The inclofed little ballad was given me by an intimate acquaintance of Shenftone, which he wrote at Broome, on his coufin Mifs Dolman taking fome verfes left upon his table: this may be one alluded to above; it certainly was written about that time a the warden by the appellant, with a Broome is a fmall village on the bor- Δ. Π. As bright as ever was fee 1. Her hair was of that very brown, That doth all browns excell; O! what fhall I do, the poet he faid, For the takes all the verfes that ever I make, And with them curls her hair. But, would the leave her curling craft, And hie to the green-wood with me, And her name on ev'ry tree. And makes fo fure a chain, That never was heart entangled there Did ever get loose again. But, would the leave her curling craft, And dwell in the green-wood with me ; I'd give her a bonnet as green as the graís, And a mantle down to her knee. Alas! alas! and well-a-day! To think that a fonnet fo vile and mean, There's never a nut in the filbert-hedge, So brown as Chloe's hair; Mr. SEND you a tolerably exact drawing (Pl. III. fig. 2.) from an old cross in this neighbourhood, which, if you think it as great a curiofity as I do my. felf, you will, pe haps, insert in your curious and amufing repofitory. 1 lately difcovered it faftened in the wall of the chancel of Cropthorn church. As this chancel is itself very antient, and has not probably undergone any material repair or alteration for fome centuries, we may reasonable conclude the cross fixed in it to be of the highest antiquity. There is, however, fufficient internal evidence of this in its fculpture, which, as to its intention, cannot now easily be made out, but feems altogether of the grotefque fpecies. It fhould be obferved, that what, near its centre, feems to reprefent the head of a hart or buck, was by no means meant as fuch, but is merely a piece broken off accidentally in that form. Not far from the chancel wall, in which this crofs is fixed, is the broken shaft of an old church-yard cross, of which I make no doubt but this more ornamented part once made the head. It is doubtiefs of Saxon workmanship; as is alfo the greater and unrenovated part of the church, of which the founder and exact date of erection are, I believe, unknown. Juft on the western edge of the church-yard is a large farm houfe that was built upon the ruins of an antient feat (probably a hunting-refidence) of the kings of Murcia, and where the famous Offa, as may be feen by his charters inferted in Hemingus, much refided. For farther particulars of this place, which is well worthy the notice of an antiquary, Dr. Nah may be confulted. This crofs having ef caped his obfervation, I thought it merited fome defcription, and am, • Yours, &c. W. T. P. S. It is the with of many people in this country, that you would announce to your readers the speed publication (about Christmas, I hope,) of the Hifiory and Antiquities of the Abbey and Borough of Evrbem." This work will be on rather a large fate, and ornamented with 7 or 8 very curious and well-executed engravings. The account of the Abbey, a very iplendid and rich foundation, is not ext aed from any records already in print; but almof entirely founded on two antient MS regifters of the abbey, preferved in the British Museum, one of them-among Harleian MSS. Mr. URBAN, Nottingham, July 6. TRANSMIT you two drawings of an antient fhoe and boot (pl. III. fig. 3. 4.) of the exact fize of the originals. They were lately fhewn to me by a friend of mine as great curiofities, on account of their fingular minuteness; and, indeed, I make no doubt but they would be found worthy of that appellation, if their ufe could be afcertained; but, not having heard any conjecture illuftrating the purpofe for which they might have been defigned, and unable to form any myfelf, I shall confider myself as being much obliged to any of your readers to favor me with an explanation. They were found by a man ploughing in a field between 20 and 30 years fince in the lordship of Little Paunton, a village in the neighbourhood of Grantham, incloted in a box made of leather and tin; that fide which is of leather is of the form of the fole and heel of a fhoe, and of a size sufficiently large for a full-grown perfon; its correfponding fide is of tin, and nearly of the fame fize and shape as the one juft defcribed; the third (for it has only three) is of the fame metal, and nearly a parallelogram. These are all connected by wire. The boot and fhoe are made of strong leather, and are also fewed with wire; but, notwithstanding this, they are now in a state of mouldering decay, and greatly mutilated, not by violence, but by time; this gives one reafon to think that they are ancient. To the boot is fixed a wire spur, apparently in the fame manner as they are at this time, with two leather ftraps, though the lower only now remains. This (I am forry to fay) is all the information refpecting them I am able to procure; but am willing to hope that even thefe data, trifling as they are, will be found to throw fuch light on the fubject as will enable fome one of your antiquarian readers to folve this diffi culty, which is totally inexplicable by Yours, &c. Mr. URBAN, THE C. T. Aug. 16. HE brafs plate from which the inclofed drawing (pl. 111. fig. 5.) was made, is on a Purbeck grave-ftone in the North chancel of the church of * St. John the Baput, Margate. The thields containin,, the arms, which were, three lions rampant between two bars dancetié, dancetté, are torn off, as, probably, will foon be the fate of the effigies and of the infcription, which is, "Hhic iacet Joh'es Daundelyon, gentilman, qui obiit in die invencionis S'ce Crucis, anno ab incarnatione D'ni noftri Jh`u rifti Millimo & CCCXLA; cni' ai'e p picietur De's. Amen.” As they are now loofened from the ftone; fearing that fome facrilegious hand will convey them away, I have forwarded the drawing to your Repofi tory, where it may brave the attacks of Time, and every other enemy to antis Yours, &c. quities. I Z. C. Mr. URBAN, Sept. 3. SHALL confider myfelf as greatly obliged to any of your readers who will inform me, if there exifts any account of the celebrated tree in Hainault foreft, Effex, called the Fairlop oak; it feems to have efcaped the notice of Camden and his Continuator. The tree is at prefent fenced round with a paling five feet high, and dreffed with Mr. Fortyth's compofition, to preferve it from decay. On one of the limbs of the tree is fixed a board, with this infcription: "All good Foresters are requefied not to hurt this old tree, a plafter having been lately applied to h's wounds." Some years paft, a Mr. Day, of Wapping, ufed annually to go and dine with his friends on beans and ba. con under this tree; from which circumftance arofe the fair which is now held three every year, viz. on the ad of July. A CONSTANT READER. Mr. URBAN, T Sipt. 4. HE account of the ufe of the Elder in preventing the lofs the farmer frequently fuftains from the destruction and voracioufness of various infects, though formerly publifhed in the Philo, fophical Tranfactions, which seldom fall into the hands of the middling rank of people, deferves, I think, a place in your useful publication, which is much more diffufed among all ranks. The letter from Mr. Christopher CulJet is in the Philofophical Tranfa&tions, 1772, art. 23; whence you will copy it if you think it may be useful to the publick, which I think it may undoubtedly be*. Let me, at the fame time, add part *This kind correfpondent will find it already printed, vol. XLIII. p. 502. EDIT. of a letter from the most beneficent promoter of natural knowledge, Mr. Peter Collifon, on the management of sheep, in refpe&t to their migrations from the mountains to the warmer plains in Spain. In that account he obferves, "that a fomewhat fimilar cuftom may be practifed in this ifland to advantage, with this difference, that the highest grounds fhould be chofen for their winter refidence, proper fhelter being made for them; and the wetter low-lands for their fummer pafture." One certain advantage might refult from this practice, z. that it might in a great meafure prevent the rot in sheep, which, especially in wet fummers, proves exceedingly deftru&ive to thefe ufeful animals. How far it might influence the quality of their wool time would fhew. "Planting," Mr. Collifon ufed to fay, " and gardening, fupply a fund of entertain ment, the most lafting and rational of any occupation in this life, for country gentle men. The trees which we ourselves have planted, the fruits we have raised, and the plants we have cultivare, feem to be like or children, a kind of new creation. Their fhade, then tafte, their fragrance, and their beauties, affect us with a richer repaft than any other circumstances. What pleafing fcenes would (he obferves) lie open to young men of fortune devoted to fuch amufements! Each fucceeding year produces fresh shades, other fruits, fresh beauties, and brings befides most certain profit! To be old the ring grove, barrenne's made fertile, our country improved, ourselves made useful and happy, and posterity enriched!.” When on this favourite fubject, a very natural reflexion often escaped him, "that he feldom knew a man, poffeffed of a taste for fuch pleasures, who was not, at the fame time, temperate and virtuous," AGRICOLA. Mr. URBAN, Derby, July 9. HE DISHLEY FARM, by BAKEWELL, has been to repeatedly defcribed by various writers, that little, if any thing, of novelty can be expected from a new obferver. The neatnefs of the hedge-rows, cleannefs of the grounds, &c. cannot fail to attract the notice of an attentive traveller as he paffes; and the general civility of the fervants to a franger, &c. (for, there is no inn where you can leave your horfe,) calls forth more than common gratitude for the favours conferred on one unknown either in perfon or by name. The two veteran Herds, proud of their office, of their mafter, and their fervice, each |