Bafhaw. He is a man of confiderable talents but feems to be of too inconfiderate a difpofition, and not to poffefs a firm and stable character. On the whole, the confpirators committed many errors, fo that their plans could hardly fail to be fruftrated. Perhaps it was imprudent in them, to print their books at Vienna rather than at Venice, where they would have been nearer to Turkey, and could therefore with greater facility have introduced them among their countrymen.'

For the Monthly Magazine.

Some ACCOUNT of the MANUSCRIPTS in the LIBRARY of the late KING of FRANCE, norv called the NATIONAL LIBRARY (Bibliotheque Nationale) relating to English Affairs or Hiftory (Continued from page 205, of vol. xv.) HE third volume of this inter fting and valuable work commences with a very detailed account of all the proceedings which preceded the trial, condemnation, and execution of Joan of Arc, commonly called the Maid of Orleans, and alfo of what happened subsequent to that memorable event.

TH

This narrative occupies no less than 604 quarto pages, which renders it im poffible, in this place, to give little more than the heads of the different parts elucidated and difcuffed by M. de l'Averdy, the indefatigable and accurate editor of this part of the work.

The hiftory of the Maid of Orleans, obferves M. de l'Averdy, has been entirely exhausted by a great number of writers, of whofe works it would be a fruitless labour to give any account; but a careful examination of the actual proceedings will prove that, with many, conje&ture has fupplied the place of fact, and that documents of decifive weight have been passed lightly over, without paying proper attention to the nature of the fubject, or the mode of proceeding which was followed. Few perions can at this day doubt the injuftice of the fentence against the Maid of Orleans, or of the horrid execution which followed. The review of the proceedings made near twenty years after her death, and even the very nature of the crimes which were imputed to her, cannot have left much hesitation on this point.

Previous to commencing his account of thefe manufcripts, M. de l'Averdy gives a fhort statement of the defperate condition to which the indolence and effeminacy of Charles the Seventh had reduced his

affairs. They appeared even to his devoted friends perfectly irretrieva when the daughter of a peasant at D remy, near Vaucouleurs, fuddenly arr at his court. After affuring him of divine miffion, he promised to raise fiege of Orleans, and conduct Cha himself to Rheims, to be confecra and, in the end, that the English h be entirely driven out of France. J fingled out the King in the midst of his court, though fhe had never seen before; and, to establish confidence in promifes, procured a fign to defcend f Heaven. She revealed to him the fecre a prayer she had addreffed to the Holy that that faint was her instructress. gin, and by which the King was perfu

The council of Charles hefitated a 1 concerning this extraordinary perfor time; the information they had rece was highly favourable; but while t ftill retained their doubts, the King h felf determined to employ her.

C

Her prophecy to all appearance ceeded: the English were beaten : leans was faved: Charles traverfed, only without difficulty, but as a queror, a part of his kingdom, whe few months before he would not h been able to find even an afylum. He confecrated at Rheims in the prefenc Joan, and from that time might be t faid to be mafter of his kingdom. affairs of the English grew worse worse every day, until the fiege of Co peigne, where Joan was unfortuna taken prifoner by the Baftard de V dôme, delivered up by him to John Luxembourg, and afterwards to the K of England. She was foon after brou to trial before a French Bifhop and Romish Inquifition.

Thofe Frenchmen who had always b zealous in their attachment to their K confidered Joan as a prophetess expre fent by Heaven to free the French nat from the English yoke, and to protect a avenge the caufe of the defcendants Saint Louis. But others, who were exalted in their fentiments, fufpected th the whole was but a feint practiled w ingenuity and fuccefs, to animate courage and excite emulation in the brea of the King and his foldiers. however, concealed their fufpicions, a made the best use of the event for common good. The enthufiafm was fo general, and a handful of men became invincible army, through the heroic valo with which they were animated.

Th

What the French, on the fide of Charles, took for a divine miracle, thofe on the fide of the English attributed to the power of the devil. Even the English army was infected by this belief; and a letter of the Duke of Bedford's to the King of England fufficiently proves it. "Every thing (fays he) fucceeded for you here until the fiege of Orleans, at which time, a terrible blow from the hand of God fell upon your people, who were affembled in great numbers at that place. A reverfe occafioned in a great measure, as far as I can difcover, by the weakness, fatal credulity, and fuperftitious fear, which they have conceived at a woman, a true difciple of Satan, formed out of the very refuse of hell, called La Pucelle, who has at her command a power of enchantment and forcery. This reverfe and confequent defeat have not only proved fatal to many of your troops, but difcouraged the remainder in a moft aftonishing manner; and, further, have excited your enemies to affemble in great

numbers."

The punishment of forcerers had generally been burning to death: it was, therefore, decided that the infernal spirit, acting in the fhape and by the voice of Joan, fhould either renounce his influence, or fubmit to the penalties of the law. The maintenance of the holy faith and of religion feemed to exact this at their hands.

The proceeding, therefore, was either the confequence of a general error, or of cool and deliberate injuftice; or, perhaps, fome of the judges might a& under the influence of error, and others of wiltul injustice. The feelings of the human mind are often too easily led away by mo. tives of religion to be aware of committing an act of injustice under the idea of difcharging a duty. The revifal of the preteding will indeed fhew us what particular enormities fome of the judges may be charged with; but thofe ought not to fall upon all who had a part in this lamentable affair.

The examination of the voluminous manufcripts, which M. de l'Ave:dy now commences, will, he obferves, alone enable us to form a correct judgment upon all thefe various points.

This account is divided into four parts. The first includes every thing which preseded the inftituting the profecution. The fecond, the proceedings up to the time of forming the articles of accufation, with the opinions of the learned bodies who were confulted upon it. The third, what happened up to the time of the pretended confeffion and retractation of Joan,

which put an end to the proceedings. The fourth, what paffed from the conclufion of the proceedings up to the death of the heroine.

An account of the most interefting parts of these four divifions will be given in our next.

For the Monthly Magazine.

CANTABRIGIANA.

LXXIII. THE MSS. OF MR. WILLIAM COLE, IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM.

HESE papers comprize no less than fixty volumes, all written or collected by the late Rev. Mr. Cole, of Milton, near Cambridge; a gentleman who, for half a century before he died, had been making local obfervations, and procuring materi als for a topographical and archaeological Hiftory of Cambridgefaire.

Mr. Cole left this prodigious collection to the British Museum; but crdered in his will, that it should be preferved unopened till twenty years after his deceafe. That time being elapfed, the books were lately opened, and are now become acceffible to the public.

Cole's papers differ fomewhat from Baker's: the latter, though they contain a few articles of the writer's own, are principally tranfcripts of ancient records: the former, while they abound with collec tions and copies from public archives, contain likewife a great variety of original compofitions. The authors alfo appear to have differed as much in their tate and character, as in the quality of their writings. Baker, though he may be fuppofed by fome to have been a mere plodding copyist, poffetled the exploring Ipirit of the antiquary with the liberality of a gentleman; he had learning, judgment, and good manners. Cole, whatever may have been his literary attainments-and it is certainly not intended, in the most diftant manner, to underrate them-yet could ftcop to pick up ftraws, or even to perpetuate fcandal: and with the perfeverance of the antiquary united the minuteness of a parish clerk,

Quin id erat curæ, quo pacto cuncta tenerem, utpote res tenues tenui fermone peractas,

Horace.

will they fhould ever be laid before the public. But this, if we may judge from his notes on publications, prefented to him by his best friends, they are utterly unfit for; fince characters formed from fuch Arong paffions and prejudices as he was perpetually actuated by, can never be drawn with any degree of exactness; and the misfortune is, that thefe, with all the little tales of fcandal of the univerfity, town, and country, for half a century pait, are fo blended with his other collections, (however valuable in themfelves,) they can fcarce be feparated: fo that, probably, from this circumstance alone, the labours of his whole life will be fuffered to fink into oblivion, and nothing left to fupport his memory but that foolish monument of his vanity, ordered by will to be erected over his remains. And the attempt to keep these characters from the public, till the fubjects of them fhall be no more, feems to be peculiarly cruel and ungenerous, fince it is precluding them from vindicating themfelves from fuch injurious afperfions, as their friends, perhaps, however willing, may at that distance of time be incapable of removing. The above cenfure may, perhaps, be thought severe ; but the editor, well acquainted with the fickleness of his difpofition for more than forty years, avers it to be well-grounded; and thinks it incumbent upon him thus to publish it to the world to prevent any mifchiefs that may arife hereafter from his unwarrantable prejudices."

But it may be remarked, perhaps, by readers, regardless of the venom'd bites, or the grave, malignant faws of jealouspated authors, that brother-artists, brotherpoets, brother-antiquaries, and all brothers of the fame craft, feldom overload the fcale with compliments, or can indeed afford to give juft and full measure to each other.

Κ αι ιερεύς ιερεί κοτίει, και αοιδός αοιδώ, Και κεραμεύς κεράμει. Hefiod. Priest hates the priest, each poet scorns his

brother,

prefent purpose, than as exhibitin thing wonderful, or even remarkab yond what we ordinarily meet with accidental occurrence; fuch has be ready noticed in the cafe of the b and Puritans who were educated i fan e college.

Bishop Newton obferves, in his I Milton," it is remarkable, that t the merits of both the Universiti perhaps equally great, and though cal exercites are rather more encou at Oxford, yet most of our greatest have been bred at Cambridge, as Sp Cowley, Waller, Dryden, Prior, n mention any of the leffer ones, wher is a greater than all, Milton!" T shop should, in due order, have di us first to Chaucer: but, guided b above remark, we will fteer our next month among the Cambridge p

LXXVI. DR. RICHARDSON.

Dr. Burton, of Oxford, was ond ing with Dr. Richardfon, a late Ma Emanuel, and editor of Godwin de fulibus Anglia: the latter, when the was brought on table, like a true bridge-man, began to be full of praises of Cottenham cheese, Burton, (faid Richardfon) you and this, I think, is as excellent ac we are famous for our Cottenham-ch was ever fet upon a table." perceive (faid Burton) any thing ex dinary in this cheefe, Doctor." you not? (continued Richardfon) 1 you would fend me a better." engage fo to do, (faid Burton) and it not, Dr. Richardfon, I will eat it."

1 d

66

LXXVII. MR. BURKITT.

Mr. William Burkitt, author Pratical Expofition of the New 1 ment, and other religious books, w facetious, as well as a ferious man. was educated at Cambridge, and wards became Minister of Dedhan

Effex. Going one Sunday to church, the lecture-houfe, (the minitter's refi is fo called) he met an old Camb friend, who was coming to give him before sermon. After the accuftome lutations, Burkitt told his friend, th he had intended him the favour of a his par rifhioners would expect the fav a fermon. The clergyman excufed felf, by faying he had no fermon him but, on looking at Burkitt's po

and perceiving a corner of his fermonbook, he drew it gently out, and put it in his own pocket. The gentleman then faid, with a fimile, "Mr. Burkitt, I will agree to preach for you." He did fo; and preached Burkitt's fermon. He, however, appeared to great difadvantage after Burkitt; for he had a voice rough and untuneful, whereas Burkitt's was remarkably melodious. "Ah! (faid Burkitt to him archly, after fermon, as he was approaching him in the veftry) you was but half a rogue; you ftole my fiddle, but you could not fteal my fiddle

ftick."

NO. LXXVIII.-DR. COULTHURST, OF

SIDNEY.

Some time ago, the mode of appointing fellows, or, atleaft, of examining candidates for fome particular fellowships, was made the fubject of controversy in a certain college, and the difpute furnished matter for much converfation in the univerfity. One day, when this affair was difcuffed in a Inixed company, a gentleman prefent obferved, that if a certain way of proceeding, to which he had been objecting, was adopted, he could not conceive what criterion there would he left of merit. "An illiterate and worthiefs man (continued he) may be chofen fellow, while a man of learning and worth may be fet afide." A gentleman of much learning and humour, who was of the party, (Dr. Coulthurft) replied, "There is nothing new in this matter,"

"Worth makes the man, and want of it the Pope.

fellow."

LXXIX.-A FURTHER ACCOUNT OF MR. COLE'S MSS.

The first volume contains Parochial Antiquities of Cambridgeshire, or an account of the churches, with the funereal monuments in and about them, in the county of Cambridgeshire, in the follow ing order: Whittlesford, Abington Parva, Horfeheath, Ickleton, Hinxton, Dux ford St. John's, Pampisford, Shelford Parva, Abingdon Magna, Bartlow Church, Linton, Baberham, Stapleford, Lanwade, Shelford Magna, Cottenham, Swavefey, Long-Stanton, Omnium Sanctorum, LongStanton St. Michael's, King's College, in Cambridge, the Chapel of our Lady, and St. Nicholas, at Cambridge, King's College.

The fecond volume contains, in like manner, an Account of the Parochial Antiquities of Cambridgeshire, in the following order:

MOSTHLY MAG, No. 104.

Clare Hall, Clare Hall chapel (the old chapel), Queen's College, Queen's College chapel, Hawkfton, Barrington, Foxton, Newton, Tiiplow, Fulmer, St. Clement's church in Cambridge, St. Giles's church in Cambridge, St. Sepulchre's church in Cambridge, St. Mary Minors Church in Cambridge, Little St. Mary's church in Cam bridge, Harton, Haflinield, Shepreth, Mildreth, Melbourne, Orwell, Hadden ham, St. Andrew the Great's church in Cambridge, Harleton, Stow Longa.In the courfe of this furvey, Mr. Cole gives a defcription of each church, and of the monuments, infcriptions, and coats of arms, which they contain, together with draughts of them all, taken by himself on the fpot. Some, therefore, may choose to cali Mr. Cole a true steeple-hunter, a belluo fepulchorum.

LXXX.-CLARE HALL.

Mr. Cole, when an undergraduate, was of Clare Hall: he gives, therefore, an account of this college, and its chapel. Of the library he obferves as follows: "This library is the most elegant of any in the univerfity, being a large well-proportioned room, à la moderne, with the books ranged all around, and not in claffes, as in most of the rest of the libraries in other colleges. It is exceedingly well filled with a choice collection of valuable books; among the reft one of the few of Pope Sixtus Quintus's folio Bibles, which were foon called in upon political reasons, and is reckoned of great value." This is the new library: the old library contains a good collection of Italian and Spanish au

thors.

Of the celebrated Latin comedy of Ignoramus, he observes," that the comedy of Ignoramus, fupposed to be made by Mr. Ruggle, of Clare Hall, is but a translation of an Italian comedy of Baptifta Porta, entitled Trapularlio, as may be feen by the comedy itself in Clare Hall Library, with Mr. Ruggle's notes and alterations thereof."

This is fcarcely the proper place to add, "that about the beginning of the year 1611, (I quote from Hawkins's edition of Ignoramus,) the University of Cambridge became engaged in a contest with the Mayor of the Town and the Corpo ration, on the question which of the two, the Vice-chancellor of the University, or the Mayor of the town, was entitled to precedence of the other." Mr. Ruggle fided with the Univerfity against the town, and in the character of Ignoramus, who talks a language half Latin, half English,

E

and

and wees in the language of the Pleas and Bench," he ridicules the pedantry of the lawyers in their ordinary phrafeology. But this by the bye.

The MS. alluded to above was the original MS. of Ignoramus, from which Mr. -Hawkins derived the text of his edition, · printed not many years ago.

LXXI-KING'S COLLEGE, AND CHA

PEL.

Mr. Cole, when treating of King's College chapel, avows his chief defign to be the prefervation of the monuments within that most beautiful structure, "which, however, (he adds) confidering the largeness of it, and the number of years it has been erected, contains but an inconfiderable number, and those of no extraordinary account.' Mr. Cole purfues his defign with a moft fuperftitious minutenefs, and his account of this chapel is more circum ftantial than is to be obtained any where elfe. He obferves, that it appears from i fome old verfes at the beginning of feveral MS. Hiftoriettes, in King's College, that the founder himself, Henry VI. was prefent at the foundation, and that he laid the firft ftone. He proceeds to quote from Fuller's Church Hiftory those verses, but fometime afterward he writes a remark to this effect on the oppofite page: "The verfes alluded to on laying the firft ftone of the chapel are not the originals: of this I was informed by Mr. Smith, fen. Fellow of the College, who communicated the following, as he extracted them from fome original papers in the College." They are inferted here for the fake of the English translation, which is a fingular

The fecunde daye of Aprill that tyme day in the Paffion

The x1x yere of his Reigne here knelin his knee

To the Honour of Seint Nicholas, firft fo ed this edificacion,

With whom in Heven to be laureat gr

might the Holy Trinitye.

To a moft minute defcription this wonder ul building is fubjoin fhort account of the Provofts, begin with William Millington, the firit voft, cholen by the founder himself, A 10, 1443, and ending with Dr. Sr elected in February, 1719. This is lowed by a fimilar account of those were railed from this fociety to the ep pal order, beginning with Nicholas C Bishop of Litchfield and Coventry, t lated to that fee in 1452, and ending Francis Hare, Bishop of Winchester, t lated to Chichester, 1731. This wa Hare who published Phædrus and rence, and the Pfalms of David adj to metre.

And thus much for Mr. Cole's two volumes of MSS. The two next p nearly the fame fcent; they contain, ever, as well as the two firft, obferva on the parochial antiquities of other ties. The churches, the funereal m ments, the infcriptions, and the e cheons, in numerous parishes throug England, are, in the course of this fin collection, brought into one heap, together with the copies from ancie cords, and fome articles of more tr confideration, compose an immenfe of parochial antiquities.

To eftimate, therefore, the qual and to apportion the merit of fuch a as this, we should confider the mat of which it is formed, and the pur which the bringing of those materia to one mafs, may anfwer. The subst then, of which it is compofed, is the dering regifters of the years that a ever fled, the perishable fabrics of h fhort-lived memorials of mortals ter ingenuity and of human induftry from a world of noife and bustle, t land of filence and forgetfulness. are the materials: and the purposes the collecting of them into one body perifhing through age, and from fi anfwer, are, to preferve what is old into eternal oblivion: for,

data funt ipfis quoque Fata fepul It is no uncommon thing to hear of this kind made the subject of ridic men of fancy. What may not be fo

P