Jo MAITLAND OMNIBUS hoc fcriptum vifuris vel audituris Georgius de Haliburton Dominus ejufdem et baroniæ de Dyrlton falutem in Domino fempiternam Noveritis nos dediffe conceffiffe et hac præfenti carta noftra confirmaffe predilecta fcutifero noftro Willelmo Levinton de Saltcottis pro fuis auxilio confilio et fervicio nobis hactenus impenfo Noftram puram plenam et liberam licenciam ad habendam naviculam ad mare in villa et territorio de Gulyn † fuper litus maris ad prondendum capiendum fuper mare pifces majores et minores cujufcunque fexus et ad terram deducend. Tenendam et habendam dictam naviculam cum pertinentiis de nobis et heredibus noftris dicto Willelmo et heredibus fuis feu affignatis quibufcunque in feodo ct hereditate imperpetuum cum omnibus et fingulis commoditatibus libertatibus et ay riamentis ac juftis fuis pertinenciis ad dictam naviculam fpeciantibus feu jufte spectare vaAdeo lilentibus quomodolibet in futurum bere quiete plenarie integre honorifice bene et in pace ficut aliqua navicula in aliquo dominio per quemcunque fuperiorem dominum in regno Scocie melius plenius integrius honorificencius habetur feu poffidetur et confimili modo ficut et nos necnon anteceffores Bettri habuimus et habemus cum laborantihus eandem ad numerum fex virorum vel infra ad laborand. in ead. ficut moris eft cum earum libero introitu et exitu ad mare ac ad amplicandum cum tempeftates ingruerint in aliquo loco ubi eis contigerit infra dict. noftrum dominium cum equis et uxoribus feu fervitoribus aut fervientibus cum pertinenciis ad obviand. dicte navicule five cymbe necnon eam exonerandam pifcibus captis et ad terram deduétis cum ad domos fuas jocundo aditu et reductu per noffrum memoratum dominium tociens quociens noéte et die ubi et quando eis placuerit et opus fuerit abfque moleftatione perturbacione questione taxatione exaccione contradictione revocatione per nos heredes noftros feu aliquem nomine noftrum dicto Willelmo heredibus fuis et affignatis quovis colore quefito inferendis Ft nos vero diétus Georgius et heredes noftri dictam naviculam five cimbam cum pertinen. dicto Willelmo heredibus fuis et affignatis in omnibus et per omnia ut premiflum eft contra omnes mortales waran Sir John Maitland, of Lethingtoun, afterwards chancellor of Scotland. In 1590 he was created Lord Maitland, of Thirlertane. Ile is the ancestor of the Earls of Lauderdale. + New Gullan, a village in East Lothian, on the South Thore of the firth of Forth. tizabimus acquietabimns et imperpetuum per prefentes defendemus In cujus rei robur et fidei teftimonium figillum noftrum prefentibus eft appenfum apud caftrum noftrum de Dirlton decimo die menfis Maii anno Domini millefimo quadringentefimo fexagefimo feptimo Teftibus Waltero Haliburton fratre noftro germano Ricardo Haliburton fratre noftro naturali Henrico Haliburton confan guineo noftro Waitero Foular Henrico Ni cholfon et Ade Bural ferjando cum diverfis aliis. GEORGE Lord HALYBURTON. [N. B. By a charter, dated 18 Auguft, 1547, John Levingtoun of Saltcottis conveys to his beloved fon Archibald, and his heirs and affigns, the above puram plenam et liberam licentiam ad habendam naviculam ad mare in villa et territorio de Gulyne fuper littus maris ad prendendum capiendum fuper mare pifces majores et minores cujufcunque fexus et eofdem ad terram deducendam Refervato tamen libero tenemento totius et in tegræ prædiétæ naviculæ cum libertatibus proficuis et pertinentiis ejufdem mihimet ipfi Et rationalibi pro toto tempore vitæ meæ tertia ejufdem fponfæ meæ quum contigerit.] "Safe from the bar, the pulpit, and the throne, "Yet touch'd and mov'd by ridicule alone.” Mr. URBAN, May 28. To place a folly in a ridiculous point of view has frequently a better effect than to attempt a ferious refutation. This feems to have been the idea of the writer of the following curious hand-bill, diftributed, fome little time fince, in the city of Lichfield, and fent to me as a curiofity by a correfpondent in that neighbourhood. Who the author is I know not. It is written in ridicule of the Methodists, whofe doctrines have of late fpread very much thereabouts. As few of your readers can have an opportunity of feeing the original, the copy is at their fervice. "The Secret difclofed; or, The itinerant Field Orator's Methodist Gibberish: lately delivered in this Neighbourhood. "You that have ears to hear, eyes to fee, tongues to tafte, and throats to fwallow, draw near-draw near, I fay, and pick up the crumbs I fhall fcatter among ye-the crumbs of comfort, wherewith ye muit be crammed until ye become chickens of grace, and are cooped up in the hencoop of righteousness. "If your hearts are as hard as a Suffolk cheese, or a Norfolk dumpling, my difcourfe shall beat them, as it were, upon a cobler's lap-ftone, until they become as fofc as a roafted apple-aye, even as foft as custardmeat, and melt in your bellies like a marrow-pudding. "Do you know what trade Adam was?I fay, do you know what trade Adam was? The If you don't, I'll tell you. Why, Adam was "Now, do you know what was the first thing Adam set in his garden? Ho! ho! ho! you don't, don't you? Then I will tell you. His foot. His foot, I fay, was the first thing Adam fer in his garden. But he could not keep it there. No, no, no, no, no, no; he could not keep it there; for Lucifer came behind him, tript up his heels, and trundled him out again neck and fhoulders. "I'll tell you a fecret. I fay, I'll tell you a fecret. Knees were made before elbows; aye, knees, I fay, were made before elbows; for the beafts of the field were made before man, and they have no elbows at all. Therefore, down on your marrow-bones, and pray for mercy; elfe you will all be turned into Belzebub's underground kitchen, to make bubble and íqueak of your fouls for the Devil's fupper." Strange as this ftyle may appear, it is a very fuccefsful imitation of language every day to be heard at Methodit meetings; but furely the congregations muft poffefs very depraved appetites to relish fuch coarfe food. In endeavour ing to adapt their language to the capacities of the vulgar, the preachers of this fect make ufe of the groffeft metaphors, which, coolly confidered, cannot be looked upon but as grofs impieties. There is certainly a great difference be tween preaching a language incomprehenfible to common minds, and thus levelling all form of common decency. That the preachers among both the Etablished Church and the Diffenters in general would endeavour to purfue a medium between the two extremes, is ftrongly recommended to them by Yours, &c. S. J. Mr. URBAN, Leiceflerfbire, June 2. THE HE decay of religion and piety among the laity of the Church of England is vifible in every place; and cannot but give pain to thofe who are concerned for the fupport and honour of our cftablishment, That the clergy have, in a great measure, loft that refpect and veneration in which they ufed to be held by the laity, is a truth no lefs obvious. Thefe appearances are not, I apprehend, very difficult to be accounted for. When piety becomes generally odious and unfashionable, what can the minifters of religion expect but neglect and contempt and when the zeal of the paftors themfelves is in general either decayed or extinguished, need we GENT. MAG. June, 1788. be furprised that their flocks are equally cold and indifferent? When we fee the preferment than promoting the salvation clergy more diligent in fcrambling for of fouls; when we fee the great and important duties of the paftoral care give way to hunting and gaming, balls and horse-races; when we fee the church crowded with men who poffefs neither learning nor dignity of character; what are we to expect from fuch a state of things? When the fanctuary is thus openly polluted, need we wonder at the fpirit of irreligion and diffipation which fo univerfally prevails in the higher ranks of life and at the ignorance and corruption of manners which, in these days, fo ftrongly characterife the lower orders of people in this country? The clerical credit and character have admitting into the church men of no certainly funk very much, of late, by education. This is an evil against which we hear the loudeft complaints almost every where; and an evil it is is indeed a heavy reflection upon my which moft loudly calls for redress. It thould be induced, by any plea whatLords the Bishops, that any one of them ever, to ordain perfons who cannot make claffical learning, who not only are unit appear that they have any tincture of able to conftrue a verfe in the Greek Teftament, but who have never been inftructed in a fyftem of divinity. The moft illiterate diffenting congregations would reject with fcorn and contempt many whom we fee created deacons and rend hands. What an infult then is it pricfts by the impofition of right reveto the understandings of a difcerning audience to have one placed over them, as their paftor and inftructor, whose vulgarity of dialect befpeaks the rufticity and meannefs of his education, and who can fcarcely write a common billet without betraying his ignorance of the common rules of grammar and orthography! At a time when the "harveft is fo plenteous," our Bishops neither act the part of wife or faithful ftewards, by fending fuch raw and unfkilful labourers into their Mafter's vineyard. Non tali auxilio, non defenforibus iftis, In the neighbourhood where I live, Mr. Urban, we have feen the plough more than once exchanged for the pulpit, which has given occafion to a common remark, among our fagacious farmers and graziers, that "when all other means means fail, they can become parfons." It is of no avail to tell us, that their piety and morals reflect no difcredit on their order. I could fay as much of many an honeft far.ner in my own parifh, and fign their teftimonial with a fafe confcience but will any one be abfurd enough to maintain, that nothing further is requifite to procure a clergyman that refpect which will give due weight to the exercife of his public functions? If the education of a common excife. man or mechanic qualifies for the clerical office, why do we fpend fo many years at fchool and in college? The vulgar, who are the bulk of mankind, always look up with the most profound refpect to a man of letters and I will maintain, that it is abfolutely neceffary to the parochial credit of every clergyman, that he be refpected, not only as a man of piety and worth, but as a fcholar and a gentleman. And can we expect either the addrefs and manners of a gentleman, or the accomplishments of a icholar, from one who, before his head unfortunately came into contact with pifcopal hands, never affociated with any above the rank of farmers, excifemen, and mechanics? Piety and humility, gentleness and condefcenfion, ought to be the diftin guishing characteristics of minifters of the Gofpel. They ought, indeed, to characterife every one who profeiles and calls himself a Chriftian. But unless to the abovementioned qualities a clergyman adds a competent fhare of claffical and philofophical learning, and, above all, a critical knowledge of the facred writings, how will he be able to exhort and to convince gainfayers." or "rightly to divide the word of truth?" He may, indeed, with the help of good lungs and a good voice, perform the public and common routine of office, to the fatisfaction of his hearers; and, if he has been fortunate enough to fumble upon a good collection of Sermons, he may fhine in the pulpit. But, as the pious and excellent Bishop Burnet obferves, in his "Paftoral Care," he understands little of the nature and obligations of the priefly office, who thinks he has difcharged it by performing the public appointments. In thefe, all are almoft alike: but the difference between one clergyman and another thews itfelt more fenfibly in his private labours, in his prudent deportment, in his modeft and difcreet way of procur ing refpect to himself, in his treating his parish, either in reconciling differences, or in admonishing men of rank, who fet an ill example to others." No clergyman, therefore, who makes a confcience of his duty, will be fatisfied with barely performing the public of. fices which are required of him. He knows that it is incumbent upon him to exhort, admonish, and inftruct in private, as well as in public; in fhort, to be "inftant in season and out of season." He confiders himself as the father of his flock, as their inftructor, adviser, and guide, in their most important concerns. He is always ready to offer them his bet advice, his fympathy, and his prayers. His godlike office is, " to eafe the oppreffed, and raife the finking heart." It is his business and delight to teach his people how to improve the various difpenfations of Providence, to adminifter confolation to the afflicted, and to "fmooth the bed of death."But when the low-bred and illiterate engage in fo arduous and important an office, is it to be fuppofed that they can acquire the refpect or confidence of those who are committed to his charge? Prepofterous, indeed, to think that per fons, who have need to be inftructed in "the first principles of the oracles of God," fhould be able to communicate knowledge to the ignorant, to refolve the doubts of the weak and the fcrupulous, to fupport the drooping foul in the hour of darkness and defpair, and to arm it against the fear of death. Yours, &c. CLERICUS. LETTERS ON EDUCATION. (Continued from p. 391.) LETTER VII. "Reafon panders will.” SIR, SHAKSPEARE. April 17, 1786. SOME few years fince, the young people used to have philofophical difputes among themfelves about the foundation of morality-the origin of evit fit and unfit-right and wrong-the good of fociety, &c. But the WISE OBSERVERS of the prefent day take the liberty of faying, that the youth now follow the wrong without any difputenay, and that too, long before they know what is right. Upon this head, however, I will argue, for the fake of my young friends, with any of your moral philofophers. What they call wrong, I pofitively aver to be right; and I hope I may be allowed to be the oldeft difputant whatever, upon the fubje&t of the origin of evil, and right and wrong, if that gives any claim of refpect to opinion. Human life, Sir, is too fhort for metaphyfical difputes and enquiries; and my young friends are right to follow their own inclinations, without giving themselves the trouble of think ing about what is fit, or what is wrong. But even without my affiftance, if any of my young friends fhould be attacked by these faftidious moralifts, they can defend themselves by unanswerable argument. For inftance, upon the subject with which I concluded my last letter. There is nothing more common than to hear youth of modern bonour and fabion ufe this argument for female feduction: "Why, fuch a plan, no doubt, would have been difgraceful and infamous to have attempted upon a woman of rank and fabion 1-but to an ordinary girl, and below one's own rank, Lord! where's the harm?" Suppofe now, one of your men of principle thould take up this argument against a gay young fellow, it would probably go on in this manner, and in the end you will find the philofopher will be filenced. Philofopher. All mankind, Sir, are equal in the fight of the Almighty! and the rights of none can be infringed without guilt. What you call people of rank and fashion, I fuppofe, are thofe of an equal rank with yourfelf, or rifing above that rank; and people of ordinary condition are below your own rank. Gentleman. You are right, Sir, as to the diftinction of rank; but I deny that all men are equal I confider thofe below me as born to be fubfervient to me; and I think there is no harm in feducing a girl that is not entitled to expect me for a husband. If the allows liberties in fuch expectation, the is a fool : if the keeps her own fecret, and ma nages well, fhe has a chance of getting a husband fuitable to her. Philofopher. All rank, Sir, is adventitious it might have been mine as well as yours. Go back but a little way, and you will find all our predecellors were favages and barbarians. Accident railed one, and depreffed another. The high to-day may be low to-morrow, while thofe in an humble Iphere may rife to opulence and honours; and can mere accidental circumftances vary the nature and obligations of man? The higher bis Ration, the more duties he has copertorm; and wait the Almighty! before Thou kind are lefs than nothing, liften to the plea of rank, as a palliation of a crime? According to human reafon and justice, it is an aggravation.-But taking your own argument-You fay, you do no injury by feduction when the female is of an inferior rank; and it is only an injury when he is of equal or fuperior station;-that, by adding deceit and falfhood to criminality, he may pafs well enough for the bofom friend and the domeftic comfort of a man of her own rank. Be it fo: then, furely, every rank fuperior to your own do no injury in feducing or debauching your fifter, and, in all probability, expofing her to fhame and infamy; or, if not, he is good enough for a wife to one of her own station. Gentleman. Hold, Sir-Start not fuch an idea-By Heavens! were any man, be his station what it would, to offer the smallest indelicacy or indignity to my fifter, I would put him to death without fcruple, were I to be facrificed for it the next moment.-No more of this, Sir, I pray. Philofopher. You are juftly warm, and right, Sir. But, on cool reflection, you muft fee that every inferior rank to you have as good a right to punith people in your station, as you have those above you. Believe me, "Do as you would be done by must be the rule of action in every ftation and fituation of life, if we would do right. It is with you as with too many in the world: the bead is employed in finding an excufe for the inclination, without examining the propriety or juftice of the action. Gentleman. You diftract me, SirGo to HELL with your arguments. This, as I hinted, is an unanfverable argument, and the philofopher is fiienced. This retort very properly clotes many a debate, and difputants can go to no place where they will be made more welcome; but your men of principle, I have always found, are very thy of coming to BELZEBUB. (To be continued.) I fufpect, however, that both Mr. Blount aud Mr. Groje† are mistaken in interpreting the word of a spur or goad, in the terms of the Tenure, 1 R. 2: 66 per fervitium inveniendi unum equum, unum faccum, et unum pryk in guerrâ Walliæ, quandcunque contigerit regem ibi guerrare;" fince, in my opinion, this paffage, wherein pryk is joined with faccus, is to be explained by that in p. 26, where the party is to findunum equum, unum faccum, et unam brochiam, in fervitio Domini Regis in Wallia ad cuftum Domini Regis." Pryk is again joined with jaccus, p. 41 and 50, and therefore muft furely mean, in thefe cafes, a fkewer, to pin up or falten the mouth of the fack. This explanation feems to be confirmed by that paffage, p. 62, where we have, "cum uno equo precii vs. et cum uno facco precii vid. et cum brochia ad eundem Jaccum." Brochia here is evidently the fame as pryk, from Fr. broche, or Spit, and, appertaining to the fack, can never be understood of a pur, or a goad. See alfo p. 65. But the matter is ftill more clear, p. 96, where the perfon that demands the bacon at W bichenour in Stafordshire is required to bring "a horte and a faddle, a fakke and a pryke, for to convey and carry the faid bacon, &c." and it is obfervable, for a conclufion, that, in Ray's North-country Words, p. 8, 49, a prick fignifies a Skewer. What is here faid, may ferve to explain that paffage, p. 32, to which Mr. Blount puts a quæ e: "per fervitium inveniendi unum fimulum ferreum pio uno warroke fuper quoddam clothjack," from 22 R. 2; for ftimulus here is not a fpur, but, as connected with clothjack, inuft mean a fkewer; and it appears from hence, that the skewers in queftion were fuppofed to be made of iron; and it is termed fimulus, only because. this is Latin for a prick, just as a schoolboy would render it. We have fhewn above, that pryk and brochia are equivalent words; and therefore, when Mr Blount expounds brochettus, p. 71, in this paffage, 64 unum! equum... et unum faccum...cum uno brochetto," by a little bottle or jug, he errs moft egregiously. He was led, however, into the mistake by Sir Henry Spelman, Gloff. v. brochia, who interprets thefe words of Bracton, inveniendi... unum hominem et unum equ. um, et facchum cum brochia pro aliqua neceffitata, vel utilitate exercitum fuum contingente," on this manner, "dictum opinor a Gall, broc, quod lagenam majorem, aut cantharum, fignificat, plus minus 6 fextarios continentem: ut fit faccus ad deportationem aridorum brochia vero liquidorum," than which nothing can be more foreign from the truth.-Great men, you fee, Mr. Urban, will fometimes err; Bernardus non videt omnia. L. E. Mr. URBAN, HA Berwick, May 20. AVING perufed two letters figned Glotianus, in your Magazine of April, p. 297, on the very important queftion, whether or not Pars are young Salmon, I take up the pen to expicis my approbation of fuch an enquiry being fet on foot, and I hope the Natural Philofophers will be to kind as to turn their attention to that fubj: &t. When I reflect, Sir, on the very trivial and unimportant matters which fiequently occupy a great thare of the attention of thofe learned and very indefatigable men, I am inclined to regret that there should be fuch a proftitution of their talents; volumes upon volumes are published by them, in the difcuffion of points, which, even when fuily ex. plained, produce little or no benefit to mankind; their relearches afford them amufement while they are engaged in them; and if they are fo happy as to arrive at that pitch of certainty in any of their purfuits, which enables them to demonftrate, to the conviction of our fenfes, any of their frivolous difcoveries, they would be ready, in their extatic transports, to facrifice an hundred oxen, if they had them in their poffeffion. But, Sir, in the queftion which your correfpondent Glotianus has started, the utile |