In the new parish I have described, and during the journey, kept on the
left, there seems to have been, at passing the act, twelve closes, all
which are filled with buildings, except the land between New-street and
Mount-pleasant, which only waits a word from the owner, to speak the
houses into being.

The church was consecrated in 1715, and finished in 1719, the work of
eight years; at which time the commissioners resigned their powers into
the hands of the diocesan, in whom is the presentation, after having
paid, it is said, the trifling sum of 5012_l_.--but perhaps such a work
could not be completed for 20,000_l_.

Three reasons may be assigned, why so small a sum was expended; many of
the materials were given; more of the carriage, and some heavy debts
were contracted.

The urns upon the parapet of the church, which are highly ornamental,
were fixed at the same time with those of the school, in about 1756.

When I first saw St. Philip's, in the year 1741, at a proper distance,
uncrowded with houses, for there were none to the north, New-hall
excepted, untarnished with smoke, and illuminated by a western sun, I
was delighted with its appearance, and thought it then, what I do now,
and what others will in future, _the pride of the place_.

If we assemble the beauties of the edifice, which cover a rood of
ground; the spacious area of the church-yard, occupying four acres;
ornamented with walks in great perfection; shaded with trees in double
and treble ranks; and surrounded with buildings in elegant taste:
perhaps its equal cannot be found in the British dominions.