has then Dion Cassius' authority: and we have the evidence of that historian, given indeed as part of a speech, which it must be allowed somewhat weakens the direct testimony which would have otherwise been afforded by the words used.

Are we then warranted by history to repute that the Britons persisted ever in the use of their small vessels, formed of wicker-work, and covered with hides, and made no attempts to imitate the construction of ships of more substantial materials, either of the Phoenicians, Greeks, Gauls, or Romans, or do we consider that they did?

On the whole the most credible supposition seems to be that the assertions of Dion and Xiphilinus are correct, that the ancient Britons had not only ships, but on occasion fitted out powerful fleets. Their ingenuity in constructing smaller vessels of wicker-work is, in fact, not really an argument to the contrary, but rather otherwise; though from the loss or mutilation of so much of ancient history their naval efforts are not recorded. It may easily have been that the Romans on their conquest prohibited the Britons from ship building, desirous in so distant a province to keep the whole naval power in their own hands. Thus, the Britons ceasing to build ships under the Romans, and being chiefly known for their wicker-work vessels, the idea may have originated that they never had any other.

According to Propertius, the Britons had not only a fleet fitted out for their defence, but matters actually proIceeded to several naval contests. In his Elegies, ii. 20, he has this passage: Seu pedibus Parthos sequimur, seu classe Britannos;

i.e. "Whether we pursue the Parthians on land, or the Britons with our fleet." This is the passage before spoken of as considered to afford a striking corroboration of Xiphilinus: for as Propertius was contemporary with the British king Timancius, the father of Cunobeline, between whom and Au

gustus there were misunderstandings for nearly twenty years, as we may gather from Dion Cassius and Horace, this passage applies to the very time when it may be inferred from Xiphilinus that the Britons possessed naval forces and therefore is attended with the greater probability.

It is true the speech as in Xiphilinus from Dion may not be considered so much as expressing the very words of Boadicea as introduced as a species of ornament of composition, in imitation of a passage in the sixth book, c. 34, of Thucydides. In the place in question the Syracusans are represented as addressed by one of their leaders, who expostulates with them, and incites them to fit out a fleet in the endeavour to cut off the Athenians on their passage. This, however, seems a confirmation rather than otherwise, as no one will assert that the Syracusans might not have so acted, and fitted out a naval force. The like capability must, therefore, be conceded to the ancient Britons.

If it be conceded that the Britons possessed ships, it may only be deemed congruous to the advance they had made in coinage; though it is true no representation of a ship, or aught approaching to it, appears on any of the coins of Cunobeline, or those of other British princes. It would also be congruous with what Strabo mentions respecting the custom-house duties (portoria) paid in Gaulish ports on goods exported and imported to and from Britain, which amounted to an equal sum to the Roman tribute. It is improbable that some of these goods should not have been conveyed in British ships. Can it be believed that there were no merchants in Britain, or that, if there were, these possessed no ships in a country abounding with every material for their construction? The silence of ancient authors may not therefore be taken as a conclusive

negative argument in this case.

Yours, &c. B. POSTE.

WHEN the visitor now crosses the bridge here, he finds the former view of Saint Paul's Church impeded by a tall, gawky, stilted-looking house of several stories; and thinks that the town would have done better to have bought off the party with 5007. than to have suffered such an erection on that spot. On inquiry, however, he ascertains that it is the Parsonage House of the parish, lately so rebuilt.

Bedford has fully doubled its population since 1811, when it was not quite 5,000; it is now about 10,000. The size, however, of the "new town" is scarcely commensurate with the great increase. There are some neat "terraces" in a superior suburban style: the poorer parts are too crowded. The mortality in some quarters has been much above the average, and attention is at length directed to improvements, making sewers, &c. One thing at least surprises-the excessive number of "beer shops :" in some of the new parts they average one to eight houses.

There is but one "view near Bedford, from what is called "Foster's Hill," about three quarters of a mile off, and yet the path and lane to it would disgrace the poorest country village. We may allow that the footpaths on the roads are neatness itself. The river strikes as of very respectable width-perhaps about the same as at Magdalen Bridge, Oxford; or rather that of the Thames at Henley.

Attention has been much engaged of late on the age and intended form of Saint Paul's, the venerable ecclesiastical, and formerly collegiate, church. A Mr. Jackson, who appears to be an intelligent and rising architect here, read before the Literary and Scientific Institution, on the 24th of June last, a diffuse paper which was complimented as "valuable" by the archdeacon and several gentlemen present. Of the two-fifths of it which were that gentleman's own, the writer fully believes this to have been true: of the other three he may perhaps wish it to be so, as they were taken precisely from his own publication, though that fact was forgotten to be stated.

Mr. Jackson thinks it was originally a small Norman cross church, without aisles, of which the present tower formed a part. But it does not appear to the writer in that light. The church was demolished about 1220, when the Norman style was going out, and there are no specific indications of the tower being spared, which is somewhat heavy and plain, but affords no proofs of Norman architecture. There may, certainly, have been a northern building, transept or chantry, but this

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says nothing." There may, too, have been three successive churches, or it may have lain in ruins for a century. On the age of the present church Lysons and Rickman differ: the former, always respectable; the latter ingenious, but perhaps more fanciful. It was probably erected about 1350 or 1400. But, in a map which belonged to Mr. Gough, older than 1290, Bedford appears to have had a spire.

The peculiarity of this church consists in having two aisles, which may be called a double nave, of equal and considerable height, and nearly exactly equal width, with a double tier of windows on both sides, which gives it a grand appearance. It has also pinnacles, two fine west windows, and two porches, of which the southern one has two stories with statues, and is the record room of the corporation. The tower is at the east end of the north aisle, properly flanked on the south; and there are two chancels. The extreme length (from the writer's former measurement) being 147 feet, and the breadth 45; the second length in the county, only exceeded at Luton. The spire is reported to be 60 yards high, the same as at St. Mary's, Oxford; the tower contains eight bells, the tenor being upwards of 27 cwt., with chimes erected in 1754, prior to which most of the bells had been recast.

In the north chancel is the epitaph of Muriel Calt,* engraved in a continuous style, perhaps of the fourteenth century:—

*In Speed's Plan, the lane which still runs parallel with the side of the school, is termed Call's Lane.

Muriel Calt gyt issi.

De sa alme Deus eyt mercy.
Ky por sa alme priera
XL iours de pardun auera.

Muriel Calt here doth lie,
God of her soul have mercy.
Whoever for her soul prays

Shall pardon have of forty days.

In the year 1832 the church was "improved," or altered. The neat wainscot fronts of the galleries, which are suitably large for the population of the parish, were retained; but the square fluted pilasters have been replaced by very slender iron ones, which is a poor change. The fine and distinguishing traceried stone pulpit fixed to a pillar, a real old one before a single modern imitation had been made, has been banished to the chancel. Some loose benches in the very centre of the church, instead of free pews, are a perfect abomination. Yet the worst of all relates to the Organ. This was a fine old one, date 1715, by Father Schmidt, afterwards improved; and, in lieu of being repaired or enlarged, it was sold for 501.-about the price of the case! The "Moravians," who have an establishment here, had the good sense to appreciate its worth, and in their chapel, though reduced, it is much admired. The substitute here is perhaps quite equal to the price4007. only-by Flight and Robson. This is now placed at the east, in lieu of the west, end, which possibly may be an improvement, as also the altered place of the pulpit may be, only it is not the proper pulpit, which may yet be returned. The tracery of the chancel windows has been restored of late years. There is no probability of this church having possessed, or being intended to possess, a third (north) aisle of the same dimensions, although the point has been mooted. Amongst very few churches (if any) on the same plan, there is one approaching to it on a smaller scale, but with a fine roof to one of the aisles, at Ruthin, North Wales. At Reading the aisles are not similar, or equal. There is, however, a little resemblance in St. Helen's Bishopsgate. This church (St. Paul's) is now undergoing the process of reroofing, some of the ornamental work being fit to be replaced; and it is satisfactory to add that it will be releaded,

instead of being reduced to a covering of slate. It was fortunate that the discovery was made in time, as the ends of the main beams were more decayed than the centres. When these lay in

the churchyard part of the wood appeared rotted to the consistence of snuff. The columns in the interior are of so hard a stone, that a workman was engaged, many years ago, three weeks, in boring a hole through one, for a special purpose.

In the part south of the tower, which shows signs of former painting and gilding in its roof, is the substantial mural monument erected to Sir William Harpur and his "dame" or lady Alice, and an altar-tomb has since been placed over their grave, at the Archdeacon's Court in the south chancel.

The four lofty and conspicuous dials of the clock-a new one, erected in 1812 at a cost of 4007.- —are becoming much more venerable in appearance than useful, and, as the expense of regilding would most likely not exceed 50l., it would be better undertaken at

once.

A plan for lighting the clock was ineffectual several years back, about the same time that a correspondent of the Times recommended the Janus-like projecting one of Bow church, Cheapside, to be illuminated, which would have been very useful.

A chapel of ease, misnamed Trinity Church, has been erected at the "new town" in this parish. It is a building of three aisles, without arches and columns, in the Early Pointed style, with coupled lancet windows. The tower is the best part of it, having triple belfry windows. The east end is a poor imitation of the Temple, London, and a belfry window in the centre of the roof is most ungainly. The tower only contains one bell, and the interior has no organ. Adjacent is a small burying-ground, but insufficient for the additional requirements. This building is stuccoed of a yellowish cast, which perhaps is not the most appropriate colour.

The pretty little rural church of St. Peter's has had a north aisle added. The west end has also been lengthened.

The clumsy piers which separated the north aisle of St. Mary's Church, which aisle was erected just before the destruction of the church of "St.

Peter's Dunstable," which stood opposite,* have been replaced by neat clustered columns, with lighter arches. The pews have been demolished, and open seats substituted, on which tastes will differ; but there is a neat screen of wainscot, with quatre-feuilles in front, for the organ. The six musical bells here are one of the lightest sets in England.

St. John's Church has undergone no alteration.

The new "miniature cathedral" of St. Cuthbert is well enough, or grand enough, in itself, with two exceptions: 1. the common house-slates on a "Norman" building; if lead could not be afforded, it should have been slab-slate (such as may be seen at Caernarvon), as used at Camberwell New Churchor at least green Westmerland: and 2. an immense tower, large enough for ten bells, containing one small one. This, as at the church at Notting Hill, is a "hollow mockery;" and, if nothing more was intended, a little turret or bell-gable would have been a great deal more suitable.

The former miserable building, which had an aisle and chancel under one roof, tiled and broken in outline, and a cupola, with latterly a still worse substitute, in the centre, appears of the same form in Speed's plan (1610) of the town,-in which also the town appears to have been quite as large as it was 30 years ago.

The new School buildings, for the foundation of Sir William prosperous Harpur, form a handsome though straggling pile, with a tower in the centre, copied from that of the Indigent Blind Asylum, St. George's Fields, and not unlike the entrance gate of Wadham College. It is much to be regretted, however, that the expenses of this, and purchasing ground and houses, amounting altogether to between 30,000l. and 40,000l. have caused embarrassment to the noble charity. The grammar school should also have been included in this expense, if required to be rebuilt at all. But it would be a thousand pities to destroy the present, built in 1767, and the most pleasing edifice in the town. It might obviously be enlarged at the back, and the head master's outbuildings trans

* Lysons.

ferred, or his house altogether rebuilt, elsewhere.

On a projected new act for the management of this charity, the following statement appeared in "The Athenæum" two or three months ago, and was copied in other quarters, exciting much attention:

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"Sir William Harpur left a property for the maintenance of a grammar school of one master and one usher, the residue in sustentation of poor children, marriage portions, and alms. The income has immensely increased, and so accordingly have the schools, which now embrace a great number of things besides grammar, with a corresponding number of masters and teachers, exhibitions,' and other advantages; and to all this there was little objection, except that the salaries of the two principal masters were rather more plethoric than was required for the interests of learning-the 'master' having 1,1507. and the usher' 8501. per annum, with other advantages payable out of the charity. But, in process of time, the charity has got into debt; through that particular way of spending money called building,' which is far from being a difficult one. And now the surplus,' the charitable desire of the founder, which for more than fifty years has been employed in honourable and munificent ways of benevolence, is to pay in purse, that is if Parliament and the voice of the kingdom will be parties to it. The two plethoric salaries are to be just touched, one or two other deductions to be made, whilst other salaries will be increased, and upwards of 1,500l. a-year is to be abstracted from the charitable allowances. The only thing answerable to the founder's injunction of 'alms,' 500/. out of 12,0001. in different ways amongst the poor of the town is to be no longer given; 'marriage portions' and apprentice fees' reduced nearly half; 'donations to apprentices' and 'for good service' to servants' to be cut away; a hospital' left open to the extent of fifty children, orphans, or with some per sonal affliction,' out of the population of 10,000, to be reduced to the minimum number of twenty-six. This is the proposed reform' of the Harpur charity; and the way in which the interests of the higher and middle classes are proposed to be defended against those of the poor."

The two salaries alluded to will, however, be more reduced than the above writer asserts, whilst the deduction from the charitable half would be nearer 2,000l. But the abolition of the "good service" donations, the reduction of