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buried at Bytham by her first husband and his brother, whofe two figures are on their monument there, and a Greek infcription on berfelf on a tablet near the foot of her monument. See Ahmole's Berkshire, 11. 464-470.

P. 1151. Edward, the younger fon of Lady H. Conyers, is vicar of Waltham and Epping, both family livings. Her youngest daughter was married to Mr. Baker, and is already the mother of nine children.

P. 154. Colonel Maurice Johnfon, who died at Spalding Dec. 4, was eldeft fon of Maurice Johnfon, efquire, the learned founder of the literary fociety at Spalding, lieutenant, and afterwards colorel, in the Duke of Cumberland's regiment of foot-guards, and ferved under his Royal Highness in Flanders, 1746; was an excellent draughtfman, father of two fons and three daughters. His eldett fon Maurice, educated at St. John's college, Cambridge, MA. is curate of Spalding, in the gift of truflees, and vicar of Moulton near it, of which his father was patron, and prebendary of Lincoln 1785. His youngeft fon is or was lieutenant in the third or Prince of Wales's regiment of dragoon-guards.

P. 1158. Mr. Wild was buried at Bushey January 1; and the company returning were attacked by a highwayman, who fired into a chaife fortunately without doing mischief; and, being im mediately purfued by the poftillion on one of the horfes, was taken on the Edgware road near Kilburn, but not before he had twice fired at his purfuers; after which he was knocked down, and carried before Mr. Addington at Bow fireet, where it appeared he was the fon of a gentleman of independent property in Ireland, of the name of Hawkins.

The arch under the New River at Bush-hill, defcribed LIV. 723, having given way, after having flood 111 years, the prefent bed is turned to repair it. Yours, &c. D. H.

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After having ftewed the meat off an offal, he put the foft part of the bone, which forms the joint of the knee, into a brifk fire, where he let it remain fo long, that, when it became cold, he could reduce the external part to a fine powder: of this powder he took about a table-fpoonful in a glass of wine, which had fo good an effect, that, tho he had been troubled a long time, and was much reduced, he found immediate relief, and has ever fince been free from every fymptom of the complaint.

Should you think the above recipe may be ufeful, I beg you will make any alteration you may think proper, to make it fit for the Gentleman's Magazine. Yours, &c.

Mr. URBAN,

PER

A.

Bedford, July 9. ERHAPS it will afford fatisfaction to fome of your readers when they are informed, that, years ago, I faw feveral circular beechen plates, much of the fame kind as the roundels (which, I prefume, is a local appellation) mentioned in p. 378. They had been then lately found, walled-up, in a farm-houfe, which has been a religious houfe, at St. Leonard's, in this town. I think there were more than ten of them, but will not be pofitive as to the number. Some of them were finely painted and gilt; and these had each fome religious fentence on them, and verfes, if I remember right, not very fit to accompany it. I do not recollect that they had, like the Staffordshire, human figures on them. They were larger confiderably than that which you have figured in your Magazine, but the letters much the fame: fome of them were plain beech, without letters, paint, or other ornament. They were thought to have been used for diverfion as fome game. I underfland they were all fent hence foon after they were found. Should the prefent poffeffor (who the gentleman is I know not) of the beechen plates under confideration, on feeing this letter, think proper, through your means, to give a more particular account of them, it may prove an acquifition to the Antiquary; and, at the fame time, any miske I may, from length of time (perhaps now 15 years ago), have made respecting them, will be fet right. The gentleman, who had them firit, left them for Major Grofe at his lodgings at Mr. Hooper's, but never had an opportunity of Seeing the Major afterward, neither has he heard

from any one concerning them fince the Major's death.

Mr. Drew, of this place, ftone-ma fon, has ten fomewhat fimilar flat cir. cular beechen plates to those juft mentioned, in a round box (painted after too rude and infignificant a manner to deferve a defeription of it). Thefe plates feem defigned, like the others, for fome game. Mr. Drew had them from Lincolnshire, but they came originally from Staffordshire, where the perfon he had them from faid they really were played with as a game, but in what manner he cannot tell. They confift of prints coloured, and pasted on the beech wood, which is plain on one fide; that lying before me has a rural landfcape, and the figures of two women furrounded with baskets of various kinds of fruits, and the following verfes, written round the margin in fmall Ro

man letters:

plumbs,

"Feed and be fatt, heere's painted peares and [gums; Will never hurte your teethe or spoyle your And I wishe thofe girls that painted are No other foode than fuch fine painted fare.”

I have felected this plate as one with out improper levity; fome of them difguft through the lowness of style.

I add verfes from another plate, which reprefents perfons playing at dice, and fome of them dreffed in grotelque mafquerade, becaufe thefe circumstances, think, feem to point out the game as one more particularly in vogue about Christmas time:

"Difguifed thus at Candlemas we come ; With gambolls, dice, and cards, we mafque

and mumm;

Some lofeth all, and fome the money purfes; Some laugh outright, whilft others fweares

and curfes."

Each of the ten plates has one of the figns of the Zodiac on it; and twelve plates would fill the box fo as just to admit of its fhutting. Hence I conclude there were twelve of them when complete.

As an antient game I have thus expatiated on the plates, and on that account only; for, in point of compofi.

tion, fome of them are worfe than trivial. Hoping in time that fome correfpond. ent may tell us the precife antiquity, name, and manner, of the game of both

fets of plates, I am, yours, &c. M.

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fcribed by Mr. Barrett in p. 398 *. It formerly belonged to Mr. Ives, the Yarmouth ant quary, who has written upon one fide, which is quite plain, “ a trencher for cheese or sweetmeats, ufed about the time of James I." I do not acquiefce in this explanation, being of opinion with Mr. Barrett, that these pieces of wood were either converfation, or, what is yet more probable, fortunetelling cards. From the character of the writing and orthography, they are certainly older than the time of James I. and feem to have been made about the reign of Henry VIII. The lines are,

"To fpende over muche be nott to bolde, Abate rather fomewhatt yi houtholde; For of thy landes bothe fare and nere, To the fmale frutes will come this yere." P. S. Will it be deemed any answer Saviour, to refer him to John viii. 57. to G's query concerning the age of Our "Then faid the Jews unto him, thou art not yet fifty years old, and haft thou feen Abraham" Surely the inference is, that he must have then been upwards of thirty-three.

the coin, which he enquires after, is a P. 30, Mr. Ruggles is informed that very common but unappropriated BriSpeed's Chronicle, and Camden's Britifh coin,. He may find it engraved in

tannia.

in his idea, that the painting on glass, P. 522, I cannot agree with R. G. referred to in p. 397, reprefents the diftribution of worldly gifts, &c.; neither is there any attribute of Folly whatever in the principal figure. It is rather fome faint, or holy perfon, diftributing fide of him are baskets filled with loaves alms to the poor and lame. On each and flaggons of liquor.

Mr. URBAN.

IN

S. E.

Nev. zo.

N your Magazine for May 1793, (P.. 398,) fome of your correfpondents are requested to explain the ufe of tem flat roundels, now in poffeffion of Charies Chadwick, efq. having each an ancient diftich thereon, &c, (fee plate 11. fig.4 ) I flatter myself that I can comply with this request. Near forty years ago I paid a vifit to the od lady viscoun.ets fent earl of Suffex), at her feat at Ban Longueville, (grandmother of the predon, three miles from Coventry. After dinner, for the amulement of fome

*Rufticns fo nearly refembles that in p. 398, that the engraving of it feams fuerAuous.-EDIT.

young

As I am often liable to intermitting complaints, I am confequently obliged to have frequent recourfe to Peruvian bark. Dr. Franklin taught me to take it in milk, which fo foftens the bark as to render it the leaft offenfive of any vehicle. Some of your readers may fmile at my giving the Door as the author of fo trifling an advice; but whoever knew him fo well as I did would readily affirm, that he never thought any thing trifling which could give any degree of pleafure to any perfon, Oa my taking fome bark in milk, there was a piece of bread on the table; I chewed fome of the crumb of it in my mouth, and fwallowed it with fome fpoonfuls of milk, and was agreeably furprifed to find that the tale of the baik was immediately carried off. I have followed the fame practice after taking fome other unpallatable medicines, and with the fame effect. This fimple means of removing a disagreeable Taite may give that fatisfaction to nice palates, that it has given to

young company prefent, this good old eafily faceefs fal. This gave me the lady ordered her waiting gentlewoman hint of requesting you to publish the to bring forth the Lors, who produced, following narration of a fact. about a dozen fuch roundels as Mr. Chadwick's, which the held fpread out in the manner of cards, with their backs towards the company, each of whom drew one. And great diverfion was excited by the fatirical diftich which accidentally occurred on the lot of each, as being fuppofed to be defcriptive either of the character or of the matrimonial choice of the perfon who drew the fame. Her ladyship then told me, that thefe had anciently belonged to the nuns of Lacocke, in Wiltshire, and had been handed down, from the time of the diffolution, along with the nunnery itfelf, which had belonged to her father, Sir John Talbot, of Lacocke, knight, and is fill pofleffed by the defcendants of lady Longueville's fifter, who affumed the name of Talbot; as the LOTS themfelves are probably by her grandfon and heir, the earl of Suflex. This good lady, who remembered the count of Charles II. died in 1763, aged near 100, and retained her facult es to the laft. Before I take off the pen, let me inform your correfpondent J. H. (in your Magazine for September laft, p. 799.) that the "History of England, in a Series of Letters from a Nobleman to his Son, London, printed for Newbery, 1764, 2 vol. 12mo.' was written by none of the lords Lyttelton, Chesterfield, or Orrery, but by the ingenious Dr. Gold faith, who was much gratified to find the affumed character fo well fuftained, as to pafs upon the world for real, and often diverted with the contending opinions of fuch as afcribed it to one or other of the above noblemen. This information comes from one who had a copy given him by the real author, when it first came from the prefs, and who had often laughed with him at the fuccefs of his fiction.

The merit of thefe two little volumes

joduced Mr. Thomas Davies, afterwardspio contra& with Dr. Golufmuth for an extention of the Jubjeĉì, in four volumes 8vo, which he published with his own name, as is well known to your readers. Yours, &c. T* P*.

Mr. URBAN, Dec. 12. Tis an oblervation of the Hon. Mr, Boyle, that, in making experiments, many unheeded, feemingly tring, circumâances, are often of confequence, in rendering the experiment the re

Mr. URBAN,

THE

AN INVALID.

DIC. 14. HE paffage which NuGator, p 1096, fays he does et underftand, "Et nunquam fuit extra," is not of difficult interpretation: it means that the preacher got on fluently, and was never

out.

The expreffion, indeed, is not Latin; no more are many others in this humourous puem; it being of the character of the macaronic poetry (as it is called), to pay little or no attention to the Latin idiom; but to fubfiitute Latin words in the room of English ones, and fo form a kind of Babylonib dialect.

E. S.

Mr. URBAN, Worcester, Dec. 18.

your Magazine for November laft, I fee interted in plate 11. fig. 4, an engraving from a drawing of a ical I fent you tome time ago. I have fince learned the figure on the one was not intended to reprefent a grifha, but an Atgod. The Algod was an image like a dragon, paced at the feet of Woden; it was the anc ut arms of Wtilex. which has been often faltri, blazoned a griffin tegre,nt. The heathen Saxons, in the fpring, uted to bear, in proceffion, a banner Argent, where was diplaved the god Woden Azure, and this Argod, hia ulual attendance, Gales.

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I fent you, at the fame time, my reading of the legends on the gold coin of Arcadius, found at Silchefter, of which you have given an engraving in June 1792, plate III. fig. 4, which was as follows: round the head; " DOMINUS NOSTER, ARCADIUS, PIUS FELIX. AUGUSTUS." On the reverfe; "VICTORIA AUGUSTORUM. MANU DIVINA On the exergue, "CON STANTINOPOLI OBRIZUM." Yours, &c.

bres

G. B.

B. V. Dec. 15.

Mr. URBAN, "Non hyemes illam, non fabra, neque im[annos, Convellunt: immota manet, multofque per Mukta virum volvens durando fæcula vincit." HOSE who have read Fisher's

Threatife on the Deficiency of Oak

Timber, published near thirty years ago, and with attention to the calcuJations fince made, must be alarmed at the decrease of an article indifpenfable to the existence of this, as a commercial country. Although various obtervations have been laid before the pub lick from time to time, it does not appear that any material fteps have been taken to prevent the impending danger; unlefs an exception is made of what parliament directed to be done last year in Hampshire. Some of the great proprietors of land, with commendable forefight in future intereft, have, indeed, planted, but to fo fmall an extent, as can only be a trivial fupply for fature

want.

fcription, not exceeding five millions, for the purpofe of purchafing and renting wafte lands for planting, in all convenient parts of Great Britain: that the fhares be transferrable at the Bank of England, and bear an interest of five per cent. per annum. It does not occur that this measure would partake of the dubious fecurity for money experienced in France, in the Miffiffippi, or in England, in the South-Sea fcheme of 1720; on the contrary, the fubfcribers would not only have real fecurity at home, but alfo the profpect of large profits; and therefore it may be concluded the fubfcription would be filled, and the inveftments, in a thort time, be at confiderable advance.

the purchale of funds, might ari dire agreement of owners, and the expences of an act of parliament for each purchafe; the fame act which forms the Agricultural Board into a company fhould be declaratory; that any common or wafte land fhall be alienable to the faid company, where two-thirds of the proprietors in number and value fhall have figned a bond of agreement, fetting forth their affent : and, although the company were only to take a part of fuch wafte lands, the remainder might be allotted to the owners; or, which would probably be a better mode, put up to auction in lots, and the produce

As many difficulties arife in

divided.

The money arifing from the purchase made by the company would enable the Planting timber is not generally a fa- proprietors to fence and improve the revourite purfuit, nor can the profpect of mainder of fuch lands fo allotted, or future advantage make it fo; the con- purchrafed at auction; as there is caufe to templation is apt to raife melancholy believe that the wast of spirit to improve ideas in the mind of the fhortnefs of in men of landed property is fometimes man's existence, and the fmall degree of owing to a deficiency of ready-money to probability for any one to enjoy the commence with: and it is evident that a fruits of his labour. Thefe ideas have fufficient quantity of land for agricul fecretly had an influence upon men of tural purposes is not at prefent in cultiJanded property; and farther difcourage-vation, from the large fums annually ments arife from the expence of fencing, and the devaitation made by cattle without it; but especially an unwillingness for any portion of their eftates being Occupied otherwife than for immediate profit.

In order therefore to accomplish fo essential a purpose is the railing timber adequate to future demands, I propole, as a general outline, that the commitfioners of the Board of Agriculture fhall be established, by act of pariiament, a company for a term of years, and be enabled to talfe a fum, by fub

paid to other countries for graia and provifions. Therefore, the company ought to be reftricted in their purchales to fuch lands as are not wholly eligible for tillege, or for theep-walks, the tource of our ancient manufactures, unlets in mo. derate parcels, and with a view to plantations becoming covers to the flocks in rgorous teatons, and to vegetation in their vicinity, warmth being its first principle. •

Objections may be made to commons being generally high land, rocky, thin of foil, and teldom with a clay bottom; therefore,

therefore, inimical to the growth of oak. And, admitting it to be the cafe in a confiderable degree, it does not follow, that moderately high fituations are unfit for raifing various kinds of ufeful timber upon; a want of which is experienced in feveral parts of the kingdom. It may farther be concluded, from the growth of timber in the North of Europe, that, having the precaution to plant clofe, the effects of cold harsh weather, which may be expected in this climate on the fummit of even moderately high fituations, will be prevented, and that the difperfion of the leaves by the autumnal winds will faturate, and in fome degree increase, the thin foil: Nature muft, however, always be attended to, and each fpecies have foil peculiarly adapted. From congenial nourishment will proceed vigour to afpire and become a protection to the infant oak, planted in certain fituations at the bottom and firft acclivity, where clay is in various parts to be found. Farther benefit is fuppofed to arife by fences being first completed in fituations chofen for planting, and obnoxious animals extirpated, fo that the heath and grafs become a fhelter to young and tender plants. Material advantages would be derived by the fervices of forefters in tmall dwellings built upon the fkirts of the woodlands, with inclotures for each to keep a cow and raife potatoes upon for the use of the family; to be fubject in the duty required to regular furveys by diligent fupervisors, at flated periods, and accountable to them for the Joppings and underwood. The ufe of thole for fuel, together with young trees to be taken out as the woods attained a

lord's lofs, by the impoverishment of it, and fcrew their neighbours alfo, or have no porridge. Improvement is the bufinefs of the landlord; and, to infpire husbandmen with the true fpirit of induftry, let them tafte the sweets of thriving, and their labour will be chearful; they will then weigh well what will conduce to their own, and ultimately to the landlord's, benefit, contrive and confult to provide again ft all accidents, and blush at not being able to pay their rent without arrears and without complaints.

proper growth, might prevent the pre fent exceflive confumption of coals, and the probability of a fcarcity, fymptoms of it having a ready made an appearance. Having finished the fubject I purpofed to write upon, I hope to be exculed a few obfervations, arifing from the query of the Agricultural Board refpecting the means to caule a fpirit of improvement and induftry in the country. Landlords for years paft, having a view to the vanity of large rent-rolls, and aided by power from competition for farms, have greatly advanced rents; and the fmall farmers particularly have had their nofes held to the grindstone without mercy. And it may be oblerved, to thofe who contend that the advance will make tenants more indufirious, that, truly, they must get what they can out of the land, though often to their own and the land

It does not even appear that the primary movement to attain fo defirable an influence is, that the landlord lower his rent, as a greater fpur to industry might probably arife from marling, draining, and clearing, which, with an addition of lime and other manure, at his own charge, would improve waste corners of eftates, that have for ages been unprofitable alike to the husbandman and the community. The high prices paid for provifions in many parts of the kingdom, which the farmer muft have, to enable him to raise his rent for the day which he knows moft atfuredly will come, is a caufe that fo many of the loweft clafs of the people are. Sans Culottes; each is, however, thankful for the Conflitution he lives under, and the liberty he enjoys; and all would partake of pleasure if this paper eventually be productive of wa mth, à leurs derrieres, from the recelles of the foreft. T. W.

Mr. URBAN,

Dec. 27.

HE following extracts explain two of the queries in p. 984.

The first of them is from the will of

Thomas Wind for, Efq. dated in 1479. (Q. whether it is not the fame T. W. Eq. mentioned in p. 993 ?)

"Item, I will that I have brennying, at my burying and funeral fervice, four tapers, and twenty two torches of wax, every taper to conteyn the weight of ten pounds, and every torch fixteen pounds, which I will that twenty-four very poor men, and well difpofed, fhall hold, as well at the tyme of my burying, as at my moneth's minde. Item,

will, that after my moneth's minde be done, the faid four tapers be delivered to the church wardens, &c.

And that there be 100 children within the age of fixteen years, to be at my monet's minde, to fay for my foul. That against my moneth's minae, the candles bren before the rude (cross) in the parish church. Alfo, that my monet's minde my executors provide twenty priests to fing puccbo, dirige, &c."

The

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