kers. During the course of his life he wrote an immenfe number of songs for various mufick-fellers, both in town and country; and, till the last feafon, was the author of most of those fung at Vauxhall, and Bermondfey Spa, as the collections published teftifv. In imitation of the celebrated Fables of Mr. Gay, he alfo published a collection in Mr. Newbery's fhop, among which are fome of confiderable merit. He was well known to Mr. Anftey, the author of "The Bach Guide," who often relieved him when in want. He had travelled a great deal on foot in various parts of England and Wales; and the droll fituations into which his mifconduct had led him made him an entertaining narrative companion. Of late years he was chiefty fupported, for conftant fupplies, by Mr. Aftley, fen. and Mr. Hughes, for whom he wrote the burleitas, a fpecies of entertainment peculiar to thofe places of amufement. He alfo engraved on wood for children's books, and cut fome plates for low pub. lications; but his talent at fong-writing was his most prevalent bias, and at this he was easy and fuccessful. In short, he might have lived comfortably, if not happily, had he not been endued with fuch light abilities as rendered him too unfettled for any fedentary bufinefs. He died last month, at his fifter's, a butcher's fhop, in King-street, Weftminfter. H. L. MEMOIRS OF BERNARD GILPIN. Accompanied with an elegant Portrait.) BERNARD GILPIN was born in 1517, about the middle of the reign of Henry the Eighth. His forefathers had been feated at Kentmire hall, in Weftmorland, from the time of King John, in whofe reign this eftate had been given by a baron of Kendal to Richard Gilpin as a reward for fervices thought very confiderable. From this gentleman the eftate of Kentmire defcended to the father of Bernard, Edwin Gilpin, who had feveral children, of which Bernard was one of the youngest; an unhappy circumstance in that age, which, giving little encouragement to the liberal arts, and lets to commerce, refrained the genius and industry of younger brothers. No way, indeed, was commonly open to their fortunes but the church or the camp. The inconvenience, however, was lefs to Mr. Gilpin than to others; for, that way was open to which his GENT. MAG. December, 1793. difpofition most led him. From his earlieft youth he was inclined to a contemplative life, thoughtful, referved, and ferious. Perhaps no one ever had a greater fhare of conftitutional virtue, or, through every part of life, endea voured more to improve it. The Bishop of Chichefler hath preferved a lory of him in his infancy, which will thew how early he could difcern not only the immorality, but the indecorum, of an action. A begging frier came on a Saturday evening to his father's houfe; where, according to the custom of those tunes, he was received in a very hofpitible manner. The plenty fet before him was a temptation too ftrong for his vir tue; of which, it feems, he had not fufficient to fave appearances. The next morning, however, he ordered the bell to toll; and, from the pulpit, expreffed himself with great vehemence against the debauchery of the times, and particularly against drunkenness. Bernard Gilpin, who was then a child upon his mother's knee, feemed for fome time exceedingly affected with the frier's difcourfe, and at length, with the urmost indignation, cried out, "He wondered how that man could preach against drunkennefs, when he himfulf had been drunk only the night before." Inftances of this kind foon discovered the feriousness of his disposition, and gave his parents an early prefage of his future piety. His first years were spent at a public fchool, where, we are told, he foon diftinguished himself. From school Ire was removed to Oxford; and, at the age of fixteen, was entered upon the foundation at Queen's college. He now determined to apply himfell to divinity, made the Scriptures his cher (udy, and fet himfeif with great induftry upon gaining a thorough knowledge of the Greek and Hebrew languages. He was very foon taken notice of, and looked upon as a young man of good parts and confiderable learning; he was alfo admired and beloved for a remarkable fweetnefs in his difpofition, and unaf fected Gincerity of manners. He took the degree of Mafter of Arts at the ufual time, and, about the same time, was elected Felow; toon after which, he removed to Chriflchurch* upon a Cardinal Woltey laid the foundation of Chrift-church college on the fite of the priory of St. Fridefwide; but his difg. ace and death hindered laun from completing it. propofal propofal made him by Cardinal Wol. fey's agents, who defigned that his college hould be the means of the re storation of learning in England. Into whatever part of Popery Gilpin examined, he found great abures; the true fimplicity and spirit of Chriftianity were gone, totally loft in mere human inventions. But, what he first began to object to in the Popish creed, and was moft difgufted at, were indulgences, prayers before images, and difallowing the public ufe of the Scriptures. However, Mr. Gilpin took cautious steps before he declared himself a Proteftant. He continued at Oxford till the 35th year of his age, ftudioufly reading di vinity; he hitherto rejected the foliciItations of his friends to leave the univerfity, faying, he was not yet enough inftructed in religion himself to be a teacher of it to others. About this time he fucceeded (at the earnest request of his friends) to the vicarage of Norton, in the diocese of Durham. His pre fentation bears date, November, 1552. Before he refided on his vicarage he was appointed to preach before the king at Greenwich. The reigning vice of that age, it feems, was avarice; or, more properly, rapine. At Court every thing was venal. In the room of law and juftice, grofs bribery and wrong were common; in trade, grievous extortions and frauds. Accordingly, the avarice of the times was the fubje&t of Mr. Gilpin's difcourfe, refolving, with an honest freedom,, to cenfure corruption in whatever rank of men he obferved it. He first addreffed the c'ergy on their being either pluralifts or nonrefidents. He then turned to the Court. The king being abfent" It grieved him," he faid, "to fee thofe abfent, who, for example's fake, ought particularly to have been prefent." He then recommends every paftor to hold but one benefice, and, as far as poffible, every one to do his duty. He then elegantly addreffes himfelf to the magiftrates and gentry. They all, he faid, received their honours, their powers, and their authority, from God, who expected they would make a proper ufe of fuch gifts, and would certainly call them to an account for the abuse of them. Having thus freely addreffed his audience, he concluded his fermon with an hearty exhortation, "that all would confider thofe things, and fuch as found themselves faulty would amend their lives." Some time, after this, Mr. Gilpin went abroad; and, while he was purfuing his Audies at Louvain, he and all the Proteftants in thofe parts were fuddenly alarmed with melancholy news from England-King Edward's death, the Lady Jane's fall, and Queen Mary's acceffion. Innumerable were the difficulties this good man encountered in thofe troublesome times; but, his firm refolution was doing what good he could, and fetting himself in earnest to reprove vice publicly and privately, to encourage virtue, and to explain the nature of true religion. Wherever he came, he used to visit all the jails and places of confinement; few in the kingdom having at that time any appointed minifter. And, by his labours, and affectionate manner of behaving, he is faid to have reformed many very abandoned perfons in those places. He would employ his intereft likewife for fuck criminals whofe cafes he thought attended with any hard circumftances; and often procured pardon for them. "To fhew the esteem in which he was held by every one:"-By the carelessness of his fervant, his horfes were one day Aolen. The news was quickly propa gated, and every one expreffed the highest indignation at the fact. The thief was rejoicing over his prize, when, by the report of the country, he found whole horfes he had taken. Terrified at what he had done, he instantly came trembling back, confeffed the fact, returned the horfes, and declared he be lieved the devil would have seized him directly had he carried them off knowing them to have been Mr. Gilpin's. The charity of Mr. Gipin was unbounded. The value of his living was about four hundred pounds a year; which, however confiderable an income at that time, was yet in appearance very unproportionate to the generous thinge he did. He never let flip an opportu nity of doing good. Strangers and travellers found a cheerful reception at his houfe. All were welcome that came, and even their beafts had so much care taken of them, that it was humourously faid, "if a horfe was turned loose in any part of the country, it would immediately make its way to the rector of Houghton's." The load of calumny, ingratitude, and ill-ufage, with which he undefervedly met, may justly be supposed heavy upon him, already finking under a weight of years; yet, he bore it with uncommon fortitude, Atrengthening himself with fuch confolations as a good Chriftian hath in reserve for such extre. mities. About the beginning of February, 1583, he found himself fo very weak, that he was fenfible his end must be drawing near. He told his friends his apprehenfions, and spoke of his death with that happy compofure which always attends the conclufion of a good life. He was foon after confined to his chamber. His fenfes continued perfe& to the laft. A few days before his death he ordered himself to be raifed in his -bed, and his friends, acquaintance, and dependents, to be called in. He first fent for the poor; and, beckoning them to his bedfide, told them, he found he was going out of the world; he hoped they would be his witneffes at the great day that he had endeavoured to do his duty among them; and he prayed God to remember them after he was gone. He would not have them weep for him: if ever he had told them any thing good, he would have them remember that in his ftead. Above all things, he exhorted them to fear God, and keep his commandments; telling them, if they would do this they never could be left comfortless. He next ordered his fcholars to be called in. To them likewife he made a thort fpeech, reminding them that this was their time, if they had any defire to qualify themfelves for being of ufe to the world; that learning was well.worth their attention, but virtue was much more fo. He next exhorted his fervants; and then fent for several persons who had not heretofore profited by his advice according to his withes, and upon whom he imagined his dying words might have a better effect. His fpeech began to falter before he finished his exhortations. The remaining hours of his life he spent in prayer and broken converfations with fome felect friends, mentioning often the confolations of Chrif tianity; declaring they were the only true ones; that nothing else could bring a man peace at the last. He died March 4, 1583, in the 66th year of his age. W. P. ter of curiofity, the following lift is at your fervice. its authenticity; a circumstance which You may depend on ought always to be examined in information of this kind; fince, either for want of frequent inquiries about the able fiction of little wits, there is reason fame word, or through the difhonourto fuppofe that many errors have been admitted into vocabularies of this kind. AUNT. It is common in Cornwall to call all elderly perfons Aunt or Uncle, prefixed to their names. The fame custom is faid to prevail in the inland of Nantucket, in North America-In fome parts of England Gammer and Guffer are laid to be used in the fame manner. ANUNT. Oppofite to. Gloucestershire.-Gr. ray].. A CUSTIS. A fchoolmafier's ferula. North of Cornwall. CLOME. Earthen ware; and a clome Shop ; and a clumen oven, and the like. General through Devonshire. CAWCH. A nafty place. Naftiness. Devonfhire. In other places called a mess. A Dongy, or A Dicky. An ass. Ellex and Suttolk. The colliers of Kingswood call the fame animal a Neddy-afs, but more u ually a Neddy. DRY. Thirty, Somerfet.-So in Latin: CALLED HOME. Afked in church by banns ; To DoN, and To DOFF. To put on, and put DULL. Hard of bearing. Somerset. A GOUT. An under ground drain of a house To bake. Lookee, kow our A GOOD-DAY, A boliday. Staffordshire. A LYNCHER. A border of grafs, left to divide The LEACH-ROAD. The path by which a fu- To Moorn. To play truant, to flay from febral Briftol. Mazer. Deranged in mind. Cornwall. Mazed Bet Parkin, a woman well known in Padstow fome 30 years finoe.-Perhaps fome of your correfpondents may hive made the fame obfervation as myfelf, that there were a furprizing number of perfons of that defcription along the North coast of Devon and Cornwall. MOILED. Troubled, fatigued. Sedgemoor. NAN? A vulgar expreflion in the West of England, particularly in Gloucestershire, which means rubat do you say? Ha, or Ilai, is commonly used for the fame. In the neighbourhood of Sedgenwoor, fay, maʼam-fay, fir, is very common. NESH. Suft, tender. It is applied to the health, and means delicate. Somerset. A PEEL. A pillow. Somerfet and Devon. PILLUM. Dirt. Devon. A PACKSEY. A fairy. Somerfet, Devon, and Cornwall. Pickley-led, bewildered, led aftray, particularly in the night, by a Jacka-lantern, which is believed to be the work of the Pickfies. A PLOUGH. A waggon, or cart, or plough, together with the team which draws it, is called by no other name in feveral parts of Somerfetfhire.. TO DRIVE THE PRAY. To drive the cattle from the moor. Sedgemoor-French, près, a mexdow. RETCHUP, fo pronounced, though the original is probably Rightthip. Truth. Somer fetihire. As, There is no retchup in that child. A KAIL. 4 revel, a country wake. Devon. To SAR. To carn. Sedgemoor. As, To fur Seven Billings a-week.— he fame word is alfo ufed as a corruption of ferve; as, To far the pigs. A SCUTE. A reward North of Devon. To stock. To pilfer, or give privately 4, and a Slockster, pilferer. Devon and Somerfet. To for A 1. All over Devon. Ta for S in the third perfon fogular of verbs. Devon.-As, It rainth-He livth to Purracomb-When he jumpth, all fraketh. « Tiny. Neat, decent. Weft of England. TO TIN. To light, &c. As, Tine the candle, Someriet. Pronounced, in Devon, Ti. TO TINE is likewife ufed in the neighbour hood of Sedgemoor for to but. As, Tine the door He has not timed hisseyes to flap thefe three nights, A Turry. Pronounced also, in other places, a Titty, gay. Somentet. TWILY. Refles. Somerfet.-Perhaps a corruption of Teily. TUTT-WORK. Jobb-quork, as diftinguished from work by the day. Somerfet and Devon; and in the Cornish and Derbyshire mines. Probably derived from the French tout. UNKID, OF UNCUT. Dull, melancholy. Somerfet. VITTY. Neat, decent, fuitable. Cornwall. VORTHY. Forward, affuming Somerfet apd Some of your correfpondents will perhaps be able to inform you, that the ufe of most of thefe words is more ex tenfive than is here fet down. What is now fent is from the actual obfervation of one who is no great traveller, S. IN BUXTON ATTIC ENTERTAINMENTS. N an enlightened age, when the pos lite arts are cultivated, and learning in the higher ranks of life, every eflay and the belles lettres fhine confpicuous thould be looked upon with admiration, to promote their ftudy and culture and esteemed a national benefit. Some of the first characters in the British Senate are also the first in the Republick of Letters. The nobility have patro nized, and deigned themfelves to grace a rifing and improving stage. But, though writing and public fpeaking are thus encouraged, little has been done towards the practice and improvement in rrading. The names of Sheridan and Henderfon, now, alas! no longer to be heard of, fome few years back drew crowds to attend their readings an entertainment which would have nonoured the elegant and rehned age of Athenian learning. From that time to this Le Texter's French readings have been the only entertainment of the kind given for the gratification of the more reficed understandings. The no. velty and merit of the idea, therefore, induces us to notice thole which have taken place this feason at Buxton. Mr. Newcome, formerly matter of Hackney fchool, a gentleman well known for his refined judgement, in leading and fpeaking, frequency, fas |