in architecture, a large room at the entrance of a fine house and palace. Vitruvius mentions three kinds of halls; the tetrastyle, with four columns supporting the platford or ceiling; the Corinthian, with columns all round let into the wall, and vaulted over; and the Egyptian, which had a peristyle of insulated Corinthian columns, bearing a second order with a ceiling.

The hall is properly the finest as well as first member of an apartment: and in the houses of ministers of state, magistrates, &c. is the place where they dispatch business, and give audience. In very magnificent buildings, where the hall is larger and loftier than ordinary, and placed in the middle of the house, it is called a saloon.

The length of a hall should be at least twice and a quarter its breadth; and in great buildings, three times its breadth. As to the height of halls, it may be two-thirds of the breadth; and, if made with an arched ceiling, it will be much handsomer, and less liable to accidents by fire. In this case, its height is found by dividing its breadth into six parts, five of which will be the height from the floor to the under side of the key of the arch.

Hall is also particularly used for a court of justice; or an edifice wherein there is one or more tribunals.

In Westminster-hall are held the great courts of England, viz. the king's bench, chancery, common pleas, and exchequer. In adjoining apartments is likewise held the high court of parliament.

Westminster-hall was the royal palace or place of residence of our ancient kings; who ordinarily held their parliaments, and courts of judicature, in their dwelling-houses (as is still done by the kings of Spain), and frequently sat in person in the courts of judicature, as they still do in parliament. A great part of this palace was burnt under Henry VIII., what remains is still reserved for the said judicatories. The great hall, wherein the courts of king's bench, &c. are kept, is said to have been built by William Rufus; others say by Richard I. or II. It is reckoned superior, in point of dimensions, to any hall in Europe; being 300 feet long and 150 broad.

(Joseph), an eminent prelate of the church of England, was born in 1574, and educated at Cambridge. He became professor of rhetoric in that university, and then successively was made rector of Hallsted in Suffolk, presented to the living of Waltham in Essex, made prebendary of Wolverhampton, dean of Worcester, bishop of Exeter, and lastly of Norwich. His works testify his zeal against Popery, and are much esteemed. He lamented the divisions of the Protestants, and wrote something concerning the means of putting an end to them. July 1616, he attended the embassy of lord Doncaster into France, and upon his return was appointed by his majesty to be one of the divines who should attend him into Scotland. In 1618 he was sent to the synod of Dart with other divines, and pitched upon to preach a Latin sermon before that assembly. But being obliged to return from thence before the synod broke up, on account of his health, he was by the states presented with a gold medal. He wrote, 1. Miscellaneous epistles. 2. Mundus alter et idem. 3. A just censure of travellers. 4. The Christian Seneca. 5. Satires, in six books. 6. A century of meditations; and many other works, which, besides the above satires, make in all five volumes in folio and quarto. He died in 1656.

(John), a poet of distinguished learning, was born at Durham, and educated at Cambridge, where he was esteemed the brightest genius in that university. In 1646, when he was but 19 years of age, he published his Hose Vacive, or Effays; and the same year came out his poems. He translated from the Greek "Hierocles upon the golden verses of Pythagoras;" before which is an account of the ingenious translator and his works, by John Davies of Kidwelly. He died in 1656, aged 29.