and convenience, united in the highest possible degree.

The Girard Bank, in Third Street, is a noble structure, with a richly-decorated front and portico of Corinthian fluted columns, and entablatures of sculptured designs.

The Philadelphia Bank in Chesnut Street, also of the Corinthian order, presents a fine façade of white marble, and an elevated portico. And the United States Mint, in Chesnut Street, farther to the west, is a fine Ionic structure, built by the city-architect, Mr. Strickland, from drawings and measurements of a beautiful Ionic temple of the Greeks, on the banks of the river Illyssus, near Athens. This also is built entirely of the pure white marble which abounds in Pennsylvania, and than which the famed quarries of Paros or Pentelicus could hardly furnish a better.

The public edifices connected with education are numerous, but only a few of them are remarkable for their size or architectural beauty. The public and private schools are commodious, and well adapted to their respective purposes, but offer little attraction in their appearance.

Its

The University of Philadelphia is now the principal public institution of this description. It was originally a charity-school, and afterwards an academy, and as such it was endowed and chartered in 1753. It was erected into a college in 1779, three years after the Declaration of Independence; and in 1789, it received the dignity of a University. tuition embraces the four departments of arts, medicine, natural science, and law; it has four professors of arts, five of natural science, one of law, and seven of medicine. In the latter branch alone, upwards of 500 students receive instruction every year, and about an equal number in all the other departments collectively. There is a fine anatomical museum belonging to the University, and its philosophical and chemical apparatus are equal to that of any similar institution in Europe. I had the pleasure to see them all, under the direction of Dr. Hares, the celebrated inventor of the improved blowpipe, who is professor of chemistry in the institution. The buildings of the University, of which there are two, are situated in North Street. They are five substantial mansions, without much decoration, but in good taste; and being surrounded with ample space, and a fine grass-plat in front, between each other, they present a good appearance to the

view.

The Girard College, now in the course of erection in the neighbourhood of Philadelphia, will be one of the finest edifices of modern times, as a work of art alone; and a monument of private munificence to the cause of education, such as few countries in the world possess. The large sum of two millions of dollars was given at his death, by Mr. Stephen Girard, the rich banker of Philadelphia, recently deceased, to build this college, for the education of such orphans as were without the means of otherwise obtaining it.

Mr. Girard was a Frenchman, of the humblest origin, and came to this city a poor man. By great industry, shrewdness, parsimony, and good fortune, -for his success was owing to a combination of all these, he acquired immense wealth, and at his death left seven millions of dollars; two millions of which were given for the erection of the buildings of this Institution: and the residue of his estate, after paying some inconsiderable legacies, was appropriated to its endowment; so that it is thought there will be at the least a fund of five millions of dollars, or one million sterling, as a permanent investment; the interest of which, in this country not less than 60,0001. sterling per annum, will be at the disposal of the trustees for annual expenditure.

A remarkable condition of this Institution, enjoined by the will of Mr. Girard, is this, that "no clergyman, preacher, teacher, or minister, of any sect of religion, shall have any share in the trusteeship, management, direction, or tuition of the college; but from all these shall be absolutely and for ever excluded." The motive for this condition is alleged

to have been his determination to guard against any possible sectarian predominance, from a belief that it would operate, if established, disadvantageously to the just distribution of the privileges of the Institution, to the various claimants for admission, according to their respective modes of faith.

Mr. Girard was, himself, nominally a Roman Catholic. His directions respecting the building of the College, which were very circumstantial and minute, ordered that it should be a plain substantial structure. But the executors, to whom the expenditure of the money is entrusted, having ascertained that his directions could not be literally and exactly complied with in every particular, have exercised their discretion in departing from the design of the founder in this particular; and it will no doubt form as superb an edifice as the most ardent admirer of the splendid and the beautiful could desire.

The foundation-stone of the building was laid on the 4th of July, 1833, (the 57th anniversary of the Declaration of American Independence,) with becoming honours, by the architect, Thomas U. Walter, surrounded by the civic authorities and the buildingcommittee, with an immense concourse of the citizens of Philadelphia; on which occasion, a very eloquent and appropriate address was delivered by Mr. Nicholas Biddle, the celebrated financier of America, and president of the United States Bank. I insert this address in the Appendix, among the other documents worthy of preservation, as illustrating the state of the county; first because it furnishes the best abstract of the origin, nature, and design of the institution itself, and next because it is a fine specimen

of the learning, ability, and good taste which characterizes its accomplished author, and which is admitted by those most hostile to him in his financial capacity.*

We had the advantage of seeing this noble structure, now rapidly advancing towards completion, twice; once under the guidance of the benevolent philanthropist, Mr. Matthew Carey, of this city; and next, in company with the architect himself, by whom the following brief but accurate description of the building was furnished to me :

The Girard College is situated about one and a half miles north-west of the centre of the city, on a tract of land containing forty-five acres; the whole of which was appropriated by Mr. Girard exclusively to the purposes of the Institution.

The main building, which is the subject of this description, is composed in the Corinthian order of Grecian architecture; it covers a space of 184 by 243 feet, and consists of an octastyle peripteral superstructure, resting upon a basement of eight feet in height, composed entirely of steps extending around the whole edifice; by which a pyramidal appearance is given to the substruction, and a means of approach to the porticoes afforded from every side. The dimensions of the stylobate (or platform on which the columns stand,) are 159 feet on the fronts, by 217 feet on the flanks; and the cell, or body of the building, measures 111 feet by 169 feet 2 inches. The whole height, from the ground to the apex of the roof, is 100 feet.

The columns are thirty-four in number; the *See Appendix, No. I.