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ence upon the order, the stability, and the confidence of society, silently, but rapidly, repairing the wa.. f War, animating industry, enterprize, and morals, and throwing forth the buds and blossoms of national and permanent prosperity, which, if not blighted by the storms of faction, will cover the country with their fruit *.

In the words of an eminent Statesman, we are happy in contrasting our present prospects with the short period of only two years ago. The country was then in the utmost distress, owing to the recurrence from a state of War to that of Peace; for we had been engaged in a contest for our very existence as a Nation; and in that contest Great Britain had triumphed, and crowned herself with glory. Providence, however, then, in order to check our exultation, had visited us with a most inclement season. Now the contrast is most grateful, and it is to be hoped that prosperity will again visit the land: nothing can exceed the prospect of the harvest of the present year, which is not confined to this country, for it is general. Arts and Manufactures also are again flourishing, and all is one active scene of employ. Every human institution is liable to defects; but every person must be convinced that under no Constitution do the People enjoy a greater share of Civil and Religious Liberty than in Great Britain; and so long as we are possessed of a Free Press, no real abuse can be brought forward without its correction, or a remedy being found.

To our numerous and justly valued Correspondents we again return our cordial thanks.

July 15, 1818.

* See Felix Farley's Bristol Journal, June 27, 1818; and see (more particularly) the incomparably fine Speech of Mr. Canning at the Dinner recently given in honour of his Election at Liverpool.

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...82-94

Right Hon. George Rose-Lord Walsingham82
on the Character and Genius of Dr. Johnson31 Baron Thomson, J. Entwisle, esq. - Vizir Ally84
Merlin's Prophecies, French MS.-Aubrey. 37 | Meteorological Diary, 94.- Bill of Mortality 95
The Descendants of Hobbes at Malmsbury 38 Prices of the Markets, 95.-The Stocks, &c.96

With a Perspective View of the TOWER OF CAERDIFF CHURCH;
and a View of QUATFORD CHURCH, co. Salop,
with Antiquities belonging to it.

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MINOR CORRESPONDENCE.

An old and respectable Correspondent (who has in his possession the original Account-book of Sir Henry Herbert, grandson of Lord H. of Cherbury, Master of the Revels to James I. Charles I. and Charles II. together with a large correspondence of that family) wishes to be informed where to look for an account of the office of Master of the Revels, its origin, and dissolution; and where to find any thing relating to the family of Herbert, whose seat was at Ribesford, Salop, and some of whose branches represented Bewdley for many years. Mr. Malone had the Accountbook of the Master of the Revels in his hands; but what use he made of it our Correspondent knows not.

Mr. E. W. BRAYLEY requests to be informed to whom, and to what Church, Wharton (speaking of the archives of Cathedrals having been mutilated or destroyed) alludes, in the following passage of his preface to the "Anglia Sacra," Sect. iv. "Id in plurimis avaritia et impietas, in nonnullis superstitio effecit. Comperi enim Episcopum quendam ante centum et quod excurrit annos, avitæ superstitionis delendæ prætextu, omnia Ecclesiæ suæ monumenta et Registra igni tradidisse."

Though ourselves absolute unbelievers in the science of Astrology, we will not withhold a communication which may be thought by the initiated to contain a singular proof of its certainty: "Accipe, dignissime Urbane, qui multa utilia et forsan nonnulla inutilia colligis, quod, ab amico, in arte obstetricâ versato, accepi. - Illustrissima Principissa, cujus inopinatam mortem tota Anglia dolet, parturitionis dolores (tunc enim gestationis opus Natura finivit) die 5to Novembris primum sensit. At, quadraginta hebdomadis ab hoc tempore computatis, Dies conceptionis in Diem Anglicanis infaustissimum, viz. 30°. Januarii incidit. Seculo jam preterito, hoc, pro artis astrologicæ testimonio irrefragabili habitum fuisset: certè, in hoc ævo, dies faustos et infaustos rectè despicienti, pro concursu singulari habeatur; et hâc de causa, in chartis tuis locum obtineat.

P. T. J.

Currente Calamo script. 18 Kul. Feb. 1818."

A CONSTANT READER AND FRIEND, in answer to J. C.'s question (in our preceding volume, p. 488), "what rank and precedence the Companions of the Order of the Bath are entitled to," refers Irim to the Supplement to the London Gazette of Jan. 3, 1815, in which he will see

the following: "The Third Class of the most honourable Military Order of the Bath, shall be composed of Officers holding commissions in his Majesty's service, by sea or land, who shall be styled Companions of the said Order: they shall not be entitled to the appellation, style, precedence, or privilege of Knights Bachelors; but shall take place and precedence of all Esquires of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland."Then follows what entitles them to be Companions.

B. observes, that Mr. Warner, in his entertaining "Western Walk," mentions Dr. Gilbert Sheldon having been born at Stanton near Bath, Somersetshire; but the Universal Biographical Dictionary, and Lempriere's Biographical Dictionary say that he was born at Stanton in Staffordshire. Which authority is correct? - The Universal Biographical Dictionary also mentions the vicarage of Hackney being given to the Doctor by Charles I.; but our Correspondent believes it is not in the gift of the King; but has long been the property of the Tyson family, who have lately chosen to be called Tyssen.

A CORRESPONDENT would be glad to obtain some information respecting the Author of a small volume, entitled "The Doctrine of the Bible: or Rules of Discipline, briefly gathered thorow the whole course of the Scripture, by way of questions and answers." The date of the above volume is 1649, "newly corrected and amended."

G. H. W. would feel much obliged by the names of the Fourteen Conspirators engaged in Babington's Conspiracy in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. - He proceeds: "In your Magazine for Nov. last, p. 393, should it not be Baroni Hill de Almarez, not ab Almarez?"-" In p. 395, the arms of Widvile (query Wilde?) are described as placed over the monument of the families of Dive and Wylde in Bromham Church."

SCHOLASTICUSs may be assured that he will never get the 501 Prize, should be be wise enough to discover the Enigma attributed to Miss Seward; and which first appeared in our vol. XXVII. p. 186.

Memoirs of Dr. BURNEY and of T. WYON, Esq.; Rev. C. J. SMYTH; Mr. BRITTON; A CONSISTENT CHURCHMAN; J. M.M.; On Disorders arising from Indigestion; &c. &c. shall appear in

our next.

Erratum. In a few Copies the word Llandaff, is accidentally printed at the head of p. 9, instead of Caerdiff.

THE GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE.

For JANUARY, 1818.

MISCELLANEOUS CORRESPONDENCE.

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Yours, &c.

"There was at Amadan a celebrated Academy, whose first Rule was framed in these words:

"The Members of this Academy shall think much-write little-and be as mute as they can."

A Candidate offered himself-he was too late-the vacancy was filled up-they knew his merit, and lamented their disappointment in lamenting his own. The President was to announce the event, he desired the Candidate should be introduced.

He appeared with a simple and a modest air, which is the sure testimony of merit.

The President rose, and presented a cup of pure water to him, so full, that a single drop more would have made it overflow; he accompanied this emblematic hint with not a single word explanatory of it; but he marked upon his countenance the deepest affliction.

The Candidate understood that he could not be received because the number was complete, and the assembly full. But, without losing courage, he began to think by what expedient, in the same kind of language, he could explain that a supernumerary Academician would put nothing out of its place, and would make no essential difference in the Rule which they had prescribed.

After a moment's pause, observing at his feet a rose, he picked it up, and laid it gently ently upon the surface of the water, so gently that not one drop of it escaped. Upon this ingenious reply, the applause was universal; the rule

slept or winked in his favour. They presented immediately to him the Register upon which the successful Candidate was in the habit of writing his name. He wrote it accordingly, and he had then only to thank them in a single phrase. But he chose to thank them without saying a word.

He wrote upon the margin the number 100. This was the number of his new associates.

Then, having put a cypher before the figure 1, he wrote under it"their value will be the same" -0100!

To this modesty the ingenious President replied with a politeness equal to his address:

He put the figure 1 before the 100, and wrote, "they will have elevon times the value they had-1100."

W

Mr. URBAN, Norwich, Jan. 2. HEN a child, I used to ask myself in vain what could be the meaning of the third verse of the 100th Psalm, "Thy Birth is of the Dew of the Womb of the Morning."

In the Bible Translation it is, "Thou hast the Dew of thy Youth:" in the margin, "More than the Womb of the morning: thou shalt have the Dew of thy Youth."

In King James's Bible it is thus translated: "The Youth of thy Womb shall be as the Morning Dew:" and this sensible paraphrase is given in the margin: "By thy word thy people shall be assembled in thy Church so abundant and wonderful, as the drops of the Dew." Mr. Leo, a convert from Judaism to Christianity, gave me the following version of the whole verse: "The willingness of thy people in holy attire will be seen on the day of thy victory. The beginning of thy youth shall be unto thee as the rising sun in the morning." St. Jerom's Translation gives a rational meaning, " In montibus sanctis de vulva orietur tibi ros adolescentiæ tuæ." The Latin version of the Targum to the whole verse runs thus. "Populus tuus domus Israel qui lubenter incumbant Legi, in die quo prælium commiseris, adjuvaberis cum eis splendoribus sanctitatis misericordiæ Deus; ad te properabunt tanquam descensio roris, sedebunt prosapiæ tuæ."

rom's

A part of the verse, as translated by the Septuagint, would induce us to suppose their Copy of the Hebrew Text differed from any Copy now extant: "From the womb, before the morning star I begat thee."

Εκ γαςρος προ εωσφορες εἶγενησα σε. In Dr. Mant's Bible I find the following note on the words "from the womb of the morning:" "These words should rather be translated, 'more than the dew from the womb;' that is, thy children begotten to thee through the Gospel shall exceed in numbers, as well as in brightness and beauty, the spangles of early dew, which the morning discloseth to the eye of the delighted beholder." Bps. Lowth and Horne.

Where to find Bp. Lowth's observations on this passage, I know not. I should be glad of information, as his Lordship held the authority of the Septuagint in greater estimation than any Copy of the Hebrew extant.

Yours, &c.

Mr. URBAN,

C. J. SMYTH.

Jan. 3.

T THE Office of ALNAGER, lately held by Lord de Blaquiere, and now abolished, is of very antient date; it was in the King's gift before any Statute. Edw.I. granted this office by Letters Patent, in the fourteenth year of his reign, to Sir Thomas Darlington, to be Alnager of Broad Cloth, for which he received of the King a fee for the exercise of it; besides which, he had a fee by Act of Parliament, 27 Edw. III. Stat. 1. c. 4.

This word Alnager is derived from the old French Aulne; and in Latin, Ulna, Ulnator. By the above Statute his fees were settled, and cloths of certain dimensions were directed to be sealed before sale, and a subsidy was granted to the King out of every Cloth sold.

But in the Rolls of Parliament is preserved, and cited by Lord Coke,

4 Inst. 31, a case and decision of all the Judges of England to the Lords of the Council of James 1. "That all new-made drapery, made wholly of wool, as Frizadoes, Bayes, Northern Dozens, Northern Cottons, Cloth Rash, and other like drapery, of what new name soever, for the use of man's body, are to yield subsidy and Alnage according to the Statute of 27 Edw. III. and within the office of the antient Alnage, as may appear by several decrees in that behalf made in the Exchequer in the time of the late Queen. That Henry IV. granted a measurage of all woollen cloth and canvas brought to London for sale by any stranger or denizen, taking one halfpenny for every piece of the buyer, and of the seller one penny for measuring 100 ells of canvas; and as touching the narrow new stuff made in Norwich with worsted yarn, we are of opinion that it is not grantable, nor fit to be granted; for we cannot find that there was ever any Aluage upon Norwich worsteds. And for these stuffs, if, after they be made and tacked up for sale by the makers thereof, they should be again opened to be viewed and measured, they will not well fall into their old plaits to be tacked up as before, which will be a great hindrance to the sales thereof in grosse, for that they will not then appear to be so merchandizable as they were upon the first making of them up. And even so we humbly take our leaves. Serjeants Inn, the 24th of June 1605.

"Which Certificate being read by the Lords of the Privy Council (I being then Attorney-general and present) was well approved by them all; and commandment there given, that it should be kept in the Council Chest, to be a direction for them to give answer to all suits of that kind. And it is to be observed that Acts of Parliament that are made against the freedom of trade, merchandizing, handycrafts, and mysteries, never live long."

The Alnage duties continued till the reign of Will. III. when, after some seizures which were rather obnoxious (Carth. 325.) they were abolished by Stat. 11 and 12 Will. III. c. 20. But the subsidy and Alnage was re-enacted by 17 and 18 Geo. II. and subsequent statutes, and grants of the yearly amount, have been made, and last of

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