fmaller body of annotations is fufficient to illuftrate fuch an author as Milton. Comparifons are endless; and, when we enter into the stores of memory of a well-read man, we shall affume too much in endeavouring to recollect more for him than he can for himself, and make a greater parade of the critick's reading than of the poet's reinembrance. But it is the fate of the favourite writers of this country to be overwhelmed with commentaries which can be confulted only by fuch readers as will recur to the notes of Burman, Drakenborch, and Oudendorp, on claffic authors. Milton, Shakspeare, Dryden, &c. will be more peruted in pocket-volumes than in the fplendid bulk of fine paper, printing, and engraving, which confers more immortality on the printer and publisher, if the paper laft To long. In the introductory note on the Arcades Mr. T. speaks of Harefield housfe as pulled down, and the porters' lodges 42 each fide the gateway are converted into a cominodious houle. This cannot be collected from Mr. Lyfons's draught of it, who fays it was burnt down 1660, and "the prefent houfe formed by uniting the two lodges with an intermediate building." To Comus Mr. T. has prefixed as particular an account of Ludlow caftle as he could colleet, and of the Bridgewater family. To the first he might have added a few particulars from the laft edition of Camden's Britannia; and under the latter he leaves us to bewail the fate of Afhridge and its literary treafures. converted This old manfion was from a monafiery of BoxXHOMMES, au order of Augudiin monks, introdaced by Edmund Earl of Cornwall, of which there was not an inftance in the kingdom, by Lord Chancellor Ellefmere. Ouly the hall, 44 feet by 22, the window's full of arms, the cloífiers, and a back porch leading to the hall, remained of the old ftructure in 1767. The cloitters were arehed with Tatenball stone, with the arms of the abbey in the centre; and round the tides was Beautifully painted, in water-colours, the hiftory of our Saviour, in 40 compartments, of which 12 were then entirely defaced, and the reft probably foon after; the apartments on the ground-floor, and the portraits in the picture-gallery, fitffering by damp. and the cloitier furrounding refer voir. The church stood in the garden ranging with the cloisters. Several stone coffins have been dug up, and the foundations shew it was a large pile. After falling a prey to daimp and neglect, for want of inhabitants, it was taken dowth in fummer of, 1800, and the materials told to the best bidder, and the timber applied to embank the adjoining natigable canal, and frame its locks. Previous to this, the family-pictures and other valuable portraits, many of which had fuffered like decay, were configned to the flames; and fuch of the books as were not clotted together by damp and rottenness, among which were many invaluable folios and quartos, were configned to Mr. King's auction-room, a catalogue printed, and a fale advertised, when, on fome fuggeftion of their rarity and vaIne, they were bought in, and restored to the noble owner. It was fortunate Mr. T. had fuch access to them, and made fo good an ufe of them. We cannot difinits this edition of Milton's poetical works without obferving that it would be injustice to the prefent editor not to acknowledge that he has omitted nothing that could render it as complete as poflible. 260. Hiftory, Origin, and Progress, of the Art of Printing, from its firft Invention in Germany to the End of the Seventeenth Century; and from its Introdusion into England, by Caxton, to the present Time: in luding, among a Variety of curious and intereping Matter, its Progress in the Provinch; with chronological Lifts of eminent P. nters in England, Scotland, and Ireland (sgether with Ancedires of feveral eminer Tary Characters robo bave lite Art alfo, Pub be by their Attention to its Impraven a particular and complete Histo Walpolean Press, established at se ber ry-hul; with an accurate List of lication effued therefrom, and the ex ber primel thereof. At the Conclufa gi ven a curious Differtation on the Orn of the Use of Papr; also, a complete Pory of the Art of Wood-wetting ant engraving on Copper, from its foft Invention in Italy to itslatel Improvement in Great Betain; concluding with the Adjudication of Literary Property; or the Lazos and Terms to which Authors, Designers, and Publishers, are fe. parately subject. With a Catalogue of remarkable Bibles and Common Prayer Books, from the Infancy of Printing to the present Time. Extracted from the oeft Authorities, by Henry Lemoine, Biblos. Lond. THE title of this useful little manual, of which we have too long delayed layed the mention, so fully explains its contents, that we need only add, that, though it is on a subject which of all others ought to be familiar to us, we have received from the whole of it much entertainment, and, from many parts, fatisfactory and pleafing information. We recommend it, therefore, very heartily to all those who wish to be acquainted with the Origin and Progrefs of fo very diftinguished an Art. 261. A Sermon, preached at Prittlewell, in Effex, on the 20th of September, 180f; upon the Prayer of Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the late abundant Crop and favourable Harvest, first directed to be used September 13, 1801. By the Rev. Sir Herbert Croft, Bart. Vicar of Frittlewell. 262. A Sermon upon the Peace, preached at Prittlewell, in Effex, on the 18th of October, 1801. By the Rev. Sir Herbert Croft, Bart. Vicar of Prittlewell. THESE two difcoorses of the Re verend Baronet are well adapted to the efpecial occafions on which they were delivered, and to the particular audience to whom they were addrefled. The first of them, on the Thankfgiving Prayer, is from Matt. xiii. 30, "Gather ve together, first, the tares; and bind them in bundles, to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn;" the second from Ifaiah xlv. 7, "I make peace;" and, in both, the fubječts are difcufled in a manner which had an immediate tendency to imprefs the parishioners of Prittlewell with a true fenfe of their civil and religious duties. But the mos prominent parts of thefe fermons, as published, are the dedications which precede them. In the first, the Premier is thus addreffed: "Our httle connexion, at school, formerly, and the 'enfibility which you feelingly expreffed to me for the fingular pofition of an old Baronet, might well jaftify my defiring to infcribe the following difcourse, with your name. But I defire this, fir, for anether seafon. It is of consequence, efpecially in these times, that a great people thould thick well of the kind and fuperintending care which is taken of them by those who direct the public affairs. Of the heads of the church, coilectively and individu lly, there is but one opision. All, I corclude, think of them as I have fach paticular reason to think of the two Archbishops, of the Bishop of Darbam, of the Bishop of London, who fo worthily replaced my late friend, Bishop 3 Lowth, and of my prefent friend, the Bishop of Salisbury. Thefe, and others, hore their parts, undoubtedly, in the fublime and patriotic prayer which caufed me to compose this difcourfe. But you, fir, are a new man, as to the opinion of the pub. *lick; except in the character of, perhaps, the most popular Speaker who has ever adorned the chair of the House of Com. mons. For this reason I with that every rank of my countrymen thould know what those acknowledge who can beft judge; and even those who doubt or deny your talents for all the duties of your prefent difficult and aweful station: that no. thing can be more truly amiable, fir, than your private character; and, that we may expect to fee this groundwork of every thing which is good or great, mark, as often as poffible, your public conduct. If the happy word comfort, in this prayer, did not proceed from you, fir (whofe attention to words l'have occafion to know), I am perfuaded that Mr. Addington was delighted to adopt it, for the lake of the poor; and I am defirous of doing my beft, that the poor may long continue to couple, in their grateful recollections, the words COMFORT and ADDINGTON. Be contributing to this, I shall not aid the fucceffor of the brave Abercromby in driving the French out of Egypt; but I trust I shall do my part, by it, as a clergyman, in keeping them out of England. Sincerely hoping, fir, that the talents of my old (choolfellow may equal even the crisis in which our country is entinfted to his patriotifm, and thuat, from an honourable peace, and other bleffings, both present and future times may deem him one of the greatest, as well as one of the most amiable, minifters that England ever kne'v, I have the honour to be," &c. &c. To the Bishop of London Sir Herbert thus infcribes the fecond fermon: "I beg permition from your lodthip, as my diocefatu and as a bithop whose talents and character I fo much refpeét, to infcribe this difcourse with the name of Porteus. This, and the printed fermon which accompmies it, on the thanksgiving for the last barvest, will prove, my ford, that I chear futly and inftantly obeyed your lordship's patriotic wishes in the late perilous times; and that 1, for one, repaired to my poft, undeterred by the agueith part of Effex, and did what was in my power, to ferve the public mind, by two difcourses every Sunday, upon fuch preferment as I have enjoyed fince I quitted the bar, twenty years ago, by Bishop Lowth's defire-a living, given me by that great and good character, of 120l, a year. I have the hos nour to be, with high respect," &c. &c. 263. Bread 263. Bread; or, The Poor. A Poem, With Notes and Illustrations. By Mr. Pratt, Author of " Sympathy," "Gleanings," &c. THE English Gleaner (vol. LXIX. p. 688) has here been making fome of the Wheat he had gathered in the late harvest into Bread; which, we are perfuaded, the publick wilt allow to be fweet and good, and will not make any objection to its being new. We have often had occafion to lament the misuse of talents, and the waste of intellect, in the productions of fome of our most celebrated poets; and have fometimes feen them exerting all their abilities in fictitious narrative, and difplaying all their powers of pathos in the delineation of ideal fuffer▲ings; while the real objects of pity, whose cafe comes home to every heart, have been left to weep, unnoticed and unknown. Others, again, poffefling genius to throw a fafcination on every fubject they touch, have fatisfied themfelves with the humble task of defcribing the tender fighings of love-fmitten bulruthes, the shrinking fenfibility of double and fingle pinks, and the crim. con.. of cabbages and cauliflowers. Are fuch topicks worthy our regard? A✔way with vifionary woes, and enervating, ufeless strains, when all the infpirations of the Mufe are fearcely able to paint the deep and rankling wounds of Humanity, which every where prefent themselves to the eye of patient Refearch, and the breast of genuine Feeling! In our opinion, one instance of active benevolence is worth a thousand aspirations of idle fympathy-one picture taken from Life is more impreflive than a thousand scenes the mere creations of Fancy. It has been Mr. Pratt's felicity, how ever (and, from what we have heard of his character, we are fire he will confider it as his highest praise), to employ his poetio talents in refining the heart, in enforcing the tender charities, and in rendering man the friend of man. His principal metrical productions, of length, "Sympathy," "Humanity," and "Benevolence," which are well known, and have been appreciated as they deferve, have each of them powerfully tended to promote the best interefts of his fellow-creatures; and, though we fincerely hope that "Bread" will not be the last effort of his patriotic and benevolent. Mufe, it feems impoffible for him to exceed its merits; it will for ever fix his reputation for goodness of heart, keenness of penetration, and strength of numbers, were his fame to rest folely on this basis.. In the prefent publication, Mr. Pratt embraces objects of the greatest importance; and the poem is not more estimable for the design than the execution. "A fudden revolution, the most dire, perhaps, of any in this revolutionary age, has taken place in the state of the poor. Progreffive improvements have been made in agriculture, the benefits of which are almost entirely loft to the most numerous and pfeful part of the community, while individuals only have been enriched. The poor-raves have, in the mean time, increafed, to the diffatisfaction of the rich, and nearly to the ruin of the middle claffes; wirile the wants and miferies of the peafantre, with fome few exceptions, which will be particularized, have accumulated in the proportion that plans have been formed for their tehef This argues a very wrong policy and management fomewhere. In the midst of a long and att live illness, the author has fpared no paims to trace the effects of this deep national grievance to its fources..... "A few fammers preceding these excurfions it come within the author's corre fpondence with a foreigner of distinction to detail, with truth and with delight, the refults of a journey which exhibited many of the most interesting views that could enter the horman eye, or fill the human heart-the chearful countenances, healthful forms, and gladfome labours of a bappy peafantry. It was his duty and his pleafure to follow their homeward steps, from the farm and fields, to portages where Content was not fimply a guest but a resident; and he felt what he expreffed-that moft of the Potentates of the other parts of Europe would, for such cottages, willingly have exchanged their palaces. At the fame time he did not fail to congratulate the then lefs ambitious tenantry on that general plenty which a close inspection of their granaries and barns, loaded to the roof, had offered to his view. To defcribe the causes and effects of fo fudden and deplorable a change is the endeavour of the work now presented to the reader." Though we cannot but hope that the picture is fomewhat overcharged, there is undoubtedly too much truth in the distress which this poem so emphatically paints. Not to enter into the still darker points of view, we tranfcribe the following contrast: "Afcend yon hill, and give thy straining eye [lie, To view the fietching landscapes as they In upon it was a rich black mould, intermixed with stone, fraginents of Roman bricks, pottery, &c. No coins were found amongst it; but the horn, about five inches long, apparently of fome young beatt, which had been evidently fawn from the head of the animal, lay directly upon the pavement, which was compofed of cubes of yellow, red, tening genius by day-light, let them be referved for an illuminationnight, for on such occafions it would appear that the nation is most likely to profit by their labours. A performer, too, might announce, that on the night of his benefit the house should he lighted with the Lincolnshire bull; and many of our kitchen-wenches theches might make their fortunes ping of the great ox. MIDDLE SIZE. Mr. URBAN, Slawston, Dec. 24. P RMIT me to announce to your Antiquarian readers a farther and fuller investigation of the Roman pavement at Medbourn (first noticed by the Hiftorian of Leicestershire*) than, I believe, was ever made before. Sept. 30, 1801, a perfect stranger to me, Mr. William Fowler, of Winterton, in Lincolnshire (near Barton upon Humber), called at my house, with an introductory letter from the Rev. Mr. Reynolds, of Little Bowden, fiating "Mr. F. to be a person well verfed in exploring Roman Antiquities, particularly teflelated pavements; and, with the intent of opening that at Medbourn, he called upon me to affist him," &c. Accordingly the next morning (Oct. 1) we procured three men to dig and fearch for it (which we did with the greater certainty, I being well acquainted with the spot). In a short time, at about four feet deep, we difcovered part of it. This being a clue to the whole, we began on lower ground on the oppofite fide of a stone wall (for, unluckily, a stone wall passed over it for several yards near its centre). On this fide, four or five yards from the wall, at only one foot deep, we quickly found a part of its Eastern border, but not its extremity, for none of its extre mities have ever yet been difcovered. The day being very fine, the men working well, and we willing to explore as much of it as poffible, foon cleared four or five square yards, when the wall stopped our farther progress; but fo much became visible after cleaning and washing, as to enable Mr. Fowler to take accurate measurements and a drawing of the whole discovered. poffible. I shall now attempt to give you a description of its appearance. It lay from one to four feet below the present furface of the ground in a North and South direction. The earth that lay * Gartre Hundred, vol. II. part 11. p. 717. an inch and an half square, placed în lime mortar. The cubes nearest the outfide were an inch and an half square, decreasing in size until they come to the central and most beautiful part of the pavement, where they did not exceed half an inch; fome were of brick, some of stone. The order in which they lay was as follows. The first fix or seven rows, discovered towards the Eaft, were yellow, four rows red, one row blue; the next five rows were checked, alternately five cubes of blue and five of yellow; then a row of triple chain-work, composed of red, blue, and yellow cubes. The centre towards the North part was compofed of femicircles of between two and three feet diameter (bordered with blue, red, and yellow cubes) filled with fhell or feallop-work of red cubes bordered with blue ones; and in the central part of each thell is a cube of whitish stone. The South central part is compofed of fix lozenges of blue cubes mecting in a point t in the centre; and in cach of the interstices between the lozenges is a knot of blue, yellow, and red cubes. The whole had a beautiful appearance when washed; and a great many people came to take a peep at it before the earth was put upon it again. Its extent is probably large, as feveral perfons of Medbourn can remember parts of it being accidentally difcovered at different times several yards from the fpot where we opened; but this is certainly the greatest discovery ever membered to have been made at any time before. re Mr. Fowler had with him feveral specimens of Roman pavements difcovered in Lincolnshire, drawn, engraved, and coloured, in an accurate and mafterly manner, by himself; which, with this and others, when completed, he intends to publish. The subject of one of these was the Olympic games, chariot-races, &c.; another, Orpheus playing, and the brutes dancing around pim. M Mr. Fowler alfo had with him one of what is called Diana and Ac seon*, taken, engraved, and coloured, other parts of the church. On the by himself, from the original, in Mr. Worthington's cellar, in Leicester, fuperior (if I may be allowed to judge) to any copy of it that has hitherto fallen under my observation. at I have lately met with a curiofity in Natural History (perhaps not frequently noticed), found in what is called the first stomach of a very fat cow, which was but four years old, and had been fed at Newbold Saucey, near Oufton, in this county, and flaughtered Hallaton in September latt. It is a ball, or globular fubstance, apparently hollow within, about the fize of a middlefized orange; and, like that fruit, the outside is full of finall irregular indentings. Its colour is a very dark brown, nearly black, very bright and glofly, as if coated with varnish. It is as hard as wood, and was quite as hard (the butcher told me) when it was first taken out, and was entirely loofe in the fiomach, not joined by any pipes or ligaments whatever, neither is there the least appearance of any upon the ball itself. I have frequently dropped it with force upon abrick floorwithout breaking, and it rebounds and founds like hollow wood, or the shell of a cocoa-nut. It is 8 inches 3-8ths in circumference, which does not vary above the eighth of an inch, take it where you will, it is fo nearly round. This makes it something more than 2 inches 6-8ths in di ameter. Its weight is 1 oz. 9 drams, avoirdupoife. If any of Mr. Urban's correfpondents can fay any thing fatisfactory from the above short but ftrictly faithful account of it, as to its nature, or how produced, whether by being taken in with the food or otherwise, it will be esteemed a favour by J. TAILBY. North side of the nave is a raised altar- Mr. URBAN, Potton, Sept. 20. OCKAYNE HATLEY, Bedfordshire, is a ated on an eminence, in the Northeast corner of the county of Bedford; with woods to the North and Weft, and a beautiful and extensive prospect over the adjacent country to the South and East. It contains four farms, the rectory-houte, and a few cottages. The church is an antient regular structure, with a nave and fide-ailes; built, as supposed, by Sir John Cokayne, as his arms are on the brackets that fupport the roof, and in many Nichols's Leicestershire, vol. I. p. 10. : "S. DEO. O. М. CIO 10.LXXXVII. : à Rege magiftěrio canum lepórum rariorum donato, Regemq. eodem munere in ANGLIAM fecuto ibique accipitrum Regiorum. Over the woman : "Cuftodiam Adepto probeq. functo, nunc recenfito, lectiffima conjux ELIZABETHA, Filia JOHANNIS COKAYNE, de COKAYNE HATLEY, in com. BEDF. Armigeri, in conjugalis fidei Corporifq. æternum indivulsi sponfionem amorisque monumentum hoc statuir. Under the woman: "In Cl. V. Dominum PATRITIUM Under the man : |
