328
sir CHRISTOPHER WREN,, knt.
Project so seasonably adjusted for the Encouragement and Improvement of thatother most important branch of the national Defence, the naval Arms of Great -Britain. After the Grant had pass’d the great St al, and an ample CommiJJionappointed, witli Powers to conduct and regulate all Affairs, relating to thebuilding of the Hospital ; and the Surveyor nominated a Director, and chicsArchiteB of this great Undertaking, he chearfully engag’d in the Work, gratis ,and contriv’d the new Fabrick extensive, durable, and magnificent, conformableto the graceful Pavilion, which had been erected there by King Charles the Second ,and originally intended for his own Palace; contributing his Time, Labour, andSkill, and prosecuting the Works for several Years, with all the Expedition theCircumstances of Affairs would allow ; without any Salary, Emolument or Re-ward (which good Example, ’tis to be hoped, has been since follow’d ;) pre-ferring in this, as in every other Passage of his Life, the publick Service to anyprivate Advantage of his own, by the Acquest of Wealth, of which he hadalways a great Contempt. .
Extra&s from the Account of the Buildings of Greenwich Hospitalspublifj d by the Deputy-furveyor Mr. Hawksmoor, Anno172%. for the Perusal of the Parliament.
T1 ER Majesty Queen Mary, the Foundress of the marine Hospital, enjoin’d■*- * Sir Christopher Wren to build the Fabrick with great Magnificence andOrder ; and being ever sollicitous for the Prosecution of the Design, had severaltimes honour’d Greenwich with her personal Views of the Building erected byKing Charles II. as Part of his Palace, and likewise of that built by Mr. InigoJones, call’d the Queen’s House, &c. On which Views She was unwilling todemolish either, as was propos’d by some. This occasion’d the keeping of. an Approach from the Thames quite up to the Queen’s House, of I 15 Feet broad,out of the Grant that was made to the Hospital, that her Majesty might havean Access to that House by Water as well as by Land; and site retain’d a De-sire to add the four Pavilions to that Palace, according to Inigo Jones’s Design,that She might make that little Palace compleat, as a royal Villa for her ownRetirement, or from whence Embassadors, or publick Ministers, might maketheir Entry into London.
Her Majesty’s absolute Determination to preserve the Wing built by her UncleKing Charles II. to keep the Queen’s House, and the Approach to it, on the Con-siderations abovesaid, naturally drew on the Disposition of the Buildings, as theyare now placed and situated.
The principal Front of this great Building lies open to the Thames ; fromwhence we enter into the Middle of the royal Court, near 300 Foot square,lying open to the North, and cover’d on the West with the Court of KingCharles II. and on the East with that of Queen Anne, equal to it; and on theSouth, the great Flail and Chapel.
The Court of Queen Anne contains the great Range or Wing next the royalCourt, as aforesaid, and holds 140 Men. To the East of this Court of QueenAnne, is another Range of Building, which contains 66 Persons, &c.
The great Pavilion next the Thames contains four very commodious Apart-ments for Officers.
The great Pavilion, at the South-end of Queen Anne’s Court, contains Lodg-ings for Officers, and some proper Rooms for the entertaining of the Widowsand Children.
The Court of King Charles II. contains the gre^t; Wing on the West of theroyal Court above mention’d, built by that Prince as Part of his own intendedPalace. It is a noble Pile, having in the Middle a tetrastyle Portico, with Ar-4 cades;