be their wives, might produce very good foldiers and failors. Valetudinarians, who are always "taking fomething," and never fatisfied unlefs amidst a confufion of flops, and drops, and pills, might be the making of a medical man; fome claffes of the fair fex would very ufeful in the production of Orators, and, by confequence, of Members of Parliament, Legiflators, and minifters of ftate. Perfons who marry late in life, if they produced any thing, it would not be unnatural to fuppofe their progeny would turn out able Antiquaries and what fo eafy to conceive as that a man, who had been in the habit of riding for a manufacturer, might bring into the world a difiinguithed writer of Tours and Travels? All that is wanted, fays Citizen Robert, is to "perfect the organs," and it' is to be hoped he will foon communi cate this fecret to the world. In the mean time, I do not wifh to conceal my fears, even while 1 announce this difcovery with all the honours due to it; and my fears are, that no reftrictions of the Legiflator will be hereafter fufficient to flock the country with the neceflary quantity of perfons who will condefcend to handicraft employments. There are fome trades which the world very unaccountably ftigmatifes, or at leaft memions with difrefpect. I may infiance Taylors, Coblers, and fome other very ufeful defcriptions of industrious men. Now, if this fcheme be adopted, as we may foon expect it will be (for who can refift a French fashion ?) we cannot reafonably fuppofe that fuch perfons will go on propagating the goofe and the Jap-fione. No; if they are prohibited from making geniutes, they will make what is as bad, Ladies and Gentlemen: even our Farmers will not continually follow the plough, but, by a cross breed with Cornfactors' daughters, will produce a progeny qualified for Bear-key and Mark-lane: and thus in other lines we fhall find the genealogy interrupted by Citizen Robert's "perfect organs," without its being in the power of government to prevent it. Templars, inflead of producing Cokes and Littletons, will be aiming at Vanburghs and Congreves, and think they have done wonders, if, after many years application to their organs," they have inade a writer of prologues or Vauxhall fongs. And, by what dropt from a learned Pre late a few days ago, there is reafon to fear we fhall have Sportfimen and Foxhunters from thofe whofe duty it is to breed Rectors and Deans. Thefe objections, which I have thrown out perhaps in a defultory manner, will, I hope, draw the attention of the publick to this plan, that it may be placed under proper regulations before it be adopted. I have only one more remark to make, and that is, that Citizen Robert does not mention the Fair Sex in his fcheme, although it is reafonable to fuppofe their affittance may be neceflary. Perhaps, indeed, he might not think it requifite to mention what was fo obvious; but here, I confefs, is a new fource of fears on my part. Knowing what matrimonial differences arife from fuch a trifling circumftance as the naming of a child, nay we not be afraid that the particuJar genius of the child will frequently be a fource of more ferious difpute? If the father fhould infift on a girl who can make a pudding, and the mother ou a genius who can write novels, by what compromife fhall they be brought to agree? Are we to expect often to fee a Mrs. Carter, who "could make a pudding as wellas tranflate Epictetus, and work a handkerchief as well as compofe a poem?" And, if fuch difputes as to what "a child fhall be" were frequent long before parents had the advantage of Citizen Robert's preparatory fchenie, what will be the cafe now they are likely to be provided with a fet of perfect organs that will manufacture any kind of genius whatever? ́ Thefe are ferious confiderations; as fuch I fubmit them to my readers in general, and especially to thofe in France who, I fuppofe, will be the first to adopt the plan. It is but fair that it should be tried, and the refults known in that country where it took its rife. As to Citizen Robert, to whom I hope this paper will introduce me, I hail him as a Projector of the very firft order, and one who must neceffarily be a difinterefted Projector; for here is a fcheme for which no patent can be procured, which cannot be monopolized, and which is in truth nothing if it be not divulged. For his fake, I could with it had been fooner known, because in that cafe, upon his own principle, he might have been enabled to write a more fenfible book on the fubject ! Mr. YOUR correfpondent Father Peter by Kufter: res ab Herodoto curiofe ob Mr. URBAN, April 10. having given fome account of Weft Wittering, in Suflex (vol. LXXI. p. 899), I truft the inclofed fketches of the manor-houfe, church, &c. will be worthy a place in your valuable publication. (Plate 11) The parish of Well Wittering is bounded on the South and Weft fides (only) by the fea. The church contains a nave, chancel, and South aile, with a chapel, or oratory. At the Fatt end of the aile parallel with the chancel, from which it is divided by two handfome circular-headed arches fupported by a light and elegant round coInn, there are two monuments in the North fide of the chancel adjoining to each other, forming an angle with a finall vacant fpace between the back of one of the monuments and the Eaft end of the chancel. Ou the fide of the North window and on the monuments words, a definition of the term rogin fervatie;" and the Greek fentence Hạodolu anixaeraσstos troɛins amodiĝis ndo. Curiofitatis quam Herodotus adhibuit in rebus quas narrat vel luftrandis, vel fcifcitandis fpecimen, vel argumentum hoc eft." Or, as Le Clerc, "Quod in hiftoria præftitit;" or, "Herodotus res a fe obfervatas et investigatas edidit" by James Gronovius thus quaintly rendered: Herodoti cura demonftratio hæc eft." Jortin, I. 89, adds, "the words of Eufebius Dein. Evang. V. 273, n nulçi, means the knowledge and the teftimony of what we have feen ourfelves; and the Latin tongue has no fingle word which exactly antwers to this fenfe of ropix.” Mr. Beloe renders it "hiftorical effay." Yours, &c. MR. URBAN, Q. April 2. ISHOP STAPLEDEN, founder Ne the leners W. S. in Gothic charac-Bol Exeter college, directed that one ters, with fhields bearing arms (figs. 4, 5.) the devices nearly obliterated (but both them and the inferiptions are rendered more illegible by white wath than the ravages of time). Both the monuments are canopied with flat Gothic arches of the time of Henry VII. On the South wall of the chancel is a mural family monument, recording the deaths of Richard Taylor, efq. 1663; Elizabeth (filia) 1077; Dorothea (uxor) 1688; Dorothea (filia) 1702. In the South wall is a long Gothic nich (fig. 6.) containing a pitcina, and higher up in the wall a large corbel for a lamp. The Nave and South aile is divided by four point ed arches, fupported by round and octagon columns (alternately); the capitals ornamented with flowers. The font (fig. 7) round, on a high fquare pavement. The tower contains three fmall bells. The living is a vicarage, valued in the King's books at 101. s. 44. The views in the harbour are ex tremely rich and beautiful, and on the fhore the Ifle of White, the hips at Spithead, with a diftant view of Portf mouth, form a charming view., S. Mr. URBAN, March 30. of fhould be converfant in theology, or canon law. Such is properly Mr. Denny, vol. LXXII. p. 1212. (fee p. 103.) out of the 13 ftudents on his foundation Muft not Francis Beaumont have en tered the order of the Jefuits at a later period of life than his portrait, p. 105, reprefents him? P. 113. I do not conceive that croffes were divided into fo many clafles ftone on Caraton down had originally a as Mr. Britton imagines. If the single connexion with Druidifm, the couped crofs was added, as probably that at Burien and Callington, where they are in church-yards, after the introduction of Chriftianity; and that at Alphington had not an earlier origin. Such fingle with the figure, of a crols, were fuitupright ftones in the form, or charged able to the spots on which they were placed. In towns, wealth and art were employed to embellish the fhaft, or pillar; and many, like that at Cricklade, fupported by way of capital a cluster of niches, including the Crucifixion, between the Virgin and John, as at Henley in Arden, co. Warwick, and at Sabridge, co. Dorfet. Thefe were generally placed in the market, as the ACCIDENTALLY opening Dr. most frequented place, to call the at on Ecclefiaftical History," I fumbled on a remark on the hiftory of Herodotus as deferibed by the author himself, or, in other GENT. MAG. April, 1803. tention of all perfons who met there to *The latter of thefe being engraved by Mr. Hutchins, we recommend the other as a fubject for Mr. Britton's pencil, EDIT. their their religious duties; and hence many elegant thafts were in later times inclofed and incumbered with pent houtes to accommodate the buyers and fellers; of which Shepton Mallet af fords an inftance. Sometimes alfo the market-houfe of this form was au uniform building, and the crofs planted in the meeting of three or four ways, as I remember to have been the cafe at Sherbourn; or fuch market-houfes covered a pump, as at that town, and, if I miftake not, at Wells. Of the preaching cross, or fione pulpit in the open air, furmounted by a cross, the finest inflances I recolled are at Hereford and Iron Adlon, both engraved. Of the treeping cross, the only example feems to have been near Stafford, fo called from its being 66 a place defignated for the expiation of offences." Croffes of memorial were erected by individuals for public or private events. Nevil's crofs a preeminent infiance; Percy's cross a fimpler one, and that at Blore heath and that in Britanny. All thefe were erected after battles, over individuals who fell in the battles, or over perfans in church-yards, on or near the spot. An inftance of the fecond fort is Guthlac's fione near Croyland, the fubject of fo much difcuffion, like that on the Greek infeription at the Roman wall, cleared away by common difcernment. 'Croffes were frequently planted at the meeting of roads, to excite religions ideas in the paffers by, to include in their prayers the foul of the erector§. Thofe memorials of Queen Eleanor were the finest ornaments of this country, and juftice was first done to the remaining ones by the pencil of Mr. Schnebbelie for the Society of Antiquaries. your The answer to the enquiry of correfpondent CHRISTIANUS, p. 119. after the Sibylline prediction of the coming of Chrif, that occurs moit readily to me at the moment, will be found in Lactantins de Vitâ beatâ, c. 18, where, fpeaking of fuch prediction, that God the Father, and the * See Mr. Aftle's paper on croffes, Archæol. XIII. 216: but quære fuch an application. + Archæol. VI. 144. pl. XIX. dunvelos of the first and one God, would look down upon the world, and purge and restore it to its original state, Hermes, an antient writer, adds, “Sibyllæ quoque non aliter fore oftendunt quam ut Dei filius a fummo patre mittatur cui et juftos liberet de manibus impiorum et injuftos cum tyrannis fœvientibus deleat: e quibus una fic tradidit: « Ήξει και μακαρων εθόλων πολιν εξαν Και καν τις θεόθεν βασιλους πεμφθεις επ' Είθ' Και αρίσους ως κρινείται υπ' αφθόλου ανθρώποισι. Item alia Sibylla : τοτ' απ' ηελίου πεμψενε θεος βια σιλης [x010 " Ος πατιν γαιαν παύσει πολεμοιο και The conflagration of the world, and the general judgment are predicted by the fame Sibyl. It must not, however, be concealed, that Jortin* was of opinion, that "the Sibylline oracles were all from firft to laff, and without any one exception, mere impoftures, whether compofed by Pagans, Jews, or Chriftians. We have a collection of them in eight books, which abound with phrafes and paffages taken from the LXX. and the New Teftament, and are a remarkable specimen of antonishing impudence and miferable poetry." The Doctor then gives the judgment of "We may fupFabricius on them † : pofe that in Virgil's time there were faid to be Sibylline oracles which mentioned the return of the golden age, and a renovation of happy days; but whether thefe oracles were forged by a Jew or by a Pagan, or whether the fibftance of them were fiolen from the Holy Scriptures, or whether Virgil borrowed any of his ideas and expreffions from thefe oracles, is a matter of doubt and uncertainty. It cannot be denied that there is a great refemblance beoween Virgil's Eclogue and the facred prophets." See Bishop Chandler's Defence of Chrifiianity, p. 10, &c. "Virgil's Eclogue is a continued prophecy ; and he must be fuppofed; for the fake of decorum, to have acquired this forefight one way or other, elfe the poem would appear ridiculous. He gives no At Sligo abbey, Archæol. XIII. pl. intimation that he was himself infpired; XVIII. 4, 5 So the cro's at Oon D, in Leinster, of the eth century, Archaol. XIII. pl. CLXXXVI. * Remarks on Ecclefiaftical History, vol. 1. pp. 283—294. |