The ftately high Crofs at the upper End of HighStreet, was lately removed to the Middle of College Green; 'tis a fine Gothic Structure, with the Effigies of feveral Kings of Engl. round it. In Wine-ftreet is a large Corn Market-house built of Free Stone, and a Guard-Houfe adjoining to it, with Barracks for Soldiers. Here are feveral public Conduits for fupplying the City with Water.

The Hot Well is in the Parish of Clifton, about a M. from the City down the River, and is very much frequented, efpecially in July and Auguft; its Waters being reckoned better than thofe of Bath for fome Diftempers, particularly the Diabetes. They are alfo of excellent Ufe in all fcorbutic and inflammatory Cafes, being impregnated, by the Lime-ftone Quarries through which they run, with a foft alcalous Quality. They are not only drank on the Spot at the Pump-room, but every Morning cry'd in the Streets like Milk, and are obferved to retain their Virtue longer than other medicinal Waters. Near the Well is a Houfe built, with a fine Affembly Room. There are commodious Lodgings near the Well, but College Green is the chief Place of Refidence for Gentlemen and Ladies.

The Rocks above the Well are the chief Place for picking up the Bristol Stones, not fo well known in Camden's Time as in ours.

At Jacob's Well is a Theatre, where in the Summer, during the Recefs of the Comedians from the Metropolis, Plays are acted almoft every Night; and for the gay Part of the Citizens of both Sexes, there have been lately opened two Affembly Rooms; one a very handfome Building in the Way to the Hot Well, which is for the Summer; the other which is held every Tuesday in the Winter, at the old Theatre in Stokes Croft.

Bath, 12 M. from Bristol, 108 from Lond. was famous in the Time of the Romans for its medicinal Waters, called by Ptolemy dala Dequa, the hot Waters; by Antoninus, the Waters of the Sun; by the Britons, Caer Paden, the City of Baths, and Caer Ennant, the City of Ointments; and by the Saxons, who took it from

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the Britons, Akmanchefter, or the City of Valetudinarians. Its Baths are named the King's Bath, the Queen's Bath, the Cross Bath, the Hot Bath, the Cold Bath, and Lepers Bath. They have Benches to fit on, Rings to hold by, and proper Guides for attending both Sexes. In the King's Bath is a Statue of King Bladud, whom Mr. Camden calls the Soothfayer, with an Infcription under it, importing that he difcovered the Use of these Baths 300 Years before Chrift. That this Place was of old a Refort of Cripples and difeafed Perfons, appears from the Crutches hung up at the feveral Baths, as the Thankofferings of those who came hither Lame, and went away cured ; but it is now more frequented by the Sound for their Pleasure, than by the Sick for their Health. At the King's Bath is a neat Pump-room, where the Company meet to drink the Water, which is conveyed to it almoft boiling Hot by a Marble Pipe from the Bottom of the Springs. 'Tis admirably grateful to the Stomach, has a fine fulphureous fleely Tafte like that of the German Spaw, or Pyrmont, and ftrengthens the Bowels, by reftoring the loft Tone, and renewing the vital Heat. In fhort, many are the Diseases which find a Remedy from it when properly applied, and ufed with a light Regimen, due Exercife, and good Hours; for if high Meats and ftrong Liquors are indulged, they will create Inflammatory Diforders. The Springs were doubtless feparated from the common Springs by the Romans, and fenced in with a durable. Wall.

The Water of the Queen's Bath is not fo hot as that of the King's here are alfo Pumps and Pumpingrooms, for pouring the hot Streams on any Part of the Body, which in many Cafes is very falutary. In the S. W. Part of the Town are thofe called the Hot Bath and the Grofs Bath, whose Waters rife near the Level of the Streets, and the overflowing of the Cross Bath forms another for Lepers, and People maintained by Charity. We cannot leave the Crofs Bath without taking Notice of a handfome Monument erected in the Middle of it by the Earl of Melfort, then Secretary of State for Scotland,

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the Day after K. James II. met his Queen here. The Defcent of the Holy Ghoft attended by Angels, the Eucharift, the Pillar, and all the Ornaments are of fine Marble. The Monument is ftill entire, only fome of the Infcriptions have been erased.

This Bath, which is moft frequented by People of Quality, was covered by James Ley, Earl of Marlborough, and has a Gallery on one Side, where the Ladies and Gentlemen ftand to converfe with their Friends in the Bath; and on the other a Balcony for the Mufic, which plays all the Time they are bathing. The Guides of this Bath have obferved that when the Wind blows ftrong from the W. they feel a cold Air arifing from beneath, as they ftand near the Springs; but if the Wind be at E. and the Morning close, with a gentle Rain, the Crofs Bath is fo hot as fcarce to be endured; whereas the King's Bath and Hot Bath are both colder at that Time than ufual. In other Winds, be the Weather what it will, this Bath is temperate. It is obferved to fill in 15 or 16 Hours all the Year round, and 4 Hours bathing here is more tolerable than one and a half in the Hot Bath or King's Bath, where the hot Spring is fometimes scarce fufferable. In this Cross Bath and no other the Guides have obferved a certain black Fly in the hot Weather winged like a Lady Cow, but fomewhat bigger, which they fay fhoots into the Water, and fometimes bites. It lives under the Water, and is fuppofed to come up with the Springs. Within these few Years alfo a cold Bath has been erected by Contribution, at a Spring beyond the Bridge.

The two Seasons here are Spring and Autumn, the Spring begins with April, and ends with June; the Autumn with September, and lafts till December; and fome who drink the Water purely for their Health, remain here all the Winter. In the Spring Seafon it is much frequented for the Sake of Health, and in the Fall for Pleafure; when at leaft two thirds of the gay World drink the Waters merely for a Pretence to mix with the Company at the Pump-room, and to give a Colour for coming to an Infirmary for Pleafure.

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As this City lies in a Valley furrounded with an amphitheatrical Circle of Hills, the Heat of the Waters and their milky detergent Quality are afcribed to a Mixture and Fermentation of two different Waters, diftilling from Carlton Down and Landfdown, two of thofe Hills, of which the former has Springs that are fulphurous or bituminous, mixed with Nitre, and the latter fuch as are tinctured with Iron Ore befides, the adjacent Country abounds with Mines of Coal, which all Naturalifts agree is fulphurous and bituminous.

This City has a Bridge over the River Avon, which washes it on the S. and W. Side, and is lately, by Means of fix Locks, made navigable to Bristol. Its Walls, though flight, are almost entire, and fupposed to have been the Work of the Romans; the upper Part seems to have been repaired with the Ruins of Roman Buildings. The fmall Compafs of Ground which these Walls inclofe is in the Form of a Pentagon, with four Gates, befides a Poftern. Great Additions have been made to the Buildings of this City within thefe few Years. Without the Walls is a ftately Square erected with a fine Chapel, and in the Center of the Quadrangle an Obelisk 70 Feet high.

The Stone of which the Houfes here are built is for the most Part dug out of the Quarries upon Carlton Down, and brought from thence down a long fteep Hill by a curious Machine, the Invention of Ralph Allen, Efq. by which means it is bought at a trifling Expence. Thefe Machines and the Manner of conveying Stone from the Quarries to the River are well worth Observation.

The Grove near the Abbey Church is now called Orange Square, in Compliment to the Prince of Orange, and a Monumental Stone erected with an Infcription, importing that his Health was restored by drinking those Waters.

Over the Market H. is the Town Hall, a grand Stone Building, erected on 20 Pillars, at the upper End of which are the Pictures of the late Prince and Princefs of Wales, being their Prefent to the Corporation; and round the faid Hall hang the Pictures of all the Members

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of the Corporation, drawn at the Expence of the late General Wade, then one of the Reprefentatives. Here are alfo the Effigies of the British King Coel, who is faid to have given the City its firft Charter; and of Edgar a Saxon King, who was crowned here Anno 973. Here is a general Hospital or Infirmary for the Reception of the fick and lame Poor from all Parts of the Kingdom; the firft Stone of which was laid the 6th of July 1738. 'Tis a noble Building, being 100 Feet in Front, and 90 deep, and capable of receiving 150 Patients.

On the 10th of March 1739-40, the firft Stone of another new Square was laid in the Gardens adjoining to the South Side of the City by the Avon, and when finish-ed answerable to the grand Defign, will probably exceed any thing of that Kind in Europe.

St. Peter's Cathedral, which was the Abbey Church, is fuppofed to be built on the Spot where ftood the Roman Temple of Minerva, the Patronefs of Baths; 'tis a lofty venerable Pile. The principal Front, which is at the W. End, is beautified with the Figures of Angels afcending and defcending.

Hard by the Cross Bath is St. John's Hospital, founded by Fitz Joceline, a Bishop of this See.

Wells, 16 M. from Bath, 15 from Bristol, 120 from Lond, is a fmall but neat City, at the Bottom of Mendip Hills; it has its prefent Name from the Wells dug in all Parts of it. The Buildings are remarkably good. The Front of this Cathedral is greatly admired by Strangers. for its excellent Imagery and carved Stone Work; though the Tafte is a little too Gothic to please the Critics in Sculpture. The Cloysters adjoining to it are very large and fpacious. The Chapter Houfe is a Rotund, fupported by a Pillar in the Center; and the Window in the Front, curioufly painted. The Vicars Dwellings in the Clofe are very pretty, but their Hall is turned into a Mufic Room, where are frequent Concerts. There is a Charity School here for 20 Boys and 20 Girls. The eldest Vicar teaches the Boys to fing. The Town Hall ftands over Bishop Bubbewith's Hofpital, which maintains 30 poor Men and Women. There is another

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