BRISTOL, the Ozer Brito of the Britons, and Bright stow of the Saxons, stands on an elevated peninsula, form ed by the rivers Frome and Avon, partly in Somerset, and partly in Gloucestershire ; and for wealth, trade, and population, is the second city of England. Accord ing to a tradition of William of Worcester, Bristol was built by Brennus, a prince of the Britons, 380 years be fore the Christian ;:era ; in allusion to which, two statues are placed over St John's gate, emblematic of BITIMUS and Belinus, who are said to have reigned conjointly after the decease of their father. However this may be, it is evident that Bristol was, at an early period of our history, a place of considerable importance. It is men tioned by Gildas under the name of Caer Brito, among the fortified cities of Britain, as early as A. D. 430; and also by Nennius in 620, in his enumeration of the 28 cities of Britain. It was first encompassed with a strong wall by Robert, the illegitimate son of Henry 1., who, in 1130, also rebuilt and improved the castle, which, ex cluding the outworks, was 450 feet in length, and 300 in breadth. This fortress was long considered a place of great strength, and stood for seven centuries the sub ject of much negociation and contention. It was razed to the ground by order of Oliver Cromwell, in 1665, and the only vestiges which remain, are now incorporated with other buildings. Though Bristol has often been the scene of contention, and has frequently suffered from the vicissitudes of war, yet it has been continually in creasing in extent and opulence, until it has attained its present eminence as one of the principal cities of Europe. Besides the peninsula between the Fromc and the Avon, which contains the old town, St Michael's hill and King's Down on the north, College Green on the west, and Rad cliffe hill on the south, are covered with public and private buildings, the whole extending over a surface of nearly 1500 acres of ground. The city contains 600 streets, lanes, squares, courts, &c. with 17 churches, and about 30 chapels or meeting-houses. It is above seven miles in circumference, two-thirds of it being on the Glouces tershire side of the river ; and including the suburbs from Lawrence hill on the east, to the hot wells on the west, it is more that three miles in length. The streets in the old town are crowded and irregular, and most of the houses are built of wood and plaister. Great im provements, however, have lately been made. Many of the streets have been widened, particularly the avenues leading to the river, which, from being formerly very steep, are now rendered easy and convenient. But the suburbs, and the external parts of the city, contain the most exgant and spacious buildings, which are com posed entirely of brick and stone ; all other materials being now prohibited in Bristol by act of parliament. These are chiefly inhabited by gentry, merchants, and retired tradesmen, or let as lodging houses. The prin cipal public buildings are, the cathedral, the church of St Mary Radcliffe, and the exchange. The cathedral is only a part of the original church of the abbey of St Augustine, which was partly demolished at the dissolu tion of the monastery ; and when Bristol was erected into a Bishop's see by Henry VEIL, what remained was converted into the present cathedral. It is 173 feet long, and 128 broad, and, at the west end, has a large square tower 130 feet high, ornamented with battlements and 4 pinnacles. The establishment of the cathedral con sists of a bishop, a dean, six prebendaries, and other inferior officers. The arch-deacon of Dorset has also a
stall in the cathedral The church of St Mary Radcliffe is one of the finest in the kingdom. It stands on Rad cliffe hill, and is said to have been founded by Simon de Burton in 1292, and finished in 1376, and was then cele brated for the beauty and elegance of its architecture over all England. It was built in the form of a cross, with a tower and spire 250 feet high, and richly orna mented with carved work ; but in 1445, part of the spire was destroyed by lightning, and the church much da maged. The spire has never since been rebuilt, but the church was repaired by the munificence of William Canninge, a mayor of Bristol, of whom it contains two beautiful monumental statues, one habited as a magis trate, and the other as a priest, he having, in his latter days, taken holy orders. Though a massy and lofty building, yet, from the peculiar beauty of the mason work, this church has a light and airy appearance. The exchange, in Corn-street, is a handsome structure in the Grecian style, built by Wood the architect of Bath, at the expence of 50,0001. It is 110 feet in front, and 143 deep ; and the place intended for the merchants is a peristyle of the Corinthian order, 90 feet by 80, capa of containing 1410 persons. The merchants, feeling the want of an accommodation similar to Lloyd's in Lon don, determined upon building a commercial coffee room to supply the deficiency. A subscription was according ly opened, and 17,000/. was raised in two days, :251. be ing the amount of each share. The entrance to the building is from Co•n-street, under an Ionic portico of four columns, supporting a grand pediment, on which are placed three beautiful colossal statues, representing the city of Bristol supported by navigation and com merce. The grand room is 60 feet long, 40 wide, and 25 in height. The other public buildings arc, the theatre royal in King's-street, pronounced by Mr Garrick to be the completest in Europe of its dimensions ; the assem bly rooms in Prince's-street; the guildhall, mansion house, and custom-house. There are several benevo lent institutions in Bristol ; among which, are the gene ral hospital for the reception of patients of every descrip tion, and of every nation ; Queen Elizabcth's hospital, in which 100 boys are maintained and educated, six of whom are allowed 101. each, and the others 8 guineas, to bind them apprentices ; Colston's hospital, where the same number of boys are maintained for seven years, and taught and apprenticed in the same way. This be nevolent gentleman founded another hospital in 1691, for 12 men and 12 women, with an allowance of 3s. per week, and 24 sacks of coals in the year, for which he appropriated 25,000/. ; and in conjunction with the mer chants of the city, he instituted a third, in which are maintained 18 men on account of the merchants, and 12 men and women on account of Mr Colston. Bristol claims the honour of having shewn to the rest of England the first example of a regular provincial infirmary. It was founded in the year 1735, through the exertions and munificence of John Elbordye, Esq. and Dr Bonythorn, its first physician and treasurer, seconded with the as sistance of the corporation and citizens at large. The gross receipts for the year 1810 amounted to 89681. ; in which year were admitted 1225 in-patients, and 2607 were relieved as out-patients. A new wing has lately been added, which cost about 10,0001.