The Sun. — London, England, 1844-10-28 00:00:00

KEITH iiburgh Town a of the mon' .re aware tha t i 5., entitled the certain Com the necessary and improving e the passing of ye extended the \Then that wa s nt question tat) A plan ha gineer, for qtr.' eet, by eve n and a 1 111 to the different occurred lately ce for Leith to 3 the monopoly, r. Gladstone o f ton and Burn: 'ould prove ei , ut there was 7 , n both sides 0 mmodated by 3 )n the north t 0 1.6 this felt, thal. bole capital 01„ hours. But at l e to Leith fo r rich this acorn' ?rtain that they that the publi c it they are con' "'haven or the the pier to HS )01., and unl es , a , n might as w e° the piles n o W d Leith cannot of Mr. Lesl ie with this vie!: ixious to get 1, agreement in for the i lo ' woved of by to present instance !eling that they asked the Tr ey , and what they It they have as ry is sometil t Doctor Fei be ent. Now , )f the Duke c t nterest i n Or, ttion which 11a' )rovement. nyt in, h' of the ing the peo n v„ t interests. Pv e that influen t. c . 9 een used in t` l 6 4 then procee d . o council had I , )ocks, and con , be made to tu ctions that thef the Treasury o ;ive their sand_ y the Comnna.: ,eith for the eg. on was unaill‘ AY.—lire have lway, which 1 0 Is of Southrr e en form a juv e most satis' sfaetory tree count of intere, Fully confirreetu; iat must ar)s e . commun icatle o esP the very .h o f the c ounti .l es e nple promis.ve, lers in the 1 awa re, fronlit,tl/,: filling up. gr , )mpleted by )rt most fav °ll o f the natare t bankmenrs h on etion ' e t be is vests m id m id 'aptain SSilmT . ell, Esq. ( V .,..1? e H. Gill, -D' c li; nd Gething• le is most destre inhabitants o_. ;, are more thr".. e to these to i l; modation wh ic n Review. g o tce of this yeer verage as considers ' , eat of the yeT, Ted at Ber"'lc,, an last year. a neighbour' f rom the COLi n .;_ ne a teetota lle ;; edure, ffice of the l e :f ..‘d, a n umbe r , he man ager v i he af asked , answered, or , tic' a drip Y r° mean, Si r . to otary, "tell ? 5 wh i s k y nsa vas just thin;4:e.; asked aO Ol e r en the map politely sh ow s , l he express e : en id the ntn 9, : r r v pounds, Si , in amazo ne9 : Eiri bt4 ' e whisky yet of the OffiCe. —He is anstcle: ever—coniP i b ig in o idolise is ge Wive); - }le is safe , —not of gell i n g, and wan ts of the surgeo n ite attornei d o ig after our own. " o g ice; Sy.tn° s h ag och husnles.s, or state 1n i10 , 1 .. a ? of our seiell'-,,nt by the Pr es 'in. t a decent l e only reenol'ir ing in Pen si t be lot w holly do occasions at d cyphers ,t a ge sassing bolo, that made Or NCLIEST.E.• ,„ ave g reafP l ii e ; a port of bi n d of wines a in Mancbestr„ w s holly 111,7 ts, in all fib(:rit Lin Gibb, long confly.,"d, rilege of b° m i e h are shot': of antial wa r ps rnstnen. ; rday eYe ti be,an to 'l OO began Iti eruc ted a l'' b r gd ken and „ v . is now renlv to other P° rts o icl• Camp!' Us fficers o f the unlo ad . l9 ol operatiot!,.., rat ifying u" os 5 • pr oniffA - __ for f bonding '„, e fruits of eneral Or r :, a little tio ter fijanches this year_T Severn, fru; Les and P e ; e l d. per bl e d. rd and li st mar ket cif e e x V trew apibou not a l . rhoo“ st th e P ric° tb° t on. , in Y rior to 3 21;ucester o f s uscec the 15 „ t v: Bare°__ti c ) ) try, a to addresse „IL 1., lot comp../ thew wy„, lb been address Hita, QUEEN'S VISIT TO THE C ITY. OPENING OF THE NEW ROYAL EXCHANGE.—(THIS DAY.) It has been remarked as a gratifying and auspicious circumstance that on every occasion of her Majesty's " progresses," however threatening might be the previous aspect of the weather, and however lowering the first break of the morning, the seasons have sus pended their menace, and the sun has continued to shine through the opposing mists, and smile upon the royal cavalcade. For the last day or two there were rath er gloomy apprehensions for the weather of this d ay, but the morning, although cold and damp, was of the character which always at this time of the sear pro m i ses a f a i r d ay . At a very early hour the approaches to the Park, Pall-mall, the Strand, Sec., were thr on —, s'eu with eager crowds hurrying to possess themselves betimes of the most favourable positions; d as ten o'clock there were assembled in St. J ames's Park, Pall-mall, and all along the line of precession, as great multitudes as we ever witnessed ° a any similar occasion. Nor did we ever see such assemblages collected in such good humour and or derly demeanour—characteristics to which the for bearance and civility of the police in a very great degree contributed, showing an improved understand ing between the public and the preservers of the Peace, if not altogether an improved character of the ti mes- This particular feature of the holiday was toe striking to he passed unnoticed. In Pall-mall, soon after nine o'clock, the windows and balconies were filled with elegantly- dressed spec tators, and the numerous contrivances to protect them against the discomfort of the season, had in all cases daaPal le Z i z, and in some a rather rich effect ; tapestries, and fringed verandas, gave a picturesque indication of a fete day. But we were surprised to °l)ser ve in this fine and aristocratic street, almost within the precincts of the Palace, no preparations for th 4l nination, a lth oug h in the other parts of the route e preparations were costly and tasteful. In St. James's Park the line was occupied before ni ne , ()clock, and when the guards of honour—de tacbrnents of th e Bl ues , the Life Guards, and the 17th cncers—c ame to ta k e up th e i r positions in the spa uscloear thespace for them. The Life Guards wore their helmets and white plumes, and looked to Feat advantage. Every one knows what a dashing tie a " . P the 17th Lancers are, and fit to earn the vice on their-saddle cloths—the death's head " or ore: , When the procession moved from the Pa ,ace,_ the nobl e appearance o f the three detachments Th e gre a tl y to the splen d our o f th e p agean t. "le route was along the Park, through the iron f l ! tes s by the G erman Chapel, into Pall-mall. In t he latter street two of the best of the street bands And ta ken up their s t a tion, one towards either end, oc the app roac h o f her Majesty they struck up "td light save the Queen," to the evident de fro of the assembled people, by whom, in her d eparture f rom t h e P a l ace , h er Ma jesty W aSgreeted with most enthusiastic cheers w h , 4 1 ° 1 she g acknowledged with her charac 4, - Ai? ti e gracious and graceful smiles. Her 11 J eS tY look e d as well, as cheerful, and almost as C lin g as on the day of her Coronation ; and we are ppy to say, it is very absurd to pretend that there t he slightest unfavourable alteration in her appear 4aoe. }lo. l :he State Carriage drawn by eight cream coloured and containing her Majesty, his Royal High t!!! Peice e Albert, w i t h t h e D uc h es s of Buccleuch i.l.t.stress of the R o b es ), an d th e Earl of Jersey \ ro WlaSter of the Horse), was preceded by six of the carriages, each drawn by six horses. These gho a e Yed the p r i nc i pa l mem bers of the Household, j(ltisetistornerily attend the Queen on statee-cceca kit:, The carri ages o f the Ambassadors, Foreign Isio t , - ` er s, and Cabinet Ministers, closed the proces 1V Which they fell in with opposite to St. James's Wh o ' and following the detachment of Life Guards, attended J 3, „ the stat e ca rriage. hrs time the dullness and chilliness of the in s, bri h t il B. had yielded to a sunshine of comparative 8 asse n Ala $ and seemed to give new spirit to the loyal via ae; ges, whose cheers became, if possible, more ' G as and sustained. CHARING-CROSS. ri ro P s re ln a very early hour a great concourse of per had assembled near Charing-cross, and the en be4e to West Strand, from which point t . h t erewou b l y d .Iss e r.9 good view of the procession as swept e e , -B°ll' s Pillar. About an hour before the loy, 0 : -e g Passed there were several carriages went by i'c\t,ltdsbtehes.,F_sxic.hange. We noticed, amongst others, CEII O , 4. . st Lord of the ,. Treasury ; thelCtla s tl' °t the Exchequer, Sir Thomas Fremantle, "ehlr Y at War; the Right Hon. the Recordelfr: Asst Solicitor -General, Sir F. Thesiger. About ha il 11 4 , :t Clevell &clock, the carriages forming the half- Royal procession made their appearance, IsilotiZtrhieignkein;•ound round Nelson's pillar, one could - that her Majesty must have con netted the object of the day's pageant with the first 11 11 4111 he ro in the world, and must have felt how much :see ol:litariielssutyted might his victories to bind to the monarchy l ‘ l veassr E ra n t ß e l a t ri i : the supremacy of that commerce of which be said to proceed this day to cond temple. At Charing-cross the crow vels Y d ense, and the steps of Nelson's pillar were %v on -1 4 ,9 th ged with spectators. It was with much diffl -I,at the p o li ce were able to keep back the crowd " had collect e d near M or l ey ' s H o t e l, a t w hi c h PThe aeo there ,is a considerable inclination on the footway. Asre W as an ent h usiastic cheer sent forth b y the lLtilbled mulsiSude ' which her Majesty and Prince see m m ost gracissusly noticed, and her Majesty Pou r h 'ghly ratifiet.l with this enthusiastic out b O l -. '''' g°f her subjects' affection. The houses on 0 t the of We s t Strand were filled with people ti e ° `le n orth sid e th e h ouse o f M r. J ones was par • lon2arly n oticeable. C over i ng th e balcony was a on Piec e of gree n c l ot h , a l ong w hi c h was woun d la : °f cri mson col our , w i t h a tassel l e d b or d er o f silver .tee* On the oppos i te side there were large !lags .ng from Mr. W arren ' s establishment, and from It,: Lowther Bazaar. Further on, from the ~uses o n each s id e, t h ere were V ar i ous WereS R sus pended ; an d from every window there S n s`snberle ss h andkerchiefs waving in the air. or .i*.he houses on b o th s id es h a d th e i r w i n d ows j n -41 ved and were fitted up with seats for the occa s i on . In "t feW of them we observed " seats to let here ti: ; * 6r.cin g and 2s. 6sl. back." Shortly bef o r e h er tC es tY arrived there were heaps of sand spread over ti e w ooden pavement ti prevent any accident occur pro ng from the s li pp i ng of the royal horses. As the has advanced along ese Strand her Majesty as received at each successive advance with loud Cheers ' A considerable crowd was collected at the end, of We llington-street, an d th e mos t en -41 t . °ll s siastio wel come was given t o h er M a j es t y . a the , cortege p assed by the office of the Railway lar t he street was suspend e d over t h e m i ddle o f once cre flag l being a t tached to a rope fastened at the g of the Railway Bell on the north side, and at another house on the south side. A vast number of Fdovertisernents, or papers of some sort, were flung l arge the window as the royal carriage passed. A not ß e flag was also suspended from the office of the t , er l'er, and Punch exhibited his well-known per 'V'sl outside his own office, from w hi c h t h ere were a 131.14 i0n of l amps, for illumination, suspended. there Church o f S t. M ary -le-Strand, where " e re w - ere a number of seats fitted up for the °e ?asion, a loud cheer burst forth, and the o lee s of a ssumber of scholars, who were singing louder National Anthem, were scarcely audible, amid the ',‘"vusler a celamatiosis which rent the air outside. t , h en her Majesty appeared at St. Clement Danes, b u e e bells of that church rung out their loud peals ; and i e . r , e also, wh ere there were seats fitted up, her Ma "ta'r7. ,net with a m os t h earty c h eer. As the royal whieahge passed th e Ch urc h , there was a short pause, i n we were informed was occasioned by the send he!. ;fa herald to demand an entrance to the City for 'not “a ,j e stY ; but as the gates of Temple -bar were tit dciosea after the first c arr i age h a d passed, Su ms 'a,s Y could not arise frosn this cause. We pre t. it mu s t h ave arisen from sosne delay on the ' th l e Y re side of Tem p l e -b ar. As it was expeetf'd that , wo uld be some ceremony at this side the crowd ii:s e,tniore dense her e th an in any other part of the t0..,,.14.t 0..;5, t here was not the least formalit y th at we rve. There wits no knocking and opening of the gates. The royal carriage was, however, delayed for some time under the gate. We should observe, as due to the police, that their conduct, as far as it came under our notice, was most orderly, and even obliging, when it did not interfere with their duty. The only accident we observed occurred to one of the Lancers, whose horse fell over one of the heaps of sand collected in the morning to throw over the wood pavement. The rider, a young man, was thrown off, and as they were proceeding at the time at a somewhat quick pace, it is surprising that he was not trampled on by the succeeding horse men. He did not, however, seem to regard his fall, for he immediately mounted again. TEMPLE-BAR. Certainly the most interesting and important part of the procession commenced here. The loyal citizens of London, ever awake to the honour of a visit from their beloved Queen, have been on the qui wive for many days past to receive her in the manner that her exalted rank demands. Along Fleet-street, Ludgate-hill, St. Paul's, Cheapside, and the Poultry, nothing has been wanting, and no expense spared to receive the Queen of England in a manner worthy of the first city in the world. Flags were flying from the turret of almost every house; citizen beauty appeared at every window, the gayest of the gay filled every balcony along the line of the procession, and the humble and plodding artisan seemed to feel no fatigue, and to consider it no discomfiture to wait in a dense crowd for five or six hours, in order that he might catch a glimpse of his Sovereign. In almost every shop-window, from Fleet-street to the Mansion house, seats were erected, and let at prices varying from two guineas to five shillings. Many were most tastefully decorated, and showed great skill on the part of those who erected them. As early as seven o'clock numbers began to as semble in the neighbourhood of Temple-bar, and at the windows was to be seen many a fair face— " Scanning the motley scene that varied round." _ _ The platform that had been erected on each side of St. Dunstan's Church was filled with ladies ele gantly dressed ; in short, the whole tout ensemble, from Temple-bar to the Exchange, put us in mind of those splendid lines by Milton : " Blossoms and fruits at once of golden hue, Appeared with gay enamelled colours mixed, On which the sun more glad impressed his beams, Than in fair evening cloud or humid bow." Although it was generally understood that there was not to be any illumination in the City, many of the loyal inhabitants have made preparations to do honour to their Sovereign by lighted stars, ele gant mottoes, illuminated by gas and varigated lamps. Among these we must notice the office of the Anti-Corn-law League, ,who have got an illumi nation ready for the evening, consisting of the words " Free Trade," "V. A.," and a star. There are also preparations for illuminating at Lynns', the fish-mon ger in Fleet-street, at Mr. Williams', the umbrella maker in Ludgate-hill ; Mr. Mason's, the chemist, at the corner of Shoe-lane ; the office of the Morning Advertiser ; and though last, not least, V'est's, the optician, will produce his grand spectacle, which it is intended shall not re quire spectacles of a great magnifying power to see it. At an early hour in the morning the bells of St. Bride's, St. Dunstan's, and St. Mary•le-Bow, rang . a merry peal. The Aldermen, Common Council men, and all the City authorities were stirring by sunrise. Shortly before eleven o'clock the Lord Mayor in his state coach, preceded by several of the Aldermen of he City, set out for Temple-bar Her Majesty and Prince Albert arrived at Temple bar at twenty minutes before twelve o'clock. Shortly before her arrival the gates were closed, and upon her coming to Temple-bar one of the Heralds demanded admittance for tho Queen of England into her loyal City of London. The Lord Mayor, who had been in waiting in the banking-house of Messrs. Child and Co., at Temple-bar, together with the Aldermen who attended him, proceeded to the gate in their robes, and commanded the officers in attendance to give immediate admission to her Majesty. On her Majesty entering the gate, the Lord Mayor, dressed in his robes of state, approached the carriage, and presented to her Majesty the sword of state, and the keys of the city of London on a velvet cushion, which her Majesty was graciously pleased to return to him, observing that they were much better in his hands than hers. The procession then proceeded to the Royal Exchange in the following order : Detachment of Life Guards. Her Majesty's Carriages, each drawn by six horses. Two Grooms The first Carriage, Two Grooms walking. drawn by six bays, walking. Conveys Gentleman Usher of the Sword of State, Gentleman Usher of the Privy Chamber, Exon of the Yeoman of the Guard, Page of Honour in Waiting. Two Grooms The second Carriage, Two Grooms walking. drawn by six bays, walking. Conveys Lord in Waiting to Prince Albert (Lord Geo. Lennox), Groom in Waiting (the Hon. Captain Duncombe), Groom in Waiting to Prince Albert (Capt. F. Seymour), Silver Stick. Two Grooms The third Carriage, Two Grooms walking. draws by six bays, walking. Conveys Lord in Waiting (Lord Byron), Treasurer of the Household (Earl Jermyn), Vice-Chamberlain (Lord Ernest Bruce), Comptroller of the Household (the Right Honourable Colonel Dawson Darner). Two Grooms The fourth Carriage, Two Grooms walking. drawn by six bays, walking. Conveys, Groom of the Stole to Prince Albert (the Marquis of Exeter), Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard (the Earl of Be . ;erley), Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms (Lord Forester), Master of the Buck Hounds (the Earl of Rosslyn). Two Grooms The fifth Carriage Two Grooms walking. drawn by six bays, walking. Conveys, Maid of Honour (the Honourable Lucy Kerr), Bedchamber Woman, Earl Marshal (the Duke of Norfolk), Gold Stick. Two Grooms The sixth Carriage, Two Grooms walking. drawn by six blacks, walking. Conveys, Lady of the Bedchamber (Lady Portman), Maid of Honour in Waiting (the Honourable Miss A. Murray), _ Lord Steward (the Earl of Liverpool), Lord Chamberlain (Earl De!await.). Police-officers on horseback. The State Carriages of the Sheriffs. The Lord Mayor's State Coach. The City Marshals, on horseback. Members of the Court of Common Council, in their mazarine gowns, on horseback, each with an attendant. Sheriffs, _ _ In their scarlet gowns and chains, on horseback, each attended by a sergeant and a groom. Alde - rmen, In their scarlet gowns (those past the Chair in their chains), on horseback, each attended by a beadle and a groom. The Common Crier, on The Sword-bearer, on horseback, carrying the horseback, with the City Mace. Cap of Maintenance. THE LORD MAYOR, Three in a Crimson Three Footmen Velvet Rob,e and a Collar of SS. Footmen in in °IN Horseback,, State bearing tie City. Sword of State State Liveries immediately before Liveries HER MAJESTY. Yeomen of the Guard. Twelve Footmen, four and four. Four Grooms THE STATE COACH, Four Grooms walking. Drawn by eight cream- walking. coloured horses, Attended by a Yeoman of the Guard at each wheel, and two footmen at each door, conveying THE QUEEN, His Royal Highness Prince Albert, The Mistress of the Robes (the Duchess of Buccleuch), The Master of the Horse (the Earl of Jersey). Escort of Life Guards. On the Queen's arrival at Temple Bar the Lord Mayor presented the City Sword to her Majesty and Prince Albert; and then formed themselves into pro cession in the following order : Trumpeters. Clerk of the Gresham Committee. Architect. Twelve Members of the Gresham Committee, Two and two. Remembrancer, Sheriffs. Members of the f!oart of Aldermen and Recorder, two ~ z nd two. The LORD li,L.Yoft, Her Majesty the QUEEN, and Prince ALBERT. Followed by her Majesty's Officers of State. Her Majesty and the Princewas most enthusiasti cally cheered through the whole line from Temple bar to the Exchange. She looked exceeedingly well, and appeared pleased with the preparations that had been made for her reception. On arriving at the sxchange her Majesty was most enthusiastically cheered. The State carriage, 0 usual, was drawn by eight cream-coloured horses, :ntl Aince Albert, THY: SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 28 1844. the Duchess of Buccleuch, and the Earl of Jersey, were in the carriage with her Majesty. The Queen left the Exchange at half-past two o'clock, and immediately proceeded to Buckingham Palace. In this notice of the Queen's going to the City we must not forget to mention the courtesy we received from the Commissioner of Police, and from Superintendents Walker and M‘Lean. It is impossible to say too much of the effect of the whole line—it was one scene of grandeur and beauty. After the presentation of the address, her Majesty, accompanied by his Royal Highness Prince Albert and suite, proceeded to the banqueting-room. The following is the bill of fare of the dejeuner, which was provided by Messrs. Staples of the Albion .'• Tavern : Roast chickens Path.; of game Westphalia hams Beef A la George IV. Roast partridges Larded capons House lamb Roast pheasants Tongues Barons of beef Galantines de poulardes Cotelettes aux concombres Magnonnaises de 'foulard Salades de Volatile Petit petes a la Rein° Ris de veau it is Romano Balotincs d'Agneau Filets do soless - a la Proven gale . Crevettes Grouse sallads Gateaux a la Frangaise Nougats d'Abricots Jellies Meringues a la Chantilly Compotes de fruits Conserves de porntnes Rhubarbe a la Re,;ence Gelees aux fruits Patisserie aux amandes Pine apples Hothouse grapes. Pears Dried fruits Ice creams. After the dejeuner the members of the Gresham Committee went round the room and gave to each guest a commemorative medal. On one side was a representation of her Majesty with the inscription Royal Exchange, opened by her Majesty Queen Victoria, 28th Oct., 1844, and on the reverse the arms of the City, the Mercers' Company, and of Sir T. Gresham, with the inscription, First Stone laid by his Royal Highness Prince Albert, January 17, 1842. During the course of the ddertner the band sta stioned in the vestibule performed several popular airs. The following gentle men were present at the ban quet, as the representatives of the subscribers to Lloyd's :—Chairman, E. A. Robinson. Committee— John Robinson, John Pryor, Wm. Wilson Saunders , John Simpson, John Poole, W. C. Harnett, T. 0 Powles, C. R. Henford. Thomas Chapman, A, Jansen, and N. Lea. The attendants were all attired in the royal house hold livery. The arrangements for the dejeuner reflect the highest credit on the Messrs. Staples, of the Albion, by whom it was provided. There was an abundance of every delicacy of the season, and the wines were excellent. The whole of the Aldermen did not join the civic procession which went to Temple-bar to meet her Majesty. Among the Aldermen who remained at the Exchange was Mr. Alderman llumphery, to whose judicious care the visitors to the royal banquetting room were much indebted. The worthy Alderman was attired in a court suit of velvet, and wore his chain of office. He looked remarkably well. Shortly after half-past one o'clock the company in Lloyd's Commercial-room began to take their departure, and long before the banquet in the Royal banquetting-room was over the greater portion of the company in the other rooms had left. At two o'clock, a flourish of trumpets announced the conclusion of the banquet at the royal table, and that the first toast " The Queen," was about to be proposed. The toast was proposed, as we under stood, by the Lord Mayor, and drank with every demonstration of the most devoted loyalty, the band in the vestibule performing the National Anthem. The toasts of "Prince Albert and the Royal Family," and "Prosperity to the City of London," followed. We understand that this last toast was proposed by his Royal Highness Prince Albert, but the room and the approaches to it were so crowded that we were unable to ascertain exactly by whom the several toasts were proposed. Shortly after half-past two o'clock her Majesty rose from the table, and leaning on the arm of Prince Albert, left the banquetting-room with her suite, pre ceded by the Lord Mayor, and followed by the Cabinet Ministers. The procession proceeded down the grand staircase, and towards the merchants' area. On arriving there the heralds advanced to the centre and made proclamation. Sir James Graham than handed her Majesty a docu ment, when her Majesty declared it to be her royal will and pleasure that the building should henceforth bear the name of the Royal Exchange. This gracious announcement was received with loud cheers, and her Majesty having taken leave of the Lord Mayor, immediately proceeded to her carriage. In addition to the Lloyd's Commercial-room and Subscribers'-room, a banquet was likewise spread in the ambulatory, around the merchants' area, and in most of the ante-rooms. The interior of the Ex change was guarded by the Honourable Artillery Company. MEMOIR OF SIR T. GRESHAM. The Gresham family were of considerable importance in the fourteenth century. They are supposed to have taken their name from the village of Gresham in Norfolk. John Gresham is mentioned as residing there, and his son James appears to hav e b een clerk to Sir William Pesten, the judge. James Gresham Ind a son named John, who married Alice Blyth, daughter of Alexander Blyth, Esq., of Stratton. She brought him a large for tune, and became the mother of four sons, William, Thomas, Richard, and John. The two younger received the honour of knighthood from King Henry the Eighth, and Sir Richard was the father of Sir Thomas Gresham. Of the four brothers, three devoted themselves to com mercial pusuits; the fourth, Thomas, became Prebendary of Winchester, and in 1535 was collated to the chan cellorship of the cathedral of Lichfield. The G reshams acted a conspicuous part in the days of Henry VIII. and Edward VI. To his uncle, Sir John, Thomas Gresham, founder of the Royal Exchange, was apprenticed, as he writes, " for viii. yeres." His uncle and master was frequently employed as the agent of King Henry in Flanders; he made a considerable fortune, and died of a malignant fever in 1556, leaving to the Mercers Company by his will 13/. 6s. ed. for a feast, and desiring them, after dinner, to " have his soul in remem brance with their prayers." Sir Richard, his brother, the father of Sir Thomas, became an eminent merchant, and in 1537 was elected Lord Mayor of London. He was evidently in favour with the King, from whom he re ceived five grants of church-lands. Ho closed his life at Bethnal-green, Feb. 21, 1548-9. His son Thomas was sent to Cambridge, but at an early period of his career was engaged in important commer cial negotiations. We find, in 1543, a license granted by the Regent of the Low Countries, Margaret, Queen of Hungary, for the exportation of gunpowder, was de livered to " yonge Thomas Gresham, solycitor," to the Kin.. of England. Ife married, about the year 1544, Anne, the daughter o an f d lN w ril i l d ia o m w of Fernele y,William Read, Esq., of of West Creting, in Suffolk, delfeianrlhyis in w n il l l s ‘ 4 ‘ 4 c — iti t z h e e n and e me y rc ea er r a gentleman of good family, o' % ‘ ‘ ' . fi h iT i o' c o h ins s ds a ot w ynl'e' h 'd is wb w hyo id h o idin w ies become the wife of Gresham. By her he had several children, all of whom, with the excep tion of a son named Richard, who lived to approach ma turity, died in their infancy. In connexion with his uncle's affairs, ho had become intimately acquainted with the money market of Flan ders, and in consequence was appointed agent, or "King's factor with the trading interest," or " King's merchant," a situation of importance and trust, which had formerly been granted to William de la Pole, father of Michael Earl of Suffolk. It was on occasion of the disgrace of Sir William Dansell, who filled the same post in the time of Edward VI., that Gresham was sent for, about the close of 1551, and interrogated by the Council as to the best manner of getting the Kin g out of debt. This caused him to remove with h is w ife to Antwerp, where he took up his abode with the family of the Schetz. During the two first years of his being engaged in the public service, he posted from Antwerp no fewer than forty times. Between the Ist of March, 1552, and the 27th of July, his payments amounted to 106,3011. 4s. 4d.; his travelling expenses for riding in and out eight times 102/. 10s. including a supper and a banquet to the Schetz and the Fuggers, with whom he had to transact business-261. being equal, Mr. Burgon calculates, ts 2501. at the present day. The feast must have been one of great magnificence, as the guests appear to have beer not more than twenty. On such occasions Gresham deemed it policy " to make as good chore as he could." Intwood Hall, near Norwich , built by Sir Richard Gresham, was his country seat in England, which was oftentlesce w n a e s o i f n L oinbaelegant r tpitality. Hi s L on d on es tablishmenttreet, then the handsomest street in London, where he had a shop, over the door of which his crest, a grasshopper, appeared by way of sign, the common usage of the merchants and bankers of that time. The site of Sir Thomas Gresham's place of busi ness is now occupied by the banking-house of Messrs. Stone, Martins, and Stone. From the nature of his engagements, he was compelled, for the greater part of his time, to reside with his family at Antwerp. llib exertions met with the distinct approbation of his royal master. He bestowed on Gresham a gift of lands of the value of one hundred ponds per annum, accompanyin it with the remark, " yob shall know that you haw served a king." When Queen Mary succeeded her brother, Gresham found himself superseded. This he thought he owed to the hostility of the Bishop of Winchester. He memo rialised Mary, and set forth the valuable services he hae rendered to her brother, which bad been requited in tht manner already described. His representations, or thi inefficiency o f hi s successor , l e d t o hi s b e i ng speedily re instated. From the correspondence preserved in the State Paper-office, of which Mr. Burgon has large] . ) availed himself, it is clear that he used great activity as well as much skill and prudence, in raising money for the Queen. It was customary to pay a rate of interest that would now be regarded as enormous on a loan. Great difficulty was found in obtaining money; and when 12, or 14 peg parties wore willing to lend, to claimlo, t at all opt of the we) cent. per anniini w as not thougo _ felt that, in After negotiating several loans, GreshTn., wou ld be a stead of sending such largo sums abroad, it desirable thing to secure them for the capitalist at home. With the eye of a statesman he saw that it would be inure convenient for the borrower. The still more profitable system of " repudiation," which borrows and refuses all payment, never. occurred to him. It isnot unworthy of remark, that in all monetary tr:,asa,ctions Sir Thomas seems to have been in advance of the age in which he lived. To serve King Edward while at Antwerp, he devised a scheme for operating on the currency, so as to render the exchanges favourable to English purposes. Hallowed to take his own course, he promised in two years to relieve his Sovereign from all difficulties. His plan for effecting this was thus laid down : "My request shall be to his Majesty and you, to apoyntc me out weekly xii or xiii c [1,2001.] pounder, to be secretly resevyed at one man's handes ; so that it maye be kept secret, and that I may thereunto trust, and that I may make my reconning thereof assewredly. I shall so use this matter here in this towne of Andwerpe, that every day I will be sure to take up ii or iii c [2OOl. or 3001.] sterlinge by exchange. And thus doing, it shall not be persevyed, nor it shall not be no occasyone to make the exchange fall. For that it shall be takynno up in my name. And so by these means, in working by d9lyberacione and tyme, the merchaunts' turn also shall be silwyed. As allso this shuld bring all merchants owght of suspicione, who do nothing to [wards] pay ments of the king's detts ; and will not sticke to saye that ere the payment of the King's dett be made, yt will bringe down the exchange to xiiis. iiicl., wyclie I trust never to see that daye. So that by this you may perseve. yf that I doo take up every daye but ii c li. [2001.] sterling, it will amownt in one yere to lxii its h. [72,000/.] : and the king's majesty oweth here at this present i c viii 3t li. [108,0004] with the interest monny that was prolorigyd afore this tyme. So that by these means, in two yeses, things will be compassed acc or di ng l y t o my purpose set forth." "How correct Gresham was in the results he antici pated fro:n these and similar measures, appeared ix the sequel by the success which attended them. He found means in a short space to raise the exchange from six ti_en shillings Flemish for the .pound sterling, to twenty two shillings, at which rate he discharged al the king's debts ; and by this means money was rendered plentiful and trade prosperous, while the credit of the crown be came established on a firmer basis abroad than it had ever been before." Living general:y at Antwerp, he was in that city when the rejoicings took place for the birth of a son to Queen Mary, which birth never took place. That a false report :if such a character obtained credence abroad should harldfy surprise, when even so near the Court as Al dersgate, not only the accouchement of the Queen, but the admirable proportions of the prince were announced to his congregation by the minister of St. Ann's Church. Gresham was present at the abdication of the Emperor Charles the Fifth. The Christmas of 1555 he passed in England, and in the following month the Priory of Austin Canons, at Massingham Magno, in Norfolk, and several benefices, were conferred upon him as a mark of the Queen's favour. What he received from her Ma jesty altogether, he states to have been of the annual value of 2001. Queen Mary died on the 17th of November, 1558. Gresham is believed to have been out of England when that event took place; but if so, he deemed it prudent to lose no time in paying his duty to the new Sovereign. On the 20th we find him at Hatfield, in Hertfordshire, where Queen Elizabeth was then staying, and there he met with a singularly gracious reception. Her Majesty promised that if he only served her as he had served her brother and sister, she would grant him as much land as he had received from both of them. She then gave him her hand to kiss, and promised if anything unfavourable should be reported to his prejudice during his absence, she would always reserve one ear to listen to his vindi cation on his return. Of this gracious assurance he had occasion to remind the Ministers of Queen Elizabeth when the Marquis of Whinchester attempted to injure him with his Royal mistress. He, however, triumphed over all the malice of his enemies, and his powerful as ,:istance and advice continued to be in much request, not only when a loan was to be raised, but in reference to matters of commerce generally, as welt as in various questions of great political importance. After he had received the honour of knighthood, Lombard-street was not considered to be sufficintly dig nified for his residence, and he purchased or built a man sion in Bishopsgate-street which received the name of Gresham House. He enjoyed great familiarity with many of the most distinguished persons of his time ; both officially and personally he was very intimate with Sir William Cecil, afterwards Lord Burleigh. On one ,ccasion, we learn from a passage in his correspondence, he sent a present of silk stockings to the secretary for himself, and, as he• expressed it, for "my lady your wiffe." His ingenuity and address were often exercised in procuring munitions of war to be sent to England from the Netherlands. A thousand pounds weight of gunpowder, it was arranged, should be indicated in his letters by the words " one piece of velvet." In spite of such precaution, a discovery had nearly taken place. It was turned aside by his skill, and the influence he had gained from the high reputation he had established, or by the presents he had made. He showed that he pos sessed no mean talent for intrigue, and the art of bribing in the cause of his sovereign was not unknown to Gresham. In various matters the information obtained through him was of the highest importance. Mr. Burgon has laboriously followed him through all the negotiations with which he was concerned, both at home and abroad. They prove that the utmost confi dence was reposed in him, and it is hardly creditable to the liberality or the prudence of Elizabeth's Govern ment, that so valuable an agent should have been obliged to importune them very frequently to bear in mind, after the services he had rendered, the promise made to him st Hatfield on the accession of the Queen. He did not rail to do so very plainly, and on such occasions he set forth the magnitude of the labours he had accomplished without reserve. He might do this boldly, as sometimes more was owing to him than the Government was pre pared to pay. Through many years he continued in the habit of frequently passing from England to Antwerp, the Lords of which, in 1543-4, sent him a present of wine of the value of 101., to dispose him to give them the benefit of his good offices with the Queen of England. His dignity as a British merchant was offended at seeing a noble Burse in Antwerp, while London could boast no such accommodation for those whose lives were devoted to commerce. About the year 1565 he applied himself in earnest to correct this evil—how successful will hereafter [appear. While at home and furthering this great work, he was actively engaged in raising or Disbursing money for the Treasury. Among the guests at Gresham House we find, self invited, the Duke of Norfolk, who lost his life on the scaffold some years afterwards, for connecting himself with the affairs of Mary Queen of Scots. In the eyes of foreigners Gresham was a person of so much import ance, that when, in 1567, the heads of the reformed church in Antwerp thought it expedient to send an ad dress to the Secretary of State, Cecil, praying his in fluence with the Queen on their behalf, a similar address was, by the same body, voted to him. In the following month he again proceeded to Antwerp, where he inte rested himself for the Protestants of that city. This was his last appearance there. He witnessed the troubles which then broke out in the Netherlands, and wrote home an exact account of them. Shortly after wards he returned to England. In the following year he was u suitor to the Queen for the purchase of certain lands. He, indeed, seems constantly to have had an eye to the accumulation of wealth, though not with a sordid view, as was proved in the sequel. His company was courted by persons of the greatest consideration ; and when foreigners of high rank came to England, Sir Thomas was frequently appointed to receive them, and to attend them in their visits to the principal objects of interest in London, while, on any extraordinary emer gency, Sir William Cecil did not disdain to seek advice from the merchant. It was by his counsel, as already mentioned, that Elizabeth was brought, when a loan was necessary, " not to use any strangers, but her own sub jects, that it might be seen what a prince of power she was." Having suggested the idea, by his active exertions in the city, it was eventually carried out. The Lady Mary Grey, sister to the unfortunate Lady Jane, who had offended the Queen by her marriage, was in 1659 committed to the custody, or at all events to the care, of Sir Thomas Gresham. Of this honour he soon became weary, and made pressing representations to obtain her removal. He did not succeed till after the Noble or Royal guest had been under his roof more than three years. Ultimately she gained some degree of favour •t. Court. He had purchased, at an early period of his life, a seat at Mayfield, in Sussex. Thither, with his wife and household, he retreated in 1570, when the plague broke 'nit in London ; and there, in 1573, he received a visit from the Queen. In the year preceding, on her setting nut on a summer progress, he had been named, with the Archbishop of Canterbury and others, as one of the persons of " great trust, wisdom and experience," from whom the Lord Mayor of London might seek advice for the better government of the metropolis during her ab sence ; and he continued a member of that commission till within a year of his death. This distinguished citizen remained on the most inti mate footing with the principal statesmen of his day. Besides building and endowing alms-houses near his own mansion, he founded what has been called the "epitome of a university," which was named "Gresham College." In 1770 he purchased the manor of Heston, and shortly afterwards took up his: residence in Osterley Park (which was part of that manor), where, in 1576, he received a visit from Queen Elizabeth, on which occasion she was entertained with extraordinary festivity. It is re lated that she objected the court-yard was too large, and would have been more handsome if divided in the middle. Upon this Sir Thomas forthwith sent for workmen from London, who laboured in the night silently, but with such diligence, that when the Queen rose in the morning a wall had been raised, and the fault which she had noticed corrected. Gresham did not long survive this honour. He was now sixty years of age, when on Saturday, the 21st of November, 1579, between six and seven in the evening, !laving just come from the Royal Exchange to his house in Bishopsgate-street, he was suddenly attacked, it is supposed, by apoplexy. Ho was found speechless on the door of his kitchen, and in a short time breathed his ast. His remains were committed to the earth on the 15th of the following month, in St. Helen's Church, Bishopsgate-street, where they still repose. The funeral was one of extraordinary splendour, as it cost no less than 8004 His only son, Richard, had died in 1E64. Sir Thomas had a natural daughter named Anne, whom he carefully educated and provided with an ample dower, and who eventually became the sister-in-law of Lord Bacon. Lady Gresham survived her husband seventeen years, xnd died at Osterley House, November 21, 1516. She was buried in St. ii9leres with great ponali. dn'the 15th of December, in the same grave with her Imsband, by a curious coincidence, on the anniversary of his funeral HISTORICAL NOTICE OF THE RQYAL, EXCHANGE. A 'n'eVelittle volume, under the above title, has just been published by Effingham Wilson, which appears very opportunely to gratify public curiosity respecting the an nals of the palace of London merchants. It contains not only ample descriptions of the three buildings which have succeeded one another on the site purchased by the munificence of Sir T. Gresham, but accounts of the vari ous institutions which time and circumstances have asso ciated with it, memoirs and anecdotes of Sir T. Gresham, and the other distinguished men who took part in found ing them, and all such subsidiary information as can be interesting. From this we have extracted the following passages, which will furnish our readers with the mate rials of a comparison of the three buildings, which have advanced in grandeur and magnificence pang passe with the metropolis they have severally adorned. As the second Temple was more glorious than the first, even so has it been with the Exchanges of London : " THE FIRST EXCHANGE. " The first stone of the projected Burse was laid by its projector, Sir T. Gresham. On this occasion there does not appear to have been much ceremony. He was accom panied by some aldermen, and, says Stowe, every one of them laid a piece of gold, which the workmen took up.' The building was carried on with such rapidity that by the month of November in the following year it was covered in with slate, and shortly after that date com pletely finished. The cost of the ground has been already mentioned, and 715 citizens contributed to the subscrip tion set on foot to meet it, and which opened in March, 1565, and closed in October, 1566. The timber used in the construction of the Burse is believed to have been conveyed to London from Battisford, in Suffilk, in which neighbourhood, on the destruction of the monasteries, the manor of St. John of Jerusalem had been granted to Sir Richard Gresham, which comprehended a con siderable portion of the parish of Ringshell. On Battisford 'rye, a spacious common between the two places just named, five or six saw-pits may still be traced, which were used to prepare the frame of the first Royal Exchange. From Battisford the timber was conveyed to London by water. The wainscoting and the glass, or at least a portion of them, were purchased for him by his indefatigable apprentice ser vant, factor, and friend, Richard Clough, at Amsterdam. The slates were sent from Dort, and other portions of the materials required were imported from Flanders, whence many manufactured articles of comfort and luxury seem to have been obtained at that period. When finished, it was thought to resemble in an extraordinary degree the Burse of Antwerp ; there is, however, reason to believe, that the designer had more studiously copied the Burse of Venice, which had served for the model of that of Antwerp. A Flemish architect, named Henryke, was employed by Gresham, who seems to have laboured in his vocation with much diligence, and to have given satisfaction to his em ployers ; but, unfortunately for his reputation, it was found, before the close of the century, that the structure was more showy than substantial, and great repairs became necessary. * * * * * * * " The Burse, like the New River, though of vast im portance to a most opulent and important body, did not at first answer to the sanguine expectations of its pro jector. From the lettings he had expected to derive a considerable income ; but he was severely disap pointed, as for several years the shops remained com paratively empty. Gresham had triumphed over too many difficulties to give himself up to dismay at this mortifying failure, and the skill of the tacti ci in was admirably displayed on an intimation being given, some two years after the completion of the structure, that the Queen intended to honour it with a visit and give it a name.' Aware of the importance of the incident, we read in Stowe that on this occasion Sir Thomas, in his own person, went twice in one day round about the Upper Pawne,' and besought those few shopkeepers then present, that they would furnish and adorne with wares and wax-lights as many shoppes as they either coulde or would ; and they should have all those shoppes so furnished rent free that yeare.' " It was a great day for the city and for him, when the royal Elizabeth fulfilled her promise. That due im portance and eclat might be given to her progress even from its commencement, we learn from the accounts of the churchwardens of St. Margaret's, Westminster, that 4d. was paid to the bell-ringers for ringing when the Queen's Majesty went to the Burse and back again.' Other parishes, this being regarded as no every-day occurrence, were no doubt equally regard less of expense, and the whole of her progress was, in all probability, rendered as triumphant as its commence • meat. The trusty historian just named thus describes it:—' The Queen's Majesty, attended with her nobility, came from her house in the Strand, called Somerset house, and entered the City by Temple-bar, through Fleet-street, Cheap, and so by the north side of the Burse to Sir Thomas Gresham's house in Bishopsgate gate, where she dined. After dinner her Majesty, re turning through Cornhill, entered the Burse on the south side, and after that she had viewed every part thereof above the ground, especially the Pawn, which was richly furnished with all sorts of the finest wares in the city, she caused the Burse, by a herald and trumpet, to be proclaimed the Royal Exchange,' and so to be called from thenceforth, and not otherwise.' * * * " Some of the rules which were then adopted to keep the Exchange free from annoyance appear rather sin gular to a reader of the present day. We find that no fruit other than oranges and lemons might be sold in the passages leading to it. 'Boys and young rogues' found it as convenient for their play as grave citizens did for the transacting of business, and on Sundays and holidays the former created such an uproar that their seniors could not hear themselves speak.' Rat-catchers, dog sellers, and apple-venders, were attracted to the spot, and the cursing and swearing of the women, maidens, and others in the green-grocery line, caused great annoyance and grief to the passers by ;' while bears, dogs, and bulls were paraded there in the morning, to an nounce with more effect the amusemements which might be enjoyed at Bankside, perhaps at the very mo ment that Shakespeare, within the Globe Theatre, was acting in one of his own plays, towards the close of the afternoon. " From this period the Royal Exchange continued to increase in wealth and importance. Thither the nobi lity repaired to purchase the most costly articles, and the treasures of merchandise thus collected were great in value and superb' in appearance. It is des cribed in the most glowing terms by the writers of the time. Its area constantly presented an ani mated and varied scene. The merchants from fo reign parts, whose attire least resembled that of the English, usually attended in their national costume. While the English merchant appeared with his puffed-out inexpressibles, long vest, short cloak and ruffs, and pyra midic head covering, the Flemish trader came with his fur-trimmed hat and coat and close-fitting pantaloons, and the Venetian sported long robes and an elegant bonnet, to represent the dignity of the proud republic to which he belonged. "On the death-of Sir Thomas Gresham, in accor dance with the promise he had made, the whole of the Royal Exchange was left to come jointly to the City of London and the Mercers' Company after the decease of his lady. It was provided that the City, out of their moiety, should pay salaries of 501. yearly to four pro fessors, who were to give lectures gratuitously on divinity, astronomy, geometry, and music, at his late residence. They were also to pay annually 101. to Newgate, Ludgate, Wood-street Compter, and the King's Bench prison. The Mercers' Company were to pay three annual salaries of 501. each to professors, who were to lecture on civil law, physic, and rhetoric. Besides this, 100/. was to be yearly appropriated to four quarterly dinners in their hall, for the entertainment of the company; as also 101. in every year to Christ's Hospital, and the like sum to the hospitals of St. Thomas's, Bartholomew, Bethlehem, and the Spital and the Poultry Compter. THE SECOND EXCHANGE. "Provision being made for the day by converting Gresham College into a temporary Exchange, little time was lost in preparing to erect a new one on the site of that which had been so unexpectedly destroyed. Estimates were called for, and the other preliminary steps neces sary before proceeding with a work of such magnitude were duly taken ; and that the citizens were in good earnest may be concluded from the following naive reso lution, which is given as adopted ' at a Sub-Committee, the 11th February, 1666,' (1666-1667 must of course be understood) : "‘ Ordered, That the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor bee desired forthwith to call the Grand Committee together, to resolve what is to bee done for speedy raising of muney, the only engine th a t can g i ve vigorous motion to that great and needful worke' (the rebuilding of the Royal Exchange). " For the sake of comparison and future reference, an accurate description of the late Exchange may not be un acceptable. The ground plan, we read in Britton and " In spite of every obstacle the structure rapidly ad vanced to completion, and on the 28th of September, 1669, the second Royal Exchange was opened in due form. It was expected that on this interesting occasion the King would be present ; but he was prevented from attending, and in his absence the Lord Mayor, Sir Wil liam Turner, went th r o ug h a p l anne d ceremonial, walk ing twice round the building, and congratulating the merchants and his fellow citizens on seeing them again in an Exchange of their own. The cost of this edifice to the City and the Mercers' Company is stated by Strype, on the authority of Mr. Thomas Blackmoor, according to him a judicious citizen and mercer,' to have been 80,0001. Mr. Burgon, however, estimates the expenses at no more than 69,9791. 11s. Over the southern en trance a Latin inscription was placed, briefly recording the destruction of the former Exchange in 1666, and the erection of its more splendid successor in 1669. "Pugin's Public Buildings,' presented nearly a regular quadrangle, including a spacious open court with porti coes round it, and also on the north and south sides of f the building. The front towards Cornhill wa2lot;ee lofty in extent. The central part was comp ose d f a h four Corinthian q t u i rte e bold entablature, over the centre of which were th r middle columns, intere° ium supportingnati° of m o unted by statues emblematical of the four quarters lateral • lumniations royal arms, and on each side a balustrade, &c., sur mountedwere niches co oosterthetheghicbses'er l e V n it t h ra in nee the to the arcade, nitei i c n o n i tt o i n tn i n a g n the ha b i s t t s a , t ü b t. y s o ß f u sh King nel C h T a h r l e e s tower, rose from the centre of the portico, consisted of three stories. In front of the lower story was a niche, containing a statute of Sir Thomas Gresham ; and over the cornice, facing each of the cardinal points, a bust of Queen Elizabeth at the angles were arms, colossal griffins, bearing s hi e ld s of the City Within the second story, w hi c h was of an octagon fora, with trusses at the angles, was an excellent clock with four dials ; there were also four wind dials. The upper story (which con t a i ne d the hell) was circular, with eight Corinthian columus supportill an entablature, sur rteadsg,bsyti4eddomlike, on e gilt h was a lofty vane o f t g w ias i s c hopper, the crest of the Gresham family. The attic over th e columnar in a hue with the basement of the tower, was sculptured with two alto-relievos, in panels, one representing Qaeen Eliza eth, with attendant figures and heralds, proclaiming the original building ; and the other Britannia, seated amidst the emblems of commerce, accompanied by the poite arts, manufac.ures, and agriculture. The height from the basement line to the top of the dome, was 128 feet and six inches. 66 Within the quadrangle there was a spacious area, measuring 144 feet by 117 feet, surrounded by a wide arcade, which, as well as the area itself, Was, for the general accommodation, arranged into several distinct parts, called walks, where foreign and domestic merchants, and other persons engaged in commercial pursuits, daily met. The area was paved with reel Turkey stones, of a small size, the gift, as tradition reports, of a merchant who traded to that country. " In the centre, on a pedestal surrounded with an iron railing, was a statue of Charles 11., in a Roman habit, by Spiller. At the intersections of the groining was a large ornamented shield, displaying either the City arms; the arms of the Mercers' Company, viz. a maiden's head, crowned, with dishevelled hair ; or those of Gresham, namely, a chevron, ermine, between three mullets. " On the centre of each cross-rib, also, in alternate succession, was a maiden's-head, a grasshopper, and a dragon. The piazza was formed by a series of semi circular arches, springing from columns. In the span drels were tablets, &c., surrounded by festoons, scrools, and other enrichments. In the wall at the back of the arcade were twenty. eight niches, only two of which were occupied by statues, viz. that towards tho north west, in which was Sir Thomas Gresham, by Cibber; and that towards the south-west, in which was Sir John Barnard, whose figure was placed here, whilst he was yet living, at the expense of his fellow-citizens, in tea. timony of his merit am a merchant, a magistrate, anti a faithful representative of the City i•t Parliament. 6 6 Over the arches of the portico of the piazza were twenty-five large niches with enrichments, in which were the statues of our sovereigns; many of these statues were tOrmerly gilt, but the whole were latterly of a plain stone colour. Walpole says that the major part were sculp tured by Cibber. " Such was the Royal Exchange, erected in the seven. teenth century, on the site of the Burse of Sir Thomas Gresham—the increase of the metropolis, and the grow ing importance of the merchants of London, demanding that a more magnificent structure than that which rose in the time of Elizabeth should grace the reign of Charles 11. In this, as in the former instance, the expectations of the projectors were not immediately made good, and great loss and embarrassment was the consequence." NEW ROYAL EXCHANGE. "From the dates which have been given, it will be seen that the new Royal Exchange has been completed in less than three years; and being all of stone, is justly considered the most extraordinary instance of dispatch that these railroad times have witnessed. It stands nearly due east and west ; the extreme length, from the portico on the west to the columns on the east, is 30S feet. The plan is much broader at the east end than the west, the width of the portico being 96 feet, the ex treme width of the west end 119 feet, and of the east end 175 feet. The dimensions of that pat t appropriated for the meeting of the merchants, is an area of no less than 170 feet by 112 feet, of which 111 feet by 53 are uncovered and open to the sky. " The diameter of the columns is 4 feet 2 ; their height, including the base and capital, 41 feet ; the ex treme height to the apex of the pediment at the west end is 74 feet ; and the height of the tower at the east to the top of the vane, 177 feet. " The general disposition of the plan is as follows : At the west-end is a portico of eight Corinthian co lumns, with two intereolumniations in actual projection, and the centre part deeply recessed in addition. The principal western entrance is under this portico, which is ascended by thirteen granite steps from the level of the street. The whole west end is appropriated to the offices of "rhe Royal Exchange Assurance for assuring Shipping, Fire, and Lives,' the entrance to their offices being on the right and left of the great western entrance. " The great eastern entrance is under the tower. After passing through it, there is a small area for giving light and air to the inner mass of that part of the building, and at the north end of this area is the entrance to the important establishment of Lloyd's. At the centre of the building, on the north and south, there are also en trances to the merchants' area. " The south front is one unbroken line of pilasters, with rusticated arches on the ground-floor for shops and entrances, the three middle spaces being deeply recessed; over these are richly decorated windows, and above the cornice there are a balustrade and attic. The north side differs considerably from the south ; for in this ease the, centre projects, and the pilasters are omitted at the end spaces. The arches of the ground-floor are rusticated, and the same windows occur above as on the south side, but with two exceptions, which are formed into niches. In one of them will be a statue of Sir Hugh Myddelton, by Joseph ; and in the other one of Sir Richard Whit tington, by Carew. The former worthy citizen is cele brated for having brought the New River to London, and the latter, a merchant and a mercer, founded and en lowed some of the noblest charities of the City. " The east front is marked in the centre by four Co.. rinthian columns, from which rises the tower. The first tury of the tower is square, with ornamental pilasters at the angles ; on the east front is a niche, in which will be placed a statue of Sir Thomas Gresham, by Behues ; above this is an attic for the clock faces. The next story of the tower is circular, decorated with Co rinthian columns, and crowned by a dome carved with leaves. The vane is the famous grasshopper that was on the old Exchange ; it was not much injured by file tire, and has been restored. It is of copper gilt, and is eleven feet long. In the tower is a peal of fifteen bells for the chimes, cast by Mears ; and the clock was constructed by Mr. Dent, the eminent clock-maker of the Strand, under the direction of Professor Airey, the Astronomer Royal, and the first stroke of each hour is true to a second of time. The citizens will thus be enabled, by this exertion of mechanical skill, to obtain the exact time in London with as much accuracy as could be obtained by a visit to the Observatory at Greenwich. " The one-pair, or principal floor, is eccupied by four suites of apartments ; the principal of these, it has been seen, is appropriated to the underwriters' establishment of Lloyd's. Lloyd's occupies all the cast end, and a principal part of the north side. The greater part of the west end is appropriated to the Royal Exchange Assur ance offices. The south ride is principally occupied by the ancient corporation of the London Assurance, having an entrance and offices on the same side on the ground floor ; and on the remaining part of the south and west are a suite of offices originally intended for the lecture rooms and offices of Gresham College, but at present unappropriated. "The offices of the Royal Exchange and London As surance consist of board-rooms, secretaries' offices, and all the usual arrangements for such establishments on the most liberal and extensive scale ; having, in addition, a series of apartments in the mezzanine, or entresol. In many cases the rooms on the second floor are lighted from the roof ; and strong-rooms, vaults, and other apart ments are provided in the basement story. " Lloyd's contains several magnificent apartments : the staircase is very convenient, and even grand in its arrangements, the steps being fourteen feet wide each, of Cragleith stone, in one length. The subscribers' room for the business of underwriting is 100 feet long by 48 feet wide, This noble apartment runs from north to south on the east side of the quadrangle, or mer chants' area ; attached to this is a library or reading room, with a gallery round, furnished with maps and charts. Tho captains' room, the board room, and the clerks' offices, occupy the eastern end. Along the north front is another spacious chamber, called the commer cial room, 80 feet long, which is intended as a sort of commercial club room for all strangers visiting London for the purposes of business. These large apartments are lighted from the ceilings, and also from windows opening into the merchants' area. They are highly de cor ated , consistently with their purposes, well warmed and ventilated, and are certainly the finest rooms of' their kind in the City of London. " The ground-floor of the Exchange, like Sir Thomas Gresham's Exchange, and the one last destroyed, is ap propriated mainly to shops and offices. Each tenement or shop is complete in itself; having, in addition to the ground-floor, a room over, and a basement beneath, sepa rated by party walls and brick arches of great strength, from their neighbours, and from such apartments as may happen to be over them. The same arragements for preventing the spread of fire apply to the other divisions of the building, so that it seems impossible that acalamity similar to that which has twice destroyed the Royal Ex change can again occur. A single shop, or even one of the larger divisions of the building, may be burnt, but the fire must be limited and confined to that portion of the structure where it happens; and in this sense the present building is fire-proof. " There is on the frieze or the portico the following inscription, recording the foundation of the original building in the 13th year of Queen Elizabeth, and its re storation in the Bth of her present gracious Majesty:-- ` ANN() XIII. ELIZABETH/R R. CONDITIJM. ANNO VIII. VICTORIA R. RESTALTRATIIM.' " Occupying the key-storie7OftCetitre; great arches, there are in the centre the merchants' mark of Gresham; and on the key-stones of the side arches the arms of tho merchant adventurers of his day, and the staple of Calais. North and south of the portico, and in the attic, are the emblems of the City—the sword and mace, with containing Victoria, the several dates of Queen 'lizabeth'sl reign and the pre tshe n e t yi initials i s a n o d f in Queenthe MET respectively. low er a b a t hand Queen ne, mantels Over the three centre arches, on the south side, are the arms of Gresham, the City, and the Mer cers' Company, and the same are repeated at the east end on the entablature. Over the three centre arches of the north front are the following mottos, viz., in the centre that of Sir Thomas Gresham, in old French Fortin a my ; on the dexter side, the city motto, Dontine dirige nos, and on the sinister, the motto of the lUercnre Company, Honor Deo. " SCULPTURE OVER THE PEDIMENT. "At the west cod the tympanum of the pediment is adorned with sculpture by Mr. Richard Westmacott, con sisting of allegorical representations of commerce, ex hibiting the English merchant in some few of the nume rous interesting positions which it is his high destiny to occupy, in transacting, it would scarcely be too much to say, the business of all the earth ; for to what strange land, to what remote clime, has not his enterprise ex tended ? Without a figure, he may proudly ask, with /Eneas, Que regio in terris nostri plena laborisr and the world, it may be remarked, is now known to be nearly twice as large as it was supposed to be in the days of the old Trojan. The figures are seventeen in num ber, They fill the tympanum, or highest compartment, of the western front, and are carved in compact stone, the admirable chiselling of which ir_ great measure atones for the non-employment 01' marble. They are not merely in alto ;diem, as Westmacott's engagement with the City stipulat.'ea ; but, with tvso ex ceptions, they are modello.'a as entire and deta c hedtlie figures ,• that in thr cen t re is ten feet high, and a ap standard of oilier figures is seven feet. This t highly illlPP:',7eraent upon the original compac honour. INTERIOR OF THE ROYAL EXCHANGE. The arrangements for the reception of the guests at the Royal Exchange were excellent. With each ticket of admission, there was sent to the guest an other ticket, designating the door at which the ad mission ticket was to be presented ; and also the fol lowing orders and regulations for the admission of visitors into the Royal Exchange :- 1. That the card of admission be produced at the en trance of the Royal Exchange, referred to in the card ac companying the admission ticket. 2. That no admission card be trans!erable, under any circumstances. 3. That the Royal Exchange be open for the admis. sion of visitors between ten and eleven of the clock it] the forenoon. N.B. The Barriers at which only Carriages will be admitted—viz. King William street, Moorgato street by London Well, Queen-street, Cheapside, Newgate-street, and Temple-bar, will be closed at eleven of the clock precisely. 4. That no visitor be adMitted into the Royal Ex change, under any pretence whatever, after half-past eleven o'clock. 5. That upon the visitors arriving at the Royal Ex change, they immediately proceed to the seats allotted to them, and take their stations accordingly, to be in readiness to witness the arrival of her Majesty the Queen. 6. That all the visitors are expected to keep their seats during the whole period of her Majesty remaining in the Royal Exchange. _ _ _ 7. Thai the drivers — of all carriages, after setting down the company, conform to the instructions they will re ceive from the police. These were accompanied by a plan of the tables, on which the place of each guest was distinctly marked, so that there could not by possibility arise even the chance of confusion. On our admission, at the south door, we proceeded through a passage covered with an awning of pink and white drapery, leading to the magnificent stair case of Lloyd's. On arriving at the top of the grand staircase we found ourselves in the vestibule which leads to all the principal apartments. This vestibule, which is of the Doric order, is ornamented with full length figures, clad in complete suits of armour. The walls are taste fully hung with banners and flags, and the whole has a very imposing appearance. On the right of the vestibule is the Subscription roo:n, in which the banquet was served to her Majesty and Prince Albert and suite. At the further end of the room was erected the dais, on which was the royal table. At the back of the table was a magni ficent mirror, surrounded by crimson hangings. On the royal table and at the back was displayed a magnificent service of gold plate. The room was ornamented with trophies of armour, and at the south end were displayed, on either side the table, the, royal standard and the union-jack. The band of the Life Guards was in attendance in the vestibule. At right angles to the Subscription-room is the Lloyd's Merchants'-room, which was fitted up for the accommodation of 400 guests. The general character of the fittings up of this room corresponded with that of the Subscription-room. There was, however, a greater display of flags, every trophy being surmounted by flags, tastefully arranged. At the end of the room, in a recess, was the far-famed figure of Queen Elizabeth on horseback, brought from the Tower for this special occasion. The banner of the royal arms of Elizabeth was suspended over the figure, and on either side of it were the royal stan dards. The company began to arrive shortly after ten o'clock, and by eleven o'clock the greater portion of them had felt it necessary to take their places. At eleven o'clock the Duke of Wellington arrived, and the band immediately struck up " See the con quering hero comes." His Grace, who was con ducted over the building, and through the different banquetting-rooms by Mr. Tite and Mr. Lambert Jones, was loudly cheered during the whole of his progress. Shortly afterwards the band struck up the National Anthem. There was immediately a buz of expecta tion and surprise, and a hurrying to secure places ; many present imagining that her Majesty herself was on the point of arriving. It proved, however, a false alarm. It was one of the royal pages, who, arriving in a royal carriage, had been thus saluted. Again the National Anthem was heard. This time it announced the arrival of his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, who proceeded to the retiring room to await the arrival of her Majesty. Among the early arrivals we noticed Sir C. Napier, the Earl of Westmoreland, the Marquis of Salisbury, Sir F. Pollock, the Lord Chief Baron, W. Holmes, Esq., Lord Granville Somerset, and the Earl of Lincoln. At about half-past eleven Sir Robert Peel and Sir James Graham arrived. The Right Hon. Baronets were received by Mr. Lambert Jones, and conducted through the rooms and over the building. Sir Robert Peel was cheered occasionally during the course of his progress. No demonstration of feeling, however, was manifested towards Sir James Graham. The Chancellor of the Exchequer arrived shortly afterwards. All the Cabinet Ministers were dressed in the Windsor uniform. At a quarter after twelve o'clock it was announced that her Majesty had arrived. Simultaneously with her Majesty's arrival, the sun, which, during the earlier part of the morning had been obscured with clouds, suddenly burst forth with the greatest brilliancy. Upon the arrival of her Majesty and Prince Albert at the Exchange, they were received at the western en trance by the Lord Mayor, the Aldermen, Recorder, and the members of the Joint Gresham Committee, the Sheriffs, and the Remembrawcer, who formed them selves into a procession, and preceded her Majesty, in the following order : Trumpeters. James Barnes, Esq., Clerk of the Gresham Committee. William Tite, Esq., F.R.S., Architect. George Palmer, Esq., M.P. Jonathan Charles Prior,Esq. William Lawrence, Esq. Robert Sutton, Esq. Jacob George Cope, Esq. James Sutton, Esq. JohnHumphery, Esq.,M.P. George Palmer, jun., Esq. James Watney, Esq. Sir Chapman Marshall. George Aston, Esq., Richd. Lambert Jones, Esq., Master Chairman of the Mercers Company. of the Gresham Committee. Edward Tyrrell, Esq., Remembrancer. Sheriffs. Thomas Sidney, Esq. William Hunter, Esq. The Members of the Court of Aldermen below the Chair. Hon. Chas. Ewan Law, Q.C., Recorder, Tho Members of the Court of Aldermen above the Chair. The Right Hon. William Magnay, Lord Mayor. Her Majesty the QUEEN and Prince ALBERT, followed by her Majesty's Officers of State. Having gone over the building, her Majesty pro ceeded in procession up the staircase leading to Lloyd's-rooms. The Lord Mayor, bearing the sword of state, led the way; he was followed immediately by her Majesty, leaning on the arm of Prince Albert, followed by her Maids of Honour and suite. Her Majesty was attired in a magnificent dress of white satin, and wore on her head a splendid tiara of diamonds. Prince Albert wore a Field Marshal's uniform, with the riband of the Order of the Garter. Her Majesty looked remarkably well, but seemed a little flushed, as if wearied with the exertions of the day. Nothing could exceed the enthusiasm with which her-Majesty was greeted during the who!.e of her pro gress. As she slowly proceeded up the Lloyd's mer chants'-room she frequently bowed in acknowledg ment of hearty greeting of her loyal subjects. On arriving at the top of the room her Majesty paused for a moment to contemplate the effigies of her illus trious predecessors. At this period the coup-d'wil was superb. The various costumes, civil and military, of the different officers of State, and of the Foreign Am bassadors ; the elegant and, in many cases, magnificent attire or thct ladies, the paraphanalia of the various City authorities, with a brilliant sun shining full into the room, produced an effect which can never be for gotten by those who witnessed it. Her Majesty, on leaving the Merchants'-room, pro ceeded up the Subscription-room, wher,. , the loyal banquet was prepared, and entered the Throne-room, where her Majesty received the address, to which she returned a most gracious answer.