that the mathematics could afford him ground for such a degrading habit of opinion; and lament that science had not so far elevated his imagination, as to persuade him that it is probable men may act from a genuine love of honour, even when calculations of interest run counter to their conduct.

The church of Shuckburgh was originally, and is now, a stipendiary cure. The building is of stone, and contains many monuments to different members of the family which has so long possessed the manor. The windows are adorned with some handsome stained glass, chiefly executed by Egginton.

A district now requires notice from its locality, which is entirely distinct from Warwickshire as a county. This is

THE COUNTY OF THE CITY OF COVENTRY.

In the year 1451, King Henry VI. as a mark of especial favour, granted that the city of Coventry, and certain villages in its adjacency, should be constituted an entire county of themselves, incorporate both in deed and name. His charter enacts that the bailiffs of the city shall be sheriffs of the county, and the same coroner preside over both. This charter was confirmed by Edward IV.

The county of the city of Coventry is situate in the northeastern part of Warwickshire, and is chiefly encompassed by the hundred of Knightlow. "The greatest length, from Bedworth to a point near Baginton, in a north-east and southwest direction, is seven miles and a half; and the greatest breadth, from near Nettle Hill to Brownshill Green, in about an cast and west direction, is seven miles and a quarter. The district contains in all about 18,161 acres." * The places united with the city of Coventry in the formation of this county are Anstey; Exhall; Foleshill; Keresley; Sow (part of) Stivichall; Stoke; and Wyken. The mayor and aldermen of Coventry are officially jusVOL. XV. tices

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· Agri. Sur. p. 2.

tices of the peace for the county, and hold quarter sessions in the same manner, and with the same powers, as counties at large. Their privileges, indeed, are numerous, and among these is one that perhaps could not be acted on with satisfaction either to themselves or the public; this is the power of sitting in judgment on capital offences. An office so important they uniformly refer to the judge who travels the Midland Circuit. Although King Henry intended an act of general kindness to the inhabitants when he granted their prescriptive rights, his bounty has obviously entailed one privation on many of them; the freeholders of this county, as freeholders, are not entitled to vote on the return of any members to Parliament; as servitude alone bestows a qualification on the citizens of Coventry, and with Warwickshire they have not any political connexion.

The CITY OF COVENTRY is supposed to have been founded at a very early period, as the final syllable of its appellation is evidently the British Tre, a town. The prefix to this simple and general term was added by the Saxons, and may rationally be concluded to express the circumstance of a covent, or convent, being erected on the spot; and such a foundation we find to have taken place in a Saxon era. Camden observes that in ́early history, and in the pontifical decrees, the name of the city was often written Conventria; and he instances the expression thus translated "Either the Bishop of Conventry is not in his right wits, or he seems wilfully to have quitted common sense." This, it is observed, must relate to Alexander de Savensby, who was consecrated in 1224, and who, according to Godwin, was a very learned man," but pretended to visions and apparitions scarce credible."

Coventry was certainly not used by the Romans for military purposes, and few vestiges have been discovered to favour the idea of their entering largely on a domestic and tranquil association with the original inhabitants. On excavating the spot termed Broad Gate, in the year 1792, there was found, at the depth of five or six feet from the surface, "a regular pavement,

and

On

and upon that pavement a coin of Nero in middle brass.” * digging for the foundation of a house, on the site of the old town, a marble figure was discovered about ten inches in height, the right hand leaning on a shield, and the head bound with a fillet resembling wheat. The private as well as public buildings of the Romans, and of the Britons closely connected with them, are known to have been abundantly ornamented with emblematic pieces of sculpture. Most of these were destroyed on the introduction of Christianity; but the figure thus discovered is probably one that eluded the eye of religious reformers †. The more ancient town of Coventry is believed to have stood on the north of the present city, as extensive foundations have been traced in that direction, near the spot termed St. Nicholas's Church Yard.

The Warwickshire antiquary, Rous, is the first writer that mentions an early monastery of nuns in this city; and he informs us that when the traitor Edric invaded Mercia, and destroyed many towns, in 1016, a house of nuns in Coventry, of which a holy virgin named St. Osburg had been sometime abbess, fell a prey to his ferocity. Leland says that King Canute first founded a nunnery here.

In conducting the History of Coventry to the reign of King Edward the confessor we introduce it to an era concerning which we are furnished with documents somewhat more satisfactory, though these are mingled with one of the most fantastical legends that ever met with popular reception, In the early part of Edward's reign, Leofric, the fifth Earl of Mercia, and his Countess Godiva, (sometimes also called Godifa, Godina, and Goditha) founded a monastery on the ruins of St. Osburg's nunnery. This Leofric was descended from Leofric, Earl of Chester, in the time of Ethelbald, king of Mercia, and appears to have been a man of eminent talents, as he stood high in the consideration of several successive

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• An account of this discovery is inserted in the Gentleman's Magazine for 1793.

↑ This figure is now in the possession of Mr. John Nickson, of Coventry.