Mr. URBAN, YOUR July 13. OUR correfpondent Z. (p. 503) feems to entertain a moft unreafonable prejudice againft butchers; for he exprefies his indignation in very ftrong terms on hearing that one of that fraternity inhabits the house in which Shakspeare was born. He takes upon hint to affert, that, if it is really true that the houfe in which our immortal bard was born is degraded (to afe his own expreffion) into a butcher's shop, "the refpect which the English nation affect to pay to the memory of Shakspeare must be feigned." Now really, Mr. Urban, I fee no reafon for turning a worthy tenant out of doors merely because he happens to be a butcher. At that rate, thoufands of houfes throughout the kingdom might be left uninhabited becaufe great men once lived in them. Z. being totally unable to account for the furprizing metamorphofis of a poet's into a but cher's refidence, afferts, that he rather believes that fome of the admirers of Shakspeare have made the houfe in question "the comfortable habitation of one of his defcendants." In this particular I certainly agree with Z. and am of opinion that, if he would carefully examine the genealogical tables of the family of the Shakspeares, he would find that this very butcher is lineally defcended from our illurious Poet. AN OLD CORRESPONDENT. could procure, he is in indigent cir cumftances, which occafioned his being out of the way when I was there before, three years ago. For the information of thofe who have never vifited the houfe, I fhall just add, that it is a fhabby, mean, lath-and-plafter building, in the ftyle that ufually prevails in that part of the country, viz. the. timbers in front painted black, &c.; but I am apt to believe the houfe occupied by the butcher is only part of the original dwelling-houfe, which formerly comprehended the adjacent building, which feems to have been feparated for the convenience of making fmaller tenements for the habitation of different families. I fuppofe the proprietor could fatisfy the publick as to the alterations that may have taken place for fome time back. As to the furniture, there remains an old arin-chair, in which, they tell you, he fed to fmoke his pipe, as alfo the identical tobacco-stopper which he used on this occafion: it is evidently of the make of Shakspeare's age; but I doubt much the identity either of this article or the chair; which latter, I have been informed, has been fold and re-placed at leaf 20 different times. Yet full are there not wanting Curiof weak enough to give from five fhillings to a guinea for a chip of the old block no bigger than may be contained in a fnuff-box. Mrs. Hart fhews a genealogy to prove her husband's defcent. Such, Mr. Urban, is the informafo far as it goes, it may be depended tion I could collect on the fpot; and, upon. If you think it worthy infertion, Mr. URBAN, A houfe in which Shakspeare was born at Stratford being the refidence of a but cher at prefent; to remove all doubt on the fubject, I can affure Z. the fact is ftrictly fo; and, moreover, the butcher who occupies it is a defcendant of the Bard. His name is Hart, and the degree of relationship in which he stands is, I believe, great grandfon to the Poet's daughter Sufanna. Being at Stratford fix months ago, I was curious in vifiting the houfe, and making enquiries concerning the family; and thought the inhabitants of the place feem to know or bufy themfelves lefs about the matter than strangers are apt to do; yet, from every intelligence I could procure, there is not a doubt but Full information I cannot give him that the butcher is lineally defcended now, because two years are paft fince I from our immortal Bard. I am forry faw the houfe; but, in the year 1709, to add that, from the information II can affure him that the affection was July 7. CORRESPONDENT, P. 503, exprefles great doubt refpecting the affertion in the news-papers," that the house in which Shakspeare was born is inhabited by a butcher;" nay he ftrongly avers, that the affertion must be falfe, and "requefis full information.". πολ net falfe, and that it actually was "inhabited by a butcher." In that year I examined the houfe; I paffed through the butcher's Shop, and was fhown by the tenant feveral reliques of Antiquity once belonging to the Poet, as an oldfashioned arm-chair, his tobacco-stopper, a chip of his mulberry-tree, &c. The building was of a mean appearance and large; it was divided into two tenements, in one dwelt the butcher, and in the other an inn-keeper. That the affertion was not falfe at the time I Speak of, I am very fure; what changes may have fince happened, I pretend not to fay, Mr. URBAN, P. July 3. MY Y thanks are due to Mr. B. p. 492, for his early attention to my queries refpecting the Haringtons, and for his ingenious endeavours to extricate me from "Doubting cafile." There is a letter, however, in the "Nuga Antique," dated Kelton, 1595, which militates moft ftrongly against his fuppofition that the natural daughter of Henry VIII, was the poet's grandmother. Sir John Harington is giving an account to Lord Burleigh of a mock-hymn defigned to fatirize the monks, and fays, "Kynge Henry was ufed in pleafant moode to fing this verfe; and my father, who had his good countenance, and a goodlie office in his courte, and alfo his goodlie Efther to wife, did fometyme receive the honour of hearing his own fonge." Here the name of lifther feems to have fupplanted that of Etheldred, and was doubtless intended to defignate the fare perfon. Another letter in the fame work, from J. Lelley to J. Harington, the author of Oceana," ferves to corroborate Sir John's report. "The great King Henry the VIIIth matched his darling daughter to John Harington, and, though a baftard, dowered her with the rich lands of Bath's priory; and Queen Elizabeth affected thefe faithful fervants fo much, as to become godmother to their fon, and made him a knyght for his wit and valour." From this extract it would * * Sir John H. of Kelston styles himself "your Highneffe faucy Godfon," in fome epigrammatic lines he addreffed to Queen Elizabeth; but it was the Earl of Eliex, and not the Queen, who made him a knight. GENT. MAG. July, 1801. naturally be inferred, that Sir John muft have been the immediate iffie of this marriage, had he not left an irre fragable teftimony that his mother was Ifabella Markham, a lady of the Queen's privy-chamber, for whofe name he expreffes "a fpeciall love and reverence," and of whofe virtuos he has tranfmitted an affectionate memorial by the pen of "a credible perfon," probly his own father. (See notes to Orl. Fur. lib. 29.) My conjecture is, therefore, again reforted to, of a fecond marriage, though it must be admitted that the courtship feems to have "followed hard upon" the first. I have confulted feveral countypedigrees and vifitation-books of So incrletfhire, in the British Mufcum, but without obtaining the required in formation. The Haringtons of Exton are repeatedly noticed, while those of Kelfton are fo entirely difregarded, that I can trace no genealogical feion from the poetic ftem. This is the more remarkable because Sir John is likely to have left numerous defcendants, as he fpeaks of having had eight children, fia of whom were living after he had been married fourteen years. (See his Epigrams, lib. 11. ep. 72.) From the records in the College of Arms, it is probable that fome new fpark might be elicited to direct your bewildered querift. Mr. URBAN, T. P. July 4. MONACO (p. 402) has not, I point against the believers in ghofts. After having defined a gholt, to be "the fpirit of a dead man returning in a vifible form to this world," he adds, "that fuch returns are poffible and not uncommon was once the general belief; now it is out of credit, and with reafon." I do not mean to give my opinion, whether or not this belief is "now out of credit with reafon." All I intend at prefent is to endeavour to fhow, that what Monaco has written cannot "with reafon" be expected to make ghof-believers change their opinion. I was, I confefs, very much furprifed to find, that this argument againft belief in ghofts begins by allowing their exiftence. For the writer fays, "How fur any of the many fpiritual beings, who are the conftant (pectatore fpectators of human affairs, may be us fomething of this fort. "Of the ftories of apparitions the greater part appear abfurd; for"-now to be fure the reafon is coming: here it is" for though experience be wanting, reafon feems to dictate certain criteria as tefts of truth." Now what are thefe criteria which reafon ean fo readily difcover, without the aid of experience. "A ghoft then must have fome reafonable end in its appearing: it cannot. touch or be touched, or perform any material action, or make any noife in entering." Now, that mere abftract reafoning, à priori, fhould difcover all this, is abfolutely impoffible. For if it be granted that the fpirit of a dead man has the power of returning to this world, it will be impoffible, from abftract reafoning, to prove that it has not this power at all times, that is, that it cannot appear, if it chooses, without fome relonable end. And in the fame manner it is entirely a gratuitous affertion to fay, that a vifible fpirit is not allo tungible. So much for Monaco's "criteria dictated by reafon." And here, I think, all fhow of argument is dropped, the reft of his letter being taken up in ftories of ghofts and fuperna tural appearances, ZENO. Mr. URBAN, July 10. AST refide at a diftance from the metropolis, I am induced to requeft the kind affiftance of fome Antiquary, who may have an opportunity of confulting the numerous MSS. which are depofited in the British Mufeum, and to afk, whether any notices of the family of St. Hill, of Braduinch, in Devonshire, are to be met with in the Vifitation of that county, which among the Harleian MSS. is marked 5185; or whether any Church Notes refpecting the abovementioned parifh are to be found in 999 of the fame MSS. written by one Richard Symons, who attended his majefly Charles I. into the Weft of England in the year 1644, as tradition fays that this unfortunate monarch was, in the month of July that year, in Bradninch, at the houfe, of Peter Sainthill, efq. then a member of parliament for Tiverton. Does Weflcott take any notice of this place in his MS defcription of Devonhire, which is alfo in the Harleian Collection, No. 2307? Bradninch was antiently a barony belonging to the dukes of Cornwall, and fill makes a part part of that dutchy. In Domesday Book I find it among the lands of William Chieur, and then called BradeDefe. In a charter of Reginald Earl of Cornwall, a natural fon of Henry I. it is ftyled Braneis; and in the returns of burgelles to parliament in the reign of Edward II. Bradneyfham; but, more latterly, Bradnidge, or Bradnyache. Poflibly it may be found in Welcott, in his defeription of places, in "The Circuit of the River Columb," Dear which it is fituated. If, Mr. Urban, any of your numerous correfpondents, who have leifure and inclination, will favour me, through the channel of your interefting Publi⚫cation, with anfwers to any of the above queries, or any information refpecting the antient hiftory of this place, it will be deemed a particular favour by Yours, &c. ADAM HENJEYs. RETROSPECT OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. ESSAY XVI. THE inactivity which had been fo fhamefully manifefted by the army and navy in the Weti-Indies, extended itfell to Europe; and not only our trade was expofed to the infult of the enemy, but the enormous fums which had been expended in the equipping of feveral powerful armaments, tended only to manifelt the imbecillity and the extravagance of the minifier; and ended in a vata parade of our force on the coafts of our opponent, and with the fleets returning to port without even attempting an affault on the enemy. Thefe repeated worse than mistakes operated to powerfully on the minds of the people, that, at the enfuing election, their difapprobation was fully manifefted in the choice of new members; for, though the miniftry made the greatest exertions, yet the oppofite intereft triumphed in very many inftances, even where they had formed no very fanguine expectations; particularly in Scotland, where Sir Robert Walpole could by no means withstand the powerful intereft of the Duke of Argyle; fo that, on the return, the minifter could not affure himfelf of more than fix members from the whole of North Britain. On the first day of December, 1741, the new parliament met, and was opened by his Majefly in perfon. An addrefs, as ufual, was moved and arried, after a confiderable struggle, by fo fmall a majority that the minifter was convinced his reign was near in its end; and on the next queftion which arofe, he found that he could command a majority of fix voices only. Finding that his influence was gone, and that he should foon have the voice of the houfe of Commons, as well as that of the nation, against him, he made a virtue of neceffity; and, being again difappointed in his laft and moft trenuous effort to obtain a majority, he declared he would never more fit in that houfe: and to allow time for his refignation, and the forming the new appointments, the parliament was adjourned from the 3d to the 18th of February. Sir Robert having been created Earl of Orford, and religned all his employments, a new miniftry was formed, but of heterogeneous materials-a coalition of Whigs and Torics; indeed, principally of the difcontented of both parties, fo that it was impoflible for them long to act with any degree of cordiality, without betraying their own fentiments: and the Duke of Argyle, who was made matter of the ordnance, commander in chief, &c. finding his expectations of the coalition fruftrated, before the expiration of a month.refigned all his employments. Though fome of the principal members of oppofition were included in the new miniftry, it was foon manifefted that they had obtained their appointments only by the affurance that no enquiry fhould be inftituted refpecting the late management of affairs. But the change had, for a time, the good effect of quieting the minds of the people, and of reconciling his Majefty and the Prince of Wales; fo that, inftead of murmurings and difcontent throughout the nation, nothing was now to be heard but rejoicings and the greetings of cordiality and thankfulnefs. Mr. Pulteney having been created earl of Bath, and fome of the other frenuous members of the oppofition now manifefting by their conduct that there was a change of men, not of meafures; that thofe who had fo lately declaimed in favour of the liberty of the fubject, and for the welfare of the nation, had now merely ftrengthened the hands of the old junto, and thereby affifted in riveting clofer the fhackles which they had affixed on the finews of the nation; the refentment and contempt of the people was thereby transferred from the the late object of their deteftation to thofe who now, by their inftability, justly merited the appellations of apoftates, and the betrayers of their country. What can be more hateful and difgufting to an honef mind, than to behold the man, who had flood in the foremost rank of patriots, boldly refifting, and not refitting only, but indifcriminately attacking alto, the mott powerful enemies of his country-a man blefled with all the favours of nature and the acquirements of art neceffary to form the complete financier, the confunimate politician, and the not-tobe rivalled champion of the people; I fay, to behold this man meanly for feiting all the hard but well-earned honour of half a life spent in the glorious caufe of liberty for the paltry bauble of an empty title, is not only hateful and difgufting to an honeft breast, but almoft exceeds the comprehenfion and belief of fuch a mind. But, alas! the example is not rare; it has not only been exemplified in the cafe of Mr. Pulteney, but in hundreds more; and tends only to fhow the extreme weakness of human nature, which, when exalted to the highest pinnacle of true honour (the applaufe and fuffrages of the best and most enlightened of men), and becomes himfelf the idol of the furrounding multitude, proftitutes all for the blandifhments of a court, and debafes himself to the level of the meaneft fycophant which could be found in the train of a venal and improvident minifter. The new miniftry, finding the popu dences, Mr. Paxton, folicitor to the treatury, refufing to anfwer the queftions put to him, was committed to Newgate, and a Bill was brought in for indemnifying evidence against the Earl of Orford; though carried by the Commons, it was thrown out by the Lords, there meeting with the unexpected, if not unconfiitutional, oppoition of Lord Cartetet, &c. A motion was then made for declaring the conduct of the Lords in this inftance an obftruction to juftice, &c But this had to encounter the oppofition of Mr. Sandys, who, without a blush, avowed fuch fentiments as flatly contradicted the whole tenour of his former conduct; and of courfe the motion was loft. Unappalled by thefe obftructions, the committee continued its investigation, and foon difcovered "many flagrant inftances of fraud and corruption in which the Earl of Orford had been concerned;" that iniquitous arts had been employed to influence elections ; and that, during the last ten years, 1,453,4001. of public money had been appropriated to fecret fervice, of which above 50,0001. had been paid to authors for works written in defence of the miniftry! and that, even on the day preceding his refignation, he had figned orders on the Civil Lift for above 30,0001. They were going on with this ferutiny, when their farther proceedings were stopped by a prorogation of the parliament. T. MOT, F.S. M: (To be continued.) larity which they experienced at their. S firft coming into office to be daily decreafing, by the oppofition which they had given to a bill for the better protecting the trade and navigation of the kingdom, the penfion bill, the motion for appointing a committee to enquire into the conduct of affairs for the laft 20 years, and to Lord Limerick's motion for an enquiry into the conduct of Robert Earl of Orford for the laft ten years of his adminiflration (though it was at laft carried), they, to recover their influence, fuffered a bill to pafs for excluding certain officers from feats in the Houfe of Commons, one for the encouraging the linen manufacture, and another for regulating the trade of plantations, &c. A committee of fecrecy being chofen in confequence of Lord Limerick's mosion, and one of the principal evi Mr. URBAN, July 15. his terrors, to take vengeance on thofe tardy farmers who, from the fpirit of monopoly which at prefent actuates all commercial ranks, as that of felfishness is too generally their character, neglected to avail themselves of the kinduefs of Providence in giving them plentiful crops of grafs, and favourable weather to get it in. A little more and a little more is the general with, and for that little the whole produce is fpoiled. It will be faid, when the crops are brought to market half burnt and half routen, that the feafon was unfavourable; but let this bear teftimony againfi thefe fuggeftions: for you, Mr. Urban, can affert, that nothing could furpafs the fitnefs of the month of June, 1801, in the degree of folar heat for duly drying the crops of grafs; and in this you will be joined by |