The foundations appeared to be those originally laid, consisting of Kentish rubble stone, artfully worked and consolidated with exceeding hard mortar, after the Roman manner, much excelling what he found in the superstructure. What induced him to change the scite of the church, and eraze the old foundations which were so firm, was the desire of giving the new structure a more free and graceful aspect; yet after all, he found himself too much confined; and unable to bring his front to lie exactly from Ludgate. However, in his progress he met with one misfortune that made him almost repent of the alteration he had made; he began the foundation from the west to the east, and then extending his line to the north east, where he expected no interruption, he fell upon a pit, where the hard crust of pot earth, already mentioned, had been taken away, and to his unspeakable mortification, filled up with rubbish: he wanted but six or seven feet to complete his design, yet there was no other remedy but digging thro’ the sand, and building from the solid earth, that was at least forty feet deep. He therefore sunk a pit eighteen feet wide, tho’ he wanted at most but seven, thro’ all the strata, that has been already mentioned, and laid the foundations of a square pier of solid good masonry, which he carried up till he came within fifteen feet of the present surface; and then turned a short arch under ground to the level of the stratum of hard pot-earth, upon which arch the north east coin of the choir now stands. This difficulty being surmounted, and the foundations laid, he for several reasons made choice of Portland stone for the superstructure; but chiefly as the largest scantlings were to be procured from thence: however, as these could not be depended upon for columns exceeding four feet in diameter, this determined this great architect to make choice of two orders instead of one, and an Attic story, as at St. Peter’s at Rome, in order to preserve the just proportions of his cornice, otherwise the edifice must have fallen short of its intended height. Bramante in building St. Peter’s, though he had the quarries of Tivoli at hand, where he could have blocks large enough for his columns of nine feet diameter, yet for want of stones of suitable dimensions, was obliged to diminish the proportions of the proper members of his cornice; a fault against which Dr. Wren resolved to guard. On these principles he therefore proceeded, in raising the present magnificent edifice. The general form of St. Paul’s cathedral is a long cross: the walls are wrought in rustic, and strengthened as well as adorned by two rows of coupled pilasters, one over the other; the lower Corinthian, and the upper Composite. The spaces between the arches of the windows, and the architrave of the lower order, are filled with a great variety of curious enrichments, as are those above.