important conftitutional points, particularly the introduction of foreign troops into the kingdom.

The Houfe being then refumed, the report of the progrefs of the committee was ordered to be brought up the next day. Adjourned.

Thursday, December 6.

An account of fums iffued by his Ma⚫ jefty, in compliance with the addreffes of the Houfe, and which had not been made good by Parliament, was prefented from the Exchequer, read, and ordered to be laid on the table.

Mr. Gilbert brought up the report of the committee of ways and means, which was read; and the refolutions for continuing the duties on malt, cyder, mum, and perry, were agreed to; as was alfo the land-tax.

Mr. Gilbert begged the attention of the Houfe for a few minutes to a fubject which he had long revolved in his mind, and in which the Houfe had laudably interested tfelf for the two preceding feffions. With their affiftance, therefore, of which he had no reafon to doubt, he entertained hopes of being able to complete the whole in a manner that would reflect credit on their humanity. It was fcarcely ncceffary, he faid, to add, that he alluded to the poor bill. A bill had paffed laft feffion, requiring the minifters, churchwardens, and other proper officers, to make returns of all charitable donations within their refpective parishes and diftri&ts. In obedience to this ac, returns to a large amount had been made; and, agreeably to an order of the Houfe, thofe returns had been printed for the ufe of the members, but fo imperfectly, that the object in view was in a great measure defeated. To remedy this, circular letters had been fent to the fame defcriptions of perfons, requiring them to fupply the defects in the former returns, and to place the whole in a more regular form. This had been attended with fo good an effect, that, within thefe few months, not lefs than 2700 returns had been made. What he intended, therefore, to move, was, that a committee be appointed to take those returns into confideration, and to report their opinion, how far the act alluded to, made in the 26th year of his prefent Majesty, for the purpofe of enforcing thofe returns, had been complied with. Agreed to.

Sir John Miller moved, that leave be given to bring in a bill to prevent perfons entitled to their freedom by birth,

marriage, or fervitude, in cities, towns, ports, or boroughs, from voting at elections of members to ferve in parliament for fuch cities, towns, &c. until they have been admitted to their freedom a limited time previously to fuch election.

Mr. Jolliffe faid, he should oppose the bill, unless the Hon. Bart. fupported it by ftronger arguments than could, in his prefent opinion, be urged in favour of it.

Sir John Miller thought the bill a very neceflary one, in point of order, diftinction, and information. The inconvenience arising from occafional voters had, he believed, been experienced by many gentlemen in that Houfe. Bristol and Liverpool, to his own knowledge, felt this inconvenience in a high degree, and yet it was eafily remedied; it only required that the elector fhould register his name and qualification a certain number of days immediately preceding the election; about three or four, in his opinion, would be fufficient; by which means the candidate would be able to eftimate the number of his conftituents, and to pay them every proper respect. But it often happens, that many persons deriving their fuffrages from birth, marriage, or fervitude, came to London without having registered their names, never thinking more of their privilege tili they fee the addrefs of a candidate in a news-paper, when they hurry down, and deftroy that order, diftinction, and information, which it is the object of the bill to establish. If the House would fuffer the bill to be read once, and printed, they would have an opportunity of forming their opinions reipecting it during the recefs, and he flattered himfelf they would then be of his opinion. The House had a particular intereft in this bill. It was their duty to afcertain the qualification of electors, that as little room as poffible might be left for doubt or difputation. Of this we had an early proof, in the fix ng at 40s. a year the privilege of voting for a county; a fum which, in thofe days, was of more value than 201. at prefent; and a recent inftance of this attention occurred in that act which difables cultom-houfe officers and excifemen from voting at elections for members of parliament..

Mr. Cricket and Sir James Johnfione fpoke a few words against the bill; after which the Houfe divided, when there appeared fortit only the two tellers, and against it 52.

To be continued:):)
12. FOREIGN

FOREIGN ARTICLE. 12. EDDA SÆMUNDAR HINNS FRODA. Edda Rhythmica, feu Antiquior, vulgo Sæmundina dila. Pars I. Odas Mythologicas, à Refenio non Editas, continens. Cum Verfione Latina, Lectionibus varjis, Notis, Gloffario Vocum, et Indice Rerum. Hafniæ, 1787. 410. pp. 722. Edda 404, Gloff. 318.

A length this work, fo long expected by the literati, makes its appearance. The reader need not, perhaps, be told, that, ever fince the later Edda, afcribed to Snorro, and written about the year 1215, was published by Refenius (Hafniæ, 1665, 4to.), great defire has been entertained and expreffed, by many learned authors, of feeing the old Edda in print. Refenius, in the fame year that he published the later Edda, alfo publifhed two of the moft important poems of the old Edda, in feparate pamphlets; namely, the VoLUSPA, and the HAAVAMAL. But it was doubted by Mallet, and others, whether the rest of the old Edda exifted. The First, or Mythologic, Part of it now appears, and will peedily be followed by the Second, or Hiftorical. The attention excited by the fingular and fublime mythology of the Profaic Edda will no doubt be railed to the highest degree by the publication of this ancient Edda, containing the origi. nal poems from which the Profaic Edda was drawn.

In the first place appears a well-written Preface, giving fome account of the Eddic mythology, and fhewing furiking resemblances between it and the Greek. M. Mallet has already remarked the fimilarity of this mythology to the Perfian, in numerous inftances. This Preface alfo contains an account of the manufcripts from which this edition is printed.

Next is a long and curious Life of Sæmund, furnamed Froda, or, The Learned, the fuppofed collector of the old poems which form this Edda. He was born in the South of Iceland, in the year 1056, according to the beft accounts; travelled into France, and returned to his native country about A. D 1076. Here he became a clergy man, famous for his learning, zeal, aud abilities, and peculiarly ardent in illuftrating the antiquities of his country; fo much fo, that his fame there, at this day, exceeds the reality, and numerous works are afcribed to him which certainly belong to others. It is indeed an GENT. MAG. February, 1788.

unhappy circumstance, that the numer ous Icelandic writers did not put their names to their works; for report and tradition are always uncertain, generally falfe. But it is of no moment whether Sæmund collected thefe poems or not: they certainly precede his time; as every one verfed in Icelandic poetry, or

language, muft allow. The fimplicity of the phrafeology, compared with the Icelandic poetry of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, fo full of distorted conceits and violent metaphors; the want of rhyme, which began to be used by Eynar Sculafon, about 1157; the indefcribable antique manner of these poems; all afford evidence that they are of early date. Add to thefe, that the fcene, or perfons, never are Icelandic, but always Danish, Swedish, or Norwegian; a peculiarity impoffible to be accounted for, if the poems had been written in Iceland. It feems, therefore, to follow, that thefe poems must have been traditionally preferved among the Icelanders, who only began to pafs from Scandinavia to that country about the year 874. To these arguments others may be added from the Preface of this edition, p. xxxviii, evincing that thefe poems precede the ninth century. Let not the reader, however, fall into the vulgar error of increafing unknown antiquity to an unneceffary degree. There is no reafon to infer that thefe poems are older than the eighth or ninth century. Certain it is, that, be their age what it may, they contain the Pagan creed of Scandinavia. The conteft concerning the antiquity of the later Edda is equally ridi culous. Nobody doubts that Natalis Comes, a writer of the fixteenth century, has given us the beft Syftem of Greek and Roman Mythology. There can be no doubt that the later Edda contains the real Pagan Gothic mythology, becaufe innumerable writers, from Jornandes and Beda, the Scriptores Rerum Normannicarum, Adam of Bremen, Saxo Grammaticus, &c. &c. &c. down to later times; the German, English, Scandian names of days of the week; and a thoufand other irradicable circunftances; all certify to us the grand and leading features of this Edda; fo that age is of no moment. But as a mufcripts of both Eddas exit, written in the fourteenth century; and Sax Grammaticus, who wrote in the twelfth, gives us their chief feateres;

and

11. Fiol Svinns Mal. Suipdag, an illuftrious youth, returning from a jourDey, tries the wit of Fiolfuid, who guarded his miftrefs, by various quefTons. This is a mere firing of riddles, and can neither belong to the Mythologic nor Hiftoric part of the Edda, as the Editor allows.

12. Hyndly Lioth, al. Voluspa hin Skamma. This poem, called The Little Volufpa, contains the genealogy of one Ottar, detailed in a fingular antique manner. If it belongs to the Edda at all, it mult belong to the Hiftoric part, and has no business here.

13. Appendix, Solar Lioth. A curious moral poem, elegantly written by a Chriftian fcald, but fingularly mingled with Paganifimm. It confefedly does not belong to the Edda.

The Gloffary is extremely large, and full, as neceffary in explaining the oldest remains of the Scandinavian tongue, and must be useful in tracing the ety mology of the English.

The learned Society for publishing Danith MSS. deferve great praife for the propriety and exactness of their edi. tions. They propofe fpeedily to publifh

the Hiftoric Part of the Old Edda; which, if we judge from that of the later Edda, relates to Hrolf Krak, Froder

Fridleif, and efpecially Sigurd Fofnericida, old Danith kings and heroes. It is much to be wifhed that they would publifh a correct edition of Snorro's Edda, from the beft MSS.; for those of Refenius and Goranfon are very bad. The variations are great; and it feems uncertain if the work be in dialogue or not; for the two firft chapters feem interpolated. The third chapter of the Prologue, as given by Refenius, concerning the Afæ and Troy, Odin's flight from Pompey, &c. is clearly not by Snorro, as it is quite contradictory to his history and the Edda itfelf. The dialogue of Gangler with three perfons, who, however, all make one Odin, being merely different names for that god, as appears from the Scalda, feems abfurd, and an interpolation of fome ignorant hand, The fame and importance of the Edda call for full illuftration of its obfcurities; and it is hoped the Danish SEVIRI will gratify, the republic of letters with a full account of the different MSS. of Snorro's Edda, their contents, and variations, as that work is more univerfally attended to

than any other Northern production. Arnas Magnæus, in his Life of Sæmund, thinks the later Edda not older than the fourteenth century; but his arguments are inconclufive, as he makes no allowance for interpolations, and judges from MSS. of this Edda actually then tranfcribed Nor does it clearly appear that the Scalda, from which he judges, and the Edda, were written by one perfon. The question requires the greateft critical acumen, and Icelandic learning, to decide.

13. BIBLIOTHECA TOPOGRAPHICA BRITANNICA. NO XLIII. Containing, The Hiftories of Afton Flamvile and Burbach, including the Hamlets of Sketchley and Smockington, and the Granges of Leicester and Horefton, in the Counties of Leicester and Warwick. With a large Appendix to the Hiftory of Hinckley. By John Nichols, F.S. A. Edinb. & Perth; and Printer to the Society of Antiquaries, London. 40.

THE important confequences that morials, interwoven in the Hiftory of have followed upon fome family meHinckley, which formed one of the earlieft Numbers of this ufeful Collection of British Topography, have infpirited the Compiler to purfue this dry walk, with pleature to himfelf, and information to the publick. He has made the moft of the fmall townships here defcribed; and, if he has done nothing elfe, he has fet a pattern to future compilers, and extends his views to as full an Hifiory of the COUNTY of LEICESTER as the want of perfection in, or accefs to, the collections of Sir Tho mas Cave will permit. What pity fuch collections fhould be neglected, and that the drudgery of forming them a fecond time fhould remain to be gone over again!

14.

BIBLIOTHECA TOPOGRAPHICA BRITANNICA, N° XLIV. Containing, An Hiftorical Account of the Parish of Odell, in the County of Bedford; wherein particular Attention is paid to the Queries proposed by the Editors of Bibliotheca Topographica Britannica. Communicated by Oliver St. John Cooper, Vicar of Paddington and Thurleigh.

IT gives us pleasure to fee this third inftance of attention paid by Mr. Cooper to the interefting queries abovementioned, which are fuch a proper bafis for a general topographical hiftory of Great Britain. Too much praife cannot be given to the Editor of the Bibliotheca Topographica Britannica,

which has made a progrefs beyond our moft fanguine expectations. We can only exprefs a wifh, that Mr. Cooper may in like manner pervade a circuit round him, and provoke the neighbouring clergy to a Hiftory of Bedford fhire.

15. BIBLIOTHECA TOPOGRAPHICA BRITANNICA. NO XLV. Containing. An Ab

pendix [by Mr. Pridden] to the Hiftories of
Reculver and Herne; and Observations, by
Mr Denne, on the Archiepifcopal Palace of
Mayfield in Sufex. 4to.

THIS little mifcellany contains many particulars and drawings of Reculver and its neighbourhood, not noticed in the former accounts; fome, alfo, relat

ing to Canterbury, and the difcovery of the remains of the Archbishops Iflip and Wittlefey, in new paving the nave of the church; Obfervations on the words Chrifome and Chrifomer, which, in the pañiages from Shakspeare and Davenant, feem to mean innocent babe, or babe newly baptifed, confequently not many days old, or within the month. But the difficulty of applying the term to an old man is not folved, unlefs we should read it, "oulde Arnold's chrifomer;" i. e. his child, inftead of himfelf; which is at leaft as warrantable an alteration as that of Achryfomer," in a privative fenfe, for a child not chriftened at all. This number concludes with a collection of epitaphs and notes at Herne, Biddendien, Rolgenden, and Staplehurst.

166

16. BIBLIOTHECA TOPOGRAPHICA BRITANNICA. NO XLVI. Containing, 1. The Cafe of the Inb.bitants of Croydon, 1673; with an Appendix to the Hiflory of that Town. 2. A Lift of the Manerial Houfes which formerly belonged to the Sce of Canterbury. 3. A Defcription of Trinity Hofpital, Guilford; and of Albury Houfe. Wib, 4. Brief Notes on Batterfea, Chelfham, Nutfield, and Tatsfield, in the County of Surrey. 46.

THE inhabitants of Croydon made heavy complaints against their vicar, Dr. Wm. Cleaver, who obtained, in the times of the Rebellion, the fequefter. ed living of Ashton, co. Northampton, where he behaved in a manner very unlike a clergieman, committing great extortion, oppreflion, pulling down his parfonage-houle, and felling the mateals, and doing many unjuftifiable acts for (honey, befides his infufficiency in preathing printed fermons, and nonfente, and being drunk, keeping a woman as his wife, and refuting to baptife the child of a vijible believer. Upon the

refloration of the right incumbent to this living, Dr. C. got the vicarage of Croydon of the Chancellor, and never paid the money which he promised to the friend who procured it for him, and entered into litigation with his parishioners for tithes. After repeated petitions and complaints against him, for two years, the parishioners offered to raife a fufficient income for another incumbent, and the Chancellor to provide him another living, if he would furrender, which he refufed to do, and died par"fon of Croydon” 1702. This Cafe was firft printed in 1675.

Letters from Dr. Ducarel, concern

ing his Collections for the Hifiory of Croydon, before reviewed in our vol. LIII. p. 773; and Additions and Cor- ̈

rections in it.

Lift of the Manerial Houfes formerly belonging to the fee of Canterbury, by Mr. Denne, with Anecdotes and Traní

actions in each.

Account of Trinity Hospital, founded by Archbp. Abbot, 1619, in his native town of Guilford, with a plate; of Albury Houfe, from Aubrey, with a plate.

A Map of Surrey, from Aubrey.

Brief Notes on Batterfea, by Mr. Theobald.

Account of Chelfbam, Nutfield, and Tatsfield parishes, from Aubrey, and

E. Steele's MSS. with Views of the two latter churches.

Thefe mifcellaneous gleanings will in fome degree obviate the complaint of Dr. Ducarel, 30 years ago, that our Local Antiquities were too much neglected.

17. A fummary View of the Slave Trade, and

of the probable Confequences of its Abolition.

THIS is another of thofe little manuals circulated by the Humane Society inftituted with the laudable defign of "preaching deliverance to the captives, "to fet at liberty them that are bruifed, to preach the acceptable year of the "Lord." fary of a century Jince the yoke of a Popish May this year, the annivertyrant was broken from the neck of Britam, "break afunder the bands of the poor Africans, and caft away their "cords from us!"

66

The Confequences of the abolition of this inhuman traffic, as here extracted from a Latin prize differtation at Cambridge, 1785, by T. Clarkton, are, the

*One may fay, of two centuries, when we recollect the wonderful difperfion of the Spanith arinada, 1538. EDIT.

cellation