Mr. URBAN, July 13. VOUR correfpondent Z. (p. 506) feems to a most unreafonable prejudice againft butchers; for he exprefies his indignation in very ftrong terms on hearing that one of that fr fraternity inhabits the house in which Shakfpeare was born. He takes upon hint to affert, that, if it is really true that the house in which our immortal bard was born is degraded (to afe his own expression) into a butcher's shop, "the refpcét which the English nation affect to pay to the memory of Shakspeare must be feigned." Now really, Mr. Urban, I see no reason for turning a worthy tenant out of doors merely because he happens to be a butcher. At that rate, thousands of houses throughout the kingdom might be left uninhabited because great men once lived in them. Z. being totally unable to account for the furprizing metamorphofis of a poet's into a butcher's refidence, afferts, that he rather believes that fome of the admirers of Shakspeare have made the house in question "the comfortable habitation of one of his descendants." 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 the Shalfpeare Sha Shakfpeares, he would find that this very butcher is lineally descended from our illußrious AN OLD CORRESPONDENT. Poet. Mr. URBAN, July 14. EEING an article, p. 503, quef Stioning the circumstance of the house in which Shakspeare was born at Stratford being the residence of a but cher at present; to remove all doubt on the fubject, I can affure 2. the fact is ftrictly fo; 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 Susanna. Being at Stratford fix months ago, I was curious in visiting the house, and making enquiries concerning the family; and thought the inhabitants of the place feem to know or bufy themselves less about the matter than ftrangers are apt to do; yet, from every intelligence I could procure, there is not a doubt but that the butcher is lineally defcended from our immortal Bard. I am forry to add that, from the information 1 could procure, he is in indigent circunstances, which occafioned his being out of the way when I was there before, three years ago. For the information of those who have never visited the house, I shall just add, that it is a shabby, mean, lath-and-plaster building, ng, in the style that usually 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-house, which formerly comprehended the adjacent building, which seems to have been feparated for the convenience of making smaller 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 some time back. As to the furniture, there remains an old arın-chair, in which, they tell you, he used to smoke his pipe, as also 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 becu informed, has been fold and re-placed at leasi 20 different times. Yet till are there not wanting Curiofi weak enough to give from five shillings to a guinea for a chip of the old block no bigger than may be contained in a snuf-box. -Mrs. Hart shews a genealogy to prove her husband's defcent. Such, Mr. Urban, is the information I could collect on the spot; and, fo far as it goes, it may be depended upon. If you think it worthy infertion, it may probably bring to light fome as yet unexplored documents or relicks; which last, I am assured, are in poffeffion of obfcure individuals, whose ancestors have been some way connected with the poet. Mr. URBAN, J. COLLET. July 7. A CORRESPONDENT, p. 503, expresses great doubt refpecting the affertion in the news-papers, " that the house in which Shakfpeare was born is inhabited by a butcher;" nay he strongly avers, "that the affertion must be false, and "requesis full information.". Full information I cannot give him now, because two years are paft fince I faw the house; but, in the year 1709, I can affure him that the affertion was not : net false, and that it actually was "inhabited by a butcher." In that year I examined the house; I passed through the butcher's Shop, and was shown by the tenant several reliques of Antiquity once belonging to the Poet, as an oldfashioned arm-ch 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 false at the time I speak of, I am very fure; what changes may have fince happened, I pretend not to say. Mr. URBAN, P. July 3. MY thanks are due to Mr. B. p. 402, 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 "Nugæ Antiquæ," dated Kelston, 1595, which militates most strongly 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 designed to fatirize the monks, and says, "Kynge Henry was ufed in pleasant moode to sing this verse; and my father, who had his good countenance, and a goodlie office in his courte, and alfo his goodlie Esther to wife, did foinetyme receive the honour of hearing his own fonge." Here the name of Efther seems to have fupplanted that of Etheldred, and was doubtless intended to designate the fame perfon. Another letter in the fame work, from J. Lefley 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 bastard, dowered her with the rich lands of Bath's priory; and Queen Elizabeth affected these faithful fervants so 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 Highnesse faucy Godfon," in fome epigrammatic lines he addressed to Queen Elizabeth; but it was the Earl of Effex, and not the Queen, who made him a knight. GENT. MAG. July, 1801. naturally be inferred, that Sir John must have been the immediate issue of this marriage, had he not left an irre, fragable teftimony that his mother was Isabella Markham, a lady of the Queen's privy-chamber, for whose name he expreffes "a speciall love and reverence," and of whose virtuos he has tranfinitted 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 resorted to, of a second marriage, though it must be admitted that the courtship feems to have "followed hard upon" the first. I have confulted several countypedigrees and vifitation-books of So inersetshire, in the British Museum, but without obtaining the required in formation. The Haringtons of Exton are repeatedly noticed, while those of Kelfton are so entirely difregarded, that I can trace no genealogical scion from the poetic stem. This is the more re markable because Sir John is likely to have left numerous defcendants, as he fpeaks of of whom were living after he had been having had eight children, fia married fourteen years. (See his Epis grams, lib. 11. ep. 72.) From the records in the College of Arms, it is probable that fome new spark might be elicited to direct your bewildered querift. Mr. URBAN, MONACO (p. T. P. July 4. 402) has not, I think, fatisfactorily proved his point against the believers in ghosts. After having having defined a ghost, to be "the spirit of a dead man returning in a visible 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 present is to endeavour to show, that what Monaco has written cannot " with reason" be expected to make ghost-believers change their opinion. I was, I confefss, very much furprised to find, that this argument againft belief in ghosts begins by allowing their existence. For the writer fays, "How far any of the many fpiritual beings, who are the conftant (pectatore fpectators of human affairs, may be permitted to exhibit phantoms under known shapes, with a view to inftruct or delude men, is a problem as yet unfolved." Now, is not this giving giving up at once all, or certainly the greatest part of what the ghost-believers contend for; fince it is plain that he allows that certain "fpiritual beings are permitted to exhibit phantoms;" and his only doubt is, how far this permiffion extends? But, perhaps, our author's error here is merely verbal, and all the offence he has committed here confits in ufing the words how far, inftead of whether or not. But grant him this; and is he not still liable to the charge of inconfiftency in now reprefenting that as " a problem, unsolved," which he had before told us was out of credit, and with reafon." In the next sentence, however, he is no longer a sceptic, but tells us plainly, that, " respecting evocation, all pretenfions to fuch an art are furely as vain as wicked." As Monaco does not offer the leaft proof of this aflertion, he cannot expect it to be wellreceived, except by those who are already of his opinion. In the next paragraph he fays, "there is affuredly a particular Providence, which preferves men from danger, or leads them to unexpected good: it warms or directs by various methods; chiefly, perhaps, by unaccountable impulfe or fuggeftion; formerly, as we learn from Seripture, by dreams, or the ministry of angels, but not by that of ghofis." Here your correfpondent feems entirely to have forgotten the ftory of and the Witch of Endor. But let that pass. I have one question to afk with regard to unaccountable impulfes and fuggeftions. Are all unaccountable impulles warnings from Providence, or only fome? of all, then every idle whim, every fudden preference of one thing to another, will be a fupernatural intimation. If only fome, I ask which are we, and which are we not to esteem in this light? How are we to diftinguish between one unaccountable impulfe, and another unaccountable itupulse? For, I confefs, it seems to me that this property of unaccountableness fets them all on a level. I think no attentive reader can allow that Monaco has as vet produced any argument against the exiflence of ghofts. The beginning of the next paragraph, however, feems to promise us fomething of this fort. "Of the stories of apparitions the greater part appear abfurd; for"-now to be fure the reason is coming: here it is for though experience be wanting, 'reafon seems to dictate certain criteria as tests of truth." Now what are these criteria which reason can so readily difcover, without the aid of experience. "A ghost then must have some reafonable end in its appearing: it cannot touch or be touched, or perform any material action, or make any noise in entering." Now, that mere abstract reasoning, à priori, should discover 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 abstract reafoning, to prove that it has not this power at all times, that is, that it. cannot appear, if it chooses, without fome retionable end. And in the fame manner it is entirely a gratuitous affer tion to fay, that a visible fpirit is not also tungible. So much for Monaco's criteria dictated by reafon." And here, I think, all show of argument is dropped, the rest of his letter being taken up in stories of ghofts and fuperna tural appearances. ZENO. Mr. URBAN, A July 10. S I refide at a diftance from the metropolis, I an induced to request the kind affistance of fome Antiquary, who may have an opportunity of confulting the numerous MSS. which are deposited in the Britifh Mufeum, and to atk, whether any notices of the family of St. Hill, of Braduinch, in Devonshire, are to be met with in the Visitation 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 1. into the West of England in the veat 1644, as tradition fays that this unfortunate monarch was, in the month of July that year, in Bradninch, at the house, of Peter Sainthill, efq. then a member of parliament for Tiverton. Does Westcott take any notice of this place in his MS description of Devonshire, 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 1 part of that dutchy. In Domesday by so small a majority that the minif Book I find it among the lands of William Chieur, and then called Bradenefe. In a charter of Reginald Earl of Cornwall, a natural fon of Henry I. it is ftyled Braneis; and in the returns of burgeffes to parliament in the reign of Edward II. Bradneysham; but, latterly, Bradnidge, or Bradnyache. Poffibly it may be found in Weficott, in his deferipion of places, in "The Circuit of the River Columb," near which it is fituated. more If, Mr. Urban, any of your numerous correfpondents, who have leifure and inclination, will favour me, through the channel of your interefing Publication, with anfwers to any of the above queries, or any information respecting the antient history of this place, it will be deemed a a particular favour by Yours, &c. ADAM HENJEYS. RETROSPECT OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. ESSAY XVI. THE inactivity which had been fo shamefully manifefted by the ar- my and navy in the West-Indies, extended itself to Europe; and not only our trade was exposed to the infult of the enemy, but the enormous fums which had been expended in the equipping of feveral powerful armaments, tended only to manifeft the imbecillity and the extravagance of the minifter; and ended in a vaša 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. These repeated worse than mistakes operated so powerfully on the minds of the people, that, at the enfuing election, their difapprobation was fully manifested in the choice of new members; for, though the miniftry made the greatest exertions, yet the oppofue intereft triumphed in very many instances, even where they had formed no very fanguine expectations; particularly in Scotland, where Sir Robert Walpole could by no means withftand the powerful interest of the Duke of Argyle; to that, on the return, the minifter could not affure himself 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 Majefty in person. An addrefs, as usual, was moved and carried, after a confiderable struggle, ter was convinced his reign was near to its end; and on the next question 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 house of Commons, as well as that of the nation, against him, he made a virtue of neceffity; and, being again disappointed in his laft and moft ftrenuous effort to obtain a majority, he declared he would never more it 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 refigned all his employments, a new miniftry was formed, but of heterogeneous materials-a coalition of Whigs and Tories"; indeed, principally of the discontented 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 master 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 should 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 Majesty 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 thankfulness. Mr. Pulteney having been created earl of Bath, and fome of the other strenuous members of the oppofition now manifefting by their conduct that there was a change of men, not of meafures; that those who had fo lately dechained in favour of the liberty of the fubject, and for the welfare of the nation, had now merely strengthened the hands of the old junto, and thereby affisted in riveting closer the shackles which they. had aflixed on the finews of the nation; the resentment and contempt of the people was thereby transferred from the the late object of their detestation to those who now, by their instability, justly merited the appellations of apoftates, and the betrayers of their country. What can be more hateful and disgusting to an honest mind, than to behold the man, who had stood in the foremost rank of patriots, boldly refifting, and not refifting only, but indifcriminately attacking alfo, 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 disgusting to an honest breast, but almost 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 show the extreme weakness of human nature, which, when exalted to the highest pinnacle of true honour (the applause and fuffrages of the best and most enlightened of men), and becomes himfelf the idol of the furrounding multitude, proftitutes all for the blandishments of a court, and debases himself to the level of the meanest sycophant which could be found in the train of a venal and improvident minifter. The new ministry, finding the popularity which they experienced at their. first coming into office to be daily decreasing, by the opposition 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 last 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 administration (though it was at last carried), they, to recover their influence, fuffered a bill to pass for excluding certain officers from feats in the House 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 consequence of Lord Limerick's monon, and one of the principal evi dences, Mr. Paxton, folicitor to the treafury, refusing to answer 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 unconflitutional, opposition of Lord Cartetet, &c. A motion was then made for declaring the conduct of the Lords in this inftance an obstruction to justice, &c But this had to encounter the oppofition of Mr. Sandys, who, without a blush, avowed such sentiments as flatly contradicted the whole tenour of his former conduct; and of course the motion was loft. Unappalled by these obstructions, the committee continued its investigation, and foon discovered "many flagrant inftances of fraud and corruption in which the Earl of Orford had been concerned;" that iniquitous arts had been employed to influence clections; 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 ministry! 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 fcrutiny, when their farther proceedings were stopped by a prorogation of the parliament. T. Мот, F.S. М. (To be continued,) Mr. URBAN, July 15. ST. SWITHIN now prevails in all his terrors, to take vengeance on those tardy farmers who, from the *fpirit of monopoly which at present actuates all commercial ranks, as that of felfishness is too generally their character, neglected to avail themselves of the kindness 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 rotten, that the feafon was unfavourable; but let this bear teftimony against these suggestions: for you, Mr. Urban, can affert, that nothing could furpass the fitness of the month of June, 1801, in the degree of folar heat for duly drying the crops of grass; and in this you will be joined by |