RANELAGH GARDENS, at Chelsea; so called from their formerly belonging to the Earl of Ranelagh. This is one of those public places of pleasure which is not to be equalled in Europe, and is the resort of people of the first quality. Though its gardens are beautiful, it is more to be admired for the amphitheatre. This is a circular building, the external diameter is 185 feet, round the whole is an arcade, and over that a gallery with a balustrade (to admit the company into the upper boxes) except where the entrances break the continuity. Over this are the windows (as may be seen in the print) and it terminates with the roof. The internal diameter is 150 feet, and the architecture of the inside corresponds with the outside, except that over every column, between the windows, termini support the roof. In the middle of the area, where the orchestra was at first designed, is a chimney having four faces. This makes it warm and comfortable in bad weather. The orchestra fills up the place of one of the entrances. The entertainment consists of a fine band of music with an organ, accompanied by the best voices. The regale is tea and coffee. RANGER’S _yard_, York street, Jermain street.† RAT _alley_, Great Eastcheap.* RATCLIFF, by Upper Shadwell. RATCLIFF SCHOOL, was founded by Nicholas Gibson, Sheriff of this city, in the year 1537, for the education of sixty poor children; the master had a salary of 10_l._ and the usher 6_l._ 13_s._ 4_d._ _per annum_, at that time very considerable sums: at present the master has 23_l._ 6_s._ 8_d._ and the usher 9_l._ 13_s._ 4_d._ a year. This house belonging to the adjoining almshouses, is under the management of the Coopers company. _Maitland._ RATCLIFF _cross_, Ratcliff. RATCLIFF _highway_, near Upper Shadwell. RATCLIFF HIGHWAY _street_, Shadwell. RATCLIFF _row_, near Old Street.† RATCLIFF _square_, Ratcliff.† RATHBONE _place_, Oxford street. RAY’S _court_, Cross lane, Lukener’s lane.† READ’S _rents_, Long lane, Smithfield.† REBECCA’S _yard_, East Smithfield. REBEL’S _row_, near St. George’s church, Southwark. RECKMAN’S _rents_, Limehouse bridge.† RECORD OFFICE, in the Tower, is kept in Wakefield’s Tower, which joins to the Bloody Tower, near Traitor’s Gate; and consists of three rooms one above another, and a large round room where the rolls are kept. These are all handsomely wainscoted, the wainscot being framed into presses round each room, within which are shelves, and repositories for the records; and for the easier finding of them, the year of each reign is inscribed on the inside of these presses, and the records placed accordingly. Within these presses, which amount to fifty-six in number, are deposited all the rolls from the first year of the reign of King John, to the beginning of the reign of Richard III. but those after this last period are kept in the Rolls chapel. See ROLLS _Office_.