The third is from the editio princeps of the original these forms have two long pipes passing over the of that work.

It will be observed, however, that shoulder of the performer.

感想

The first and third figures in the preceding illus- subscribers; and it is now completed to the comtration, are from a MS. of the xiv century, and ex-mencement of the upper story. The lower story has hibit the instrument in a greater degree of perfection, been only new-faced, where necessary, but that above inasmuch as it is inflated by some contrivance re-it, which is of open pointed work, was entirely rebuilt; sembling a pair of bellows. The middle figure is the three statues of the Queen, however, have been from an illumination in the celebrated Manasse left unrepaired. Codex, preserved in the Royal Library at Paris. In addition to the short lower pipe, which it has in common with those shewn in the second cut, it possesses a long upright one; and displays the instrument in an intermediate state between the simple form in the second cut, and the more perfect one observed in the cuts from Brandt's Stultifera Navis, which, it may be observed, represent the Bag-pipe as it is at present. J. S.

WALTHAM CROSS. No. II.

THIS Cross stands upon the spot where the procession which had conveyed Queen Eleanor's remains from Lincoln, diverged from the high road to deposit the body for the night in the Abbey Church of Waltham Holy Cross. Its design, which is very elegant, is conceived in the chastest style of Pointed architecture; and it is deserving of remark, that one of the statues of the Queen in the second division very nearly resembles the effigy which lies upon her tomb at Westminster; the figure being arrayed in long flowing drapery, and regally crowned, whilst the right hand has borne a sceptre, and the left is represented as in the act o holding a crucifix suspended from her necklace.

The wood-cut attached to our former paper, represents the Cross in the dilapidated state in which it appeared in the summer of 1832; when a subscription was entered into for renovating the whole. in exact conformity to the original work. Although many parts had suffered, as well from the effect of time as from wanton defacement, yet the sculptural details (particularly where sheltered by the Falcon Inn, the building seen immediately behind the Cross,) were sufficiently obvious to be fully understood, and of course to be correctly restored; except as to the crowning finial, of which nothing but the central shaft remained. During the last year, the restoration was proceeded with under the direction of Mr. W. B. Clarke, assisted by a committee of the

SMS. Reg. 2 B. vii. ff. 192, 197.

This structure is hexagonal in form, and independently of the plinth and basement steps, consists of three stories, or compartments, decreasing progressively at each stage. Each story is finished by an embattled frieze, or cornice, and at every angle is a graduated buttress, enriched with foliated crockets and finials. Within the panelled tracery of the lower story, are shields boldly sculptured with the arms of England, Castile and Leon, and Ponthieu, apparently suspended from knots of foliage. There are two shields on each face of the octagon, the spaces over which display quatrefoil and trefoil mouldings bounded by acute pediments, crocketed, and surmounted by finials of leaves, which expand into and form the chief feature of the lower frieze; the adjoining spandrils are charged with rosettes, in small diamond-shaped panelling, bearing a close resemblance to the ornamental facings of the eastern interior walls of Westminster Abbey Church. The second story is even yet more elegant, both from its rich pyramidical assemblage of open pointed arches and sculptured finials, and from the graceful statues of Queen Eleanor which enrich its open divisions. The panelled tracery and pediments of the upper story are accordant with the other parts; and the whole, when considered as in a perfect condition, forms one of the finest examples of the science and genuine taste of our forefathers, which is now extant.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES

OF EMINENT MEN IN THE OLDEN TIMES.

No. II.-JOHN GOWER.

"whose sentencious dewe Adowne reflareth, with fayre golden beams."

Hawes's Pastime of Pleasure.

THE materials for any biography of the Poet GoWER, are extremely vague and unsatisfactory, and we are alike as ignorant of the place of his birth, as we are of the family from which he sprang. Leland conjectured, that he was descended from the ancient family of the Gowers of Stibenham, in Yorkshire, (of which noble house the Marquis of Stafford is now

Richard, Edward's unfortunate successor, who, one day, while diverting himself on the Thames, observing our author seated in a boat near him invited him, into the royal barge, honoured him with a long conversation, and ended by requesting the Poet to

and solace. The "Confessio Amantis," was the fruit of this command; Gower composed it when past fifty. This poem is written in English verse, and is divided into eight books. It consists of a long dialogue between a lover and his confessor, (a priest of Venus,) and proceeds upon the presumption that since all vice is unamiable, it will naturally ensure the disgust and indignation of the ladies, and that every lover who wishes to be fortunate, must of course behave like a sincere Christian.

the head,) and later writers have given his suspicion as a positive fact; but the researches of the indefatigable Sir Harris Nicolas, have proved the contrary. Caxton and Barthelette, the printers of his " Confessio Amantis," have stated on the title-page to that work, that he was a native of Wales, but Weever," book some new thing" for his Majesty's instruction with greater probability, has in his " Funeral Monuments," affirmed that he was of a Kentish family. The exact time of his birth is involved in obscurity; yet it would seem not to have been long anterior to that of his friend Chaucer, who was born in 1328. Some writers assert that he was matriculated at Merton College, in Oxford; but this is questionable, though he still might have enjoyed a University education. That he studied at one of the Inns of Court, the Inner Temple, and made great progress in the mazes of law learning, is more certain; not however to the neglect of the flowing paths of poesy. Here he first became acquainted with the "English Homer," Geoffrey Chaucer, an acquaintance which ripened into the warmest friendship, and how greatly they esteemed each other may be gathered from the words of Leland, who observes, that the only real dispute between them was, "which should honour the other most."

Some writers have asserted that Master Gower was Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, but this is altogether unwarranted, although it is not unlikely that he was the Chancellor, or chief lawyer, of Thomas of Woodstoke, first Earl of Buckingham, and then Duke of Gloucester, to whom he was particularly attached. This Prince was in 1387, imprisoned at Calais, and afterwards murdered by the King's order for an alleged conspiring against Richard and his

Chaucer, for instance, at the end of his Troilus favourites. Our Poet, who was deeply affected at and Cresside, writes

1

O moral Gower, this boke I directe

To the, and to the philosophicall Strode,

To vouchsafe there nede is for to correcte
Of your benignities and zelis gode.

And Gower on the other hand, in his Confessio
Amantis, introduces Venus speaking to him, thus:

Grete well Chaucer, when ye mete,
As my desciple and my poete,
For in the flours of his youth
Insondries wise, as he well couth

Of detees and of songes glade

The which he for my sake made,
The londe fulfilled is over all;
Whereof to him in speciall

Above all other I am most holde."

the death of this nobleman, lamented him in his "Vox clamantis," (which exists only in MS.) and "Chronica Tripartita," and severely reproved the monarch for his weakness in surrendering his mind to the evil influence of factious and wicked counsellors.

In the first year of the reign of Henry IV., this excellent Poet lost his eyesight. That he deeply felt the deprivation is evident, from his poem in "Commendation of Peace," in which he takes leave of literature and human kind, in terms apparently prophetical of an approaching end. His death, however, did not occur until the year 1408, when his remains were interred "under a sumptuous tomb in St. John's Chapel, on the north side [in the north

aisle] of the Church of the Convent of St. Mary Overy," which he appears to have prepared for his own sepulchre. Gower was a sincere christian, and appears to have been more enlightened in theological matters than the bulk of his contemporaries: he re

The Poet's fame appears to have spread rapidly; he not only acquired the praise and good will of the common people, but his name was mentioned in kings' palaces in terms of the highest commendation. In his earlier years, Gower had written some French ballads, which are more elegant than any of his sub-garded ceremonies only as the means to an end, and sequent compositions in his own language; these probably recommended him to the notice of King Vide "Retrospective Review," (2nd series,) vol. ii.

P. 103.

of order and the outward decency of devotion. valued them only as they tended to the preservation Besides the works above mentioned, Gower wrote the Speculum Meditantis, in French, and several latin pieces, epigrams, verses, and treatises, (one

defence of alchemy) none of which have yet been THE CAVE OF FINGAL: ISLE OF STAFFA. printed.

glittring bastard Diamond stones, which that Hill plentifully afforded.

"Att of returne into the City againe, in the mid way wee tasted of a cleere spring water, wch is kept sweet & cleane to refresh Trauellors.

for

"And now it was time for vs to speed away another City, and so wth a Cup of Bristow milke, wee parted wth of honest and grave Hoste, and bad this sweet City adieu, yet wth such happiness as halfe of way ouer huge Stones, and dangereous Lead Mines, wee did troop away wth a Troop of these gentile Artillery Citizens, for whose good Companie and freindly conduct in those dangers wee had iust cause to thanke the Captaine and his Bride.

"At last (after wee had satisfy'd of sight with the sallying Postures of the besmutted Sow-blowers and Smelters in those Mines) though wet, yet well, wee came to Wells, wch is another Cock-Pitt City, for neere about a mile before wee came att Her, we plainly did discouer her whole Scytuation, all along in a plaine & deepe Valley, about a mile long, and neere halfe as broad.

"This City, [Wells,] though ancient is poore, and is much curb'd by the Bishop and Churchmen, for in that famous fountaine building of King Inas his founding doth the entire glory of the Towne consist. And now I am entered into this place, the Cathedrall, giue me leaue to tell you that her entrance is fayre and gracefull thorough a spacious greene yard; vpon her large and lofty ffrontispiece are 2 stately fayre Towers, about wch are 10 Arches, and 2 in the middst of the entrance, on euery Arch are 3 Setts one aboue another of 4 Statues a piece, in height & proportion of a reasonable man, curiously caru'd, & and artificially cut in ffreestone, of the Patriarkes, Prophets, Apostles, ffathers, and other blessed Saints of the Church, fro the Creation, in their admired Postures, and vnparralell'd antique workemanship, a singular goodly piece.

"After wee had pass'd wth admiration this admire'd entrance, the neat & stately ffabricke whin was answerable to her outward view, beautify'd & adorn'd wth ancient fayre & curious monuments, rich Organs, a strange and vnusuall Clocke & Dyall, a neat Chapter-house, a stately long Vicars Colledge, large Cloyster, Library and ffree schoole; wth the Bishops, Deanes, Chancello" & other stately buildings adioyning, & belonging to her, as being wthin her Selfe a little sweet City." After briefly noticing the principal monuments, the narrative continues thus:

"But though plac'd last heere, yet not the least
Benefactor to this Sacred Place, is the

Monum1. of that famous Bishop Raphe of Shrewsbery in Alablaster, 1363, who was the ffounder and Builder of y' rare Colledge for the Vicars; their neat Chappell, faire Hall, Buttry and other Offices: These curious compacted Buildings of 160 Paces in length, are contriued and hansomely order'd into 2 large vniforme ffiles, euery entrance guarded wth a pleasant little Court and Gate most delightfull to the Spectator: At the one end of this long streight Colledge, they pforme their Deuotions, at the other end they receive their Sustenance, so as they that are neerest to the Chappell for their Soules food had furthest to the Hall for their Bodyes food: ffor both wch this pious end zealous Bishop prouided.

"Next wee tooke a view of the neat Chapter House of 8 Squares, and many fayre Windowes curiously painted wth the History of the Bible: The large & spacious Cloyster, wth faire great Windowes of ffreestone, wch stands betweene the Minster and the Pallace, & strong and richly arch'd: ouer wch on one side is their fayre & rich Library; and ouer the other side the spacious free Schoole.

"The Bishops Pallace, wch is on the South Side of the Minster, is a most stately Place, and is a strong built Castle, part double moated, & strongly wall'd round about, wth a fayre Court wthin, a Bowling Ground, Gardens, &c: there we receiu'd from some of his Gentlemen, a curious entertainm*, & had a full view of his LoP neat and rich Chappell and Organ, his great Chamber richly hang'd, and other faire Chambers and Roomes, furnish'd wth rich ffurniture: His Cloyster & in his Lo 8. square Buttry, archt ouer head, wee tasted exceeding good Wine, and strong Beere.

"From hence wee hastned to the noble Deanes faire mansion, (wch was built for K. Henry 7th) from whose Gentleman, by his owne generous Command, we were freely entertain'd, & had a ready & full sight of his pretty, little, neat Chappell and Organ, his faire, rich & large Roomes, not much inferior to ye Bishops, & had also a hearty, & free entertainm1 in his Buttery. Hee is a worthy Gentleman, & a brave Scholler, & of a good & fayre Church Revenue, being a Parsonage in the Isle of Wight, worth 300lib per Ann. wch he worthily deserues.

"In the Cemetery betweene the Bishop's Pallace and the Quire, are those strange Wells and Springs wch water & supply the whole City, running from thence in a pretty Channell to Mayo, & so into the Sea, wch is some 8. or 10. Miles frō her. The most