The Rev. Dr. Gardiner is sole pro and Fridays at eleven. LAURA CHAPEL, in Henrietta-street, Laura-place, was erected by a Tontine subscription scheme, by the Rev. Mr. Leaves; the Rev. Mr. Grenfield and the Rev. Mr. Masters are the officiating ministers. It was opened for divine service in 1796, and is a neat commodious building. The little CHAPEL dedicated to St. Mary Magdalen si -tuated under Beechen-Clift, is in the gift of the Lord Chancel. lor. The present incumbent is Dr. Richard Roberts, Master of St. Paul's School, London, and is supported by public subscription. Divine Service is performed every Sunday by the Rev. Thomas Street. Adjoining, is an Hospital for Idiots, belonging to it, rebuilt in 1761. There are also places of divine worship for all the Denominations in England, that are popular and prevalent; and which are as follow: 1. LADY HUNTINGDON's CHAPEL, Vineyards, displays taste and elegance in the interior part. The ground floor is intersected by a light iron railing, into several divisions, each well furnished with seats, covered with red cloth; a handsome gallery runs round, supported by fluted pillars, every two of which form an arch with the side of the gallery. The communion-table is placed in a circular recess at one end, with a fine-toned organ directly over it; at the other end, two steps higher than the floor, there are two reading-desks, each supported by a spread eagle, behind these the throne rises six steps higher still, with another reading-desk, borne by a spread eagle also, that stands on its summit. Divine service is here every Sunday at half after ten and at six, also every Tuesday and Thursday. The Rev. Dr. Haweis is the principal offici ating minister. 2. The METHODIST CHAPEL, New King-street, for the followers of the late Rev. John Wesley, is a neat and well adapted place for divine worship. The ground floor is well furnished with pews; an elegant gallery goes round, a part of which is appropriated to the use of a choir of singers. The pulpit stands in front of the communion-table, which is placed in a handsome recess. Service is here every Lord's day at eleven and six, and preaching every Monday and Friday at seven. The ministers are changed at stated periods. 3. The INDEPENDENT MEETING-HOUSE, Argyle street, is very elegant, airy, and lofty, finely illuminated with large windows, and well furnished with a handsome gallery and commodious pews. Here divine service is every Sunday at eleven and six, and preaching every Thursday at seven. The Rev. Mr. Jay is the officiating minister. 4. The UNITARIAN CHAPEL, in Trim-street, is ex. tremely neat and genteelly furnished with a gallery and conve jent pews. A choir of incomparable singers meet here every Sunday, whose enchanting sounds soften the heart, and raise the thoughts from earth to heaven. Here is divine service evěry sunday at eleven and six. The Rev. Mr. Hunter is the officiating minister. 5. The ROMAN CATHOLIC CHAPEL in Orchard. street, is well furnished with seats has a gallery with commodious pews, a fine altar, an excellent organ, and a brilliant choir. Here is divine service every Sunday at seven, nine, and eleven. The Rev. Mr. Ainsworth is the resident minister. 6. MEETING-HOUSE for the SOCIETY of FRIENDS is in St. James's-passage, St. James's-parade; it is large and airy, provided with pews, has a spacious gallery, and in every respect fit for the reception of a numerous meeting; the best preachers in the society of Friends often visit it, and shew the power of divine inspiration by rational and forcible discourses. 7. The MORAVIAN CHAPEL in Monmouth-street, is supplied with convenient seats, has a gallery and an organ; it is neat and airy. Here are prayers every Sunday at eleven and six, and every Wednesday at seven. The Rev. Mr. Cle. mens is the officiating minister. 8. The BAPTIST MEETING.HOUSE, in Somersetstreet, is provided with commodious pews, and a large gallery. Here divine service is performed every Sunday at ten, half af. ter two and six. Preaching every Wednesday and Friday at The Rev. Mr. Porter is the officiating minister. six. 9. A new CHAPEL has been erected in York-street by a part of Mr. Porter's congregation, who have lately seceded. CHAP. VI. Of the Hospitals and other Charitable Institutions of Bath. TH HE christian religion has contributed more to refine humanity and to excite her to the performance of noble and generous deeds, than all the prccepts of philosophy or the dictates of imperious authority. The nations that are so happy as to be directed by her doctrines, shew, by the number of beneficent institutions shey have established for the reception of the unfortunate, the poor, the aged, and the deceased, their benign influence over the hearts of mankind; they inspire the soul with the most generous principle, soften the passions, and spring in the eye of sensibility, the sympathetic 'tear. When the martial Offa conquered Somersetshire, and made himself master of Bath, his sanguinary sword exulted in slaughter and streams of gore; but when his desire of conquest was gratified by the acquisition he obtained, the religi on he professed, awaked piety and beneficence, which during the rage of war lay dormant, in his breast to the exercise of their laudible functions. The influence of those virtues prevailed on Offa to rebuild the monastry and churches that were nearly destroyed, and to erect an asylum for the accommodation of deceased strangers, who came to Bath in expectation of being cured by the sanative efficacy of its waters. This was the first hospital founded at Bath, known by the name of St. John's hospital. Before the commencement of the twelfth century, no trace of it remained, which was about four centuries after its founding. In the year 1138, Robert the first, Bishop of this see, erected another hospital at Bath, for the reception of the poor, afflicted with the leprosy, and provided it with a convenient bathing-place, called the Lepers' Bath, which was supplied from the waters of the Hot-Bath, and was appropriated to the lepers alone. In the year of our Lord 1180, Reginald Fitz-Joceline, then Bishop of Bath and Wells, animated by philanthrophy, compassion and charity; built an hospital near the Hot and Cross Baths for the reception of the sick and aged poor, dedicated it to St. John the Baptist, and endowed it with an estate, contiguous to Bath. At the time of the dissolution of mona steries, it escaped the general destruction, became vested in the crown, and was attached to the parish of St. Michael, and the mastership given to the Rector, through whose interested views it began to fall to ruins. In the year 1537, Queen Elizabeth again restored it, by granting a brief, which should be put in force for seven years, to raise money for repairing the church of St. Peter and Paul, and rebuilding the almost destroyed hospital of St John; at the same time she vested the patronage of it in the mayor and chief citizens of Bath; but the revenues attaclied to it increasing to a respectable annual sum, the integrity of those entrusted with its patronage began to give way. An order made by the corporation, in the year 1616, gave the mastership of this hospital to the mayor of Bath for the time being; and for nearly half a century the income of the charity was divided amongst the members of the corporation. After the restoration of Charles the second, the patronage again fell to the crown, who in a short time made his chaplain master, restored the hospital to its former patrons, the mayor and corporation of Bath, who revived their former proceedings, to the injury of those received according to the conditions of the charity. In 1711, a misunderstanding arising between John Chapman, the then master, and the corporation in respect to the hospital lands and fines, the former filed a bill in Chancery, against the mayor, aldermen, and citizens of Bath, the defendants put in their answers and the cause was discussed the 26th. of November, 1713, before Sir John Trevor, then Master of the Rolls, who after a full hearing, decreed,―that in future, the fines arising from granting new lesses of the premises belonging to the charity, should be divided in the following manner: that the master should receive two-thirds for his own use, out of which he was to keep the chapel and the hospital in good repair, and that the co-brethren and sisters should have the remaining third, to be distributed to them monthly, in equal shares; and he farther decreed, that the Lord Chancellor, the Lord Keeper, the Master of the Rolls, and the Lord Bishop of Bath and Wells, or any two of them, should from time to time, respectfully, for ever, be visitors of the said hospital. He also ordered the chapel to be immediately rebuilt, which was accordingly done by Mr. Killigrew the architect (Mr. Bushel then mayor of Bath, having paid him 5401. for the same) and dedicated it to St. Michael, in the year 1728. The present hospital was built by Mr. Wood, (employed by the Duke of Chandos for that purpose, in consideration of some advantages he received in erecting Chandos-court.) It accommodates six old, infirm men, and as many women; they have each an apartment, coals, and four shillings and eight-pence per week; they must be unmarried and settled inhabitants of Bath, for at least ten years, to be entitled to admission. The chapel is a neat, light building, decently ornamented with commodious pews, which are open to christian worshipers of all ranks. Here Divine Service is performed twice every day. THE GENERAL HOSPITAL Is a liberal and noble charity, open to the sick poor of the united kingdom, who are afflicted with disorders that the efficacy of the Bath waters would be likely to remove. This structure (situated just within the old wall of the city where the Theatre formerly stood) is a superb pile of building, stretchi g in length 100 feet, and in depth 90 feet. It is an establishment that derived its foundation from the benevo→ lence of a few worthy individuals, in the year 1715, (of whom the celebrated Richard Nash, Esq. was the most active) who were solicitous of extending the advantages of the Bath Waters to the deceased poor of the realm, by erecting a place for their abode and support during their stay in the city. A subscription adequate to building the intended asylum was raised; but the subscribers not agreeing among themselves in respect to the application of the sums contributed, they relinquished their plan, until the year 1738, when the Right Hon. William Pulteney, afterwards Earl of Bath, laid the first stone of the present structure with much ceremony. The inscription following, had been previously cut on it: This stone Is the first that was laid in the foundation of GOD prosper the charitable Undertaking. · |