the poor Rector, who is accused of having mainly contributed to the destruction of a monument erected to the memory of one of his predecessors, by improperly keeping cows in the Church-yard. Now every one knows, that is at all conversant with these matters, that the Church-yard is as much the incumbent's freehold as his garden or his orchard; and that he is consequently as much authorized to turn his cattle in it, as in any other of his pastures. I am, however, at a loss to conceive what harm these poor animals could possibly have done to the monument in question; or, as it is entirely composed of stone, and surmounted by a strong iron railing, within which little or no grass grows to tempt them, what inducement they could have even to meddle with it at all. The fact is, I believe, that they never have; but, as it certainly is in a dilapidated state, Viator could not, consistently with the spirit which has dictated all his previous remarks, let it pass without attributing to the late Rector his full share of the blame.

I fear, Mr. Urban, you will think that I have trespassed too long upon your patience and that of your Readers, as neither they nor you can be supposed to feel comparatively much interest in the question. My motive has been that of rescuing a respected Parent's memory from all unworthy suspicion; and as your Magazine has been the vehicle by which these suspicions have been conveyed to the Publick, it can be esteemed but fair that it should afford the same facility for having them removed.

With whatever inability I may have executed the duty assigned myself, I trust there are sufficient facts stated to answer the purpose intended; and however much I regret that the task did not devolve on abler hands, it must be recollected that a period was chosen by Viator, when the individual who was so much better qualified for it, was no longer living to answer for himself. I remain, &c. &c. The Son of the late

tentiou, but most deficient in execution; I mean, the "Annual Biography and Obituary of 1817." If this be the compilation of one Writer, some excuse may be offered for inaccuracies in a volume of 464 pages; but, as the Lives are very short, and they may possibly be the productions of more than one Author, little defence can be made against a charge of negligence, misrepresentation, and ignorance. In the first volume there was a flippancy and vulgarity of expression which would have disgraced a mere Ephemeral Magazine. Sir Joshua Reynolds was familiarly called Sir Joshua; and the Public Library at Oxford, by the slang term The Bodleian; and many others, which, as I have not the book before me, I am unable to enumerate, but which struck me at the time, and cannot have escaped the detection of the most indifferent Reader.

In the volume for 1817--to the late Sir Herbert Croft (ou whose life much research, it is said, has been bestowed, vide Preface) is given Dunster Park, which he never possessed, and which ought to have been Dunstan House, sold long before he came to the title. He is said, p. 4, to have been destitute of a Patron; but he died in possession of the vicarage of Prittlewell in Essex, which was given to him by the Bishop of London.

P. 17. Of Mr. Williams it is said, "But, not content with the consolations derived from Religion, he determined to extend them to his children." Should not "himself" be placed after content, to make any tolerable sense of this sentence? A very fanciful account is given, p. 22, of Mr. Williams's mode of Education, and shews the folly of a general system; for, let a boy's abilities be what they might, "he deemed the age of thirteen or fourteen fitted to comprehend"-what do you imagine?-the Philosophy of History, the comparative Merits of Governments, the Spirit of Laws? - Nothing of this, Mr. Urban-but "the doctrine of Air, and the construction of Pumps."

P.72. Dr. Disney is said to have left behind him a large family; they have multiplied under the Writer's pen like Falstaff's misbegotten knaves in Kendal green, for of one amiable daughter he has made five.

P. 114. Though Magliabecchi had read read more folios than any of his contemporaries, it is notorious that he never wrote one. The story of the seven volumes, written by one pen, is told, I believe, of Philemon Holland, and there is an Epigram on the subject.-But what, Mr. Urban, will you say to the egregious blunder, p. 134, where the late Duke of Marlborough is said to have given the "grand Curtains to the Picture Galleryat Oxford?" Is this slip-slop to be endured in a publication professing to give the world much curious and interesting information, procured from various sources, and original documents? If the late Duke of Marlborough had really given Curtains, he would, I imagine, have added Turkey carpets, and made that Gallery a more convenient lounging place than it is at present; but, when he presented copies of the Cartoons, he little thought that they would be converted into a piece of furniture. This is indeed one of the facts "relative to that noble family, not hitherto known to the publick;" see preface.

P. 245. The Princess Charlotte must have had great veneration for Mr. Fox's early years if, as it is said, she was accustomed to present his bust by Roubiliac, to her particular friends; for that illustrious man was about twelve years old when the sculptor died. If Mr. Raymond Grant was born in 1769, and died in 1817, all the powers of Cocker could not make him in the 51st year of his age; see p. 339.-Sir Adam Gordon never had a Prebendal stall at Durham; but, though the Writer mentions in the opposite page, 369, that he was returning from his prebendal residence at Bristol, he suffered the first blunder to continue.-P. 383, the Bishop of Gloucester is no longer Vicar of Lutterworth.-P. 385, the vulgarism "reading of."-P. 411, in Dr. Vincent's Epitaph, poor man! he is kill ed before his time; for Obiit, read Abiit.-P. 440, Bishop Watson never wrote, " I sold the estate in the fol. lowing July to the late Lord Egremont;" for he knew that the late Lord had been dead more than twenty years before he came into possession, and that the present Lord was the purchaser.-P. 448, the second volume of Mr. Sheridan's Life does not contain a very spirited likeness of him by Hoppner, but of his second wife, Miss Ogle.

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In works of merit all marks of incuria are excusable; but inaccuracy and negligence are unpardonable in such compilations as the Annual Biography. The volume would be most amusing, if well got up. I hope these strictures will be taken in good part; and that the respectable Publishers, who are the Patrons of Literature, will employ some of their numerous dependants in the office of Corrector, not only of the press, but of the matter; for Biography, to be instructive, must be true; and to be amusing, must be well-digested, and well-written.

Yours, &c.

Mr. URBAN,

MANY of

F. R. S.

Feb. 25.

our departed Heroes who have had monuments erected at the public expence were honoured in their life-time by appropriate allegorical additions to their armorial bearings, for their eminent services. It seems as if the ingenious designers of several beautiful monuments in our Cathedrals and other buildings wish to discard such honourable insignia altogether from the works of their chisel. May it not be fairly asked, how then can these Royal Augmentations, which aregiven asone of the National rewards to the brave defenders of our Country, be sufficiently seen, known, and appreciated, unless judiciously displayed on some part of their respective Monuments ? Every admirer of Statuary must lament, on seeing antient and modern sculpture so roughly handled as it is in Westminster-abbey, and elsewhere, notwithstanding the protection of iron railing. The Statue of Queen Anne and the allegorical figures around it, at the West end of St. Paul's, are so shamefully mutilated, as to make their countenances appear quite hideous.

An Illustrious Foreigner, when he visited the Cathedral, observed, that it would be advisable to appoint a Conservator of the Monuments. If this suggestion was to take place, I apprehend we should not see them so disgraced by wanton injuries, scribbling of names on them, or so enveloped in dust and dirt as they are at present.

PHILOGLUPHIST.

P. S. The Ribbon of the Order of the Garter, in Earl Howe's monument. at St. Paul's, is placed on the figure the wrong way: it should be from the left. shoulder to the right hip.

REVIEW

96. The plain Bible, and the Protestant Church in England: with Reflections on some important Subjects of existing Religious Controversy. By the Rev. W. L. Bowles, Prebendary of Sarum, and Chaplain to his Royal Highness the Prince Regent. 8vo. pp. 117. Longman and Co. 1818.

W

a

this lamp burning for upwards of a century; and if at any time it has burnt less brilliantly, two things must be borne in mind; that she dispensed this light standing alone, silent, unostentatious, and almost unremarked; and that the coldness of the religious atmosphere around her rather damped than excited the undying flame. Thank God! that is not now the case; and if she appear more ardent and active at this moment than in times past, let it be remember

impressed upon its productions, which clearly distinguishes them from the effusions of more common intellects. This distinction cannot easily be over

looked in this Discourse of Mr. Bowles,

who has placed several opics, very frequently discussed, in new and very striking lights. Having properly described the degrading effects of ignorance; he no less justly states it as the praise of our National Church, that she has always been anxious to

diffuse the blessings of knowledge, and especially of religious instruction. To which disposition we clearly owe the establishment of the venerable

Society for Promoting Christian Know

ledge, for one of whose District Committees this Sermon was preached at Chippenham.

The Preacher notices the progress from darkness to light, which introduced the blessed Reformation; and pays the due tribute of admiration to the leaders of it abroad and at home; particularly remarking that, whatever deference the latter paid to Luther, Melancthon, and others, they never failed to refer to Scripture, as the ultimate test of all opinions.

"It was," he says, "to the foundation of Scripture, that the Protestant Church in England referred her Ministry, her Doctrines, and her Spirit; for she well knew that the moment she

veered on either side, from the aweful pattern before her, from that moment, sophisms and shadows, dogmas and dreams, rushed in. When the temporary prevalence of Fanaticism was succeeded by the natural counteraction of Infidelity, then it was that the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge arose within the bosom of the Church, to meet and resist the evils of the time. The Church, like the Wise Virgin, has held GENT. MAG. June, 1818.

if she WHO WAKED WHILE OTHERS SLEPT, SHOULD NOW SLEEP WHILE OTHERS

WAKE!" p. 18.

The Author then proceeds to no

tice, more particularly, the four great objects of the Society; dispersing the Scriptures, opposing Infidelity and Irreligion, instructing the ignorant,

and sending forth Missionaries. On the subject of our admirable Liturgy, his remarks are strong and important; and its perfect conformity with the

Gospel is justly marked in the follow

ing very striking passage:

"In the New Testament, as in the

dignified and sober Liturgy of our Church,

we see deep humility, but not loathsome abjectness; sincere repentance, but not agonizing horror; steadfast Faith, but not presumptuous assurance; lively Hope, but not seraphic abstraction; the deep sense of human infirmity, but not the unblushing profession of leprous depravity: the holy and heavenly communion, but not vague experiences, or the intemperate trance." p. 24.

A short address, more fully pointed to the peculiar objects of the District Committees, now concludes this very able and instructive Discourse. In the form of notes are subjoined several collections and excursions on subjects connected with the Sermon; viz. on an Apostolic Church, on an educated Ministry, on some of our most eminent Divines who were ejected by the Fanatics, and other interesting subjects. The extracts collected from Browne's Christian Journal" will surprize most readers with a picture of odious and disgusting Fanaticism, beyond any thing that they could have conceived without such proof before them. Mr. Bowles spares-no pains to detect the sources and expose the

66

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97. The History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset; by John Hutchins, M.A. The Second Edition, corrected, augmented, and improved by Richard Gough, Esq. and John Bowyer Nichols, F. L. S. In Four Volumes. Vol. IV. 1815. pp. 480.

93. Appendix to the History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset; containing Additions and Corrections, and General Indexes, to the whole Work. 1816. pp. 186.

WE have too long deferred noticing the above Volumes, which complete a most elaborate Work, published under many disadvantageous circumstances, after an interval of more than 20 years from its commencement. These uopropitious circumstances have been already noticed in a Review of the third volume, in our vol. LXXXIII. ii. p. 41. Suffice it, therefore, to refer the Reader to the short advertisement prefixed to the fourth volume by the surviving Editor, in which they are modestly enumerated.

The late worthy and conscientious Divine, the Rev. Dr. Disney, is very honourably noticed in the Editor's Advertisement, for having proposed to the Freeholders of the County of Dorset a subscription to perfect its Local History. This liberal proposal wholy failed of its benevolent intention. Dr. Disney, however, warmly patronized the Work when undertaken by Mr. Nichols, and contributed two Plates, with an ample Pedigree and bistory of his own antient and respectable family.

The Work is dedicated to W. Morton Pitt, Esq. M. P. for the County, by the late Major-Gen. Bellasis *, who projected the new edition, and devoted considerable sum to its publication. In a sensible unassuming Preface, General B. details his motives for undertaking it, which are

a

* See an account of General Bellasis in vol. LXXX. ii. 508.

highly honourable to him; and pays handsome acknowledgments to those friends who assisted him in the Work.

It would be injustice to the memory of Mr. Gough and General Bellasis not to make the following extract:

"My distinguished and respectable friend, Mr. Gough (whose very friendly and unsought patronage Mr. Hutchins so gratefully acknowledged and so elegantly expressed) once more came cheerfully forward, not only to undertake the arduous task of collecting and arranging new materials; but of conducting the New Edition through the press. This difficulty, which at first view appeared almost insurmountable, being thus so completely overcome, the general plan was shortly after determined on; and letters were circulated through the County, requesting information and communications on the subject.

"In May 1793 I embarked again for India, leaving the entire management of this new edition, in the hands, and under the sole controuł and patronage of Mr. Gough; to whose unwearied ex

ertions, both myself and the County at large are principally indebted, for the very improved state in which the Work now makes its appearance; the mention of which, and the obligations thus conferred, is the strongest recommendation I can presume to offer to the publick."

" I should deservedly incur the imputation of ingratitude, did I omit to record my obligations to Mr. John Nichols, whose skill and experience in such publications renders him so eminently calculated to carry the work through the press. He knows the inevitable impediments and delays to research, and possesses that degree of scientific perseverance which prompts and enables him to disregard any inconvenience he sustains by the retarding of many sheets for weeks, and even months, while information gradually comes forward."

Prefixed to the Fourth Volume are several introductory articles, that would more properly have been placed at the beginning of the First Volume, had the whole Work been published at one period.

"

After the General Preface, are given Biographical Anecdotes of Mr. Hutchins," by the Rev. Geo. Bingham, B. D.; which originally appeared in the "Bibliotheca Topographica Britannica;" and to which is now first added a good Portrait of Mr.

Hutchins.

These are succeeded by "An Account of some British Antiquities hitherto