such extracts as I think may afford any amusement to my readers.

"I was rather disappointed with Nice, though some of the environs are pretty, and the gulf of Villa Franca as lovely as anything I ever saw. It was so cold in the early part of the mornings, that I was obliged to protect my hands in my walks by keeping them in my pockets, and nearly the same at nightwhereas in the middle of the day I bathed in the sea, I may almost say, to cool myself. This vicissitude must render it necessary for invalids to be very careful. The air is so dry, that notwithstanding the sharp frosts, we had young peas every day for dinner, and I observed the plants in flower and pod, as if it had been summer. In the inn-garden were orange trees loaded with ripe fruit. The olive groves about Nice are particularly fine, and the shade in hot weather must be delightful. I remarked many trees five feet in diameter, and bearing the marks of extreme old age. The north coast of the Mediterranean seems to be particularly favourable to the olive, and it visibly degenerates, in whichever direction it recedes. On New Year's Day all the inhabitants of any consideration were out in the street in full court dresses, calling upon one another, and when they met, kissing in the streets-very wretches most of thempriests hugging officers, and officers hugging priests. I hugged myself that I knew none of them, to have such a liberty taken with me by such rapscallions. The oranges in this country are not near so good as we get in England, but I like them for their freshness; and for the same reason I think the lemons delicious. After all, the trees, as they are pruned for bearing, are too formal to be beautiful: they look like trees in a pantomime, but they certainly give the environs of Nice a very rich appear

ance.

"We embarked on board a felucca on the 4th, but landed at Menaco on account of contrary winds. There we took mules to this place, the road being rendered impracticable for carriages by the greatest storm there has been for forty years. We had a very pleasant, healthy, and interesting journey of four days, with three mules and two muleteers on foot, who kept pace with us, sometimes at the rate of seven miles an hour. The road is most interesting from the beautiful situations of the towns and villages, the almost constant view of the sea, the numerous and extensive olive, and orange, and lemon groves, and the various evergreens and herbs with which the rocks and mountains are covered. I recognised many plants which we grow in greenhouses. We entered Genoa at full trot, Chapuis, our courier,

in grand costume, galloping before us, cracking his whip in the true French style, cutting right and left at everybody that came in his way, swearing and calling out in the most imperious manner, and our two muleteers running along in the greatest glee. At first I was quite ashamed of the display, but everybody seemed to take it in good part, and rather to like what in England would have caused Chapuis to have been knocked off his mule at least twenty times. He had been courier to Bonaparte, and he seemed to forget for the moment that he was not in the imperial service.

"I must not omit to mention the excellence of my mule, which I rode down the steepest and most slippery places in perfect safety. She only committed one fault, and that was in stopping at an inn, when the muleteers were in advance. Two men whipping behind, two pulling before, and myself kicking in the middle, could not induce her to move, except kicking most violently both behind and before, till at last one of the muleteers returned and set me forward.

"What a splendid place Genoa is! The palaces I think much superior in magnificence to those at Venice, and I have never seen anything comparable to the line of the three principal streets. The environs too are quite delightful on all sides, and I never saw such a number of magnificent residences. The room in which I am writing is splendidly ornamented with gilding and fresco painting. I do not think I ever saw in London so superb an apartment; but in cold weather, as this is, it is impossible to keep oneself warm. The floors are all tiled. It seems the fashion to live high up. Our rooms, which are in the principal suite of a former palace, are nearly at the top of a lofty building. We have eighty-six marble steps to ascend to get to them, and it is something the same in most of the palaces I have seen. I believe the family in general only occupy the principal floor, and sometimes content themselves with less; and, indeed, it is impossible for an individual to want the whole of some of these immense piles. In one palace I counted twenty-five windows in front on one floor. In many, carriages drive into the vestibule ; and the staircases, landing-places, and halls are in proportion. To-day all the world was out. The men wrap themselves up in large cloaks, but the women are lightly clad, and wear only a thin piece of muslin thrown over their heads, but not covering the face, with dark curls on each side the forehead. The lower orders use printed calico. The muslin gives an elegant and delicate appearance, and in general the complexions are good, and the manner and air prepossessing. The men, too, are rather a fine race. The more I see of the place, the more I admire it.

No. X.-WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 1835.

GOLDSMITHS' HALL.

On Wednesday last I was shown over the new Hall of the ancient and wealthy City Company of Goldsmiths, when it was in a complete state of preparation for the opening dinner. It is not my intention to say more of its architectural merits than to express my full agreement with the general opinion, that it exhibits an extraordinary union of magnificence, good taste, and comfort. It is in a political and moral point of view that I am going to consider it as one of the institutions in accordance with ideas my of free, efficient, and enjoyable government. I have long entertained great admiration of the constitution of the government of the City of London, and I believe to that constitution we are greatly indebted for the preservation of our liberties through so many ages. Not only on many critical occasions have the citizens stood forth the sturdy champions of political rights, but it can scarcely be doubted that apprehension of their power has not frequently prevented arbitrary measures from having been even meditated. Such a citadel, always well garrisoned, and, what is of no small consequence, always well provisioned, close to the seat of government, cannot have been without the most influential effects. The circumstances, too, of the King himself not entering the City without first being announced to the Lord Mayor at the gate, and of no soldiers being allowed to be introduced without consent, have been outworks not without use-especially the latter, because it has enabled spirited magistrates to furnish examples of the superiority of moral influence over physical force in quelling disturbances. The strength of the City has depended both upon the union and the division of its government-upon its union under the Lord Mayor and Aldermen, the Court of Common Council, and the Livery; upon its division into wards and companies, though the latter may be considered as only collateral, but still very important. The union has produced unity of action and influence the division has produced discipline, and that confidence which arises from a habit of consulting and acting together in compact bodies, without which everything is vague and mob-like. The reasons why the City government has not exhibited all the advantages of which it appears capable, I apprehend to be two-fold; first, because the boundaries have not from time to time been extended, in like manner as the Romans were wont to extend their city boundaries, as population and wealth increased; and secondly, for want of local improvement, which has gradually driven away the higher classes of inhabitants, so

that City honours have had a continual tendency to fall into lower and lower hands. In other parts of the country the machinery and splendour of local government are quite inadequate to what is wanted; in the City it is the reverse, and there is consequently a waste, upon a population diminishing both in number and quality, of what would suffice for far more extended purposes. The City is like an ancient mansion kept up in all its former splendour, after it has become so inconvenient that the best members of the family will no longer live in it; and, consequently, that which would amply supply their wants is lavished upon less worthy objects, and for inadequate ends. It is an establishment much larger and more expensive than the locality requires, and those who are called citizens are for the most part no longer really such, but out-lying members and foreigners, who attach themselves for what they can get, without having any corresponding duties to perform, or any substantial interests to connect them. If government and the means of government were made co-extensive, the benefits would be great in all ways. The distinctions, wealth, and various advantages pertaining to the City, in the different ramifications of its government, would be increased in attraction by diffusion, instead of being inconveniently confined to a limited district of crowded or narrow streets, thronged with business, and deserted as to residence by the chief persons who have occasion to attend there. The City companies, which were originally so many brotherhoods for the protection of different trading interests, have become in these times, I apprehend, nearly useless in that view; but as social bodies, governing themselves, I consider them of high importance, and as so many strongholds of freedom, if it were seriously attacked. They give a community of interest, they increase each individual member's stake in the country, they create aggregate power, and a brotherly and social feeling, forming altogether solid bulwarks to the body politic. I have already alluded to the importance of the City being well provisioned; and although City feasting is often a subject of joke, and is no doubt sometimes carried to excess, yet I am of opinion that a great deal of English spirit is owing to it; and that as long as men are so often emboldened by good cheer, they are in no danger of becoming slaves. The City halls, with their feasts, their music, and their inspiriting associa tions, are so many temples of liberty; and I only wish that they could be dispersed through the metropolis, and have each a local government attached in proportion to the means of the establishment. Then would there be objects worthy of the highest intelligence, united with social attractions; and improvement in government might be expected to become steadily progressive.

SILVER THREEPENCES AND FOURPENCES.

I have often thought it would be very advantageous in our daily money transactions to have some silver coins of smaller value than sixpence. In pursuing the subject I have come to the conclusion, that it would be beneficial in three ways, and to a more considerable extent than I at first supposed. First, it would greatly increase small traffic, to the convenience of buyers and the profit of sellers. Copper money is both disagreeable and cumbersome, and, to avoid carrying it, we continually abstain from laying out trifling sums, to the privation of many little enjoyments and comforts. It is hardly necessary to mention instances. They occur constantly, in passing along the streets, in travelling, and, in short, in much of our every-day intercourse; so that at the end of the year both we, and those with whom we should deal, are considerable losers. How often would a biscuit or an orange be grateful and wholesome! but the nuisance of fivepence is a general bar to the purchase, and the same with a multitude of twopenny and threepenny matters. How often, to avoid the weight and gingle of copper, do we avoid, or stop short of a turnpike!

The second advantage would be the more accurate regulation of prices and payments, which is of no small consequence in our daily dealings. How many articles are charged sixpence, or a shilling, when they could be well afforded much cheaper, merely for the convenience of payment! Consequently, the traffic is very much diminished by a natural repugnance to give more than the value; or if the purchase is made, it is accompanied by a certain degree of dissatisfaction, which takes off from the enjoyment. Not only is cheapness an inducement to buy, but all prudent people like to have value received. On the other hand, for the same convenience of payment, the price is necessarily sometimes fixed too low, to the loss of the seller. At the great clubs, where no article is served for less than sixpence, double the quantity wanted is often given, or nothing at all is charged. The consequence is, a restraint on the consumption of many extras, or a loss to the general account. The want of smaller coins is a great drawback to the frequent use of cabs, and the same may be said perhaps of boats on the Thames. People do not like to be constantly paying an over-price, or to be encumbered with pence, to the great detriment of the callings; for though sometimes too much is paid, far more frequently employment is altogether lost.

The third advantage would be in the regulation of gratuities for small services, such as to waiters, or porters at inns, on occasions