sir CHRISTOPHER WREN, u»,

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SECT. XI.

A Catalogue , and short Account of Designs, in pursuance of theroyal Commands , for Buildings, which have not yet been putin Execution .

I. A General Plan, Orthography , and Session, with the Statues and Orna-*ments, designed for the Tomb of King Charles the First.

King Charles the Second was pleased to order the Surveyor to design a Mauso-leum, or Fomb, for his Father, the Royal Martyr, after that the Houje of Com- Echard’smons had voted, upon the Motion of the Lord O-Brian, on the (a) 30th of ^\Zd{Jfanuary, 1677-8, (the House having fat on Part of that Day) “ The Sum of Vol. 1IL" Seventy Thousand Pounds, for a solemn Funeral of his late Majesty King t- 4 + 1 *

" Charles the First, and to erect a Monument for the said Prince of glorious" Memory ; the said Sum to be raised by a two Months Tax, to begin at the“ Expiration of the present [b) Tax for building Ships.”

The Form of this Structure (as appears by the Surveyor's original Drawings,which were laid before the King) is a Rotundo, with a beautiful Dome andLantern; a circular Colonade without, of the Corinthian Order, resembling theTemple of Vesta. —The Enrichments on the Outside and within, are designedcostly and magnificent; to instance only in a few Articles taken from the firstEstimate, and, particularly, of the Inside, viz. —" Eight Bases of black Marble" for the great Pillars under the Dome, at 30 /. each. Eight Shafts of rich" Marble in whole Stones, 28 Feet long, 34 Feet Diameter, to be brought from" the Levant, valued at 400 /. each. Eight Capitals of Brass-work gilt, for the" above-named Pillars, at 250/. each. 3520 Feet of Incrustation with various“ Marbles in the lower Order of Pilasters within the Niches. Entablatures of“ white Marble. In the Spandrils over the Niches, Marbles inlaid. 1606 Feet" superficial of Mosaic-work, in the Heads of Niches. 4620 Feet superficial, of" the best Painting in Fresco, in the Cupola. Ten Figures of great Life, cast" in Brass and gilt, at 400 /. each. Seven Genii, or Cherubims, of Brass gilt,

(a) N. B. The Historian mistakes the Day ; the Vote passed on the 29th, as is seen in Dr. LondonSprat's Sermon before she House os Commons, at St. Margaret’s, Westminster, Jan. 30, 1677-8. printed 'forThe beautiful Paragraph runs thus : Henry Brome*

" I confess I might, and, give me leave to fay it, I intended to have complained, that the at the Gun in“ present Age had not made that Use of him [King Charles ] which it ought; his Enemies for St. Paul’s

their Repentance and Amendment, nor even his friends for his Praise and Honour. But, GhurchyarJ," blessed be God, I am happily prevented in one Part of the Complaint; I have nothing now j,”

" to wise, but that his Enemies would as well perform their Duty to him, as, it must be ac- a ^ e“ knowledged, you [the House of Commons ] his Friends have done yours, by that much de-“ fired, long expected, Yesterday’s Vote; in which you have given a Resurrection to his Me-“ mory, by designing magnificent Rites to his sacred Ashes. So that now, for the future, au" Engiistman abroad will be able to mention the Name of King Charles the First, without blush-“ ing; and his heroick Worth will be delivered down to Posterity, us it always deserved to be,

" not only freed from Calumny, or Obscurity, but, in all Things, most illustrious; in all" Things to be commended; in most Things to be imitated; in some Things scarce imitable,

“ and only to be admired.”

After divine Service, the House fat, (as appears by the Order of Thanks) viz. Mercurii 30 DieJan. 1677-8, Ordered, That the 'shanks of this House be returned to Dr. Sprat, for his Ser-mon this Day preached before the House, at St. Margaret’s, Westminster, and that lie be desiredto print the fame, OV.

(h) Apr. 16, 1677, Car. II. 29. An Adi for raising the Sum of Five hundred eighty-four thousand Pounds, (Ac. for' the speedy building thirty Ships of War.

[Echard, Hist. England, hl. III- p. 42 r.

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