to one hundred and seventy-nine millions, four hundred thousand. But let it become equal to the Netherlandswhich its fertility of soil would warrant-and its surface will sustain a population of two hundred millions. What reflections ought this view to present to the philanthropist and the Christian!

ST. PETER'S OF ROME.

THE piazza of this masterpiece of architecture is altogether sublime. The double colonnade on each side, extending in a semi-circular sweep; the stupendous Egyptian obelisk; the two fountains; the portico; and the admirable facade of the church; form such an assemblage of magnificent objects, as cannot fail to impress the mind with awe and admiration. The church appears in the back-ground, and on each side is a row of quadruple arches, resting on two hundred and eighty-four pillars, and eighty-eight pilasters; the arches support one hundred and ninety-two statues, twelve feet in height. The two noble fountains throw a mass of water to the height of nine feet, from which it falls in a very picturesque manner, and adds greatly to the beauty of the scene. In the centre is the fine obelisk.

At the first entrance into St. Peter's, the effect is not so striking as might be expected: it enlarges itself, however, insensibly on all sides, and mends on the eye every moment. The proportions are so accurately observed, that each of the parts is seen to an equal advantage, without distinguishing itself above the rest. It appears neither extremely high, nor long, nor broad, because a just equality is preserved throughout. Although every object in this church is admirable, the most astonishing part of it is the cupola. On ascending to it, the spectator is surprised to find that the dome which he sees in the church, is not the same with the one he had examined without doors, the latter being a kind of case to the other, and the stairs by which he ascends into the ball, lying between the two. Had there been the outward dome only, it would not have been seen to advantage by those who are within the church; or had there been the inward one

only, it would not have been seen to advantage by those who are without; and had both been one solid dome of so great a thickness, the pillars would have been too weak to have supported it.

It is not easy to conceive a more glorious architectural display than the one which presents itself to the spectator who stands beneath the dome. If he looks upward, he is astonished at the spacious hollow of the cupola, and has a vault on every side of him, which makes one of the most beautiful vistas the eye can possibly have to penetrate. To convey an idea of its magnitude, it will suffice to say, that the height of the body of the church, from the ground to the upper part of its ceiling, is four hundred and thirtytwo feet, and that sixteen persons may place themselves, without inconvenience, in the globular top over the dome, which is annually lighted, on the twenty-ninth of June, by four thousand lamps and two thousand fire-pots, presenting a most delightful spectacle.

The vestibule of St. Peter's is grand and beautiful. Over the second entrance is a fine mosaic from Giotto, executed in the year 1303; and at the corners, to the right and left, are the equestrian statues of Constantine and Charlemagne. Of the five doors leading to the church itself, one called the holy door, is generally shut up by brick-work, and is only opened at the time of the Jubilee. The middle gate is of bronze, with bass-reliefs.

Of the one hundred and thirty statues with which this church is adorned, that of St. Peter is the most conspicuous: it is said to have been re-cast from a bronze statue of Jupiter Capitolinus. One hundred and twelve lamps are constantly burning around the tomb of this saint; and the high altar close to it, at which the Pope alone says mass, is overshadowed by a ceiling, which exceeds in loftiness that of any palace of Rome. The splendid sacristy was built by Pius VI. But by far the greatest ornaments of the interior are the excellent works in mosaic, all copied from the most celebrated pictures, which are thus guarded from oblivion.

The great and truly awful dome of St. Peter's is only two feet less than the Pantheon, being one hundred and thirty-seven feet; but it exceeds the latter in height by twenty feet, being one hundred and fifty-nine feet, besides the lantern, the basis pedestal of the top, the globular top

itself, and the cross above it, which, collectively, measure one hundred and twenty feet. The roof of the church is

ascended by easy steps; and here the visiter seems to have entered a small town, for he suddenly finds himself among a number of houses, which either serve as repositories of implements and materials for repairing the church, or are inhabited by the workmen. The dome, at the foot of which he now arrives, appears to be the parishchurch of this town; and the inferior domes seem as if intended only for ornaments to fill up the vacuities. Add to this, that he cannot see the streets of Rome, on account of the surrounding high gallery, and its colossal statues; and the singularity of such a scene may be easily conceived. It is besides said that a market is occasionally held here for the aërial inhabitants.

Although the adventurous stranger is now on the roof, he has still a great height to ascend before he reaches the summit of the dome. Previously to his engaging in this enterprise he is conducted to the inside gallery of the dome. From this spot the people within the body of the church appear like children. The higher he goes, the more uncomfortable he finds himself, on account of the oblique walls over the narrow staircase; and he is often compelled to lean with his whole body quite to one side. Several marble plates are affixed in these walls, containing the names of the distinguished personages who have had the courage to ascend to the dome, and even to climb up to the lantern, and the top. The Emperor Joseph II. is twice mentioned; and Paul I. as Grand Duke. In some parts, where the stairs are too steep, more commodious steps of wood have been placed: by these the lantern can be reached with greater facility; and the view which there waits the visiter, may be imagined without the aid of description; it is an immense Panorama, bounded by the

sea.

THE BOURSE-PARIS.

IN 1724 the exchange of Paris was first established in the Hôtel Mazarin. It was not until the Emperor Napoleon directed his attention to the embellishment of the

capital that it was resolved to erect a building to be specially devoted to the meetings of persons engaged in transactions relating to the public securities and to commerce. The first stone of the present edifice was laid March 24th, 1808; but it was eighteen years before it was completed, the work having been suspended in consequence of political events. The form of the Bourse is a parallelogram, that is, having a square form, the sides of which are longer than the ends. The fronts of the Bourse are 164 feet in breadth, and the length of the sides is 256 feet; and it is surrounded by sixty-four Corinthian columns. Each front is supported by fourteen columns, and each side by twenty, reckoning the pillars at the angles twice over. They are elevated on a basement of about eight feet in height, and in height are thirty-two feet. The colonnades are accessible to the public during the hours of business. The elevation terminates by a simple entablature. roof is made of copper and iron. It is confessed that the Bourse has scarcely the air of an edifice devoted to commerce. It was erected during the most prosperous days of the empire; and the intention of the architect was to give to his design an imposing grandeur, and to produce a general effect, rather than to excite an appropriate idea of the objects of the building. The convenience of the apartments for the use of the commercial authorities has perhaps been slightly sacrificed; but undoubtedly the Bourse is one of the finest structures of which Paris can boast.

The

The hall in which the business funds are transacted is one hundred and four feet in length, and fifty-nine feet broad, and will hold two thousand persons. The floor is paved with marble; and at the upper end is a space, surrounded by a circular railing, termed the parquet, which is the place where the agens de change, or stock-brokers, assemble, who alone have the power of negotiating the public securities. An arcade on each side of the hall is used as a "walk" by merchants and ship-owners. A gallery of ten feet wide extends round the hall, and a staircase on the left in the vestibule leads to it. From this gallery there is an excellent view of the proceedings of the speculators below. The rooms at the sides and at the lower end are appropriated to the Tribunal de Commerce, and other authorized commercial bodies. The interior of the

hall, the roof of which slopes toward a skylight, is embellished with sixteen admirable imitations of marble bassreliefs, five being on each side and three at each end. The subjects are as follow:-the Genius of French Commerce accepting tribute from the four quarters of the globe; Europe; Asia; the town of Nantes; that of Rouen: these are on the north side. In front of the public entrance is a representation of the king of France presenting the New Exchange to the city of Paris; the town of Lille; and the town of Bordeaux. On the right side: the union of Commerce and the Arts contributing to the prosperity of the state: Africa; America; Lyons; Bayonne. Above the entrance; the City of Paris receiving from the Genius of the Ourcq the fruits of Abundance; Strasbourg and Marseilles. Between the arcades are inscribed, in letters of bronze, the names of all the first commercial cities in the world.

LONDON.

LONDON, the metropolis of Great Britain, one of the largest and most opulent cities in the world, mentioned by Tacitus as a considerable commercial place in the reign of the Roman Emperor Nero. In its most extensive view, as the metropolis, it may be said to consist of five great portions, viz., the West End of the Town, the City, the East End of the Town, Westminster See, and the Borough. The West End of the Town is popularly regarded as extending from Charing Cross to Hyde Park, and from St. James Park to Paddington. This is the best and most fashionable portion of the metropolis, and is chiefly occupied by the town residences of the nobility and gentry, and fashionable shops.

The City includes the central part, and is the great emporium of commerce.

The East End of the Town is also devoted to commerce, ship building, manufactures, &c. The southern bank of the Thames, from Deptford to Lambeth bears a great resemblance to the East End of the Town, being occupied by persons engaged in commercial and maritime concerns. London and Westminster are situated in Middlesex, on