words, than all the rascals, in all their volumes, have written.' After Mr. Allen's death, Warburton took possession of. Prior Park, in right of his wife; and there produced some of those profound literary labours, which will be an ornament to the English language and nation as long as they exist. He seems to have adopted the Roman emperor's determination, oderint dum metuant; he used no allurements of gentle language, but wished to compel rather than persuade. His style is copious without selection, and forcible without neatness; he took the words that presented themselves; his diction is coarse and impure, and his sentences are unmeasured. But, with all these defects of manner, his powers of reasoning are so gigantic, that his works can never fail to interest the understanding most forcibly; an assertion that will be readily assented to by every one who reads his wonderful literary labour, The Divine Legation of Moses; a book which has been much abused, but never satisfactorily answered. The Bishop's literary labours confined him a great deal to Prior Park. After a long absence from London, he appeared at Court, when the King, for the sake of saying something, observed to him that he supposed he had just left his diocese. Warburton, considering the speech as a tacit rebuke, replied, with point and spirit, 'No, please your Majesty, I am come from Prior Park, near my diocese, but not in it: where I have been combating the enemies of that Faith, of which your Majesty is the avowed and zealous Defender.'"

In Claverton Churchyard, near Bath, is the vault of the Allens, with an handsome square freestone mausoleum over it, having a pyramidal roof, and three semicircular arches in each of the sides. Within this structure a table monument bears these inscriptions:On the north side: "Beneath this monument lieth entombed the body of Ralph Allen, Esq., of Prior Park, who departed this life the 29th of June, 1764, in the 71st year of his age; in full hopes of everlasting happiness in another state, through the infinite mercy and mediation of our blessed Redeemer Jesus Christ. And of Elizabeth Holder, his second wife, who died September 20th, 1766, aged 68." At the eastern end: "Near this place lie the remains of Ralph Allen Warburton, the only son of William Warburton, Lord Bishop of Glocester, and Gertrude, his wife, who died July 28, 1775, aged 19 years. He was a youth eminently distinguished for goodness of heart, elegance of manners, and gracefulness of person. How transient are human endowments! How vain are human hopes! Reader, prepare for eternity!" On the south

side: "In this vault are deposited the remains of Gertrude, wife of the Rev. M. Stafford Smith, of Prior Park, relict of William Warburton, Lord Bishop of Glocester, and niece to the late Ralph Allen, Esq. She died Sept. 1, 1796, aged 66 years. She was a firm and devout Christian; with a fine, natural, and highlycultivated understanding; and a frank, generous, good heart."*

Nichols's Literary Anecdotes, vol. ix., p. 801.

Warburton died at his palace in Gloucester, June 7, 1779, in his eighty-first year. In Literary and Miscellaneous Memoirs, vol. iv., p. 205, Cradock mentions a striking circumstance which was reported to have occurred at the bishop's death, but gives it merely as a report. About the time that his only son died, Warburton became, as is generally known, almost an imbecile, and continued to feel little interest in anything for several years, till, shortly before his death, a momentary revival of intellect took place, and he asked, in a quiet rational tone, "Is my son really dead, or not?" His attendant hesitated how to reply, when the question was repeated in a firmer voice. The attendant then answered, "As your lordship presses the question, I must say, he is dead." 'I thought so," said Warburton, and soon after expired. He was buried in his cathedral, not far from the west door, and close to the grave of one of his predecessors, Bishop Benson; and a marble monument was there erected to his memory, at the expense of his widow, with this inscription, composed by his friend Bishop Hurd, over a medallion portrait:"To the memory of William Warburton, D.D., | for more than nineteen years Bishop of this See: a prelate of the most sublime genius and exquisite learning, both which talents | he employed, through a long life, in the support of what he firmly believed, the Christian Religion, and of what he esteemed the best establishment of it, the Church of England. He was born at Newark-upon-Trent, Dec. 24, 1698; | was consecrated Bishop of Gloucester, Jan. 20, 1760; died at his palace in this City, June 7, 1779, and was buried near this place." An octavo volume, entitled The Life of William Warburton, D.D., Lord Bishop of Gloucester from 1760 to 1779; with Remarks on his Works, by the Rev. John Selby Watson, M.A., has been published by Longman, Green, and Co., London, 1863.

J. G.

1624.- THE CORNER STONE OF ST. MARK'S CHURCH, CHELTENHAM.—The corner stone of the new transepts, &c., of the church of St. Mark's, Cheltenham, will be laid to-morrow. In connection with the new works it was found necessary to move the former corner stone, laid exactly 28 years ago, containing silver coins and a parchment. The glass bottle, though encased in a receptacle scooped out of a solid stone, and covered with a protecting weather stone of 7 or 8 cwt., was found to be one third full of water, which had reduced the parchment almost to a state of pulp. The three coins were perfectly bright, retaining their pristine bloom and freshness. No reason can be assigned for the presence of the water.-Bristol Times and Mirror, July 16, 1888.

1625.-CHIPPING SODBURY CHURCH: MONUMENTAL INSCRIPTIONS.-In the parish church of St. John the Baptist, Chipping Sodbury, there were, as Rudder, who wrote in 1779, has recorded, several inscriptions; but now, as explained below, only three are to

be seen (the second and third being on memorial windows), of which accurate copies were taken in July, 1888:

1.

Sacred to the memory of George Griffin, Sergt R.M.L.I., | who departed this life on board H.M. Ship Charybdis, at Taboga, on the 9th July, 1863, aged 35 years. This monument is erected by the Officers and Ship's Company of H.M. Ship Charybdis, to show their appreciation of his worth and respect for his memory. "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." 1 Cor. xv. 22.

2.

To the glory of our Saviour, and in loving remembrance of | William Davidson, who fell asleep August 19, 1865, | and of Sarah, his wife, who | fell asleep October 23, 1871.

3.

In loving remembrance of Grace, wife of Revd D. C. Randolph, of Yate House, who fell asleep Oct. 7, 1873. | "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

In the adjacent churchyard there are many inscriptions, two of which are as follows:

Underneath

1.

are deposited the remains of Katharine Jones, | the beloved wife of the Revd David Jones, Clerk, and second daughter of the late William Veel, Esq, of Alkerton House, in this County. She died the 20th of May, 1830, aged 29 years.

2.

Underneath are deposited the remains of Anna Veel, eldest daughter of the late William Veel, Esq, of Alkerton House, in this County, who died June 2nd, 1832, aged 35 years.

In 1869 the church was well restored by the late Mr. Street, and the monuments, with one exception, were removed from their original positions, and re-erected in the belfry! Why was one spared? The door leading to the belfry being locked, the monuments could not be seen.

More than once it has been stated in print that "during the restoration a curious old stone pulpit was discovered, which is now in use." It would be more correct to say, that the place where an old pulpit had been was discovered, and that the present pulpit corresponds with the original design. ABHBA.

1626.-STRANGE Custom AT ST. BRIAVELS, FOREst of Dean.— (See No. 704.) Felix Farley's Bristol Journal of June 6, 1807, contains this paragraph:-One of the most strange customs that time has handed down to us prevails at St. Briavels, Gloucestershire. On Whit-Sunday, several baskets full of bread and cheese, cut into small squares of about an inch each, are brought into the

church; and immediately after divine service is ended, the churchwardens, or some other persons, take them into the galleries, from whence their contents are thrown amongst the congregation, who have a grand scramble for it in the body of the church, which occasions as great a tumult and uproar as the amusement of a village wake; the inhabitants being always extremely anxious in their attendance at worship on this day. The custom is held for the purpose of preserving to the poor of St. Briavels and Hewelsfield the right of cutting and carrying away wood from 3,000 acres of coppice land in Hudknolls and the Meend; and for which every householder is assessed 2d., to buy the bread and cheese given away.

J. L.

1627.-RESTORATION OF BULLEY PARISH CHURCH.-On Monday, June 6, 1887, the parish church of Bulley was re-opened for public worship by the bishop of the diocese. Those who remember the gradual decay of the old church to a ruin into which it was hardly safe to enter, and in which no service had consequently been held for years, would not recognise in the compact and neat edifice that now occupies its site the building that for years had been crumbling away. In Rudge's History of the County of Gloucester (1803), vol. ii., p. 53, we find the following with reference to the church :"The benefice is a chapelry annexed to Churcham, and the impropriation is in the chapter of Gloucester. The church, dedicated to St. Andrew [St. Michael and All Angels], consists of a nave only, with a small low spire at the west end. There seems to have been little alteration from the original building, which, as appears by the semi-circular zig-zag arches, was erected either before or immediately after the Conquest. The chancel has, at some former period, either been destroyed by violence, or fallen from the decays of time, but the arch which led to it still remains, and is a fine specimen of Saxon architecture. The south door likewise is of the same period." So bad was the state into which the church had fallen, complete restoration was at first thought hopeless, and it was proposed to partially restore the building, so that it might be used as a mortuary chapel; but Mr. T. Gambier Parry, owner of the adjoining parish of Highnam, and Mr. W. P. Price, lord of the manor, came forward, and their donations being supplemented by a grant from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, it was decided to proceed with the entire work. Mr. Sidney Gambier Parry was selected as the architect, and Mr. A. Estcourt, of Gloucester, was entrusted with the work. The first thing to be done, was to take down the old church, which was removed, with the exception of the nave walls; these were carefully restored and pointed, the old form of windows being preserved intact, though renovated and reglazed. The Norman doorway remains in its old state, with the exception of a little restoration, which was found necessary where portions of it had been destroyed, and the fine Norman archway in the chancel

was cleaned and pointed. The old opening above the chancel arch in the east end of the nave was re-opened, and the comparatively modern chancel, which was out of keeping with the character of the building and very unsightly, was cleared away. In its place a new chancel and vestry have been erected in keeping with the thirteenth century work of the church. The whole of the fittings of the interior are new. On the south side is a porch (which, with the entrance gates to the churchyard, is the gift of Mr. W. P. Price), consisting of an oak frame on a stone base. The stone used was from the Chaxhill quarries, and the limestone dressings partly from Painswick and partly from Bisley, blue Pennant being also intermixed. Other minor details were the replastering of the walls, and the flooring and tiling of the nave. The cost of restoration has been upwards of £900, and the work, which was commenced in August, 1886, was finished with the close of the year. The Rev. George C. Hall, M.A., is the present vicar of Churchamwith-Bulley.

*

1628. JOHN PALMER, M.P., AND HIS IMPROVED POSTAL ARRANGEMENTS.-The post-boy on horseback travelling at the rate of three or four miles an hour, (as Mr. Lewins has observed in his interesting volume, entitled Her Majesty's Mails, etc.,) had been an institution since the days of Charles II.,† and towards the close of the eighteenth century the Post-Office was still clinging to the old system. It was destined, however, that Palmer should bring about a grand change. Originally a brewer, he was, in 1784, the manager of the Bath and Bristol theatres. He seems to have known Mr. Allen, of Bath, and to have been fully acquainted with his fortunate Post-Office speculations. In this way, to some extent, but much more, doubtless, through his public capacity as manager of two large theatres, he became aware of the crude postal arrangements of the period. Having frequently to correspond with the theatrical stars of the metropolis, and also to journey between that city and the then centres of trade and fashion, he noticed how superior the arrangements for travelling were to those under which the Post-Office work was done, and he conceived the idea of improvements.

Palmer began his work of reform in 1783, by submitting a full scheme in a report to Mr. Pitt, who was at the time Prime Minister. He commenced by describing the existing system of mail transmission. "The post," he says, "at present, instead of being the quickest, is almost the slowest conveyance in the country; and although, from the great improvements in our roads, other carriers have proportionately mended their speed, the post is as slow as

To this work, published in London, in 1864, the reader is referred for "an historical and descriptive account of the British Post-Office." A pamphlet by Mr. Jerom Murch, entitled Ralph Allen, John Palmer, and The English Post Office, London and Bath, 1880, should likewise be consulted.

+ See Calendar of State Papers (Domestic), 1665-1666, p. 403, for reference to an "account for the Bristol road, the riding being 4 miles an hour, and the Gloucester road 34."