MANCHESTER.

MISS SINCLAIR commences her paragraph on this place after this fashion: -"At Manchester there was nothing to be seen; but we spent two hours in ascertaining this fact. It is the great muslin shop of Europe." This is a very pleasant way of dismissing the ancient Mancunium, about whose claims to be considered as a Roman station so much midnight oil has been consumed, and so much learned lore expended. Verily this learned lady must have done as much execution, in the way of discovery, during the "two hours" she vouchsafed to stay at Manchester, as did the redoubtable hero amongst the sturdy knights and squires of Cheshire, in his desperate encounter of "a long hour by the Shrewsbury clock."* We suspect the fair author adopted the caitiff knight's expedient, and feigned sleep in some snug corner of the Moseley Arms, during her sojourn, or she would not so speedily have come to the conclusion, that "all is barren " in this far-famed and enterprising town.

Manchester is a borough and corporation town, and sends two members to Parliament. It stands on the south-eastern angle of Lancashire, on the river Irwell near to the place where that river receives the united streams of the Irk and the Medlock. Manchester, in its early days, was successively possessed by the Britons, Romans, Saxons, and Normans; and its situation on the borders of Northumbria made it the theatre of many bloody and desperate conflicts. In the fifteenth century it first became a collegiate town, with a parochial church and a magnificent college, and was held in so much estimation that it was originally a place of sanctuary, and one of the eight to which this privilege was confirmed under the reign of Henry VIII. In the time of the Civil Wars between Charles and his Parliament, Manchester took the part of the latter, and, though without regular fortifications, made an obstinate and successful defence against the Royal forces, under the Earl of Derby, by means of abattis work at the ends of the leading streets, and other available defences.

* Walsingham and Hall, our old chroniclers, declare that in that famous battle 5,000 were slain, including the most part of the knights and squires of the neighbouring county of Cheshire.

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Leaving the ancient records of this important place, Manchester now rises into a new character as a great commercial Emporium. Like every large town which has expanded beyond its ordinary limits, it has thrown out suburbs almost as extensive as itself. Of these the township of Salford is the most important, separated by the Irwell, but preserving its communication with Manchester by means of five bridges, of which the most ancient was that formerly called the Hanging Bridge. The New Bridge, which is a modern structure, as its name imports, is built of stone, of elegant proportions, with four spacious arches. Manchester spreads itself over an area extending nearly three miles in length, and two in breadth, and possesses many superb edifices of ancient and modern architecture. The collegiate church is a spacious and elaborately ornamented structure, with a handsome square embattled tower, strengthened with buttresses and crowned with pinnacles. The spacious windows are intersected with elegant tracery, and the external view presents a most interesting and magnificent appearance. On entering the church, the visitor is deeply impressed with that solemn awe which belongs especially to the ancient ecclesiastical edifices of this country. A dim religious light beams through the rich stained glass, which is still preserved in several of the windows. The lofty nave is lighted by a noble range of clerestory windows of exquisite proportion and design, and the choir is splendidly enriched with tabernacle work of elaborate and delicate execution. The roof is finely groined, and ornamented with grotesque figures of angels playing on musical instruments, shields, and other devices, richly carved. The altar is decorated with a piece of tapestry, representing the offering of the early christians, and the punishment of Ananias and Sapphira. The antiquarian visitor will be amply repaid for a minute inspection of this choice example of the best style of Gothic architecture in England.

There are many churches in Manchester designed with great taste, and executed with costly expenditure, that are worthy of detailed description; but our object is to direct the stranger to the examination of such subjects of interest that more especially illustrate its history, or serve to attest its present character and importance. Having, therefore, led him to the only specimen that now almost remains, we request his company in our walk to the Exchange and Commercial Buildings, where modern Manchester in its massy wealth, and far-spread commercial relations, is to be seen in that crowded mart, fitly represented in the persons of its merchants, manufacturers, and agents; where capital by thousands escapes from hand to hand, with the dash of a pen, like the wand of a magician; where the buyer and seller will realize a fortune at a stroke, and where the magnitude of its transactions reaches the revenue of a kingdom. Plutus

is undoubtedly the presiding deity of the place; but he must have changed in some sort the attributes of his character; for instead of measuring his approach with the faltering steps of a lame and enfeebled man, as he was anciently described, to represent the tardy acquisition of wealth, he "takes to himself wings" and draws near, as well as departs, with the celerity of flight.

The Exchange is a handsome Grecian structure, built of Runcorn stone, from the design of Mr. Harrison. The north front is semicircular, and ornamented with lofty fluted columns of the Doric order. The News Room forms the basement story, and is lighted by a dome, and handsome windows of plate glass. The ceiling is supported by a circular range of lofty pillars of the Ionic order, receding fifteen feet from the walls. In the south part of the building is the General Post Office, adapted by its spacious and convenient arrangements, and its contiguity to the News Room, to the commercial requirements of the town. The Chamber of Commerce occupies another portion of the building. A grand geometrical staircase leads from the hall to the magnificent dining-room, which is ornamented with a rich mantel-piece of Abyssinian marble at each end, and on the north side by an orchestra, tastefully designed and decorated. This splendid room is set apart for public entertainments, and is accommodated with the ante-rooms and offices suitable for the purpose.

The Royal Institution is from the design of Mr. Barry, in the Grecian style of architecture, and is built of richly coloured stone, taken from the quarries in the vicinity of Colne.

The principal elevation is in Moseley-street, and consists of a magnificent portico, with six lofty columns of the Ionic order, supporting a rich entablature and pedimental centre. On each side are corresponding columns and pilasters, which connect the portico with the wings; and above the doors and windows are panels for bas reliefs, symbolical of the objects of the Institution. In the centre of the building is the hall and theatre; and the wings are appropriated to the Fine Arts, a Museum of Natural History, and other purposes. The hall and grand stone staircase, leading to the theatre and exhibition rooms, are subjects of great architectural beauty. The theatre is sufficiently extensive to hold about 600 persons, and is ornamented with a gallery, supported on columns of bronze; the ceiling is richly panelled, and the theatre is lighted by a splendid lantern, which may be darkened instantaneously, at the will of the lecturer. This pile is a splendid example of modern architecture; and in the ingenious combination and adaptation of its arrangements, and the purity of its design, is worthy of the extraordinary talents of the artist. Its cost was about £50,000.

The Town Hall is an elaborate structure, in the richest style of ornamental Grecian architecture. It is from the design, and was erected under the superintendence, of the late Mr. Francis Goodwin, of London --an architect whose professional talents and taste were of the highest order. This hotel de ville of Manchester is after the model of the Temple of Erectheus, at Athens, with a tower and dome in the centre. A magnificent colonnade, supporting a rich entablature, in front of which are some sculptured symbolical representations of the town and its commercial attributes, conducts to the principal entrance; while the niches of the wings and the medallions of the attico contain statues and busts of the distinguished legislators of ancient and modern times. The interior of the building is thrown into the different departments for transacting the judicial business of the town. On the principal floor is a splendid public room, divided into three parts, by ranges of Ionic pillars; lighted in the centre by a magnificent dome, resting on dwarf columns of Scagliola marble, and at its extreme sections by concealed skylights. Three staircases lead to this splendid room,-the centre one architecturally harmonising with the style and decorations of the room. The cost of this beautiful edifice was £40,000.

It is a grateful relief to the weary eye and foot to turn from the mazes of columns and galleries-from the sight of elevated entablatures and the flights of never-ending staircases-to saunter along the smooth gravel-walks and richly-enamelled borders of the Botanical Gardens, which will be found on the new Stretford Road, about two miles from the Exchange. The beautiful entrance to this Institution is in the Ionic order of Grecian architecture, and comprises the curator's house, council room, botanical library, and porter's lodge. The Gardens spread over an area of about sixteen acres, and contain a copious variety of rare and rich greenhouse exotics, and of hardy Alpine, American, and choice British plants. The grounds are tastefully laid out; and the visitor may refresh his spirits, and the botanist gratify his taste, by an examination of the beautiful varieties they contain.

The great wealth and increasing intelligence of the inhabitants of Manchester have, without doubt, led to the foundation of those institutions, and the erection of those magnificent edifices, which are the ornament and praise of the town; but it is to the station which this town holds in relation to the manufacturing interests of this great empire, that we must look for its characteristic distinction. The rapid growth and enormous extent of the cotton manufacture, of which this town is the chief centre, is the most extraordinary phenomenon in the history of human industry. As early as the reign of Edward III. this place had attained

to considerable eminence for its manufacture of a particular kind of goods, which were called "Manchester cottons ;" but it is certain that these articles were entirely composed of wool, fabricated by the artizans which that monarch had introduced from the Low Countries, and were made in imitation of some of the cotton tissues imported from Italy and India.

It was most probably in the early part of the 17th century that the cotton manufacture was first introduced into England, and in its first stage the weavers were dispersed in cottages throughout the country. This species of domestic manufacture was subject to great interruption, and the production was comparatively small; so that in the year 1760 the annual return was only estimated at £200,000., and the number of persons employed was at that time very inconsiderable. Since that period, however, the extraordinary discoveries and mechanical inventions of Hargraves, Arkwright, Crompton, Cartwright, and others, have given such an expansion to this wonderful branch of manufacture, that the annual value was stated by Mr. Huskisson, in the House of Commons, to be £34,000,000., consuming in its production 240,000,000 pounds of cottons, and affording subsistence to nearly one million and a half of persons; and this in little more than half a century.

The first improvement in the process of manufacture, by which these stupendous results were obtained, was the spinning-jenny-an invention by James Hargraves, a carpenter at Blackburn, in Lancashire. By means of this little active piece of machinery, a little girl was enabled to work no fewer than from eighty to one hundred and twenty spindles. The jenny was, however, deficient in many respects; and the country is indebted to the genius of Mr. Arkwright for the production of the spinning-frame-a device for spinning by rollers, which supplied all the deficiencies of the previous invention; and, in its operation, leaves only to man to feed the machine with cotton, while its production is increased to an almost infinite series. The mule-jenny, the invention of Mr. Crompton, possesses many of the excellencies of the two previous machines, and on its introduction gave a powerful stimulus to the manufactures of this place. The power-loom was brought to perfection, after almost a life of ingenious experiments, by the Rev. Mr. Cartwright, of Holland House, in the county of Kent. These important mechanical discoveries have been made susceptible of increased efficiency by additional inventions, and the machinery of the Manchester trade offers fit subjects for the astonishment and admiration of the world.

The cotton manufacture of Great Britain, in its commencement and progress, had to struggle with the greatest difficulties. The raw material