St. Paul’s Cathedral.—This is the most prominent object in the metropolis. The lofty dome, seen for miles around, stands in the centre of an enclosed churchyard of limited dimensions, at the head of Ludgate Hill. A church is said to have existed here four hundred years before the Norman conquest; and, under various shapes and extensions, it remained till destroyed by the Great Fire of London in 1666. An entirely new edifice was then erected in its stead, the important work being committed to Sir Christopher Wren. It was opened for divine service in 1697, and finished in 1710—one architect and one master-mason having been engaged on it for 35 years. {47a} The cathedral is built in the form of a cross, 514 feet in length by 286 in breadth. {47b} Outwardly, the walls, which have a dark sooty appearance, except where bleached by the weather, exhibit a double range of windows. There are three porticos at as many entrances on the north, west, and south. That on the west is the principal, with twelve lofty Corinthian pillars below, and a second order carrying the pediment above; the angles are crowned with handsome bell-towers, much larger than ordinary church steeples, and 222 feet high. [Picture: St. Paul’s Cathedral and Churchyard, from Ludgate Hill] But this entrance, which fronts Ludgate Hill, is not much used; the common entrance is by the north portico and flight of steps. On entering, the impression produced by the vastness of the internal space is great, although the walls want something in tone and relief. (Subscriptions are being gradually raised for richly adorning the interior.) There are two domes, an outer and an inner, having a brick cone between them. The inner dome has six paintings relating to events in the life of St. Paul: they were painted by Sir James Thornhill, and have recently been renovated. In the choir is much beautiful carving, by Grinling Gibbons. In various parts of the cathedral are statues and monuments of John Howard, Dr. Johnson, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Bishop Heber, Nelson, Cornwallis, Abercrombie, Sir John Moore, Lord Heathfield, Howe, Rodney, Collingwood, St. Vincent, Picton, Ponsonby, and others. In the _Crypt_ beneath are the tombs of Wellington, Nelson, Wren, Collingwood, Picton, Reynolds, Lawrence, Opie, West, Fuseli, Turner, Rennie, and other eminent men. Service is performed on Sundays at 10.30 A.M. and 3.15 P.M.; on week-days at 8.0, 10.0, and 4.0. A screen, on which the organ stood, has lately been removed, throwing open the beautiful choir to view from the nave. The organ has been placed on the north side of the choir. Several times in the year service is performed under the dome on Sunday evenings by gaslight; and an additional organ for this service has been set up in the south transept. The appearance of the dome at these times, with a soft light shed around it, is extremely beautiful; and the congregation generally assembled is enormous. If the stranger pleases to