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A Picturefque Guide to Bath, Bristol Hot-Wells, the River Avon, and the adjacent Country; illuftrated with a Set of Views, taken in the Summer of 1792; by Meff. Ibbetson, Laporte, and J. Haffell; and engraved in Aquatinta. 8vo. 11. 1s. Boards. Hookham and Carpenter. 1793.

THIS

HIS is a very elegant and pleafing performance. The beauty of the typography, and of the prints, is further recommended by the unaffuming modefty, and good sense of the defcriptions. One fault may be obferved, not uncommon, though much to be avoided, in books ornamented with engravings: the prints are too large for the fize of the work, infomuch that it will hardly bear binding; and if, in the courfe of centuries, a fecond or third binding were required, the prints must be taken out, or extremely injured. The French artifts carefully avoid this inattention, which the fmallest reflection must point out as highly improper: and the rule is infallible, that no unfolded print fhould exceed the fize of the printed page.

Our travellers thus fet out;

'Leaving London by that beautiful and elegant outlet from it, Piccadilly, we are tempted out of the high road through Knightsbridge, by the attractions of Hyde Park, a fpot that boasts a superiority over moft others of the fame defcription, by offering to the fpectator, in defiance of all feafons, inceflant though varied lovelinefs. It is the refort of fashion, as the promenade of the town; but to fashion, all crowded places are equally acceptable. The con templative mind will, however, gratefully acknowledge the falu, brious luxury of fuch an expanse of verdure and foliage, and will thank, at least the benevolence of the rural deities, who, to counteract the evils of a populous metropolis, extended their dominions and their cares to its termination.

Few of those who delight in this favoured fpot are, perhaps, aware of the imminent danger they were in, a very few years ago, of losing the privilege of frequenting it, or, at leaft, the benefit refulting from that privilege. It is held by the crown, under a lease from the Brudenell family, at a rent, according to report, of 3000l. per annum. The leafe being nearly expired, the avidity of the London builders would not fuffer them to neglect applying for a part of it, particularly the eaft fide, which, in a fhort time, they would have covered, as they have Marybone; but the leafe being renewed between the former contracting parties, the inhabitants of thofe houses, to which it affords air and a beautiful profpect, have efcaped being immured, and the public may ftill enjoy their walks and their airings in Hyde Park.

• Before

Before we quit it, we must beg leave to fuggeft to those who have the care of this inclosure, our fears that their attention to convenience will entirely obliterate all the features of nature. If, because a level road is pleasant to the driver, every rife and every hollow is to be converted into a plain; if, because a trait line is the fhorteft, the grace of a curve is to be given up; in a word, if all is to be regular, as feems the prefent plan of reformation in Hyde Park, we must be content with recollecting, it once was more various and more beautiful.'

We heartily concur in thefe remarks, and hope that good tafte will put a stop in time to the bold emendations of our modern improvers, who would reduce all the opulence and variety of nature to level lawns, and gravel walks, and clumps; as uniform and infipid as the old groves, and alleys, and platforms.

When, in p. 10, our ingenious authors inform us that the town of Windfor is much older than the caftle, they are either mistaken, or inaccurate. The prefent town of Windfor certainly grew up after the erection of the caftle, like many other villages and towns around the caftle of the lord. Old Windfor is, indeed, more ancient than the caftle: and the Roman bricks, appearing in the walls of the church, feem to indicate even remote antiquity: but Old Windfor is two miles diftant from the caftle; and can hardly be confidered as having had any connection with it.

The compliment to Mr. Weft the painter, p. 12, we think unfounded. We are neither friends nor enemies to that artift, but, judging as impartial connoiffeurs, we must fay that to praife his works is a difgrace to national tafte, as, without any pretenfions to genius, they difplay only induftry and hardnefs. His fketches exceed his finished pictures; but even they ftrike the eye as if every outline were drawn with black chalk.

It is rather furprizing that, in palling Slough, p. 17, our artists did not obferve Mr. Herfchel's famous telefcope, mounted on level ground, but of fuch a height as to catch every eye. Perhaps, indeed, they may retaliate, by filence, a refufal of admittance; for common report fays that the celebrated aftronomer, forgetful of the high refpect which he owes to this country and its natives, is little inclined to gratify even literary curiofity, though intrufive at no larry hour.

But we haften to the chief fcenes of the prefent work. Bath is defcribed under the diftinct heads of fituation, foil, waters; prefent ftate of the city, projected improvements, amufements, &c. The account, if we except the latter articles, is chiefly borrowed from former publications; we fhall extract one or two of the latter heads:

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Present state of the city. To give any methodical account of Bath at the present day, it is neceffary to trace many things to a fource that would hardly repay travellers or visitors for the tedioufnefs of the detail. We will therefore only fay as much as we think should be known by every perfon defigning to go thither.

Bath is governed by a mayor, recorder, eight other aldermen, twenty common-councilmen, and a town-clerk. It fends two members to parliament, has two fairs in a year, a market for meat, poultry, &c. &c. on Wednesdays and Saturdays: and one for fish on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. A greater variety or abundance of the very best provisions is no where to be found.

In its ecclefiaftical conftitution, Bath is one fole rectory exclufive of Walcot. The corporation are the patrons: the income is not estimated at more than 200l. a year, and the churches are ferved by curates, who, for their emoluments, depend on the generofity of the inhabitants and visitors. Walcot is a rectory, and the patronage of it is vefted in the lord of the manor.

The trade of Bath, though at various times flourishing in the clothing branch, and afterwards by the manufacture of ftone and metal, feems now to confift folely in the traffic of the waters, and the entertainment of strangers. The Avon was made navigable fo long ago as 1727, and barges are employed on it to and from Brif

tol.

The form of the city, though anciently a pentagon, is now nearly a triangle, the fuburbs having spread wider in the heights towards Lanfdown, than at the oppofite part towards the river.

It would convey no diftinct idea to the reader, were we to enumerate every street and lane in Bath. We will therefore confine ourfelves to mentioning the principal parts of the city and fuburbs.

Orange-grove is a fine open area, one hundred and ninety feet by one hundred and feventy. It is planted with rows of elms. In the centre is the obelifk erected by Mr. Nafh, in compliment to the prince of Orange. On the fouth fide of the grove is a paved terrace walk, two hundred feet in length, and twenty-feven in breadth, called the Walks.

6 The North Parade is a noble terrace, raifed on arches, and is fifty-two feet broad, and near five hundred and forty long. The buildings are confined to the fouth fide, and are very handfome and convenient. They command a lovely view of the beautiful vale to the eastward of Bath, watered by the Avon, and fkirted by the hills.

The South Parade nearly resembles the other; but its prospect being that of Widcombe, Prior park, and the hanging woods of Beechen cliff, is very different. The Avon flows at the caft end, and there is a ferry over it into the meadows. In the front of the buildings on this parade, lies the Ham, originally a large meadow, but now moftly converted into garden grounds.

• Here

Here let us beg the reader's patience, while we notice a vulgar error refpecting this meadow. The word Ham is of Saxon derivation, and imports a dwelling-place, as might cafily be inferred from the use made of it, as an adjunct to a variety of proper names, when a place was to be denominated from a perfon. It is, however, the opinion of fome, who have been refident at Bath, that this meadow is fo named from its fancied resemblance to a ham of bacon, and accordingly it has been repréfented in that form.

• King's mead fquare, so called from a plot of ground, part of the ancient royal demefne, is an area of one hundred and fifty feet, by one hundred and twer tv.

Queen Square is on the north-weft fide of the city, and stands on an elevated spot. It is in length from north to fouth three hundred and fixteen feet, and in breadth three hundred and fix. In the centre is a planted inclofure, ornamented by the pointed obelisk erected by Mr. Nafh, in honour of the prince and princess of Wales.

'Nothing can exceed, in correctnefs of architecture and elegance of defign, the houfes furrounding this area. The whole credit of them is due to the late Mr. Wood, who to a very rich fancy, joined that degree of architectural science, neceflary for fo great a work as the embellishment of this city.

The King's Circus, which communicates with Queen-square, by Gay-street, is a grand circular range of houfes, uniform in appearance, exhibiting the graces of the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian orders, and magnificently ornamented. The centre is a reservoir of

water.

The Royal Crefcent connects with the weft fide of the Circus by the medium of Brock-ftreet. It is of an elliptical form, and the buildings are fuperb; a fingle row of Ionic columns fupports the cornice. The Crefcent contains only thirty houfes, and commands a delightful view of great part of the city, the vale on each side of the river, and the oppofite hills, among which Barrow hill makes a fingular, but highly picturefque appearance. This eminence, whose name imports that it is thought a tumulus, though it has been by many deemed a natural mount, ftands on the brow of a high ridge of hill, about half a mile eastward from the village of Inglishcombe, clofe by the fide of the road from Bristol to Frome, and commands, from its fummit, a full view of the city of Bath, the Wiltshire hills, Lanfdown, the vale of Avon, and a long tract of Gloucestershire beyond it, bounded by the Severn, and Cambrian mountains.

To return into Bath.-Marlborough buildings ftand at the weft end of the Crefcent, are very handfome, and form the boundary of the city weftward. It is towards the north that the extension now takes its cou.fe; Lanfdown-place, the name of which denotes its fituation, is very much elevated, and commands a noble profpect

from

from the Wiltshire hills on the eaft, to the environs of Bristol on the weft, and including the lofty tower of Dundry.

Between Marlborough buildings, and the Lanfdown road, occur a variety of elegant dwellings. At the end of Lanfdown-ftreet, and upon the edge of a projecting point, called Beacon-hill, is a fuperb range of buildings of an elliptic form, called Camden-place, and now, after a variety of hindrances that would have damped the ardour of any but Bath builders, completed. Almost immediately under it lies Walcot, ferving to decorate a profpect in itself extremely beautiful.

Catherine-place and Portland-place, muft not be omitted in our enumeration of the elegant ftru&ures of Bath; but the additions on the Pulteney eftate form almost another town. Laura-place, foar rows of fuperb houfes difpofed in a lozenge, is one of the most diftinguifhed spots on it for fpace and magnificence. Thefe erections are after plans made by Mr. Baldwin, and every day is adding to the extent and grandeur of the city in this quarter.

In this part the Avon has a handsome modern bridge, called the New Bridge, built over it at Mr. Pulteney's expence. It refts on two arches, and on each fide is a row of small neat fhops, which entirely conceal from the paffenger that he is crofing the water.

Near this bridge, and to the fouth of Laura-place, is Springgarden, Vauxhall, a place of great refort in the fummer feafon; but the ground will shortly be covered with houfes, and this entertainment removed. Oppofite to this garden is the weir, above which the river is not navigable.

The fituation of the New Vauxhall, which fuperfedes the entertainments of this place, is an area of nineteen acres, at the east end of Great Pulteney-street.

• Grofvenor hotel and gardens are on the bank of the Avon, east of the London road, and within a small diftance of the Guild-hall. Both this, and the Spring-garden, are to be supported by subscription; but the prefent fituation of public affairs has ftopped their completion.

• Bath is divided from the parishes of Widcombe and Lincomb, by St. Laurence's gate and bridge.

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The streets in the new part of Bath are wide and airy, the footways paved with broad flag ftones, and moft of them being on a declivity, they are made clean by a fhower, and prefently dry after

the heaviest rain.

The police of the city contributes much to the comfort of an abode there; and it is to its well digefted and enforced by-laws, that the visitors own it, that they can never be impofed on. The corporation have adjufted the price of the refpective baths, and the fees to be given to attendants; and if complaint is neceffary, there are magiftrates ready to grant redrefs, fitting every Monday morning at the Guildhall. The chairmen are alfo under the controul

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