"4. As to the situation of the churches, I should propose, they be brought as t1.rward as possible into the larger and more open streets. not in obscure lanes, nor where coaches will be much obstructed in the passage. Nor are we, I think, too nicely to observe east or west in the position, unless it falls out properly. Such fronts as shall happen to lie most open in view should be adorned with porticoes, both for beauty and convenience ; which, together with handsome spires, or lanterns, rising in good proportions above the neighbouring houses, (of which I have given several examples in the city, of different forms,) may be of sufficient ornament to the town, without a great expense for enriching the out ward walls of the churches, in which plainness and duration ought principally, if not wholly, to be studied. When a parish is divided, I suppose it may be sufficient if the mother-church has a tower large enough for a good ring of bells, and the other churches smaller towers, for two and three bells ; because great towers and lofty steeples are some times more than half the charge of the church.
"5. 1 shall mention something of the materials for public, fabrics. The earth about London, rightly managed, will yield as good bricks as were the Roman bricks, and will endure in our air beyond any stone our island affords; which, unless the quarries be near the sea, arc to() dear for general use; the best is Portland or Ruch Abbey stone; but these are not without their faults. The next material is the lime. Chalk lime is the constant practice; which, well mixed with good sand, is not amiss, though much worse than hard stone lime. The vaulting of St. Paul's is becom ing as hard as stone; it is composed of cockle-shell lime, well beaten with sand : the more labour in the beating, the better and stronger the mortar. I shall say nothing of marble, for this will prove too costly for our purpose, unless for altar. pieces. In windows and doors, Portland-stone may be used, and with good bricks and stone quoins. As to roofs, good oak is certainly the best, because it will bear some negligence. The churchwardens' care may be defective in speedily mend ing drips; they usually whitewash the church, and set up their names, but neglect to preserve the roof over their heads. It must be allowed, that the roof being more out of sight, is still more unminded. Next to oak is yellow deal, which is a timber of' length, and light, and makes excellent work at first, but if neglected, will speedily perish; especially if glitters (which is a general fault in builders) be made to run upon the principal rafters, the ruin may be sudden. Our tiles are ill made, and our slate not good; lead is certainly the best and lightest covering; and being of our own growth and manufacture, and lasting, if properly laid, for many hundred years, is, without question, the most preferable.
" 6. The capacity and dimensions of the new churches may be determined by a calculation. They must be large, but must be fitted for auditories. I can hardly think it praoti cable to make a single room so capacious, with pews and gal leries, as to hold above 2000 persons, and all to hear the service, and both to hear distinctly and see the preacher. I endeavoured to effect this in building the parish church of St. James, Westminster, which, I presume, is the most capa cious, with these qualifications, that hath yet been built ; and yet, at a solemn sime, when the church was much crowded, I could not discern from a gallery that 2,000 were present.
In this church I mention, though very broad, and the middle nave arched up, yet there are no walls of a second order, nor lanterns, nor buttresses, but the whole roof rests upon the pillars, as do also the galleries. I think it may be found beautiful and convenient, and as such, the cheapest of any form I could invent.
" 7. Concerning the placing of the pulpit, I shall observe, a moderate voice may be heard 50 feet distant before the preacher, and 20 behind the pulpit; and not this, unless the pronunciation be distinct and equal, without losing the voice at the last word of the sentence, which is commonly empha tieal, and if obscured spoils the whole sense. A Frenchman is heard farther than au English preacher, because he raises his voice instead of sinking it at his last words. I mention this as an insufferable fault in the pronunciation of some of our otherwise excellent preachers, which schoolmasters might correct in the young, as a vicious pronunciation ; and not as the Roman orators spoke, for the principal verb is, in Latin, usually the last word; it' that be lost, what becomes of the sentence? " 8. By what 1 have said, it may be thought reasonable, that the new church should be at least 60 feet broad, and 90 Ii•et long, besides a chancel at one end, and the belfry and portico at the other. The proportions may be varied ; but to ludid more room than that every person may conveniently liar and see. is to create noise and confusion. A church sh add not be so filled with pews, but that the poor may have room enough to stand and sit in the alleys, for to thorn equally is gospel preached.
" 9 I cannot pass over mentioning the difficulties that may be li fund in obtaining the ground proper for the sites of the churches among the buildings, and the cemeteries in the horde I'S without the town ; and therefore I shall recite the method that was taken for purchasing in ground at the north side of St. Paul's cathedral, where. in some places, the houses were hut 11 feet distant from the Ihbric, exposing it to the continual danger of fires. The houses were 17, and con tiguous, all in leasehold of the dean, or bishop, or the petty canons, with divers under-tenants. First, we treated with the landlords, w ho, being perpetual bodies, were to be recompensed in kind, with rents of the like value for them and their successors; but the tenants in possession, for a valuable consideration, which, to find what it amounted to, we learned, by diligent inquiry, what the inheritance of houses in that quarter were usually held at. This we 6fflnd was fifteen years' purchase at the most, and proportionally to this the value of each lease was easily determined in a scheme referring to a map. These rates, which we resolved not to stir from, were offired to each; and to cut debate, they were assured that we went by one uniform method, which could not be receded front. The whole at last was cleared, and all concerned were satisfied, and their writings given up. The greatest debate was about their charges for fitting up their new houses to their particular trades; for this we allowed one year's purchase, and gave leave to remove all their wainscot, reserving the materials of the fabric only. This was happily finished without a judicatory, or jury.