruction of this edifice, over whose historical glories we have dwelt with so much pleasure. About noon, on Thursday, the 23d January, 1834, an alarm of fire was given -the tocsin sounded-and to the eager and anxious enquiries of the citizens, running to and fro, the appalling answer was given, was given, "To the Castle, the Castle!" On hurrying to the scene, volumes of black smoke, rolling from the roof, told the fearful truth. The fire was first discovered in a room on the upper story, and having spread through its whole extent, and taken hold of the rafters which supported the massive roof, it burned downwards with irrepressible fury, until it triumphed over the entire building. As no flame was apparent from the outside for a considerable space of time, it was scarcely believed by the anxious spectator, that the whole pile was endangered. Vain hopes were even entertained that the lower ranges of apartments might be saved. At last, the devouring element burst its way through the strong tinned roof with tremendous force, and the flames, thus finding a vent, spread with dreadful rapidity through every part of the building : Toto descendit corpore pestis: Nec vires heroum, infusaque flumina prosunt. Every possible exertion to subdue the conflagration was made by the different Fire Companies, the troops of the garrison, and inhabitants of all classes. Some of the most respectable citizens, of every profession, were seen busily occupied in removing the valuable furniture and effects; and others assisted in conveying to a place of safety some of the ornaments of the dinner table, which was laid; and at which, by invitation, they were to have been partakers that very day, of the Governor's hospitality. On a pedestal which stood at the head of the principal staircase, close to the entrance of the first drawing-room, was placed a bust of the immortal WOLFE, bearing the following elegant inscription: Let no vain tear upon his tomb be shed, This invaluable bust, in the melée and confusion, would probably have been destroyed, had not a gentleman made it his first care to rescue it, and to convey it, like another PALLADIUM, to a place of safety. The intense cold of the day added considerably to the difficulty of suppressing the flames. In the morning the thermometer indicated twenty-two degrees, and during the day from four to eight degrees below zero, with a cold and piercing westerly wind. The engines were, therefore, soon frozen up, and could only be rendered serviceable by constant supplies of warm water. At length it became too apparent, that any successful attempt to arrest the progress of the flames was hopeless-all efforts to save even a portion of the building proved ineffectual-and the morning disclosed to the sight of the inhabitants a mass of smoking ruins, to remind them of the loss which the Province and the city had sustained. Apart from the painful sense of the destruction of this ancient and celebrated building, so identified with our colonial history, the sight itself was throughout the day deeply impressive-at night fall, grand in the extreme. The extent of the structure, the numerous windows and openings, its great elevation and peculiar position as to the Lower N Town, actually overhanging its streets, so that the burning flakes fell upon the roofs of the houses below, combined to make this mastery of the flames almost an object to be admired. The scene, from the Lower Town, was truly picturesque; and at a distance, the view of the fire, and its reflection on the ice and snow, have been described as singularly beautiful. The Provincial Parliament being then in session, His Excellency the Governor-in-Chief sent down the following message, on the 24th January, 1834 : "AYLMER, Governor-in-Chief. "It is with regret that His Excellency feels himself under the necessity of informing the House of Assembly, that the ancient Castle of St, Lewis, which he occupied as his official residence, caught fire yesterday about noon, and that notwithstanding the efforts of His Majesty's troops, of his Honor the Mayor of Quebec, of the gentlemen of the Seminary, of the firemen and the crowd of citizens of all classes, who had hastened to the spot, and exerted themselves unceasingly to save that public edifice, it has entirely become a prey to the flames. "Castle of St. Lewis, "Quebec, 24th January, 1834." This was replied to in the Legislative Council by a loyal address of condolence, and an expression of readiness on their part to unite in any appropriation which might come before them, for the purpose of erecting a suitable residence for the Governor-in-Chief of these Provinces. It has been generally regretted that the House of Assembly did not proceed upon this message; but it is to be hoped and expected on the part of the people of the Province, that another session will not be allowed to pass over with |