Of ancient Baptifteries, Lavatories, &c. in his Travels, vol. ii. p. 44, 45, has given a particular defcription of the baptifery at Florence, mentioned by Mr. G. in which this traveller informis us, that it is oppofite to the cathedral, that it is called H Battiflerio, or St. John's church, and that all the children of Chriftian parents in that city are baptifed in it. A baptiftery of this kind could not well have been wanted in Canterbury; because the right of adminiftering baptifm feems to have been annexed to all the parochial churches there, from the firft establishment of them; and from the author's account of the font in St. Martin's church, there is a prefumptive proof of its being more ancient than the cathedral itself For thefe reafons, I am apt to immagine, that the building in question was never defigned for a baptifery; and, indeed, had there been an edifice for this purpofe within the precincts of the cathedral, one should hardy have expected to have found it near the center of the offices belonging to the convent. But, as I have taken the liberty to object to the new name conferred on this little building, in or der to afford others the like opportus nity of making exceptions, I will hazard a guess at what may have been the true appellation of it; and, in my opinion, it was the ancient lavatory, i. e. the place where the members of the priory used to wath themselves. In the Conflitutions given to the monks of the Benedictine order, by Archbihop Lanfranc, this apartment is exprefsly named, and in a manner which ve parochiali; tali nempe que habet populum: nam in ecclefiâ collegiatâ, vel conventuali, qua non habet populum, non debet efle baptifterium, &c. The writer was from the first doubtful. whether there might not be an inftance or two to the contrary of what he has here advanced, and, fince he finished his letter, he has difcovered, that a Bishop of Coventry granted to the abbey of Haghmon, in Shropshire, an officer, whofe province it was to baptife as well Jews as infants, and who was to difcharge paro- chial duty for the fervants and domestics in that monaftery. But the reverend author of the Preface to Tanner's Notit. Monaft. p. 29, mentions this to be a very different facriffan from what ufually belonged to other religious houfes. It may alfo be remarked, that Haghmon-Abbey was a fraternity of regular Austin canons, and not Benedictines, the monks of which Stricter order were settled in all our cathe dral priories, Carlile excepted. . 509 will induce is to fix it not far from the dortor, or dormitory; and it appears, by the enclosed extracts from Da Frefne's Gloff. Med. et Infim, Latin. that there was, in other monafteries, fuch a building, which adjoined to the chapter-room, as did alfo the fcriptorium (i. e. the room in all great convents in which perfons were conftanily employed to tranfcribe books for the choir and the library 1). The fituation of this circular recefs in Canterbury cathedral nearly answers to this defcrips tion, it being at a very inconsiderable distance from the old chapter-house, and contiguous to the old library; which was over the prior's chapel, and of which library the fcriptorium ́was probably a part. It is obferved by Mr. G. that this building confifts of two rooms, one on the ground floor, and the other on a level with the gallery leading to the church. Now, I appre hend the vault to have been the lavatory for the monks in general, and the upper room to have been raised at a dif ferent time, for the convenience of the prior, who, Mr. Sømner teils us, had, through their private chapel, a paffage from their lodgings to the church. Perhaps the prior m`ght, in this apartment, difcharge the duty incumbent on him, of wafing the feet, and pouring water upon the hands, of fume of his monaltic brethren, on Maunday-Thursday. This practice was enjoined by Archbishop Lanfranc, în the Conflitutions before cited, and the fpot for the performing of this ceremony was directed to be without the doors of the enapierhoufe, and before it. If, therefore, we fuppofe, what is likely to have been the cafe, that the prior had a door out of this gallery into the chapterhoufe, as well as into the church, the ་་ + Cum appropinquaverit tempus horæ tertiæ pulfetur a fecretario modice fignum minimum, quam " skillam" vocant, et ftatim pergant in dormitorium, et calcient fe diurnalibus, et cultellos accipiant; deinde ad lavatorium veniant, et prius lavent fe, et poftea pectinent, deinde ad ecclefiam veniant, &c. &c. Wilkins Concil. Mag. Britan. v. i. 329. Lavatorium, ubi mănus lavant monachi priufquam cant ad, refectorium.-Pyrale, hypocauftum conventuale, estuve, in quo capitulum celebratur.-Veniunt in pyrale, et inde in lavatorium, necnon et proximum pyrali fcriptorium: ét has tres regulariffimas præ omnibus quæ unquam -viderint, afferebant effe officinas. Eckebardus junior, de Casibus S, Galli, cap. 11. 510 Account of the Ifle of Ily, the Refidence of St. Columba. Archbishop's expreffion will counteuance the notion I have adopted, of this building's having heen applied to that ufe - However, whether it ought to be denominated the old baptillery, or the old lavatory, or must ftill retain the name it has acquired by long ufage, is an important point, which must be left to the decifion of the reader. Should I be allowed to liave drawn "the happier conclusion," I frankly acknowledge" to have been led to it by the hint given by my chearful and communicative guide." For though, fome years fince, I frequently examined this elegant rotunda, I could never form any idea of the purposes for which it was erected; and, had not this more attentive perambulator apprized me, that formerly two pipes, or jets, for water, were fixed in it, I hould still have returned the fame unmeaning anfwer to every curious enqui. ter I had hitherto done, namely, that it was the model of a bell caft, and caft away, no body knew when or where. With my hearty thanks to the merry Mr. URBAN, 1754 1755, and 1761, are many particulars relating to the famous Irish Saint, Columba, 10 which I beg leave to add the following account of the island of Ily or Iona, the celebrated place of his refidence, tranflated from Buchanan in the 1ft book of his Scotch hiftory. This isle, says the historian, Lotis omnium qui in capitulo funt pedibus, fedeant foris antecapitulum prior et prædicti fervitores cum eo. Quorum pedes præcinclus terforio abbas, Alexis ge nibus, abluat, et tergat, et ofculetur, fubfervientibus fibi fratribus ad hoc obfequium deputatis.——Poft hæc redeat albas in fedem,&c-His expletis, excat abbas, et prior et fervitores eorum, et ante capitulum præbeat, eis abbas aquam ad abluendas manus, &c. Wilkins, ut fupra, P. 336, 337. It should be remembered, that, in the monaftry of Christ-Church, the chief of feer of the fociety had no higher title than that of Prior, and therefore, in the confruction of this paffage, Prior must always be fubftituted for abbot is in length 2 miles, and above one in breadth, the most fertile of all those which lie under the fame climate, aud famous in the annals of that country, but more celebrated for the fevere dif cipline and fanctity of St. Columba. There were in it two religious houses, one of monks, another of nuns, one culia, or, in the modern phrase, parish. church, and many chapeis erected by the munificence of the Scotch kings, and the lords of the illes. After the con queft of the Isle of Man by the English, the bishops of the isles fixed their epilcopal feat in the old monaftery of St. Columba. There remains yet amongst the ruins a cemetery, or burying-place, common to all the noble families which dwelt in the western islands. Amongst the other tumuli are three higher than the reft, placed at moderate diftances from each other, on which are erected three tombs facing the west. On the weft fide of each tomb is placed an engraved ftone, to fhew to whom the tomb belongs. That which is in the middle hath this titl:,"The tomb of the Kings of Scotland" for they fay that 48 kings of Scotland were interred there. On the tomb to the right of this is this infcription, "The tonib of the Kings of Ireland;" for 4 kings of Ireland are faid to be buried there. The tomb to the left is inferibed, "The tomb of the Kings of Norway;" for $ kings of Norway are faid to be in terred there. In the re of the cemetely the noble families of the ifles have heir feparate places of interment. The 6 circomjacent islands, which are small, but fertile, were given to the mo naftery of St. Columba by the old kings of Scotland, and the lords of the ifles. This inland continued to be the place of fepulture for the Scotch monarchs till the time of Malcolm Carmor; who, by the perfuafion of his queen, St. Margaret, appointed the abbey of Dumfermling to be the repofitory of the Scotch princes. The firit ten abbots of this monaftery were as fol low: 598 Fergnaus 623 Segenius 652 Suibneus 657 Cummineus Albus 679 Adamnanus 204 Conainus filius Failbei annis. 34 I 25 29 Of the floating of the Lungs of Infants in Water. «Bede tells us, lib. 5, cap. 23, that, in the time of this Dunchadus, the monks of this monastery conformed to the custom of the church of Rome, in celebrating Eafter. The fame author fays, lib. 3. cap. 4, that the Pics gave this iffand to St. Columba; but Abp. Ufher embraces the opinion of Tigernacus, in the Annals of Ulfter, who fays, that Conall, the fon of Comgallus, fixth King of Scotland, according to Elagherty's catalogue, made this donation. W. S. Mr. URBAN, YOUR correfpondent W. P. teils the public, that the experiment made by throwing the lungs taken out of the thorax of a new-born infant into water, is not a certain method of discovering whether the child was born alive or not, and that therefore it ought not to be depended upon in a cafe where the life of a fellow-creature is at stake. Certainly, a difionelt operator may make the lungs fink if the child had breathed, by pouring a small quantity of mercury down the trachea, after he had exhaufted as much of the air as poffible; and, vice verfa, he may make the lungs fwim if the child had been ftill-born, by inflating the lungs as much as poffible with air: but if the Jungs were taken out fairly, and immerfed in water, I am of opinion the finking or fwimming might well afcertain whether the child had breathed or not. Some years firce I was prefent at the trial of a woman for the murder of her child; and the furgeon who examined the child, offering this experiment as evidence, was immediately filenced, and not fuffered to proceed any farther, as it was well known fuch other evidence would have been given as must have convicted the prisoner. In this cafe the child's throat was cut, and it was thrown into a neceffary. She had confeffed the fact, and it was well known the had committed the like fact twice before: however, it was urged in private, that fhame for her fornication induced her to deftroy the children to prevent difcovery, and the children not having any sense of the value of life, it was no great crime. To prevent fuch unnatural and atroIcious offenders from escaping the punishment due to their guilt, the following is offered as an infallible method to difcover whether the child has breathed, or not. Before birth no blood pates through the pulmonary artery, 511 but through the foramen ovale into the heart of the foens; but as foon as the child is born and breathes, the foramen is closed, and the blood paffes through the pulmonary vessels into the heart: if, therefore, upon opening the thorax of the child, the pulmonary artery and vein be found full of blood, or nearly fo, there cannot be a doubt but the child has breathed. In the cafe above mentioned, the wound in the child's throat was by the Judge fuppofed to have been made by the inftrument which drew it out of the neceffary; but, had the furgeon been allowed to go through his evidence, it would have been known to have been made before death: and it may be ufe ful here to say, that any divifion of the blood veffels after the circulation of the blood is wholly ftopped, will not take away more blood than between the valves of that veffel; but, if any of the principal blood-veffels are divided while the circulation is carrying on, almoit the whole circulating blood will be drained away at the wound; so that it cannot be difficult to afcertain whether a wound dividing the blood-veffels was made before or after death. Your occational correspondent, R. Mr. URBAN, UPON contidering the unbounded encomiums pafled upon the late great prelate of Winchefer, in your Magazines for April and May lalt, and particularly reflecting on the reprefentation of him, at page 173, "as the great defender and affertor of all that is truly valuable to us as men, chriftians, and Britons; the following ideas obtruded themfelves upon me. Formerly, when an author's works were collected together, teftimonia used to be prefixed by way of puff; and it faved half a preface: for though fome of thefe teftimonia might be only general commendations, yet others entered minutely into the merits, fhewed the ufe of each piece, or the tendency, perhaps, of all. If this old custom were revived, what could have been more to the purpofe in the publication of Bishop HOADLY's Works, than the following quotation from the Deift's Letters ** The paffage is fhort, comprehenfive, and characteristical; and occurs at page 3': What experience you may hate had, I know not; hat in theory I guess it is adult matter to 512 Strictures relating to Bishop Hoadly.-Miscellaneous Plate. bring a man into deism, without leading him into Bangorianifm." The pamphlet containing this remaikable passage, is entitled Two letters from a Deifi to his Friend, concern-ing the truth and propagation of deism, in oppofition to Chriflianity with remarks. London, printed for James Roberts, in Warwick lane, 1730, 419. In the preface we are told " they were written by one who was then a mem ber of the University of Oxford, but fince expelled; and found in the efcrutore of bis unhappy friend, who fent himfe f out of this world by his own hands, to learn the truth of a future state. They prefent a very unusual fpectacle, a def peaking his real fentiments." Ihould be glad to fee them reprinted at this time, as I think they might be highly ferviceable to the cause of true religion and virtue, tho originally designed to attack both. You have, at page 174, given a specimen fufficient. to prove, were other proofs wanting, that his Lordship could exprefs himielf with no small acrimony in regard to men of diftinguished learns ing, and unsullied riputation; though he has been fo highly celebrated for his extraordinary moderation. Surely, Bifhop Burkely and Dr. Delany do not deferve to be spoken of in tuch vilifying Brains: cander and truth demand the contrary. I rely upon your known impartianty for the adhaffien of thefe trictures into your useful repofitory; and am your occasional correspondent, Oxford, Nov. 12, 1774. VINDEX, P. S.. The Humble. Et quiver atter GOSPEL TRUTHS, at page 462 of your Lut Magazine, may be thoroughly acquainted with them, it he will condescend sold and thucy the unanjwerable arguments odered in the two tracts recommended to his notice in page 399 of your prefent volurie. The Layman's performance certainly contains fomewhat new upon the fubjects in question, and will, therefore, probably be the molt agreeable to this Enqui rer, who may there find his objections unanswerably obviated, I cannot but efteem it as a work of a very extraor dinary nature, Ir in fact calls the beterodox of these times truly hack to the fcriptures, which, in pretence, they have all along been laying claim to. But may it not be faid of raott of them, what the author observes of Mr. Lindfey, that the Bible is the only book which they have not confidered critically on the subject ? Notices concerning the Miscellaneous THE coins, No. 2 and 3, on the Herculaneum plate, and 4, 5, and 6, on the mifcellaneous plate, are engraved from drawings ex ¡y copied from the crinals, and were communicated by the prefent poffeffor with a view of procuring an explanation; as was likewite that marked No. 7, by another co refpondent. Fig. 1. and II. were found at Cilchefter, in Hants, and are judged to be great curiosities. Fig. III. was copied from a flatue that formerly food before the palace of the Quirini, at Patavia, but has fince been transported to that of the Vaneti. The original may be feen in Feriaia de Re Veftiaria; but we can find no traveller that mentions it, though it appears fingularly curious. [The ingenious author of the Walk in and about Canterbury, has thought proper, in a letter to the editor, to juftify two of his expreffions, from tome of jections in the account of his Walk in our laft Magazine. Replies and rejoinders are not confident with our plan. or limits. If criticisms are juft, they will fuppert themfeives; if not, they will fall. The fault finder, however, as cur itinerant philofopher is pleased to five the remarker for thefe two flight animadverfions, (though he admired many beauties, and gave feme extracts · with commendations,) begs leave to add, that Mr. Gottling thould remember, that even Pope and Jervas, partial as they were to each other, yet, in their refpective arts, found' --"like a friend, Somtehing to bigme," (as well as) "omething to commend;" and that all his other readers, where they differ from him, have no less right 'candidly to exprefs their diffent, than he has to maintain his opinion, by affirming, that, if another edition of "his work fhould come cut, the word "[Protefiants] will ftand, and Britain maintain there the honourable post "of being the eldest of all Proteftant "churches." Be it fo; let the word fand, and may the work be published again and again, fays one who has much more pleasure in commending than in blaming.] *** In answer to J Z.'s very reproachful charge, the EDITORS have only to fay, that, as the subject is now dormant, it would be imprudent in them to revive K. An |