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Trieste in 15 or 16 days.

Though the above are our sentiments formed on the observations we have made, yet many circumstances vary, and render alterations necessary. However, Travellers need not apprehend any particular difficulties; for we with particular pleasure declare, that both Mr. Latouche and Mr. Manesty at Bussora, and Consul Abbott and his brother at Aleppo, did in the most obliging and friendly manner give us every possible assistance; and it would be injustice to the other gen tlemen of the places we passed through, not to mention their readiness to oblige us.

Trieste Lazaretto, 20th Aug. 1782.

Mr. URBAN,

Aug. 10,
EREWITH I send you a front

Heview of Marybone House,
formerly a very celebrated Mansion,
but which was pulled down in 1791,
and the site thereof covered by
new streets and stables, nearly oppo
site the Church. Tradition has hand-
ed down to us that it was a Palace of
our Popish Queen Mary; and cer-
tainly the architecture of the build-
ing, and those vestiges of former
grandeur connected with it its once
beautiful gallery-its spacious hall
and the noble entrance both to the
front and back part of the building,
sufficiently corroborated the report.
This House belonged, for many years
before it was pulled down, to his Grace

the Duke of Portland; and was inhabited, as many of your Readers and some of your Correspondents (especially your worthy Correspondent W. C. D. of Abbots Roding) can well recollect, by the Rev. John Fountaine, and after his decease by his Widow; and was in their days a public School. At this School some of our Nobility and many of our Gentry were educated; and the character of the Family and of the School being well established, it was frequently honoured by the visits of persons of high rank and most eminent genius, during the last century. Marybone Gardens was then a place of public resort; but long before my time they had fallen into decay, and buildings upon them were constantly multiplied; so that, at last, little more than the House, Gardens belonging to it, and School-yard, remained untouched; and these were soon involved in the general havock.

The European Magazine, for July 1790, gives a tolerably correct View of the back part of this once noble, House; but no account of it accom panies the Plate.

In Mirfield, in the parish of Dewsbury, co. York, is a house which appears to me one of the greatest curiosities in the Kingdom. An old

Post and Pair house" of wood cased with stone in different but ages, all many centuries past: it is called "Castle Hall," is now a public house, and belongs to that antient family the

The Drawing sent by our Correspondent is not sufficiently finished for the Engraver's use. A slight Front View of the School-house appears in a "View, principally comprising Marybone House, gardens, park, and environs, as they probably stood in the time of Queen Elizabeth, when her Majesty entertained the Russian Ambassadors with hunting in the said Park; from an original drawing by Gasselin in 1700." See Pennant's London, and Lysons's Middlesex. In this House a considerable school was kept many years by Mr. De la Place, and after by Mr. Fountaine; on whose secession the building was demolished in 1791. This Plate is "dedicated to the Noblemen and Gentlemen educated at the said School, by their very humble Servant, John Thomas Smith." Mr. Lysons, in his "Environs," says, "The manor-house, which during the time it was vested in the Crown, is said to have been used as one of the Palaces, was pulled down in 1791. By a drawing of Rooker's, in the possession of John White, esq. of Devonshire-place, it seems to have retained some traces of the architecture of Queen Elizabeth's time; but the greater part appears to have been rebuilt at a later period, perhaps by the Forsets; and the South front was certainly added or renewed not more than a century ago. Devonshire Mews are built on the site of the Manor house. The manor, with all its appurtenances, was granted by James I. in 1611, to Edward Forset, esq. for 8297. 3s. 4d.; was sold in 1710 to the Duke of Newcastle for 17,500%. the rental then 9001. per annum; and is now the property of his descendant, the Duke of Portland. Such has been the improvement of the property, from the great increase of the buildings, that it is now [1795] said to produce 12,0001, per a num in ground-rents only."

Beaumouts

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verend George Ashby, B. D. F. S. A. President of St. John's College, Cambridge, and rector of Barrow, co. Suffolk; a full account of whom is given in Nichols's Literary Anecdotes of the Eighteenth Century, vol. I. p. 577; and also in your vol. LXXVIII. p. 653. A TRAVELLER.

I

Mr. URBAN,

July 10.

CERTAINLY am bound to make some amends for having drawn Mr. Hawk ns into an opportunity of writing a letter, and of such "extreme length;" that is, by rendering my reply altogether as concise.

Whatever sketches I took from the Abbey church, Westminster, for my work of Autient Sculpture and Painting, were independent of any sugges tions from the Hawkins family. While I was engaged in such selection, they applied for leave to present papers of illustration in aid of my engravings; that is, as they referred to Westminster subjects of course this was assented to. On setting out with the publication, I intended but slight letter-press accompaniments, as was the case wit Plate I. and II. from hints set down by the late Richard Gough, esq. It proved otherwise when Mr. Hawkins took the lead; and, had no mistakes happened between his father and me, I had determined, when the partial number of articles from Westminster had been gone through with, to have declined the honour of his literary assistance; for, in fact, the accounts furnished by him were so ve: bose, so full of complicated matter, repetitions, and old wives' tales, (witness his present letter, portioned as it is into four readings, and I know not how much "omitted") running so wide of the mark (my engravings), that the expence of paper and letterpress printing far exceeded my original calculation relative to the price to be paid by Subscribers. The Hawkins's wanted remuneration: other gentlemen (see the difference of men's humours!) absolutely contributed pecuniary aid to encourage me in the undertaking. Allow me to name in ticular Richard Gough, esq. Dr. Lort, C. Ord, esq. and W. Seward, esq.* As

par

* take this occasion to inform Mr. Hawkins that I am about to dispose of this Work; and if he, or any other person, should be desirous to become purchasers, I shall be ready to listen to candid and liberal proposals.

for the "long story" Mr. Hawkins has entertained the Readers with, who cannot chuse but smile about my "thinking this," or "saying that," my promises; and what constitutes the best part of the joke is, I accepted Mr. Hawkins's assistance to keep him out of mischief-keep the grave, the sententious, the learned John Sidney Hawkins, esq. out of mischief! And oh! impertinent, trifling, and silly John Carter, that could, almost at first interview with such a personage as the late Sir John Hawkins, Kot. and Chairman of the Quarter Sessions at Hicks's-hall, presume to advise with him about his Son's morals! Yet he, Mr. Hawkins (maugre his "memory is fortunately uncommonly strong,") immediately lets us know that his Father had on a former occasion accidentally said, that it was a good thing when young men took to such parsuits, as it kept them out of mischief." However, Mr. Hawkins" comforts" himself about a "just vindication of himself against so foul and false a calumny." Between friends, this part of the business, let it be understood how it may, had better have slept in peace with ten thousand other the like reminiscences.

With regard to the "full,true, fair, and complete account," of all these mighty matters, I find by enumerating the names of those gentlemen who wrote for my work, and the number of pages each produced, the account stands thus:

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W. Seward, esq. 1 R. Gough, esq. 9 F. Douce, esq..... 11 Capt. Grose..

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Pages. Sir John Fenn 5 Dr. Oglander W. Bray, esq. 11⁄2 C.Brooke, esq. 2 S. Lysons, esq. 24 Dr. Milner.. 43

I concluded this work in 1794; and did not commence my present intercourse with Mr. Urban until 1798, (See volume LXVIII.). Two years elapsed between the two occurrences, therefore Mr. Hawkins has no cause to call my veracity or sincerity into question in this respect, although he has presumed so to do, p. 351.

Mr. Hawkins still arrogates to himself the power of condemning Mr. Moore's List of Monasteries, compiled on his visits round the Kingdom, with the authorities of Tanner, Keith, and his friend Mr. Cayley. Why the date of the foundation of Westminster Abbey is set down in the above

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