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TOWER OF CAERDIFF CHURCH,

Glamorganshire.

Seep.g.

Mr. URBAN,

L

LANDAFF,

Jan. 1.

once the Metropolis

of Glamorganshire, and a city of considerable extent and conse. quence, now presents a place of little importance; the decline of which was the commencement of the popularity and beauty of Caerdiff, a large and respectably inhabited town, situated on the River Taffe. The Castle and Church are the chief objects of at traction which it possesses to the traveller. Of the former, excepting the Keep, which stands insulated on a high mound of earth in the midst of a large area or court, and a few scattered vestiges, the other portions of these once noble buildings retain very little of their antient castellated and substantial appearance, having been repaired and made suitable for a modern residence, though it never was inhabited, and excepting the tower of the latter, there is but little to excite the intes rest of the Antiquary; so far do modern dilapidations and alterations prevail through these buildings.

The Church, to which the succeed ing remarks will be wholly confined, stands nearly in the centre of the town; and, from the appearance of the tower as you approach, follows the expectation of seeing a noble and regular edifice, instead of which, the body is low, comprising two ailes, a chancel, and a chapel, all which, except the latter, are without battlements or parapets, and have not one handsome or unaltered window, a pinnacle, or any kind of ornament on either side. The only entrance is through a low plain porch in the South aile leading to the body of the Church, which is as free of all elegant enrichment as a Village Church, in the neighbourhood, and during the prosperity, of the city of Llandaff. The Chapel on the South side, before noticed, belonging to the Marquis of Bute, has been recently converted into a pew, and covered with a profusion of decorated wood-work in what is called the "Gothic style."

The tower situated at the Western extremity of the building (see Frontispiece to this Volume) engrosses all the beauty and interest of this edifice. It is less antient than the ailes of the Church, and coëval with the tower attached to the mutilated, but GENT. MAG. January, 1818.

beautiful and sequestered ruins of Llandaff Cathedral. The character and ornaments closely resemble those so common in Somersetshire; and the reign of Henry VII. may be conjectured as the age in which it was built. The basement story contains a low door, and over it a well-proportioned handsome window, which now lights the engine-house, this part being entirely separated from the body of the Church. Above this are two other stories of dissimilar heights, each containing a window; the lower on the West side having a niche: the compartments of every window are filled with perforated stone-work, a style of ornament, and a defence from the weather, introduced in the buildings of this reign *. The lofty proportions of this beautiful tower are well adapted to give it that commanding appearance in the town and neighbourhood which appears to have been intended, and which proves an object of so much interest from the surrounding level country. Its decorations, therefore, have been disposed with corresponding consideration, and in such a manner that very few of them are lost in consequence of being closely surrounded by narrow streets and crowded houses. The increase of ornaments upwards is very observable, and the exquisite parapet which crowns the whole, attaches the interest to that part; very little more than half the height being seen till you nearly reach its base. The terminating pinnacle of the stair-case turret at the Northeast angle is a specimen of design, and exquisitely wrought masonry, very rarely equalled. In the sum mer of 1815, the centre portion of the West side of the parapet and battlements was blown down, but shortly afterwards restored, through the indefatigable and praiseworthy exertions of a gentleman of Caerdiff; to whom we are chiefly indebted for the preservation of this noble tower, a sentence of condemnation having been passed against it by nearly all the inhabitants, and almost carried into execution. This accident has occur

* In the windows of the tower of Llandaff Cathedral are some of the most complex and beautiful specimens of this kind of decoration that are to be met with,

red

red several times, but it was chiefly owing to the hasty manner in which it was restored; thus incurring in a few years treble the expence that it would have cost to be done well once. It is no small addition to the beauty of this tower that its state of preservation is as perfect as the delicacy of its enrichments, and the period it has been built, can admit; indeed few buildings present a more even surface, and few ornaments and mouldings which have been so much exposed to every change of season remain so sharp and complete. That such a beautiful building as this should have been threatened with destruction, and that its fate should have rested upon the exertions of an individual for its preservation, after having withstood the ravages of time during nearly four centuries, scarcely admits of reflection. It is to be hoped, that good taste will always prevail when the safety of works so valuable is wantonly endangered. N. C. B.

A short Sketch of the early part of the Life of WILLIAM CHAFIN, Clerk, Author of " Anecdotes of Cranbourn Chase," (see p. 47.)

M

zine,

Y veracity having been questioned, and doubts having arisen respecting the truth of some occurrences which I had mentioned in conversation as having happened to me while I was a Member of the University of Cambridge; I think myself called upon to vindicate my own credit, in thus publicly relating all the circumstances, if you can spare a space in your valuable Magazine, not engaged in more interesting matters; and I will endeavour to render that space as small as possible; but I must begin with my birth to make the narrative intelligible, and to carry it on to the time of my leaving the University, which shall be done with the utmost conciseness. I was born, as appeareth by the parish register of Chettle, on the first day of February, in the year 1782-3, and was the eleventh child which my mother had borne, three of whom only were then alive, one son and two daughters, the youngest of which was nine years old. My father, attributing the loss of so many children to the nursing of them too tenderly, was determined that a different course

should be taken with me, and I was baptized the morning after my birth, and immediately conveyed to my father's shepherd's cottage in the village to be nurtured by his wife, who, fortunately for me, was in the same situation as my mother. 1 remained in this cottage under the care of the good inhabitants until I was nearly five years old, without once sleeping in my father's house. As soon as I was able to crawl about, I was carried by the shepherd to his sheepfold every morning, even in the very depth of winter, by which I acquired that strength of constitution which has carried me on uninterruptedly to my eighty-sixth year. Before I was five years old I was taken from the cottage to a school at Blandford, where I remained but a few months, the master of it having been elected to a better-endowed one in Somersetshire. I was then removed to a school at Milton Abbas, where I remained nine years, and in the fifteenth year of my age I was taken home to my father's house, a poor, raw, ignorant youth, not having acquired any classical knowledge whatever, whether owing to dulness of parts, idleness, or the want of a proper mode of instruction, I know not, but such was the case. And to add to these deficiencies, I was kept at home one whole year, which was spent in field amusements, and no classical book ever looked into; so that a year at the most critical time of my life was lost. I was then sent to Emanuel College, Cambridge, where I was the most fortunate of all youths who ever entered a College, for I fell into the very best of hands. Dr. Richardson was the master; the good and learned Mr. Hubbard, head tutor; Mr. Bickham, second, and the most amiable of all men, Mr. Hurd, was the Dean; and it was my happy fate to come under his examination for admittance into the College Books. He immediately discovered my insufficiencies, and took compassion upon me, and made the most favourable report he could possibly do, to the society, and I was admitted a pensioner. At the same time, he desired me to come to his rooms every morning for half an hour until Mr. Hubbard's public lectures began. What the good Mr. Hurd discerned in me, a stranger, I know not, but I was countenanced by him in the kindest

manner

4

and was therefore at a nonplus, and should in one minute have been exposed, had not at that instant the Esquire Beadle entered the schools, and demanded the book which the Moderator carries with him and is the badge of his office. A Convocation was that afternoon keld in the Senate-house, and on some demur that happened, it was found requisite to inspect this book, which was immediately delivered, and the Moderator's authority stopped for that day, and we were all dismissed; and it was the happiest and most grateful moment of my life, for I was saved from imminent disgrace, and it was the last exercise I had to keep in the schools. By the perseverance of my good friends in giving instructions, I was enabled to take the degree of A. B. with the highest honour I could at that time acquire. I was pre

manner during the whole of my stay in the College, which was seven years. By bis kind assistance, which I dili gently attended to both from gratitude as well as inclination, I was enabled to attend Mr. Hubbard's Lectures without cutting any despicable figure in the Lecture-room, and in the course of a short time I was often called upon by my worthy tutor to construe some passages in classical books when my companions could not. But, besides these great helps, I had the advantage of being known to Mr. Barford, a Fellow of King's College, from my infancy, and he introduced me to the good and learned Doctor Glyn, an eminent physician, Fellow also of the same College. These good friends were very indulgent to me, and I was invited to their rooms two or three times in the week to afternoon tea-drinking, when they examined me respecting my Collegevented from attending and being ex

Lectures, and gave me, in the most pleasing manner, such instructions as were of the greatest benefit to me through all my exercises in the schools. And to enhance my good fortune, my friend Mr. Barford was chosen one of the Moderators for the very year when it came to my turn to keep exercises in the public schools; the other was Mr. Eliot of Queen's. When Mr. Barford presided, I was generally classed with some of the best scholars of the year, particularly when the questions for disputation were such as he deemed not above my abilities; and in the course of these exercises I had the honour of being concerned in them, with Mr. Bell of Magdalen; Disney, of Trinity; Craven, of St. John's; Denn, of Peterhouse; Preston, who was afterwardsBishop of Killala; and other eminent scholars. I must here mention an extraordinary occurrence, which in reality is the cause of this little narrative being at this time written, because the truth of it hath been doubted. It happened whilst I was keeping an Act as Respondent under Mr. Eliot the Moderator, and Craven, of St. John's, was my second Opponent. I had gone through all the syllogisms of my first, who was Disney, tolerably well; one of the questions was a mathematical one from Newton's Principia, and Mr. Craven brought an argument against me fraught with fluxions, of which I knew very little,

amined in the Senate-house, at the regular time, on account of the smallpox; I could not therefore obtain the honour of being a Wrangler; but that of first Senior Optime was reserved, and conferred upon me, as will appear by a reference to the tripos of the year 1753. I was also presented with a piece of plate from my own College, which is annually given to the best proficient in Arts in the College for that year, in case he had obtained an honour in the University; a donation of a Dean of Durham, the produce of lands left to the College for that purpose. It so happened that no honour had been obtained for three years, so that the fund had accumulated; I had also held a Greek scholarship for some years, and there was an arrear due to me from it about four pounds, which was added to the cup, and made it much larger than usual; the value of silver is, I believe, about twenty pounds-the cup, to me invaluable. The like circumstance happened to the celebrated Dr. Farmer, who was admitted into Emanuel College in the year that I was a Questionist; he kept (the cant word in those days for lodged) in Bungay-court. He succeeded me in gaining the cup, which had been unclaimed two or three years; therefore it was much larger than it otherwise would have been; and the Doctor prided himself much in the possession of it, and it is preserved with the greatest greatest care by the Doctor's family, and I hope mine will in like manner be so by mine. Nothing material occurred to me after that time; I resided in College occasionally until I was of proper standing, and then took my M. A. degree, quitted the University, entered into Holy Orders, and have resided in the country ever since.

Mr. URBAN,
E allow

W

Jan. 3.

an Editor to be partial to his Author. The liking leads to the act, and the act increases the liking: and if the beauty of the new edition may the more inflame the passion of the Editor, no one can be more excusable than Mr. Singer, who has produced so beautiful and elegantly decorated a reprint of Fairfax's Tasso. But all this will not excuse injustice; and, in my opinion, he has been very unjust to Mr. Hoole. The man I well knew, and a more artless, modest, unpresuming Author I never met. Of his own poetical talents he had no exaggerated idea: and they who thought his modesty becoming, esteemed him also for his worth as a

man.

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"Her blush, her smiling; smiles her blushing graced."

So much improved in, "And her soft smile more lovely made her blush,

Her blush more sweet * her smile."

Whether Mr. Doyne's version is all executed in this spirit or not, I cannot tell, not having seen it; but if it is, I should not hesitate to pronounce it a valuable Work. The specimen, at least, is extremely favourable. But now a new translation is announced. What will that be?

TAS3O.

Mr. URBAN, Dublin, Dec. 12.

YOUR Magazine may be justly con

containing his torical and moral treasuse: have the goodness to add to it, by inserting the enclosed account and character of Sir Michael Smith, to whom the late Mr. Curran succeeded as Master of the Rolls in Ireland; and you will oblige A CONSTANT READER.

Mr. H. is therefore treated unfairly, when he is suspected of affecting to be ignorant of Fairfax, in his first edition, and of calumniating him in the second. Whether he judged well or ill is another question, but I will venture to say that he wrote his genuine opinion, and never affected to despise what he felt to be of superior merit. Neither would he have affected ignorance for any sinister motive. Hoole was an honest and a diligent man, whose ideas of versification were entirely formed on modern models. He had not learned to see the beauty of an antiquated style, in the midst of its defects. His censurer, on the contrary, seems, by habit, to have become too indulgent to it; otherwise he would not surely have so harshly condemned the passage he has cited from Mr. Doyne's version, compared with that of Fairfax. Mr. Doyne seems literally to have done little more than to remove the blemishes of the old version, and to make it run barmoniously in blank verse. The passage is, in fact, harmonious and beautiful, as be has given it; and though to alter.

On the Union between Great Britain and Ireland, Sir Michael Smith, Baronet, was appointed Master of the Rolls. The character of this most excellent man may be contemplated with pleasure and instruction, for it only requires a statement of facts; no varied shades of style, no colouring of language, are necessary for presenting it to the Reader. He was born in the King's county, and at an early age entered in the university of Dublin, where he distinguished himself by his classical and scientific knowledge, and which he retained to the close of his life. He was called to the Irish bar in 1769, and though possessed of considerable legal information, he remained for some time unnoticed; this may be accounted for by his gentle and unassuming manners, and from principles and feelings which would not submit to any conduct in

* Fair, Orig. which I have ventured

consistent

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