1794-] Mr. T. Watfon.-The Author of Chryfal.-Cafimir. fubject, or fpeak perhaps from their own knowledge. I A QUONDAM CORRESPONDENT. Mr. URBAN, July 17. MUST beg that you will be fo good as to give an early infertion in your Magazine of my apology for misleading your readers about the real author of "Intimations and Evidences of a future State." In attempting to correct a miftake of yours, Mr. Urban, 1 fell into one myself. You may remember that, in one of your numbers, you had inti mated your conjectures that your correfpondent Mr. Thomas Watfon, of Wighill, was the author of the faid publieation, which I certainly knew was not the cafe; and I, trufting to the autho. rity of the Monthly Reviewers, and other publications, afcribed the work to the late Mr. Thomas Watson, near Taunton and now it appears, from Mr. Toulmin's letter, that I, in my turn, was mistaken. I can affure that gentleman, that I had no defire to fubAitute invention for truth to injure his friend, nor to difcredit your Mifcellany by palming my vague fancies upon the publick. As the book was afcribed by creditable publications to that author, and uncontradicted as far as I knew; and as I was certain that you were miftaken in thinking it the production of your friend of that name, the mistake was natural enough on my part; and [ fhould fuppofe Mr. Toulmin will now be fatisfied that I had no intentions of injuring the reputation of his departed friend. 591 Irish gentleman, a Mr. Johnstone, is the author of the excellent fatirical novel "Chryfal." This information I had fome years ago from an intimate friend of his, Mr. Bonham, a very valuable member of fociety, an Irish gentleman, and refident in London many years. I know not whether Mr. Johnstone has added any thing to his literary fame or not fince the publication of Chryfal, which was fo well received. For the information of a gentleman, who fome time ago enquired about a tranflation of the celebrated Cafimir, I fhall obferve, that there is a fcarce little work, containing only a part of his Odes, tranflated by G. H. i. e. G. Hils, as appears from a fhort Latin Dedication : "Viro verè generofo, et merit ffimè à me colendo, Bernardo Hyde armigero." From the Dedication he appears to have been tutor to Mr. Hyde's fons. The tranflation, being executed 148 years ago, is in the old dry, clofe, and inhar-, monicas ftyle. It would perhaps amute an Antiquary, or aid a reader not well acquainted with Latin lyric poetry. Should the enquirer with to fee a few. Odes in Mr. Hils's antient drefs, I would tranfcribe them with pleature for a future number. But now for the chief aim of this letter, which relates particularly to the hints thrown out in June about a coalition between the Proteflant and R man Catholic churches. How definable an object to all lovers of evangelic concord! But, to conquer the prejudices of parties to long divided, bic labor, boc opus eft. To follow the allufion of the Poet, revacare gradum fuperafque evadere at auras, that is, to tread back our steps, and breathe the free and liberal air of the beft Proteftant writers; when, I fay, is that to be expected from the Clergy of the Gailican Church? I will venture to affirm, and it is a Roman Catholick that fays it, that they are not fo well acquainted with our good writers of every kind as we are with theirs. I have converfed with many of them, who have emigrated even from Normandy, who never heard of our Dr. Johnson, and who know nothing of our beft Proteftant divines. Whence then is the light, as a Protectant would fay, to break in upon them? I always thought that the grand partition between both Churches was their opinion of the crament, and all the appendages and fup ftructure erected on that opinion. Who is to give up the untenable ground? I am fure there are are points the Proteftants never can, and never will. It seems we want on both fides half a dozen Fenelons to fettle the bufinefs. I have no expectations from the flashing and unforbearing Boffuets of either fide. Much may be expected from a few Beringtons, did we poffefs them; and fuch a man alfo as Dr. Geddes might do much, and would go a great way, with fteadiness and prudence, whatever Mr. Milner might think to the contrary. I have the honour of knowing Dr. G, and think him an excellent member of fociety. In company, he takes every proper opportunity of throwing out the beft maxims for the conduct of both fexes, without the leaft air of dogma tifm. He is fond of the fociety of young men, who are equally fond of his, not to make profelytes, but because he loves the candour, the warmth, and honesty of youth. But, to return. How lamentable is it, at least in my mind, that, fince the Reformation, the Roman Catholic fervice has not been performed throughout Europe in the language of the country! Can the repetition of a few Pater-nofters and Ave Marias by a pious, I admit, and illiterate audience, be compared to the intelligible and manly fervice of the Proteftant Church, where every heart and voice join in the fame fentiments? But this would be a great stride towards your Church. And yet I have heard the Proteftant fervice highly praifed by an elegant and liberal member of the Catholic Church, Dr. Barret, vicar-general of the diocefe of Killalou, and even commended, in a pamphlet written 20 years ago by that gentleman. It will be a wonderful revolution fhould it ever take place, and it feems to be now preparing, though I am forry to fee it is per damna, per cades; but the Reforma tion, though now fixed and tranquil. has had its fhare of blood and flaughter to wade through. Thefe obfervations come, Mr. Urban, from a man who knows much of the arcana of the Roman Catholic religion, having spent many years in one of the Arielt feminaries in Paris, where he faw the unremitting difcipline, the fe'fdenial, and fanity (however exploded the term may be to modern ears), of many doctors of that Church. But, after 30 years refidence in England, he knows that Proteftants can juftiy boast of their Jortin, Lowth, Pearce, Porteus, and an hundred others. What is the confequence? We individually cry up the learning and virtue of the members of our own communion, while collectively we lament that fuch great and worthy men cannot or will not coalefce. The writer of this article is fenfible how unimportant his fentiments must be on a fubject of tuch magnitude. He only ventures to give a modest hint, to point out the difficulties of the navigation which lead to the harbour of coalition. His maxim has been, with the great mafter of life and manners, Horace, to follow the fallentis femita vie. Since his refidence in England, he has had offers from a worthy friend of a good living, could he prevail on himself to adopt a new religion with worldly intereft thrown into the fcale. He could not follow the example of his old fellow-ftudent and Countryman, the Rev. Thomas O'Beirne, formerly chaplain to Lord Howe, and quondam fecretary to the Duke of Portland. He does not blame his old friend; he only fays that the fame conviction has not flashed upon his intellects, though he never was called a Saint in the Irish college like fome of his friends. Unfortunately, he became a poet and fatirist in a foil then adverfe to freedom, which drove him to the Land of Liberty (a circumftance which he can never regret); and he thus freely declares that, though a Roman Catholick, all his friends and acquaintance are for the most part Proteftants. They know he only feeks and wishes for truth, if any one would kindly point out the way to her temple; and he has been ever edified by the candour and liberality of their fentiments. Yours, &c, JOHN PHELAN, Librarian to the College of Phyfcians of London. Mr. URBAN, July 25. GAINST the wall of Mercers hall anti-chapel is a mural monument confifting of a pyramid of blue marble behind an urn, under which is a base with this infcription: In the adjoining vault are depofited the remains of PHILIP CHAUNCY, efq. who died April 30, 1763, aged 65 years; of Mrs. MARY CHAUNCY, who died Jan. 29, 1784, aged 52 years; and of NATHANIEL CHAUNCY, esq. who died Jan. 29, 1790, aged 73 years. Arms: Gules, a croís Ary Or, on a chief, Sable, a lion paffant Or. The whole is the work of the late Mr. J. Spiller, whofe death is recorded in your prefent vo'ume, p. 485. P. Q. Mr. Surnamed the LYON. The first Founder of the Trinitie-Friers at Aberdeen, where he had his Chapel, the chief Place of Retirement. Published as the Act directs by Nichols July 31.1794. 1794-7 William the Lion, King of Scotland.-Sterne. to have been founded by King William the Lion, in the twelfth century, where he had a chapel, and often used to live there himself in retirement. Dr. William Guild, principal of the king's college, and one of the minifters of Aberdeen, obtained a gift of this fpot, with the premifes, from King Charles the Fift, and made them over to the incorporated trades of that burgh. Over the gate of the hall, which now generally goes by the title of the tradeshall, the name of Dr. Guild, in letters of gold, at this day is to be feen. The painting, of which a copy is here with fent you (fee plate 1.), cuts a confpicuous figure among the many old But Mr. Uban prtiaits in that hal. will not expect any fort of proof that it was taken from the original, though there is great reason to believe that it is a very antient painting, pollibly as old as the time of the Trinity friers, or Mathurine monks, as they were also called. The frame is of massy oak. One of those monks, by name Huwe, is mentioned in the Ragman Roll, anno 1296; and one would imagine that every thing about this hall was ftili intended to keep up the appearance of antiquity; the proportions of the great room, the length whereof is 64 feet, and the breadth only 17; the height is the fame *. Even the furniture has preferved the fame ftyle of antiquity. There are two carved chairs, the latest whereof was done in the year 1574, There was also an old chapel fituated Dear the hall, which was pulled down the other day in order to build a grand church for the incorporated trades, and of which I shall probably have occafion to give you fome account hereafter. L. Mr. URBAN, Winchester, June 18. A ex guith real I am told that these are nearly the proportions of many of the rooms in Windfor Cafle, Hampton Court, and other antient buildings, both in England and Scotland; but this point, Mr. Urban, I leave to your determination entirely either to print or fupprefs it. The building of the trades-hall for ten feet high is very old; and this lower ftory is now divided into twelve feparate apartments for poor tradesmen. The upper ftory is more modern. GENT. MAG. July, 1794. 593 religion than to affociate these with buf- the most dangerous writers of his time. "O! limed foul, that, struggling to be free, I June 30. Mr. URBAN, First, he is angry with your Reviewer St.ondly, he afferts that Mr. Porfon's Thi day, he half promifes to give a In answer to the firft, give my re- thing 1 |
