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was hardly sufficient to admit of a pier and window as wide as one of those in the front: to ease this, the internal lines of the window came flush with the wall of the Hall, and the sweeping cornice over the arch of it dies into the wall. At a distance it has the appearance of little more than half a window. Over the points of the windows is a cornice at the angles are two grotesque heads, and one in the middle. The same cornice continues the whole of the South side, but has no heads. Over this, about eighteen years since, was a battlewent (the finish of the wall); but probably it was destroyed when the roof was repaired.

C. B.

Mr. URBAN, Portman-sq. Jun. 4. N your number for December, page

of such of our antient Cathedral structures as have the lanterns of their Towers open to the body of the Church. In addition to York, there is Beverley Minster, in the same County, Ely, Peterborough, Westminster Abbey, and, if I mistake not, Carlisle Cathedral.

I am sorry to hear that the op. probrious term "Gothie," first promulgated by Sir Christopher Wren, is not entirely eradicated (applied to the antient sublime Pointed architecture of this kingdom) by those who are and must be sensible to its fascinating beauty.

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That Architect chose to call all our Cathedrals "mountains of stone:" Salisbury certainly must be included in the number, which for lightuess and elegance is not surpassed by any Church in the known world. The epithet would have been better applied to his own works. Again, he says, they spared neither troublé nor expence in ornamenting their fabricks" this, in fact, is truth; but they were not crammed in every corner." If their buildings were richly ornamented, as they often are, they were properly and justly displayed; and always produced that sublime effect for which this style is so much admired. Scarcely a wall of Sir Christopher Wren's work escaped without being "scored like loins of pork," and festooned like a playhouse,

Most of our Cathedrals, and many Parish Churches in the kingdom,were originally intended to be open to the roof, but stopped up for the conve,

nience of a Belfry. Cricklade Church, in Wiltshire, is suffered to remain open, and is remarkably enriched. St. Mary Overy's Church, in Southwark, a Cathedral in miniature, was open (the lower story of the tower), elegant arches occupying the four sides, supported by slender insulated columns, whereas the upper story (or room) is entirely plain; but this was altered at the Reformation, the Church filled with pew lumber, and a mountainous altar-screen, 'under the East window. The exquisite timber roof, under the tower of Merton College Chapel, Oxford, is entirely hid from public view, the groins of which are very curiously contrived. Yours, &c. C. B.

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as being in Mr. Heber's possession, a Volume of Eustace's Froissart, which, it is presumed, from the arms, inseribed HENRICUS DUX RICHMUNDIE, has formerly belonged to Henry VII.-May not this rare Volume have been rather the property of Henry Duke of Richmond, natural son to Henry VIII.? A reference to the arms will at once determine the point; as those of the Duke,(viz. France and England, a Bordure quartered Ermine and compony Arg. and Az. a Batune sinister of the 2d; an inescutcheon quarterly, Gules and Varry, Or and Vert, a Lion ramp. Arg.; on a chief Az. a Castle between two Bucks' heads cabossed Argent) are very different from those of his Royal Grandfather either as Eurl or King.

In 1654, or thereabouts, a Survey of all Livings, &c. was taken by order of Parliament. At the Restoration these Surveys were, I believe, ordered to be transmitted to the respective Dioceses to which they referred. It is a question of some importance to me, whether any such Surveys were sent to Durham' and if not, where they may at present be expected to appear-possibly at Lambeth-I shall feel much obliged by any information on the above subject. K. SURTEES.

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feel disposed to take hypercritical advantage of a casual oversight or accidental omission; it is, therefore, with feelings of regret, rather than of anger, that I find, in the last edition of the "Environs of London," but slight notice of the father of Bishop Corbet, and the mention of him, slight as it is, involved in some confusion. "Twickenham," says Mr. Lysons in a note, " has long been celebrated for its gardens. Bishop Corbet's father is said to have had a famous nursery there in Queen Elizabeth's time. Richard Pointer, in the same reign, was (according to a MS. of Oldys, in the possession of Craven Ord, esq.) a most curious planter and improver of all manner of rare trees." This twofold praise may center in one man, for Corbet and Pointer were alter et idem; and we might conclude that Oldys acquired his information from Whalley's Ben Jonson, but that he would there have found that Vincent, not Richard, was the Christian name of Corbet's father. This circumstance is thus explained by the facetious Bishop in "an Elegie upon the death of his owne Father:" (1619.)* "VINCENT CORBET, farther knowne By POYNTER'S name than by his owne, Here lyes ingaged, till the day Of raising bones, and quickning clay; Nor wonder, reader, that he hath Two surnames in his Epitaph, For this one did comprehend All that two familyes could lend."

His celebrity in his occupation was certainly great, and such as attracted the notice of the most intelligent cultivators of the science of horticulture; accordingly we learn that when Sir Hugh Platt was collecting materials for his "Flora's Paradise," which afterwards bore the title of "The

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Garden of Eden;" he held, according to Harte, a correspondence with all lovers of agriculture and gardening throughout England, and among the number of those from whom Sir Hugh sought and obtained information was Mr. Vincent Poynter, of the parish of Twickenham. In commendation of Sir Hugh Platt, Harte

makes one observation which demands attention: namely, "such was the justice and modesty of his temper, that he always named the author of

* Corbet's Poems, page 120, ed. 1807. + Essays on Husbandry, vol. II. p. 113.

every discovery communicated to him," a very laudable practice, and worthy of example; but of the justice of which had Walter Harte been duly impressed, he would doubtless have attributed this observation to Charles Bellingham, Sir Hugh's editor, from whom he received it. Whether Vin cent Corbet's, or Poynter's, share in the "Gardeu of Eden" will entitle him to notice in the Parochial History of Twickenham as an author, I am willing, Mr. Urban, to leave to your decision; but, if his claim on this head be disputed, and even rejected, as a benefactor to my native-village, his pretensions to a memorial are peremptory and unquestionable. The register of the parish records the interment of "Mr. Vincent Corbet, or Poynter, on the 29th of April, 1619,” and his will (Reg. Prerogative Court Cant. Parker 49), conveyed to the poor of the parish of Twickenham forty shillings, to be paid immediately after his decease; and four loads of charcoal, to be distributed at the discretion of the churchwardens. Twickenham appears to have had another poet, in addition to Pope, Suckling, and Corbet; for Ironside,

a sad historian of the pensive plain," (and who is guilty of the heinous crime of making the writer of this letter a year older than Nature decreed),-Ironside found the following copy of verses on the first leaf of the old parish registers, which he supposed to have been written by Mr.Carr: "How few exceed this boundary of fame, Known to the world by some things more [they die; This tells us when they're born and when What more? Why this is all their his[tween; Enough; if virtue fill'd the space beProv'd, by the ends of being, to have

than name!

tory:

been."

For nearly two centuries, this parish-register has been the " boundary of Vincent Corbet's fame," although his skill in a science very imperfectly known to his contemporaries was very distinguished, and his virtues were such as to call forth their celebration by Bishop Corbet, Ben Jonson, and a friend, referred to by the latter, whose name and eulogium I have not been fortunate enough to discover. If the Bishop's poetry had not been lately given to the publick, I

should

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should have transcribed his " Elegie," which is a favourable example of his talent for verse, and which would not suffer by comparison with Jonson's ; but I prefer copying the laudatory effusion of honest Ben, as a proof, among the many which exist, of his friendly and gentle disposition.

An Epitaph on Master Vincent Corbet*.
I have my piety too, which, could
It vent itself but as it would,
Would say as much as both have done
Before me here, the friend and son:
For I both lost a friend and father [ther.
Of him whose bones this grave doth ga-
Dear Vincent Corbet, who so long
Had wrestled with diseases strong,
That though they did possess each limb,
Yet he broke them, ere they could him,
With the just canon of his life;

A life that knew nor noise nor strife,
But was, by sweet'ning so his will,
All order and disposure still.
His mind as pure, and nicely kept,
As were his nourseries, and swept
So of uncleanness or offence,
That never came ill odour thence!
And add his actions unto these,
They were as specious as his trees.
Tis true, he could not reprehend,
His very manners taught t' amend,
They were so even, grave, and holy;
No stubbornness so stiff, nor folly
To licence ever was so light
As twice to trespass in his sight;
His looks would so correct it, when
It chid the vice, yet not the men.
Much from him, I profess, I won,
And more, and more, I should have done
But that I understood him scant,
Now I conceive him by my want;
And pray who shall my sorrows read,
That they for me their tears will shed;
For, truly, since he left to be,

I feel I'm rather dead than he! [come
Reader, whose life and name did e'er be-
An Epitaph, deserv'd a tomb;
Nor wants it here through penury, or
sloth,
[both.

Who makes the one, so it be first, makes "On or near the site of a house

on the London road," says Mr. Lysonst, which is now the property of Lady Anne Simpson, was an old mansion, formerly inhabited by Richard Corbet, the poet, Bishop of Norwich, whose father is said to have had a famous nursery there." If it be meant that the poet's father had a

* Whalley's Ben Jonson, vol. VI. p. 358. + Supplementary Volume to the first edition of the "Environs of London," 1811, 4to. p. 318.

nursery on the spot where the Bishop's house stood, the inference is most probably erroneous; as the register of the interment of Vincent Corbet, and of Rose, his mother, proves that the former resided in the hamlet of Whitton. Editor of Corbet's Poems. Mr. URBAN,

Jan. 5.

O prevent others making the

first visit to London, from not understanding on cards of invitation the fashionable mode of making one hour pass for another, and the epithet of small to mean quite the reverse of its usual acceptation; I beg to communicate that an invitation to dinner at six o'clock must be understood at the soonest to be meant for seven, às till that hour the ladies cannot have finished their toilets.

Soon after my arrival in town, I was asked to make one of a small select party, which, from the limited number, promised to be most agreeable; but, finding the apartment for receiving the company, which by the bye was spacious, crowded in every part, I began to think I had mistaken the day, and had obtruded myself to make one of a great assembly to which I had not the honour of being invited. The lady of the house, however, soon set my mind at ease by welcoming me to her house, and hoping that, small as the party was, it might prove agreeable.

At another time I was asked by a lady at whose house the best company in town are to be seen, to partake of a public breakfast. No hour being mentioned on the card, and judging that late London hours might naturally make breakfast-time rather later than with us in the Country, I delayed my setting out till mid-day. When I arrived, a servant informed me that if I wished to see the Lady of the house, he believed she was not yet stirring" That," said I, "is impossible; for I am invited this very day to breakfast with her"-" Lord, Sir!" says the porter, "the breakfast-hour is from 4 to 5." I was more astonished than ever at this distribution of time; which not suiting the craving of my appetite, I found it necessary at a neighbouring hotel to make a hearty dinner previous to my partaking of her Ladyship's splendid Breakfast. A CONSTANT READER.

Mr.

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