Serious Addrefs to the Abps. and Bps. in Behalf of Inferior Clergy. 405 then ran over with aftonishing rapidity the feveral heads of objections that had been urged. He infifted that the fyftem was a naval fyftem, and that, if adopted, fewer land forces would be neceffary. He dwelt on Mr. Sheridan's fpeech, to efface, if poffible, the impreffion it had made upon the House. He met the fuggeftions of Mr. Walwyn and Mr. Sheridan, that his heart was not with the business, with a degree of indignation that marked his innocence; but feemed greatly hurt at what fell from a Right Hon. Gent. [Mr. Barré] (whofe infirmities, he was forry to obferve, had obliged him to withdraw) which looked like an infinuation darkly wrapped up indeed under the words, "that his confcience had been furprized," and feemed to be directed to the fame end. To all this he had only to fay, that he confidered both the one and the other, if the meaning he had affumed really belonged to them, as founded in the blackest malignity, and as highly injurious to his character. He concluded with a kind of ill-boding prefage, that if the prefent, or fome fuch plan, was not speedily adopted, the Houfe and the nation would have to lament, that they had rejected a meafure on which the prefervation of their liberties, and of the conftitution. itself, depended. The gallery was then cleared, about Seven in the morning, and the Houfe divided on the amendment : Ayes 169. Noes 169. The numbers being thus equal, it refted with the Speaker to give the caft ing voice; who, being much fatigued, declined affigning his reafons, and contented himfelf with barely giving his negative to the original motion. And as Mr. Pitt did not wish it to be entered on the Journals, he moved the order of the day, to get rid of it. Mr. Baftard faid, he would not prefs it, if the Chancellor of the Exchequer would pledge himself not to revive the fyftem that had been just reprobated by the House. The following Addrefs, To the moft Reverend the Archbishops, and the Right Reverend the Bishops of the Church of England, is fo truly affecting, and comes bome fo feelingly to the Bofom of every truly benevolent Mind, that we cannot help expreffing our warmest Wishes for its Success. My Lords, TH HE fubject of this letter will need no apology-it is a plea in the behalf of the Widows of the poor Clergy. Situated as you are at the head of the Church, abounding in affluence, the favoured fervants of a mafter "who has given you all things richly to enjoy-may I intreat you to ftoop down and view-may I implore your attention to the wants, nay to the wretchednefs of many, whofe lot it is to share in the humbler fortunes of the fervants of Jefus Chrift. In It is too true that the Reformation commenced with depriving the Clergy of a great part of their property. return they were permitted to marry; the permiffion was truly defirable-but the power which granted them the indulgence, fhould have left the means of embracing it, without the mortifying alloy of certain mifery. The fituation-I had almost faid the pitiable fituation of the inferior Clergy of this kingdom is fo fully known, that every attempt to declare it would be fuperfluous. They receive the educa tion of gentlemen, they toil with unwearied perfeverance thro' the thorny paths of fcience, they anticipate the reward of their application in the future patronage of their fuperiors-in the good offices of those whofe glory it hould be to reward merit and encou rage virtue. I will felect an individual; he leaves the great nurfery of learning, in purfuit of preferment in the Church unto which he has been devoted; he offers his fervices to a Rector of State, who views him afkance, and enquires after the Heads of his College; when fatisfied that he is a gentleman and a fcholar-he' is offered what fhall I fay-It is well if it be forty pounds a year. Mortifying as our young clerical adventurer feels the terms, he knows not where to enlarge them-he accepts the ftipend in hopes of better days. Fixed on his curacy, he becomes the admiration of the village. A variety of agreeable females prets upon his obfer vation 406 Serious Addrefs to the Abps. and Bps. in Behalf of Inferior Clergy. vation, and claim his attention; he Had I, my Lords-had I the pencil of Sir Joshua, I would choofe for my fubject the poor clergyman's widow returning from the grave; I would trace her to her lowly manfion-I would mark her entrance-I would depict thofe agonizing careffes with which, in the moments of her defpair, the preffes her fatherlefs children. When I had finished my piece, I would requeft permiffion to place it near your Lordihips Bench in the Upper Houfe; it would furnith you with a fubject for devout contemplation, while matters foreign to your profeflion were difcuffing. I will do your Lordships the juftice to believe, that a picture of this nature would awaken your attention-it would fit your breafts for the full exertion of thole virtues which are fo congenial to your characters. Your own wildom, my Lords, will fuggeft what is to be done. Would it be impoffible to obtain an act for laying a tax upon every living in the kingdom in proportion to its value?—I think no clergyman would be diffatisfied with a contribution which would do fo much honour to his order. If fuch a one fhould chance to be found, I would refign him to the derifion of the world, to the chafifement of his own confcience, to the just contempt of the virtuous, the humanc, and good. Your Ldthips know, that what I have here prefumed to fuggeft has long been the cafe in Scotland. Not a clergyman's widow-not a clergyman's child is to be found deftitute. Are we, my Lords, poffeffed of lefs benevolence? are our livings of lefs value? Certainly they are not. You have it, my Lords, in your power, to mark a new era in the History of the Church of England-to hand down to pofterity the mild luftre of your names-nay, what fhould be ftill higher in the eftimation of Christian Bishops-you have it in your power to multiply the bleffings of the widow upon you, and to have the orphan's voice afcend to the throne of God in your favour. I have the firmeft perfuafion that our young and virtuous Minifter will countenance your efforts-he will gladly liften to the calls of humanity, and af. fift to remove the opprelive burden from the aching heart. The Shall I fay one word more to my Lord of Rochefter? Are the Society of decayed Muficians' and their families the only objects proper for our attention-No! your Lordship's humanity was confpicuous in claiming a part for another benevolent inftitution. facred roof of Westminster Abbey, my Lord, would certainly refound with no lefs melody in favour of the Widows of the Clergy! We have Sovereigns who will cherish this idea, who are ever ready to dry up the tear of affliction, and to leffen the number of human calamities. With fuch patronage, and under the wife direction of your Lordfhips-aided, if neceffary, by an annual fermon from every pulpit in the kingdom, would it be too fanguine to hope, that the cry of the Levite's Orphan would ceafe, and the widows lamentation be heard no more? I am, my Lords, your dutiful and CLERICUS. obedient fervant, Mifcellaneous Remarks and Corrections. candid and judicious Abp. Secker, in p. 220, 1, 2, of the fixth vol. of his admirable"Sermons ;" to which a reference was formerly made in your vol. for 1778, p. 59, in anfwer to an objection equally futile and unreasonable, and again brought into notice in p. 282 of your last month's Magazine. But if a judgement may be formed from the fplenetic reflections occurring in p. 15, col. 2. of that for January, no refutation can convince a certain fet of men, who feem to arrogate to themselves a right of fhooting out their arrows, and of expecting them not to be repelled. However, jus fuum cuique. Dr. Johnfon's flight eftimation of the truly learned and amiable Mr. Spence, retailed in p. 36, col. 1, was fo juftly animadverted upon in p. 289, col. 2. of your volume for 1782, that the whole paffage was afterwards re-printed in p. 642 of J. Nichols's "Anecdotes of W. Bowyer:" and as the charge has been again produced, a reference to the vindication may not be improper. See further with regard to Mr. Spence in P. 523, col. 2. of your vol. for 1775 in p. 26, col. 2. of that for 1782; and in p. 487, col. 2. of that for 1783. In your volume for 1784, p. 486, col. 2. it may be obferved, as to the arms granted to the Brandon family, that Dr. Grey has the following note on Hudibras, part 3, canto 2, v. 1534 "Sir William Segar, Garter king of arms, was impofed upon by Brook, a herald, who procured him by artifice to confirm arms to Gregory Brandon, who was found to be common bangman of London." Anftis's Regifler of the Garter, vol. 2. p. 399. The following notices owe their rife to your volume for last year: P. 113, 14, for the Dean" we fhould fubftitute" Dr. Arbuthnot," who was the undoubted author of the tract alluded to by Lord Monboddo. Could his Ldp, however, read it as a matter of fact performance? It is published in the fifth vol. of Hawkefworth's edition of Swift's Works, under the title of, It cannot rain, but it pours. Some other name fhould be put for Arbuthnot, in p. 114, col. i. 1. 24. John Seward's Latin lines, pointed out in p 494, col. 2. were occafioned by the profperous fuccefs of Henry V.; fo that Mr. Warton has not been guilty of any omiffion in the place referred to by your correfpondent in "The Hiftory of English Poetry Your correfpondent in p. 567, col. I will not perhaps be fo anxious for the (xclufive French orthography, when he 407 recollects, that "furname" denotes an additional name to the Chriftian name; and that "Sirname" denotes the family name as received from the fire, in contradiflinction to the Chriftian name; and that both ways of fpelling the word are therefore equally defenfible. In p. 584, col. 1. 1. 22. "" on?' is fubftituted for " or." The ftop alfo in the next line should be a comma only. Ibid. col. 2. 1. 45. r. "which it is." The extempore in p. 615, has been more concifely and pointedly expreffed : To fconce the public, two contractors come; One pilfers corn, the other cheats in rum: Which is the greateft (faith) I can't explain, A rogue in fpirit, or a rogue in grain, With regard to the name "Attius" in the infcription on the stone pointed out by Mr. Langford in p. 672, 3, it may not be amifs to confult a paper by Profeffor Ward in No 476 of " Philofophical Tranfactions, p. 355 Should we not in p. 675, col. 1. 1. 2. for "Severus" fubftitute" Elagabalus ?" Your correfpondent in p. 742, col. 2. feems not to know the ftone pulpit ftill exifting in the outer court of Magdalen College, Oxford. Ruficus, p. 756, col. 2. may meet with an account of John Hartcliffe, B.D. in A. Wood's Athen. Oxon. ii. 1130; and in Birch's Life of Tillotfon. Ariftides, in the fame page, may be referred to "A Sermon occafioned by the death of Robert Bolton, LL.D. dean of Carlisle, and vicar of St. Mary's in Reading, preached there by W. U. Wray, M. A. rector of Wexham, Bucks. Lond. printed for C. Bathurst, 1764, 8vo. The ftory juftly reprobated in p. 815, note, of your November Magazine, has been confidently told of Queen Caroline and Bishop Chandler. One of the fpecimens quoted by you from the truly ingenious "Sermon on the religious Ufe of Botanical Philofophy," in p. 852, occafioned a Botanift to remark, that he could not account for the author's defcription of the Euphorbium, the Melon-thistle, and the Opuntia, as having no flower. Even the Fig-tree is known to have flowers concealed within the fruit. P. 848, col. a. 1. 13. read "XLVIII." P. 76, col. 2. 1. 38. for "abbey" read collegiate church." P. 957, col. 2. 1. 58. for the church" fubftitute “it;" and in p. 95%, col. 1. 1. 28. erate "college." ACADEMICUS. MR. F the following extracts from the MSS. of Dr. Ducarel are worth inferting, you will foon hear again from EUGENIO. Yours, &c. “Oct. 4, 1751. This day I faw Sir Ifaac Newton's MSS. and papers at Mr. Şaunderfon's houfe in Sheer-lane near Temple Bar. They are there depofited "by act of Parliament, by which Meffrs. Saunderfon and Randolph of Symond'sinn are made truftees till young Lord Lymington (fon of the late Lady Lymington, who was daughter of Mrs. Conduit, Sir Ifaac's niece) comes of age. They confift of all his works, as well published as unpublished, letters, many works unfinished, many differtations, &c. They were all examined by the late Pellet, M.D. who has written in all the unpublished MSS. in fome of them, Not fit to be published; in others; To be re-confidered. Two fine original pictures of Sir Ifaac remain till that young Lord comes of age. Amongst a large collection of epitaphs defigned for him, is the following one by Dr. Bentley : "Hic requiefcunt Si quæras qualis quantufque fuerit, Sin ex ipfo nomine reliqua novifti, Et mortale iftud Philofophiæ Numen Grata mente venerare. Mountagu-Houfe, in Ruffel-ftreet, was built in the time of the late Duke of Mountagu's father, in the reign of James II. entirely by French architects, painted by Baptift and La Foffe, and a third French painter, whofe name was forgotten by Mr. G. Vertue, who gave me this information Dec. 23, 1753. It was built entirely at the French King's expence. It feems the late Duke's father had built a house there, which house he lent to a French ambaffador; and taking fire accidentally whilft in his poffeffion, the French King, to make the owner amends, caufed the prefent houfe to be built. However, Mr. Vertue informed me, that the prefent houfe was never completely finished. As Powis-houfe, in Ormond street, was rebuilt at the French King's expence, and by the fame accident's hav ing happened to his ambassador the Duke d'Aumont, in the reign of Queen Anne, I take the more notice of this, and made this memorandum Dec. 28, 1753. A. C. DUCAREL." It appears by a letter to Dr. Ducarel, <0.—1opography of Shareshill. in 1754, from Mr. Gilbert Hill (who "man, almost deprived of his fight, and calls himself an unfortunate gentle"in the 70th year of his age,") that his the year 1753 for the benefit of his family. brother Aaron's works were published in "It will be an act of true humanity to "our whole family," fays the old man, "and a particular obligation to myself, "to purchase them : "O vir docte, meis faveat tua gratia votis, Trifliter infelix tibi jam vir supplicat; efta. MR. URBAN, Burbach, May 5. AS Local Antiquities have been fre Repofitory, I fhall make no apology for quently admitted into your amufing fenaing you the following notes from perfonal obfervation in 1784. Sharefbill, or Shafbill, is a village in the county of Stafford, belonging to the deanry of Penkridge, about two miles diftant from Cannock. At the North and South entrance to this place are seen two fquare intrenchments, the area of the largest about one rood; they are generally fuppofed to have been Roman encampments, which their proximity to the Watling-ftreet road feems to favour. I cannot, however, join in this opinion, being rather inclined to believe they are the remains of the fite of two principal fome little diftance I obferved a large manfions anciently moated round; for at and venerable farm-houfe, having a moat furrounding it partly filled with caution not to think every ditch, hillock, water to this day. I mention this as a or mound, one meets with, Roman or body whereof was rebuilt about 40 years Saxon veftigia. I vifited the church, the old date, is yet flanding. ago; only the tower, which is of a very Few of the monuments were preferved from the old which, from the fingularity of the fi church I fhall take notice of one, gures and fituation, deferves attention. in alabatler, with colours and gilt borThere are two figures finely executed ders, of a man and woman; the man in armour, with a chain pendant from the neck, having at the end the cross of Maltha ; the woman in a rich and elegant attire, her head not reclined on a cushion, as is the other, but purpofely defigned thus by the fculptor: for what reafon it is hard to guefs, unlefs we fuppofe that her husband being engaged in the cru fades, Topographical Defcription of Sharefhill, co. Stafford. fades, or fome diftant and long fervice, he meant to express her uneafinefs thereat, and her reftlefs life. It is a divine command, "let no man put afunder those whom God hath joined." This is good in tife, but no way obligatory after death. In fhort, thefe two figures, after being conjoined on one stone for perhaps three or four hundred years, were obliged to be fawed afunder, and feparated; he lying in the recefs of a north window, and the in one on the fouth, oppofite. The Incurious, or the Humourift, who feldom investigate thefe matters with the true fpirit of an Antiquary, would be apt to conclude, that the fculptor defigned it propheti cally, and that the now raifes her head to look for her partner. An intelligent gentleman in the neighbourhood informed me, these figures were taken from a monument erected for one of the family name of Swinnerton. Infcriptions on the Bells. vum. Tenor.-Gloria et honor fit femper Deo in excelfis. Great Sardon, which is a member of this parish, had once a chapel, long fince decayed. The only thing remarkable at this place is a Roman tumulus, or barrow, fituated on a very high ground facing the treet-way, from which it is diftant only a quarter of a mile. Little Sardon is united with the other, having nothing worthy of notice, except a great number of very old and large yew-trees, which are frequent hereabouts, and in many parts of Staffordshire. These were of great ufe formerly, when bows and arrows ferved for weapons of defence; and for that purpofe generally planted in churchyards, as a fecurity to the public, for making their bows. The notion, that the leaves are pernicious to cattle, has greatly contributed to their almoft general eradication. Sir Edward Lyttelton, bart. is lord of this manor, has a confiderable property in the parish, and the impropriate rithes. The great Staffordshire canal paffes through this parish, and over Calf Heath, which is contiguous to Sardon Magna. About half-a-mile from this laft-mentioned place is a very old, and formerly much noted, inn, called, The Four Croffes, the arms of the fee of 5 409 Lichfield. Dean Swift, as the ftory from the ludicrous to the ferious, I the door of this houfe on the outside. Fleres fi fcires VN. TV. TEMP. MENS. cum non fit forfitan A very good monition truly; though, perhaps, little attended to, or underftood, by most of the travellers that way. The form of the letters fhews it to have been of long standing. I cannot leave this neighbourhood without a few curfory obfervations on a very aromatic fhrub of the myrtle kind, which grows fpontaneously at a place called Foume, or Foulmere,near Cannock Wood, about a mile from the Four Croffes. It is called gale, or fweet gale, and gives name to a small hamlet near it. Where it flourishes is a black moraffy ground, between two coppices, greatly theltered from the bleak winds, which, no doubt, contributes greatly to its fafety. It thrives not any where elfe, and feems confined to this small spot of a few acres. I brought home with me feveral fuckers well rooted; yet, out of twelve, I have only one plant growing, and that in a very languid ftate. shrub scarcely ever arrives to three feet in height, has a very fragrant fmell, not unlike the candle-berried myrtle; the blossoms or flowers resembling those of the haflé-nut. I never faw it any where except at the above place; however, Camden, in his Britannia, p. 544, takes notice of an odoriferous plant, and that it may be feen in the marthy ground of that part of Lincolnshire called Axebolme, which, he fays, they term gall, or gals. This defcription, I hope, will futfice without a delineation, which was at firft intended. This Adjoining to Sharefbill, easftward, is Hilton, |