“In a vault underneath lie interred the remains of Ellis Shipley Pestell, esq. late of this place, Solicitor; who died on the 2d day of April 1809, in the 63d year of his age. A gentleman of great benevolence, most pleasing manners, address, and of superior acquirements in polite literature he was beloved by an extensive circle of valuable Friends; and earned and retained the esteem of his numerous Clients, by his professional knowledge, zeal, and activity in their service. Also of his father and mother, Charles and Jane Pestell; the former of whom (for many years a Solicitor of eminence in this place) died on the 2d day of August 1783, aged 62; and the latter on the 18th day of November, 1786, aged 68 years." The following epitaph is copied from a tomb-stone placed in St. Martin's burying-ground, Stamford, Lincolnshire, to the memory of the well-known Daniel Lambert: "In remembrance of that prodigy in nature, Daniel Lambert, a native of Leicester, who was possessed of an excellent and convivial mind, and in personal greatness he had no competitor. He measured three feet one inch round the leg; nine feet four inches round the body, and weighed 52 stone, 11 lb. (14lb. to the stone). He departed this life on the 21st of June 1809, aged 39 years. As a testimony of respect, this stone is erected by his friends in Lei cester.' Yours, &c. Mr. URBAN, E. B. June 3. HE Query in p. 515 of your First White's Collection was sold soon after his decease, by Mr. Gerard, of Lichfield-Street, in March 1788; and Mr. Joseph White (the subject of your query) was the nephew of that eminent collector, and well merits the admission of his name in any future list. Now I am on the topick of notices, what will your friend J. C. and all lovers of our antient Architecture say to my unwilling notice of the venerable remains of the Castle at Canterbury being about to be razed to the ground! I mean no reflection on the possessor. As private property it occupies a considerable space; yet we cannot but lament, that what even Time spares, Man spares not. G.W.L. Layman, of the Navy, I inclose the result of some experiments on timber, Board of Agriculture, and several made by that gentleman, before the members of both Houses of Parlia ment. Yours, &c. AN EYE-WITNESS. BOARD OF AGRICULTURE, June 2,1812. "THE Board adjourned, to exproposed by Capt. Layman, for the amine some expériments on timber for immediate conversion on being purpose of preparing Forest Trees felled, by which the specific gravity is very much diminished, and the sapwood rendered useful, as well as the strength and duration of timber considerably increased. The following is the result. Experiments on Pieces of Wood 12 inches in length and 1 ditto square. Cwt. lb. 1. Poplar unprepared,broke with 3 2. Ditto, prepared in 3 hours, from a tree in a growing state*, bore 3. Seasoned Oak, unprepared, broke with 3.32 7 4. Seasoned Oak, prepared, bore 8 This piece, when broken, proved to be naturally imperfect; but a sound piece prepared by Capt. Layman appears to have sustained 1007lb. 5. Sap Oak, prepared, by removing the cause of decay, bore A counter part piece of ditto, unprepared, appears to have broken with only exclusive of its tendency to decomposition. 6. Common foreign Deal, unprepared, broke with 8 34 536 lb. 3 3 7. Ditto, ditto, prepared, bore 4 60 Being an increase in strengthof one half, exclusive of the duration given to the wood. REMARK. The importance of this discovery, by which the consumption of timber, so essential to the strength and prosconsiderably reduced, and trees of perity of the nation, may be very rapid growth, naturalized to the in *This Experiment was made to shew in how short a time wood could be pre pared for use from a growing tree- but Weymouth three days in preparing, was increased in strength from 213 to 4505, f erior soils of Great Britain, rendered superior to what we have for many years supinely depended on foreign countries to supply, even for the means of supporting our navy, requires no explanation. As exclusive of the desirable object for. the country to possess within itself the supply necessary for its safety and very existence as a free state, the advantages that would result from so great a saving in public expenditure, and preventing the rapid decay of our ships of war, is obvious; and we are happy to understand that the subject will be submitted to the consideration of Parliament next session. There are some fine specimens of the rapid growth of Poplars * now in Mr. Salisbury's Botanic Garden in Sloane-Street; one of which is twenty-six inches in circumference at the ground, and is about twenty-four feet in height; although only five years old. The wood of Poplar, it has been proved, may be so prepared as to become superior to the common deal we import; and there are several trees that vegetate quickly on barren land, which, by removing the cause of decay, and increasing the strength, may be rendered superior to the best oak in general use. The Queen Charlotte, of 100 guns, launched from Deptford-yard in 1810, was in a state of premature decay in less than twelve months after. And the following paragraph appeared lately in the Herald: "Sir William Rale and Mr. Peak (Surveyors of the Navy) arrived at Portsmouth (May 30, 1812), and very minutely inspected the Elizabeth of 74 guns; this, although a new ship, is found to be in a great state of decay." Mr. URBAN, Contiuent, but we ourselves are a most powerful nation; we have at last convinced ourselves of it, and we have fully couvinced our enemya remarkable parallel is exhibited in the state of the Church. It is most vigorously and powerfully attacked on every side; but every attack has proved it strong, has strengthened, and is strengthening it. that the eye of God may behold It is possible twenty times more religion and goodness among us than was seen twenty years back; the whole nation seems awaking from a lethargy of centuries. The great evil of Methodism has always been its indirect influence against vital religion in the opposite party. Methodism, therefore, so far from having roused us to emulation, and having been the spur to the Church, has been the great direct cause of the retardation, as well as corruption of Christianity, and it is but very lately that its chains have been broken. As a retarding power, it has acted in two ways; and, as this is a circumstance of some importance, I would beg leave to bring it into further notice, premising that in the technical word" Methodists" I include all those who dissent, or have dissented, from the spirit of the Church, whether nominally within or without its pale. The first inode of action has been by drawing all zealous tempers to this centre. Man will not, and he cannot act alone as an isolated being: he will act in Societies; he must, for a thousand reasons, belong to some party; he is conscious that he can thus act with more effect, greater facilities, and greater advantage. As a neutral, moreover, he is infallibly suspected July 20. and hated by both parties; whereas as a partizan he is at least cherished by one, and thought a more honest man by all. WE every day hear and see the mostigloomy calculations upon the situation of the Nation and the Church. I cannot think that either have ever been in so glorious a situation. Independent of the plausibility of the interesting communication from Cantabrigiensis, relative to the wars of the Kings, the face of the times might teach us, that " England is safe and triumphant." We have, indeed, a most powerful foe on the A species imported some years since bom Canada. Now,till very lately,áll open zeal was confined to the Dissenters and ChurchMethodists. A valuable young man, let us suppose, of a warm temperament, inclined to religious feelings, and brought up with a high sense of religious duties, came forth into the world; he looked around him for kindred characters; the direct and inevitable consequence (unless, indeed, there was the rare junction of the gravity and steady discernment of age age, with the warmth of youth) was an attraction to the evangelical party, and a gradual corruption into a perfect saint of the new style. Had there, on the other hand (I have a direct allusion to one of our Universities) been a conspicuous rallyingplace for the zealous friends of a rational warm religion, and the direction to it so clear that he that runs might read the road, how many ener getic and able men, now conspicuous in a questionable cause, would have learned an intrepidity, and chastized zeal, not for a mere Bible Society, or the cause of a party, but for the cause of the Church of Christ, established in England, and upheld, as far as human means avail, by the Society for promoting ChristianKnowledge! In my own observation, during a residence of some length in Cambridge, I have personally known very many young men of the best sense, feelings and intentions, thus estranged from the cause of Orthodoxy. It may not be generatly known that Henry Kirke White was of this description. It will be an excellent consequence of the late struggle in Cambridge, that an opposite party has been forced into the public observation of the junior students. There is now ostensibly in the Church a zealous party on the pure side, not ashamed of their zeal, and opposing warmth and activity in a good cause to the same good quali ties in a bad cause. It is an acute remark of Johnson, that if we will but give truth and sense the same advantages which are given to falshood and nonsense, there is scarcely an ignorant man in the kingdom who will not chuse right. In the middle and lower ranks of life I have personally known many a man made an active and formidable Dissenter, only because there seemed no field for his exertions in the cause of the Church. Such an one has be come sensible of the infinite value of religious truth. With these feelings, his first wish is to communicate the blessing. How is he to do this? he thinks, Ministers cannot all be good, and the Minister of this parish is nei ther awake enough to do much himself, nor asleep enough to permit me to do any thing. If I give away books or religious tracts, he may not like them, and will accuse me of impertinent interference. If I teach children the Catechism, he will scarcely like my explaining it to them, nor will he do it himself; I am so situated I cannot do any good where I am." Such are his natural reflections, and they naturally lead him to the Meeting; and he that would have been a zealous supporter of the Church, if properly encouraged, and if his religious activity had been put to account, becomes a warm supporter of heresy and schism, and, with Watts or something worse in his hand, an active impuguer of that excellent Catechism, which it might have been his pride and glory to inculcate. Such is often the honourable origin of Dissent. Had Sunday Schools been instituted for the Church, this.man would have obeyed with alacrity an invitation to assist; and had he been made a Member of the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, or furnished with books from it by his minister, he might have been a most usefulcoadjutor in the cause of Truth, Since Sunday Schools are becoming universal, since the Church-Society has come forth to ask the notice of the world, and its Ministers no longer withdraw from an open profession of zeal and warmth, many an active Layman will employ himself in building up our Jerusalem, who would have been employed to retard its erection. Methodism, however, till within a very short time, has thus drawn to its communion many of the better and the more zealous of Christians, both high or low. Thus has Methodism in every way returded, and not spurred on, according to its futile boast, the advancement of the pure faith, as it is in the pure Church. But the second mode of retardation has been of still more pernicious effect. The excesses of zeal without knowledge have been so great, and zeal and activity have been uniformly such fatal characteristics of Methodism, that the more mild and timid have studiously forborn all appearances of these excellent qualities. I have known many among the Clergy whose whole thoughts and time have been given unreservedly to their proper duty, who spent many hours every day in the unobtrusive silent occupation of visiting the sick; but who could never find time or strength for two sermons on a Sunday, who would never have dared to induce the innovation of Weekly Lectures, and scarcely of Sunday Sunday Schools, lest, Mr. Urban, they should be suspected of Methodism, and their name thus given to a bad cause! Thus was it Methodism alone which had so long extinguished all appearance of zeal in the Ministers of the Church; and the same baneful effect has it had upon the more sober and reasonable of the Laity. Nay even now, though warmth is certainly respectably countenanced, it is very apt indeed to be suspected, and the timid are consequently very apt to affect lukewarmness, until they feel it. I know it indeed to be even now possible to excite a million suspicions, and be yet, instead of a friend, a most active opponent of what are so falsely termed Evangelical sentiments. Now though we should be by no means indifferent to lending our names to a party whose extension we deplore, nothing under heaven should induce us to shrink from our duty, neither persecution nor infamy; and much less a little coldness, suspicion, or ridicule. We should not be careless re specting the imputation; we should endeavour to ward it off, but rather for others good than our own. The Christian bark can surely weather out a hundred such gales: I think, moreover, that I have clearly proved them already abated; and soon likely to die away. To those who suffer from them, so far from suppressing, it should only quicken their zeal against that spirit of Methodism which is the first cause of these censures and suspicions. I should lament misstatements which breed ill-will among brethren; but I should take care, for the sake of my own peace, to let the accuser be a greater sufferer than the accused. An unfounded accusation should be treated indeed with sovereign mental carelessness, while at the same time there should be some pains to correct the misapprehension. Would to God that in this temper of mind we were all agreed! What an acceleration of improvement would instantly ensue! Yours, &c. OUCHLIARUS. LITERARY INTELLIGENCE. We have great pleasure in an- The much-wanted Continuation of nouncing that a liberal Subscription Dr. NASH'S WORCESTERSHIRE, We has been set on foot in the County of understand, is also in preparation.DURHAM, for the express purpose of We wish we could say as much for contributing to the intended History NORTHAMPTONSHIRE, and Essex; or of that County (by ROBERT SURTEES, give any hope of the Completion of Esq.) Engravings of the most curious SHAW'S STAFFORDSHIRE. Specimens of antient Architecture in the County, and the Portraits of a few of the most distinguished Men born in and connected with it. For this purpose, a regular Committee is formed; and Mr. EDWARD BLORE, who has been engaged as an Architectural Draughtsman, will immediately proceed to execute Drawings of some of the principal objects.-(See the Advertisement on our Blue Cover.) The Third Volume of MANNING and BRAY'S SURREY is fast advancing in the press; as is, The Third Volume of HUTCHINS's DORSETSHIRE. Mr. CLUTTERBUCK'S HERTFORDSHIRE will speedily be put into the hands of the Printer. Preparations for a new Edition of DUGDALE'S WARWICKSHIRE, with a Continuation to the present Time, have for some time been making by Two very skilful Antiquaries who reside in that County. From the perpetual fluctuation of property in MIDDLESEX, a regular History of that County would be a task of extreme difficulty. Much, however, has been already done for it by the Rev. DANIEL LYSONS; and some single Parishes are very completely before the Publick; viz. St. Catharine's, by Dr. Ducarel; Chelsea, by Mr. Faulkner; Islington, by Mr. Nelson; and Canonbury (a Part of Islington) by Mr. Nichols; Shoreditch, by Mr. Ellis; Stoke Newington, by Mr. Brown; Twickenham, by Mr. Ironside; and we may speedily expect Fulham from Mr. Faulkner, and Hampstead from Mr. Park. Other extensive Parishes, it is hoped, will follow the good example. The new and exquisitely beautiful Edition of BENTHAM'S History of ELY, of which only 250 copies were printed, and 25 on Elephant Paper, is already become a SCARCE BOOK. A second Edition of Sir JoHN CUL LUM'S LUM's very excellent History of HAWSTED, with Corrections and Additions, printed in an elegant style, and adorned with Two new Portraits, will appear early in the Winter. A very limited Number is printing; and 30 Copies only on Imperial Paper. The following Works are also nearly ready for publication: A new Edition of Dr. WHITAKER'S History of CRAVEN. Sixth Volume of the Anecdotes of Literature, by the Rav. WM. BELOE. The Poetical Register, Vol. VII. for 1808 and 1809. Considerations_on the Life and Death of Abel, Enoch, and Noah, a small posthumous work by Bp.HORNE. The Biographical Peerage, Vol. IV. containing Ireland. Elements of Agricultural Chemistry in a course of Lectures delivered before the Board of Agriculture; with plates by Lowrie. By Sir H. DAVY. Reports, Estimates, and Treatises, By the late Mr.JOHN SMEATON, F.R.S. embracing the several Subjects of Canals, Navigable Rivers, Harbours, Piers, Bridges, Draining, Embanking, Lighthouses, Machinery of various Descriptions; including Fire Engines, Mills, &c. &c. with other Miscellaneous Papers; with Plates, by Lowrie. Printed, chiefly from his Manuscripts, under the Direction of a Select Committee of Civil Engineers. Preparing for the Press: A large work on the subject of Persia, by Mr. JOHN MALCOLM. A Historical and Political Explanation of the Book of Revelation, intended to show that it is an allegorical representation of the miserable governments of this world, and their final extinction in the reign of the Redeemer. By Rev. Dr. JAS. Brown. A Tale designed for Youth, entitled "Rose and Emily," or Sketches of Youth, by the Author of the Mental Telescope. Sir JAMES MACKINTOSH, during his residence in Hindoostan, has compiled a History of England, since the Revolution, intended to serve as a continuation of Hume's History. It is said that the booksellers have engaged to give him 60001. for the copy-right. i Dr. BATEMAN has been engaged for some time past, in preparing for publication a short Treatise on the Diseases of the Skin, according to the lucid arrangement devised by the late Dr. WILLAN, which is calculated to teach accuracy in the discrimination of the appeareances of eruptive disorders, and to render the language, in this department of Medicine, clear and definite. From a long connection with the same public Institution with Dr. WILL AN, and from direct personal communication on these topicks, Dr. BATEMAN will be enabled to include in his Synopsis a View of the unfinished parts of the classification, as well as of those already before the publick. The Rev. Mr. ELSDALE, of Surfleet, has put to press a third edition of his Poems. He has paid the sum of 30 guineas to the fund for the intended Lunatic Asylum in the city of Lincoln, on account of the two former editions of his publication. The Remains of the late Professor PORSON, consisting of the notes and observations extracted from his Books and papers, are collected, arranged, and printed under the Titie of RICARDI PORSONI ADVERSARIA. They are said to be rich beyond the most sanguine hopes of Scholars: and comprise most extraordinary specimens of critical sagacity, aided by learning, judgment, and prodigious memory. The scattered fragments which proceeded from this unrivalled Scholar are here digested and arranged by the Editors, Professor MONK and Mr. BLOMFIELD. The English Declamation Prizes at Trinity College, Cambridge, have this year been adjudged to Mess.KINDERSLEV, ELLIOT, and INGLE; and the Latin Declamation/Prizes to Mess. CHARLES, MUSGRAVE, and SUMNER. The Abbé ROMANELLI has visited lately all the catacombs which surround Naples. He likewise entered the subterraneous caverns of the church of St. Janvier; and, assisted by a guide, explored them to the extent of two miles and a half, in the midst of human ashes, broken coffins, skeletons, and ruins. He beheld on all sides Greek inscriptions, sculptured upon stone or marble; and paintings of Christians who had suffered martyrdom. He also noticed the remains of some altars, the tombs of the first Neapolitan Bishops, and one catacomb, the inscriptions on which recorded the ravages of pestilence in Naples, 1020. A public library, consisting chiefly of books on Divinity, has been established at Copenhagen, by order of the Danish Chancery, for the use of the Clergy of Zealand. |