the scene on the right, from whence it melts away into the blue distance
of the neighbourhood of Melton, the north-east part of the county.

As we descend along the London road, watching the hills more and more hid
by the town, the road bends into a curve, and here takes the name of
Granby Street; many ranges of buildings having been here erected within
the last fifteen years. Turning to the left, we again arrive at the town
by the entrance into _Hotel Street_.

That ingenuity of improvement not only in the conveniences, but the
recreations of life, which has lately advanced so rapidly as well in the
provincial towns as in the capital, led the inhabitants of Leicester into
a plan for the erection of new edifices appropriated to the purposes of
public amusement. The considerable buildings, which in this place arrest
the stranger's eye were accordingly erected by J. Johnson, Esq.
architect, on subscription shares.

The front of the

HOTEL,

which name it bears, having been originally designed for that purpose,
may from the grandeur of its windows, its statues, bassi relievi, and
other decorations, be justly considered as the first modern architectural
ornament of the town. Here a room, whose spacious dimensions, (being
seventy-five feet by thirty-three,) and elegant decorations, adapt it in
a distinguished manner for scenes of numerous and polished society, is
appropriated to the use of the public balls. Its coved ceiling is
enriched with three circular paintings of Aurora, Urania, and Night, from
the pencil of Reinagle, who has also graced the walls with paintings of
dancing nymphs. Beside the eight beautiful lustres, branches of lights
are held by four statues from the designs of Bacon.

Uniting under the same roof, every convenience for the gratification of
taste, and the amusement of the mind, a coffee room handsomely furnished
and supplied with all the London papers, affords the gentlemen of the
town and country as well as the stranger, to whom its door is open, an
agreeable and commodious resort, while on the opposite side a spacious
bookseller's shop furnishes the literary enquirer with a series of all
the new publications.

Adjoining the hotel, a small theatre built also by Mr. Johnson, neatly
and commodiously fitted up, nearly on the plan of the London houses,
furnishes the inhabitants of Leicester with a more complete display of
the dramatic art than they had before enjoyed, and has been the me