The spacious area in the centre of the quadrangle, where the merchants, and other persons engaged in mercantile pursuits, daily assemble to discourse on trade, arrange business, &c. measures 144 feet by 117; and is surrounded by a broad piazza, which, as well as the area itself, is for the general accommodation arranged into distinct parts, called the Walks: this will be better understood from the plan below: The area is neatly paved with small square stones, said to be real Turkey stone, the gift, as tradition reports, of a merchant who traded to that Kingdom. In the centre, on a marble pedestal, about eight feet high, surrounded by an iron railing, is a clever statue of Charles the Second, in a Roman habit; this was executed by Mr. John Spiller, a few years ago, and set up in place of a former statue of the same King which had been sculp tured by Quellin, of Antwerp. On the south side of the old pedes * Anec. of Paint. Vol. III. p. 152, note. tal, tal, under an imperial crown, palm branches. &c. was the follow. ing verbose, and ill deserved inscription: CAROLO, II. Cæsari Britannico, Regum optimo, Clementissimo, Augustissimo, Pacis Europa arbitro Marium Dominio ac Vindici. Societas Mercatorum adventurur. Angliæ Fidei intemeratæ et gratitudinas æternæ Venerabunda posuit Anno saluti humanæ M.DC.LXXXIV. The piazza has a groined roof, and wide and lofty semicircular arches: the surrounding walls are nearly hidden from the sight, by numerous painted show-boards, and placards of various descriptions, both printed and written, which are permitted to be set up here as advertisements, on paying a small sum to the beadle. Behind these, in the walls, are twenty-eight ornamental niches, in two only of which are statues that in the north-west angle represents Sir Thomas Gresham, by Gabriel Cibber; the other, in the south-west angle, is the figure of Sir John Barnard, and was placed here in his life-time, at the expense of his fellowcitizens, 'in testimony of his merit as a merchant, a magistrate, and a faithful representative of the City in Parliament.' A raised seat and step goes round the entire piazza, excepting where interrupted by the entrances. The inner face of the superstructure has an aspect of much grandeur, but the decorations are somewhat too unsparingly lavished. The arches of the piazza support an entablature; the upper cornice is on each side interrupted in the midst by a semi-circular pediment, beneath which, on the north, are the Royal Arms; on the south, the City Arms; on the west, the Mercers' Arms; and on the cast, the Arms of Sir Thomas Gresham, with appropriate enrichments. Between the windows are twenty-five niches, four of which are vacant; in the others, on the south side, are statues of Edward the First, Edward the Third, Henry the Fifth, and Henry the Sixth; on the west, Edward the Fourth, Edward the Fifth, Henry the Seventh, and Henry the Eighth; on the north, Edward the Sixth, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, James the First, Charles the First, Charles the Second, and James the Second; on the east, in a conjoined or double niche, William and Mary, Queen Anne, George the First, George the Second, and George the Third. Most of these Sovereigns are represented in armour, others are in Roman habits; the Queens are chiefly in the dresses of the times many of them have been gilt. Walpole says, that Gabriel Cibber sculptured most of these statues, as far as King Charles: those of George the First, and Second, were executed by Rysbrach; and that of his present Majesty, which was placed here in March 1764, by Wilton. The summit of the quadrangle is surmounted by a balustrade. Under the north and south fronts, on the right of the entrances, are spacious flights of steps, which lead to the gallery, and to the various apartments and offices that connect with it: these were originally opened as shops of different descriptions, but are now occupied by the Royal Exchange Assurance Office, the River Dee Office, the Merchants'-Seamans' Office, Lloyd's Subscription Coffee House and Committee Rooms, the Gresham Lecture Rooms, the Pepper Office, and divers Counting Houses for Merchants and Under-writers.§ LLOYD'S Anec. of Paint. Vol. III. p. 147. The wares that were sold in the shops mentioned in the text, were of the lighter and more shewy kinds; and to increase the attraction they were commonly exposed for sale by young, and pretty women, whom ROBIN CONSCIENCE,' in his Progress through Court, City, and Country,' (first printed in 1683,) if not unconscionably, at least uncourteously, styles * gallant |