have never seen Dr. Tindal but once since, and that on occasion of the subscription to his book, which I have received and read. You are pleased to hint, something on that subject at the close of yours, but I do not usderstand it as what you expect my thoughts about, nor perhaps might it be prudent in a letter to use so much freedom as would be necessary in making any remarks thereon.-l ̊ find nothing to complain of but the shortness of your letters, which I think should be always in proportion to the distance of place, and space of time between them; and I venture to promise for myself that no remembrance of yours shall be neglected or unanswered by, Sir, your affectionate friend, aud most humble servant,

Jos. HIGHMORE. .London, December 10, 1730.

Mrs. Goldfinch I have not seen yet, but shall the first opportunity convey your respects as desired. My wife joins ia service to your spouse and self.

Mr. URBAN, Tunbridge, Dec. 9.
T is a source of infinite regret to

I'll men and sincere

ers of God, that Religious Controversies ever had a beginning. But if we look into the history of the first ages of the Church, we shall perceive that the seeds of discord and disunion were early sown by the Enemy.Much as it is to be regretted, and though it would have been better for the general interests of Religion, and the welfare of mankind, had such disputes never originated; yet much credit is due to those who endeavour to dispel the mists of fanaticism and irreligion by the true exposition of the Holy Volume. Sober reason, unprejudiced by misgoverned zeal, and uninflated by presumptuous selfsufficiency, has universally acknowledged the doctrines of the Church of England to be the most pure and genuine of any Established Religion. Its doctrines are all sanctioned by Scripture, and reconcileable to unpresuming Reason. But yet there HAVE BEEN, ARE, and ever WILL BE men, who, believing themselves capable of comprehending EVERY THING, assume to reject INFINITY, because their FINITE uuderstanding cannot attain to it. As for my part, I have always looked upon those who en

deavour to pervert the minds of men in theological matters, whether Puritans or Deists, as the worst of men. The one, by too great confidence in speculative reason, forget they are MEN; and the other, for want of the proper exercise of it, forget that divine quality which raises them above the brules that perish. We ought, therefore, in my humble opinion, to encourage those whose abilities are exerled in the cause of true and rational doctrines, which are not repugnant to the Word of God.

Of the many subjects which have caused disputes amongst men who call themselves Christians, and who bear the badge of Christ, there has been none more fertile of controversy than that of the Divine Trinity. But yet, would men study THEMSELVES, they would there find ample matter for wonder and incredulity. The knowledge of the junction of the soul and body is unknown to man, in whom that junction is effected; and yet all know that there is such an union. Why then should we, who cannot comprehend ourselves, presume to question the union of Three Divine and Infinite Essences? surely arrogance in us to say, that beCause we cannot comprehend how such a thing is done, we will not believe it. It were equally as reasonable to say, that because we do not know of what materials, or how the world was formed, we will not believe that it ever had a beginning: yet we all acknowledge it must have had some beginning, consequently some creation; and even Heathen philosophers agree-gigni de nihilo nihil.

It is

I have been led to make these ob servations from the perusal of a little Work, published at York (but may be

purchased in London), denominated "The Postscript to the Rejection of Reason," &c. which is worthy the attention of every Divine of the Establishment, and all persons who feel interested in the safety of our Na tional Church.

This Work exhibits profound research and great biblical knowledge. Many of the texts collated in favour of the Holy Trinity have never, I be lieve, been adduced before. It con cludes, as its title imports, with some observations on the Bible Society question—a question which, in my opinion, involves the vital interests

of

of the Established Church, and the welfare of the Nation. For what confidence can we place in those who object to written expositions of the Bible, and yet at the same time insist upon having LIVING expositors where-ever the Bible is disseminated? Such a system, however plausible the Bible Society may be, and however powerfully supported by Royal influence, or sanctioned by Ducal patronage, is, in my opinion, erroneous, and will at Some future time (which Heaven avert!) be productive of scenes that England has once too fatally witnessed. Not that I would object to the diffusion of knowledge through every rank of life: not that I would wish the people to remain in ignoVance, fettered by the trammels of superstition, as heretofore was the case, under the dominion of Popery. No; let them be enlightened; let reason be cultivated; and the truths of Religion expounded to them, uncorrupted and unperverted by ungoverned zeal and systematic delusion. The system of delusion practised by the Court of Rome upon the general ignorance of mankind, produced the glorious Reformation. Why then should we, through a pretended zeal to open their eyes, intoxicate the people's brain with vain delusions and untempered zeal? For mine own part, I glory that in our Country the Reformation first dawned, and that the English peasantry, like our venerable Constitution, are superior to, and better informed than any existing community of men.

But yet I would not have the seeds of manly reason withered by too much heat, nor choked by the thorns of "false Religion." I would have the expansion of knowledge, like every radical improvement, produced by gradual and temperate measures.

Let those who pretend to "Liberality” be on their guard, lest their liberality degenerate into credulity, and credulity into a general indifference to all creeds, orthodox and heterodox.

A departure from the venerable institutions of our ancestors, sanctioned by age, confirmed by reason, --and authorized by Scripture, may be productive of evil consequences. And

L

here I am led to notice "the * Dedication of the Postscript;" a beautiful and feeling composition, replete with exalted sentiments and Christian feeling. It is quite out of the common run of fulsome Dedications, and may at least boast of novelty.

How much soever some of the Dissenters are to be respected as men and Christians, yet, Mr. Urban, I am inclined to look upon them, iu the aggregate, as a body of men encroaching upon established sound opinions, and little guided by the true Gospel spirit. Though they máy make large claims to righteousness and superior sanctity, yet (for God only knows) I am inclined to think their zeal apparent, their religion Pharisaical.

The Unitarians seem to level their attacks at the very basis of Christianity; and, by denying the Divinity of Christ, they reject the merits of the Redemption, and dissipate the authority of the Gospel Covenant. Thus they would bring us back again to the ages of Heathenism and Pagan doctrines.

In hopes that this may attract the notice of some more able Champion of the Church than myself, I am, Mr. Urban, Yours, &c. W.S.

Extracts from the MSS. of Dr. ANDREW COLTEE DUCAREL

Notes about SIGHELMUS, who went to the Island of St. Thomas in the East Indies, in the time of King ALFRED.

Mr. Matthews's respects to Dr. Ducarel, and will be proud of the honour of waiting on him on Saturday. In mean time, inclosed is what occurs in Will. de Malmesbury concerning Sighelm, which he will be very glad if the Doctor finds satisfactory. There is no epoch mentioned but the reign of Alfred in general. Mr. M.'s friend, the Knight of Malta, is very desirous to find out whether there be any manuscript extant of the following, mentioned by Leland, Balæus, Pitsæus, as well as by Ware: Thome Scropi (al. Bradelegi) Episc. Dromorensis Liber de Legatione sua ad Rhodios. M. has looked for it,

without

without success, in all the Catalogues at the Museum. If any notice of it should fall in the Doctor's way, the communication will be highly acceptable.-Museum, 7 Sept. Wednesday. "De Episcopis Schireburnensibus, Sales

buriensibus, Wiltunensibus. "Sighelmus (et Asserus prædecessor) ambo sub Rege Alfredo Adulfi quarto

filio fuisse noscuntur.

"Sighelmus trans mare causa Eleemosynarum Regis, et etiam ad Sanctum Thomam in Indiam missus, mira prosperitate, quod quivis in hoc sæculo miretur, Indiam penetravit; indeq. rediens exotici generis Gemmas, quarum illa bumus ferax est, reportavit. Nonnullæ illarum adhuc in Ecclesiæ monumentis visuntur."

Will. Malmesburiens. de Gestis Pontif. Ang. Lib. II. (in Saville's Edition of the Rerum Anglic.Scriptores, p.141.) N. B. He appears to have been the twelfth Bishop of the above-mentioned Sec, or of the West-Saxons in general.

Mr. MASSEY to Dr. DUCAREL.

I am very much obliged to you, Doctor,for the hints you have given me in your kind letter, and beg the continuance of your future notices. The quotation from Hickes's Thesaurus indicates, that the reed (Calamus) was used to write withal, when Eadwin's Picture was drawn; but I want to know when quill-pens were first introduced; and I request your observation, in reading books above 300 years old, in Latin or French (I think, Doctor, you understand French), where you find penna, or pluma, or une plume, put for a pen. I imagine Mr. Wanley is wrong in joining the epithet metallinum* to Calamum; for, if it were an iron style that Eadwin held in one hand, what occasion had he for a penknife in the other?

If I could be certain that some of the plates in your old book were copper, and that they were engraved in England, I should gain several years to my former reckoning. Pray be so good as to examine that particular critically for me; and, if you can, discover any name of the sculptor upon them.

I should think that the word triquadrum in the Inscription signifies

no more than triplex; supposing the MS text to be divided into three columns; which, as I have not seen, I cannot be positive in. Triquadrus is a corruption of triquetrus, i. e. threefold, or tripartite; Holioke and Littletun cite Cerd† for their authority. So that the Inscription may in English be thus rendered: Mailbrite MacDurnan has well (or worthily) expounded this Book of our Lord (exIf this pressed) in three Columns. explanation should be any way salisfactory, I shall be glad, who am, with due respect, your real friend, W. MASSEY. Wandsworth, Feb. 16, 1754.

READING SCHOOL.

Mr. Spicer's compliments to Dr. Ducarel. The strictest search has been made at the Rolls without suc cess. Secundo Eliz. a charter was ng-not a word of the pudding there. granted to the Corporation of ReadThe said Queen granted a stipend of 101. per annum to the Master. This grant not to be found in the Rolls. Is it to be met with at the Treasuryaut ubi gentium? The discovery of this may probably lead us to our ori. ginal foundation. Mr. Spicer will make all due acknowledgments to Dr. Ducarel for his trouble and loss of time, whether his inquiries be attended with, or fail of success.

Fleet-street, Tuesday Morning.

Qu: if not founded in the Guild or

Fraternity of Jesus, in St. Mary's Church at Reading; if so, search the Augmentation-office.-A. C. D.

Dr. DUCAREL to SirJOSHUA VANNECK,

Bart. concerning the Coats of Arms ut Heveningham Hall, in Suffolk.

Sir,-Having some time since met with an account of the Coats of Arms, &c. remaining at your fine Seat and Church of Heveningham, I hope you will excuse the liberty I take of troubling you with it. I thought it would be the more agreeable to you at this time, as you are now upon the spot, and may thereby have an opportunity of examining which of these Arms may still be remaining since 1663, when this account was

GENT. MAG. Suppl. LXXXVI. Part II.

first

C

hrst taken. I beg the favour of you to present my compliments to Mr. Walpole, who I hope will pardon me for making use of his name, in order to have yours conveyed free to your bands; and to this I beg leave to add my hearty wishes that you may long enjoy your fine estate; and that it may continue in your family at least as long as it did in that of the former owners, which was near 600 years. I beg leave to subscribe myself, with great respect, &c. Sept. 14, 1754.

A. C. D.

To Dr. DUCAREL. Sir, I am mach obliged to you for your kind attention in sending me the curious abstract relating to the Seat of Heveningham Hall, which abstract is a proof of your great knowledge in the History of this Country. I am no less thankful for your obliging wishes in regard to this possession; which I shall endeavour to make as permanent in my family as human prudence can go, and the rest must be left to Providence.

The old House, built by the family who gave their name to this Village, has been pulled down about forty years ago, the present House being built at that time by one Squire Bance; so that nothing mentioned in the Abstract remains but in the old offices, where the name of W. H. and time of building, 1653, are yet to be seen.

The observations on the Arms and Monuments in the Church I shall have an opportunity of comparing. It would be a desirable thing to have the Perpetual Advowson; but that, belonging to the Crown, is not easily

to be come at.

Mr. Walpole returns bis grateful thanks to you for your kind remembrance; and I remain sincerely, Sir, your very humble and obidient servant, JOSHUA VANNECK. Heveningham Hall, Sept. 19, 1754.

To Sir JOSHUA VANNECK, Bart. Sir, I have received the honour of your most obliging Letter; and, as an Antiquary, am very sorry the old Manor-house is pulled down. It would certainly be a desirable thing for you to have the Perpetual Advowson of Heveningham; and I own I am very much surprised to find,

by what you say, that it is in the Crown especially when I consider that in all probability this Church was built by some of the Heveninghams; this may be supposed from their Arms, which appear in several parts of the Church and Windows, and it is most likely the Advowson of the Rectory was once in their possession. If it appears so from the title-deeds, and no alienation to the Crown, I should not imagine the Advowson is irre coverable; for it may have happened that in former times the Crown might have presented once, perhaps twice, during a minority, or by lapse; and upon the second presentation the Clerk inserting the words pleno jure, instead of pro hac vice, the Crown may have ever since presented to this Rectory for want of a claim from the true Patron. In this case, Sir, I should think an inquiry might be pri vately made, without alarming the Crown, or any body else, by search. ing into the Registry of the Bishop of Norwich, where it will appear how long, and by what right, the Crown bave presented to this Living.

I know my friend Mr. Crespigny is very intimate with the Registrer of Norwich he might from him easily come at the truth, if it could give you the least satisfaction. I hope, Sir, you will excuse the liberty I tako of mentioning my thoughts to you on this subject, which I do as a Law yer and Autiquary, having known a similar case determined against the Crown very lately, in favour of my Lord Huntingdon,

If on this or any other occasion I can be any way serviceable to yourself or any of your family, I shall very gladly embrace any opportunity of doing it and I beg leave to conclude this, by assuring you I have the honour of remaining, with very great esteem and consideration, your most obe dient and most bumble servant, A. C. DUCAREL.

Sept. 24, 1754.

I have this day taken the liberty of sending two copies of A Tour through Normandy to your house in towar one, I hope, you will please to accept of; the other is for Mr. Walpole, to whom I desire to be remembered. The weight of each being somewhat above two ounces, prevented my sending them under franks.

Sir WALTER RALEIGH's Receipt

against the PLAGUE.

Libera nos, Domine. Take three pints of Malmsey or Canary Sack, boil in it one handful of sage, and as much of rue, till one pint be wasted away; then strain it, and set it over the fire again, and put thereto one drachm of long pepper, half an ounce of ginger, and a quarter of an ounce of nutmegs, all well beaten together. Then let it boil a little, and put thereto one drachm and a half of mithridate, one drachm of Venice treacle, and a quarter of a pint of equa vitæ, or hot Angelica

water.

Keep this as your life, above all worldly treasure; take it always morning and evening, three spoonfuls at a time, if the party be diseased; if not, every morning is sufficient.

In all the Plague-time trust to this, for certainly (God be praised for it!)

there was never man, woman, or

child, whom this drink deceived, if the heart were not poisoned and

drowned with the disease before.

Mrs. BLENNERHASSETT lo Dr.
DUCAREL.

Oak Park, near Tralee, in the Barony of Truhaghnachmy,

July 3, 1774.

Dear Doctor, I will attempt to give you some idea of this place and country. Kerry is very mountainous; and in some parts greatly resembles Wales, though much better cultivated for the most part, as they plough much higher up the hills than one would think possible. The roads are very good, particularly those made through the bogs, and resemble Holland, for you drive on a dyke with deep ditches on each side-the prospects are romantic and beautiful. This house is about an English mile and a half from the town of Tralee, which, together with a charming view of the Bay, forms a most pleasing prospect from several of the windows, and is bounded by very high mountains. Our old father, at 82, is what you would style" a jolly dog" he is straight, teeth and sight good, hearing a little thick is polite, cheerful, and even droll; sits to his bottle constantly till nine or ten o'clock, and never wishes to go to bed till one or two in the morning ; vastly happy to see us, and mighty

fond of his grand-daughters. We have a great deal of dining company, a constant excellent table, and every one shews us great civility. The Bishop of Limerick came here last week on a Visitation, and we saw him and his lady several times; they pressed us prodigiously to go and stay some time with them at Limerick, but I fear that is impossible, as it is quite out of our beat. We had known them at Scarborough. We don't yet hear who will be Provost; if you do, write me word, as also, when York kicks up, who succeeds; you know I must interest myself there also at what time a ship will sail for Gusty, that I may be prepared. One thing I am sorry to see is the number of Catholicks in this part of the world; they say there are at least fifty to one Protestant. Is not that a shame?

and must it not be owing to the negleet of our Clergy? We have had, and it still continues to be, mighty bad weather; I hope it will soon alter, as it does not enliven a country life. The girls have had five balls at Tralee; the distance nor hours don't suit me, so I go seldom.

Salmon is a penný a pound here, chickens from three haifpence to twopence a couple; if we would con sent to stay the winter, we are offered for nothing house, carriage, horses, cows, poultry-yard stock'd, &c. &c. but we prefer home to every thing! However, such offers one seldom meets with-I might say never, when one is in want of it. I shall have quite tired out the man of business, I fear; so will conclude, dear brother, your ever affectionate sister,

TH

JANE BLENNERHASSETT.

Mr. URBAN, Mid. Temple, Dec. 1. HE following extracts from the Correspondence of a late eminent Antiquary, on a Tour into Derbyshire, may form an agreeable contrast to modern manners. CARADOC.

"Matlock, July 20, 1760.

"Dear Sir,- Early on Friday last I crossed the Trent at Wilen Ferry in Leicestershire. In about half a year's time there will be a fine stone bridge, of here. I reached Derby to dinner yes. three arches*, finished over the river terday, where it happened to be marketday, so bad but indifferent accommo

*Cavendish Bridge, engraved in vol. LXXXV. Part 1. P. 305.

dation.