"These are to will and require yo" to erect a gallows in the most publike place of yo' cittie, to hang the said trayto" on, and that yo" provide halters to hang them with, a sufficient number of faggots to burne the bowells of fower trayto", and a furnace or cauldron to boyle their heads and quarters, and salt to boyle therewith, half a bushell to each trayto', and tarr to tarr yn with, and a sufficient number of speares and poles, to fix their heads and quarters."

In 1692, Bath was visited by the princess, afterwards Queen Anne, who was received with every mark of respect by the Mayor and Corporation; but the reigning Queen, with whom Anne was then on bad terms, commanded them in future to refrain from paying more ceremony to her than to any other person. After her accession to the throne, Queen Anne again visited Bath, on which occasion, one hundred young men of the City, uniformly clad and armed, and two hundred young women attired like Amazons, met the Queen and her retinue on the borders of the county, and accompanied them (by a road cut for the occasion from the summit of Lansdown) to the Western Gate of the City, where the royal party were received by the members of the Corporation, and conducted to their lodgings. The concourse of visitors attracted to Bath, in consequence of the Queen's presence, caused a rise of nearly one hundred per cent. in the price of provisions, and one guinea per night was paid for a bed.

Bath had previously been visited only by persons on account of its waters: "the pleasures it afforded were merely rural, the company splenetic, rustic, and vulgar :" but about this time it became frequented by people of distinction. The salubrity of the waters had been praised by Doctor Jordan, and several other eminent physicians, and were consequently used by an increased number of invalids: a summer retreat was wanted, where the more wealthy classes could assemble together, and enjoy the then prevalent amusement of gaming; and Bath seemed fixed upon by general consent for that purpose. The company had hitherto been content with roaming about the romantic walks near the City, and with dancing on the bowling green to the music of a fiddle and hautboy; but about two years after Queen Anne's visit, the amusements were put under the direction of a master of the ceremonies, and conducted with more regularity. Still, however, the diversions were neither elegant nor rational. General society was not established; the nobility refused to keep company with the gentry at any of the public entertainments; smoking was permitted in the public rooms; ladies and gentlemen appeared at the assemblies in aprons and boots; and dancing and gaming were often continued until the morning. In addition to these drawbacks, the lodgings were mean, though expensive; the floors were coloured brown with soot and beer, to hide the dirt; and the furniture was of a common and clumsy kind. The City was also of comparative insignificance; its buildings covered little more than fifty acres of ground; there were no public edifices of importance or beauty; nor were there any wide streets, squares, or crescents: the Pump-house was without a director, and visitors could not walk about after dark without being liable to insult.

Such was the state of things, when Mr. Richard Nash, commonly called Beau Nash, first visited Bath; and under his auspices were commenced those various improvements which have progressively rendered this City one of the most gay, fashionable, and attractive in Europe.

The amusements began to be conducted with regularity,—an officer was appointed to take charge of the Pump-room,-upwards of seventeen hundred pounds were expended in repairing the roads, near the City,-the streets were better paved, cleansed, and lighted,and invalids were exempted from tolls on entering and going out of Bath. Large houses and broad streets were also built, and adorned with every species of architectural ornament, and the suburbs were laid out in pleasure-grounds and gardens. From that time therefore, Bath became the summer rendezvous of persons of all classes, and was occasionally visited by various members of the Royal family. Until within the last eighty years, the City was principally confined within its ancient walls, and included only the parishes of St. Peter and St. Paul, St. James, and St. Michael; but owing to the celebrity of its waters, and consequent increase of visitors and public amusements, it became necessary to provide suitable accommodations for their reception. New streets were therefore projected, and erected with astonishing rapidity; squares, parades, crescents, and a circus, arose in quick succession; and no measure was neglected which was thought likely to add importance to the City, or to increase its attractions.

The person to whom modern Bath is chiefly indebted for its architectural arrangements, designs, and character, is Mr. John Wood, architect. Early in the eighteenth century, he designed and carried into effect the Circus, and many of those buildings which now form the chief ornaments of the City. The first street built under his superintendence was Berton or Barton street: afterwards he constructed a row of houses for James, Duke of Chandos, and about the same time entered into a contract for completing a Canal between Bath and Bristol. During the execution of these works, a person named Strachan was employed to lay out some land on the west side of the City into streets, and Mr. Wood was also engaged to make a plan for covering the Bowling Green, and the Abbey Orchard, with houses. In 1727, the latter architect made designs for rebuilding the whole City conformably to a uniform plan, and not to make small and unconnected additions ; but the members of the Corporation slighted his scheme, and he contracted with Mr. Gay for the land on which he subsequently erected Queen Square. Barton-street was next extended about one hundred and fifty feet more to the west than originally intended, and a new line of buildings, called John-street, was constructed. He next built the Lower Rooms on the east side of the Old Bowling Green, and increased the Terrace-walk in front of it. The success attending this project induced the Corporation to level and plant Orange Grove, which had previously been considered a public nuisance. In addition to the buildings above-mentioned, several new streets were formed in the meadows to the west. In the year 1738, a new Act of Parliament was obtained for paving, watching, cleansing, and lighting the streets of the City, and also to regulate the fares of the chair

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men. On this occasion there were some peculiar privileges and advantages obtained for the inhabitants in the eastern part of Bath, which was materially improved and augmented in buildings, in consequence. The Abbey Orchard also became the site of many improvements. The North and South Parades, with their interesting avenues, Duke-street and Pierrepont-street, and other buildings, were consequently erected. A line of houses was also commenced fronting the Terrace-walk in King's Mead, Walcotstreet; many other rows of houses were extended to the north; and the foundation of a general Hospital was laid near the wall which bounded the City on that side. Shortly afterwards various alterations were made in the Baths; the Old Shambles were converted into a commodious flesh-market; and some additions were made to the Lower Assembly Rooms. The Circus, which forms so distinguished a feature of Bath, was also designed by the elder Mr. Wood, who, during his professional career, either erected, or contracted to cover with houses a space of land nearly three times the extent of the original City. The Crescent, Upper Assembly Rooms, and many public edifices, and private honses in various parts of the City, owe their origin to the son of Mr. Wood. Other architects have followed their example; and streets, crescents, and parades have been erected in endless succession: but, to trace the progressive though rapid increase of buildings on the western side of the Avon, would require more space than can here be allotted.

Whilst Bath was thus extended in every direction to the west of the river, Sir William Pulteney, who possessed a large tract of land on the opposite side, did not suffer it to remain unoccupied. He first constructed a lofty Bridge, with houses on it, and then built Laura Place, Great Pulteney-street, and part of Sydney Place, with some of the neighbouring streets. The building of the Sydney Tavern, and planting of its gardens, was another novelty, which perhaps contributed more to the entertainment of the Bath visitors than any other recent addition to that City; and although the grounds have been encroached upon by the Kennet-and-Avon Canal, which passes through them, the effect is scarcely perceptible, and certainly not destructive to the beauty and character of the gardens. Sir William Pulteney's daughter, the late Countess of Bath, completed the buildings commenced by her father; and her heir, the Earl of Darlington, has continued to enlarge and carry on the designs of his predecessors.

The improvement of Bath has been manifested not only by the erection of buildings in new situations, but by the altering, widening, and rendering commodious and convenient, the streets of the old part of the City. An Act of Parliament was obtained in 1789, whereby certain commissioners, therein named, were empowered to adopt precautions for preserving the Bath waters, to erect new streets, &c. Cheap-street and Westgate-street have consequently been widened, and other thoroughfares have been improved; but amongst the most prominent and beneficial effects of the above-mentioned Act, may be noticed the erection of Union-street, which now forms a convenient communication from the north parts of the City to the Pump-rooms, the building of Bath-street and New Bond-street, and the improvements in Horse-street on the one side,

and in Walcot and Northgate streets on the other, the two chief entrances to the city. The unsightly old houses, which stood in front of the Guildhall, have been removed; Quiet-street has been widened, and ornamented by a Bazaar and other buildings; a new Hospital has been erected on the ancient site of Belltree Lane; the row of dilapidated houses on the Widcombe-side of the Old Bridge has been demolished; and the alteration, or rebuilding of the Bristol Bridge itself, with many other improvements, are in progress, or in preparation. A new Bridge has recently been erected over the Avon, at the eastern end of the City, to make a better entrance from the London road. The Abbey Church, the most interesting building in Bath, was, at no remote period, a public thoroughfare; and its north and south sides were not only obscured, but injuriously built against, by several small houses and shops. Most of these have been taken down, and the Corporation, as well as Earl Manvers, to whom the property belongs, have very liberally consented to relinquish their rents and profits, for the purposes of public improvement. The site of the Lower Rooms is occupied by a handsome modern building, appropriated to the "Bath Literary and Scientific Institution." On the brow of Lansdown Hill, Mr. Beckford has built a lofty and elegant Tower, with some splendid rooms attached; and has also laid out a large tract of the same down in plantations, pleasure-grounds, and gardens.

MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT.-The Corporation of Bath exercise their authority and jurisdiction under Queen Elizabeth's charter of 1590, to which some additional powers were added in 1794. Their revenues are derived chiefly from the rent of the pumps, from the profits arising from the private baths in Stall-street, the sums paid by the inhabitants for water, ground rents, and fines for the renewal of leases of City property. Out of the sums arising from the above-mentioned sources, £1000 is allowed to the chief magistrate during the year of his mayoralty. The judicial and other business of the City is transacted in the Guildhall, where the Sessions are held four times in each year. The magistrates have cognizance of all breaches of the peace, and other misdemeanors committed within the liberties. Personal actions, to the amount of forty shillings, are tried by a Court of Record, which sits every Monday; and a Court of Requests, for the recovery of debts under ten pounds, is held on Wednesdays. For the better prevention of theft and other crimes, an institution for the apprehension and prosecution of felons, under the name of the "Bath Society of Guardians," was established about the year 1800; and another society, for the same object, termed the "Bath Forum Association," has since been formed. The Prison is a commodious building near Pulteney Bridge; and the Penitentiary, established in 1805, is situated in Lady Mead, Walcot-street.

There are in Bath seven Churches of the established religion, and eight. Chapels, viz. the Abbey Church of St. Peter, (commonly called the Abbey,) Saint Michael's Church; the Parish Church of Walcot; Christ's Church, Montpelier Row; the New Free Church in James-street, dedicated to the Holy Trinity; the Parish Church of Lincombe and Widcombe; and St. Mary's Church, Bathwick. The Chapels are, St. Michael's Chapel, near

the Cross Bath; Queen Square Chapel; the Octagon Chapel, in Milsom-street; St. Margaret's Chapel, Brook-street; All Saints' Chapel, Lansdown Grove; Kensington Chapel, near the London Road, Walcot; Laura Chapel, Henrietta-street; and the Chapel of St. Mary Magdalen, under Beechen Cliff. The Catholics, and following sects of Dissenters, have also places of worship in Bath,—the Baptists, Huntingtonians, Independents, Methodists, Moravians, Quakers, and Unitarians.

The Public Benevolent Institutions are, the Hospital; City Infirmary and Dispensary; the Casualty Hospital; the Puerperal, or Child-bed Charity; the Society for the Relief of Poor Married Lying-in Women; the Humane Society; and the Eye Infirmary; the Bimberries, or Hospital of St. Catharine; St. John's Hospital, or the Blue Alms; and Partis College, a large and handsome edifice to the west of the city. There is a Penitentiary, conducted on a plan similar to that of the Magdalen Hospital, London; a public Grammar School; a Charity, or Blue School; Sunday Schools; Catholic Free Schools; an establishment called the Sunday School Union; and an Adult School Society. The public Societies are both numerous and useful.

Amongst the Places of Amusement may be enumerated the Assembly Rooms, Concert Rooms, Theatre, and Sydney Gardens; but the chief objects of attraction are the Baths and Pump-rooms. Though Bath owes its chief celebrity and property to its warm waters, it cannot but excite surprise and regret that the appearance of the Baths, and the accommodations for their visitants, have not been sufficiently studied and respected. It is full time that the Corporation should direct their attention and income to these objects.

Of the eminent literary characters, who were either natives or denizens of Bath, the following are held in high and deserved estimation, not only by their descendants, but by the reading and scientific world in general. Early in the seventeenth century, Jones, Venner, Jorden, Johnson, and Pierce, all resident physicians of Bath, attempted, by their writings, to advance medical science, and give publicity to the waters. Dr. Mayow, who wrote a Chemical Treatise on Nitrous Salts, and Dr. Guidot, a man of extensive knowledge, and a correspondent with the most eminent physicians of his age, were also inhabitants of that city. Early in the next century, we meet with the names of Cheyne, and the two Olivers, who, by communicating to the public the result of their inquiries, eminently adorned the profession of which they were members. These were succeeded by Doctors Falconer and Parry, who to a practical knowledge of medicine added an extensive acquaintance with general literature; and their successor, Sir William Watson, rendered himself eminent, not only by his professional abilities, but by his ardent love of philosophical pursuits. To him that celebrated astronomer, Herschel, who for many years resided in Bath, was indebted for an introduction to his late Majesty, and to the scientific world. Bath was also, at different periods, the place of residence of the celebrated Botanists, Dr. Johnson, Sole, and Stackhouse: it may also be regarded as the cradle of English Geology, towards which science, the strata in its immediate vicinity gave the first hints. Mr. Smith is said to have first observed that each layer, or stratum, had its