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Naseby Church Northamptonshire.

The affair is upon the tapis, or carpet Why dining with Duke Humphrey fignifies to go without a dinner? as if Humphrey, Duke of Gloucefter, were at any time fo reduced.

Moreover, as very lately you informed your purchafers of the meaning of placing checquered boards before the doors of alehoufes (fee p. 531), I beg an explanation of the Hole in the Wall, which feveral publicans heretofore put up as their fign. A QUERIST.

Mr. URBAN.

Nov. 4.

THE HE "Hiftory of Nafeby," reviewed in your prefent volume, p. 147, having been publifhed without a view of the church; allow me to fupply that deficiency by fending you a drawing of it (fee plate II.); accompanied with an illußration from Mr. Maftin's entertaining little book:

"The church is dedicated to All-Saints, but no record is left of the time when it was built, or who was its founder: the materials, as to stone, are from the quarries of Weldon, Haflebeech, and Harlftone. It confifts of a body, two ailes, and chancel, with a porch on the South fide, leaded. At the Weft end is an embattled tower, in which are five fine maiden bells, having never been chipt, or wrought upon with a chiffel, from their first cafting.

"Upon the tower is a little more than

half a pyramidal (pire covered with lead, and a notion did prevail that it was decollated at the time of the battle; but, upon examination, dates were discovered upon this lead prior to 1645; a proof that this was not the cafe. Mr. Afhby, fome years ago,, at a confiderable expence, caufed an addition to be made to the spire of wood-work, confifting of a king-post and four fupporters, rifing to the height of 15 feet above the ftone-work; at the top of which is a large hollow copper ball capable of containing, according to the account of the perfon who performed the work, fixty gallons, ale measure*; above

*"It is well worth the notice of an Antiquary, that this copper ball (together with a fine-toned hell) was brought by Sir Gyles Allington from Boulogne, when that place was taken by the English, in the reign of King Henry the Eighth, anno Dom. 1544, and was placed upon the cupola of his houfe at Horfeheath, in Cambridgeshire, which he built; and was fold, amongst the rest of the materials, when that once noble feat was difmantled. Mr. Afhby paid only for its weight as old copper, although the metal was as perfectly free from decay as when firft manufactured; probably owing to the oats of gilding and painting."

GENT. MAG. November, 1793.

this ball is fome ornamental iron-work and a large weather-vane; from the top of which to the ground is 103 feet. With a good glafs from the top of the spire may be feen Bofton Deeps, or an arm of the fea, in Lincolnshire, diftance above fixty miles, nearly N. E, when the air is free from vapours, and the fun in a proper direction: the moft favourable time is about three P. M."

dial in the garden of the vicarage-houfe, Fig. 2. in the plate reprefents a funplaced on a curious tone; of which you fhall have an account before the end of the month. (See p. 1001.)

Fig. 3. is a thumb-ring in the poffeffion of Mr. Maftin.

I

Mr. URBAN,

T. P.

Dover, Nov. 6. SEND you a drawing from an im preffion of a feal (pl II. fig. 4) found in the beginning of 1792 in the ruins of the abbey of Stratford Langthorn (fee P. 881). The infcription raund it,

NUNCIO VOBIS CAUDIUM ET SALUTEM."

The figure in the centre, I believe, was intended for a griffin; whether it was the abbey feal, or a private one, I muft leave better judges to decide. The griffin is engraved on a ftone (fuppofed to be an onyx) fet in filver. G. B.

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Mr. UREAN,

Nov. 6.

would afford me very great pleafure, were it in my power, to communicate any article of intelligence to the induftrious Hiftorian of Leicesterfhire; for, as I have been refident there fome years, I am not ignorant how replete that county is with Antiquities.

The publications of Mr. Throby are entitled to much approbation; but the county will derive ftill greater advantages from a more univerfal and more particular defcription. That great piece of antiquity at Leicefter, the Jewrywall, is one of the most remarkable ftructures in this kingdom, and merits the utmost attemion,

I have been particularly pleafed with that lofty hill ou Charley forest, called Mount Bardon; where, on a clear day, the views are very delightful; and the profpect of many great towns draws much company thither.

Ulvelcroft priory, fituated in one of the moft fequeftered fpots imaginable,

*I lived in the South part of Leicesterfhire, near Ashby-de-la-Zouch, and occafonally at Leicester, and fometimes in the North parts of the county.

+ Sce vol. LXII, p. 359

claima

claims peculiar notice, as a very.confi. derable and beautiful ruin.

-I was very forry that Mr. Throfby did not give a more extensive view of the beautiful church built at the village of Norton (about seven miles from Leicefter) by William Fortrey, efq. who, at a great expence, erected that ed fice, which is fcarcely furpaffed in Leicesterhire in beauty and ftructure. It is a pity that this building ftands in fuch an obfcure place, where fcarcely are 20 boules, remote from any town. Many come a great way to fer this, and are greatly pleased with its elegance.

Yours, &c.

AMICUS.

Directions in what Part of Greece to
fearch for Statues and Antiquities.
(From TANNER's MSS Vol. LXXXVIII.
Fol. 436-442.)

THE things to be fought for are theis
following: Statues clothed and
naked, but the naked ones are of great
eit value; heads of all forts that can be
found; marbles caryed with half-round
figures, which are called baffo-relevo;
Pili of marble hiftored, the which are
like troughs of marble carved with fi
gures, vafes, altars, or pedeftals, with
anic kinde of carving worke on them;
or, if the vazes be plaine, they are to
be esteemed. Likewife, beafts of all
kinds for tombes or fepulchers; the most
ancient are to be defired, far, as for
thofe donn in the latter times of the
Eaftern emperors, they are of fmall va-
luc. Inferiptions of all forts; and, if
a ftatue have an infeription on the pe-
deftall or bafes, it is the more rare; or,
if a pedestall be standing with any in-
fcription on it, and neere it by digging
a ftatue chance to be found, it is of the
like value befides all theis, ther is to
be provided marie great blocks of feve-
ral Grecian marbles, to mend and re.
paire the ftatues and other things afore-
faid. All things of brafs-work that can
be found, as ftatues, heads, peeces of
baffo-relevo; and likewife all little fi
gures in brafs, or lamps, vazes, inftru-
ments for facrifice, medalls, or whatto-
ever elfe can be gotten, if they be of
mettle, are of great value.

The places in Greece, where theis things are to be found are infinite, but reduced to theis three generall heads:

First, Pelloponeffus. Round about ncerthe fea-coaft wher anie auncient city hath beene, which will appeare, by the ruines, and neer a port wher fhipps may come, are to be searched, especially in

Elijs, wher was aunciently that famous whome was celebrated the Olimpian temple of Jove Olimpius, in honor of games, Here were an infinity of flatues both of bras and marble, and other rarities dedicated; for, befides that, all thofe that were victors in thofe games had their flatues erected. All the commonwealths, principalities, and famous cities of Greece, dedicated their chiefeft ftatues, rarities, and richest things; and to that purpose were many treasuries built, wher theis things were kept, and fhewed by the guardians to all ftrangers that came, the temple being filled. Ther was a fpacious place called. the Alti, or facred grove of Jupiter, as full as they could stand one by another, This place being found, the ruines will direct one where to digg; and heere muft needs be had an infinite number, and all good, nothing being dedicated in that place but the works of most excellent mafters. Within the land may manie things of theis kinds be had; but the conducting of them by carts and draggs wil be more chargeable; as in Phocis, a part of Achaia, lying on the gulfe of Corinth, now called Lapanto, are the ruines of Apolloe's temple, and Oracle of Delphus, in which were the works of old Grecian fculptors, comparable both in number and excellency to that of the Olimpian Jove aforefaid. Likewife, on thother fide of the Ifthmus, as farr at Athens, wher yet remaineth ftanding a great part of the temple of Pallas, in which are manie excellent fculptures of baffo-relevo; and on the fea-fhore are lying certenie lyons of marble much bigger than the life.

All along the coaft of Afia neer the fea, from Caydus, standing on the point of Dorus, even as farr as Ilium, muft. need yeeld abundance of antiquities, ther remaininge the ruins of manie fa mous Grecian citties, as of Hallecarnaffus, Heraclea, Ephefus, Colophon, Smyrna, Traianopolis, &c.; and, farther into the land, Pergamus, wher manie excellent things may be had, onlie the charge wil be more by carrying them to

the tea as aforesaid.

In the iflands Ciclades, now called Archipelago, are manie rare things to be found, for, in fome of them, divers broken itatues have been feene lying aboveground.

The island of Delor was the mart of all Greece, wher yet remaineth the ruines of Appollo's temple, neere unto

which, by digging, manie ftatues of the beft auncient fchu'ptors may be had, and the like in Samofe, Icaria, Patmos, Pares, Amargos, &c. the perticulars of which, fhunning prolixity, I omit. As for those islands ther belonging to the Penecians, as Zan!, Sefalonia, Candy, &c. I doubt ther is little to be gotten in them, having been often fearched.

The meanes to gett theis things are theis: ther must be a pafs or fafe conduct from the Great Turke, procured by the ambaffador at Conftantinople, authorifing and fecuring the man imployed in all the aforefaid places to fearch, digg up, and tranfport, theis things, cnly for curiofity; for the Turks must not know that they are of anie value. He that is imployed must allwaies weare poore apparrell, for by that meanes the Turk will imagine the things he feeks for to be of no great ef timation. He must have letters of recommendation to the English confulls and marchants factors at every place wher he goeth, with bills of exchange, and letters of credite, for the digging, carrying, or buying, of the things aforefaid. He must never be without great ftore of tobacco, and English knifes, to prefent the Turkes withall who are governors of places, and other officers with whome he thall have to doc; for theis fmall prefents, togeather with his thew of poverty, will fave him from manie troubles which otherwife might happen. The men that he imployes to digg he must pay by the day; and, if he meet with anie itarues or Coloffus too great to be carryed away whole, he muft imploy men to faw ir afunder with iron fawes and therpe fand: he muft ufe a great fearn with tackles and pullies, to load theis on draggs or carts: he must be very carefull to gather togeather all the finaleft bits and fragments that are found or digged up neere to ante ftatue, and putt them up in boxes, which he must give to the mafters of the fhipps to be safelie delivered here: he must provide magazens or forehouses in the port townes which lie moft convenient for his purpofe, wher the things are to be kept untill they be tranfported; the best things being putt in cafes of boards, and thother in the ballace: he must take heed not to load theis in anje fhipp wher butts of oyle ly on the topp of them, for manie things have been fpoiled by that meanes. He must fend fome bills of lading expreffing every thing that he fendeik, with the

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Mr. URBAN,

THA

08. 12.

HAT the best method of fixing hiftorical events on the memory is by reading together and comparing dif 'ferent hiftories of the fame æra, hath, I believe, been often remarked:" and the comparison of parallel characters or events, exifting or happening at very diftant periods, would, perhaps, be found equally ufeful, if it did not lead to fanciful difquifition.

To illustrate this idea, I shall hint at a curious topick or two, leaving it for others to pursue the parallel according to their inclinations or fentiments.

Is there no fimilarity in the lives of Thucydides and Clarendon? They were both hiftorians of their own times. It was on the civil war of his own country that each hiftorian chiefly wrote. As politicians, they were both confpicuous in the service of their country. They were both obnoxious to a party, and both banished.

The Peloponnefian war resembles in many inftances our late war with America. The fpeeches of the Athenians, refpe&t ing the conduct of their generals, are fo much like the debates in our House of Commons on fimilar fubjects, that, had they really iuggefted the hint of "Anticipation," I thould fcarcely have wondered at the circumftance. The fentiments of Thucydides relative to the campaigns in Sicily, and the obfervations of the Athenian parliament on the propriety of carrying on the war with a diftant and intractable people, while fome advised the profecution of hoftilities, and others the immediate abandonment of the island, must recal to our minds feveral occurrences in the hiftory of the American war, whether we look to our orators or our armies.

The expedition of Cleon into Thrace; the debates previous to it; his own boastful fpecches; the ideas of Adminiftration, not highly approving him as a general, yet willing by any expedient to get rid of fo blustering a character; and the ill conduct of the fubfequent campaign;thefe tranfactions will remind us of others not diffimilar, though partly to be retraced on the plains of Saratoga.

The capture of Aulus and his whole army, as related by Salluft, agrees

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