392 Fynney Family, their Right to bear Arms authenticated. card, and attended it. A few days afterwards, the Prince de Ligne gave his Royal Highness a breakfast of the fame kind, and neither I nor my family were invited, though I had converfed with the Prince the night before in the public rooms! That marked neglect needs no comment. Mr. URBAN, P. T. May 13. WH THEN I was a boy I remember hearing my father fay, that his grandfather, amongst others, was ap plied to by the heralds at a vifitation of the county of Stafford refpecting their arms, and that not only he, but many others, refused to pay the fums of mo ney, then impofed upon them, as their families had borné arms unmolefied for many centuries before. Now it is further extraordinary, that Dugdale fhould enter the different branches of the Fynney family as difclaiming the humble title of gentleman, a thing unprecedented, as they were all people of great property and figure in the county; if they had not, the heralds would have paffed them unnoticed indeed the entry proves it, and the method of entering it fhews their refentment. The two cadets of the family, John Fynney of Cauldon Hall, and Francis Fynney of Coal-pits Ford, lived upon their own eftates; the former had the prefentation of the curacy of Cauldon, alias Caulton, vefted in him (fee Willis's Survey of Cathedrals, vol. I. p. 485), and the latter was an attorney. William Fynney of Fynney, the head of the houfe, had, befides the family feat, numerous eftates in the counties of Stafford and Derby, and in fome deeds relating to them, now before me, he is titled gentleman, and in others, efquire therefore, if Dugdale had the effrontery to place him in the plebeian lift, he merited what I fhould not hesitate to give him were he exifting. James Fynney, D. D. one of the golden prebendaries of the cathedral church at Durham, was the third fon of William Fynney. In his life-time he gave 501. and was a principal agent in procuring the royal bounty for the augmentation of the church at Cheddle ton; and, at his decease, amongst other capital bequefts to both perfons and places, he gave the tythes of the manor Farm at Chicddleton to that church, and 2500l. to found two fellowships and two scholarships in Worcester College, Oxford, besides an amazing fortune to his friends and relations. He was bu ried in the cathedral at Durham; and his funeral proceffion was decorated with efcutcheons of the family arms as now borne, and was conducted with a pageantry, fürpaffed by few eithet before or fince. His nephew, James Fynney, efq. was a juftice of the peace in the fame place, whofe only daughter carried an immenfe fortune into the Chaloners' family at Gifborough. (See her marriage in the Gent. Mag. vol. II. anno 1741). From that time he has always borne the Fynney's arms in an efcutcheon of pretence upon thofe of the Chaloners, and which ber children bave a right to quarter. His brother, Samuel Fynney, efq. my father, inhe rited the ancient paternal eftates, who, befides a confiderable fortune in money with his wife Sarah, the daughter of Smalbroke Best of Binley in the county of Warwick, efq. by Mary Fielding, his first wife, a defcendant of the earl of Denbigh's family, enjoyed the manor, lordship, or honour, of Goldicott, Goldicott houfe, Goldicott park, lands and promifes, &c. containing 549 acres, 2 roods, and 1 perch, in the parish of Aldermaflon, alias Alderminster, in the counties of Worcester and Warwick. Great numbers of the baronets, as may be feen in the Baronetage, my relation Bifhop Smalbroke, and his defeendants, &c. &c. &c. bear arms, though they were never entered in the college. Lord Grey de Wilton, and many others, bear both their antient and mo dern arms as well as myself; and many younger branches of his family, parti cularly thofe formerly feated at Betley, and at Wall-Grange, in this county, bore arms effentially different from thofe of the firft branch, as I can prove in wax and otherwife. There is nothing afferted in the Gent. Mag. anno 1781, nor by your correfpondent Veritas, in the prefent year, in defence of the Fynney's pedigree and arms, that I have not curious documents now in my archives to confirm and fupport; and I fhall preferve them as relicts of inestimable value. They confirm that title to me which I enjoy by courtesy; and as to the arms, after bearing them fo many centuries, nothing but death fhall caufe me to lay them afide. If any perfon dare to con-front me to fettle that matter before that Circumftances relative to the Discovery of Henry I's Bones. 393 that awful day, it shall be no other way than, according to antient cuftom, by jufts and tournaments. I fhall be glad if any of your corre fpondents will inform me, how it hap pens that Sir John Wrottefley, bart. bears the fame arms that Baffet of Warwickshire bore formerly (there having been no intermarriages between the two families), viz. Or, three piles, Sable, and a canton, Ermine. Though there has been fo much cabal about my family and arms, yet I do, and hope I always fhall, believe, that virtus mille fcuta. Yours, FEILDING-BEST FYNNEY. P. S. In the rev. Dr. James Fynney's will, dated Feb. 20, with a codicil, dated Feb. 25, 1726, and proved in the ecclefiaftical court of Durham, is the following devife: "Item, I give to Mr. Jofeph Davifon, nephew of my former wife, two hundred pounds, and my large filver tankard, which hath the arms of his grandmother engraven upon it, and my little filver pint tankard, with his grandfather's and MY ARMS engraven upon it." This may convince the world I have not arrogantly affumed arms; and all perfons are extremely welcome to fee the impreffions from the different feals of the Fynney's arms, which belonged to him, and the feveral branches of the family before and fince, appendant to deeds now in my poffeffion. I Mr. URBAN, F. B. F. March 8. HOPE I fhall be excufed if I trouble you with an explanation of two circumftances, which a contributor to your Magazine, who figns himself An Antiquary, has mistaken in my answer to Mr. Pigot's letter. When I mentioned a chafm, I meant no more than merely what was made by digging up the coffin, which I believe was clofely furrounded with earth. There is, therefore, no argument for fuppofing this a vault impaired by time. It was not faid the remains were found 240 feet diftance from the church, but from the piece of wall against which a fmall houfe is built; as that was the beft ftandard I could find to measure from. The extreme boundary of the church, on the fame fide, is at the distance of 180 feet from this wall; confequently, the fpot where the coffin was found is 60 feet distance from the church. Give me leave now to fay a few words in answer to the heavy charge your correfpondent has brought againft me. Have I endeavoured to check Mr. P. in his defire of pleafing? Far from it: I have indeed taken the liberty to differ from him, and, for the cause of truth, I could not but correct fome circumstances which were mis ftated; but I truft there is nothing in my letter which betrays a wifh to difcourage Mr. P. in the laudable employment of communicating his refearches to the world. I have confidered Mr. P. as a gentleman, and a man of learning; and I would have him confider me, not as wishing to condemn his exertions, or to oppose my own information to his, but only as fpeaking to thofe facts, which, from frequent refidence on the fpot, I had greater opportunities of being acquainted with. As a young man, I could bear with the furdy haughtiness of your correfpondent in his mention of me, as, no doubt, deriving a fanction from fuperior age and abilities; but when I am charged with traducing Mr. P's communications, it is not furely inconfiftent with modefty to tell him f fcorn his affertion. I collected all the information I was able to obtain; my own opinions, fuch as they were, I added; and I truft Mr. Pigot will not accufe me of traducing him, because I endeavoured to invalidate his ground of complaint on the prefent queftion. Is it fuch a crime to write anonymously? 1 have ever confidered your Magazine, Mr. Urban, as a place where modefty might fecurely exert its humble efforts, without being expofed to public view, and under the fanction of an authority which it might not find in its own perfon. Evidences may be compared, and opinions communicated, without a name; and as to the information with respect to facts, it does not reft on my affertion only; any inhabitant of Reading will confirm the fame. Your correfpondent afferts, that "Mr. P. never went fo far as to fay it was the body of Henry 1." and that "he fays nothing to induce us to fuppofe there were not many in Reading who could have preferved the remains. In what other fenfe are we to interpret the expreffion, "which undoubtedly was the king's," or his affurance, that if Spicer had been living he should not have had occafion to deplore this facrilege? I am not antiquary enough to fay any thing with respect to the fate of coffins. Sueh 394 Mr. Lindley's Account of Sir Kaac Newton's Religion. Such intelligence would be very accept- "They who, to be fure of Paradife, Yours, &c. Mr. URBAN, JUVENIS. April 17. authority, however refpectable, mif leads us. “It seems to have been owing to his natural fhynefs and modefty, and fear of being drawn into controverfy, that this most eminent perfon never openly declared his fentiments on this important fubject in his life-time; and rather infinuated them indirectly in thofe writings which were published afterwards. I find, however, that fome who lived near thofe times afcribed this blameable referve to an over-cautious reftraint for fear of perfecution; for the anonymous author of a pam phlet of fome repute, who wrote about 20 years after Sir Ifaac's death, having mentioned Mr. Evelyn's fufferings in "This this caufe, proceeds to fay, perfecuting fpirit kept in awe, and fi lenced, fome extraordinary perfons amongst us; Sir Peter King, Sir Jofeph Jekyll, and the greatest man of the age, and glory of the British nation, I mean the renowned Sir Ifaac Newton." After which he points to Sir Ifaac's then unpublished difcourfe, or dissertation †, upon the pretended text of 1 John v. 7, 8, as an inftance of this exceffive caution. This differtation has now been long before the public, demonftrating the fpurioufnefs of those words-in bea A Correfpondent, in your Magazine wen, the Father, the Word, and the Holy for January last, defires to be informed of what religion Sir Ifaac New ton was? of what incorporated fect? Therefore, if you will infert the following account of him in your valuable Mifcellany, you will oblige Yours, &c. A. B. C. D. "Whether Sir Maac Newton, Dr. Clarke's great friend, was of the Arian fentiments concerning the pre-existence of Chrift, which was what the Doctor embraced, or rather believed his proper humanity, is uncertain. I have mentioned, in another place, fome evidence of his being of the latter opinion. That he was, however, an Unitarian + Chriftian, although he conformed to the end of his life to the public Trinitarian worship, there can be no doubṛ. And though we might wish it had been otherwife, we mult not take upon us to cenfure or condemn where we have no concern, and are judges; but only to take care that no not *See "A Sequel to the Apology on refigning the Vicarage of Catterick," p. 18, 19. +Hiftorical Account of the Life of Dr. Clarke, by Mr. Whitou," p. 8. And Ghoft; and these three are one. ** "Caufa Dei contra Novatores," &c. P. 31, 58. Lond. 1748. Two letters of Sir Ifaac Newton to Mr. Worthip, from the Reformation to our own "Critical Conjectures of Mr. Bowyer in loc." adulterated Diplomatic Correfpondence, from the Originals. adulterated text of the three witnesses in heaven, be still continued in our Englifh Bibles, printed by authority, and mislead the ignorant and unwary in a matter of fo much importance as what relates to the true God and object of worship !" **Literary fubje&s of every kind are within the plan of the Gentleman's Magazine; and the correspondence of gentlemen, who write with moderation and judgement, highly gratifying. EDIT. DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENCE. LETTER VIII. Whitehall, Dec. 26, 1690. My Lord, My Lord Nottingham acquainted your Lop by the laft poft wth my Lord Sydney's being fecretary of State, and with the King's pleafure in relation to your correfponding with the two fecretaries. Mr. Bridgeman and Mr. Poultney are his Lops two fecretarys, from whom you will conftantly receive an account of what paffes in England. I have nothing but my humble fer vice to offer to your LOP, and to affure you of the readineffe with wch I fhall obey your commands, as being, my Lord, your Lordship's most humble Servant, RI. WARRE. Lord Pagett. LETTER IX. Whitehall, Dec. 26, 1690-1. The King having been pleafed to make me one of his principall fecretarys of ftate, and your Lordps department being within my province, I would not omitt to give you notice of it with the firit, and to take this occafion of affuring your Lord, that I fhall always be very ready to do you any fervice in my ftation. I am likewife to acquaint your Lordp that my Lord of Nottingham going with the King into Holland, His Matie thinks it neceffary you fhould (during his Lord stay there) correfpond as well with him as me. I am with much truth, my Lord, your Lordship's most humble servant, Lord Pagett. SYDNEY. 395 A Memorial Capt. Ely prefented to the (Copia.) That the voluntary acknowledgement of England and Scotland, and the reduction of Ireland, makes a totall alienation from the late King, and hath fubmitted their lives and fortunes to the authority and protection of King Wil liam, whofe conyoy is to defend or feaze me, as I prove true or diffenting from his commands; therefore I ought not to acknowledge any other power befides that which mainteins my rights and priviledges as a free-born English fubject. Further I humbly conceive, that the prudence of this moft Sereen Republique will not concern themselves in decideing what belongs to the court of England, to adjuft of differences which happens by change of government be tween the ministers prefent or past. Yet in that cafe this magiftrate will affume to themfelves the decifion thereof, I humbly pray their fentence in writeing, that I may the better justify I was forced against my will, least I be efteemed a malecontent to the present government, and to be feazed by King William's frigatts as a prize. LETTER X. To Lord Pagett (marked, "Anfwered N. B. The laft fide of this letter is Hamburg, March. 18, 1690.1. My Lord, I have received the honour of your Lord of the 5-15th instant, and wish I could give y Lorde a more cheerefull account of the affaires of the northerne crownes, and of the courts of Brunf wick. Mr. Molefworth writes me from Copenhagen of the 14th inftant, that he begins to defpaire of the inclination of that court to the common cause of the Allies; for that lately in a conference wth them, he could not prevaile for the release of one of thofe to fhips, wch were lately arrested. And Mr. Duncombe writes me from Stockholme, that that King refolves to maintaine a free commerce with France, and to that end. have 396 Query on Time of leaving Plough in England, anfwered. have concerted fome measures together, wch may hold fo long, untill iealoufics wch are common to thefe princes breake the friendship. Whatever Mr. Duncombe writes, we are ftill in the darke of those things wch C. Oxenftiern hath treated at the Hague. Yesterday I received a packet from thence, from my Lord Nottingham to Mr. Duncombe, wych his LordP recommended to my particular care in the conveyance; it was very large and heavy, and felt as if it contained fome parchments of treaties. They write me from the Hague, that the Duke of Cell and the E. of Bavaria would accompanie the King to the camp: fo that however the D. of Hanover ftands affected, it feems his brother the D. of Cell will continue a faft friend. God fend good fucceffe to the Allies, for it is that which must fixe our wavering friends, and preferve the life of the King, on wch, and the fortune of this prefent interprize, great matter doe depend. The next time I write to Sigr Marc. Anto 1 fhall adde to his other titles, that of Nobile d'Ongaria. On the laft letter 1 inferted as many titles as the paper would hold, but I shall hereafter make ufe of a larger leafe. I cannot but wonder for what reafon it is, that the Emp delays Sr Wm Haffey's difpatches; it feems they are in no great haft for a peace; or would firft fee the fortune of the first battaile of this campaigne determined. Methinks it is a piece of inhumanitie, as well as want of policy, to treat the Turkish envoyées fo ill, as to give them occafion to complaine of their hard ufage; for tho' the Turks have formerly used ambaffad ill, yet that is no example for us to follow, who have a better religion, and know that the perfons, as well as the office, of ambaffadrs are facred. I am, my Lord, your Lordship's, &c. *****. fuppofe your critical correfpondent will IN J. H. C. Mr. URBAN, Berks, May 18. N answer to the enquiry in your Magazine of laft month, concerning the time of leaving off plough in England, I take the liberty of fending you the best information in my power. It varies in different counties, and fometimes in different parts of the fame county. In Norfolk I have feen the plough going late in the afternoon; and I am told it is the cuftom in Lancashire, and probably in many other places. Where this is the cafe, they quit the plough at noon, and return to it in about two hours, after having baited their horfes. But in the neighbourhood of the place I live at, which is in the Vale of White Horfe, they make but one plough in the day, which lafts from their first going out till three in the afternoon. In thofe parts, however, which we call the Hill Country, they make two ploughs; confequently, the laft is not finished till the evening; more particularly at the time of barley towing, when greater expedition is required; and in ploughing their fummer fallows, when the length of the day will better admit of it. In general, it feems to be the practice in the light foils, where a larger quantity of land is let for the fame rent than, in the rich *This is the general practice. EDIT. and |