e the George_. Mention of the celebration is recorded so late as
the 15th of Henry the eighth.

The stranger who is an admirer of sacred harmony will not pass without
particular notice, the Organ of St. Martin's. A spirited subscription in
1774, furnished the church with this noble ornament. It was built by the
celebrated Snetzler, and esteemed one of the best specimens of his art.
It has three sets of keys, from F in alt, to GG. The stops in the great
organ are, the stopped diapason, two open diapasons, flute, and
principal, trumpet and baffoon, all entire, the 12th, 15th,
sesqui-altera, cornet and clarion. In the ch. organ, are two diapasons
and principal. In the swell two diapasons, principal, hautboy and
trumpet.

A range of antient stone building bounding the west side of the church
yard is an hospital founded about the year 1516, by W. Wigston, Merchant
of the staple at Calais, and mayor of Leicester, for 12 men and 12 women,
their pay about 3s. weekly. It has a master and confrater. The Chapel
has a large gothic window of painted glass.

On the north side of the hospital is a building called _the Town
Library_, established 1632 by the corporation, at the motion of the then
bishop of Lincoln. It consists of about 948 vols. chiefly the Latin
classics and historians, to which no modern additions whatever have been
made.

The building adjoining the Library which is the hall formerly belonging
to the guild or fraternity of St. George, which, together with the Corpus
Chrisri guild, the principal establishment of that kind in the town, was
founded in St. Martin's church, was purchased, on the dissolution of
guilds and chantries by the corporation, and is the guild-hall of the
borough. It is adorned with several portraits among which is that of Sir
Thomas White, Kt. citizen and merchant Taylor of London, who among many
magnificent charities, bequeathed 10,000l. in the trust of the
corporation to be lent without interest in sums of 50l. and 40l. to every
freeman of Leicester for the term of nine years; a charity of peculiar
value as it affords a perpetual incitement to the exertions of rising
industry.

The magistracy of Leicester is an institution of great antiquity and
respectability, being a corporation by prescription, dating its
establishment from immemorial usage before its first charter in the reign
of king John. It consists of 72 members; 24 aldermen, 48 common council
men; the officers are a reco