Debrett and the prefent editor of his Peerage (and at the fame time admire the work itself) I think it but juftice thus to fignify that my obfervations were purely and folely made for the fake of improving the plan of his Peerage. Your Conftant Reader," towards the middle part of his letter, fays, he feels a pleasure in reading the newly-acquired honours of our prefent Worthies. I agree with him; I too derive the greatest gratification in beholding in the peerage the names of Chatham, Erskine, Nelfon, and Collingwood: fervices fuch as theirs merit the highest honours that a grateful Country can bestow! INVESTIGANDI CUPIDUS. Mr. URBAN, March 17. of the nuifance; I mean, as to the charity beftowed on thefe very improper though unfortunate objects. I fhould rejoice extremely to fee a paper in your Mifcellany, projecting a few hints to Mr. Whitbread on his intended plan for the melioration of the Poor, now before the House (p. 340); confining the hints to the great utility of FRIENDLY SOCIETIES, which induce an honourable independance among that useful body of the people, the daylabourers; and which, from my own experience, would, if properly inveftigated, and wifely planned by Government, effectually afford great exoneration from the heavy hurthen of the poor laws. I am furprifed at the illiberality of feveral of my neighbouring parishes, which refufe parochial relief AVERY Old Subfcriber, (p. 196), to thofe day-labourers who are entitled is defirous that your Readers may be favoured with "A Lift of the Knights and Chiefs who acccompanied William the Conqueror to England." The lift is too long for. me to copy; but, if he will look into "Edmond Howe's Chronicle," he will there find them, tranfcribed from the "Chronicles of Normandy," written in French, by Guilliam Tayleur, of Rhoane. Some were alfo taken from an antient table in Battle Abbey. Alfo," the Cognomina Conquifitorum Anglic cum Domino Guilielmo Duce Normaniæ et Conqueftore Angliæ." I am happy to find that the good fenfe and liberality of the City of London have inftituted a Female Penitentiary. If fpeedily and feriously enforced, it will be productive of incalculable benefits to the publick. Inftitutions of this kind in various places on the Continent have produced fpecimens of induftry conducive to the commerce of the Country, and to the cconomy of the State. And were a fpirit of industry introduced into the London Female Penitentiary, I am perfuaded, not doubting but this will be the cafe, that many articles of trade may be produced from the Inflitution; the morality of the City be greatly meliorated, and a multitude of the most miferable of human beings be returned to the honourable offices of fociety. Surely fomething will be done to cleanse the streets from that augean filth the Beggars; a moft indelible difgrace to thefe enlightened times; a dreadful impofition on the publick, in which the canfe of real Charity is not ferved, and which only tends to the increase to the relief of the Box Clubs. If this churlish and felfifh meanness was in fome way counteracted, I am perfuaded it would afford the greateft ftimulus to thefe laudable and useful focieties. I am very forry to fay, that, having read the book of Mr. Malthus with the greatest attention, I perceive how very inadequate even the belt of writers may be, in the inveftigation of the natural hiftory of the poor, unless they have been eye-witnelles of their habits. Political economy ought never to attempt to reftrain or eradicate the firft binding law of nature. I am afraid, if the moral law of this writer could be introduced among the day-labouring poor, to refrain marriages unless fuch marriages took place on the fecurity of proper fubfiftence, that evils of a more dangerous nature would be introduced among them. But, as no political œconomy can ever effect this, other expedients fhould be urged; and the wif dom of a State can, if feriously and energetically employed, devife the means of encouraging population without impairing the agricultural resource. ANOTHER OLD SUBSCRIBER. could have wifhed the bleffings of the Bow-window could have been extended to the middling and poor claffes, who, I can affure Mrs. Morris, would frequently be much obliged to her for Juitable hufbands or wives. Befides, there is fome reafon to think (if the lady did not know her bufinefs better than we can) that perfons of confiderable and independent fortunes have generally been allowed the privilege of choofing for themselves, without the reftraint either of Thifte's wall, or Mrs. Morris's Bow window. Still I allow that the Lady may be right, and may have derived from experience this comfortable truth, that where there is confiderable wealth, there may be confiderable credulity, and that the fortune may be independent, while the mind is the flave or dupe of the meaneft impoftures. If L. R. R. had looked at the Supplement to the Gent. Mag. 1806, he might have faved himself the trouble of writing his note dated April 3, 1807. Mr. URBAN, BY March 22. Y particular fatutes of the Realm, all prebendaries, &c. of cathedral and collegiate churches, are reftrained from granting leafes of their relpective prebendal poffeffions beyond the term of 21 years, or three lives. A Gentleman lately fucceeded to a prebend in the cathedral church of -; the landed poffeffions of which confifted of a large eftate, immemorially leafed out for 21 years, and the leafe of which had been ufaally renewed every year; fo that the rent referved, and the fine paid annually for the renewal, made the prebend of confiderable value. But, to his very great aftonishment, the new prebendary found that his immediate predeceffor, who was in neceffitous circumftances, and had holden the prebend only a few vears, had exchanged the antient lefe, in confequence of a valuable confideration from the leffee, from 21 years, to a leafe for three lives. Suppofing the leafe for 21 years to have been fully expired, I have no doubt that the late prebendary was competent to have granted, de novo, a leafe for three lives; but I have great difficulty in admitting, that he was competent alfo to make the beforementioned exchange, as thereby he certainly leflened or deteriorated the annual income or value of the prebend, by rendering it cafual; for I believe that it is acknowledged, that prebendal eftates leafed for 21 years, and renewed annually or even feptennially, are more productive of annual income to the prebendaries pro tempore, than when they are leafed for three lives, and renewed only on the death of one or more of the lives. I therefore requeft your profeffional Correfpondents to inform me, -1. whether the late prebendary of was enabled to make the exchange above ftated; and, 2. if he was, whether fome proportion of the confi deration money ought not to have been appropriated to the benefit of his fucceffor or fucceffors in the prebend? Yours, &c. Mr. URBAN, K. Y. Y. Jan. 8. CONSTANT READER'S letter (LXXVI. p. 1026) commences with an expreffion of afionishment at the charges, as he calls them, advanced by me against the Editors of Peerages. He feems to fay, that I fuppofe it to be in the power of those. gentlemen to infert the hiftories of families whofe titles have not been recognifed by the House of Lords, whereas I never even hinted fo ridiculous a thing; I merely fuggefted the probability of there being a longer lift of dormant titles than the prefent Peerages exhibit, and at the fame time the advantage of faying (to prevent mifiakes) at once, in whom any title becomes extinct; to whom it would have devolved had there been iffue male; and what female was moft nearly allied, who would have had the title had she been a male. I do not fee that this would be at all entering into the hiftories of families; it would be a fimple alphabe tical lift with five columns, thus: 1. the name of the title; 2. the chrif tian and furname of the laft poffeffor; 3. the year in which fuch title becume extinct; 4. the next male heir, if any; 5. the next female, if any. If the fourth column could not be filled after diligent fearch, then, indeed, the title might with great propriety be placed on the extinct lift; but, as long as any doubt exifts of the pro bability of their being heirs male living, would it not be allowable for fo long a time to place the title on the dormant lift? As I highly refpect and esteem both Mr, Debrett and the prefent editor of his Peerage (and at the fame time admire the work itself) I think it but juftice thus to fignify that my obfervations were purely and folely made for the fake of improving the plan of his Peerage. Your Conftant Reader," towards the middle part of his letter, fays, he feels a pleasure in reading the newly-acquired honours of our prefent Worthies. I agree with him; I too derive the greatest gratification in beholding in the peerage the names of Chatham, Erskine, Nelfon, and Collingwood: fervices fuch as theirs merit the highest honours that a grateful Country can bestow! INVESTIGANDI CUPIDUS. AVERY Old Subfcriber, (p. 196), is defirous that your Readers may be favoured with A Lift of the Knights and Chiefs who acccompanied William the Conqueror to England." The lift is too long for. me to copy; but, if he will look into "Edmond Howe's Chronicle," he will there find them, tranfcribed from the Chronicles of Normandy," written in French, by Guilliam Tayleur, of Rhoane. Some were alfo taken from an antient table in Battle Abbey. Alfo," the Cognomina Conquifitorum Anglia cum Domino Guilielmo Duce Normaniæ et Conqueftore Angliæ." of the nuifance; I mean, as to the charity beftowed on thefe very improper though unfortunate objects. I fhould rejoice extremely to fee a paper in your Mifcellany, projecting a few hints to Mr. Whitbread on his intended plan for the melioration of the Poor, now before the House (p. 340); confining the hints to the great utility of FRIENDLY SOCIETIES, which induce an honourable independance among that ufeful body of the people, the daylabourers; and which, from my own experience, would, if properly inveftigated, and wifely planned by Government, effectually afford great exoneration from the heavy burthen of the poor laws. I am furprifed at the illiberality of feveral of my neighbouring parishes, which refufe parochial relief to thofe day-labourers who are entitled to the relief of the Box Clubs. If this churlish and felfish meamnefs was in fome way counteracted, I am perfuaded it would afford the greateft ftimulus to thefe laudable and ufeful focieties. I am happy to find that the good fenfe and liberality of the City of London have inftituted a Female Penitentiary. If peedily and feriously enforced, it will be productive of incalculable benefits to the publick. Inftitutions of this kind in various places on the Continent have produced fpecimens of induftry conducive to the commerce of the Country, and to the ceconomy of the State. And were a fpirit of industry introduced into the London Female Penitentiary, I am perfuaded, not doubting but this will be the cafe, that many articles of trade be produced from the Inftitution; may the morality of the City be greatly meliorated, and a multitude of the most miferable of human beings be returned to the honourable offices of society. Surely fomething will be done to cleanse the streets from that augean filth the Beggars; a moft indelible difgrace to thefe enlightened times; a dreadful impofition on the publick, in which the caufe of real Charity is not ferved, and which only tends to the increafe I am very forry to fay, that, having read the book of Mr. Malthus with the greatest attention, I perceive how very inadequate even the belt of writers may be, in the inveftigation of the natural history of the poor, unless they have been eye-witnesses of their habits. Political economy ought never to attempt to reftrain or eradicate the first binding law of nature. I am afraid, if the moral law of this writer could be introduced among the day-labouring poor, to refrain marriages unless fuch marriages took place on the fecurity of proper fubfiftence, that evils of a more dangerous nature would be introduced among them. But, as no political œconomy can ever effect this, other expedients fhould be urged; and the wif dom of a State can, if feriously and energetically employed, devife the means of encouraging population without impairing the agricultural resource. ANOTHER OLD SUBSCRIBER. ple of St. John's church, Margate, in Kent, was inferibed " Daundelyon," and Lewis' fays, in his Hittory of the Ifle of Thanet, that this was the gift of John Daundely on to the church, and that in his une the inhabitants repeated this traditionary rhyme concern 'heir fucceffors to their honours and IN Yours, &c. A SUBSCRIBER. Vol. LXXVI. p. 904, for young lords, read newly created. Mr. URBAN, Southapmton-ft. Feb. 5. I HAVE obferved that popular traditions, however obfcure, may gene rally be traced to fome fource, and that their obfcurity originates as much in the uncertainty of our antient language as in the imperfections of oral tradition. The following conjecture upon a village tradition is founded on this principle. The tenor of the old peal of bells that hung formerly in the flee John de Daundelyon, with his great dog, Still at his feet his faithful dog remains, Who with his mafter equal notice claims; nor-bell! The abfurdity of a bell having been brought from any place upon a mill-cog, or tooth of one wheel acting upon abo-' ther, has probably prevented any one from beflowing a fecond thought upon the fubject; but cog, or cogge, was an old Teutonic word for a fhip, ufed. fometimes in old French, and, if my memory does not fail me, occurs more than once in Barclay's Shippe of Foles;" and a parifi-church in Oxford fhire, that once belonged to the Knights Templars, is fill called cogges, with a fhip on the vane; and in France formerly mal was frequently ufed as an adjective, as in "malmaifou." Thefe two words, therefore, feem to me to mean no more than that John Daundelyon, having procured a bell for the ufe of the church, brought it into the ifland on a "mal-cogge," or battered vellel, and a long courfe of years has altered the words to others, allied only in found, but more eafily comprehended by the relaters. P. Mr. URBAN, Cambridge, Feb. 21. ceffary, more than an hundred inha- I read Mr. Weeden Butler's letter on the ledge they never could underfland a I am fingle fentence of Mr. Sherriff's. I remember but one exception, which was in the perfon of a beautiful and amiable woman, to whom Mr. S was attached, who affured me the could fometimes diftinguith a word or two in a sentence. She confidered him as fo amiable and interefing a character, that the declared the would have married him, if he had had a competent fortune and better health, but the feared being an incumbrance rather than a comfort to him. He has this lady's portrait in miniature, in the character of Mary Queen of Scots. forry it is not in my power to corroborate Mr. Butler's account of Mr. Sherriff's being able to articulate; but Mr. S.'s talents in miniature-painting are held in fuch juft eftimation, that, the circumftance, Mr. Urban, müft be known to many of your readers. I feared Mr. Braidwood and family might fuffer in the public opinion, if the teft of fpeaking to be underflood refted with Mr. Sherriff. Many of their pupils, I doubt not, far excel him in that refpect; indeed, I used to imagine there was fone defect in his palate. For fo far even in thought from withing to detract from Mr. Braidwood's truly well-earned fame, I only with it to be founded on a firmer bafis, in a more fortunate infiance of fome other pupil. I am happy to bear my teft:imony to Mr. Charles Sherriff's other attainments. His excellence in miniature-painting is too well known to need a comment. He reads (very poffibly writes) in the French language; his maimers are fuch as mark the geutleman. In company, by obferving the motion of the lips, he was feldom at a lofs for the fubject of difcourfe. If a fentence efcaped him, by the time the fecond word was written he caught the meaning of the whole. His replies were remarkable for their terfenefs and elegance; it ufed to give me great pleafure to obtain his opinion of books, as I found him a man of fuperior underftanding, and highly cultivated mind. And, what was more to his praife, I alway's underflood he had greatly affifted his father, who loft from 20 to 30,000. in Fordyce's Banking-houte. Mr. S. went to the East Indies a few years fuce, and, i have been informed, has fuperiority of Mr. Braidwood's method of inftructing the deaf and dumb, to that of the Abbé L' Epée, as he taught them to fpeak (befides every other attainment they acquired with the Abbé). That he had been fo happily fuccefsful with fome of his pupils, I can very readily believe; and I am happy to find Mrs. Trimmer, in her excellent work of the Guardian of Education, confirms this belief (Vide vol. I. p. 489). Mrs. T. fays, there is a fchool at Hackney for the inftruction of children born deaf and dumb, in the higher claffes of life, formerly kept by a Mr. Braidwood, and now carried on by his widow, in which young ladies and gentlemen naturally defective in the organs of speech and hearing, are not only taught to articulate diftinctly, fo as to be able to make themfelves understood, but are even brought to a great degree of proficiency in the ftudy of languages and other branches of a liberal education. As that lady is fo well acquainted with, and fo well qualified to infpect and fpeak of education in all its variety of branches, I think it highly probable that the affertion in this note, that "the deaf and dumb are taught to articulate diftinctly," was from perfonal knowledge. Mrs. Trimmer's authority must be inconteftible; and fo would Mr. Butler's, if he spoke from perfonal knowledge. But as that is not the cafe (although I entertain the higheft opinión of his abilities and the benevolence of his inteutions), he muft excufe me for faying, I think him unfortunate in the intance he has given in the perfon of Mr. Charles Sherriff. I was well acquainted with that gentleman fome years fince, both at Bath and Brighton; but I own I have frequently tried, but always ineffectually, to underftand him. His attempts at fpeech ever appeared to me like broken founds, murnured in fleep, but much leis diftina; and they were alfo extremely harfh and grating to the ear, fo much fo, that not only my own family, but every perfon whoin I have ever feen in his company, expielfed their hope that Mr. Sherriff would not attempt to fpeak. A gentleman of this Univerfity aflares me, precifely the faune with was exprelled here; and, were it ne GENT. MAG. April, 1807, |