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TO SYLVANUS URBAN, GENT.

ON COMPLETING HIS NINETY-THIRD

VOLUME.

THE lark ascending to the azure skies,
With dulcet notes, the ravish'd ear supplies;
And Urban's pages numerous sweets dispense,
That charm, the soul and captivate the sense.
Yes, fam'd Sylvanus! far you stretch your flight
O'er Western climes to Eastern regions bright;
There all that's antient, curious, learn'd, or gay,
In Letters, Arts, or Science, you display:
You state what Fleets commercial make the shores,
Their golden treasures, and their costly stores:
Proclaim what blood-stain'd banners are unfurl'd,
And every great event that wakes the world.

Whilom, Iberia's youth, thro' orange groves
And blooming maidens woo'd their tender loves;
Beneath the hazel shade, the shepherd swains
Tended their fleecy care on verdant plains.

What sad reverse! how chang'd this charming scene!
The liquid red of slaughter stains the green;
As Gallia's Duke leads on his hostile train,

Bent to destroy the liberties of Spain.

The turban'd hosts their gleaming sabres wield—
And Greece, by Freedom rous'd, disdains to yield.
The cry is Liberty-it spreads around,-
Their Valour strikes the Crescent to the ground.
Heroes like these what Sultan dares to sway?
Like Xerxes' hosts his power shall melt away.

The Muse departs froin such ensanguin'd fights
To India's soil, and views more pleasing sights:
She sees the happy and protected swains
Enjoy the pleasures of their native plains;
And to their cultur'd fields and homes retire,
Tasting the sweets of Freedom's holy fire.

Say whence these sacred rights-say whence the cause!
The mighty soul of Hastings fram'd their laws.
He bade the horrid din of battle cease,
And gave the nations property and peace.
Ages to come shall hail his honour'd name,
And grave his deeds on brightest rolls of fame.
But hark! the ear is struck by Joy's glad note,
What pleasing tidings thro' the welkin float?
See! on the bosom of Old Thames's wave!
His streams again the Arctic vessels lave.
Safe is bold Parry, safe his hardy train,
From the dread perils of the Icy main.
What tho' his great and enterprising soul!
Found not the North-west Passage to the Pole,
Yet shall his toils Britannia's meed await,

And honours just receive from George's Regal State.

Teversal Rectory, Dec. 31, 1823.

WILLIAM RAWLINS.

PR E F A CЕ.

WE are now rapidly approaching the Centenary of our existence. This Volume terminates our NINETY-THIRD YEAR; and in each succeeding Address we have had the satisfaction of congratulating ourselves on the liberal support we continually experienced. Through every change of public taste and public opinion, the interests of the Gentleman's Magazine have remained firm and unshaken. Powerful rivals, stimulated by our success, have arisen at various intervals. Some of them, by great exertions, have struggled through a few years, and at length quietly departed this life. Others have entered the arena of Literature, with all the effrontery of aspiring coxcombs, and, after abusing and vilifying all contemporaries and existing institutions for a few months, have suddenly given up the ghost. One of them was even so unceremonious as to usurp our name; although with principles diametrically opposed; but this ungentlemanly assumption of our coat, as the Heralds would say, received the contempt and neglect it merited.

What has so long conduced to our prosperity, through the evervarying tide of public opinion, may be an object of literary speculation. Journals, like nations, have their rise, their zenith, and their fall; and their existence is frequently protracted or curtailed by peculiar circumstances, over which individual talents or exertions may have little control. On examination, it will be found that periodical Works, the most violent in party spirit or calumnious vituperation, have the soonest fallen into disrepute; and although they might flourish for a season, their existence ceased, when the breath which fanned them into being was withdrawn. Their conductors have only consulted the ephemeral passions of the multitude; and, as the popular effervescence has subsided, their "froth and fury" has sunk into merited contempt. On the contrary, those Miscellanies, or Journals, which have promoted the more substantial interests of Literature, retain a permanent value; and being supported by the most respectable portion of the community, are not subject to continual fluctuation or decay; but long maintain a just and decided superiority. To this, we may venture to affirm, may be attributed our long and uniform prosperity,-unparalleled in the annals of English Literature. Amongst the political convulsions, foreign contests, and domestic struggles of the last ninety-three years, it has been our constant study to promote that species of Literature which ever retains a permanent and intrinsic value; so that our Volumes might be a desirable acquisition to every respectable Library, and thus become valuable, as a reference, to posterity. We believe there is scarcely a subject, connected with the Arts and Sciences of the last century, of which useful information may not thence be derived. Few Publications of any consequence have passed unnoticed. Every deceased individual of eminence or rank in life has received, in our Biographical department, some tribute due to his memory. In Topography, although an ample field is still and perhaps ever will be open for research, our pages present an ample store; as proof of this, we need only state that

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Mr. Bourn, in his valuable Gazetteer, has referred in almost every page to our Publication. In Genealogical lore none will dispute our claims. So valuable have our copious Indexes rendered this department, that pedigree-hunters generally consider it their first resource; and we observed, in the report of a recent trial, respecting the charges of a late indefatigable Genealogist, that one of the chief items of his bill was for obtaining biographical information from the Gentleman's Magazine !

Thus, notwithstanding the menacing storms that have so long, with little intermission, hovered around our political horizon, the substantial interests of Knowledge, Learning, and Truth, have received our unremitting support. Foreign wars and intestine commotions, the natural enemies of Science, have at length happily subsided. England now presents the imposing spectacle of a powerful Nation, aggrandizing, herself, not by aggression and spoliation, but by commercial enterprize. The increase in the Revenue, and the extraordinary rise of the Funds, afford flattering proofs of her present prosperity and success. With these national prospects, so favourable to intellectual pursuits, we may entertain sanguine expectations of long and steadily cultivating those valuable and useful branches of Literature which must flourish most when Peace and the Genius of domestic Repose smile on our native land. To effect this object no exertions on our parts shall be spared; and in soliciting the future support of our learned Correspondents, we beg to return our grateful acknowledgments for the many gems with which they have enriched our pages. In conclusion, we venture to refer our Readers with confidence to the contents of our present Volume, as classified under the respective Indexes. Dec. 31, 1823.

INDEX TO THE EMBELLISHMENTS.

Those marked thus are Vignettes printed with the Letter-press.

*Alhstan, Bp. ring of 483
*Altar, Roman, found at Great Bough-
ton 388

Bloomfield, Robert, residence in Pitcher's-
court 497

*Bocardo, Oxford, curious door in 387 Bossal House, co. York, Medal found near 305

Bridge of Suspension, Durham 401 Charlton King's Church, co. Gloucester 393

Coins, miscellaneous 305

*Conyers, Sir J. faulchion of 612. Mo

*

nument in Sockburn Church 613

*Door, ancient, in the Bocardo, Oxf. 387
*Dinsdale Church, monument in 611
Elwick Church, Durham 577
Enfield, Raynton's monument at 209
Henry V., monogram of 257
House of Lords, old 489
Islington, Old Houses at 113
Leasowes, in Shropshire, view of 145
Lilly, Wm. Portrait of 297

Liverpool, Church for Welch Poor, at 199
*Monogram of Henry V. 257
Navestock Church, Essex 17

Painted Chamber, Westminster 489

Raynton's Monument at Enfield 209
Richard III. groat of 305

Richmond, co. York, Grey Friers at 201
Ring, found near Dorchester 305. *Bp.
Alhstan's 483

*Ripon Church, Bas-relief and date
from 445. *Angel holding a scroll

and date 446

*Roman Altar, found at Great Boughton 388

*St. George, bas-relief of, at Nuremberg
291

St. Pancras Chapel, Plymouth 577
Seals, miscellaneous 305

*Sedgefield, Durham, skeleton on

brass at 522

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MINOR CORRESPONDENCE.

A NEW SUBSCRIBER is referred for the Compendium of the History of Nottinghamshire to our Magazine for March and April 1819; and Mr. TWEMLOW for that of Cheshire, to December 1816, and April

1818.

A. H. thanks our Correspondent, Mr. E. Duke (Part i. p. 509), for his judicious and explanatory answers respecting Stonehenge; and fully agrees with him as to the grandeur and sublimity of the whole structure.

R. S. says, "The Corporation of Liverpool, with their accustomed liberality, have presented to the Trustees of the Liverpool Royal Institution 1000l. for the purchase of mathematical instruments, &c. and voted them the sum of 350l. annually for the general purposes of that infant establishment." We understand there is to be an exhibition of paintings in the Artists' Gallery, attached to the Institution, at the approaching Liverpool Musical Festival in October next. VIATOR observes, "To prevent your Correspondent who inquires after the Scargills, from being misled by the pedigree inserted in Part ii. p. 594 of your Supplement to vol. xcii. I beg leave to mention, that in the authentic pedigree of the antient family of Pigot, I have seen the following particulars, which I believe may be relied upon.Thomas Pigot of Clotheram, whom your Correspondent N. Y. W. G. mentions as father of Elizabeth, wife of William Scargill, knt. was the second son of Geffrey Pigot of Rippon and Clotheram, knt. descended in a right line from Randolf Pigot of Melmonly and Ripon, co. York, in temp. Edw. III. The elder brother of this Thomas was Sir Randolph Pigot of Clotheram, knt. living in the reign of Henry VII. and who married Joan, daughter of Sir Richard Strangwaies, knt. but deceasing without issue, left his estate to and amongst the four daughters of his brother Thomas, whose names and order of birth were Joan, Margaret, Elizabeth, and Margery, of whom Joan was married, first to Sir Giles Hussey of Gonthorp, co. Linc. knt, and secondly to Thos. Ffalkinghame [I adopt the orthography of the original], of North Hall near Leeds; Margaret, to James Medcalfe of Nappie, co. Richmond, knt.; Elizabeth, third "dau. first to Sir Charles Brandon, knt. secondly to James Strangeways, knt. and thirdly to Francis Neville of Barby; and Margery to Thomas Waterton, esq.

"From the above account, it seems scarcely probable that Elizabeth could have been the wife of Sir William Scargill, unless she had a fourth husband, of whom the pedigree above cited, which is extremely particular and generally accurate, makes no

mention. Much inconvenience and uncertainty often arising from errors and deviations originally and apparently very slight, and unimportant in the deduction of pedigrees, I am induced to trouble your Correspondent, and to intrude upon your pages with this communication, entirely with the view of obviating such effects from haste or inadvertence."

The same Correspondent states, in answer to ANTIQUARIUS, Part i. p. 328, that some account of Edward Lord Windsor of Bradenham, will be found in Langley's History of Desborough Hundred, and a more particular relation, together with a copy of his last will, in a quarto volume of the History of the Windsor Family.

V. says, "With regard to the author of Bagatelles, (pt. i. p. 15,) Iwould beg leave to suggest, that that little book may with some degree of probability,-I go no further,be assigned to the Rev. Bennet Allen, formerly Minister of Ilford, who was the translator of "The Massacre of St. Bartholomew from Voltaire's Henriade."

E. F. J. remarks, "Mention having been made (Part i. p. 321) respecting the Barons of Lancaster, I there saw the name of Grelle, Baron of Manchester, which, with many others, is not in Bankes's Extinct Peerage. In a MS Baronage in my possession, containing an account of the Peers of each reign, from William the Conqueror, to Charles the Martyr; under those created by William I. I have the following account of Grelye, Baron of Manchester. Robert Grelye came into England with the Conqueror, who made him Baron of Manchester; the last of which name was Thomas Grelie, Baron of Manchester, who died without issue male, and left his daughter sole heir, anno 14 Edw. II. who was married to Roger Lord Delaware, who by her had John Lord Delaware, who married Margaret, daughter of Robert Holland, and Lord Roger Delaware, who married Ellen, daughter of Lord Mowbray, and died anno 44 Edw. III. and had Thos. Delaware, who died without issue, and left Joane his sister and heir, who married Sir Thomas West, knight, Lord of Compton Vallence, from whom the present Lord Delaware is descended. Arms: Gules, 3 bendlets enhanced Or. In the plates to Edmonson's "Baronagium Genealogicum," the Earl of Delaware quarters the above arms of Grelye, as representative of that antient family."

In our present Number, ii. p. 48, 1. 21 from bottom, put a full-stop after fabric. Col. 2, 1. 11 from bottom, read crocket. P. 49, 1. 6, read flowery.

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