stated that in the reign of Henry III. "the Judges were four in number, who went the circuit of the whole kingdom, once in every year," when fo early as the twenty-fecond year of Henry II. there were fix diftricts, and three Judges for each; he would not have admitted, with Truffel, that " Earl Waltheof was the first person that was tried by his peers," if he had been converfant in the Saxon laws; and he would have known that not only the Abbey of St. Mary's, but St. Peter's, Winchester, was an entire Barony, of Royal Foundation under the Saxon monarchy, for their fuperiors ranked as peers. (Domesday 43.) Had fuch records been confulted by him, he would have found alfo that not only the inferior Clergy were allowed to marry, but Canons of the Church of St. Martin's, Dover, for their fons frequently fucceeded to the fituation of their fathers; and he would have known the confequence of the Roll of Winchester, becaufe Robert Bruis held not of the crown in capite, till his name was enrolled in fuch record, "poftquam liber fcriptus fuit de Wintoniâ." Domesday 332. b.

In fome departments Mr. M. difplays great refearch, and much penetration and antiquaries will meet with an elegant illuftration of the celebrated Crux Antiquarorum, the puzzle of thefe learned gentlemen, the ancient Cathedral Font of Winchefter. (VOL. II. P. 183.) Mr. M. in general, is very correct in decyphering old infcriptions, of which he gives numerous inftances; but we fubmit to his confideration whether in the Charter of Edward the Confeffor to the Church of St. Swithun's, the words, GOD-BE-GETE, fhould not be GOD HE GETE, that is, GOD HE GAVE IT, inftead of his Good-begot, or God-begate, and that the B has been inferted for H. To his etymology alfo of ordeal (voL. 1. P. 182.) or, great, and deal, judgement, we can by no means affent, for it is fynonimous with the German Urtel, that correfponds to verdict, vere-dictum, a corruption of true-tell, the fame confonants if we confider D and Tas letters of the fame organ.

We cannot but caution our readers against some reflections on Archbishop Cranmer, and the English Reformers, nor can we acquiefce in his ftatement, that "the Clergy in general who fucceeded the difplaced, (Romith Priefts,) according to the character of them, given by unprejudiced hiftorians, were ill qualified to repair the lofs which the public had fuffered in the former." He ftates, that laws were enacted by Proteftants against herefy, who had made the perfecutions, which they had fuffered, one of the chief pretexts for overturning the eftablishment both in church and ftate." We, however, perfectly coincide in opinion with him relative to Dr. Benjamin Hoadly, the great champion of the Low Church, (VOL. I.

P. 445.)

P. 445.) and the juftice of his obfervations relative to his medallion in the nave of the Cathedral.

"Nor can the eye, in this fituation, be reftrained from fixing on that inimitable medallion of Bishop Hoadley, against the pillar, on the left hand, over his tomb and epitaph. The hard ftone here affumes the foft foldings of the prelate's filken ornaments, and the cold marble is animated with his living, fpeaking features. But what an incongruous affociation of emblems do we here find crouded in the margin! The democratic pike and gap is in faltire with the paftoral crofier, Magna Charta is blended with the new fcripture, as equally the fubject of the Bishop's meditations. In vain, however, we look for the mask and dagger to record the dramatic labours of the deceased, from which he is cer tainly entitled to as much honour as from most of his other writings. One remark more will ftrike us before we lofe fight of this monument. The column against which it is placed has been cut away to a confiderable depth, in order to make place for it, evidently to the weakening of the whole fabric. Thus it may be faid with truth of Dr. Hoadley, that, both living and dying, he undermined the church of which he was a prelate. (VOL. 11. Pp. 32, 33.)

This author juftly argues on the fubject of the crufades.

"It has been the fashion, ever fince Voltaire fet the example, for modern writers to spend all their eloquence in declamations against the crufades, being little aware that we are indebted to them for not wearing the turban, and fwearing by Mahomet at the prefent day. Let it be remembered that, about the time of the crufades, those wide wafting barbarians, whofe primary rule of conduct was the extirpation of all unbelievers in the Koran, had already fubdued all the civilized countries of Afia and Africa, and, being mafters of Spain, on one fide of Europe, and of Greece, with the neighbouring provinces, on the other, hemmed in the Chriftian states within narrow bounds, and would infallibly have reduced them, one after another, but for those affociations of the braveft warriors throughout the feveral kingdoms, which fucceffively harraffed them in the heart of their ftrength, and found them fufficient employment at home, during the ages of their greatest prowess and enterprize." (vVOL. I. P. 266, note.)

As a topographical work, replete with interefting information to the admirers of antiquity, the architecture of the middle ages, and curious research in general, the prefent volumes are entitled to a high rank. The frontifpiece is by Turner, the engravings are executed by Pafs, from the drawings of Cave, under the the fuperintendance of Mr. Milner.

ART. IV. Proceedings of the Affociation for promoting the Difcovery of the Interior Parts of Africa; containing an Abftratt of Mr. Park's Account of his Travels and Difcoveries, abridged from his own Minutes. By Bryan Edwards, Efq. Alfo Geographical Illuftrations of Mr. Park's Journey; and of North Africa, at large. By Major Reynell. 4to. Pp. 162. Printed for the Affo ciation, by Bulmer. 1798. Not fold.

MR. Mungo Park having left Great Britain, May, 1795,

with a view to explore the interior parts of Africa, departed from Pifania, on the Gambia, in December, the fame year, and travelled through countries into which it is not known that a single European ever before penetrated. After an abfence of a year and a half he returned to Pifania, to his friend and hoft, Dr. Laidley, who had long given him up for loft. Mr. Park is, it would appear, a man excellently qualified, by vigour of conftitution and intrepidity of fpirit, to encounter the difficulties and dangers of fo adventurous a journey, and, by exactness of obfervation, acuteness, and ftrength of understanding, to ascertain the geographical fituation and divifions, the phyfical and moral ftate, of those before unexplored regions. The object of the memoirs before us we fhall give the reader, in the words of the committee in their introduction:

"From the notes and memorandums which he kept as he passed, and the materials he collected as occafion offered, it is propofed, that he fhall prepare a Journal, or Narrative, of his Progrefs and Difcoveries; the cafualties he met with, and the observations which occurred to him in the courfe of his journey. The intelligence he gives is interesting and important; and the knowledge he has acquired cannot fail to promote, in an eminent degree, the views and purpofes of the Affociation."

Such a work is preparing by the African traveller; but while he is arranging the materials, and reducing the whole into a regular detail, it is thought advifeable, by the African Affociation, we are farther told," in order to gratify, in fome degree, that powerful curiofity which Mr. Park's return cannot fail to have excited in the minds of the fubfcribers, that an epitome, or abstract, of his principal discoveries fhould be laid before them, while the larger work is preparing.'

From the abstract we have great reafon to conclude, that the public will, from Mr. Park's own work, derive much amufement, information, and inftruction; that his narrative

will contain a variety of new discoveries to gratify the curious, and of useful knowledge for the practical confideration of the trader and politician; of fresh fubjects belonging to the natural and moral world, for the contemplation of the philofopher.

December 2, 1795, Mr. Park departed from the mansion of his friend, Dr. Laidley, and bent his course eastward, accompanied and guided by two Negroes, natives of the country; the one of whom, fpeaking Englith tolerably, acted as interpreter. The Doctor having alfo prefented him a horse for himself, and two affes for his fervants, he proceeded to Woolli, from that to Bondou; he had hitherto been well treated, and was, on the whole, well ufed at Bondou; for, though the King of that place ftripped him of his coat, he prefented him with fome gold duft, and plenty of provifions.

It appears that the parts of Africa through which Mr. Park travelled are inhabited by three races, or, more probably, by two, with the third compofed of the mixture of the two: the Moors and Mandingoes, or pure Negroes, and the Foulahs-the Moors chiefly inhabit the northern quarter of those regions, along the skirts of the great defart; the Mandingoes, more fouthern countries; and the Foulahs are intermixed with both. Indeed, the three races very frequently intermingle in the way of commerce; there feems to be a fimilar difference between the Moors and Mandingoes of Africa, as between the Mahometans and Gentoos in India. The Mandingoes are pagans, and of a mild, peaceable difpofition, while the Moors are bigots to the Mahometan faith; are the moft treacherous, cruel, and fanguinary of mankind, at leaft of those who have not joined fyftematic atheism to difregard for virtue, order, and property. The Foulahs, though by no means fo bad as the Moors, yet are far from poffefling the mildness, benevolence, and hofpitality of the Mandingoes. The King of Bondou was of the tribe of the Foulahs. Having met with the King of Caffan's nephew, he was conducted to the capital of that country, where, as a white man, he excited great curiofity; and was detained by the King and his brother for three weeks. The vanity of thefe perfonages was gratified by the exhibition of the white man to the inhabitants, as a fhow; but, in other refpects, they behaved with great kindness. Here Mr. Park first learned, for certainty, the death of Major Houghton, and that he had perished among the Moors; but, in what manner, they either would not, or could not, defcribe. He next proceeded to Caarta, a Mandingo country, where he was very kindly entertained; thence he intended to take a fouth-easterly direction through the kingdom of Bam

Ii3

barra,

barra, in order to arrive at the Niger, called by the natives Jolliba, or Great River; but was advised, in Caarta, to take a circuitous course, as Bambarra was then at war with Caarta; and, if he went ftraitway out of the latter into the former, he might be confidered as a spy, and endanger his life; he, therefore, took a more northerly course, and arrived at Jarra, a country occupied by the Moors; having reafon to apprehend treachery at Jarra, he left it, while the interpreter afraid of being detained as a flave, refused to accompany him farther. Thence he went on to Duna, and on his arrival in that town the Moors furrounded him; "they harraffed him with fhouts of infult, fpit in his face, and feized his baggage, robbing it of what things they fancied." Purfuing his journey, he was, in a few days, while refting in the hut of a friendly Negro, furrounded by a party of Moors, who carried him to the camp at Benarm, near the great defart, and prefented him to their chieftain, or King, Ali. Of the camp, and his reception there, he gives the following account:-" It prefented to the eye a great number of dirty-looking tents, fcattered, without order, over a large fpace of ground; and among the tents were feen herds of camels, bullocks, and goats." When the arrival of a white man was made known, he was furrounded by fuch crouds that he could scarcely walk: the ladies were the most curious and inquifitive, and amufing inftances of this are mentioned; nor were they wanting in compaffion for his fufferings, from the cruelty and penuriousness of the Moors, who only allowed him one meal, but they durft not afford him relief, so that he was almost starving; all his effects were taken from him: oppreffed, at the fame time, with a burning fever, his fituation was truly deplorable. A full recital, however, of his diftreffes is referved for his own work. At laft he effected his escape, determined to rifk perifhing in the woods of hunger, or by the fury of wild beasts, rather than remain any longer in his prefent dreadful fituation; the occafion and means of his efcape, and the rifque that he incurred, are referved for his own narrative.

As a fpecimen of the manners of these Moors the following circumftance is narrated:-"Hearing, one morning, the found of drums, and fhouts of joy, Mr. Park was informed, that a wedding was celebrating in one of the neighbouring tents: an old woman foon after entering the hut in which our traveller was confined, with a bowl in her hand, told him he had a prefent from the bride, and immediately dif charged the contents in his face. Finding that it was the fame fort of holy water with which, among the Hottentots, the

priest