when the mercury as suddenly rose to 72!

On the 28th of May, the Adventurers had the inexpressible satisfaction of landing on the surface of the terrific elevation over which their indefatigable exertions had triumphed; exertions (independently of that sweet gratification which always accompanies successful, and not dishonourable, perseverance) amply repaid by the scene which presented itself to their view. At the distance of about three miles a second ridge of rocks bounded their view; but the intermediate country, on either side, displayed a level and beautiful tract of land, at once exhibiting the boldest figures and the softest beauties of Nature: stupendous columns of basalt, studded with a silvery copper ore, shooting out from the soil in all directions, afforded a wonderful and most pleasing contrast to trees and shrubs of the finest growth and most luxuriant richness, boasting a variety of species and an extent of beauty hitherto unwitnessed even in that Country, so celebrated in the annals of Botany. Nature must have been in her most sportive humour when this spot was formed, the basalt and ore being thrown into such fantastic shapes, that on a cursory view they had the appearance of a herd of gigantic copper-coloured cattle, attended by colossal shepherds of variegated silver. On inspecting the smaller ridge of rocks, which formed the next barrier opposed to them, it was discovered that the River supplying the Cataract before alluded to, found a rapid descent through a tolerably wide opening in the rocks, and by its own force at once excavated a passage in the soft soil on which it fell, to the depth of about 170 feet, when, meeting the solid rock, it continues its course for three miles under ground, and finally issues from the immense aperture described at the commencement of the

undertaking. This fully explained the mystery of the Cataract issuing more than half way down the Blue Mountains, instead of flowing over their top.

The Travellers having sent a Report of their progress to SydneyTown, received a considerable supply of necessaries, particularly of the famous New Holland ponies, which with very little difficulty they were

enabled to lead up the wicker steps: these animals were of the greatest use in conveying the provisions and tents from day to day, as the party advanced; for the second ridge of mountains was passed in two days, with comparatively very little labour in excavation. Several most extraordinary trees, of species before totally unknown, presented themselves. Of one kind there were some that measured the wonderful extent of 45 feet round the trunk; another very curious genus exhibited an immense number of spikes or thorns, nearly a foot long and as hard as iron, dispersed all over the trunk. It was remarkable that at the feet of these last-mentioned trees were invariably seen considerable quantities of bones, which, there was little doubt, were the remains of unfortunate animals, that, either in the ardour of pursuit, or the darkness of night, had been at different times transfixed by the terrific spikes in question.

(To be continued.)

Mr. URBAN,

Jan. 6.

MY acknowledgements are due to

your Correspondents whose communications (Part II. of your last Volume, pp. 22. 209.) have strengthened the conjecture which I ventured to offer respecting Psalm 109, (Part I. p. 551): but, as I happen to be a "poor unlettered woman," to use the expression of your Correspondent W. in your last volume, p. 535, I must beg his excuse for declining to hazard an opinion whether or not" such passages ought to be rendered" in a different manner. Indeed, Mr. Urban, it was scarcely a fair challenge, after having professed that my supposition was founded on "the authorized translation," and that I was unable to ascertain how far it might be agreeable to the original.

Your Correspondent W. need not be reminded that many prophetical passages have a double signification, referring equally to the present and future; but in submitting an interpretation of Psalm 109, I considered it merely with a view to its grammatical construction, and as a part of our Church service, very liable to be misunderstood by the unlearned, and perhaps among others, by

Yours, &c.

H. FRAGMENTS

JOHN STRYPE.

IN one of the letters of Dr. Samuel Knight, Canon of Ely, dated Bluntsham, near St. Ives, March 24, 1733, is the following passage relating to Strype, the Antiquary:

"I made a visit to old father Strype, when in town last: he is turned of ninety, yet very brisk and well, only a decay of sight and memory. He would fain bave induced me to undertake Archbishop Bancroft's Life; but I have no stomach to it, having no great opinion of him on more accounts than one. He had a greater inveteracy against the Puritans than any of his Predecessors.

"Mr. Strype told me that he had large materials towards the Life of old Lord Burghley, and Mr. Fox the Martyrologist, which he wished he could have finished; but most of his papers are in characters: his grandson is learning to decipher them.'

SECRETARY THURLOE. From "The Case of Oliver St. John, esq. concerning his Actions during the late Troubles," 4to. published July 30, 1660, it should seem that Thurloe, who was afterwards Cromwell's Secretary, was originally Mr. St. John's servant. This was in 1648. About 1651 he left Mr. St. John, and in 1653 joined Cromwell. At p. 3, Mr. St. John adds, "Having bred him from a youth in my service, he out of respect once or twice in a quarter of a year visited me:" but denies that he gave any private advice to Cromwell by Mr. Thurloe's means.

Mr. St. John, as is well known, was Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas.

"An Explanation of the Words of Art contained in this Booke.

Bathing, is when you set your Hawke to the water, to wash or bathe her selfe, either abroad or in the house.

Batting, or to bat is when a Hawke futtereth with her wings either from the pearch or the mans fist, striuing as it were to lie away, or get libertie.

Bousing, is when a Hawke drinketh often, and seemes to be continually thirstie.

Creance, is a fine small long line of strong and even twound packthreed, which is fastened to the Hawks leash, when she is first lured.

Ceasing, is when a Hawke taketh any thing into her foot, and gripeth or hold

eth it fast.

Checke, or to kill, Checke is when Crows, Rooks, Pies, or other birds comming in the view of the Hawke, she forsaketh her naturall flight to flie at them.

Casting, is any thing that you giue your Hawke to cleanse her gorge with, whether it be flannell, thrummes, feathers, or such like.

To Cast a Hawke, is to take her in your hands before the pinions of her wings, and to hold her from bating or striuing, when you administer any thing

vnto her.

Erie, is the nest or place where a Hawke buildeth and bringeth vp her young ones, whether in woods, rocks, or any other places.

Endew, is when a Hawke digesteth her meat, not onely putting it ouer from her gorge, but also cleansing her pannell.

Gorge, is that part of the Hawke which first receiueth the meat, and is called the craw or crop in other fowles.

Gurgiting, is when a Hawke is stuft or suffocated with any thing, be it meat or otherwise.

Inke, whether it be of Partridge, fowle, doues, or any other prey, is the necke from the head to the body.

Intermewed, is from the first exchange of a Hawkes coat, or from her first mewing, till she come to be a white Hawke.

Iesses, are those short straps of leather, which are fastned to the Hawks legges,

legges, and so to the lease by varuels, anlets, or such like.

Lver, is that whereto Faulconers call their young Hawkes by casting it vp in the aire, being made of feathers and leather in such wise that in the motion it looks not vnlike a fowle.

Lease, or Leash, is a small long thong of leather, by which the Faulconer holdeth his Hawke fast, folding it many times about their fingers.

Lice, are a small kinde of white vermine, running amongst the feathers of the Hawke.

Muting, is the excrements or ordure which comes from Hawkes, and containeth both dung and vrine.\

A Make-Hawke is an old staunch flying Hawk, which being inured to her flight, will easily instruct a younger Hawke to be waining in her prey.

Managing, is to handle any thing with cunning according to the true nature thereof.

Mew, is that place, whether it be abroad or in the house, where you set down your Hawke, during the time that she raseth her feathers.

Mites, are a kinde of vermine smaller

than Lice, and most about the heads

and nares of Hawks.

Plumming, is when a Hawk ceaseth a fowle, and pulleth the feathers from the body.

Plummage, are small downy feathers which the Hawke takes, or are giuen her for casting.

Pelt, is the dead body of any fowle howsoeuer dismembred.

Pill, and pelfe of a fowle, is that refuse and broken remains which are left after the Hawke hath been relieued.

Plume, is the generall colour or mixtures of feathers in a Hawke, which sheweth her constitution.

Pearch, is any thing whereon you set your Hawke, when she is from your fist. Prey, is any thing that a Hawke killeth, and feedeth her selfe thereupon. Pannell, is that part of the Hawke next to the fundament, whither the Hawke digesteth her meat from her bodie.

Quarrie, is taken for the fowle which is flowne at, and slaine at any time, especially when young Hawks are flowne thereunto.

Rufter-hood, is the first hood which a Hawke weareth, being large, wide, and open behinde.

Reclaiming, is to tame, make gentle, or to bring a Hawk to familiaritie with

the man.

Raised in flesh, is when a Hawke grows fat, or prospereth in flesh.

Ramage, is when a Hawke is wilde,

coy, or disdainfull to the man, and contrary to be reclaimed.

Sliming, is when a Hawke muteth from her longwaies in one intire substance,and doth not drop any part thereof.

Stooping, is when a Hawke being vpon her wings at the height of her pitch, bendeth violently downe to strike the fowle, or any other prey.

Summ'd, is when a Hawke hath all her feathers, and is fit either to be taken from the Crie or Mew.

Setting downe, is when a Hawke is put into the Mew.

Sore-hawke, is from the first taking of her from the eiry, till she haue mewed her feathers.

Trussing, is when a Hawke raiseth a fowle aloft, and so descendeth downe with it to the ground.

Vnsumm'd, is when a Hawks feathers are not come forth, or else not com'd home to their full length.

Weathering, is when you set your Hawke abroad to take the aire, either by day or night, in the frost, or in the Sunne, or at any other season.

AFRIEND TO ACCURACY wishes to

be informed whether the anecdote of Dean Swift's dining with Sir Robert Walpole (afterwards Earl of Or, ford) at Chelsea, related by the father of the late Barré Charles Roberts in a letter to his son (see p. 570 in our Magazine for December last), has appeared in any former publication: further than that, the probability of the circumstance may be partly inferred from Lord Peterborow's letter to Swift, inserted in the first five editions of Dr. Hawkesworth's Collection, but suppressed in the subsequent impressions. In the copy of

the 5th edition, 1767, that came into the possession of the writer hereof many years ago, a manuscript memorandum, without signature, is attached to page 253 of vol. III. as follows: "Letter CCCLXXXV. Lord Peterborow to Dr. Swift. This letter is left out of all the subsequent editions; in consequence, there is reason to believe, of the intercession of Sir Robert Walpole's youngest son (Horace Walpole of Strawberry Hill), who was extremely averse to the knowledge being handed down to posterity of his father's having ever, while Prime Minister, proposed, or even consented to an interview with a man so obnoxious to the Whig party as Dean Swift."

ON

ON THE ANTIQUITY OF THE

for genuine sons to suppress partial regards. Gratitude is apt to grow overfond, Curiosity to become superstitious and hence men give to anbiquity what is due only to truth. Thus we are told by some, that Cambridge was founded in the year of the world 4321*; by others in 3588, i. e. 375 years before Christt. Then it was, they say, when Cambridge was formed into a seat of literature by one Cantaber, a Spaniard, and from him called Cantabrigia. Very early they introduce into it Grecian Philosophers, to give it literature: they people it early with Christian Doctors: it is soon destroyed, and soon revives and in purifying it from heresies, and in promoting Astronomy, with the other sciences, they lead us on with a tolerable grace to the year of Christ 529 +.

:

Then we are surrounded with a train of sacred testimonies and illustrious Patrons; with charters from Kings Arthur and Cadwallader, and confirmations by Edward, son of Alfred; with bulls and confirmations from Popes Honorius, Sergius, and John: and thus we are brought down to the year of Christ 915, the date of Edward's charter.

Yet, after all, we are following an ignis fatuus, a light reflected from a history unsubstantiated by authority, and written by a very fabulous writer. For such is the book appealed to, called LIBER NIGER, or the Black Book, in the archives of the University of Cambridge; and such, in the opinion of all writers, was he to whom this history is ascribed, Nicholas Cantalupe.

"Nicholas Cantalupe, (to borrow Bishop Nicolson's words,) is re

Chronicle of England." Yet of such little account was he, that by Bellarmine, whose business was to chronicle such chroniclers, he is not once mentioned. But, it appears, he was Prior of a Monastery of Carmelites Friars A. D. 1441.

As to the Black Book, the little credit due to that depends not merely on the assertions or solitary proofs of Oxford Antiquaries. They, indeed, have been as violent in opposing its claim, as some Cantabrigians have been rash in its support. Nor can we wonder that, whenfone Cambridge Orator supported the superior antiquity of his University, by a desperate appeal to this book of fables, an Oxford Orator I, the assertor of the superior antiquity of his University, should entrench himself, as it were, within this argument. It was a sort of stratagem of war, and a justifiable one. But Bishop Nicolson speaks too largely when he affirms, that "the Black Book at Cambridge makes as considerable a figure there as our old Statute-books at Oxford."

This book is, indeed, the groundwork of Caius's idle assertion for its great antiquity (though even Caius and Codex differ in their dates), and of the violent Controversy between Key and Twine of Oxford, and Caius of Cambridge. It is introduced also into Parker's History of the Antiquities of the University of Cambridge, though he decides neither for nor against its authenticity. But the opinion of Hare was decided. "This is said (he is speaking of an Historiola alluded to above) to be taken ex NIGRO CODICE Universitatis, from the Black Book of the University; but it seems to be no better than idle fiction, though the preceding Charters, 1. 3. 5. (viz. the Charters of Kings Arthur, Cadwallader, and Edward,) are copied from it."** Hare, being a Papist, was probably willing to reserve the Pope's Bulls for the honour and glory of Alma Mater.

** Hare's MS Collections, vol. I.

But

But Baker*, our honest and learned Cambridge Antiquary, considered these Bulls also gross forgeries, for the purpose of fresh impositions. Dr. Ashton, too, a learned man, and well acquainted with Cambridge Antiquities, has prefixed to the Index of the first Volume of Parris's Index, his testimony against both Bulls and Charters + and Dr. Parris appears from what he says" of the most useless part of the book‡,” to have been of the same judgment.

What Carter's opinion of this Black Book was, is clear enough. He says, without the smallest authority, indeed, "that the first original of this famous University is said to be about - A.D. 536, when one Cantaber, a Spaniard, was a Governor under Arthur, King of the South Britons:" so unaccountably out of order is he in his chronology, and so at variance both with Caius and Codex.

To crown all, Mr. Robert Smyth, when remarking that Mr. William Bokenham was the author of the Historiola, adds, "being part, as it is called, of the Black Book of Cambridge. Therein is the story of Cantaber, whose son Grantanus is said to have built Cambridge, called from him at first Cairgrant:" but of this book, and the Legends, Leland has said too justly, " there are a hundred things of the same kind. Truly I never read any thing in it more vain, nor at the same time more stupid and foolish." If, therefore, our Oxonians pay as much (and no more) deference (I use Nicolson's words) to their old Statute Books, as our bestinformed Cantabs do to the Black Book, it is clear they pay no deference to them at all.

As to the earliest Charters and the Bulls, then, contained in this book, their authority will tell but for little. In tracing the birth of some Colleges, I have found, if they have not in their Chartularies an original Charter of Foundation, they have at least an attested copy, which, as it would be valid in a Court of Law, so would it authenticate history: but, in the pre

sent instance, there are neither originals, nor attested copies of ori ginals; and as Black Books would be no legal evidence, so can they give no authority to History.

As little can be said in favour of Cantaber: no such name is once mentioned either by Gildas or Bede, who are our earliest writers of British History; nor, of course, by succeeding writers, who tread in their steps; such as Spelman, in his British Councils, and Camden, in his Britannia. And yet a Spanish Prince, settling in this island, founding a seat of learning, and giving name to a part of the country, must have been circumstances of notoriety. Had they been true, must they not have been heard of? Had they been heard of, must they not have been recorded? Is it probable that neither Cæsar, nor Tacitus, should have heard of such an occurrence? There was a Roman Camp near Cambridge. Tacitus was very curious about the Britons, and prepared to do them justice, as may be fully seen in his Life of Agricola. Indeed, he expressly observes that some of the Iberi, an Eastern people of Spain, passed over to the Western side of Britain and had any of the Northern inhabitants of Spain, the Cantabri, settled in the Eastern part of Britain, is it not as likely he would have mentioned also that: I say, the Cantabri(so the Biscayans were called); for, had there been any foundation for this report, they should rather have been called some Cantabri, a gentile name, than ONE Cantaber, a proper name of an individual.

As neither Cæsar, nor Tacitus, nor Gildas, nor Bede, nor any contemporary writer, mentions the circumstance; neither does Richard of Cirencester, in his account of the Province of Flavia, where Camberico was, as it occurs, stated by bim, in the 5th Iter of Antonine's Itinerary.

But enough of Black Books, and Bulls, and dreams of Charters. The truth is, many circumstances have combined to disturb the repose of our University Records, and Public Li

History of Cambridge.

braries.