vity and folemnity in another fort of writers, often fupplics the want of ar gument. For what comparison between the Jewish nation and a collection of strollers of various countries, who, perhaps, have not exifted as a body above 400 years, who, far from dogmatizing, feem to be of no religion at all, who never appeared in arms, and made themselves tormidable, whom rags and contempt have fecured from violent perfecution, and who at the work hare been only driven from place to place, which to them was no great punishment, for frauds and petty-larcenics?"

tening genius by day-light, let them be referved for an illuminationnight, for on such occafions it would appear that the nation is mott 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 might make their fortunes by the dripping of the great ox. MIDDLE SIZE.

ERMIT

Mr. URBAN, Slawfton, Dec. 24. P 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 tesselated pavements; and, with the intent of opening that at Medbourn, he called upon me to affift 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 discovered part of it. This being a clue to the whole, we began on lower ground on the opposite fide of a stone wall (for, unluckily, a stone wall passed over it for feveral 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 extremities 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.

Ishall now attempt to give you a defeription 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

* Garire Hundred, vol. II. part II. p. 717.

upon it was a rich black mould, inter mixed with stone, fragments 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 blue, and white, from half an inch to was composed of cubes of yellow, red, an inch and an half fquare, placed in lime mortar. The cubes nearest the outside were an inch and an half square, decreasing in fize 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 East, 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 composed of femicircles of between two and three feet diameter (bordered with blue, red, and yellow cubes) filled with shell or feallop-work of red cubes bordered with blue ones; and in the central part of each shell is a cube of whitish ftone. The South central part is compofed of fix lozenges of blue cubes meeting in a point in the centre; and in each of the interftices 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 difcovery ever remembered to have been made at any time before.

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 Olympic games, riot-races, &c.; another, Orpheus playing, and the brutes dancing around pim. Mr. Fowler alfo had with him one of what is called Diana and Ac

the

cha

other parts of the e church. On the North fide of the nave is a raised altar tomb, which covers the remains of Sir John Cokayne, knt. Chief Baron of the Exchequer, in the reign of King Henry IV. On the top was his effigies engraved on brass, with his arms at each corner, but now entirely gone. In the South aile is a very handsoine monument, with the figures of an armed knight, and his lady kneeling at an altar, with the following infcriptions above and below them.

ated on an eminence, in the Northeaft corner of the county of Bedford; with woods to the North and West, 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.

Over the man:

"S. DEO. О. М. Memoriæn. et Mortalibus

Exuviis C. L. V. D. PATRITII HOME, Equitis Aurati, cui ex nobiliffimă Familia HOMEA de WEDDERBURNE, Apud Scotos oriundo, Musis fanct. ANDAZANIS Innutrito, Artiumque ibidem Mr dein circa annum falutis

day of September, the year of our Lord 1565; on whole foules Jesu have mercy."

Below, 12 boys and 4 girls. Arms. On the dexter fide, Ar. three cacks Gu. for Cockayne. On the fimifter, a chevron between three padlocks.

On the fecond fione, the effigies of two women and four children; the infcription gone.

On the third ftone, a man in armour, part of an infeription.

Quisquis eftis, qua' ficus, sta, plege, plor.

On the fourth Gone, a man and woman with a cross between them; below, five boys and five priests; infcription gone.

two women:

On the fifth fione, a man between ". Orate panima Will'mi Cockyn, Armg'i, Dorothee et Katine ux. ej. qui quidem Willmus obiit x11o die Februarii,

Ao Dai MoccCCCXXVII.

Two boys and two girls below, with the arms of Cockayne at cach corner. On the fixth tone:

"Here fyeth the body of John Cockane, efq. who departed this life Jau, the sto,

Anno Dom. 1718, eat. 77"

On the feventh frone:

Here lyes the body of Elizabeth Cockayne, relict of John Cockayne, efq. of Cockayne Hatley, in the county of Bedford, who departed this life May the 12th, 1739, in the gift year of her age"

On the eighth ftone:

"Here lyes the body of Elizabeth Cockayne, daughter of John Cockayne, efq. and Elizabeth his wife, (of Cockayne Hatley, in the county of Bedford), who departed this life the 25th day of November, 1736, aged 62 years."

On the outside of the church is a fmall flab of marble fixed in the wall, with the following infeription:

"Near this place lieth the body of Rob. Posteus, Cl, lase rector of this parith, who died April the 18th, 1753, in the 49th year of his age."

The above infcription is in memory of the elder brother of the present worthy and pious Bishop of London.

At the East end of the church flands the old family manfion of the Cockavnes, furrounded with a broad and deep moat, over which is a drawbridge. The entrance to the house is through an antient porch into a large hall (that occupies the whole height of the building) with a curious timber roof, and a mufick-gallery at one end, built in the reign of William Rufus. The ends of the house are of a more

modern date. The esiate continued in the family of the Cockaynes till about the year 1740, when it came to Savile Cockayne Cuft, efq. who left it to Sie John Cuft, late Speaker of the Houte of Commons, and is now in the poffeilion of Mits Lucy Cockayne, Cult.

Yours, &c.

A

MAFT. RUGELEY.

Dec. 31..

Mr. URBAN, MONG the lift of Marriages in your last Number you might have added that of Sir Thomas Champ neys, bart. of Amport, co. Hants, to Mifs Minchin, daughter of the late H. Minchin, efq. of Holywell, in the fame county.

There is no doubt but the feal, en

graven in your Magazine for June latt, pl. 1. fig. 3, belonged to this family, though there be some variation in the orthography. The feal is at present in the pofletion of Sir Thomas, to whom I returned it, and who confiders it to have been cut for one of his auceftors. It was found, as I mentioned, in a garden at Cornhampton, co. Hants. The house to which the garden belongs was formerly occupied by a perfon who fold pies, gingerbread, and other fuch little articles, which are so captivating to young gentlemen, and which they think so very refreshing after the fatiguing hours of study. Near this houte was at that time a grammar-school, where Sir Thomas Champneys received part of his education; as did alio his father, Riehard Champneys, and perhaps his grandfather (as the fantily refidence was not many miles from it),: whose Chriftian name was John, as likewife his great grandfather's, the name engraven on the feal; which, however, must have been cut for one of Sir Thomas's ancestors much more remote, as the letters bear the mark of W. confiderable antiquity,

was

*** The worthless correspondent, whose Letter, with the LICHFIELD post-mark, was received Jan. 12, is widely mistaken, if he thinks the groffness of his attack on a respectable medical character and his three

amiable daughters has the leaft refermblance to Wit.-To his confufion, we tell

him, his HAND-WAITING and his knack at caricaturing are known; and, if he prefume to repeat his filthy ribaldry, he may depend on the exposare he so juftly merits. We need not add, that the young ladies have Brothers; but shalt leave him to the fting which his own confcience cannot fail to inflict.

269. The

259. The Poetical Works of John Milton, in Six Volumes; with the principal Notes of various Commentators. To which are added, Illuftrations, with some Account of the Life of Milton. By the Rev. Henry-John Todd, M. A.

MR. T. was invited and encouraged to undertake this variorum edition of Milton's works in the close of the year 1798, by the promise of affistance from his literary friends. He began to arrange his materials, and continued his enquiries to the close of the year 1799, when this edition began to be printed, and engaged his confiant and unwearied application till publication. An account is given of Milton's various commentators, whose notes were collected and published together ▲by Dr. Newton, and of fubfequent editions, fuch as that of the first book of Paradife Lott at Glasgow, the late Mr. Mafon's intended edition of the leffer poems, executed by Mr. Warton 1785, and a second edition 1791, and Mr. Dunfter's of the Paradife Regained 1795. To these are added a felection of notes from various authors, and the MS. notes of the late Mr. Bowle, and an interleaved copy of the Paradife Loft by that accomplished scholar the late Benjamin Stillingneet, efq. who in tended an edition juft as Dr. Newton's was announced, and whose papers were prefented to the late Dr. Dampier, dean of Durham, whose fon, the dean of Rochefter, communicated them to Mr. T. whose "gratitude can never be fufficiently exprefied for the aids afforded him by his grace the Duke of Bridgewater, as, on a former occafion, for permiffion to print the MS. mafk of Comus, obtained through the obliging - application of the Rev. Francis-Henry Egerton, fo, on the prefent, for permiffion to print the MS. mafk of Marfion, performed before the Countefs-dowager of Derby, and to make ufe of many rare and curious books, perhaps not to be found in other collections, and for the opportunity of introducing to public notice the poems of fome forgotten and unknown Eng

* Mr. Sullingfleet wrote a truly Miltonic foonet, printed by Mr.Told; who Lays, "the literary world is indebted to Thomas Park, efq. for fome of the sweeteit fonnets in the English Language." He should not have forgotten Mr. Bowle, whose truly Miltonic ftrains were before commended, and read with renewed pleafore. EDIT. GENT. MAG. Supplement, 1801.

lifh bards, as well as other pieces of our antient literature, hitherto overlooked by the most curious inveftigators. The invaluable collection which his grace poslesles has been removed from the family-feat at Afhridge to Bridgewater-house, Cleveland-courtt." Other fuggeftions and materials were furnished by Mr. Reed, Mr. Bindley, and others.

The chief purpose of the new notes is, in humble imitation of Mr. Warton, to "explain the allusions of Milton, illustrate or vindicate his beauties, point out the imitations both of others and himself, elucidate his obfolete diction, and, by the adduction and juxt appofition of parallels, univerfally gleaned from his poetry and prose, to afcertain his favourite words, and thew the peculiarity of his phraseology." A gloffarial index is added, the punctuation of Milton amended, and fome new anecdotes relating to the hiftory of Milton's friends, his works, and his time, are added in his life.

Vol. I. contains the life, with additions; lift of editions; tranflation and alterations of the poetical works, and detached pieces of criticism on thein; prolegomena, &c.; commendatory verfes; Mr. Addifon's criticifm on the Paradife Loft; Dr. Johnfon on the verfification of Milton; origin of Paradife Loft.

Vol. II. Milton's apology for the verfe of the first fix books of Paradise Loft.

Vol. III. the last fix books of Paradife Loft; plans of it as a tragedy.

Vol. IV. Paradife Regained, and Samson Agonistes, with preliminary obfervations on each.

Vol. V. Lycidas; L'Allegro ed Il Penferofo; Arcadia; Comus; Sonnets: preliminary obfervations on each; Marfton's MS. mafk; account of Ludlow cattle, the family of Bridgewater, and Heary Lawes.

Vol. VI. Odes, mifcellanies, tranflations; Elegiæ, Epigrammata, Silvæ;

+ The view given of these literary collections by our editor is fufficient to make us regret the neglect with which they were so long left a prey to duft and damp; whereby to much irreparable damage was done to a teries of portraits of this illuftrious family, that they were better configned to the flames than preferved at the demolition of the manfion in the fummer: of 1800. EDIT.

Appendix,