312

An Appeal in favour of Anatomy.

the Honourable Company's European regiments; upon these occasions I have always told the men that any of them who wished it, might be present at the examination. They frequently attended, and appeared to be rather pleased than otherwise, at seeing that not the slightest indelicacy, nor any thing revolting to the feelings, was ever done. It also appeared to increase their confidence in the surgeon, for in the great majority of deaths in India, the cause is apparent; such as abscess in the liver, ulceration and mortification in the intestines, &c.; and the men are perfectly well aware that these diseases are generally beyond the power of medicine to relieve. There is another prejudice against the practice of anatomy and surgery, from many supposing, that it hardens the feelings, and makes men unfit for the common and social duties of life. This prejudice has been still further increased, from a popular belief, that surgeons, in consequence of their profession, are not eligible to sit on juries. This is not the case. Blackstone expressly says, when speaking of surgeons, "Their service is excused, and not excluded, and this exemption is also extended by divers statutes, customs, and charters." The law here is perfectly just and correct; for were surgeons obliged to attend as jurors, their patients, during their absence, might die for want of necessary attendance.

Lord Bacon is acknowledged by all to be one of the wisest and most learned men that our country ever produced, and his judgment and opinions are entitled to some respect and consideration. In his treatise "On the Advancement of Learning," he says, "As for the footsteps of diseases, and their devastations of the inward parts, impostumations, exulcerations, discontinuations, putrefactions, consumptions, coutractions, repletions, together with all preternatural substances, as stones, carnosities, excrescences, worms, and the like, they ought to have been observed by multitude of anatomies, and the contributions of men's several experiences, and carefully set down; both historically, according to the appearances, and artificially, with a reference to the diseases and symptoms which resulted from them, in case where the anatomy is of a defunct patient. Therefore I will not doubt to note as a deficience, that they inquire not the perfect cures of many diseases, or extremities of diseases."

Mr. Averill, an English surgeon,

[Oct.

who resided some time at Paris, in his "Operative Surgery," says,

"In quickness and dexterity of operating, the surgeons of France may rank before us, and their superiority in this respect, as is before stated, must be attributed to the facility with which they procure subjects, and the attention they bestow upon the practice of operating on the dead."

Sir Astley Cooper, in his evidence before the Committee of the House of Commons, expressly declares, that from the great difficulty of procuring subjects for dissection, the young surgeons are not such good anatomists as they were some few years ago.— Who will suffer from this? The public. The surgeons will receive the best education they can, but if the people oppose their acquiring a knowledge of anatomy, they must not blame them for their unavoidable ignorance.

Nothing can be more unjust than the present laws affecting surgeons. They are in a great measure debarred from acquiring a correct knowledge of their profession, and at the same time the law will punish them for a want of knowledge, which it has prevented their acquiring. It is impossible to conceive any case of greater injustice than this; yet such is the present state of our law. If a surgeon cannot detect a dislocation, or the exact nature of any other doubtful accident, he is most unjustly condemned for a want of knowledge, and this by the very men who prevent his acquiring it. These facts and circumstances only require to be brought to the notice of the public, to ensure them the attention they deserve.

There can be no doubt, then, but that anatomy is of the greatest use to the living, more particularly to the hard-working and lower orders of society, who are most liable to those accidents, to remedy or relieve which, a practical knowledge is essentially and absolutely required. I shall conclude by warning them not to attend to the interested arguments of those who endeavour to throw a stigma on the study of a science, so requisite to the successful practice of a most useful and honourable profession, and so vitally interesting and important to their own health, welfare, and happi

ness.

SURGICUS.

Mr. URBAN, Torquay, Sept. 12. IN making a tour, a short time since, in the north of Devon, in search of

1831.]

Family of Wise, of Sydenham, Devon.

antiquities, I was much pleased with Sydenham House, the seat of the Wise family. In this county are to be found some of the most ancient families in England, and amongst them may be numbered that of Wise; who were originally seated at Greston, co. Cornwall, in 1100, and who have been in possession of Sydenham since 1320. Here they flourished for many generations, and the name remains in good repute at the present day. The old house was rebuilt in 1603, by Sir Thomas Wise, K. B. Risdon says, "Sydenham in the parish of Marystow, which house is seated somewhat low by the Riveret side, which place Sir T. Wise beautified with buildings of such height as the very foundation is ready to reele under the burthen." Sydenham now stands as it was erected by Sir T. Wise. It occupies three sides of a quadrangle. Over the entrance door, which is supported by columns, are the arms and quarterings of the Wises in granite.

Dexter supporter, a lion couchant Gules, armed and langued Azure. Sinister, a monkey rampant Sable. Crest, a demi-lion

rampant Gules, gutté Argent, holding in his paws a regal sceptre Or.

5.

1. Sable, three chevronels Ermine. 2. Argent, gutté de Sang, three copper cakes Sable. 3. Gules, a cross patée Vaire. 4. Sable, on a fess Or, between 3 crosses patée Argent, as many pallets Gules. Argent, 3 hawks Gules, armed and membered Or. 6. Gules, a chevron per fess indented Argent and Azure, between three martlets Argent. 7. Argent, on a bend Gules, three stags courant Or. 8. Sable, a pelican in her piety Or. 9. Argent, three bendlets Gules, within a bordure charged with twelve Bezants. 10. Gules, a fess Argent between three escallop shells Or. 11. Or, on a chevron Gules à crescent of the First. 12. As the First.

In the hall, which was fitted up in 1656, are a number of curiously shaped shields, -Wise and Viponte; Wise and St. John; Wise and Chichester; Wise and Stafford, &c. In the drawing room, which is hung with tapestry, are the likenesses of Sir Edward Wise, K. B., the Lady Arabella his wife, daughter and coheir of Oliver Lord St. John, son of the Earl of Bolingbroke; also his second wife Radigund, daughter of Eliot of Port Eliot. In the picture gallery are Sir Thomas Wise, K.B.; Thomas Wise, M.P. for the county of Devon, 1640; his wife GENT. MAG. October, 1831.

313.

the Lady Mary Wise; a Mrs. Wise, with her nine daughters; with many others. The house is three stories high, and the windows of stone. Behind the house is a large garden, laid out in the old style, and in the middle an oval pond surrounded with stone steps. In front is a splendid hanging wood, which runs to the distance of a mile and a half. The first of this family I find on record is William Wise de Greston in 1100, who was father of Serlonius, who was father of Oliver, who was father of Sir John Wise, Knt. who had issue Henry, who had issue Sir Wm. Wise, who held 16 librates of land 40 Henry III. He had issue Serlonius Wise de Thrusselton, which lands he inherited from the Viponts, or de Veteri-ponte. He had issue Oliver and John. The latter inherited divers lands from the Trevages and Sydenhams, and was Sheriff co. Devon, 5th Henry IV. He had issue Thomas, who married the heiress of Brit, who was descended from Alured de Brito, supposed to have proceeded from the British race. She brought with her lands in the parish of Stoke Damarell, since better known by the name of Mount Wise. Thomas Wise had issue John, who married Thomasine, daughter of Sir Baldwin Fulford, Knt. Prince, in his Worthies, thus speaks of this alliance:

"Thomas Wise of Sydenham married Thomasine, daughter of Sir B. Fulford, by whom he had issue a daughter married to Russell, from whom is descended the present most noble Duke of Bedford. This Sir Baldwin prospered very well, for he was a great soldier and a traveller, of so undaunted a resolution, that for the honour and liberty of a Royal lady in a castle besieged by the infidels, he fought a combat with a Saracen, for bulk and bigness an unequal match (as the representation of him cut in the wainscot in Fulford Hall, doth

plainly show,) whom yet he vanquished, and rescued the lady. John Wise had issue Oliver, and Thomazine, m. to James Russel, father of John first Earl of Bedford. Oliver Wise married Margery Tremayne, of an ancient Cornish family, by whom he had issue John, who married three times, 1st. Maria, daughter of James Chudlegh de Asserlton, co. Devon, by whom he had issue Jaines and others; 2dly, Dorothy, dau. of Legh of Legh, co. Devou, by whom he had issue; 3dly, Anna, dau. of Sir Geo. Mathew of Rader in Glamorganshire. James Wise married Alicia, daughter of John Dynham' de Wortham, an ancient and baronial family

314

Family of Wise, of Sydenham, Devon.

of this co. by whom he had issue John, 2. George, 3. Sir William, 4. Richard; and Philippa. Sir William was knighted by Henry the VIIIth. The following anecdote I find in an old author:- Having lente to the King his signet to seale a letter, who having powdred eremites on the seale (the Wise arms, Sable, 3 chevronels Ermine,) Why, how now, Wise (quoth the King), what, hast thou lise here? And if it like your Majestie, (quoth Sir William) a louse is a rich coate, for by giving the louse, I part armes with the French King, in that he giveth the flowre de lice. Whereat the King heartily laughed to heare how prettily so byting a taunt (namely, proceeding from a King,) was so sodaynely turned to so pleausante a conceite.'-Of the next brother is written, Richard Wise, in whose praise much might be said, greatly furthered to enrich the English toong, he wrote diuerse meeter, some tragedies and comedies, and translated the seauen penitentiall psalms."

John Wise of Sydenham married Alicia daughter of John Harris of Hayne, serjeant at law to Henry the VIIIth (whose brother married Mary daughter of Sir Fulke Greville of Beauchamp Court), and had issue five sons and five daughters: 1. Thomas; 2. John of Totnes, and ancestor of the Wises of the present day; 3. James, 4. Charles, 5. Erkenbold. Thomas Wise married Mary, daughter of Richard Buller of Shillingham, co. Cornwall, by whom he had issue Thomas, who was created a knight of the Bath at the Coronation of James I. and was Sheriff for the county of Devon 9th of the same reign, Member of Parliament for Beeralston 1620, and following years. Westcote says, that Sydenham was built by Sir Thomas Wise. "It is," says he, "the seat of the dignous family of Wise." Sir Thomas married Margaret, the only daughter of Robert Stafford of Stafford, by whom he had issue Thomas and Margaret, who was married to Sir Samuel Rolle, M.P. co. Devon. Sir Thomas Wise died 21 Feb. 1629, and was buried at Marystow, where there is a handsome marble monument supported by eight Corinthian columns, to his memory, standing in the space enclosed (19 feet by 12) for the cemetery of the family of Wise, with a Latin inscription upon it as follows:

"Hic jacet humatus ille vir verè illustris Thomas Wise de Sidenham, prænobilis ordinis Balnei Miles, qui obiit mortem, 21 Feb. 1629."

[Oct.

This monument, where Sir Thomas and his wife lie in effigy, is surrounded by others to John Wise, Thomas Wise, Sir Edward Wise, Sir John Wise, the Lady Arabella Wise, Radigund Wise, the Lady Mary Wise, and the shields of Wise, impaling St. John, Eliot, Stafford, Chichester. There are also many female figures cut in stone, and kneeling. Of Thomas Wise of Mount Wise and Sydenham, I find mention in a MS. of Samuel Somaster, containing an account of some noble families in Devonshire, and of some Members of Parliament in the year 1640:-" Thomas Wise of Mount Wise, was Knight of the Shire for Devon in the Parliament 1640, and Sheriff of the same county a little before the civil wars, when the Lord Chief Justice Finch came the western circuit, who put a jest upon Mr. Wise at his table, saying that Wise was a man, and so was a fool. Mr. Wise retorted, that a Finch was a bird, and

so was an owl."

He married Mary youngest daughter of Edward Chichester, Earl of Carrickfergus, by whom he had issue Sir Edward Wise; Margaret, married 7 Oct. 1663 to Sir John Molesworth of Pencarrow; and John and William, who died without issue. Sir Edward Wise was created a Knight of the Bath at the Coronation of Charles the Second. This Edward Wise was of Exeter College, and spent some terms at Cambridge; he was created Bache. lor of Arts at Oxford. Sir Edward was many years member for Okehampton, and was a Member of the Convention Parliament, which was sitting at the return of King Charles, and voted his Restoration. He married first Arabella, daughter of Oliver Lord St. John, by whom he had issue two sons, who died unmarried, and one daughter Arabella, who married Edmund Tremayne. Thus did the first branch of the Wise family become extinct. Sir Edward Wise died 17 Nov. 1675, and was buried at Marystow. The family of Wise still flourishes, however, in these parts, and at the head of them is Ayshford Wise, whose ancestor married the heiress of Ayshford of Wonwell Court, in the county of Devon, and who was Member for Totnes some few years past.

A YOUNG DEVONSHIRE

ANTIQUARY.

Birth-place of Roscoe, at Liverpool.

316

The late Mr. Roscoe:-Character of Liverpool.

a tavern, to which there is attached an extensive bowling green. The spot has now become sacred to local honour, as a monument of intellectual value, celebrated by the pen of our native Bard in his elegant poem of Mount Pleasant, the exordium of which is allusive to the morning of his life being spent here :

"Freed from the cares that daily throng my breast,

Again beneath my native shades I rest. These shades, where lightly fled my youthful day,

Ere Fancy bow'd to Reason's boasted sway." With the above poem was published an Ode which Mr. Roscoe delivered before a Society established in Liverpool in 1773, for the encouragement of Painting, Sculpture, &c. His subsequent works are nearly all enumerated in the memoir which appeared in your number for August. În 1817 was published a Discourse he delivered on the opening of the Liverpool Royal Institution, on the origin and vicissitude of Literature, Science, and Arts. In 1824 he edited a new edition of the works of Pope, to which he prefixed a life of the author. The last work he was occupied in publishing was a botanical one, on a portion of the "Class Monandria."

One of the most popular of his minor productions is a poem on Burns, prefixed to Dr. Currie's Life and Works of that Poet. He has left several miscellaneous works, which with his Life are in preparation for the press by one of his talented sons.

May I be allowed to apply to our townsmen the expressive language of Mr. Roscoe, when speaking of the Florentines, "Earnest in the acquisition of wealth, indefatigable in improving their manufactures and extending their commerce, (our townsmen) seem not, however, to lose sight of the true dignity of man, or of the proper objects of his regard;" which is evidenced by the monuments erected in their admiration of valour and patriotism to Nelson, and of their loyalty and attachment to their Sovereign, in that to George the Third, and in two others, not yet completed, to their late representatives in the Senate, Canning and Huskisson, mementoes of their appreciation of the great political talents of those ninent men; and lastly, one in embro to our great literary townsman, a pledge yet

[Oct.

to be redeemed, and no doubt it will, an earnest of which is the subscription already raised of about one thousand pounds.

These intellectual memorials, dedicated to valour, patriotism, and genius, are evidences that our townsmen cannot be ranked with those whom Goldsmith thus characterizes : "Dull as their lakes that slumber in the storm;"

lines of the talented and unfortunate
nor yet to them can the expressive
Camoens, on the apathy and indiffer-
ence of his countrymen to all that
gives a charm to life, be applied :
"Alas! on Tago's hapless shores alone
The Muse is slighted, and her charins un-
known;

For this no Virgil here attunes the lyre,
No Homer here awakes the hero's fire.
Unheard, in vain their native Poet sings,
And cold neglect weighs down the Muse's
wings."

These sarcasms on two great commercial communities, appertain not to Liverpool. Here, in the midst of commercial pursuits, the elegant accomplishments of literature, science, and art, want not their votaries, whose leisure hours, after the close of those spent in wearisome solicitude amidst the important avocations of life, are passed under their captivating influ

ences.

For the honour of my native place, I hope all will now lose sight of the degenerate and malign spirit of political party feeling, and unite to honour not only the talents and genius of our departed townsman, but themselves; and, aroused by a spirit of generous emulation and noble bearing, raise a monument worthy of the town and of Roscoe. W. J. ROBERTS.

Mr. URBAN,

Oct. 6.

I THANK your Correspondent Mr. W. H. LLOYD (p. 200), for his ingenious conjectures relative to the derivation of the word Seneschal.

The definition in the note appended to my little tract on the Coronation of Richard the Second, was (as you have rightly indicated) taken from Jacob's Law Dictionary. My MS. had been put aside for several years, and when sent to the press I was absent from home, and had no opportunity for revision. Jacob's definition seems indeed very loose and inaccurate, as a reference to any Dictionary of the