THE GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE: LONDON GAZETTE Miscellaneous Correspondence, &c. Index Indicatorius--Minor Correspondence 290 Letter from Mr. Luders to Dr. J. Warton, 291 Country Circulating Libraries for the Poor 292 Mr. Solomon.-Theroigne de Mericourt...295 Sir W. Jones-Laws relating to the Clergy 296 Cursory Remarks on former Correspondents ib. Account of Wotton Glanvile in Dorsetshire 297 Epitaphs at Maperton, Toddington, Luton, Cornw.-Covent. 2 Durham Essex Exeter 2, Glouc. 2 Norfolk, Norwich Portsea-Pottery Preston-Plym. 2 Reading-Salisb. Salop-Sheffield2 Sherborne, Sussex Shrewsbury Staff.-Stamf. 2 Taunton-Tyne Review of New Publications. Moss's History of St. Saviour's, Southwark. ib. WestTwyford, and County of Haddington 298 Sea-bathing Infirmaryat Brighton suggested 300 On the Origin of Gothic Architecture...... 302 Wye Scenery. The large Golanos Oak.. 805. Tour in 1796: Ely, Norwich, Yarmouth, &c. 306 Curious Picture at Epping-place described 308 Parish Stocks-Anecdote of Lord Camden. ib. Errors in New Silver Coinage pointed out. 309 Roman Stations, and Road near Otmoor. 310 Present State of Lincolnshire Monasteries 311 Bean, esq. 368; J. G. Holman, esq. 369; Rt. Marc. Ant. de Dominis, Abp. of Spoletto 312 hon. SirJ. MacMahon,370; Rt. hon. J.P. CurWhen the Book of Revelation was written 313 ran, 371; Hon. H. Erskine, 371; Adm. DuckRemarks and Conjectures on the Millennium316 worth, 372; Count de Choiseul-Gouffier 373 On the Appropriation of Hours of Leisure 317 Iron Bridge from Holborn Hill to Snow Hill 318 Obituary,with Anecd.of remarkable Persons375 COMPENDIUM OF COUNTY HISTORY-Kent. 322 Bill of Mortality.-Prices of Markets, &c.383 Marine Soap, to wash with Salt Water.... 328 Canal, &c. Shares.-Prices of the Stocks...384 Embellished with a Perspective View of WoTTON GLANVILE CHURCH, in DORSETSHIRE; and with a characteristic Sketch of the ROCK-SCENERY of the WYE. By SYLVANUS URBAN, GENT. Printed by NICHOLS, SON, and BENTLEY, at CICERO'S HEAD, Red Lion Passage, Fleet-str. London; where all Letters to the Editor are particularly desired to be addressed, PosT-PAID. LECTOR has noticed in Part I. p. 77, Mr. James Stockton's Observations on the prognostication of the weather by the motions of the Horse Leech (which animal Mr. S. has found, by attentive inspection, to be accurate in shewing a change of the atmosphere, whereas, on the other hand, the Barometer is known in many instances to be res fallacissima.) As the Leech tribe constitute a great variety, and as LECTOR has never yet received, from perusing books, any authentic account concerning the colour, &c. of the above species; he requests a description of the colour, &c. of the animal above mentioned, in what month of the year it is chiefly to be found, and where it abides. LEICESTRIENSIS, adverting to the cheap and durable method of Roofing, recommended in page 2, says, he remembers running about when a boy upon a flat paper roof in the North, which he supposes had boards underneath aid close together. He apprehends Sapcotiensis does not mean that boards or laths should be placed close in a sloping roof; but wishes for information more particularly at what distance they should be placed from each other, what size of boards is most suitable, what intervals between the nails, how much each sheet of paper should lie over the one below it, and whether the sides of the sheets should only meet together, or be laid over one another also. LEICESTRIENSIS also observes, "I perfectly agree with your Correspondent A. Z. (p. 4), on the subject of the Westminster Plays; and also with a former Correspondent, who justly finds fault with a meretricious Epilogue. The Prologues and Epilogues lately have been dull enough, and even the metre not always correct." We are sorry we cannot give insertion to the lamentable case transmitted by MALHEUREUX: it is returned to the Post-office, as directed. BIOGRAPHICUS will find some account of Sir THOMAS WHITE in the Local History of almost every Town to which he was a benefactor. E... mentions, that in the little sketch of longevity inserted in p. 203, there are two errors of the press, which are of sufficient importance to require correction : For Tartoni, r. Tartini. AN OCTOGENARIAN acquaints our Correspondents VIATOR and ANTIQUARIUS, that the Sir Henry Lee, K. G. and Master General of the Ordnance, &c. &c. to Queen Elizabeth, whose remains were deposited in the now dilapidated Quarrendon Chapel, Bucks, was lineally descended from Benedict, fifth son of John Lee, of Lea, in the county of Chester, by his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Wood, county of Warwick. temp. Edward III. Soon after its separation from the original stock, the Lichfield branch of the family gave for arms, the Crescent, with the motto Fide et Constantia, in place of the old Leopards' heads, and motto of Vince Malum Patientia.-He proceeds, "It has been long said, that in Cheshire there are as many Lees as fleas, and Davenports as dog-tails.' After having been a Subscriber for sixty years to Mr. Urban's Miscellany, I remain his unalterable Friend, DUGDALE: and in olden days a Correspondent occasionally. I dislike pedantry, or I could apply here appositely some lines as allusive of old age, but perhaps a short story may answer as well: A departed friend of mine used to declare he would rather be a young Link- boy than an old Duke. I differed with him at that time upon the subject; and, were he now alive, I still should do so, though an OCTOGENARIAN." A Friend at Dudley writes, "You will be happy to hear that the cloud of commercial distress is fast dispersing; and that this neighbourhood begins to be enveloped in a cloud of smoke." Y. in answer to the inquiries of D.Y. p. 194, respecting Sir Philip Hall, informs him, that Sir Philip was knighted at St. James's, 22d March, 1726-7, being at that time Sheriff for the county of Essex. According to Morant's History of Essex, Sir Philip died 9 Jan. 1745-6, aged 67, and left issue. A Correspondent adds to the Gentle- Herriard House, Jervoise, esq. A View of Lord HILL'S Column at To the long-lived Professors of Music he Shrewsbury in our next; with the Com requests us to add : Matheson æt. 82. Telemann 86. Rameau 82. J. C. Smith 85. 4 munications of Mr. HARDY, Mr. WHAT- THE GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE, For OCTOBER, 1817. Mr. URBAN, BE Clifton, Oct. 8. EING lately engaged in a literary conversation with a friend, to whom I produced the letter following, which was given me by a relation of the late Dr. Warton, he begged me to copy it, and transmit it to you for publication, as likely to be very agreeable to some of your learned Readers. It is from Mr. Luders to Dr. Warton, upon an interesting point in the manners and customs of the Romans, and not found among those collected by Dr. Wooll. The writer, whom I only know by name, certainly cannot be offended with us for giving it to the publick. A. W. Dear Sir, YOU seemed surprized yesterday, when, upon your quoting Dr. Johnson, for the dullness of the Romans in private life, compared with us, on account of their having no Diurnals, I intimated that I could shew you proof of the contrary. Our company was too large and mixed to allow of my explaining myself then; so you will give me leave to do it now, by referring you to my authors. But do not suppose that I mean to raise any comparison between our condition and theirs, as to the advantage in this respect which we derive from Newspapers, or to infer that the Romans had similar publications. My quotations shew that the Debates of their Senate, and the public affairs of the Empire, were regularly conveyed from Rome into the country and provinces, and under the very term used by the Doctor. Tacitus relates the insidious speech of a Courtier to Nero, to induce him to destroy Thrasea, which contains this sentence-" Diurna populi Romani per provincias per exercitus ac curatius leguntur, ut noscatur quid Thrasea non fecerit." Annal. lib. 16. I'll not quote more, because you'll refer to the place, and see that it is what we should call a case in point for me. This was under the Emperors; and perhaps the thing was more freely practised under the Commonwealth.' Here is what I have met with of my favourite's time and writing. In two letters of his to Cassius, and one to Brutus, in that critical period which preceded the Triumvirate, Cicero refers to public accounts of affairs in Actis and ex Actis, which, he says, are sent to them. See Ernesti's edit. lib. 12. Epist. ad Diversos. epist. 8 and 9, and lib. 11, epist. 25. These words Melmoth renders the public journals: but will you agree to it? It means, I think, something very different in kind, and more like our Votes of Lords or Commons, and the Gazettes. Cælius writing to Cicero of what was doing at Rome, and of a debate in the Senate, says, "Quam quisque sententiam dixerit in commentario est rerum urbanarum, è quo tu quæ digna sunt selige. Multa transi; imprimis ludorum explosiones, et funerum, et cæterarum ineptiarum. Plura habet utilia. Denique malo in hâc parte errare, ut quæ non desideras audias, quam quidquam quod opus est prætermittatur." This comes nearer to us; and I accede to Melmoth's translation: "in the newspaper which I send you." I leave you to select such articles as you think worthy of notice. Still there is some obscurity to be removed by more intimate knowledge of their habits and manners; for how could the selection alluded to be made before reading the whole should render it unnecessary ? And how could the writer pass over some articles, of what he appears to be writing or sending? He might, indeed, if we suppose Cælius copying a publick journal to send Cicero, and leaving out parts of it. I wish you would look at the first letter of Cælius, and help me to solve the difficulty. This is in the 11th letter of book 8th. I am ever yours, most sincerely, Mr. URBAN, Hunmanby, Oct. 1. I read in your Magazine, Part 1. p. T was with great pleasure that I 328, a plan of a Country Library for the Poor. From the present prices of books, which scarcely any but the opulent can purchase (and not even they for the purpose of gratuitous and general distribution), as well as from their inexhaustible variety, which involves the ignorant in the extreme hazard of frequently choosing wrong, the establishment of such Libraries seems highly desirable: and the principles upon which such an establishment may most advantageously be conducted, and the publications in which those principles appear most happily exemplified, become consequently necessary, and, indeed, very important topics of inquiry. The two projects which I have seen suggested upon this head in print, are both in the one thing needful wretchedly defective; I hope, therefore, that I shall be considered as strictly within the line of professional propriety, when I take the liberty of laying before the publick a third. by the admission of what they would sarcastically term "evangelical nonsense," for the use of these humble scholars; though it was the glory of the Divine Founder of Christianity, that he preached the Gospel to the Poor. of Mr. Riddel's plan, reported in a letter from Robert Burns to Sir John Sinclairt, seems little better adapted to the true interests of the students under contemplation. What may be the literary appetite of the Scottish peasantry I own myself incompetent precisely to estimate. Without any derogation from the intellectual credit of the South, they may be allowed, I apprehend, in consequence of the universal institution of parish schools in that part of the Island, to rank considerably higher in information than their English brethren. Yet, even with this concession, what are we to think of the following selection: "Blair's Sermons," "Robertson's History of Scotland," "Hume's History of the Stuarts," "The Spectator," "The Idler," "The Adventurer," "The Mirror," "The Lounger," "The Observer," "The Man If the shelves are to be loaded with Feeling," "The Man of the World," the "County Agricultural Reports," Chrysal," ""Don Quixote," "Jo"Gregory's Cyclopædia," "Dickson's seph Andrews," &c.? We see here, Agriculture," "A System of Geogra- along with some of the constitutional phy," and "Arrowsmith's Maps;" characteristics of the Poet, the opeMavor's Universal History," "John- ration of prejudices, national and son's Dictionary," ""Hume's and Bel- personal, in abundance; prejudices sham's History of England," "The in themselves undoubtedly often amiaAnnals of Agriculture," "The Jour-ble and salutary; but, putting Scotnal of Modern Voyages and Travels*, ," &c. &c. a Clergyman may pardonably hesitate to solicit subscriptions for their purchase, or to lend his Vestry for their reception; because, however respectable some of those compositions may be in other points of view, they are all (professionally speaking) out of his way, as to religious improvement, which ought always to be a primary object for the great mass of Village readers. I question, indeed, whether the publishers of any of them, with a single exception, or two at the most, would not deem their pages contaminated 66 land and Mackenzie out of the question, what do we see besides? certainly very little that is religious. Neither of those collections then seems likely to achieve, for the inferior orders of the community, any valuable ends. It is not to make the peasant a theorist in Agriculture, a smatterer in History, and a pedant in Philology; or to polish his taste, to stimulate his feelings, and to gratify his curiosity by periodical essays and sentimental or satirical novels, that Establishments of this kind should be encouraged. The instruction necessary for his temporal purposes he will * In justice, however, to both the plans alluded to, it should be added, that their views are professedly secular; and that, as a subscription is exacted from all who are to profit by them, they seem intended chiefly for the classes of middle life. See his Works by Currie, II. 272. For an interesting account of the Scottish Parochial Schools, &c. see ib. I. 4, and Appendix, No. 1, not. A. See also Monthly Magazine, XXIV, 106. best best acquire in early life at a parochial school; and the superfluities or luxuries of learning he must, throughout life, be contented to forego. The rudiments of Science are usually the least pleasant; and he will seldom, under the most favourable circumstances, be enabled to make much progress in it. His principal enjoyment, therefore, accruing from his superficial studies, would be to find himself a little less ignorant, and a great deal more arrogant, than his idler neighbours; to puzzle by explanation, and to triumph in the village circle without an antagonist. Whether such accomplishments would enhance his merit, or improve the tranquillity of his parish, let the projectors of those collections themselves decide. The claims of the soul appear in both the above schemes to have been studiously neglected; and yet, if we indeed believe that it will survive "the wreck of worlds," and subsist to eternity, its education may well demand no trifling portion of our regard. It is not, however, by every species of religious disquisition that this purpose would be promoted. The most popular and beneficial, perhaps, next to the word of God, would be Tracts, which should neither perplex by their abstruseness, harass by their diffusion, nor fatigue by their prolixity; which should be, in three words, Perspicuous, Interesting, and Short. If with these were combined the essential qualities of piety, fulness of ideas, and an accommodation to the various situations and contingencies of humbler society, there would be little wanting, with the Divine Blessing, to excite attention or to reward it. That they should be rendered interesting, in particular, by incident, or dialogue, or general vivacity of composition, appears an indispensable requisite. It has long and justly been complained, that "Sermons are less read than Tales." The chief attention, therefore, upon this occasion should be, to select books where narrative and precept are so intimately blended, that in seizing the first, even gross apprehensions may imperceptibly lay hold on the latter. It is by such books alone that the cot. tager can be lured back from the alehouse corner, and the boon compa nion to his family and his own fireside. He will read them to his children, or his children will read them to him, with equal instruction and entertainment; and amidst their innocent questions, and his own simple replies, the evening will glide more happily by, than if spent in the torpor of dozing, or the tumult of a debauch. Works of this description, however, it is to be regretted, are at present comparatively few; but, with the increased demand, they would rapidly multiply. Neither would the writer in many instances, it may be presumed, derive from them less benefit or less pleasure than his readers. They would not, indeed, naturally lead him to fame or to emolument; but they might withdraw him, if a clergyman, from unclerical amusements; they might beguile him, if a resident in the country, of many a solitary hour; and they might furnish him, whatever were his profession or his place of abode, with many a copious theme for profitable meditation and discourse. In, superintending the Institution, likewise, a minister would find it a delightful duty carefully to exclude every thing noxious, and to adapt its contents with judicious variety to the young, the gay, the vigorous, the declining, the melancholy, and the aged. To assist in its formation, he would abridge himself, were it necessary, of many enjoy. ments, and think it no trouble to crave, for the same object, the contributions of his wealthy and welldisposed neighbours; to provide for its reception, he would resign, were it necessary, not only his Vestry, but " a room in his Parsonage-house." And for indulgences renounced, labour incurred, and sacrifices exacted, he would feel himself more than repaid by the improved morality and extended heavenly-mindedness of his grateful parish. Its mechanism should be extreme. ly simple. The clerk or schoolmaster of the village might attend on Sundays for half an hour prior to the beginning of the service, to receive the books returned, and to deliver those required; entering their names or number, with those of their borrowers, and the dates of their delivery and return, in a page divided into four columns for that purpose. From this the clergyman might, with |