PREFACE. LORD Bacon says"Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some to be chewed and digested; that is, some books are to be read in some parts, others to be read but not curiously, and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence, and attention; some books also may be read by deputy, and extracts made of them by others." If this was judicious and useful advice, at a time when books were comparatively few-rari nantes in gurgite vasto-how much is added to its weight and importance, now that the press groans with its perpetual births; and that it is not only impossible to read all the productions of modern literature in any one of its various branches, but even difficult to ascertain their existence. The forest is so thick, that one tree shuts out the view of another; and each succeeding author obliterates the name of his predecessor. Those books therefore may, in the language of Bacon, be called the Deputies of the reader, which present to him, in a brief and correct form the latest contributions made to literature, and enable him to estimate their value; by the aid of which he may select what is most congenial to his own pursuits, or what is worthy of deeper investigation. Such has long been the intent of the GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE, and we are deeply indebted to many Correspondents for their valuable assistance in promoting the success of our labours. If, in the other divisions of our work, we appear to the reader of modern books to linger too long amidst the relics of antiquity-stare super vias antiquas—he must recollect that we are only drinking higher up of the very same stream which refreshes him, and gathering up some of those venerable and valuable remains which have been accidentally retarded in the channel of Time, and dropped neglected, or forgotten, on its shores. We shall only add, that we trust our readers, in comparing our late efforts with those of our predecessors, will not find our diligence relaxed, or our power of affording instruction diminished; and that it will not be said of us, as the Roman historian said of Scipio,-" Ultima primis cedebant." July 1, 1835. LIST OF EMBELLISHMENTS TO THE VOLUME. Those marked thus are Vignettes, printed with the letter-press. Interior View of the Pantheon, Oxford Street PAGE 44 Imperial Greek Coins hitherto unpublished-Lucius Verus; Barbia Orbiana; Plautilla; Gordianus and Tranquillina; Severus Alexander... 25 Two Views of Chapel Plaster, Wilts. ..... *Church of St. Edmund on the Bridge, Exeter.... Plan of Ogmore Castle, co. Glamorgan. Specimens of Monumental Architecture and Sculpture of Great Britain— Tomb in the Temple Church-Monuments of Sir Robert de Vere, in ..143 148 243 257 View of Clevedon Court, Somerset .359 Imperial Greek Coins hitherto unpublished-Vespasian; Hadrian; Ma Monuments of the Family of Long, at Wraxall and Draycot Cerne, Wilts..588 Two Views of a Crypt at St. Saviour's, Southwark ... *Ground-plan of the same Crypt.... *Arms of the Cavendish Family, at Cavendish, Suffolk... ...602 ...603 ...612 MINOR CORRESPONDENCE-Record Calendars-Change in the distant view of modern London-Number of Provincial Institutions?-Street Tunnels, &c.. HISTORICAL CHARACTERS, by SIR J. MACKINTOSH-Earl of Sunderland, 19.— Earl of Rochester, 20.—Marquis of Halifax, 21.—Lord Godolphin; Judge Rare and unpublished COINS of ROMAN EMPERORS, CESARS, and EMPRESSES, struck in Greek Cities, 25.-Lucius Verus; Barbia Orbiana, 26.—Plautilla; RECORD COMMISSION, No. V.-Liber Niger; Liber Rubeus Scaccarii, 35.- Liber Feodorum, 36.—Rotuli Hundredorum; Placita de Quo Warranto.... 38 The Pantheon Bazaar; notices of Papier Maché Royal Society of Literature and Mr. Roscoe on the Holkham Manuscripts.. RETROSPECTIVE REVIEW.-Writings of Sir Richard Blackmore.. Rev. Dr. Croly on Divine Providence, 57.-Sir E. Brydges' Imaginative Bio- graphy, 59.-Mrs. Bray's Warleigh, 61.-The Governour, by Sir T. Elyot; Ker on the Archaiology of English Phrases, 63.-Gordon's Belgium and Hol- land, 64.-Clarke's Eastbury, 65.-Collectanea Topographica et Genealogica, 67. THE ANNUALS-Book of Beauty, 70.-New Year's Gift, 71.-Lite- FINE ARTS.-Royal Academy, 73.-Flemish Pictures; Cooke's Views in Lon- don; the Northern Tourist; Panorama of Père La Chaise, &c...... New Publications, 75.-Learned Societies, 76, 77.-Northern Professorships of the English Language, 77.-Prologues and Epilogue at Westminster ANTIQUARIAN RESEARCHES.-Society of Antiquaries-Roman Remains in Kent Street, Southwark, and in Eastcheap, London. HISTORICAL CHRONICLE.-Domestic Occurrences, 83.-Promotions, Births, OBITUARY; with Memoirs of Duke of Gloucester, 86.-Earl Spencer, 89.-Sir Gilbert Blane, Bart. 93.-Col. Sir M. M'Creagh; Lt.-Col. Leighton, 94.— Capt. F. Palmer, C. B. 96.-Capt. G. W. Hamilton, C. B.; Capt. Willock; W. R. Spencer, Esq. 98.-Thos. Telford, Esq.... CLERGY DECEASED, 102.-DEATHS, arranged in Counties. Bill of Mortality—Markets—Prices of Shares, 111—Meteorological Diary—Stocks 112 Embellished with an Interior View of the PANTHEON, Oxford Street; 2 MINOR CORRESPONDENCE. a remarks: The gross blunders in the Record Calendars, upon the printing of which the public have expended so much money, and the Commissioners so little care, have been exposed in very many instances. I question, however, whether there can be exhibited a more glaring concentration of enormities than in the following case in the Index to the first volume of the Inq. p. Mortem, to which I had lately occasion to refer. Under the head of St. Amond are nine references, only three of which are correct. The rest are all St. Andrew, and even these are not correct, inasmuch as John in the Index proves to be Ralph, and Richard to be Roger, &c. Let us hope that future Sub-Commissioners will not be permitted to lighten their labours while they darken their subject. It is bad enough to have a gutter of text in a plain of folio, but to be favoured with false direction-posts to these wells in the desert, is verily and indeed abominable ! And then too, when we get to these fountains of pure water, we are only permitted to scoop up a tea-spoonful of information, which tea-spoonful is in many instances muddy and undrinkable, and to quench our thirst (for which as a public we have already paid so handsomely) we have, as individuals, to heap fee upon fee for the dragons who keep guard over the springs of knowledge, before the treasure can be even gazed upon-" facit indignatio querelas." K. M. " having gone into the City a few days ago in an omnibus, took a walk over the new London Bridge, and stept into the church of St. Mary Overie, now called St. Saviour's. How beautifully (he remarks) the choir part is fitted up for service; and the altar screen, though upon a smaller scale, appears little, if at all, inferior in the elegant proportions and arrangement of its parts to that of Winchester. The restoration of the Lady Chapel will be at least one instance of good taste in the present age. The whole eastern façade of the building being opened to view, forms now a very fine and striking object in the approach from that quarter towards London Bridge. The bridge itself commands a rich view of spires and towers and pinnacles,-along with the majesty of St. Paul's. But I could not help making one remark,— which applies to almost every part of the metropolis. The large, clumsy, heavy, flat, box-looking buildings of the present day, where greatness of dimension ap pears to be the sole aim, without any regard of just proportion to the relative bulk of surrounding objects of far more elegance in themselves, are very prejudicial to the general effect. Fishmongers' Hall diminishes in this way the consequence of numerous City spires and towers, which have the further disadvantage of greater distance to increase the contrast of size, and lessen their comparative importance. These were in good proportion before, to the old common-sized houses. Carltonterrace in the same way injures the Horse Guards, &c. Perhaps this evil may proceed from an ill-judged imitation of the Modern Athens. Even the elegant St. Saviour's seems to crouch between two Edinburgh lands." Z. would feel much obliged if any Correspondent or Secretary of a Scientific or Literary Society, would have the goodness to send a notice of the Societies in his own county, as it would be an object of considerable interest to ascertain how many and of what description are such institutions in England, and might enable scientific persons to correspond on particular points of local information. The writer is about to assist in the establishment of one in a county where there is at present nothing of the sort. D. C. proposes that moderate sized tunnels, with steps to descend into them, should be made under the principal crossings of some of the most frequented streets, which would evidently be a very great security and convenience to footpassengers, crowded as some of those streets are, with omnibuses, cabs, &c. &c.: such as Cheapside, Newgate-street, Ludgatehill, Regent-street, Charing Cross, &c. &c. A policeman or street-keeper should be constantly on duty there to prevent nuisances, and the tunnels might be closed by doors at night. The Communications of M. D., F. O., and PLANTAGENET, in our next. Our former Correspondent feels obliged to E. M-n. The compiler of the memoir of Sir John Leach, in our last number, ought to have acknowledged that he was chiefly indebted for the character of the deceased to the Legal Observer. Vol. ii. p. 646, b. 45, for J. Emra, Dr. Charlton, read R. Carrow, W. Knight. P. 651. Mr. Penn's brother's name should be "Granville" instead of "Grenville." |