credulity. This produced a visit from the Dean, whom I had little difficulty in converting to my opinion, which was affirmed by a reference to the excellent little treatise "La Science des Médailles," by the Jesuit, Father Jobert, where this pretended medal is most distinctly denounced as a forgery, with which no collector should disgrace his cabinet; and as the book seemed to please the reverend dignitary, I was happy to present it to him. The best impression is that of 1739, two volumes 12mo. under the revision of the Baron Birnard de la Bastie, whom I have previously mentioned as one of Petrarch's biographers.

At page 245, in correction of a previous inadvertence that had escaped him, ANSELM says, that M. Villers, the author of the "Essai sur l'Esprit et l'Influence de le Réformation de Luther," which was crowned in 1803 by the French Institute, though born a Romanist, had, he believed, become a Lutheran. This, however, is not the fact; for Villers never changed his native profession of faith, pretty much like Cobbett, whose work on the Anglican Reformation would, from internal evidence, have proclaimed him a Catholic, though he never became one. Villers having emigrated, and, for several years, fixed his residence in Germany, imbibed a deep predilection for the country and the people, which he manifested by every exertion of zeal and talent. In 1806, after the signal triumph of Napoleon at Jena, he was appointed secretary to Bernadotte, Prince de Ponte-Corvo, now King of Sweden, and addressed a most feeling letter to Madame Fanny de Beauharnais, the aunt-in-law of Jo

This lady, the widow of Joséphine's husband's uncle, in her blended pretensions to poetry and beauty, at once a blue stocking and a coquette, is thus, with cutting sarcasm, described in Lebrun's Epigrams, (1829, 8vo.) It may vie with any of Martial's or Owen's.

"Eglé, belle et poéte, a deux petits tra.

vers:

Elle fait son visage, et ne fait pas ses vers."

That she solicitously concealed her wrinkles, and accepted literary aid, was equally known, though generous and beneficent in disposition and practice. See Gent. Mag. for July 1840, p. 271.

sephine, supplicating her intercession with the benevolent Empress to obtain some remission of the penalties and mitigation of the general hardships imposed on Northern Germany.

Villers was a most warm, kindhearted man, but excessively impressionable, and prompt to embrace every occurring novelty, as may be inferred from his successive and zealous adoption of the theories of Mesmer, of Kant, and of Gall, in support of which, respectively, he at different times exercised his pen. In 1789, when very young, he wrote a volume entitled "Le Magnétiseur;" which, at a considerable interval, in 1801, was followed by "La Philosophie de Kant, ou Principes Fondamentaux de la Philosophie Transcendantale," in which his enthusiasm leads him to assimilate the German metaphyscian to Newton; and in 1802 appeared his "Lettre à Georges Cuvier, sur une nouvelle Théorie du Cerveau par le Docteur Gall." His "Little Catechism," published in 1810, is by no means of orthodox Lutheran doctrine; and I repeat, that he never professedly disavowed his parental creed, while his prominent object—a laudable one surely,-was to reconcile both. Luther, I may remark, did not apply the term Reformation to his religious change: it was first assumed by the Calvinists, whose church, for so it is viewed, notwithstanding Dr. Magee's antithetical anathema, is still on the Continent, distinctively from the Lutheran, styled, "L'Eglise Reformée." Villers, born in 1767 (November,) died in February

You should have heard from me a post or two sooner, but our Registrar was out of the University, and I could not earlier get into the office. I find that Henry Earl of Southampton was admitted to the degree of B.A. in 1589, and proceeded no further; and, luckily examining the Book of Matriculations, I at last fell upon "Hen. Comes Southampton, impubes, 12 ano." of St. John's Coll. Decr. 11, 1585. Here we have his age as well as College.

Essex was of Trin. June 1, 1579.

I know not what to say as to the picture you mention. To be sure I could not cry out with Falstaff that "I am ashamed of my Company; but as there is a print from it already, would not the property be invaded? Indeed, neither the one nor the other is a favourite. Romney supposed, as the picture was for a College, that it would be hung in a high room; and the engraver has not allowed for this exaggeration.

(Some casual remarks on other matters are here omitted).

By the way, this reminds me of a letter in the hands of Mr. Boswell, which will effectually demolish Mr. Colman's idea, that in the Preface to my Pamphlet, I meant to compliment Mr. Steevens. It appears from the date of that letter, that I had no acquaintance with him till long after that publication, and I wish Mr. Colman was informed that 1 alluded to Dr. Johnson, whose words I am sure I took down to a syllable: "I have not read a book which better answers the purpose for which it was written, and the question is for ever decided." Mr. Reed just shewed me this squib of Colman's. He cannot himself think that any thing else deserves notice.

Whatever you may have fancy'd, I solemnly declare to you, that I always

See the Literary Intelligence of our present Number.

meant to send you my Notes on the Henrys, if I could find them, and I flattered myself they might be among some papers at Canterbury. I cannot yet find them, and you want no assistance. As I remember, you have some of my arguments, but not all. I have supposed the plays originally Marlow's, and altered after his death by Shakespeare; this I argued from Stile and Manner, with many quotations, from passages contradictory to others in Shakespeare's genuine Plays, and others clashing in the Henrys themselves, which shew different hands, &c. &c. Besides, Marlow was much hung up as an example of divine vengeance for Atheism, that nothing would go down under his name. That poor wretch, Capell, besides his conundrum of Shakespeare's underwriting himself on purpose, quotes two lines to prove the whole Shakespeare's, "What! will th' aspiring blood of Lancaster sink in the ground? I thought it would have mounted." It is curious that Marlow has the same

SO

phraseology in his Edw. II. "Scorning that the lowly earth should drink his blood, mounts up to th'air." So much for Master Capell. After all, if any thing turns up you shall have it. In the last Edition, many things taken from conversation, on a pencil'd margin, by Reed or Steevens, when they were with me, are egregiously blundered, and sometimes sheer non

usually excites have a strong inclination to the extremes of dislike and approbation.

The architect, I understand, is Mr. Wild, and most persons of good taste in the art appear pleased with his production. The situation is elevated and commanding; at the same time it must be evident, that, had a building of this class been erected on a site equally good, but with more rural accompaniments, and graced with a back-ground of forest trees, the effect would have been much superior to that which will shortly be presented to the eye, when the sacred edifice shall be too closely surrounded with spruce modern houses.

The building is in that particular style, which (had it been in accordance with many that were erected in this country, during the latter half of the twelfth century,) would have exemplified the transition from Norman to Early English architecture. Its leading peculiarity is, that the architect has followed the models of the north of Italy, rather than those of our own land. The effort has been crowned with complete success; and such of your readers as are familiar with the buildings of Venice will never fail to be reminded of the celebrated belltower belonging to Saint Mark's Church in that city. Our church is built with bricks of a warm stone colour; having the ornamental parts rendered more conspicuous by the insertion of the same material of a red tint, and highly finished. A decided Italian character pervades the whole, within and without. The details are, in most respects, very judicious, and, to the accurate observer, will speak

for themselves. The roof is primitive and well chosen; the piers and arches are quite in character with those of the age they so well represent; and their arrangement will raise a responsive feeling in the heart of every genuine antiquary.

The Communion Table is placed on a more befitting elevation than for many years has been usual. It stands in a well-proportioned semi-circular recess; which, in its upper part, is lighted by nine narrow windows, of pure Norman design. Without verging in the least to the peculiar opinions of the church, from which England separated three hundred years ago, this portion might have been still better managed: while the pulpit should have occupied its appropriate site, after the example of the early churches. It usurps, in the manner of a tasteless age, the centre of the church; where it aukwardly breaks the view of the eastern termination, to which the eye loves to be directed. The three central lights will be filled with stained glass, of a beautiful design, from one of our most approved artists in that line of decoration; who has already furnished glass of equally good conception in the upper part of the western gable.

Besides the organ gallery, a similar accommodation extends over the north and south aisles. The windows are of the same form as those over the altar; and the most obvious idea that is produced on visiting this addition to the number of our sacred edifices, is that of a church of long standing, carefully repaired and fitted up with new pews.

Yours, &c.

estate.

Preston is a parish of considerable size, contiguous to Yeovil, on the road to Taunton. It is divided into two tithings, called from the ancient manors,

SAXON.

Preston Plucknet and Preston Bermondsey. The former, which contains the church and the larger number of houses, derives its name from the ancient family of Plugenet. The latter was named from the abbey of Bermondsey, which here possessed a considerable estate.

This manor was already distinct from the other in the time of Edward the Confessor, when it was held by