1793.] Character of a deceased Worthy.-L. L. and Rouffeau. collection of many who refpected the late worthy original, whofe inclination fcrupled large focieties unlefs as an unknown fpectator, or that his prefence was neceffary to general good; but whose courage was amply fufficient of fupport in an unexpected attack upon his conftitution, which he was fenfible threatened either his immediate or procrastinated death. 299 may prompt to vie as a copy to the Mr. URBAN, April 18. Go L. L. may be affured, that his want In that dilemma of temper is not inferred from any he fhewed himfelf the man of coura- thing that he has faid of Mr. Granger, I - Mr. URBAN, April 12. Muft acknowledge, I read a character of ROUSSEAU with other lentiments than thofe which feem to have prompted the language in which it is mentioned in your laft MAGAZINE *. I could not find in tha' character what I fhould have expected from the learn ing and abilities of the author; from the claffic ftete of an Etonian, not undiftinguished in the outlet of his literary life, and from the charity and candour of the minifter of the gofpel of peace and goodwill to men, addreffing an audience from the pulpit t; in times, too, when heat and prejudice have no need of additional excitement. Pofterity will judge ROUSSEAU: and the invectives which hiffed round his folitude white living, and tuli murmur over his athes, will have little influence on that judgement. For the prefent day, fome fhort notice of fuch attacks may be ftill requifite. I fend you, therefore, a character of ROUSSEAU, tranflated from the writings of a man, better acquainted with * See p. 255. + I beg pardon, for it feems that this cenfure, fuch as it is, has been conveyed in a It was not too firy for the zeal of no.c the preacher; but it was a little felt to be inconfiftent (we may prefume) with the etiquette of the pulpit, in what extent of the term the author of the fermon underflands the obligation to love the brotherhood incu!cated in his txt; and every where, indeed, in the Gufpels and the Epiftles, it is to be hoped, appears from more favorable evidence thau the temper and spirit of fuch him and his works than the author of the occafional fermon, and whofe difcernment will not be controverted. If it be faid, MIRABEAU is not an unexceptionable witnefs, the trial of his own fame being fill depending, it may be answered, that point might be neceffary to be difcuffed if he were of fered as a witnefs of doubtful facts. I avail myfelf of his language, as a clear, ftrong, vivid, delineation of the cha racter of ROUSSEAU. The proper teftimony to that character is not dependant on what any other man has faid; but may be drawn, with an unexampled degree of fulness and certainty, from the writings of ROUSSEAU himself. You will, therefore, take the extract I fend merely as a rapid outline; sketched from the life by a penetrating obferver, and a bold delineator, And, if you do publish it, this explanatory introduction of the reafons for offering them to the public feems proper to accompany jt. C. L. "My friend, I have given you your enthufiafm for the character of ROUSSEAU; and 1 repent it not. it is not for his great talents that I fhould envy this extraordinary man, but his virtue; which was the fource of his eloquence, and the foul of his works. I knew him; and I knew many who had clofely obferved him. He was always the fame; full of fincerity, of frankness, and of fimplicity; without any mixture of parade or double intention, or of art to conceal his faults or difplay his virtues. Que ought, poffibly, to pardon those who have decried him, for having fo ill understood him. The world in general is not in a state to conceive the fublimity of fuch a mind: and one is never well judged but by one's peers. Whatever is thought, whatever faid of him, for till a century (it is the space and term which Envy referves for his detractors), there was, perhaps, never a man fo virtuous; fince he was fo with a perfuafion that the fincerity of his writings and actions was difbelieved. He was fo in defpite of nature, of fortune, and of men; for, thefe had overwhelmed him with fufferings, with calumnies, with difgufting vexations, with perfe cutions. He was fo, under the moft lively fenfibility to pain and injustice; he was fo, to conclude, notwithstanding is foibles; of which I am ignorant, but which, it is faid, he has difclofed in the memoirs of his life. He wrefted from his paffions a thoufand times more than they could extort from him. Endued, perhaps, with the heart of an incerruptible and virtuous Epicurean, he preferved in his manners the feverity of Stoicifm. Whatever abuse may be made of his Confeffions, they will always prove the un referved honesty of a man who fpoke as he thought, wrote as he spoke, lived as he wrote, and died as he had lived." Mr. URBAN, April 11. The bestow upon my defcriptive taHE priife you have condefcended to lents, induces me to fend you THE VILLAGE WEDDING. Paffing along that delightful range of valleys between Bradford in Yorkshire to Kendal, we faw a number of country people rush out of a church founded upon a pleafant hill, and immediately the bells chimed moft merrily. We defired the coachman to ftop in the village underneath, tl the group ap new-married proached, following a couple: the whole bedizened with ribbands, the bride moft glaringly fo,-large true-blue bows were acrols the full of her breaft, leffening till they reached the waist; white, red, and every other colour, were confpicuous about her gown and hat, except for faken green, which I was glad to perceive was not worn by one of the throng. It would have gladdened any heart to have feen them frifking down the hill fuch kiffing, and fuch romping, and fuch laughing, I never heard or faw before. Ruftic happiness was afloat; the girls faces were tinged beyond their native bloom, and the maiden's blufh enlivened the lilies around them. The mens legs and arms were as bufy as if they had hung on wires. In an inftant half a dozen youths pulled off their fhoes and ttockings, when I noticed their legs had been previously girt with party-coloured abbons. On being ftarted by the bride, they fpanked off as hard as they could, amidst the whoops of the young and old. This I underland is a race of kies: and he who first reaches the bride's houfe is rewarded with a kits and a ribbon. If they were to have been rewarded by a bag of gold, they could not have looked more eager; they took different roads (without heeding the rough fiones they had to encounter) and which we were told were previously agreed upon, in proportion to the known Twiftnels of the candidates. We regretted that we could not flay to ice the refult of this Hymenæan race; and left them in the midst of their mirth, after a donation which would not take from it, but which was only received, on condition of mutually drinking healths, and our accepting a ribbon apiece. I got upon the top the of the coach to look at them as long as I could. Marrowbones and cleavers could not exprefs half the hilarity which we witneffed: and when the coach fet off they gave us breaftsfull of huzzas. We anfwered them with fuch fincerity, I fhall have a twist in my hat as long as it lafts; and for fome time after we left them, we heard bursts of voife. A RAMELER. N B. I did not obferve the bride was handfomer than any of the others; except in her husband's eyes; but, if i may judge from what I faw, it is a healthful valley, that teems with lufty lads and pretty laffes; and, if I could have stayed the day with them, I should have found out all their fweethearts. Mr. URBAN, April 2. HE members of Merton College, THE Oxford, (as I have no right to fuppofe them ungratefui,) may not be ditpleafed to fee the memory of a confi. derable benefactor preserved in your Magazine. The following epitaph was intended for Mrs. Mary Sympton of Canterbury, who, partly in confirma. tion of, and partly in addition to, the bequeit of her late husband John Symp fon, Efq. left a legacy of 8ocol. to the above college, on condition of erecting an organ, and performing choir-fervice in their chapel, &c. with which terms, however, the fociety, not willing to comply, compromifed the affair with the perfon to whom the money was devifed over, under direction of the Court of Chancery, and received unconditionally a confiderable part of the bequeft; with what propriety it is not my bufinefs to determine. The memorial was not erected, becaufe upon application for leave to the dean and chapter of Canterbury Cathedral, where the was buried, the executor was informed of the intended new pavement, which would remo e all the tombtones whatever; and on her husband's very rich mural monument, by Ryjbrack, there was not room for a farther infcription. Her real character is here delineated, by a well known depa ted fcholar, with moft undeviating truth and precision. "Sub hoc marmore fepelitur Maria Symp. fon, prope reliquias charithmi conjugis foannis Sympton, nuper de Parccia S. Georgii Martyris in urbe Cantuaria, armigeri, quem pari mortuum defiderioque vivum amore, per triginta annos fuperftes fingulari exemplo profecuta eft. Licet vero abrupti conjugii nimium dolori indulgens in omni reliquâ vita cum per pauciflimis familiaribus confuefceret; non minus tamen omnibus quæ Chriftianam decent officiis vacavit; femper in publico Dei cultu aflidua; in amicos liberalis; in pauperes beneficentiffima. Cum in his, cœterifque virtutibus, fe ad extremam fenectutem exercuiffet, vitam hanc cum meliore commutavit xxv die Julii, A. D. MDCCLXXIX. The epitaph on her husband, who died in 1748, may be found printed in other books, amongst the inferiptions of the cathedral; as may thofe of his great gaandfather, Nicholas, prebendary of Canterbury, who died 1609, æt. 60; of his great grandfather John, prebendary there, who died 1630, æt. 54; and of his grandfather Nicholas, an Italian merchant, who died Auguft 22, 1689, æt. 58. His father John was a bariifter at law; and for his mother there is the following epitaph in Damianus Bleaue. the neighbouring church of St. Cofmus "Here lieth the body of Mrs. Elizabeth Sympfon, wife of Mr. John Sympfon, of this parith, eldest daughter and coheir of John Roberts *, Efq. by Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Sir William Turner, of Richmond in Surrey. She departed this life May 31, 1785, in the 26th year of her age, in childbed of her 6th + child; two of which Le buried with her." Taylor, a merchant, by Mary, daughMrs. Svmpion was daughter of Mr. ter of Nicholas Simplon, the grandfather. Yours, &c. F. S. Mr. URBAN, April 6. O fay more on the fubject handled fo ab y and candidly by Dendrophilus feems bordering on impertinence; yet, as I do not offer the following fuggeftions with an impertinent intention, I hope to elcape the imputation. The depredations to be apprehended from the bargemen, I think, might be prevented by giving an intereft in the lofs and ftern-wood to the tolimen; for, as the others could not, without their connivance, convey the wood away, they are the perfons proper to put in check, but the allowance must be liberal, or a collufion would rake place between the tollmen and the bargemen. A fourth part of the faggoting paid in kind, and a fourth part of the value of the timber paid in money, would probably fecure to the *Of Chartham, fon and heir of Sir John Roberts, of Beakefborne, Cranbroke, and Canterbury, knt. who died 1658. John was the only furvivor of these children, pro proprietors the other three fourths of each. The choice of trees applicable to the purpose propofed is difficult to make. They fhould be forts of quick growth, that they may afcend fpeedily above fome of the many impediments obftruc tive to their progrefs; and it would be defirable, that they fhould attain this fiate of tolerable fecurity before the failure of the fence erected for their protection; but, indeed, how that fence could be preferved, one winter, from nocturnal pillagers, I cannot imagine; even if the tollmen fhould be obliged to keep it in repair, fince they could not watch the idle people of the neighbour hood. The neceffity of chufing trees, of the nature I have mentioned, fubjects us to the mortification of rejecting oak, afh, elm, and Spanish-chefnut. Afh would be, befides, exceptionable, by reafon of its being peculiarly proper for oars, and incapable of furmounting ill-ufage and accidental fractures. Beech is fo tenacious of one certain kind of foil, that it will not grow in any other; but, doubtlefs, in fome parts of the canal's track, this foil would prefent itfelf. The mountain-afh is alfo difficult to fuit, but might fucceed in fome places. Mr. White fays generally, that evergreens condenfe abundantly; but, I muft own, I doubt the power of the coniferous race in that particular; and in this doubt I include the larch; although I think that tree would prove adapted to the end in other relpects. Sycamores would thrive, but their large leaves would choak up the canal. The flow progrefs of holly may be excufed, in contideration of its being capable of defending itself and neighbours. Furze is tender, and yew deleterious. Birch and lime I recommend, the latter efpecially, on account of its yielding nectar for the bees, in fects too little attended to: but, after all, perhaps we cannot do better than follow Nature, who ftrongly marks out the aquatic trees for the intended ufe. Of thefe, I fhould prefer thofe that have refplendent leaves; becaufe, as Mr. White has obferved the ivy, in particular, to condenfe confiderably, I am inclined to imagine, that broad, jhining leaves condenfe, and diftill more humidity than others. If, upon obfervation, my conjecture fhould be found right, I think the fhining, broadleaved willow, would anfwer well; fince its leaves are the broadeft, moft fubitantial, and moft gloffy, of the wil low fpecies. A ftately fpecimen of the fpecies I allude to is growing in the beautiful grounds near Romfey, belonging to Viscount Palmerstone; which fingle tree is, I believe, the parent of all the others in its vicinity; the fert not being indigenous to thofe parts. From producing much nap it has there obtained the appellation of the nap willow; but this name confounds it with the black or goat willow; the quantity of nap on which is annually fo profufe, that I have often wondered no attempt was ever made to manufacture it into an article of warm, light, elegant, cloathing. The writer, who in vol. LXII. p. 1193, propofes, with fo much pertnefs, that the profits on canals fhould be limited, feems not aware, that the adoption of that propofition would militate against the plan he fays he approves; for, the greater the emolu. ments received by the proprietors of the canals, the greater would be their inclination and ability to make, prote&, and keep up, plantations on the banks; which, I agree with Dendrophilus in thinking, would be of great utility in a variety of respects. A SOUTHERN FAUNIST. Mr. URBAN, April 6. HE man who lofes his temper will. fometimes plunge into violence to prove his title to equanimity. Your terrespondent G, p. 202, who has (haken off half the difguite by which he meant to cover an illiberal attack when he fubfcribed himfelf R. S. (vol. LXII. p. 1088), is a striking proof of this obfervation. Petulance does not attach itfelf, infeparably, either to attack or to defence. It is the manner, not the defign, either of the one or the other, that can be petulant. The iffue on the charge and countercharge of petulance between me and G, alias R. S. let the publick decide. I only request leave to obferve, previous to that decifion, that the conclufion drawn by G, p. 202, from the affertion of Bp. Tanner's brother at the end of the Preface to his Nomina Monaftica, is not a conclufion warran ted by the premises. The following paffage in Mr. Nafmith's Preface to his edition of the Notitia Monaftica fufficiently juftifies the enquiries I first made : "The copy of the late worthy Editor [the Bishop's brother], with which Mr. Natmith] was favoured by Dr. Tanner, contained feveral additional notes," &c. Νόιν, Now, as thefe Notes, though made fubfequent, and in addition, to the publication of the Bishop's brother, might be from other Collections of the Bishop not depofited in the Bodleian library; and as the Bishop's brother, in his Preface, does not fay all the Bifhop's MSS are lodged in the Bodleian library; I will not fhrink from my appeal to the publick on the propriety of my enquiry refpecting the MSS of Bp. Tanner. I do not wish to fupport my former argument, for this propriety, by the aid of fubfequent difcoveries; but I think it right to ftate, that, by a letter I have had the honour to receive from Mr. Nafmith, fubfequent to the publication of my firft enquiries, and, very kindly, intended to clear the doubts I entertained, I am perfuaded Mr. Nafmith is not fully fatisfied that all the MS collections of Bp. Tanner are in the Bod eian Library. To Mr. Nafmith I now take the opportunity of acknowledging my obligations for a hint, in confequence of which I have difcovered the Record referred to, Pat. 21 E. III. p. 3. m. 21. but the reference to the fame roll, m. 34. has led to no infor mation refpecting Lokhay or King's Hall, Cambridge. It is no new thing, Mr. Urban,- to find men fhifty who charge others with fhifting their ground: it would otherwife appear extraordinary, that G fhould anfwer the charge of feverity I have brought against him, refpecting my undertaking, by obfervations confined to the Hiffories of Durham, Cumberland, and Northumberland. Can ignorance in me narrow the flattering expectations he has formed from the labours of others, with whom I have no connexion? or does he mean to juftity a charge of incompetency against me, by a relation of what he has raked together concerning the hiftories of three Northern counties? He feems "Willing to wound, and yet afraid to trike." To his affirmation, that every Hif torian fhould confider maturely what he is about," I concede; but, when he proceeds farther to fay, that an Hiftorian "fhould bring forward no defign till he has all his materials duly arranged," if he means to be underflood, that, from the moment a perfon circulates Propofals for publication, he ought to be blind to every correction (or other improvement, confiftent with the plan of thofe Propofals) which prefents itself between that time and the time of prin ting, I need not hesitate to fay, his affirmation deferves no credit. I admit his title to be the "Goliah" of Topopography; but I deny his title to be the Dictator. The opinion of G, that County Hiftoriens fhould not deal out their works by Hundreds, or in Numbers, is fupported by no argument; and, were it aflifted with his name, has not folidity enough to infure public concurrence. What would he fay, fhould fome wicked wit obferve, that the perfon, who has published a thundering fir volume on the fubject of Sepulchral Monuments, is good authority for this practice of publ fhing expenfive works in parcels? The fpirit of book-making has not its characteristic feature either in the humble duodecimo, or in the work extended to three flupendous folio volumes. The former may fometimes provide a grateful, though a flender, repast; and, in the latter, we have often found that great names raife expe&tation to increase the bitternefs of difappointment. The folly of boafting does not appear to be lefs indulged by old than by new adventurers. Can any vanity be greater than his, who, having fet his thoulders to a mighty kingdom, reprobates the attempt of a brother-adventurer to wield three counties? I caution G. to draw no hafty conclufion from the idea he entertains of the diffidence I feel of my materials. Surely it is not neceffary I fhould tell him, that the man, who is ardently n fearch of truth, will examine every objet with a wary eye; and that it would betray a weaknefs, unfitted to that efearch, if he were to fuffer himself to be driven from precaution by the facers of the malevolent; or if he were to per mit his fufpicions to be hufhed by one, who, having long conceived himielf mafter of the field, is become jealous of every blade of grafs that grows around him. My refpe&t for the labours of departed Antiquaries is not inferior to that of your correfpondent G. Buties fpeét does not preclude, it should rather be the refult of, enquiry; for, no man can truly refpect any thing concerning which he has never taken the trouble to be informed. Refpect must be founded on fome knowledge of the perfon refpected: and he, who trufls without enquiry, is not respectful, but confident. Let the name of Bp. Tanner be remembered with reverence, but do not let us forfeit |