! by those who are enabled by hearing to modulate their voices, in imitation of others, according to their clear perception of founds. Abilities to reafon and imitate, with powers of imagination, conftitute the diftinguishing prerogative of human nature; inele, certainly, are not wanting in most perfons born deaf. Nature has, alfo, mercifully beftowed on them a partial capacity at leaft of attaining knowledge, with all the indifpenfible means of pronunciation. But, through want of perception of founds, the Deaf are precifely in the fame ftate, with refpect to fpeech, in which we may imagine thofe would be placed, who were fhut up and bred together, from earliest infancy, in fuch a manner as to hear no language whatever fpoken; i. e. in other words, without fpeech. And yet, Sir, that men who never heard a found, and ftill continue incurably deaf, fhould themselves be capable of uttering articulate expreffions with the greatest grammatical accuracy; that they fhould be qualified to chufe the fittelt words to convey their ideas to others both in fpeech and written language; that they fhould be fo intimately acquainted with the various pofitions of the organs of fpeech, as to know what is fpoken by another, only by looking fteadily at the fpeaker's countenance. This, Mr. Urban, is a fact fo ftupendous, that reiterated perfonal obfervation alone could have convinced 'me of its actual existence. Unhappily, the unthinking generality of the world are too apt to combine the idea of Idiotifm with that of the pitiable condition of the Deaf; whereas, in truth, the fcale of intellectual comprehenfions or underftandings is varioufly graduated in them as in other perfons indeed, many of the Deaf poffefs a quickness of apprehenfion, and a fcope of imagination and fagacity, above the common ftandard of their fellow-creatures who hear well. With your permiffion, Sir, I fhall conclude this very hafty letter with an extract from Green's "Vox Oculis fubjecta, 1783." That gentleman's fon, it feems, was either born deaf, or had loft his hearing by ficknefs in early infancy; and was placed by his anxious parent at Braidwood's academy, in 1780. "On my next vifit in September 1782," fays Green," his (the boy's) improvements were very perceptible, in fpeech, the conftruction of language, and writing. He had made a good beginning in arithmetic, and furprizing progrefs in the arts of drawing and painting. I found him capable of not only comparing ideas, and drawing inferences, but expreffing his fentiments with judgment. On my defi ring him to attempt fomething he thought himself unequal to, I fet him the example by doing it myself; upon which he fhook his head, and, with a fmile, replied (diftin&tly, viva voce) You are a man, Sir; Ì am a boy. Obferving that he was inclined in company to converfe with one of his fchoolfellows by the tacit finger-language, I asked him, why he did not speak to him with his mouth? To this, his answer was as pertinent as it was concife; He is deaf. Many other inftances I could mention of expreffions of the Mind, as proper as could be made by any boy of his age, who had not the disadvantage of Deafnefs." This interefting extract is with me worth a whole volume of cool moralizing difcuffions; for it appeals irre fifibly to the heart. Oh! Mr. Urban, if he that makes two blades of grass grow where only one grew before, hath more me it than the whole race of Politicians, what fuperior credit and diflinguifhing honours are due to the fuccefsful culti vator of thofe grounds of human reafon, which would otherwife have been an unproductive, barren, and dreary wilderness! I am truly concerned to ftate, that, at the laft election of deaf children into the ASYLUM, upwards of 50 wretched candidates for protection were unfuccessful. Yours, &c. MEDICUS. Mr. URBAN, Newcastle, Feb. 7. IN p. 39, are fome remarks on the town of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, written on "A Tour through the Northern Parts of England." Though they are, I confefs, fome of them but too true, yet, I think, your Correfpondent rather fevere, and has not given that impartial account of the place we fhould expect in a public communication of that fort. I do not mean to defend the conduct of the police of Newcattle-upon-Tyne, in fuffering every inhabitant to clean out their neceffary houfes, ftables, &c. and lay their contents in the middle of the fireet at any period of the day they pleafe. Every one, Sir, mult condemn fuch a horrid, filthy practice, not only as injurious to the health of the town, but, alfo, a great nuifance; indecent port fays, that the money that fhould be expended on the improvements of the fleets, and beautifying the town of Newcastle, by public buildings on a magnificent fcale, is configned to fecret fervice, and wafted on a fet of worthlefs penfioners, because they are Freemen. indecent, and extremely offenfive, in its improvement. But common remore especially to ladies when walking in the fireets. Your Correfpondent feems ftrangely to make the citizens of Newcastle all on the debtor fide of the book; and gives then no credit for what they flatter themfelves they, in fome degree, are entitled to. He has taken no notice of the Affembly Rooms, univerfally allowed to be equal, if not fuperior, to thofe of any country-town in Great Britain. He has taken no notice of the new church of All Saints, one of the handfomeft buildings of the préfent day, that coft the parish above 26,000 7. Nor has he noticed the new Market-place, now building. The Revenues of the Corporation are dle-freet down to the Side, as the first All this might certainly be accomplifhed in the courfe of a thort period of time, were their leading member well difpofed, and interefted himself 4 I fhall beg leave to make one more recommendation; that the worthy Magiftrates of Newcastle would pay a little more attention, for decency's fake, to the drefs of the feveral officers of the Corporation; viz. the Bell-man, Serjeants, &c. For, as General Doyle faid in his fpeech the other day in the Houfe of Commons," Falttaff himfelf would be ashamed to acknowledge fuch a motley crew." Laftly, let me add a few words in the caufe of Religion: That they may, in the plenitude of their riches, be pleafed to reftore to the inferior fervants of our Holy Religion, the allowances they were wont formerly to do; that, by fuch effential fervice towards their general appearance, the lower orders of fociety may look up to them with refpect, as the Shepherds adored our Saviour, and pray to God to take them in his holy keeping. Yours, &c. MR. URBAN, A CITIZEN. London, Feb 9. HAVING read in p. 82, a very correct account of that gallant and meritorious officer, the late Admiral Sir Richard King; and having noticed in your latt volume, p. 1174, a fhort and very inaccurate account of his funeral; I take the liberty of fending you the names of the mourners, and pall-bearers, who attended the funeral of their lamented relative, or friend. I alfo beg leave to correct another mistake: Sir Richard King was in his 77th, and not his 86th year. Chief Mourner : Charles Orton, Efq. nephew of the deceated.-Monrners: James Barnett, Eq. George Mulgrave, Efq. John Bebb, Efq, Charles Brewer, Efq.--Pall Bearers: General Sir Alured Clarke, K. B.; Sir F. J. Hartwell, Bart. Comm thioner of the Navy Sir Robert Amilie, Bart. ; Ainflie, Efq. Vice Admiral Savage; Capt. Rggett, Royal Navy. Some other friends of the deceafed attended; and many, out of regard to his memory, who were prevented at tending, fpeculative men, though now and then they are too ridiculous to merit anv attention. I allude to Mr. Williams's publication noticed in your laft volume, p. 1095, by Vertumnus. By the humidity of the climate, I fuppofe he means the wetnefs of the Seafons. Now, excepting the prefent Winter, the very reverfe of what he afferts, is the truth. For the feveral years prior to this, the seasons have been to remarkably dry as, in the year 1804, to oblige fome parishes in my neighbourhood to fetch water two or three miles, though the foil is a ftrong loom in general, and very retentive of wet. And as for the ornamental fheets of water, and the canals which have been lately formed, furely they are in finitely counterbalanced by the draining of the fens; wherein many thoufand fheets of water are converted into dry land, and arable too, which is the favourite of Mr. Williams. I think too, that your correfpondent may quiet his alarms about the Wheat crops; fince there was no deficiency last year, either in our farinaceous or pomiferous productions; witnefs the regular fall of our Markeis, though the fupply from abroad may of late be confiderably leffened. I must remark once more, that there has been no feafon fince the year 1765, anv thing comparable to it for wet. The river Cam, five or fix miles higher than Cambridge, though not at all fenny, was never within its bounds the whole Summer. The meadows were one enure fheet of wa er, and were filled with coots and fen birds, a phænome non never there before obferved, or fince. Upon the whole, Mr. Urban, I cannot help thinking, that the fancies of Mr. Williams, (though his book may be very clever in other refpects) re merely Utopian, and that pretty nearly the fame feafons recur in ane given number of years, and that there is nothing new under the Sun. Yours, &c. WALDENSIS ent complexion from the one we at prefent are fafcinated with. The contriver then of all this antecedent fplendour at his fetting out frankly avowed, that his attachment to Grecian Architecture was ftronger by many degrees than what he felt for the antient modes of building in his native country, which modes however had much fhare in his regard. This was open and manly. His propofals to a high authority stated, that he would not deftroy, or in anywife trench on the Great Hall, Painted Chamber, Prince's chamber, St. Stephen's chapel, Cloisters, &c. &c. (the great remaining arrangements of the Palace). That all additional buildings wanted for national purpofes, fhould be fo difpofed as to bear more the appearance of advantageous accompaniments, than hoftile encroachments. The style of architecture he intended to adopt was Grecian; to be taken from models of the highest authority; and his reafon this: the feveral dilapidated parts of the Palace were gone past an honest, reftoration. Indeed, he humbly conceived, no man at this day was fufficiently fiudied in our antient architecture, as to be either qualified to restore them, or defign elevations in fo intricate, and to him incomprehensive an art. Upon this our Grecian made ready his patterns, and examples, which it is unneceffry to fay, gave that fatisfaction he expected, and nothing feemed wanting but the ultimatum" TO WORK." As fublunary things are at tinies under the influence of adverfe ftars, lo! a ftill greater power than that fo bufy as already fiated, with an arendant, a man of art, fuperior in patronage to our Grecian, beneld thefe movements with no indifferent eyes. A with was in this inftance made known, that the Palice fhould be reflored; that is to fay, reftored as much as the remains might wurant Tais it is natural to fuppofe was warm received by the Profeffionaliq so this Gd be queftion; who, it is well known, is to ready on all occa fions, to profefs unfeigned devotion to our antient works. Well; his delineation, his manner of restoration, his where, and how, was fortuned, as in fact, we find the Palace has been under profeffional dominion, every part, in fome degree or other, bearing the marks of hammer, brush, or trowel; and it now becomes my province to inveftigate thefe matters by fair and open difcuffion. My pretentions to this office reft on long experience, and long attachment to the Antiquities of the country. It will be taken on credit, I am on this occafion an upright judge." I am independent, as I mean to speak the truth'; have no interest before me, as I am certain of touching no folid reward, except thanks at this time for being "entertaining." Envy I have none; my lot is fo low, I can hardly hope to rife, Prejudice nigh overwhelming me. Malice I have none, as I had rather convert than condemn. Uncharitableness I utterly wash my hands of, being too fenfible we all are liable by nature to err. Upon thefe premifes I come forward to arraign the TASTE OF THE DAY, chaunting my old fong, with theconftant burthen, Veneration for the Antiquities of England." Soaring fo high in mental buftle, I had almoft loft fight of my friend the Grecian Profeffionalift, who, on finding things against him in changeful tide, dutifully bowed the head, and retired with all his documents §, and all his mortifications; to wait at Fortune's call a brighter day. I refer the reader to my furvey of the Palace in 1800 (vol. LXX. p. 33) in its then condition; as it is neceffary he fhould be well ftudied in this refpect, and go with true intereft into the fubjeci now about to be scanned and illufirated. The method I obferved, of introducing each edifice to view at that period, will again be attended to; whence it may be feen, what parts have been fubfequently done away, or altered, and what new elevations have heen fet up in the prevailing fantaftic file of building Baby-houfes of Compo, unworthy the name of Architectuc I. * Vol. LXXVI, p. 901. $ Exhibited in the Houfe of Lords and from to time to time in the Royal Academy. Retort courteous. Sir C. Wren called eur cathedrals "Mountains of ftone, unworthy the name of Architecture." New Palace Yard. Eaft fide; untouched. South fide; a coach-way has been made through those buildings on the left, and abutting against the North front of the Hall. The archway to this "drive," is but an indica tion of a fomething that is to be; it gives an extreme flat Pointed arch, which arch and its jambs are done in a make-fhift way with ftone and brick; and the head-way in continuation with lath and plafter, or Compo. The two coffee-houfes against the front of the Hall remain, but the public-houses hiding the basement of the building to the right are demolished. Weft fide of the Hall. Many of the modern erections ftanding before the line, with fome of the Tudor offices, are done away; and in lieu of these latter contingences, one or two new elevations have been fet_up, with "baftard" copyings of the Tudor windows, fuffered to ftand, as they happen not to interfere with the prefent line of arrangement. Let it be faid, the new windows are made of deal, correct in their heads, but the fills not fo, being on the improved plan. The new doorways partake of the fame inattention; no architraves, and the doors are fet back from the face of the wall one foot at leaft, in a return, after the common modern house way; and nothing more feems to be attempted than to bring out the mere Tudor flat arch fweep. Towards the Southern extremity of this fide of the Hall, a few alterations are making in the crypts of the old attached chambers, by way of a pallage to an opening cut through the thickness of the wall of the Hall; and, that light may be obtained, feveral Pointed openings are made ranging with fome original openings of the crypts. So averfe are thefe imitators to anything like a faithful copy, modern key-ftones are inferted inftead of the antient centre arch joint; the one and univerfal mode of antient mafonry purfued over the the land. As thefe very arch jointings are at the elbows of the workmen, nothing but a perverfe and wilful determination to fet fuch authority at defiance, can have impelled them to a departure from fo much truth and character. At the back of the Tudor building running on the right of the front of the Hall, is a very antient chamber (Court of Exchequer); and by the remains of doors, windows, &c. it must be of the earliest Pointed ftyle of of workmanship. Many of the win- Mr. URBAN, THE Feb. 5. HE letters which have appeared in your Magazine from Dr. Milner, and Mr. Churton, on the fubject of Oaths, induce me to requeft the infertion of extracts from a very curious flate paper, which is to be found in the Rolls of Parliament of the 39th year of King Henry the Sixth, and in the fifth volume of the printed copy. an opinion. The Lords then delivered their own objections; among which, the following is the fir: First, it is thought that the Lordes of this lond muft nedes calle to their remembrancez, the grete Othes the which they have made to the Kyng our Soverayn Lord, the which may be leyde to the feid Duc of York, and that the Lordes may not breke thoo Othes." To which the Duke of York made anfwer as follows: "The faid Richard anfwereth and faith, that every man, under the peyne of everlafting dampnation, is bounden to obeye to the lawe and cominaundementes of God, by the which lawe and commaundementes, trouth and justice owe to bee preferred and obferved, and untrouth and injuftice leyed apart and repreffed; and foo it is, that of this bonde and duetee of obedyence to Godd's lawe, noo man may discharge himself by his owen dede or act, promife or ooth, for elles of the contrary wold enfie innumerable inconveniences. Wherefore fith it is foo, that the mater of the title and clayme of the faid Richard Plantagenet is openly true and lawful, and grounded upon evident trouth and juftice, it foloweth that man fhuld have rather confideration to trouth, right, and juftice in this mater, accordingly with the wille of the lawe of God, then to any promife or ooth made by hym into the contrarie; confidered namely, that by the lawe and deterinination of holy Chirche, an oth made by oon perfone, unto the prejudice or hurt of another, contrary to trouth, juftice, and charitee, in the which ftandeth the plenitude and perfection of Godd's lawe, is voide and of noon effect, neither in anywife obligatorie ; and that the vertu and nature of an On ooth is to conferme trouth, and of noo wife to impugne it; and over that, that by the ooth of feaute, homage, or ligeaunce, noo man is bounden to any inconvenient or unlawfull thyng." A Proteftant of the Church of England, and an Old Correfpondent. Richard (Plantagenet) Duke of York, on the 16th of October in that year, in the Parliament-chamber delivered to the Chancellor, to be opened to the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, in Parliament affembled, his claim of right to the Crown of England, fetting forth his defcent as lineal heir to King Edward the Third, through his third fon Lionel Duke of Clarence. the 17th of October, the Lords waited upon the King, and opened the matter to him by the mouth of the Chancellor, and were commanded to fearch for objections against the claim. On the 18th of October, the Lords fent for the King's Juftices to the Parliament-chamber, to give their advice and counfel in the affair; who took until the 20th Mr. URBAN, Brecon, Feb. 2. of October to confider of it, and then I Correfpondents who will give me prudently answered, that it was too great a thing for them to meddle with. The King's Serjeants and Attorney were then confulted, but also declined giving any information as to Sir John Davy, who died in 1624 without iffae, polfeffed of the little foreft of Brecknock in Wales, forfeited upon the attainder of |