Mr. URBAN, Conduit St. Jan. 7.

T

O the late verbal reprint of the Art

of Poesie by Puttenham, is prefixed such few particulars as I could glean of the life of the author, and appended thereto some of his poems, for the first time ideatified, called the Partheniades. Of his Christian name the opinions varied too much, and the authorities in support of both George and Webster were too strong, to decisively reject either. George had been used by Steevens, and Webster by Ames in the TypographicalAntiquities, and again by Ritson in the Bibliographia Poetica: to oppose either of these authorities required the discovery of some new testimony, nearly coeval with the author; and which, considering the literary pursuits of the above writers and others that might be named of equal credit, there could be little reason to suppose could yet remain uninspected among the Har

leian MSS.

I have to acknowledge, a confidence in the extent of prior researches made me too hastily give place to the name of Webster, which bears little appearance of one baptismally bestowed in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and in the present instance may be rejected as erroneous*. TheAuthor's full name appears, in the following title of a defence of his royal mistress upon the execution of Mary Queen of Scots.

"An apologie or true defence of her Mate. honor, and good renowne against all such as haue unduelie sought or shall seek to blemish the same with any injustice, crueltie, or other unprincely behaviour in any parte of her Mats, proceedings against

* We have it cited for a surname, as "Puttenhame or Webster's arte of English poesie." See Letter to J. P, Kemble, esq. involving strictures on a recent edition of John Ford's Dramatic Works, 1811.

the late Scotisch Queene. Be it for her first surprince, imprisonment, process, attaynder, or death.

"By very firme reasons, authorities and examples proveing that her Matie, hath done nothing in the said action against the rules of hono': or armes or otherwise, not warrantable by the law of God and of man.

"Writen by George Puttenham to the service of her Matie, and for large satisfaction of all such persons both princely and private who by ignorance of the case, or partiallitie of mind shall happen to be irresolute and not well satisfied in the said cause." Harl. MSS. Jos. HASLEWOOD.

Mr. URBAN,

WHE

Jan. 18. HEN at Lisbon in the month of October last, I made the under-written extract and marginal note from an old book, intituled A Compleat History of Europe from the Treaty of Ni eguen," in the possession of a gentleman there. The note and signature are in the same handwriting. J. FORD,

"1685.

Lieut. 79th Reg.

But Jefferies was not the

only person that was the king's agent in this bloody work; for Kirk, one of his majesty's good officers, had after the Duke's defeat caused 90 wounded men at Taunton to be hanged, not only with-out permitting their wives and children to speak to them, but with pipes playing, drums beating, and trumpets sounding, and boiled their quarters in pitch to set them up in several parts of the town: though Kirk was positive afterwards, when he was charged with being concerned in such barbarity, that he had instructions, both from the king and his general, to do what he did.”

"I was with Kirk during his whole stay at Taunton, where he executed but 19 out of 20 which last number he had orders to hang, signed by my Lord Feversham. MARTIN KILLIGREW."

Mr.

Mr. URBAN,

THE

Jan. 1.

HE following very interesting Original Letter from Bp. Atterbury, with whose hand-writing you are well acquainted, is not in either of the Editions of his "Epistolary Correspondence." It is indorsed" Late Bp. of Rochester to Mr. Taylor." Yours, &c. M. GREEN.

SIR, Paris, Dec. 14, 1731. You will be surprized, and perhaps a little frightened, to receive a let'ter from me, after almost nine years' interruption of our correspondence. But the occasion, on my side, is as extraordinary as the attempt, and will, I hope, excuse it. You cannot help being written to by me; nor is there any crime in it, if you reveal to a minister of state the first step of our intercourse, as I desire you would, for my sake as well as your own, in order to your obtaining leave in form to make answer to what I now write, or shall hereafter write on the same subject. It is of such consequence to me to have your advice and assistance in an affair of law now depending, that I shall willingly be at the charge of a sign manual towards procuring it.

Sir, my elder and only brother, lately dead, has dealt more cruelly with me than the Act of Parliament did for that left me the small tem

:

poral fortune I then had, or might afterwards justly expect, in order to keep me abroad from contempt and starving. But my brother, taking advantage from my circumstances, which he knew would render it diflicult for me to question whatever he should do, has endeavoured to withdraw what the Act itself intended I should enjoy, and to strip me, by an unjust will he has made, of the patrimony which by law belongs to me.

A small estate in land, which he possessed, was, in default of issue male from him, entailed on me by my fa

me there with esteem and dearness, after never having shewed any instance of either since I was abroad, or assisted me with one shilling out of his fortune at a time when he did not know but I might have stood in the utmost need of it..

you

I am under no obligation, therefore, to suffer the unrighteous disposition he has made of an estate given me by my father to take place, if shall find that my title to it is good, and will allow me your assistance in order to assert it. I am persuaded you will find no obstruction towards procuring leave for this purpose, it being matter of common humanity and justice, and within the intention of the Act.

As soon as you have obtained such leave, I will hope to hear from you; and in the mean time have desired Mr. Morice to do what can be done at this distance towards laying the proper evidences and instructions before you. He may be of more use in furnishing these upon his return than he can be now however, I am not willing to lose any time, when I have so little of it left, and my 10th year is (as you know it is) near approaching. Haste, in this case, is requisite, if I hope to be the better for what my father designed me, and thought he had, without wronging any body, conveyed to me in due form of law. If he did so, and it really belongs to me, there is

no man of worth and honour who will think it unfit that I should be put, by your assistance, into a condition of obtaining it.

Be pleased to make the steps that are proper in this case, and to add this obligation to the others you have formerly laid on, Sir,

Your most obedient and ever faithful humble servant, FRA. ROFFEN.

Mr. URBAN,

Jan. 6.

It

the parochial chapel at Ravenfield, near Rotherham, in Yorkshire. is the only legible inscription now remaining there to an antient and respectable family (the Westbys), that long (during, I believe, some centuries) resided at Ravenfield, and in the adjoining hamlet of Firsby; rebuilt (but not to its present extent) the hall house, and owned the estate till

the

by the two abovementioned architects at the distance of about 90 years afterwards, The most remarkable things which he mentions are these: that the pillars of the new choir were of the same form and thickness with those of the old choir, but that they were 12 feet longer; that the former capitals were plain, while the latter were delicately carved; that there were no marble columns in Lanfranc's work, but an incredible number in that which succeeded it: that the stones which formed the antient arches were cut with an axe; those of the new arches with a chissel: that the vaulting of the side ailes of the choir was formerly plain, but now pointed with key-stones that the old choir was covered with a flat ceiling, ornamentally painted, while the new one was elegantly arched, with hard stone for the ribs, and light toph stone for the interstices: finally, that there was only one triforium or gallery round the antient choir, while there were two round the modern one. The present state of the East end of Canterbury Cathedral still corresponds with the account of Gervase, written above 600 years ago." The Doctor then in an architectural mode describes the various features of the building, exemplified by an engraving borrowed (by permission) from J. Carter's work of Antient Architecture,

"The style adopted in the first metropolitical church of this kingdom, was followed in the suffragan cathedrals, as Lincoln, 1195; Winchester, 1202; York, 1227; Worcester and Salisbury were going on at this time. Westminster Abbey was beginning in 1245." In all of which the Doctor points out to notice the various decorations then bringing forward necessary to form and complete the Perfect Order.

Chapter VII. "During the reign of our first Edward, which commenced in 1272, the architecture of this country, through the genius, industry, and piety, of its architects and artists, acquired a new character, or rather transformed itself into a new order of the Pointed Style." The Doctor then proceeds to particularize and illustrate the features of the Second Order; demonstrates the true proportion of the pointed arch, naming the several ornaments; directs attention to pinnacles; advances the system of windows

in their mullions and tracery; and the Western porches, or Galilee *;' adverts to niches and tabernacles, "in which as much architectural skill and industry was often bestowed as in building the whole church." Ribs, in all their varied traceries, and their instructive sculptured devices are pointed out. Examples of works then are enumerated: Eleanor crosses, 1290; Monument of Edmund Crouchback, 1296. "But the most perfect specimen of the whole detail of these improvements is to be met with in York Minster; the nave built between the years 1290 and 1330, and the choir some 30 years afterwards." "Similar erections on a smaller scale: St. Stephen's Chapel, Westminster, 1348. Other cathedrals rebuilt, or repaired in the new improved manner. fore 1321, Lady Chapel, and West front of Lichfield Cathedral added: same time part of the nave of Westminster Abbey Church building. Between the years 1327 and 1370, Exeter Cathedral was in part changed into the new work. 1381, nave of Canterbury Cathedral rebuilt. About the same period, William de Wykeham was employed in performing the same work in Winchester Cathedral. Gloucester, St. Alban's, and Rumsey, great churches, were also worked upon in like mau

ner.

Be

was

The taste for improvement descended to the parish churches, in which, though means should have been wanting for making other alterations, yet the windows, at least of almost all of them, were changed by some benefactor or other into those of the Pointed Style. Hence it is not uncommon to see figures of knights or ladies presenting windows of this form in the painted glass of such churches." (Concluding Chapters VIII. and IX.

of the REMARKS, ure deferred.)

* A most curious piece of information is here given with regard to the use of the Galilee or Western porch, raised directly under the West window of a cathedral or other great church. Females

were there allowed to see the monks who were relatives. This is gathered from a passage in Gervase. A woman applying for leave to see a monk her relation, was answered in the words of Scripture: "He goeth before you into Galilee, there you

shall see him." The term Galilee is still retained for the Western porches at Durham and Ely Cathedrals.

1812.]

Visited 1810.

"Though Canterbury be the higher stall, Winchester is the better manger."

The meaning of this old saw being so obvious, little need be said in explanation, otherwise than to express some surprize that this church of Winchester is so indifferently attended to in regard to common necessary repairs. The West front remains in the same neglected condition as it appeared in 1789. The North transept, one of the grandest examples of Saxon architecture, has indeed been cleared since the foregoing date from the rubbish that usually filled up its ailes; yet still continues to be shut out from the rest of the fabrick, as though it werea part possessing neither use or beauty. I found a few repairs going on in the choir; but, on enquiry, was given to understand the progress was so slow, that many visitors had suspected the requisite funds for executing the same were either deficient or circumscribed, so that a lively and vigorous prosecution of the undertaking was altogether an impossible thing. I recollect no other trace of ecclesiastical

care.

The yearly visitation paid to Waynefleet's monumental chapel is duly performed, but with such a duty the Church has no concern; Magdalen College looks to this. Beaufort's monumental chapel, its companion in splendour and noble design, fares rather ill in this respect: no reverential sons pay obligatory attention to the sublime sepulchral memorial; it is left to take its chance, as it is called, either from the damage sustained in being exposed to the out-of-repair vaultings over it, or from the depredations of mischievous people, encouraged by those who resort to the spot for no other purpose but to censure and de ride the pious remains of antient art. William de Wykeham's monumental chapel, like that of Waynefleet's, and from the like motives, also meets with protection.

Notwithstanding the seeming fair condition of the two more fortunate chapels, there are a few objections to be made to what the hands of ignorant repairers and beautifiers have done to them. The mutilations wrought on the statues of Wykeham and Waynefleet, in the noses, mouths,

7

and other particular parts, by the rage of barbarous and misguided zeal, have been restored, but in such a slovenly disgraceful manner that perhaps this part of the undertaking had better not have been attended to. The shields and other embellishments more directly on Wykeham's tomb, also restored, but in a modern fancy way, by paintings instead of sculptured work, according to the original design. These incongruities may probably escape a casual observer; but to the patient and exploring eye of an artist they appear most glaring and unseemly. How far the engraving of the head of Wayne fleet in a recent publication of his Life can be valued, becomes a question, when more attention was paid by the engraver to a plaster cast of the head (including its modern deformities) than to a drawing made for the occasion, with natural restorations of the parts before dilapidated. Hence the want of the delineator's name to the engraving is accounted for.

Though the prince of poets (Shakspeare) and the prince of painters (the late Sir Joshua Reynolds) in their labours have each endeavoured to render the memory of Beaufort odious, his statue in this church is uninjured, perfect in all its lines, and to certain passers-by (unbiassed in their minds when reflecting on the real character of the Cardinal) a memento of “ terrific awe and veneration."

There is in this church a kind of griping avaricious propensity with the officers deputed to shew the same to strangers. Artists and other ingenious men are most unfeelingly pressed in this sort; which, with the extreme difficulty they stand under in obtaining leave from the higher powers to study after the antiquities, render the following public questions necessary.

Are the revenues of the ecclesiastical establishment unequal to remunerate its menial attendants, that they must seek their wages from the acci dental payments of certain travellers? and is example found in some corner of the foundation thus to warrant the driving away literary men or artists, the handers-down to posterity of passing events and existing antiquarian objects, through the means of hard pecuniary requisitions?

Yours, &c. AN ARCHITECT.
A ME-