GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE. NOVEMBER, 1835. BY SYLVANUS URBAN, GENT. CONTENTS. MINOR CORRESPONDENCE-Westminster School-The Unicorn-Peers' Proxies DIARY OF A LOVER OF LITERATURE.. NEW RECORD COMMISSION, NO. IV.-Pipe Roll of 31st Henry I. Family of Unton, or Umpton Letters of Charles Duke of Somerset to Tonson respecting Addison.. Letter of the Rev. H. Mills to Archbishop Tenison ..... .... .... PAGE .... 475 476 Butler's Catechism, and Doctrines of Romanism..... 477 485 Report of M. Francisque Michel on his Researches in the English Libraries.... 479 RETROSPECTIVE REVIEW.-Emblems, by Francis Quarles. REVIEW OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. La Martine's Pilgrimage to the Holy Land, 497.-Jesse's Gleanings in Natural History, 500.- Episcopal Charges to the Clergy, 505.-Works on the Church Establishment, 507.-Fudges in England; Defoe's Journal of the Plague Year, 510.-Loudon's Architectural Magazine, 511.-Institute of British Architects, 512.-Arohæologia, Vol. XXVI. 513.-The Doctor, Vol. III. 517.-Proctor's Life of Edmund Kean, 520.-The Modern Dunciad, 523.-Trench's Poems; Holman's Voyage round the World, 524.Letters on Religious Subjects; Harrow School Books, 526.-Miss Mitford's Belford Regis Miscellaneous Reviews FINE ARTS, 530.-New Publications 450 451 458 462 471 471 472 473 LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE. New Publications; Circulation of the Metropolitan Newspapers, 532.--Summary of Public Petitions presented to Parliament, 533.-The Universities; Literary Institutions; the Comet; Useful Inventions, &c. ANTIQUARIAN RESEARCHES... 527 328-530 531 492 493 535-538 538 HISTORICAL CHRONICLE.-Foreign News, 541.-Domestic Occurrences, 546 556 Embellished with two Plates of the Chapter-house of BOCHERVILLE. 545 MINOR CORRESPONDENCE. J. T. M. writes: In the Encyclopedia Britannica appears the following paragraph, "HODMAN, a cant term formerly used for a young scholar admitted from Westminster - school to be student at Christ-church in Oxford " Can any of your Correspondents elucidate the expression? I would also ask, how long the Greek Esop has been disused at Westminster? There is now lying before me, ‘Αίσωπο Μύθοι, Ζυν τοις 'Επιγραμμασιν ἐκ τοις ἀνθολογίας ἐκλεκτοις. In usum Scholæ Regiæ Westmonast. Londini. Ex Officina Johannis Redmayne, 1671, 12mo.' It contains the Greek Fables, with Epimythia, or Morals, appended to them; the Life of Esop, by Maximus Planudes; the Batrachomyomachia of Homer; a selection from the Authologia, different from that now in use, and much shorter, with a few extracts from Moschus, Theocritus, Bion, and Anacreon. An index of the fables concludes the volume. Pp. 128. Mr. JAMES LOGAN remarks: The existence of that noble-looking animal the Unicorn has never been satisfactorily proved, although some travellers have averred that the race was not an imaginary one, nor yet entirely extinct, they having either caught a glimpse of the creature, or heard of some one that did. They did not of course refer to the rhinoceros, that terrific, but well known animal, whose horn is so different from that which is given to the Unicorn. I am led to make these remarks not only with a view to settle this point, by means of any of your Correspondents, better versed in natural history or geology than I am, but also from a desire to have a passage explained, about which, with others, I am in doubt. In the "Rites of Durham Cathedral," p. 117, a Unicorn's horn, Elephant's tooth, or such like, we are told, were amongst the offerings made at shrines. Now does the first mean the elegant horn of the singular fish called a Sea Unicorn? and are any such relics yet preserved, or any written or other evidence extant to prove the fact? Several horns, it appears, were found in the North in 1831, which, from their unusual appearance, and resemblance to those of the supposed imaginary Land Unicorn, were believed to be the remains of this animal, which, like the bear, beaver, elk, wild cattle, &c. may have once inhabited the British Isles. S. S. is informed that, some curious matter relative to Peers' Proxies, their voting, mode of vacating them, and proceedings of the House upon the subject, will be found in the "Report of the Lords' Committee of Privileges appointed to examine Precedents of Peers advanced to a higher dignity, entering their Proxies according to their former titles," drawn up by Mr. Cowper, the Deputy Clerk of the Parliament, and ordered to be printed 13 May 1817. In answer to R. T. who inquires whether there was any connection between the families of Freschville and Tideswell; who, he states, as well as Foljambe, bore the same charges on their armorial shield; we can only remark that this proves no relationship, but probably only their being subinfeudatories of the same lord. But we do not find the name of Tideswell mentioned among the old Derbyshire families, nor any record of arms borne by that name. L. inquires, "where there may exist in a public or private library a Continuation of the Register, remaining in the University Library at Cambridge (marked D. d. II. 21), of the Proceedings of the Court of High Commission for Causes Ecclesiastical, from Mich. Term. 1631, to Hilary Term 1633 [1633-4]? A learned friend, who has recently been so obliging as to examine the volume at my instance, acquaints me, that the latest note of time therein is of the 26th of March 1634. It ends, therefore, unfortunately for my purpose, with the term immediately preceding that in which a cause commenced to which I have occasion to refer." G. C. remarks, "Sharon Turner, in the 10th volume of his History of England, p. 405, states that Henry VIII. gave to Cardinal Pole the house which the learned Colet had built; and two pages further on, that the Cardinal returned to England for two years more to his rural retreat. Can you, or any of your numerous readers, inform me where this house was situated, or if it is still extant?" A young Genealogist asks, Whether any Correspondent can afford him information of the parentage of Sir George Etherege (Charles the Second's courtier), the arms he bore, or any other particulars respecting his family? We are much obliged by the communication of Mr. WILLIAM MICHELL; but had already availed ourselves of his account of the church of Perranzabuloe. THE GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE. BOSWELL'S LIFE OF SAMUEL JOHNSON, LL.D. AFTER the animosity of party feeling has subsided, and the rivalry of literary reputation has yielded to the calmer and more impartial judgment of the public, we think the merit of Mr. Croker's edition of Boswell's biography will be generally acknowledged; nor do we know any circumstance which tends more strongly to confirm this opinion, than the fact that another edition, incorporating great part of his materials, and enriched with his additional notes, has rapidly succeeded his proving the success of his undertaking and the approbation of the public. How far Mr. Croker acted judiciously in interweaving with Boswell's text the narrative of some other biographers, must be left to general opinion; for ourselves we should have wished it otherwise. But to those persons who did not possess the volumes of Piozzi, Hawkins, and others, his plan afforded much additional information, in a convenient compass, and brought the scattered rays from remote quarters, to illuminate in one focus the noble Image which the public voice had placed on the pedestal of Fame. The additional matter, also, which Mr. Croker collected from the conversation of friends, or from the remembrance of a few of Johnson's contemporaries, was often important and always gratifying; while his own exemplary diligence and acuteness rectified much that was erroneous, supplied much that was deficient, and illustrated much that was obscure. Errors, too, that had long escaped detection, had crept into the narrative of Boswell, not so much from negligence of attention, and certainly from no culpable disregard of truth; but from the difficulty of following up, even with the most ready and experienced pen, the rapid flow of conversation, of arresting with precision ideas and images, that were separated by delicate touches of distinction, and of unfolding with exactness arguments that were entangled by opposition of opinion, or linked together by a long consecution of arrangement. Even to the unrelaxing assiduity, the ready activity of Boswell, could not be applied the language of the poet of Bourdeaux : Quum maxime nunc proloquor, Tu sensa nostri pectoris Ut dicta jam ceris tenes, Mr. Croker has been successful in rectifying much that is erroneous, partly by comparing Boswell with himself, partly by the information of other persons who were present; sometimes by authorities drawn from his extensive knowledge of literature, and sometimes by reasons deduced from logical and well-grounded inferences. We think, also, that the estimate which Mr. Croker has formed of Johnson's character, though not drawn out into a formal arrangement, nor separated by a minute analysis, nor expanded into a full developement of his various excellencies, yet is in the main correct. Dr. Johnson was gifted by nature with a strong and powerful mind; with a most capacious, ready, and retentive memory; with great clearness and perspicuity of thought; to which was added a fertility of allusion and readiness of illustration almost unparalleled. In fact, he had a great grasp of mind, and his stores of knowledge and learning were disposed with such ease and order, and his habits of association so quick and ready, that they were always at his command To any question that did not descend too remotely into the depth of a very refined and metaphysical inquiry, or did not plunge into the recesses of scholastic or classical erudition, Johnson was always ready to dispel the errors that had gathered round it, and to draw forth its truth; while his conversational language was correct and fluent, it also had an elegance and propriety that was not always to be found in his more studied writings. Dr. King† said (and what he said ought to have weight, as he was himself a correct scholar, an elegant orator, and lived much in the very best society), that he had been acquainted only with three persons who spoke English with that elegance and propriety, that if all they said had been committed to writing immediately, any judge of the English language would have pronounced it an excellent and very beautiful style. Those persons were Atterbury the exiled Bishop of Rochester; Dr. Gower, Provost of Worcester College; and Johnson, the author of the English Dic tionary." We have no doubt of the justice of Mr. Croker's observation, that much which appears offensive and strange in Johnson's replies or attacks, as given in the nakedness of Boswell's narrative, assumed another character when associated with the accompaniments of look, tone, and manner. The slightest gesture--a smile, a shrug, a look, would soften the severest blow, and take the sting from the most inflammatory wound. Johnson possessed a very generous disposition, a warm, friendly, and affectionate heart. His love of his wife, all things considered, passed the love of man. He was quite free, even beyond the generality of persons, from any sordid love of money: he did not, like the sensualist, desire the luxuries it afforded; nor did he, like the miser, brood over his growing treasures with usurious delight. He never used his superfluous fortune in indulging the vanities and caprices of the imagination; what was not wanted for the necessaries of life, was bestowed in the charities. He possessed a great deal of wise self-command in the order of his going. We can see no personal luxury about him at all-in furniture, in diet,-not even in his books. When he was himself at ease, he did what he could to remove the anxieties and supply the necessities of others. His life and Burke's form, in this instance, We have heard it said, and that from authority which would be allowed were we at liberty to produce it, that the present Archbishop of Dublin approaches nearest to Johnson in his readiness and happiness of illustration, of any person of the present age. + See Dr. King's Memoirs of his Own Time, p. 175. Mr. Tate, in his late paper in the Gentleman's Magazine, on the emendation of Te doctarum, in Hor. Od. 1. for Me, has not quoted what Dr. King says p. 72 of his Anecdotes. The emendation appears correct, and brings back the subject, at the conclusion, to the point at which it commenced-the praise of Mæcenas. The two last lines Dr. Kidd rejects. We once saw the Sale Catalogue of Dr. Johnson's books at King and Lochée's, and regret we did not purchase it, for we have never met with it again; if not worth reprinting, it would be very useful for the biographer of Johnson to peruse it: some light would probably be thrown on his studies and favourite authors. We possess his copy of the Poems of Naugerius, which had also belonged to Elijah Fenton. |
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