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the Seventh's Chapel had been shewn to him. The people of the Abbey next mentioned that Mr. Britton had been exhibiting them in the Church with the same tale; and afterwards 1 saw Mr. Britton handing these very drawings about at the Society of Antiquaries, but I did not hear his sentiments. If the Secretary withheld the "explanatory letters, no doubt it had previously been concluded these drawings were not of sufficient consequence to descrve general notice, they being meer puerile sketches, and without one external example. I refer my readers to vol. LXXVII. p. 1189, for my words on the business; and it will be there seen whether I. M. P. or J. C. is confused in their "pericraniums," or who has endeavoured to impose upon the publick *.

Mr. Brition has then at last delivered (no doubt on the most unquestionable authority) the true and decisive reason why the improvers, restorers, and gothicisers vary so lamentably from our original Architectural documents. Hear him:

enter

"If all Artists were bound to imitate the productions of the faultless Antients, we should be reduced to a sadly degraded state. The qualities of genius, taste, and talent, would become useless; and the thinking faculties would become torpid. The system of rigidly copying the Antients is so extremely absurd, that we can scarcely condescend to reason upon it." After this unqualified declaration, let no doubt be henceforth tained about the fate of our Antiquities; and yet with the same breath I. M. P. teils us, that he is "particularly partial to the antient edifices of England;" and concludes with expressing his pleasure "that Henry's Chapel is to be restored to its original architecturalstate;" when he knowssowell, many of the decorations are utterly destroyed; and after he has so openly confessed, at the beginning of his essay, "that to imitate rigidly" our Antiquities, would be reducing the imitators to a "sadly degraded state." The drawing of Henry's Chapel, in the possession of Mrs. King, I have also seen; it is in many respects correct, but in others, a most ridiculous perversion of some of the original parts and of the armorial figures, (here I reserve myself till the proper time ar* Let this Reply refer also to your Cor respondent T.-J. р. 286.

rives) taken about 40 or 50 years ago, when the same want of documents for the finishings of the upper story, and many other essential matters, werethen manifest, as at the present hour. Again this SECOND WARRANT to help our professional Friends must also fuil. J.C.

I

Mr. URBAN, Penzance, April 2. N this remote corner of the Island, we are stigmatized as barbarians, and the well-known wreck story is frequently mentioned to our reproach: but, however justly such conduct may be attributed to former times, I trust sufficient instances have recently occurred (in the Anson frigate, &c.) to prove that the present generation is not altogether destitute of humanity. It is this feeling, Mr. Urban, which influences the minds of many within the circle of my friends, who sincerely sympathize with you on your late calamitous misfortune, and who are therefore anxious to manifest their support of your excellent Repository, by occasionally submitting some ores from their mines; in the expectation that you may deem them of sufficient purity for insertion.

Annexed is a copy of a Deed, in my possession, which appears to have been executed by a seal, without any signatures, in the 6th year of Edward 11. Perhaps it was not unusual in those days for Deeds to be so executed, though it seems strange that not even the witnesses should have signed their names, unless the art of writing was then so rare as to make it difficult to procure persons who possessed such a qualification. Some of your legal Correspondents may probably elucidate this point, and inform us, whether a seal was not at first used instead of a signature; and whether, subsequently, when writing became more common, the seal and signature were not both introduced.

This relick of antiquity forms a cu rious contrast, in one respect at least, to a modern Deed; the former being about the size of a Bill of Exchange, and the latter so ample as to require no description from

AN ANTIENT BRITON.

*** We have inserted this Letter, to stew our sense of the kind expressions it contams, and as an antidote to the opinion, too prevalent, of Cornish inhumanity. The Deed which accompanied it, indorsed "Excambium inter Tenementa de Trewyns & Pennans," is by no means uncommon. We have many hundreds of similar Deeds in our own possession,

EDIT.

Mr.

[graphic]

T. Fisher, del.

Gent.Mag. May 1808. Pl.II.р. 401.

The House at Stanton, co. Salop, in which the late M. Alderman Boydell was born :

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may perhaps be agreeable to some of your Readers to have a view of the plain Farm-house now standing in the village of Stanton, in the county of Salop, in which the late much-respected Alderman Boydell first drew his breath; and which was honoured by a last and farewell visit from him, not much more than a year before his death. For particulars of the life of this patriotic friend and patron of artists (I hope

light; beneath the whole, in black letter, Will'm heigh Vicari

A large square embattled Tower at the West end is of a later age, and was strengthened by two graduated buttresses, in the year 1666, as appears from an inscription to that effect on one of them.

There are in this Church no me morials of any importance. Yours, &c.

I may be permitted so to designate I

him), your Readers are referred to your vol. LXXIV. p. 1177.

As a history of the county of Salop is yet a desideratum in topographical literature, the following notes on the Village and Church may perhaps be of use, whenever such a work shall be entered upon.

Stanton, Staunton, or Stone-town, is supposed to have been so named from its situation on a rock, which is laid bare by the wheels of carriages passing through the Village. The small river Roden separates its North-west boundary from the parish of Morton or Moor-town, so also named in contra-distinction to Stanton, from the soil being low and marshy.

Both these Parishes belong to the antient and respectable family of the Corbets, of which the elder branch now resides at Acton Reynold, while their stately mansion, Morton Corbet Castle, though splendidly re-edified soon after the Reformation, stands in ruins on the South side of Morton Church.

Mr. URBAN,

T. FISHER.

May 17.

SEND you two specimens of Lord Bacon's Latin Letters to the University of Cambridge. E. Franciscus de Verulamio, Vice-comes Sancti Albani, Almæ Matri, inclytæ Academiæ Cantabrigiensi.

CUM vester Filius sum, et Alumnus, voluptati mihi erit partum meum nuper editum vobis in gremium dare: aliter enim pro exposito eum haberem. Nec vos moveat quod vianova sit: necesse est enim talia per annorum et seculorum circuitus evenire. Antiquis tamen suus constat honos, ingenii scilicet; nam fides verbo Dei, et experientiæ tantum perientia de integro excitare, operosum certè, sed pervium.

Deus vobis, et vestris studiis faveat.
Filius vester amantissimus,

Franciscus Verulamius,

Cancellarius.

Apud Ædes Eboracenses,
31 Octob. 1620.

"Debita filii, qualia possum, per solvo. Quod vero facio, idem et vos hortor, ut Augmentis Scientiarum strenuè incumbatis, et in animi modestiâ libertatem ingenii retineatis, neque talentum à veteribus concreditum in Sudario reponatis. Affuerit proculdubio, et affulserit Divini Numinis gratia, si humiliatâ et submissâ religioni philosophiâ, clavibus sensûs legitimè & dextrè utamini, et amoto omni contradictionis studio, quisque cum alio, ac si ipse secum disputet.

Vale.

The Church of Stanton and its Chancel are small, of one pace, and built in the Saxón or early Norman style; the walls are 3 feet in thickness; the windows small, of the lancet form, round-headed, from 18 inches to 30 in height, and from 6 to 10 in width; round-headed doors in the North and South walls towards the West end; that in the South but little ornamented, the North more so. In a window of three lights, under an obtusely pointed arch which Anno 1623. has been broken through the North wall, are the following pictures in stained glass:-first, the Trinity; second, the Annunciation; third, an Archbishop, and the detached head of a Saint in the upper part of that GENT. MAG. May, 1808.

Filius vester amantissimus,
Franciscus Verulamius,
Cancellarius."

Mr. URBAN,
Harbledown,
April 16.
I
N Mr. Duncombe's very valuable
and interesting description of the
Cathedral Church of Canterbury, his
translation

translation of the Epitaphs, and historical account of the Archbishops; I have found two great treasures, in what is there related of that illustrious and munificent Primate Henry Chicheley, (temp. Henry IV. and V.) and the learned, ingenious and independent, Dr. Meric Casaubon, one of the Prebendaries of this Church, (temp. Car. I.) of which, and other preferments, he was deprived during Cromwell's Usurpation; whose unconditional and liberal favours repeatedly offered he conscientiously declined, and suffered much embarassment of circumstances until the Restoration. Of these truly great and good men, whom it is at this day no inconsiderable honour to be related to even after the lapse of so long a period of time, it is recorded of the former, from the most authentic documents of History, and in terms peculiarly adapted to the dignity of the subject, that he was one of the most admirable, accomplished, and superior characters, both in public and private life, of the age in which he lived.

Close by the North door of the Choir in the Cathedral Church of Canterbury, is the costly and magnificent monument of Archbishop Chicheley; on which is a recumbent statue of him iu full health, in his pontifical robes; and under it, in a lower compartment of the tomb, is another in the vestments of the dead, exhibiting an awful contrast, and an instructive memento of mortality. Round the pillars which support the Canopy, and are richly gilt and painted, are small elegant statues of white marble in niches, representing the Apostles, Time, and Death. This monument was carved, it is supposed, in Italy; and is of exquisite workmanship. Upon it is a Latin Inscription in the old text characters, of which the following is a translation:

Here lieth HENRY CHICHELEY, Doctor of Laws, formerly Chancellor of Salisbury; who, in the 7th year of King Henry IVth, being sent on an Embassy to Pope Gregory the XIIth, was consecrated Bishop of St. David's by the hands of that Pope in the City of Sienna. The same Henry also in the 2d year of King Henry the Vth was in this holy church elected Archbishop, and translated to it by Pope John the XXIIId. He died in the year of our Lord 1443, on the 12th day of April.

That for his sins, Christ's merits may atone, [throne! O supplicate, ye Saints, th' Almighty's And round the verge at the bottom of the monument: "Take, passenger, this moral in thy way: Whoe'er thou art, on some not distant day, Like me thou shalt be dust, to worms a

prey.

In 1420, William Chicheley (Nephew to the Archbishop) was Archdeacon of Canterbury.

In the South Cross of the Cathedral

is a monumental Tablet for

"MERIC CASAUBON

(Son of ISAAC)

created Doctor in Divinity at Oxford, in the presence of King Charles and his Queen, and by their Royal command, 1636; of which Meric, it is recorded on his tomb, that he was the worthy heir of a great name and learned race; and was likewise distinguished for many private virtues and amiable qualities thereon specified: that this first of Churches may boast of having for her Prebendaries, both the Casaubons-the first of men; whe held the same rank among the Learned that she holds among the Churches. Meriç died July 16, 1671, in the 75th year of his age, and the 46th of his canonship."

I trust I need make no apology for presenting to your Readers these authentic transcripts of such good and illustrious characters; and that they will be considered as conferring some degree of respectability on the more humble pretensions of their descendants, from whom I shall select the following.

The name of my paternal grandmother having been Casaubon, and her family resident in or near Canterbury, I conclude she was the daughter or grand-daughter of Meric; but I cannot say with certainty what the relationship was. I perfectly re member portraits of the Casaubons at the head of the staircase in our Parsonage-house at Sandwich, which were afterwards given, with other family pictures, to my uncle, the late vicar of St. Stephen's, near this City, who used to boast jocosely of the blood of the Casaubons. Gentleness and sweetness of demeanour, arising from a tender, benevolent, and worthy heart, were his characteristics; and if I am allowed to indulge my own feelings by a grateful tribute of affection and respect to the memory of a man whom his superiors honoured with particular no

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