r-famed Egyptian sarcophagus brought
over by Belzoni. The latter is made of one piece of alabaster, nearly
ten feet long. It is inscribed all over with hieroglyphics, and cost Sir
John a large sum. I shall see nothing in all Europe that will take my
fancy as much as this museum, I am sure. There are twenty-five distinct
apartments; and if you can find a square foot in the house not occupied,
you would do more than I was able to. The catalogue of this museum I
shall value highly, and that will give you a better idea than I can of
its contents. I had no common pleasure in finding here the original
paintings of the Rake's Progress, by Hogarth, the engravings of which we
have so admired. These pictures were painted in 1734, and were bought by
Sir J. Soane, in 1802, for five hundred and seventy guineas. And here,
too, are Hogarth's great paintings of the Election--a series of four
pictures. These unrivalled works of comic art were bought of Garrick's
widow by Soane, in 1823, for sixteen hundred and fifty guineas! The
collection of paintings is by no means despicable, and we saw a few
pictures not soon to be forgotten. The Views of Venice, by Canaletti,
are very fine; and there are some gems by Reynolds, Danby, Turner,
Hamilton, Lawrence, and Bird. I must tell you how they have economized
room in the apartment devoted to pictures. The ceiling is very richly
adorned with ornaments, forming arched canopies. On the north and west
sides of this room are cabinets, and on the south are _movable planes_,
with space between for pictures. So, in a room of thirteen feet eight
inches by twelve feet four inches, there are as many pictures as could
be placed on the walls of a gallery of the same height, forty-five feet
long and twenty broad. In the crypt is an ancient tomb, and models, in
cork, of tombs, at Capua.

There are some precious _souvenirs_ of Napoleon to be seen,--as
portraits, miniatures, pistols, &c.,--a fine collection of painted
glass, and a countless lot of antiques, intaglios, autographs, and
watches. If ever you find yourself in London, I charge you, get to this
same place for a long morning. In the afternoon we took steamer and Went
to Greenwich, five miles from town, to see the Hospital for Seamen.
Charles II. built this place for a royal palace,--and a noble one it
is,--but William and Mary gave it up to the use of old and worn-out
seamen; and as England owes every thing to Jack Tar, it seems fit that,
when old and cr