when about fixteen, he was fent for in great hafte, and, after a long journey, was conducted to the tent of King Richard, who there owned him for his fon, gave him a large purse of gold, and with that advised him to procure a future fubfiftence, if the event of the battle fhould prove unfavourable. After the king's death, he lived long in cautious obfcurity, and in the occupation of a bricklayer. It is added that Sir Thomas, affected by the account, allotted him a piece of ground for a house, with a fmall penfion, and there, in about four years, he died.The tale, Mr. P. adds, is curious and probable: the register of the parifh fhews that a perfon of this name died there, and was buried on the "22d daye of December, 1550." Other circumstances are mentioned which feem to corroborate the relation; yet the tomb appears, as fome think, to be of an older date., In the church-yard at Willesborough, an inscription greatly obliterated, but by other means preferved, fhews that a young man "came to an untimely Abel's death at the age of 26 years." The two brothers are reported to have paid their addreffes to the fame lady, and the fratricide to have made his efcape. It has been related of Otway, that he founded his tragedy of the Orphan on a fact which happened at Willerborough. Our author meets with these two Latin lines, a beautiful diftich,' on a brafs plate in Lenham church, to the memory of Mrs. Parkhurft, 1631, Etat. 27. Virgo cafta, parens mærens, et nupta pudica, Mr. P. has given a paraphrafe in English, and farther remarks, The firft line is certainly flat, but the laft is fo elegantly comprehenfive, fo terfe, that I think I never met with any thing fuperior to it.'. Whether it be owing to any defect of tafte we will not determine, but we acknowlege that we do not find ourselves in a rapture equal with that of our author: we think the line ingenious and expreffive, yet not uncommonly friking, as fomething fimilar is found in other places; two inftances of a very correfponding kind occur in this volume, but this infcription at Lenham is prior to them. We are more pleafed with fome Latin lines among what are ftyled in this volume detached epitaphs, of which fome are curious, fome A virgin modeft, and a parent kind, A matron with a pure and pious mind; Though with the world, the acted Martha's part, very pretty. The Latin lines are addreffed by a deceafed wife to the furviving husband; and these alfo our author has tranflated*, or paraphrafed : « Immatura peri ;—fed Tu, diuturnior, annos Vive meos, conjux optime, vive tuos !" When we come to the church of Aldington, the writer remarks, it was certainly foreign to the purpofe of examining monuments, but I could not forbear dwelling on the idea,that I was now on the fpot where once Erafmus walked, who was rector of this parish, A. D. 1511." Some very appofite lines are here introduced from Cicero's works. That great man, Erafmus, no doubt, vifited the living, which was given him as a mark of respect, and to increase the means of his fubfiftence, though we do not believe that he could be called a refident. To the lift of churches are added thofe of Hadleigh, Dedham, and Lavenham. Unconnected as they are with Kent, our author perfuades himself that the reader of fenfibility will approve his motive, when he tells us that in the first are the remains of his ancestors, that the fecond was the place of his nativity, and that the third was the fcene of his education.-These accounts form a pleafing and acceptable part of the work. The name of Rowland Taylor, the martyr, commemorated in Hadleigh church, is fufficient to render any place illuftrious. We read with pleasure that an iron pallifade inclofes the rough antient stone, dated 1555, that marks the spot on which the body of that venerable man was confumed. We hope that every proper attention is ftill given to preferve the memorial of that intrepid friend to truth, liberty, and peace. The names of Burkitt and Wilkins do honour to these pages. Great Painted glass, though fo material an object of Mr. Parfons's inquiry, does not feem greatly to abound: inconfiderable, very irregular, imperfect, &c. are the frequent remarks on this head. The churches of Boughton, Aluph, Challock, Willesborough, Godmerfham, Stelling, Bishopsbourn, Chart, Upper Hardres, and Teynham, are chiefly to be noted for quantity or beauty; to which Hadleigh may be added. So ardent, of late years, has been the zeal-we will not fay the rage-for antiquarian refearches, that we meet with re-iterated accounts of the fame objects. Amateurs in this branch are no doubt actuated by different motives, and are in danger of mistake or excefs. Mr. Parfons has expreffed his refpect for *I died in early youth: may heaven approve the the antient edifice, as better adapted to the purpose of pub. lic worship; which, poffibly, is faying little more than that antiquity prefents an appearance fomething more venerable and folemn than what is recent and modern: but be it remembered that things must be new before they can be old. No engravings accompany this work. A pretty quotation from Addifon, which Mr. P. has chofen for a motto, may ferve as a proper conclufion for this article: "When I look upon the tombs of the great, every emotion of envy dies in me; when I read the epitaphs of the beautiful, every inordinate defire goes out; when I meet with the grief of parents on a tomb-ftone, my heart melts with compaffion; when I fee the tombs of parents themselves, I confider the vanity of grieving for those whom we must quickly follow." ART. VII. A System of Divinity, in a Courfe of Sermons; on the First Inftitutions of Religion; on the Being and Attributes of God; on fome of the most important Articles of the Chriftian Religion in Connection; and on the feveral Virtues and Vices of Mankind: with occafional Difcourfes. Being a Compilation from the best Sentiments of the polite and found Divines, both ancient and modern, on the fame Subjects, properly connected with Improvements particularly adapted for Families and Students in Divinity. Vol. I. By the Rev. W. Davy, A. B. Svo. pp. 327. Luftleigh, Devon. Printed by himself, pro bono publico. 1795. THIS "HIS volume is offered to the public under peculiar circumftances. It is a fpecimen of a republication of a fyftematic course of fermons compiled from various authors, which made its appearance in the year 1786. The compiler, as appears from the title, is himfeif the printer of the prefent edition; and he iffues forty copies, only, of this volume, in order to learn how far the public is likely to encourage the completion of his defign. From our account of the first publication in the Rev. for June 1787, our readers will perceive that we approved of the practical nature of the compilation, and were difpofed to encourage the editor to expect a favourable reception from the public. We learn, however, from a Latin addrefs to the reader, that the fuccefs of the first publication has been fo far from correfponding with the author's expectations, that many, very many, of thofe whose names appeared in the lift of fubfcribers have not yet paid their fubfcription. This circumftance, with fubfequent expences, has involved Mr. Davy in difficulties, which will render it imprudent for him to proceed, without the folid fupport of a diftinguished and liberal fubfcription, or other BENEFIC Ent affiftance.' Whether the peculiarly delicate thus given in eight-tenths of a word, will be thrown away, or whether the editor will be furnifhed by any other means with the neceffary aid, we cannot predict:-nor would we difcourage any laudable undertaking:-but it would be unkindness to the worthy editor not to tell him, in plain terms, that his type is too bad, and his fkill in the art of printing too defective, to leave him any hope of fending out the work with credit from his own prefs. It must alfo be added that the specimens of ftyle given in the prefatory addreffes, both Latin and English, and the new matter which is pretty freely hazarded in these fermons, will not be likely to prejudice the reader in the editor's favour; neither are the fubjects, except the laft, of a kind particularly adapted to attract attention. The fermons in this volume are, on baptifm in general; on re-generation in baptifm; on infant baptism; on confirmation; on the being of God. ART. VIII. A Tour to Milford Haven, in the Year 1791. By Mrs. Morgan. 8vo. pp. 439. 7s. 6d. Boards. Stockdale. 1795. A LTHOUGH this volume be not remarkable for elegance of ftyle, nor for uncommon acuteness of obfervation, it may be read with pleasure and advantage. The fair writer feems to poffefs a talent for defcription, and a tafte for the beauties of nature, joined to great fenfibility of temper and difpofition. Good fenfe, chearfulness, and philanthropy, pervade the whole work; and Mrs. Morgan has a vivacity and good humour in her manner, which engage the attention and frequently intereft the heart of the reader. The following incidental obfervations on the admired story of John Gilpin do honour to the writer's difcernment, at the fame time that they strongly indicate a mind liberal, generous, and humane: How any thing that is the cause of uneafinefs to one human being can occafion pleasure to another, was always aftonishing to me, ever fince I came to be capable of reflecting, or of making a comparison between one fituation in life and another. I have often feen people, not deficient either in good fenfe or good nature, fit at their windows in London, and amuse themselves for hours, by watching the citizens of both fexes, as they went home dripping wet after taking their weekly walk in the park, or making their Sunday's vifit to a friend; but one circumitance furprizes me even more than that, which is, that Mr. Cowper, who fays, he would not give pain to any thing breathing, and who proves himself, in every line he writes, to be alive to all the minute delights of focial and domestic life, could fo far forget what belongs to thofe feelings, as to hold out poor John Gilpin, (whether he be a real or imaginary character it matters not,) as an object of ridicule; and for what reafon? Because he was fo unfortunate as to meet with many accidents, in the first day's relaxation from business that he had taken for twenty years. What adds to the impre iety, impropriety, I had almoft faid the cruelty, of raising a laugh at his expence, is, that even those disasters were occafioned by his attention to bufinefs, his economy in borrowing a horfe rather than be at the expence of hiring one, and his not being too proud to carry the bottles of wine himfelf: for thefe things, which in fober profe a tradefman of John Gilpin's order ought to be commended for practifing, he is made the laughing-ftock of his neighbours, and the joke of a whole kingdom; and to heighten the folly of his character, he is defirous too that his wife and children fhould partake of his pleasure. You will deem one too ferious, when I affert, that this poem, innocent as it may feem, is capable of doing a great deal of harm, in an age where perfons in bufinefs are much more cenfurable for an aukward imitation of fashionable life, than they are for too ftrict an attention to their shops; it may make many an honeft citizen afhamed to return back to ferve a good cuftomer, to borrow a horfe of a neighbour, or to take his wife and children out with him, from the mere dread of being called John Gilpin, who had no fault, that I can fee, but that of not going out of his fphere.' A fimilar turn of fentiment prevails in this lady's obfervations on the romance of Don Quixote; concerning which the obferves (and the remark does honour to her feelings,) that, with refpect to that hero's mistakes and confequent diftreffes, fhe was always affected with tenderness by thofe parts at which others profeffed to laugh the moft heartily.' In the fifth letter, we have a very pleafing description of Sandleford near Newbury, the feat of Mrs. Montague; and the fixth contains a character of that celebrated lady, with her habits and mode of life. Five letters are filled with a defcription of Oxford and Blenheim, places too well known to render an extract neceffary. The account of Malvern wells, in the 16th letter, is on the whole juft: though we are of opinion that Mrs. M. rather degrades the fine profpect from thofe hills over a fertile, variegated, and highly cultivated country, by comparing it to a map. The 19th letter, which contains an account of the journey from Brecknock to Trecaftle, will give the reader a favourable fpecimen of the work. The afternoon looked rather lowering, and fomewhat like rain; but we thought a ten-mile ftage, and that very fine road, would foon be run over: fo off we fet: we had not gone above two miles, before the fky grew thick, and dropt fmall rain; we debated whether we fhould not return; for though the road was good, it was extremely hilly, and we knew not a step of the way; however, our evil genius prompted us to proceed: every yard we drove the heavens darkened, and it rained more heavily; inftead of its being only ten miles, it ap peared to us to be twenty; and we began to fear we were got out of the road. We travelled about feven miles in this miferable manner, the rain beating in upon us fo much, that we were entirely wet through. I |