was enclosed a few years since by an handsome iron palisading; the area, covered with verdant grass, and shaded by the luxuriant foliage of some lofty trees, forms a beautiful promenade for ladies in the summer season. Within the Chapel is a tab let, to the memory of a deceased clergyman, who formerly officiated there; but marriages are not solemnized in it, nor is the ground appropriated to interment.

There are several dissenting houses in Yarmouth, amongst which may be enumerated, the Arians, Calvanists, Independents, and Methodists, each of which has a very considerable congregation, particularly that appropriated to the Wesleyan Methodists, a new and spacious edifice, in KingStreet, near Steel's Gates. near

The Guild-Hall is a convenient building, near the church, of the original of which Manship gives the following account: "there is" says he "a very fair building, commonly called the Guild-Hall, near unto the church, containing in length, from east to west, within the walls, seventy-six feet, and in breadth twenty-two feet, which being much ruinated, was, in the year of our Lord 1544, in the 36th Henry VIII., by the town very substantially repaired and amended, and the walls new buttressed and supported, and the roof, which is a very fair one, some time belonging to Mettingham College, (upon the suppression thereof) was brought to Yarmouth and placed upon the said Hall, and covered with lead very neatly. In this Hall, in times past, viz., within my remembrance, was yearly holden, on Trinity

Sunday, a solemn feast for the whole brotherhood and fellowship of the society, called the blessed trinity, which by our charter of King John, in the year 1207, was granted unto us by the name of the merchants' guild, whereunto every one of the common council, at his first admission and oath taken, doth still acknowledge himself a brother of that society; which said feast. was for the most part yearly holden at the costs of four of that brotherhood successively, according to their course of incoming maintained; over whom the senior bailiff, for the year preceding, was, and is, nominated alderman. The Hall (aforesaid) being at that time richly hanged and adorned with cloth of Arras tapestry, and other costly furniture, not sparing any dainty fare, which might be had for money."

The order of that feast, as it was agreed at an assembly holden the 18th day of March, in the 6th year of Elizabeth, 1563. "First, that every brother of the house should, on the vigil or eve of the blessed trinity, be present in the church to hear divine service, and should pay for him and his wife, 2s. 8d. towards, the charges of the feast, whether he came or not: every brother or sister extraordinary coming thither, to pay 12d. apiece, and so every other person the like." Their diet to be as followeth, namely, "at their coming to church, on the eve aforesaid, a competency of spice cakes, beer and ale, to be provided for them, &c."

Manship further states "that this regulation continued until the year 1569, when by reason of the excessive charge, but more especially the great

disorders of the common people, it was agreed, by an act of assembly, in the 11th year of Elizabeth, that from thenceforth the heynors, who shall be appointed to heyn the feast, called trinity brotherhood, shall be at their choice to heyn the said feast in reasonable order, or else to pay four nobles apiece to the use of the town."

The building, of which Manship writes, falling into decay, the present Hall was erected, about a century since, at the expense of the Corporation. It is oblong, having a door at the east end, within the church yard, and containing nine handsome windows. A flight of stairs immediately on entering, leads to the assembly room, which is commodiously fitted up with a chair and benches for the reception of the corporate body, who hold their two principal assemblies here annually. The town chest is kept in this apartment, in which are the whole of the charters and other town records, some of them are highly curious and interesting: King John's first charter of incorporation is in high preservation, and worth the attention of the antiquary. At the lower end of the room, a folding door opens into the council chamber, used as a retiring room for the inquest, when about to elect a new mayor, and here he receives the corporate body on holidays and other public occasions. In the assembly room the canditates for representing the town in parliament, are usually nominated, and at the close of a contested election, the members are there declared by the mayor.

A little south of the bridge, nearly in the centre of the quay, is the Town-Hall, erected

in 1716, for the general use of the corporation. The front of the building is in the Tuscan stylėj having a fine portico, supported by pillars, on each side of which, an angular flight of stone stairs conducts to an elegant and well-proportioned di ning room, with a richly embossed stucco ceiling; from which descend three very brilliant cut-glass chandeliers. At the upper end of the room is the fire place, over which is suspended a full-length portrait of George II., in his `coronation robes, in a sitting posture, by Wordsale. An elevated and spacious orchestra extends across the lower end of the apartment, and in a recess, opposite the entrance door, is a model of Nelson's pillar, executed in wood: ascending three stairs, a door opens into the card room, which, however, exhibits none of the elegance of the former apartment, but is dark, and not very well furnished; it contains a good half-length portrait of Sir Robert Walpole. The front of the Hall is enclosed by iron palisades, and at the back and south parts are the kitchens and other offices. In the dining room, the mayor usually convenes public assemblies of the inhabi tants, and balls are given here by his permission. The north side is appropriated to, and formas the public office of the town clerk: here the mayor attends daily for the administration of justice, and general town affairs, assisted by his deputy and other magistrates. In this office all town books, writings, and court proceedings, are deposited; and deeds between parties are acknowledged and inrolled, according to the ancient custom of the borough, and the registry of them carefully preserved.

The only communication with Yarmouth, and the west side of the water, prior to the year 1427, was by a ferry boat; but in that year, a Bridge was built, by a charter obtained for the purpose, and continued upwards of a century; falling into decay, in the first year of the reign of Queen Mary, a Drawbridge was erected, for the better defence and security of the inhabitants. This was swept away by a violent tide in 1570, which did much damage in different parts of the town, and cost in rebuilding upwards of £400. The present Bridge, built principally of wood, was constructed in 1785, with two leaves in the centre, which were raised by levers. It was extremely inconvenient and difficult to move; but it continued thus until 1809, when a temporary Bridge having been thrown across the stream, for the accommodation of passengers, the top and middle parts of the old structure were removed, and a new frame of timber substituted. The middle arch is raised by the mechanical power of four cast-iron wheels, at the extremities of which chains are attached, and a hand rope. The arch can be elevated, with very little assistance, at the shortest notice; and ships are suffered to pass through at all times, except on market days, paying a toll of six shillings.

The Fishermen's Hospital, (so named to distinguish it from the Children's or St. Mary's) was erected by the Corporation in 1702, for the reception of decayed fishermen; and many benefactors subsequently assisted the charity. It is a low quadrangular building, a little north-east of the mar