Imágenes de página
PDF
ePub
[graphic][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed]
[graphic]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[blocks in formation]

Church, are all in the Decorated style, although he is aware that they have been denominated early Perpendicular, The windows of the chancel and northern aisle to the east are evidently of the latter kind. The arches are covered in the interior with rich and elegantly sculptured stone-work, bordered with a profusion of roses and quatrefoils, displaying on one side three salmon, the arms of Bodmin Priory, and on the other a shield, charged with a sword paleways. This bearing does not correspond with the arms either of Prior Vivian or of his Megarean bishopric, as has been incorrectly stated. There are few remains left of the stained glass which filled the tra cery of the windows.

Many inscriptions of considerable antiquity have, through culpable neglect, been applied to the repairs of the Church. The oldest in a complete state of preservation is the following on a brass tablet:

Hic jacet Magist' Laurenci' Merther quand'm Dicari' isti' Ecclie qui obiit To Mense Junij Anno 'ni M.CCCC°.XXi°. cui' a'i'e p’piciet' d's.

Ame'.

The monuments to the Prideauxes are comparatively modern. The Baronetages give the descent of the family

[July,

phrey Dean of Norwich. John died in 1704, leaving issue Edmund, who died in 1728 unmarried, bequeathing the family estate to Edmund his cousin german (the only son of the Dean of Norwich), whose son Humphrey was father of the Rev. C. Prideaux Brune, the present representative of the family. This descent is more fully particularized in the subjoined inscriptions.

An elevated monument in the Ionic order was brought from the church at Holdsworthy, in which parish Soldon is situated. It occupies the end of the south chancel, and bears the prominent figures of the old knight and his third wife, with four of their posterity, all in a kneeling posture, and in full proportions. The whole is curiously sculptured, and charged with an abundant display of armorial bearings. Arms Argent, a chevron Sable, in chief a file, with three lambeaux Gules. Crest-a Saracen's head in profile, wearing a cap of dignity. The arms of Bigbury, Treverbyn, Clifford, Mortimer, Montacute, Adeston, Giffard, Fowell, and York, are severally quartered; and there are also escutcheons impaling Henscott, Viol, and Castel, with the arms of Prideaux. On different parts of the monument are

inscribed:

St. Breock, in the c. of Cornwall, by Mary, the dau. of John Castel of Scobcheswhom he had issue John Prideaux; 3dly, ter, and widow of Evan Morice, Dr. of Law, and Chancellor of Exeter, by whom he had no issue he died at Cheston in West Put

at Netherton to the exclusion of the elder branch. The statements of both "Sir Nicholas Prideaux of Soldon in ye Lysons and Gilbert on this subject are c. of Devon, and of Padstow in the c. of incorrect; the following short notice, Cornwall, kt. eldest son of Roger Prideaux however, supplies the deficiency. Ro- of Soldon, married, 1st. Thomasine, the ger Prideaux of Soldon had issue two heiress of John Henscott, of Henscott, in sons, Nicholas, who purchased the the county of Devon, by whom he had issue manor of Padstow, and erected Place; Humphrey Prideaux; 2dly, Cheston, the and Edmund, the first Baronet of Necoheiress of William Viol of Treverder in therton (1622). Humphrey, son of the said Nicholas, left issue Nicholas, Edmund, and two other sons, who died unmarried. Nicholas the eldest succeeded to the Devonshire property, and possessed Soldon; and, according to Lysons, his branch ended in an heiress who married into the Netherton family. Edmund the younger son succeeded to the manor of Padstow, and was the first of his family who fixed his permanent residence at Place. His sons were, John, his heir, Edmund, a Smyrna merchant, and Hum

*

*This circumstance, perhaps, gave rise to a claim to the patronage of the living of Padstow made in former years by the Netherton family.

:

ford in ye c. of Devon, 25 Jan. A.D. 1627.

"Humphrey Prideaux of Soldon, eld. son of Sir Nic. Prideaux, married Honour, the dau. of Edm. Fortescue of Fallapit, in ye c. of Devon; he had issue Nicholas, married to Anne, ye dau. of Will. Coryton; John Prideaux, died unmarried; Edmund Prideaux of Padstow, married Bridgett Moyle; Humphrey Prideaux of Hankford; Thomasine, married John Fortescue of Buckland Filly in Devon; and Eliz. to Sir Wm. Morice of Werrington, Secretary of State to King Charles II. He died of the small pox about the 36 year of his age. John Prideaux of Padstow, 2d son of Sir Nicholas Prideaux,

married Anne, ye daughter of Rob. Moyle of Bake in ye c. of Cornwall, and died without issue.

"Sir Wm. Morice of Werrington, in ye c. of Devon, knt. eldest son of Dr. Morice, married Eliz. ye dau. of Humphrey Prideaux of Soldon, by whom he had issue Sir Wm. Morice, bart.; John, Humphrey, Nicholas, Gartrude, Thomasine, Anne, Elizabeth. He was by King Charles II. knighted, on his landing at Dover, and soon after constituted Secretary of State and a Privy Counsellor, in consideration of his great services in bringing about the Restoration, in which he was principally concerned, by reason of the great influence and interest he had with

General Monk. He executed the trust reposed in him with great integrity and honour for eight years, when he retired from Court, and died at Werrington in the c. of Devon, 1676, æt. 75., Laurence, 2d son of Dr. Morice, died unmarried."

The next monument is constructed of well-wrought marble, and judiciously finished in the Roman Ionic. The Prideaux arms impale Moyle, and are charged with a mullet for distinction. The inscription follows:

"Hic infra jacet depositum mortale Edmundi Prideaux de Padstow, armigeri, viri, qui ob pietatem Deo charus, ob prudentiam reipublicæ utilis, ob gravitatem morum omnibus venerabilis, maximum vixit hujus comitatus ornamentum, et maximum est ejusdem jam defunctum desiderium. Nascebatur 15° Septembris, ao 1606, filius tertius Humfridi Prideaux de Souldon armri; indolem, quam a naturâ accepit optimam, artibus et scientiis Cantabrigiæ et Oxoniæ excoluit, juris municipalis studiis Londini, sapientiâ et prudentiâ in exteris nationibus, quibus ad maxima quæque formato ingenio, in omnibus quæ deinde gessit se maximis negotiis parem indicavit. Prudentiam primò exercuerunt res domesticæ, quas non parum labefactatas acceperat, et deinde pessima ea in quæ incidit tempora easq; difficultates satis graves, utrasq; feliciter superavit. Post regis reditum justitiarius pacis et locum tenens deputatus constitutus, in restaurandis hujus comitatus rebus et in iisdem deinceps moderandis usque ad obitum suum primas partes egit; a 1664 vicecomes comitatus fuit, et per plures annos quamdiu per ætatem licuit sessionibus pacis singulis plerumq; terminis præsidebat; tandem maturus annis, maturus benemeritis, vitæ optimæ actæ præmia recepturus, hinc ad cœlites decessit 25° Octobris, a D'ni 1683, ætatis suæ 78, supremisque tabulis unum inclausum vocatum St. Michael's Parke vicariis hujus ecclesiæ in perpetuum donavit. Uxorem duxit Brigettam filiam Johannis Moyle de Bake armigeri, ex quâ superstites habuit tres filios, Johannem primogenitum et heredem, Edmundum

mercatorem Smyrnensem, et Humfridum S. T. P. ecclesia Nordovicencis canonicum ; et quatuor filias, Adm Guilo Pendarves in Cornubiâ, Annam Richardo Coffin de Portledge, Brigettam Arscotto Bickford de Dunsland in Devonia, armigeris, nuptas, et Stonorem adhuc innuptam; tres alii filii, Nicholaus, scholarus Collegii Corporis Christi, Oxoniæ, in adolescentiâ, Rogerus et Gualterus in infantiâ, prius occubuêre. Posuit hoc illi mostissima conjux."

The last is engraved on a plain stone near the altar, with the Prideaux arms, but, although more modern, the inscription has been broken, and rendered illegible in several places: these deficiencies however may be easily supplied.

[ocr errors]

"H.S. E. Edmundus Prideaux armiger redi doctrinæ et scriptorum fam. ...... clesia Norvicensis Decani fi...... in agro Norfolcienci natus Anno D....n omnium bonarum artium et jurisprudenti.. culturâ studium posuit. Uxorem duxit Hannam fœminam e.... Benjamini Wrench, præclari admodu... et equitis aurati filiam, ex eâ quinque omnino filios et duas filias susce.... uxore fato prærepta......c tandem in fortunas majorum consanguin...... morte commigrav...... omnibus bonis multum di...... diem obiit, Anno D'ni 1745. ...res filios et filiam unam superstit...orum pietas in patris memoria... testamento ponendum cu......'

several tablets to members of the RawIn the south aile of the chancel, are lings family. Arms: Sable, three swords per pale. Crest, an armed arm embowed, elbow resting on wreath, holding in the gauntlet a falchion. Motto Cognosce teipsum, et disce pati.

A monument to Stephen Pendarves of London, merchant, 1674, youngest son of John Pendarves of Crowan, was taken down from the north aile some years since, and has not been replaced. The Rev. Thomas Biddulph, 1790, 19 years Vicar, and his two wives, are commemorated in neat tablets. Arms: Biddulph charged with a mullet for distinction, impaling Townsend, and bearing Tregenna on an escutcheon of pretence. An inscription to the Rev. Charles Grey, who died in 1771, nearly 50 years Vicar, is placed in front of the communion table. There are also some memorials to female members of the Elford family, of Longstone, and to some of the Swimmer, Read, and Torn families, which, from the progress of decay, are rendered almost il legible.

20

On the Cremation of Hindoo Widows.

On the left of the Church porch is the following just tribute to the memory of Mr. Conon, who has been frequently noticed in your pages. It breathes the sterling piety and laconic soundness of intellect which characterized that venerable man, with a degree of chastened simplicity for which we may in vain search the generality of monumental inscriptions. The memorial was engraved on a plain stone under the direction of the Rev. George Burnett, of Elland:

"In spe beatæ resurrectionis hic jacet sepultus Georgius Conon, A. M. nuper apud Truroenses, novissimè vero in hoc vico humanarum literarum præceptor, præ multis eruditus, diligens, et felix. Vir priscæ virtu tis et Christianæ pietatis, fidei, modestiæ, et

charitatis in homines exemplar et idem propugnator eximius. Vitâ jam Christo patriæque impensâ, piam animam efflavit, placidè licet subito, vi Cal. Junii, anno Christi 1775, ætatis suæ 74. Beati qui moriuntur in Domino. Rev. xiv. 12."

Among the Vicars enumerated in a former communication, the Rev. Ralph Mitchel, A.M. has been thus noticed in Walker's Attempt:

“He was one of the first that was sequestered in this county, and suffered, saith my Informant, as much as possible. He lived to be restored, and died in 1670. He was an innocent good man, and much esteemed." The "religio loci" of our cathedral and collegiate antiquities, is in no small degree enhanced by the recollec tion of those great and good men who have paced the cloisters or sojourned within the walls of the time-worn fabric. Such associations fail us in the contemplation of the country Church. Yet even in the absence of their influence, those minds which are amenable to the softer emotions of our nature, whether in youth, maturity, or age, inust regard with venerating attachment the edifice to which I refer. It was there that they were first publicly admitted into the fellowship of Christ's Church by that holy sacrament which opened to their view the hopes of immortality, and the consolations of the Gospel. There, amidst those sacred offices which our Liturgy has clothed with such dignified solemnity and beauty, they were called upon to pay the last mournful duties to the remains

of their dearest earthly connections. It was there too, perhaps, that the truths of revelation first arrested their

*Gent. Mag. for 1825, ii. 584.

[July,

infant attention, whilst the faithful
and energetic address of their paston
affectionately impressed on them those
simple and easily comprehended prin-
ciples which are alone the foundation
of that religion which expands itself in
sublimity beyond all the speculations
of antient philosophers. To those,
therefore, who can cherish these senti
ments in unison, with the writer, there
are few objects more interesting, few
so interwoven with the most sacred.
aspirations of existence, as the Church
of their native parish.
Yours, &c.

MR. URBAN,

my

Δ.

July 20.

IN
last letter, p. 494, I endea-
voured to advance the ground taken,
by Mr. Macdonald, Part i. p. 409, by
stating that the burning of Hindoo
widows was not only contrary to their
own laws, but also to the Mosaic laws
and to ours; and that on this account
it appeared to me to be a just exercise
of our legislative authority to interpose
against a merely traditional practice
which had become sanctioned only by
husband, or the interest of surviving
time, and the prejudice or pride of the
relations.

And now, as petitions have since been presented to, and received by the House of Commons, through the hands of three Members, praying for its interference, I cannot engage the attention of your numerous readers, especially of those who belong to the Senate, better than by collecting in one view a few notes that may be serviceable in the future discussion of this delicate subject.

Some persons, indeed, have thought it useless to consider the subject, alleging that, if these persons choose this mode of death, and really belieze in the promises of the peculiar bliss which their priesthood and relations endeavour to instil upon their minds, why should we present any obstacle, or civil interference to prevent it, as no risk the dangerous consequences of any benefit can accrue to us from the attempt? But this, it appears to me, however general the sentiment may be,

is

extensive Colony, to a cruel idolatry a blind consent, in our own most which has crept into practice, although it militates against their own ancient laws, and involves therefore upon our civil government of Hindostan the stain of silently participating by con

« AnteriorContinuar »