punts, and barges, greatly increases, and the banks and bridge are well thronged. Several gentlemen and ladies arrive also in carriages, which drive down the brocas, to await the return of their elegant company, who are partaking of the pleasures of the scene upon the water.

Notice is given of the near approach of the "boats" by the number of skiffs which return first, in order to see their arrival; the illuminations and transparencies are then (at about a quarter past 8 o'clock) lighted up, and, when the first boat arrives at the aits, a firework is let off which explodes with a great noise, and is repeated, by way of salute, as each goes by. The "boats" pass under the bridge, and return in order; by which time the bands of music, having also returned, are moored to a post in the middle of the river and commence playing. The boats now row by the right side of the aits (I speak as if standing on the bridge), and at the same time another firework, which is generally very splendid, is set alight. As they pass the left side, each crew stands up in order, oar and hat in hand, and gives three cheers for "the king," and then passes on; this is done as long as any firework remains, so that they row seven or eight times round the island. The pyrotechnic exhibition terminates with a temple of fire, surmounted with a royal crown, and the letters G. R. During the whole time Bengal lights, sky and water rockets are sent forth, which latter particularly enliven the scene, and by their water rambles excite much amusement. The boys generally return home at a little past 9 o'clock in the evening.

In order to defray the expenses of this

This is a grand distinction between the Montem and the "4th of June;" for in the former it is the captain of the school, a "colleger" of necessity, who takes the lead, while in the latter, so far from that being the case, the "tug muttons," Anglice the king's scholars are not even allowed to subscribe to

the entertainment. Indeed the " tugs" may be considered as a separate school from the oppidans, as they are not even permitted by the latter to row upon a certain portion of the river, which is considered as exclusively belonging to the former; indeed, to travel out of my subject for a moment, they are not even permitted to belong to the same cricket club, or to play at the same game of cricket with an oppidan.

† Bargemen. Eton phraseology.

ceremony, a regular subscription is received by the " Captain of the Oppidans,' who of course cannot be " captain of the school," as I have stated on another occasion. The subscriptions from each of the fifth form is 7s. 6d., as also from each of the boys who row in the boats, whether fifth form or not. The other subscriptions are trifling in comparison, and are regulated by the boys' rank in the school.

The number of persons who assemble to witness this display varies at times from 2000 to 3000. The bridge is very crowded and looks one mass of people; the shore is densely covered with the company, and a great sum is gained by the "bargees," who moor two or three of their barges to the banks of the river, which are crammed to excess, demanding sixpence entrance; on the river innumerable boats are plying about, and the music sounds sweetly over the water. I speak on my own authority, as an eye witness, when I say that the fireworks, the music, the beautiful and regular rowing of the Etonians, their gay flags, the novelty of the sight, and the number of people assembled to behold it, cause a delightful sensation to the mind, and a hearty participation in the joys of the

scene.

Yet, in all this, there is one circumstance which is very curious and apparently unaccountable. It has been frequently reiterated by the head master of Eton, that "boating is at no times allowed, and though after Easter it is connived at a little, but not by any means permitted, yet previously it is absolutely forbidden." Here is a jumble, it is "not permitted," "not allowed," but " connived at a little"-a little !-both at this fète and the similar one which occurs at Election Saturday. The head master, and, as I believe, the rest of the masters are all there, participators of the scene, if not in the actual infringement of the rule.

June 5.

SACHEVERELL.

This is a name familiar to every reader of history, on account of the notoriety of Dr. Henry Sacheverell, who preached sermons, in the reign of queen Anne, which occasioned him to be impeached by the house of commons, and inflamed the whole kingdom. He died on the 5th of June, 1724. It is proposed to give a brief account of this remarkable character, and of his great ancestor, the rev. John Sacheverell, a man of illustrious reputation in the west of England.

This John Sacheverell was of an ancient family in Nottinghamshire, and grandfather to Dr. Henry Sacheverell. John was son to the estimable minister of Stoke-Underham, in Somersetshire, who had many children. Two of them, John, of whom we are now speaking, and Timothy, were bred ministers. They were both of St. John's College, Oxon; and were both silenced on Bartholomew-day, 1662, the former at Wincanton, in Somersetshire, and the latter at Tarrant-Hinton. John, whose memory is revered in the west, had first the living of Rimpton, in Somersetshire, which he quitted before the restoration of Charles II., and afterwards that of Wincanton, where he had but thirty pounds per annum, certain allowance, with a promise of an augmentation of thirty pounds more from London; of which augmentation he received only one half year. His labors in this place were great, and his conversation was unblamable and exemplary.

He was three times married. By his

S. H. S.

first wife he had only one child, Joshua, whom he sent to King's College, Cambridge. By his second he had no children. By his third he had two other sons, Benjamin and Samuel, and a daughter. The third wife brought him a copyhold estate of sixty pounds a year at Stalbridge, which he returned to her two daughters by the former husband, leaving his library to his son Joshua, and twelve pence only to each of his other children. Joshua is said to have been disinherited by his father for his strict adherence to the established church.

John constantly rose early, and occupied the morning in his study, and the afternoon in visiting his flock, and discoursing with them about religious matters, till the Saturday, which was entirely spent in preparing for the Sabbath. That day was usually thus employed: he began his public worship with a short prayer in the morning, and then read a psalm and a chapter, and briefly expounded them: after singing a psalm, he prayed and preached for an hour and a quarter. In the afternoon he began at one, himself repeating his morning sermon, and examined young people as to what they had remembered; then prayed and preached for about an hour and a half: and afterwards the evening sermon, and examination of young ones about it, concluded the public service.

On the very day of the coronation of king Charles II. he preached a sermon upon 1 Sam. xii. 25, "If ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king." The observation which he chiefly insisted upon was this:

of honor was frequently a thousand gentlemen on horseback. At Bridgenorth be was met by Mr. Creswell, at the head of four thousand horse, and the same number of persons on foot, wearing white knots edged with gold, and leaves of gilt laurel in their hats. The hedges, for several miles, were dressed with garlands of flowers, and the steeples covered with flags. In this manner he passed through Warwick, Birmingham, Bridgenorth, Ludlow, and Shrewsbury, with a cavalcade better suited to a prince than a priest, on his way to a living near Shrewsbury, which he had been presented with. In the month that his suspension ended, the valuable rectory of St. Andrew's Holborn was presented to him by the queen. His reputation was so high, that he was enabled to sell the first sermon he preached, after his sentence had expired, for £100, and upwards of 40,000 copies were sold. He had also interest enough with the new ministry to provide amply for one of his brothers; yet Swift said, "they hated, and affected to despise him." In 1716 he prefixed a dedication to "Fifteen Discourses, occasionally delivered before the University of Oxford, by W. Adams, M. A., late student of Christ Church, and rector of Stanton-upon-Wye, in Herefordshire." After this publication, we hear little concerning him, except his quarrels with his parishioners, and suspicions of his having been engaged in Atterbury's plot. A considerable estate at Callow, in Derbyshire, was left to him by his kinsman, George Sacheverell, Esq. By his will he bequeathed to bishop Atterbury, then in exile, and who was supposed to have penned his defence for him, a legacy of £500. The duchess of Marlborough describes him as an ignorant, impudent incendiary,-the scorn even of those who made use of him as a tool." Bishop Burnet says, "He was a bold, insolent man, with a very small measure of religion, virtue, learning, or good sense; but he resolved to force himself into popularity and preferment, by the most petulant railings at dissenters and low-church men, in several sermons and libels, written without either chasteness of style or liveliness of expression." His death is recorded in the "Historical Register," 1724, as of a common person, without either eulogy or blame.*

Mr. Nichols in Gents. Mag. 1779. Noble.

WILL SHIPPEN.

William Shippen, Esq., the great leader of the tories, and advocate of the Stuarts, in the reigns of George I. and George II., died in the year 1743. He was son of the rector of Stockport, Cheshire, where he was born in 1672, and educated under Mr. Dale, a man of abilities. In 1707, when John Asgill, Esq., was expelled the house of commons, Mr. Shippen succeeded him as representative for Bramber, through the interest of Lord Plymouth, whose son, Dixie Windsor, was his brother-in-law. He afterwards constantly sat as member for some borough, always acting as a partisan of the expelled family, and never disguising his sentiments. The court endeavoured, but in vain, to soften him. He had not more than £400 per annum, originally, but, as he was an economist, he never exceeded his income. Of George I. he declared, in the house of commons, that "the only infelicity of his majesty's reign was, that he was unacquainted with our language and constitution;" both sides of the house wished him to soften the expression; and the Prince of Wales, afterwards George II., even sent to him his groom of the bed-chamber, general Churchill, with an offer of £1000, which he declined, and was sent to the Tower. When restored to liberty, he remained the same man. Though the most determined of Sir Robert Walpole's political enemies, he was, like Sir John Barnard, his private friend. Shippen once successfully applied to him in favor of a person who was in trouble for illegally corresponding with the Stuarts, and was himself detected in a similar offence. The postman, by accident or design, delivered a letter into Walpole's hands addressed to Shippen, from the Pretender. Walpole sent for Shippen, and gave him the packet without any seeming resentment, merely remarking how careless the person employed must be in his delivery. Shippen was covered with confusion; Walpole observed, "Sir, I cannot, knowing your political sentiments, ask you to vote with the administration; all I request is, that you would vote for me if personally attacked." This Shippen promised and performed. He would pleasantly remark, "Robin and I are two honest men; he is for King George, and I. for King James; but those men with long cravats," meaning Sandys, Sir John Rushout, Gybbon, and others, "they only desire places,