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share of compassion or allowance for
people whom Natural Religion alone
might, one is ready to think, teach a
little humanity; I once more sub-
scribe myself, Sir,
Yours, &c.

Mr. URBAN,

AN URBANITESS.

Edgbaston,near Birm
ingham, April 3.

HAVING on a former occasion

presented your readers with a short account of the Coinage of England; permit me now to lay before them a few of the most important particulars concerning that of Scotland, the history of which involves many curious and interesting facts.

It is highly probable that the Scots were acquainted with the art of coining money at a very early period, since their communication with such of the Continental Nations of Europe as had long known and practised this art was by no means inconsiderable. The most antient of their coins, however, which are now to be found, are those of Alexander the First, a Prince who was contemporary with Henry the First of England. These pieces were all of silver, and so similar in every respect to the coins then current in England, as only to be distinguished from them by the legend, which ran thus, "Alexander Dei Gra:" reverse," Scotorum Rex." It is observable also, that the difference between the real and the nominal pound began in the two kingdoms nearly at the same time. The Scotish Princes, however, from the very commencement of this variation, began to reduce the weight of their coins, so considerably and so frequently, whilst their nominal value remained the same, that, towards the close of the fourteenth century, their penny was no larger than the halfpenny of England; the weight of the coins of this latter country having been reduced in a much more gradual, and consequently in a much smaller proportion. The great difference which now existed between the English and the Scotish coins, caused it to be enacted in the reign of Richard II. that" the Scotish groat should thenceforward pass for only twopence in England, the halfgroat for one penny, the penny for a half-penny, and the half-penny for a farthing."

The early coins of Scotland, like those of our Anglo-Norman Kings,

consisted of silver pennies alone. Alexander the Third, however, introduced into Scotland a coinage of halfpence and farthings, about the same time that these pieces were first struck in England; and these were succeeded, in the reign of David the Second, by the coinage of the groat and halfgroat. Still copying the example of

the

English, Robert the Second intro

duced a coinage of gold into Scot land, pieces called "St. Andrews, from the figure of their tutelar Saint which appeared on them.

The Scotish Kings still continuing rapidly to diminish the size of their coins, the half-penny and farthing were at length become so small, that it was adjudged necessary to discon tinue the coinage of these pieces in silver; and accordingly James the Third, in the year 1466, struck a number of coins composed chiefly of copper, but containing also a small proportion of silver: this coinage was called "Billon Money;" and in the following reign, the coinage of the silver penny having also been discontinued, this coin was likewise added to the denominations of the new species of money.

At the accession of Henry the Seventh to the throne of England, three Scotish groats were only equal in weight to one English groat; and about the middle of the sixteenth century, in the reign of the unfortu nate Mary Queen of Scots, marks of silver, or pieces of 138. 4d. each, were coined, which were worth only 3s. 4d. English. In the year 1553, this Princess issued a coinage of testoons, to pass for five shillings each; half tes toons were also issued at the same time; the former of these pieces exactly corresponded in size with the English shilling, the latter with the sixpence. On her marriage with Lord Darnley, Queen Mary coined a pumber of crown - pieces, weighing an ounce each, to pass for thirty shillings; also some pieces of ten and twenty shillings each.

During the minority of James the Sixth, in a new coinage, the current value of the crown was raised to forty shillings, its real intrinsic value, in English money, not exceeding five shillings; and in 1597, crowns of the same size, to pass for fifty shillings, distinguished by the letter "L" be hind the King's bust, were also struck.

One

One step more only was now wanting Fe to complete this surprising increase in the nominal value of the Scotish the coins, and to bring it to the highest reits point to which it ever attained: this fe was effected in the year 1601, when er King James, by issuing a coinage of tal crown-pieces to pass for sixty shillings een each, rendered the nominal value of Secal, the several denominations of the Scotdish money equal to twelve times their real value in the current money of to England.

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The silver coins of Scotland immediately subsequent to the Union of In that kingdom with England, A. D. 1603, were, the mark with its subdivisions the half and quarter, the twentypenny piece, and pieces of two and four marks each, all coined at the rate of sixty shillings to the crown-piece, which, in Scotland, seems invariably to have been made to weigh an ounce, When, however, the Union of the two kingdoms was completed by Queen Anne, A. D. 1707, all the coin which had hitherto circulated in Scotland was called in, and the whole re-coined at Edinburgh into pieces of exactly the same weights and denominations as the coin then current in England; and since this period one general coinage has circulated indiscriminately throughout the whole Island.

3

In order to lay before your readers at one view the more striking of the facts which I have enumerated, I subjoin the following table, shewing the increasing nominal value of the Pound Troy of silver in Scotland, as exemplified in the current coin of the Realm:

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der that persuasion, I beg leave to communicate a method of coffeemaking which I have long practised, and which I find to answer my purpose better than any other; though I have tried several, and bestowed on the subject a share of attention, which your Readers will hardly deem censurable, when apprised that coffee has for the last three years been my only beverage, except morning and evening tea.

My process, Sir, is that of simmering, over the small but steady flame of a lamp-a process, at once, simple, easy, and (without watching or attendance) uniformly productive of an extract so grateful to the palate and the stomach, as to leave me neither the want nor the desire of any stronger liquor.

But, to accomplish this, a vessel of peculiar construction is requisite.➡ Mine is a straight-sided pot, as wide at top as at bottom, and inclosed in a case of similar shape, to which it is soldered air-tight at the top. The case is above an inch wider than the pot, descends somewhat less than an inch below it, and is entirely open at the bottom; thus admitting and confining a body of hot air all round and underneath the pot. The lid is double; and the vessel is of course furnished with a convenient handle and spout.

In this Simmerer, the extract may be made either with hot water or with cold. If wanted for speedy use, hot water will be proper, but not actually boiling and, the powdered coffee being added, nothing remains but to close the lid tight, to stop the spout with a cork, and place the vessel over the lamp, where it will soon begin to simmer, and may remain unattended and unnoticed until the coffee is wanted for immediate use. It may then be strained through a O bag of stout, close linen, which will transmit the liquid so perfectly clear, as not to contain the smallest particle of the powder.

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36 0 0 T. CLARK, Jun.

West-square, Lambeth, April 2. HE use of Coffee becoming every day more extensive in this country, I presume that any suggestion for the improvement of that pleasing and salubrious beverage cannot be unacceptable to the publick.

Un

The strainer is tied round the mouth of an open cylinder, or tube, which is fitted into the mouth of the coffeepot that is to receive the fluid, as a steamer is fitted into the mouth of a saucepan and, if the coffee-pot have a cock near the bottom, the liquid may be drawn out as fast and as hot as it flows from the strainer.

If the coffee be not intended for speedy use, as is the case with me, who have my Simmerer placed over my night-lamp at bed-time, to produce the beverage which I am to drink the next day at dinner and supper; in such case, cold water may be used with equal or perhaps superior advantage; though I have never found any perceptible difference in the result, whether the water employed was hot or cold. In either case, it soon begins to simmer, and continues simmering all night, without ever boiling over, and without any sensible diminution of quantity by evaporation.

With respect to the lamp-although a fountain-lamp is undoubtedly preferable, any of the common small lamps, which are seen in every tinshop, will answer the purpose, provided that it contain a sufficiency of oil to continue burning bright during the requisite length of time. The tube, or burner, of my lamp, is little more than one eighth of an inch in diameter and this at the distance of one inch and three quarters below the bottom of the pot-with the wick little more than one eighth of an inch high-and with pure spermaceti oil has invariably performed, as above described, without requiring any trimming, or other attention and without producing any smoke; whereas, if the wick were too high, or the oil not good, the certain consequences would be, smoke, soot, and extinction.

One material advantage attending

I

Mr. URBAN, May 13. AM much pleased with the plan of the "Compendium of County History" contained in your Maga zine.

In a small compass, much useful information is given; and it is calculated to suit both the idle reader who does not chuse to dip deep, and the lover of topographical research who wishes for an analysis of his more voluminous studies.

May I be permitted to suggest, that a little more attention to the Natural History of each County would add to the value of the plan? For instance, I should have been glad to have seen the fossils of Dorsetshire noticed. The cliffs in the vicinity of Lyme, which are chiefly composed of indurated marl, are peculiarly rich in these curiosities: skeletons and bones of various fish, unknown in their ori ginal state on our shores, are frequently found in these cliffs. One, of the crocodile genus, was discovered about five years ago, and is now deposited in the British Museum.

I shall be obliged to any one of your Correspondents who will inform me where, besides the account in "Hutchins's Dorsetshire" (which is too expensive a work for general cir culation), I may meet with authentic particulars of the siege of Lyme during the Civil Wars, when the town was so obstinately defended by the forces under Colonels Ceely and Blake against Prince Maurice. J. S.

this mode of coffee-making is, that. It

a smaller quantity of the powdered
berry is requisite, to give the desired
strength to the liquor.-The com-
mon methods require that the powder
be coarse; in which state it does not
give out its virtue so completely as
if it were ground finer: whereas, in
this process, it may be used as fine as
it can conveniently be made; and,
the finer it is, the smaller will be the
quantity required, or the richer the
extract; as I have agreeably expe-
rienced, since I have been enabled,
by the new invention of Messrs. Dea-
kin and Duncan of Ludgate-hill, to
have my coffee at once reduced to
the proper degree of fineness, by a
single operation, without the tedious
labour of a second grinding with the
mill tightened.
JOHN CAREY.

Mr. URBAN, Pentonville, March 29. N your Compendium of the Coun ty History of Cumberland, the name of Hugh de Moreville is omitted; I believe he was of that county, and one of the murderers of the famous Thomas à Becket; the mention of his name may perhaps bring something to light respecting him. There is another, and I think a still more important omission, of the name of Joseph Strong, commonly called Blind Joseph; well-known at Carlisle for his mechanical genius, and the extraordinary powers of his mind, evinced in numberless instances; the true history of which would fill a moderate-sized volume. Among other curious performances, he built an organ, on which he played; the idea of which was received into his mind by an examination, by the touch, of the organ in the Cathedral Church of

that city; in which, it is said, he contrived to secrete himself all night for that purpose. He made himself a pair of shoes, in which he walked to London, a distance of 300 miles, for the purpose, as he expressed it, of seeing Mr. Stanley, the great musician. He was the best weaver in the County; and chiefly confined himself to the weaving of figured pattern table-linen, which was done in the most correct and beautiful manner : at the loom he never had assistance, but could immediately tell when any thing went wrong, even the breaking of a thread; which he could as soon put right as the most expert workman with the use of his eyes. This extraordinary man was stone blind. Should this meet the eye of Mr. Greatorex, he may perhaps favour the publick with some anecdotes of Joseph Strong. Mr. G. was, I think, organist of Carlisle cathedral some time before the death of Strong.

slip of brass ran along the tomb-stone, only half of which remains.

"... predicti Thome Mede, ac ter majoris istius ville Bristoll' qui obiit - dic mens' Decembr' anno d'i mcccclxxv. quorum animabus propicietur d'us. Amen."

At the back of the other tomb is a brass plate, having coarsely engra ven on it, a man and woman, and behind the man a youth or attendant. From him proceed the following words in a scroll: “Sancta Triuitas, unus Deus, miserere nobis." From the woman; "Pater de celis miserere nobis."

Thomas Mede was a person of no particular celebrity: but Philip was an eminent man, and bore a part in a very remarkable transaction, which I shall recount at length in the Memoirs of Bristol. S. SEYER.

Mr. URBAN, Gainsburgh, Sept. 5. since

I have some recollection of having A to visit several places in the East

read that the Scudamore family gave a Dutchess to the illustrious house of Somerset. Query-Can your Correspondent O. Y. inform your Readers whether it is the same family to which the present Dowager Dutchess of Norfolk belongs? It would be rather a curious circumstance for one family to give Dutchesses to the two Premier Dukedoms.

Mr. URBAN,

J. N.

May 12.

O the list of Seats in the county

To

add:

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Riding of Yorkshire, and being partial to the examination of the very fine antient Churches which remain in that part of the country, I need hardly tell you that I had here full scope. But, if I was particularly pleased with the beauty and massive solidity of York Cathedral, with what painful sensations did I contemplate the ruined and devastated state of Howden Church, which, in a former period of its history, must have proudly towered above the other

beholder with surprize at its beauty. Now, alas, the roof of the chancel, as well as great part of the side walls, are fallen in, and the West window only, with its mullions in a tolerable state, and a towering pinnacle above, remain of the finest part of the edifice. This pinnacle is seen at a considerable distance; but, until you come close upon it, gives no sign of the ruin it overlooks, and appears by its tolerable state of preservation to reproach the indolence and carelessness

ment, who have thus suffered one of the finest buildings in the county, to moulder into ruin. With whatever feelings of regret, however, I deplored the exterior ruin, they were greatly increased on inspecting the interior. Throughout the whole extent of the chancel, nearly half of the

building,

building, I saw beautiful capitals, mouldings, and pillars, tumbled in one common ruin; and the roof of the chapter-house, which is otherwise in good condition, has shared the common fate of the chancel. Don Espriella, in his "Letters from England," satirically notices the certain convenience-like appearance of the building erected within the cloisters of Lincoln Cathedral, to preserve the very fine Roman pavement some time before discovered there: but bad he visit ed Howden in his tour, his lash might have been used with tenfold severity. Here a building not unlike that hinted at by Don Espriella rears its head, to the annoyance of every feeling of true taste; whilst the beautiful chapter-house, equal to any in the neigh bourhood, and which at probably half the expence might have been repaired, and made a very superior vestry-room, is suffered to fall into EDINBURGENSIS.

ruio.

Mr. URBAN,

May 12.

READING ladly Mr. Geo. Chale Works of Sir David Lindsay, in his poem called The Monarchie, I found the following passage. Speaking of the arch-fiend Lucifer, he says: "He 'gan to be presumptuous, And thocht to set his sait Into the North and mak debait."

vol. II. 1. 360. This brought to my memory a similar passage in Paradise Lost.

Milton makes Satan say, Book V. "All who under me their banners wave, Homeward with flying march where we possess

The quarters of the North."

And afterwards he says, "At length into the limits of the North They came."

Lindsay also, rejecting the heathenish Muses, invokes a heavenly one; so does Milton:-could this be accidental, or did the haughty Republican condescend to borrow from the obsequious Courtier? Perhaps they both borrowed from some more ancient author. Lindsay died about a century before Paradise Lost appeared.

J. A.

Mr.URBAN, Cadogan-place,May26. HE late Mr. Sheridan having on THE some occasions been charged

with Plagiarism, it may be equitable to apply, in his defence, the apology of Dr. Garth on behalf of Dryden:The passage, will be found in the Preface to the Doctor's edition of Ovid's Metamorphoses, and is as follows:

"Where he was allowed to have sentiments superior to others, they charged him with theft:-but how did he steal? -no otherwise than those that steal beggars' children, only to cloath them the better."

Mr. Sheridan sometimes selected his materials from two or three distinct sources; and, after studying how the means could be most advantage. ously associated, he would produce a single composition; as will be perceived by the subjoined extracts, and the song in the Duenna, which fol lows.

Extract from the Old Comedy, by Rг

CHARD WILKINSON, of VICE RE-
CLAIMED, or the PASSIONATE MIL-

TRESS.

Upon LUCIA being pressed to re

late her DREAM of the preceding night-she replies,

"Nay then you shall know all.GAINLOVE, the man you named, methought came to my bed-side, and kissed me with such eagerness, I thought be would have ate me ;-'tis true my lips gave way to the Impressor's fury; then he caught me in his arms, and pressed me to his bosom, and breathed such sighsthat so warmed my foolish inclination, -I vow I could have denied him nothing."

Extract from GAY'S BALLAD, beginning

"Daphnis stood pensive in the shade." "As t'other day my hand he seiz'd,

My blood with thrilling motion flew ; Sudden I put on looks displeas'd,

And hasty from his hold withdrew:→→ 'Twas fear alone, thou simple swainThen hadst thou press'd my hand again,

My heart had yielded too!" Song from the DUENNA Evidently framed from the preceding

materials.

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