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I fpeak of prophetic not of poetic infpiration; and father Hefiod was no predicter of future events, fo that from him he could not pretend to learn it. Whence then could he feign to have it but from old oracles, from the Cumæum carmen? If he had fet up on this occation for a prophet, he would have fpoiled his compliment. It was better to reprefent himfelf as only an interpreter of antient prophecies, which he adorned with the graces of Latin poely. This gave the Eclogue au air of importance and authority." p. 290.

It is remarkable that Rous takes no notice of this Eclogue having any refe rence to Chriftian prophecy. John Opfopæus, a Protefiant profeffor of phyfick, publifhed at Paris, 1607, 8vo, a collection of the Sibylline oracles.

For the other evidences fuppofed to be borne by Pagan hiftory to the advent of Chrift, I muft beg leave to refer your correfpondent to the able defences

of our faith.

P. 119. I doubt whether, if we could recall Dr. Hunter from the grave, he could tell us where to find the execution of Pharaoh's chief butlier, who had no fuch fentence pronounced en kim by Jofeph.

Mr. URBAN,

P. Q.

Feb. 13.

THE reverence which I feel for the

learning, the wifdom, and the high character, of the rulers of our Etablished Church, caufes me to animadvert with diffidence and reluctance on any meature of theirs, cfpecially when it has as its object the good of the Church. There is, however, a regulation which has been adopted by them that affects fo fenfibly, and bears fo peculiarly hard upon the inferior Clergy, as to urge me, in fpite of fuch feelings, to make a few obfervations upon it.

The regulation to which I allude is that of not admitting into Holy Orders any person who has not had an Univerfity education.

Far be it from me to derogate in this inftance from their Lordships' good intentions. 1 moft cordially give them credit for meaning well; and I respect them the more highly for their precautions to preferve the refpectability of the clerical profellion. But I doubt whether this end be anfwered by the meature in question. While it has opened a door for the too cafy admifLon of fome into the priesthood, against whom, perhaps, it were better that it had been fut; it has certainly operated

to the exclufion of others, who from their birth and education feemed to be the fitteft perfons to fill it. For, with deference let me afk, who could be more proper paflors in the Church than the fons of its own Clergy? Is not a great part of their fathers already employed in educating and inftructing the youth of the nation, and confequently competent to train up their own children for that profeffion to which they themfelves belong? Can any poiteis deeper-riveted principles of religion and virtue that thofe into whom they have been early inftilled by the anxious care, and conftantly guarded by the watchful eye, of a pious parent? Or are any fo likely to entertain that warm and faithful attachment to the Church which they do, who have fucked in with their mother's milk a partial fondnefs for it, as the fource from whence they derive their fupport? But numbers of this defeription are now, by this regulation, excluded from becoining minifiers of the Church; for, fuch is the expence of an Univerfity education, and fo contracted are the incomes of the inferior Ciergy (alas! fo coutracted as barely to fupply the prefling wants of food and raiment), that they are unable to comply with this condition. Had their Lordships thought fit to make an exception in favour of the fons of Clergymen, I am of opinion that they would have done no harm to the refpectability of the Church, or to the general interefis of Religion; and many a father, grey in the fervice of the Eftablishment, would not now have to lament his difappointed hopes of feeing his child labouring in the fame glorious caufe with himfelf, and helping to fupport, by his piety and learning, a church which he has been taught from his infancy to love and to revere.

Without withing to undervalue in the finalleft degree an Univerfity education, I have had many occafions to fee, that its being a fine qua non for holy orders is not an effectual mean of infuring the refpectability of the priefthood. It is a qualification of which many, who have hitherto been engaged in profeflions not very compa tible with the clerical character, may at any time avail themselves; while thofe, whofe circumstances will allow them, may obtain it when they please. Accordingly, it is not uncommon to fee a fon of Mars, when difappointed in his expectations of promotion, the

lawyer,

lawyer, when difgufted with the drudgery of his profeffion, and even the tradefiman, when feduced by the facility of purchafing a living, forfaking their respective callings, flying to the University for a qualification, and entering into a line of life to which habit and inclination are averfe, but whofe emoluments were the only prompters. Whether perfons of this defcription, or thofe trained up from their infancy by an affectionate parent in thofe virtues which become the minifters of Chrift, and in thofe branches of learning which are fuited to their profeffion, are most likely to promote the caule of Religion by their life and doctrine, or to uphold the Church by the warmth and difinterefinefs of their attachment, is a queftion which the bishops them felves will find no hesitation in anfwering. CLERICUS RUSTICUS.

Mr. URBAN,

March 29.

IN addition to what I already obferved refpecting the Conflitution of the Society of Antiquaries, it fhould be farther obferved, that there is underftood to be a neceflity for choofing into the Council a Peer, a. Bishop, a great Lawyer, and a Phyfician, though no fuch obligation exilis in the Statutes. Your correfpondent ** properly obferves, that he was not fufficiently acquainted with the merits of the Fellows to trust himfelf with departing from the general rule of electing the Council. How fadly does this apply to the candidate for the higheft office in the Society and his aliifiants, who are of his own nomination, when, in a late attempt at revolution, and to make the Society of Antiquaries dependent on the Royal Society, as Holland is on France, an attempt was made to introduce (will it be too firong a term to fay thruft?) a Botanist into. a chair which had ever been filled by Antiquaries! As I faid before, the Society is grown too fashionable, too polite, and too rich, to remember the original defign of its inflitution. The firft founders were all of them frict Antiquaries, though men of the first rank in life and feience; and it would be happy if fuch characters, and fuch characters only, had uniformly and invariably fucceeded them: but, when the obligation, not to recommend a

* Some marœuvre of this fort is reported to have been played to ferve another officer,

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†. But, as ** remarks, the ineficiency of the Council pervades the body; "a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump." The first appointment of a fecond Secretary took place in 1708, when a falary of 20 guineas was voted to that neceflitous and poor scholar Dr. Morell, "for taking care of the foreign correfpondence and publications, and for fuch other occafional duty as fhall be affigned him." This oflice did not ceafe with him at his death, 1784; when the prefent refident Secretary was chofen to fucceed him. Yours, &c. AN ANTIQUARY

Mr. URBAN,

YOU

April 11. OU are requefied to correct the following fall mittake, which appeared in your laft, p. 255.

In the review of The Life and Writings of the late Mr. Cadogan," published by Mr. Cecil, the Reviewer fays at the clofe, Mr. Eyre, whofe principles feem to be very different from thofe of Mr. Cadogan, and have therefore been furioufly attacked, appears to have been his curate at Chelfea in 1789." A Mr. Eyre was formerly curate to Mr. Cadogan either at Chelfea or Reading, and afterwards, it

**We have heard of a celebrated Auc

tioneer hanging there till he was found out.

+ Here our Correfpondent muft excufe our omitting what we think would be too fevere a perfonality. EDIT.

"By how much any perfons shall be Antiquities and Hidory of this and other more excelling in the knowledge of the nations, by how much the more they are defirous to promote the honour, bufinefs, and emolument of the Society, and by how much the more eminent they fhall be for

piety, virtue, integrity, and loyalty, by fo much the more fit and worthy shall fuch perfons be judged of being elected and admitted into the laid Society." Charter.

is believed, refided at Hackney. The fances into which all poor children Mr. Eyre who fuccceded Mr. Cadogan apprenticed out by parishes or others at Reading never was his curate, and is to individuals, or to manufactories, is a very different perfon. He gave up confidered, it will be a very finall porfome preferment in Oxfordfhire, where tion of the community in leed that will ke had been long fettled, when he re- be benefited by the relief here propofed. moved to Reading; and only removed Without depreffing the laudable views at the prefling requett of a very part of the Society, it must be perceived, by cular friend. By inferting the above their own confeflion, that they have more correct flatement, you will oblige found matters more favourable than A CONSTANT READER. has been reprefented, and that they find the difficulty of creating a fubflítute not less than represented by

I

March 31.

Mr. URBAN, AM pleafed with the definition of an antient chimney in your laft, p. 128: "a fort of column adapted to fuch ufes." Would it not be more ad

ANTIPHLOGISTON.

Mr. URBAN, New Road, April 8. 28. Cumberland-fireet,

MY curiofity has lately been fo counts in the public prints, and particularly your interefting Magazine, refpecting the improvements at the Houfe of Commons, and the defpoiling of St. Stephen's chapel, that I was induced to learn the truth, and accordingly went to Weftmintler, where I obferved circumftances which exceeded all report. It was on the 21ft of lalt October

vilable in the Anti-chimney-fweeper ing alf chimneys in future on the fame plan, inftead of deliberating for three years on the mode for bettering the condition of the climbing boys, as their advertisement fets forth. They admit that "all new inventions are attended with uncertainty" and that "they have already been able to difcover, that a certain proportion of the chimneyfweepers' apprentices, who have been entered Cotton-garden, which was bound to the more reputable mafters, then covered with the mutilated ornaare treated with humanity, and confi- ments, paintings, &c. brought from derable attention paid both to their re- the chapel. In particular, I noticed a ligious and moral inftruction." Still picture on fione; the fubject a naked there is much reafon to apprehend that martyr, in a fupplicating pofture, placed by far the largest proportion are much in the body of a golden calf, whofe neglected, and of thofe that not a few horns were held by a man in armour; are doomed to fuffer many unneceffary underneath, in the left-hand corner on hardships and much mifery, which the the ground, was the figure of a female Committee propofe to relieve by bind- in blue drapery with her armis bound, ing them out to other trades, in cafe and above her were two figures fiandthey are no longer ufeful as chimney-ing in a balcony to witnefs the punishfweepers; and by fecuring to thein good ufage, with proper religious and moral inftruction, in the event of their being ultimately found indifpenfably neceffury in their prefent employment. At the age of 15 or 16 the apprenticeships of these poor youths expire, and about 70 of them are every year caft upon the world, without friends, and deftitute of the means of earning a fubfiftence. They are then of a growth which renders them unfit to fweep chimneys, and very few can be employed as journeymen. It is therefore the object of the Society to procure proper mafters, to whom thefe youths may be bound apprentices, in other ufeful mechanical employments, till the age of 21, with a fmall fee to induce afters to take them. When the fimilarity of circum

ment or execution. What hocked me moft was the malice of fome individuals, who had defignedly ftruck a chifel into the faces of all the figures, and fractured the fione at equal diftances, to render it (as it fhould feem) as much unintelligible as poflible. Near this fragment flood another block, 20 inches long, on which was painted an infcription. This ftone, a labourer told me, he had the preceding day brought from the fireet in Old Palaceyard; and that then it was perfect, and had been noticed by an artift. I was furprized to obferve it had fhared the fanie fate as the valuable picture I have juft deferibed, fo that not two lines were left perfect. This infeription is fimilar to the fragments in the poffef fion of the Antiquarian Society, which

were

were mofily taken down from the South fide of St. Stephen's chapel long

before Mr. Sirke began his drawings.

About the fame time, a fide-entrauce at the Weft end of the chapel was reopened. It confified of brackets of lily and other leaves, at the bottom of which were two heads, the one a king, the other a queen, which were probably intended to reprefent Richard II. and his queen, as they much refembled the effigies of thofe royal perfonages on their monument in Weftininter-abbey. Being fo much pleafed with this arch, and the elegance of the brackets, I went the next day to draw them; but, to my afionishment, I found the heads knocked off, and the arch cut away. I was happy to hear they were previoufly drawn by an able artift, who alfo pick ed up one of the heads with other of its fragments in the public fireet.

It is with pleafure I obferved, on the Wrapper of your-laft Number, an advertisement from another Artift, announcing his intention to publish some of thefe reliques as fpecimens of the Edwardian ftyle; as the abilities of Mr. Carter are equal to a beautiful felection, and from his pencil much may be expected. Perhaps it may be interelling to the gentlemen engaged in the illuturation of St. Stephen's chapel, to know that, in the wall of the flaircafe abovementioned, and formerly leading to the Houfe of Commons from the Speaker's cloifters, but now an entrance to a fmall room made for the accommodation of the gentlemen of the Court of King's Bench, at about fix feet in height on the left-hand fide from the landing-place, is an hiftorical picture of five figures, with labels from their mouths, painted on a flone which was brought from St. Stephen's chapel, and recently worked up in the wall, with the figures inverted. And a few weeks ago, a carved fìone of exquifite worknianship, painted and gilt, being part of the canopy of the old cloifters (many pieces of which were dug up from under the fite of the prefent cleifters, built by Dr. Chalmers, when Mr. Johnfon, bricklayer to the works, conducted a fewer through the old tower by Westminster-hall), was in the poffeffion of an old man of the name of Richards, living in one of the five houfes, Tothill-felds, who cared it with rabbish to patch up his pig-hye; and pottibly he may fill have it. Yours, &c.

R. WYNNE.

GRECIAN ARCHITECTURE. No. XV.
Mr. URBAN, Portfea, March 7.
ALTHOUGH the controverfy a-

mong authors concerning the fwell to be given to the middle of the fhaft of a column prefcribed by Vitruvius is inore curious than interefting, it feems to call for fome notice to be taken of it; fince fome infift much on the propriety of it. It is faid that Villalpadus was fo enamoured of it, that he fpeaks impatiently of thofe who op pofe it, and would have us believe that Vitruvius took the hint from the facred writings, and not from the docu ments of Grecian architects. But if he means by facred writings the Holy Bible, it appears not where fwelled columns are mentioned; in both places where the temple of Solomon is deferibed, columns are repeatedly noti ced without a word of any fwell in the middle of them. And Vitruvius fays the Greeks called the fwell ivraσn: we

muft then conclude that he had feen it in fome of their writings, or have been taught it by his Athenian mafters, of whom he tells us he received his leflons on the art of architecture. And had there been frequent inftances of fwelled columns among the Romans, there muft have been an unaccountable partiality in favour of the other form in the minds of thofe barbarian defpoilers of the antient works, fince they have not, amongst thofe they fpared, left us one of fuch inflated columns. And though fome ingenious artifls have approved of the entalis, and left devices to fupply the lofs of our mafter's, after all, the well is both unnatural and perplexing; nor is there any certainty what the degree of fwell fhould be, nor where to begin and finifh it. We never fee regularly-grown trees in fuch a form, and if Villalpadus had feen fuch, as he pretends, we may fafely call their fwelling a diftorfion in nature accidentally impeded. Palladio, Alberti, and fonie few others of the roderns, favour the entalis: Sir Henry Wotton ridicules it; and moft of the moderns are against it. Now as columns without this fwell are allowed by all to be beautiful, and but few think them so with it; this argument alone is fulficient to reject the entafis. The true and moft perfect form for the fhafts of columns, is that preferibed by nature in the bodies of trees, wherein we always fee a gradual contraction as they rife, as Vitruvius himfelf obferves Book V. ch. 1.

and

and orders columns to be formed in this imitation of nature, which, being fo oppofite to his prefeription of the entafis, leaves room to conclude our matter had changed his opinion, and dropt the delign he promifed. And as trees rife not abruptly from their roots, but in a bending fweep appear to have quited their extended radicles, to take their upright flight, in like manner the column's fhaft is to appear to quit its base in a gradual bend, and affume its upright direction: this bending termination is called by Vitruvius apophyges, from the axodvyn, a flying out. The height and projecture of this apophyge he leaves at difcretion; as alio the cincture of the fhaft under it. Perrault makes it 3 minutes high, and 4 projecture from the naked of the shaft, in all columns, in which he commits his judgment; for although this cineture be a part of the fhaft, and not of the bafe, yet the eye muft neceflarily compare it with fiimilar members in the bafe juft under it, where cinctures are feldom more than one minute high, and with 3 would be quite prepolerous; in the Ionic even they cannot well be allowed one minute. Befides, fuch a perpendicular height between the torus of the bafe and the apophyge at once deftroys all natural refemblance of trees rifing from their roots; to preferve which appearance certainly the height of this cincture thould be fcarce perceptible. The examples of the antique furnifh no rule in this particular, the generality of them have about one minute and a half; in the temple of Vefta at Rome only one, in the temple of Peace little more than half a minute, and in temple of Concord even 5, and this appears moft difgufting. Perrault thought 3 minutes a fair medium among fach a variety. But to fet them all afide and follow nature is far more advifeable, and to give this cincture any height between and one minute, in order to make the apophyge appear, as it ought, to come out from the bafe and not from the fruftrum of a cilinder, as the 3 of Perrault and the 5 minutes of the antique re able. As to the projecture of this cincture, it must be determined by the upper member of the bafe, and not fixed, as Perrault has it, at 4 minutes, or 34 from central line; for this obvious reafon, that it muft never go beyond the perpendicular of the centre on which is turned the torus next under it: vet in the Ionic bale, deferibed in lali number, to reach this

centre of torus it would project 87 minutes, and thus render the fweep of the apophyge much too large; and to confine its projecture within Perrault's 34, would leave an awkward uncovered plain on the fally of the torns; this requires therefore its projecture to he juft, or little more than, 35 minutes for this Ionic bafe.

The diminution, or more properly to be called, as Perrault obferves, the contraction of the tops of thafts, is a very unfettled matter; the rules of Vitruvius, founded on his notion of the optical effects of the contraction, have been exploded in No. VII. vol. LXXI. p. 1179, Gent. Mag. In the antique, the diameter at top in the Doric of the theatre of Marcellus is but 48 minutes or 24 from central line, in the lonic 25. In the 3 columns, campo, vaccino, and in Mars ultor 253. In the portico of the Pantheon, and in Frontispiece of Nero, 20§. In Fortuna virilis 201. In Vefta at Tivoli, and within the Pantheon, 26; and in the temple of Bacchus even 264. Here then is a fufficient latitude to countenance almost any kind of contraction; and it is remarkable that the more enriched columns in the antique have the least contraction.

Now from the contraction of columns, when accompanied with pilafters, as in temples and other buildings with porticos, there arifes a perplexing deformity in the managenient of the epiftyles, to remedy which no complete invention has yet been devifed. It is a fettled rule, and well fettled, that pilafters engaged again the wall are not to take the contraction at top like their correfpondent columns, for if they were contracted they could not mitre at the perpendicu lar quoins with fide pilafter; and as it is effentially required that the central line of the pilafier and that of the column oppofite fhould exactly corre fpond, it will follow that the epitiyle (whereof the foffit is always to be equal to the greateft contraction at top of columu), when fet properly on the column, will thew is for within the perpendicular fides of the pilatter that fupports the other end of this tranfverfe epiftyle, and thus fhew a very unpleafant deformity. Some have attempted to mend this appearance by compounding with the difference, and placing the epiftyle half the contraction, viz. about 2 minutes over the perpendicular of the neck of the capi

tal,

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