fhambles, which, were they fhouldered down, would heighten the beauty of the place. Through the town runs a final tream of clear water, with a little square dipping place at every door. The first ferge manufactory in Devonshire was in this town; but it is now employed in the manufacture of lace, which is made broader here than any where else in England; and of which great quantities are fent to London. A fpecimen of lace has been fhewn, the thread of which it was fabricated coft the manufacturer upwards of ninety guineas a pound at Antwerp; alfo lady's veils are made and fold from ten to feventy guineas. A dreadful fire happened here 1747, by which three-fourths of the town were confumed. By this, and fimilar accidents, however, the place has been eventually benefitted; for the houfes which are rebuilt in the room of the old buildings, are faid to be neater in their appearance and more commodious to the inhabitants. The parish church ftands moft pleasantly on an hill above the town, whither I had an agreeable walk; the edifice prefented an antique appearance, and there were many tombs within the walls, which contained the bones of feveral perfons of diftin&tion. Around one of the pillars was entwined the following fentence-Pray for the foul ofthe name was almoft obliterated. It had evidently been infcribed there in the days of Popery, previous to the period of the Reformation. The churchyard was crowded with graves; and at the entrance of one of the fide doors, was fhewn me the spot where lay the remains of the Reverend Dr. William Harris, (who died 1770) author of the Lives of the Stuarts. He refided in Honiton for many years, and fuftained a character of great refpectability. He published an Historical and Critical Account of the Life of James the First, of Charles the First, of Oliver Cromwell, of Hugh Peters, and of Charles the Second, in two volumes. He began the Life of James the Second; but the materials left behind him were too fcanty for pub lication. lication. I have, thus particularly enumerated his feveral publications, becaufe his Life of Charles the Second is omitted in the lift of his productions, with which we are furnished, in the late new edition of the Biographical Dictionary. Mr. Hollis was his munificent patron, and has thus juftly characterifed his labours" All his works have been well received, and thofe who differ from him in principle, ftill value him in point of induftry and faithfulness." This country church-yard feems to have been of that ruftic caft which might have infpired the mufe of a GRAY. In walking round it my eve was fixed on a row of graves, over which were railed refpectively the graffy turf alone; and on which the fetting fun thone with fplendour. An object fo peculiar, called up to my mind the lines of Beattie, my favourite poct— Let vanity adorn the marble tomb, With trophies, rhymes, and 'fcutcheons of renown, Where night and defolation ever frown. Mine be the breezy hill that skirts the down, Fait by a brook or fountain's murmuring wave, And many an evening fun shine sweetly on my grave! During my fhort ftay at Honiton, I had an opportunity of being prefent, one Sunday evening, at a meeting of itinerant Quakers. Curiofity drew together a vaft crowd of people in the General Baptift place of worship, which was obligingly lent the Friends for the purpose. Two women and a man, from America, held forth on this occafion. One of the women spoke well; indeed her countenance conciliated attention. Her features were marked by a pleafing folemnity, and her manner, though not entirely free from the usual tone, was characterised by a graceful fimplicity. The harangues of the two others were tedioufly long, and the audience discovered manifeft figns of impatience long long before the meeting came to a conclufion. The whole fcene convinced me that fuch crowded affemblies cannot leave behind them any very ferious impreffions. The Quakers are a reputable body of people; but the fingularities of their fpeech, and the peculiar form of their habiliments, are unworthy of the good fenfe which they difcover on other fubje&ts. Their hatred of war, their inviolable love of peace, and their habits of induftrious economy, however, entitle them, in fpite of all their eccentricities, to the esteem of the community. At Honiton, the worthy niece of the late Dr. William Harris fhewed me a curious Latin book of her uncle's, printed in the time of the Protectorate, and executed with great typographical beauty. It contained a moft extravagant panegyric on the character of Oliver Cromwell, and was decorated with a ftriking likeness of that celebrated man, on horfeback. The refemblance between the two Latin terms, Olivus, an olive tree, and Oliverus, Oliver, is the foundation of this very complimentary performance. Accordingly the frontifpicce exhibits a fine lofty olive-tree, on the trunk of which, near the root, is infcribed in large letters Oliverus; and on its numerous branches, majestically stretching themselves forth on either fide, are engraven the chief virtues which adorn humanity. The author having informed us, at the commencement of the treatife, that by the trunk is meant OLIVER CROMWELL, a whole chapter is affigned to each of the virtues, fhewing that they are all, in their full plenitude, centered in this great man; and that, therefore, he is entitled to univerfal admiration! This curiofity convinced me, that an exceffive adulation of men in power, is by no means peculiar to monarchical governments. Nor muft I omit to inform you, that a gentleman in this neighbourhood, at whofe houfe I paffed a very agreeable day, favoured the company with a fight of fome beautiful foffils, in which the tafte of the felector was confpicuSeveral exquifite botanical sketches were allo ous. brought brought out for inspection, by particular requeft. To investigate the beauties of nature is a moft laudable employ; to the Supreme Author fuch an exercife of our powers is a tribute of praise, and to the contemplator of them it yields an heart-felt fatisfaction. It is My friend having joined me at Honiton, we next day proceeded eighteen miles onwards towards Taunton, in the county of Somerfet. TAUNTON, is a corruption of the original name, Thone Town, or Tone Town, which it derived from its fituation upon the banks of the river Thone or Tone. It is 145 miles from London, has been termed the key of the West of England, and Cambden calls it one of the eyes of the county. charmingly fituated in one of the richest vallies in the kingdom. The beauties of the vale of Taunton-Dean are every where known and admired. The town itfelf is pleafant, the streets are spacious and handfome, and the lofty tower of St. Mary Magdalen, ftrikes the eye with grandeur and majefty. A caftle was built here by one of the Bishops of Winchefter, to the prelates of which fee this town and deanery belonged, even before the conqueft. It was a building of great extent; and in the hall, which with the outward gate and porter's lodge, are ftill ftanding, are, for the most part, held the affizes for the county. In Taunton a great many perfons are engaged in the manufactures of ferges, duroys, thalloons, and other woollen ftuffs, in the weaving of which 1100 looms are faid to have been once employed. The filk manufactory, however, now begins to flourish here, and must contribute to its profperity. The town is indebted to the activity of Sir Benjamin Hammet, a native of this place, for many of its modern improvements. Here are two parish churches, and several respectable diffenting places of worthip, a well endowed grammarfchool and alms houfes. The election of members of parliament here is fingular; for every pot-walloper, that is, all who drefs their own victuals, are entitled to be be ranked among the voters. Hence the inmates or lodgers, on the eve of an election, have each a fire in the street at which they dress victuals publickly, left their votes should be called in question! In the reign of William, the river Tone was made navigable for barges, from Taunton to Bridgewater. Of the rife, progress, and state of this town, Dr. Toulmin, in his hiftory of Taunton, has given much curious information. TAUNTON was the grand centre of the Duke of Monmouth's Rebellion, in the reign of James the Second, for here he was proclaimed king, and a company of young girls, from ten to twelve years old, with chap. lets of flowers on their heads, prefented a Bible to him on the occafion. As the exceffive punishment of the infurgents is thought, by the English hiftorians to have haftened the glorious Revolution of 1688; a few particulars may prove acceptable to the younger branches of your family. A juft hatred of tyranny, and a proper fense of the fuperior freedom we now enjoy, are amongst the beft legacies we can bequeath to a fucceeding ge neration. The Duke of Monmouth was the illegitimate fon of Charles the Second, and, of courfe, the nephew of James the Second. Having, for ftate reafons, been exiled into Holland, he there formed a plan of invading this country in order to difplace James, on account of his bigotted attachment to Popery. The chief purport of the infurrection, therefore, was to aid and fupport the Proteftant religion, which was thought to be, at that period, not only endangered, but in a fair way of being deftroyed. The Duke of Monmouth landed at Lyme, June 11, 1685, was proclaimed King at Taunton, the 20th, and totally defeated at Sedgemore, near BRIDGEWATER, the 5th of July. Thus terminated a rebellion rafhly undertaken and feebly conducted. The unfortunate Duke fled from the field of battle, till his horse funk under him-was found in a ditch with raw peafe in his pocket, |