queftion. In the next place, your correfpondent refers to the work of Dr. Sturges, p. 185, Svo, as to a refutation of what I have advanced on the fubject; whereas, this gentleman does not to much as notice my ftatements. I find the greater reafon for this complaint, as one of the laft Reviews alfo peaks of the Reflections of Dr. S. as au answer to my Letters. The fact is, he has barely republished his work in a finaller fize, but without profelling to refute what I have advanced againfi it; and I have it in my power to fhew, that in the few chronological difcuffions, and quodlibetical criticifms, which he has added to it, he has failed in every point. In particular, this writer will be furprized to find how much he has been mifled by his correfpondent in Lincoln's Inn, who has fupplied him with the account of my conduct refpecting the act for the relief of Catholics, in 1791, which account forms a great proportion of the new matter in the faid fecond edition..

I now pafs to the criticifm on my Hiftory of Winchester, by the ingenious writer who is enriching your Magazine with his copious account of Winborne. He fays, that I "must be wrong in faying that Ethelred I. received his wound (of which he died) at Merton, unless there be fuch a place between Winborne and Salisbury, becaufe there was the feat of war, as is evident by the Danes rallying at Wilton, where they fought Alfred immediately after." He had before exprefly afferted, that Ethelred, with his brother

Alfred, was "fuccessful in the aforefaid battle, and that it took place at Withampton, near Wimborne," p. 1188. The injuftice of this criticifm will appear from the three following capital errors that are contained in it. 1 All our original 'hiftoriaus agree in afferti, that the laft battle fought by Ethelred againft the Danes, the fame in which he received his death-wound, was unferefsful on his part. I will refer to fome of these hiftorians, whom I have actually before me, in the notes; but I fhall content my felf with citing the words of one amongst them, who was the near defcendant of that valaut prince f. 2. The original writers are equally unanimous in naming Merton as the place of this battle, though Camden, Rapin, and other moderns, amongst their numerous errors on this period of hiftory §, call it Willingham, or Witchampton. The fource of their error in this particular is eafily difcovered. They confound the place of Ethelred's laft fight, with that of his death. He fought his laft battle at Merton, or Merdon, near Devites, and he died at Witchampton, near Winborne, at which latter place he was buried. 3. Alfred 'did not engage the Danes at Wilton, immediately after the aforefaid battle; but a whole month intervened **, which was taken up with his election and coronation ++; and then his forces were fo much inferior in number to those of his enemies, that he loft the day, and was forced to feck his fafety in flight and obfcurity. J. MILNER.

& not.

+ Allerius, &c.

Tus

many feet from St. Michael's church, and not many degrees fhort in point of dimenfions, or grandeur of defign; indeed, a twin ftar, thought not entirely fo bright in form. The body of this church is lefs enriched than St. Michael's on its exterior, though I difcover much more architectural correctness in the interior; but when I come to compare its tower, which feems to emerge from the roof, while the basement elevation is loft in the conftruction of the body of the building, with St. Michael's revealed and afpiring pride of art, I crouch in humble adoration, and lay afide the vainglorious trial. The fpire, indeed, inay boaft its near affinity with St. Michael's other foaring gen; then on each fructure let us befiow equal regard and equal commendation. As the erection of this building bears a remote date, it no doubt needed repair; in confequence, great havock, alteration, and modern improvements, have taken place of late on its external parts, particularly in the North and South windows, by the fubverfion of their tracery; and the Weft and Eaft fronts have been in a manner rebuilt. Cruel innovation; unhappy proof of modern feientific perversion; the mind finks into the nothingness of living fkill, in viewing afkance the decline of geome trical order, of juft appropriation, of profeffional precifion, to ruefully fet up to glare upon us in these two moft confpicuous parts of the edifice. Did the architect, the mafon, or whatfoever was the designation attached to his confequence, when he knocked out the original mullions, broke down the battlements, and unhaped the buttrelles, turn his perverted eyes from the leveled fragments, and from the dzazling beauties of St. Michael's window enrichments, and difdainfully fay, I will now fhew my juft contempt of fuch old fuperftitious work, made up by fpells and charms, and of which there is not either beginning or end, that I can dit cover, and here bring in my improving -embellishments? Did he triumphantly announce, and cry out, my pointed arches hall find new centers, my mulis new mouldings, tracery, new fwers, and battlemei ts, entablature, and Luttrells, fuch deia 1, that no fight ever kooned in dark Antiquity: the

and all architectural gleanings, which I have culled from off the beauties of Somerfet Place, the Pantheon, Carleton-house, the Bank, and the South front of Guildhall, Salisbury and Lichfield cathedrals, and New-college chapel, Oxford, in their new-invented architectual drefs. Still more I afk, what other paflions agitated his frame? Did he, when perceiving fome of the mafonry of the Welt window fall nigh his perfon, call to mind the definy of that man, who pulled down the Weft window of Netley Abbey ; who, perfevering in his facrilegious labour, though warned from the purfuit by repeated admonitions in his dreams, fell a facrifice to his avaricious propentities, by a great part of the ftone-work falling on his head, and which crufhed him to atoms? Perhaps our Coventry innovator, in his cogitations, flumbered only, on intereft, gain, and on the ingenuity of fome panegyrift, who in future ftory might record his praife for all his préfent great and laborious undertakings.

The interior of the chutch exifts in its originai ftate, and full, like its gemmel neighbour, is crammed with the organ cafe, pews, and galleries, all in promifcuous deformity, landing up before the symmetry and unaffuming harmony of the native pile.

The cathedral, or priory church, which was fituated at about an equat diftance from Sr. Trinity, as St. Trinity is erected nigh unto St. Michael's church; each one, as it were, within the precincts of the other. Of the great and famous monattery, originally called The Priory of Coventry, little now remains but the North front of the North tranfept of the church, and fome walls of the attendant buildings, "Behold the inftability of thefe perithable things; what the pious founder and all other its worthy benefactors had, with great zeal to God's glory, fo chearfully given and beftowed on the ftructure, endowment, and adorning, of this fometime famous monattery; and that with fuch heavy imprecations and curtes upon any that should take away or diminish aught thereof, as the charters before cited do manifeft againft which violators of the church its patrimony, the reprefentative body of. his realin had alfo fo often, in terro rem, pronounced folemn curtes in open

.

parliament, as whofoever shall caft his eye upon our ftatutes and public hiftories may difcern, was fabverted, torn away, and feattered, in 30 of Hen. VIII's reign, after it had food near 500 years [founded 1043], the glory of all thele parts. At which time the very church itself, though a molt beautiful cathedral, and the mother-church of this city, efcaped not the rude hands of the dettroyers; but was pulled in pieces and reduced to rubbith! Thus exclaims Sir William Dugdale, in his ilInftration of the antiquities of Coventry. What fate attended thefe particular violaters, I am not altogether informed; but, if we confult a very arce and valuable book, called the Hitiory of Sacrilege," I make not the leaft doubt fome direful circumftances marked their departure for another world, there to render an account for their actions in this. The above quoted hiftory is a collection of public events, brought into one view, of matters relating to the fatal tendency, as fo feel ingly deferibed by our Coventry hifto rian, and which we find fo dreadfully corroborated by our national records; and on none fo miferably have the " imprecations and curfes" fallen as on the progeny of the prime mover of all, to the third, fourth, and fifth generation; and doth not the laft living rennant of this unfortunate flock, (who leath of all merited fuch a destiny,) now drag a wretched exiftence, which, but, for the timely aflifiance of a moft gracious hand, deputed by a heavenly fympathy, had long ere this been left to pefish in want and mifery?

Architectural innovators, con over this awful letion; and think not, by a Hinty pretence of preferving with a mock thew of veneration a few of the pickaxed ornaments, of any religious building ye are deftroying, though echoed round by "needy hirelings" as acts deferving of public thanks, to elude the vigilant eyes of a difcerning few, or the influenza of the "imprecations and curfes," though "pronounced by the representative body of the realm in open parliament" near 800 years ago; and, however fome of its tings may be blunted by the tooth of time, many are fill fharp enough to pierce ye to the quick! I who advance to give fome light to develope Antiquity's charms, and ftretch forth my arms to turn afide the future profethiohazard of participating in the "im

precations and curfes," am not without iny fhare of that punishment, which fuck heavy inflictions have more or lefs caft upon us all, for, is regret, or the most poignant forrow, to be put by, when, from the precious remains of the North tranfept now before my reflecting fight, I mutt be fo truly fenfible of the wonder of the whole fructure when in its perfect state? The minutiae of the parts lead me to Wells's vet unaltered cathedral, where I find the greateft fimilitude of ftyle. With me all may participate in the knowledge of that one of our nation's wonders; quick let our conceptions hurry back to this fpot, where for an inftant, ere reality awakens our antiqua rian dream, let the buried fplendour of the Priory church arife! We behold, we judge, and we-but all is loft again, and this poor relict tranfept leaves but a thought behind! Then let that thought be turned into action. Drive out thofe filthy fwine; clear off thofe furrounding fties and hovels; purify the ftagnate air; and make clean and decent every vefüge that marks this hallowed mound. Then, hence forth, let each fon of Coventry's fair city, ever as they pats by this fir cause, which gave to them a name, bow the head in admiration of its former wealth and fame, and shake the hand as repugnant of its prefent diminifhed and fetting fun. Thofe ruined walls in a line of continuation, which I have already hinted as making part of the monaftery buildings, I comment on as having much call for regard; the fiyle of their parts are not common, and befpeak the highest antiquity.

Treading on in my conftant direction, a few more paces brought me to the feite of the epifcopal palace of the heretofore bifhops of this diocefe; where thofe filent and ideal creations, fo familiar to

thofe who follow in the track of departed lufire, was all that remained to partake of in this diffolved feene. I quit thefe mind-drawn abodes; and, retiring to the fpace between the Weft end of St. Michael's church and the Eaft end of St. Trinity, I thall there uncontrouled give free feope to all my collected fweets of antiquarian intuiton; at will, let them wander out at every pore, where playing awhile in circui

*We have been made acquainted with a propofed repair, and of course alteration, which is foon to take place in this edifice.