ele to their proceedings. Upon thefe premifes the groins of the porch were deftroyed to get height for banners, canopies, and knights on horfeback. To get a level line for a back feat to the fcaffold over the porch, the parapet fuffered; and the heads of the line of niches on the basement fell victims for the fame reafon; alfo the canopies to the upper niches of the right hand tower were pared off fome time back to quiet the apprehenfions of the hoveled inmates below, left, by their fuppofed tendency to fall, the attached chimnies and roofs might thereby fuffer and be disfigured! It was but the other day, the canopies to the turreted niches on the pediment were removed to make the neceffary lodgement of a flone base to fupport a paltry

vane!

The execution of the parts of the front is delicate and of the first degree of excellence; and it is but to furvey with impartial and ferutinizing attention each peculiar, to be delighted and improved with fuch a meritorious ftudy.

Miferable will that day of change become, when all thefe things of marvellous account, fhall be fcraped off for the fake of the Compo vilion, or for the abominations of the prefent refinements in Architecture that may be ftuck about, cramped on, or daubed over the face of Richard's mighty Hall! It is my intention in the next paper to bring forward the promifed and loudly-called-for furvey of all that is new and frange, now profeffionally perpetrated on thefe Royal Walls.

AN ARCHITECT.

folution declaring the conduct of that Prelate to be "malicious, unchristian; and arbitrary;" and Queen Anne's affurance that the Bithop fhould no longer fupply the place of Almoner. The language of Bp. Lloyd, when he commauded the Worcestershire Clergy to vote against Sir Johu Pakington, was certainly more violent and unguarded than that of Bp. Horley, when he iffed a fimilar injunction to the Caermarthen Electors in regard to Mr. Philips, whom he only accufed of favour ing the repeal of the Test Act, a charge not likely to have much effect. With out any heinous breach of his allegi ance to the Church, a Member of Par liament might think it poflible for Prefbyterians to become honest Excifemen, if he but looked across the Channel, and faw Necker, a Geneva Proteftant, placed at the head of the French finances, under the reign of the Bourbons, a family not famed for their attachment to Religious Liberty. But the interference was in either cafe equally unconftitutional.

All the Letters miffed of their aim, and have the clearest internal marks of being published, not by those who wrote them, but by the perfons to whom they were fent. The proceedings of 1702 came home to the point; but the Parliament of 1790-1796, would naturally obferve more delicacy, and get rid of fo troublesome a bufinefs, by moving the previous queftion, or order of the day.

Till the paffage itfelf is accurately ftated, I cannot believe a man of Bp. Horfley's fenfe would glory in fuch baffled efforts, and repeat them in his Charge, Alimfy as the materials are of which Charges ufually confift.

Dr. Horfley was originally invefted with the Mitre in 1788; he proved an able speaker, and his Tranflations took place in 1793 and 1802, at fuitable intervals for fresh retainders from two fucceflive Prime Minifters: had he lived five years longer, he might poffibly, like his Grace of Dublin, have united a Primacy and a Temporal Peerage to fay his Letter, and Vote again Peace, raised him fo high, is afcribing great events to trifling caufes. Without epping out of our way to extol Mr. Pitt's love of Toleration or Mr. Addington's confiftency, we feel ourselves confirained to admit that the former might eafily have felected a more adroit electioneering canvaffer

from

from the Epifcopal Bench; nor is it probable in the few months which had intervened between the conclufion of the Treaty of Amiens and Bp. Bagot's death, Mr. Addington fhould already be fo difgufted with a Peace which had obtained approbation from more than common majorities, fo bent on retaining Malta, and fo eager after a fecond War, as to promote any man merely for oppofing the Addrefs.

If, from the commencement to the clofe of the eighteenth century, matters in fome inftances turned out worfe than might be expected for thofe Ecclefiaftics who turn their minds principally to Elections and State affairs, the prefent æra opens with more favourable profpects.

The memorable Trial of Dr. Warren, Bifhop of Bangor, aided and abetted by feveral of his Clergy, on a charge of Riot," is univerfally afcribed to the Deputy Regifter taking a different fide from his Lordship in fome contefied election for the County of Caernar

vou: but let it be obferved, for the comfort of the rifing generation, that all the three revolts I have mentioned against the great luminaries of our Church took place when the authority of the Hierarchy was by no means fo extenfive as at prefent, and are therefore lefs likely to be repeated. L. L.

Mr. URBAN,

Jan. 19.

HEREWITH I fend you a Weft

view of the parish church of Henham fuper Montem in Elfex (Plate II.) pleafantly fituated (on high ground) about 36 miles N. N. E. of London, and feven miles N. E. of Bishop Stortford, co. Herts.

The tower of this church (in which is a good peal of bells) was formerly ornamented with a beautiful high spire, fince blown down.

The Rev. Francis Tutte was in 1796 prefented to the vicarage (vacant by the death of the Rev. Wm. Campbell) by Mrs. Crufe (wife of Jonathan C. efq.) and her fifter, Mrs. Mary Feake, co-heirefs of Samuel F. of Dorrington House, at Sheering, co. Effex.

VIATOR ESSEXENSIS.

From motives of peculiar delicacy we have hitherto ubftained from even hint ing at fome tranfactions which a very few months ago took place at the Britifh Mufeum, though the fubject has been pretty generally difcuffed, both GENT. MAG. January, 1807.

in converfation and in print. In the Preface, however, to a Publication' which has recently appeared, Mr. BELOEhas unrefervedly given the following candia flatement of the particulars. "IF ever there were a time when I might with for the unclouded ufe of my faculties, and to be divefted of all prejudice and paffion, it would furely be the prefent. I am about to give an account of a work which was contmenced under the moft aufpicious profpećts, with the moft favourable hopes of its fuccessful and protracted continuation, with the beft poffible means to give it every aid of variety, with the opportunity of choice among almoft infinite materials; and finally, with every thing I could poffibly defire to cheer the prefent, and to animate me to future exertion.

66

My fituation at the conclufion of thefe two volumes is very different. But I haften to give the following

concife account of the matter.

Having, as I may prefume to affirm, led an irreproachable life in my profeffion, and having manifefted my literary diligence by my verfions of Herodotus and Aulus Gellius, and by various other works, I had the good fortune to number among my friends and protectors fome of the most eminent, and! fome of the most eftimable characters of my country. Thefe, I am proud to fay, fill remain-I have not loft

one.

"A few years fince, the venerable and learned Prelate†, to whom thefe volumes, with his permiffion, are infcribed, and who has invariably demontirated a warm and friendly zeal towards Literature and its difciples, asked me if I should wish for a fituation in the British Mufeum. It was the thing of all others I moft wifhed. It had long been the great object of my ambition. I knew and efteemed all its members; and from long and familiar acquaintance with books, I conceived myfelf to poffefs the neceffary qualifications for the office of a Librarian.

"I was at that time at the head of a refpectable Inftitution, and in the enjoyment of no contemptible emolument. However, when the vacancy of Under Librarian happened at the

* "Anecdotes of English Literature and Scarce Books, by the Rev. Wm. Beloe, 1807," 2 vols. 8vo.

† Dr. Barrington, bishop of Durham. Mufcum,

Mufeum, by the death of Mr. Harper, I applied, under the fanction of the Bishop of Durham's recommendation, and received my appointment, regularly figned, by the late Archbishop of Canterbury, the late Lord Chancellor Eldon, and the Right Hon. Charles Abbot, the Speaker of the late Houfe of Commons *.

"How I conducted myself in this fituation I may fairly challenge the molt rigid investigation to deterinine. 1 appeal to my brother officers; 1 appeal to every one connected with that Inftitution, to decide; I appeal to that part of the publick who knew and obferved me in the execution of my of fice. I conceived it my duty, and I felt it my delight, to aflift and facilitate the researches of the learned, to gratify the ingenuous curiofity of firangers, and to exhibit, where the recommendation juftified confidence, the fources of inftruction and amufement which were committed to my But this I did not conceive to be fufficient; I thought that the publick might not unreasonably expect more.

care.

As my office, therefore, confined me to the care and examination of printed books, I formed the determination of felecting fuch as were more extraordinary for their intrinfic value, or fought after for their rarity, and I undertook, from time to time, to give fuch a defcription of them and their contents, as might be interefting and useful, both to the Student and Collector. I thought I fhould perform no unimportant office in communicating to the Student the place where he might find what he wanted, and in reprefenting to the Collector the genuine marks by which he might afcertain the object of his curious purfuit.

"The Mufeum contains great treafures of this kind, and molt particularly in old English Literature, which had ever been a favourite branch of my occafional investigation, and which I knew, at this particular time, to be an object of very earnest refearch, Such was the foundation, and fuch was the motive of my commencing the prefent undertaking. But on announcing my plan and defign among my literary friends, I had the fatisfaction of difcovering that my ideas were generally approved, and I almoft immediately received fuch countenance and afliftance, that I was not only confirmed in my determination, bui ́induced to

*The Preface is dated Nov. 1, 1800.

believe that I should be able to pro duce a mifcellaneous volume once in every year. I had the grateful opportunity of reverfing the exclamation of Teucer in Sophocles;

Πολλοὶ μὲν ἐχθροὶ παῦρα δ' ὠφελήσιμοι..

"I had no difcouragement, but every thing to ftimulate me in perfevering in my purpose.

"I cannot have a better opportunity to make my acknowledgments where they are fo eminently due.

"I begin with the Marquis of Stafford, who with great kindness admitted me to his valuable Library, where my excellent friend, Mr. Todd, eagerly and anxioufly facilitated my refearches.

"To the learned Bishop of Rochester I have not only to exprefs my obligation for the ufe of many rare and curious books from his valuable Collec tion, but for his kindly and friendly attention to me under a misfortune as unforeseen as it was fevere.

Mr. Barnard, the King's Librarian, whom I have long known and ef teemed, admitted me to the innumerable rarities under his cuftody.

"When I name Mr. Douce, and call him, as I am allowed to do, my friend, it may feem fuperfluous to add another word concerning the value of his aid. It is fufficient to fay, that his moft curious and valuable Library is eafily acceffible, and that his information, when required, on any fubject of Literature, is alike prompt and fatisfactory, interefting and elegant.

"With great refpect and fincere attachment I allo introduce, among thofe to whom I am effentially in debied, the venerable Mr. Ifaac Reed. He is far above my praife, but I can never forget the free ufe of many curious articles in his collection, the clearnels, the precifion, and the kindnefs of his various communications on many fubjects of Early English Literature, concerning which, I was either ignorant or imperfectly acquainted.

“With Mr. John Kemble I have long and happily enjoyed a familiar intercourfe. No man knows more, or better, whatever relates to the Hiftory of the Drama; no inan poffeffes more copious, or more valuable materials; no man communicates what he knows and poffeffes, to his friends, with greater or more agreeable facility.

"When I intimated to Mr. Malone the purpose I had in view, with the

greatest