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1830.]

Mr. URBAN,

Almshouses at Mitcham.-Author of Junius.

THE accompanying View (see Plate 1.) represents the Alms-Houses on the Lower Green, at Mitcham, in the county of Surrey, lately erected and endowed by the munificence of Miss Tate, for twelve poor women, from designs and under the direction of Mr. Buckler. These Alms-Houses occupy the site of an ancient mansion, formerly the residence of the Tate family, many of whom are buried in the parish church. A monument, beautifully executed in white marble, has lately been erected in the north aisle to the father of the foundress of these Alms-Houses, George Tate, Esq. a gentleman of amiable and accomplished manners. Yours, &c.

Φ.

JUNIUS, SIR PHILIP FRANCIS, Burke, JOHN HORNE TOOKÉ.

R

66

MR. URBAN, Thelford, Feb. 13. EFERRING your correspondent C. S. B." to your Nuniber for September, 1827, p. 223, for an account of the burning of the Jesuitical books of Busembaum and others at Paris, Aug. 7, 1761, I beg to present you with an extract from a letter which, soon after the insertion of that article in your Miscellany, I received from my friend Mr. George Coventry; the author, it will be remembered, of the Essay in which the claims of Lord George Sackville were very ably asserted.

"I have now The Gentleman's Magazine' for October before me. It states that the Jesuitical books, twenty-four in number, were burnt by the common hangman in Paris, on Aug. 7, 1761. The question is, whether this conflagration is the one alluded to by Junius, or whether it was one of an earlier date? That it cannot be the one alluded to by Junius, is, I think, evident from the circumstance that we were at open hostility with France at the ara in question; so that it would have been next to an im

I quote it from the Preface to "The Claims of Sir Philip Francis, K. B. to the Authorship of Junius' Letters disproved, and some Inquiry into the Claims of the late Charles Lloyd, Esq. to the Composition of them, by E. H. Barker." Lond. 1828.-I venture to assure your correspondent that, if he will examine this book, he will find a great variety of new matter on the whole question, without the smallest bias towards any particular opinion.

GENT. MAG. March, 1830.

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possibility that Junius should have been in

Paris at the said conflagration, unless he were a prisoner of war: even then it is not likely his quarters would have been in the capital. On reference to La Vie de Busembaum, I find there have been several conflagrations of his works: one on March 10, 1758; also Sept. 9, 1757; probably several other times at an earlier period. The Edinburgh Review,' Nov. 1817, tells us, that Francis was merely a clerk in the Foreign Office in 1756, remained until 1758, when he went with General Bligh, as secretary, to the expedition to St. Cas; never landed; returned home; in England until 1761, when he went with Lord Kinnoul to Lisbon, by sea; returned home in October of the same year, and was appointed to a situation in the War-Office; so that, admitting Junius, against all probability, was in Paris in Aug. 1761, it is evident Francis was not there, being then in Lisbon."

The date of the burning of the Jesuitical books at Paris,in Aug. 1761, furnishes a most decisive fact against the claims made for Burke; for, on reference to the biography of Burke (which I have not at hand), I think it will appear that he did not visit Paris till 1772.

I will take the present opportuity of doing justice to the memory of Sir Philip Francis, as I have been unintentionally instrumental in propagating some calumnious and false statements

respecting him. In p. 89 of my book I have quoted the following passage from Capt. Medwin's "Conversations with Lord Byron :"

"Do you think (asked I) that Sir Walter Scott's Novels owe any part of their reputation to the concealment of the author's name?' 'No,' said Lord Byron, such works do not gain or lose by it. I am at a loss to know his reason for not giving up the incognito, but that the reigning family could not have been very well pleased with Waverley*. There is a degree of Charlatanism in some authors keeping up the unknown. Junius owed much of his fame to that trick; and now that it is known to be

*Ou this point Lord Byron's sentiments, (as stated by Capt. Medwin,) have long since proved erroneous. Some of Byron's alleged assertions on the subject, particularly respecting an interview between his Lordship and Sir Walter Scott in Murray's shop, have been denied by the Novelist, in his late Preface; and Byron's ridiculous notion, that Waverley gave offence to the reigning family, finds the most complete refutation in the dedication of the new edition to his Majesty.-EDIT.

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Sir Philip Francis.—American Essayists on Junius.

the work of Sir Philip Francis, who reads it? A political writer, and one who descends to personalities, such as disgrace Junius, should be immaculate as a public as well as a private character; and Sir Philip was neither. He had his price, and was gagged by being sent to India. He there seduced another man's wife. It would have been a new case for a judge to sit in judgment on himself in a crim. con. It seems that his conjugal felicity was not great; for, when his wife died, he came into the room where they were sitting up with the corpse, and said, Solder her up, solder her up! He saw his daughter erying, and scolded her, saying, 'An old hag, she ought to have died thirty years ago!' He married, shortly after, a young woman. He hated Hastings to a violent degree. All he hoped and prayed for, was to outlive him. But many of the newspapers of the day are written as well as Junius.'

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This passage was extracted into various periodicals at the time of its first appearance in Captain Medwin's book; and as there was no public contradiction given to the slanderous statements, no doubt, in many quarters, they were regarded as true. But a friend, who is acquainted with the daughter of Sir Philip Francis, made the following communication to me, which I am happy to make public:-" The story," she says, " is an infamous falsehood; that she was with her mother during her last illness, and remained in the house subsequent to that melancholy event, and that her father never conducted himself with the monstrous impropriety, never uttered the barbarous expressions there imputed to him; and he did not marry again for seven years after the occurrence in question. Mr. Francis (the son) had intended prosecuting Captain Medwin and his publishers; but ill health, and a domestic misfortune (the loss of an amiable and beloved wife) have prevented his making any kind of exertion."

It may be interesting to some of your readers, to know that the question about the authorship of "Junius's Letters" has been much agitated in

America. I have received from that distant region three works on the subject, of which the titles are:

1. "Junius Unmasked; or Lord George Sackville proved to be Junius. With an Appendix, showing that the Author of the Letters of Junius was also the Author of The History of the Reign of George III.; and Author of The North Briton,' ascribed to Mr. Wilkes. Embellished with a Print of Sackville.-Movet urna nomen."--Boston, 1828. 12mo. pp. 187.

[March,

2. "Memoirs of John Horne Tooke, together with his valuable Speeches and Writings. Also containing Proofs, identifying him as the Author of the celebrated "Letters of Junius.' By John H. A.Graham, LL.D.-Justitiæ generisque humani advocatus."-New-York, 1828. 8vo. pp. 242.

3. "The Posthumous Works of 'Junius;' to which is prefixed an Inquiry respecting the Author. Also, A Sketch of the Life of John Horne Tooke.-Non vultus, non color 8vo. pp. 428. unus."-New-York, 1829.

In "The North American Review," No. 65, Oct. 29, 1829, there is a very long article, which takes for its text the first-mentioned of these books, "Junius Unmasked," and in _which the pretensions of Sir Philip Francis are refuted at much length, and those of Lord George Sackville are enforced.

My intelligent correspondent, John Pickering, Esq. in a letter dated Boston, U.S. Nov. 30, 1829, writes to me thus:

"I perceive a work on 'Junius' just announced as coming out this winter, which I will forward to you. This is announced with some pretensions, as demonstrating Junius to have been the work of an English Peer, to whom

it has never been attributed."

Yours, &c. E. H. BARKER.

Summerlands, Exeter,
Feb. 2.

Mr. URBAN,
DUBLIC attention is beneficially

elicited to lamentable defects in
leading Institutions, by attempts to
state them, and to suggest remedies,
or some alleviation of a positive and
crying evil, through the channel of
widely-circulating periodical publica-
tions. The COURT of CHANCERY,
originally intended as a court of con-
science and equity, to soften and tem-
per the asperities of common law,
corresponded, during a long period,
with the beneficent design of its in-
stitution; but, in process of time, an
unfortunate disposition to litigation, too
generally prevalent, removed to a court
distinguished by the fairness of its de-
cisions so vast a multiplicity of cases,
as to exclude all possibility of the more
early or speedy determination. In this
state of things rules and forms, un-
avoidably of a tedious and vexatious
description, were introduced, ostensi-
bly for the maintenance of due order,
method, and regularity, but very de-
structive of the property unfortunately
involved. A just and slow decision,
on a comparatively few number of suits

1830.]

Defects in the Court of Chancery.-Remedies.

long in abeyance, affords no consolation to the multitude of wretched suitors, whose property lying in CHANCERY, amounts to between thirty and forty millions sterling. It is but too well known that numbers of families and individuals, whose means are thus locked up, and who would otherwise be wealthy and independent, are reduced to extreme misery and suffering, in utter hopelessness of ever emerging from a condition frequently terminating in insanity, arising from excited feelings of despair. Deeply impressed with a just sense of such aggravated circumstances, many benevolent and eminent legal characters have, at various times, brought this heart-rending subject before Parliament, proposing ameliorations of a system the source of so much solid misery.

The only essential improvement introduced, was that of appointing an assistant judge to the Lord Chancellor. It was foreseen, as appears to be the fact, that where there was such accumulated evil to be remedied, this inadequate assistance could have but an inconsiderable effect. The measure, feeble as it was, sufficiently evinced, however, that the appointment of additional Chancery Judges was the precise remedy wanted; with, also, the abolition of useless technicalities, and modes of proceeding, fully proved to be good for nothing more than to produce delay and an unnecessary increase of expense. It then clearly appears, that a principle has been practically admitted and established for obviating, in future, a national reproach, which has existed, is prevalent in the Court of Chancery, and which it concerns the public credit to have diminished. All this being unquestionable, the mode most desirable and least expensive for effecting a great good, and removing an intolerable evil, remains to be considered. It is evident that all our learned and excellent Judges are sufficiently occupied; and he must be but a superficial and shallow observer, who has not noticed the zeal, labour, and ability with which these excellent men, in advanced life, discharge their most important duties. Our learned Serjeants-at-law are generally men of distinguished talents, who, after long practice and experience, become Judges as vacancies occur, and therefore they are adequate to every duty required on the Bench. The Augean stable re

203

quires to be cleansed; or, in other words, all the cases in Chancery ought to be decided. To achieve this, let six of the legal serjeants best calculated for the task be, with an adequate allowance, nominated to act as Judges under the auspices of the Lord Chancellor. Probably two of the Exchequer Judges, who have least to do, might be conjoined. Where is the allowance to these temporary Judges to come from? In favour of a measure which promises the only chance of recovering their property, now desperately situated, the much to be pitied suitors would readily acquiesce in having the enormous sum in Chancery assessed, in order to accomplish the great object in view. This once effected, the temporary Judges will be no longer requisite, and in future all cases will be decided without delay.

I write very imperfectly, Mr. Urban, on an interesting subject, and with a view of inducing those better qualified to propose something better, in a case of indispensable necessity, and implicating the national honour.

The philanthropic investigations of the Solicitor-general into most distressing cases of unintended severe sufferings in prison, and the Lord Chancellor's humane resolution to obviate such in future, give additional interest and force to what cannot fail to arrest the attention of every feeling mind. JOHN MACDONALD.

MR. URBAN,

March 10.

PERMIT me to offer a few observations which occurred to me in reading some of your recent numbers. Yours, &c. E. I. C.

PETERCHURCH, CO. HEREFORD.

If your correspondent Mr. Sawyer, (in your last volume, page 496,) had given the dimensions of Peterchurch, or added a scale to the plan, he would have rendered it of more utility; and I could have wished your correspon dent had minutely described the architecture of the building, which I should judge from the place to be a structure of more than ordinary interest. The portions D and c I consider formed the first church; B was then added, the small arch between B and C being in all probability the original entrance. A,the present nave, was then appended to the structure; which, if I

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Architectural Remarks.

am right in my conjectures, must warrant the character I have attributed to it. The church of East Ham is very similar*; it has an eastern chancel of a semicircular form, then a second chancel more westward, and then a nave, all ancient and in the circular style; and lastly, a tower of pointed architecture. -The existence of the ancient altar is very singular: the destruction of altars was one of the excesses which reflected little credit on the reformers of the church in the 16th century.

WHAPLODE CHURCH.

The device mentioned by the Rev. G. Oliver, (p. 590) as existing on a stone coffin in Whaplode Church, is a thunderbolt,a device evidently borrowed from the Romans (vide Gough, Introd. to Sepul. Monuments in Great Britain,vol. I, plate 3). The devices inscribed on the other stones are probably incipient heraldic ordinaries, which, with the various crosses found on the grave-stones of ecclesiastics, (the Whaplode specimens appertaining, I consider, to lay men) were matured into a science by the heralds, at a subsequent period.

HEXHAM CHURCH.

Hexhamensis (page 17 of your present Volume,) asks, "could not (a brief) be adopted at present to restore what the parish is unable to do?" viz. the ancient priory church at Hexham. -It is to be regretted that the old and approved mode of raising money for such laudable purposes has been done away with by one of those sweeping acts of legislation for which the present age is likely to be remarkable: in lieu of a brief for each individual church, collections are now to be made by what is called a "King's Letter," and the amounts are directed by the stat. 9 Geo. 4, cap. 42, sec. 10, to be paid to the treasurer of the "Society for enlarging, building, and repairing churches and chapels," to be applied towards carrying the designs of the Society into effect.However laudable the exertions of the Society may be and it is certainly deserving of great encouragement-it is much to be regretted that the old system has been done away with. If a brief had been bonâ fide issued for the repair of a church which had become a subject of interest, many would have con

*The Church at Dunwick, in Suffolk, is of similar construction. See Archæologia, vol. xii.-EDIT.

case.

[March, tributed liberally towards the individual As the royal letters are like angel's visits, the Society is likely to have enough upon its hands in the management of its funds, which, from the nature of the case, must be far from adequate to the purpose of it, and as the object of the Society is rather to gain accommodation than the preservation of a piece of antiquity, I fear Hexham church will derive but little assistance from the new mode of making the collections. If the destruction of old systems, good in the main but abused in the management, so fashionable in the present day, be not timely stopped, some of our fairest institutions of antiquity will tremble for the consequences.

PORTISHEAD CHURCH.

The gentleman, who presented the chairs made out of the materials of an ancient screen to Portishead Church, (see page 32,) displayed in the donation more munificence than good taste. Are the chairs any better for their materials having once formed an ancient screen? It reminds me of the construction of a bridge by the vain Duke of Chandos, out of the remains of a Roman pharos, and his inscribing the circumstance on the structure. If the sarcophagus of Alexander had fallen into the hands of any Vandal, who had exclaimed the pavement of my fine court is formed out of Alexander's coffin," his barbarity would have received If the gentleman enough of censure. had expended his money in restoring the screen either to its original use, or to some appropriate situation in the church, he would truly have deserved applause; but as it is, I cannot help regretting the misappropriation.

WINCHESTER CASTLE.

Your reviewer (p. 35) speaks of the an cient hall at Winchester Castle as being divided by pillars and arches, and Mr. Buckler asserts the same in his clevet essay on Eltham Palace. That the building now used as a hall is so divided, is certain; but I much question whether the present is the original destination of the structure. It has every appearance of a chapel; a supposition which is confirmed by its being situated according to the ecclesiastical arrangement: and, until some evidence is adduced to shew that it has always been used as a hall, I should rather be inclined to consider that the present building is the chapel of the Castle.

1830.] Sir Kenelm Digby's Memoirs.-His Spanish Amour.

Mr. URBAN,

YOU

Feb. 10.

have already indulged me so fully in the insertion of my collections illustrative of the "Private Memoirs of Sir Kenelm Digby," that I have little hesitation in intruding upon you with another document, because I flatter myself that it will not be considered as otherwise than " germane to the matter." It will be found to throw further light on the romantic amour of Theagenes with that paragon of the Spanish court, that " greatest, richest, and noblest lady in Egypt,' the fascinating Mauricana, whose real name-Donna Anna Maria Manrique, it was the object of my last (Nov. Mag. p. 390) to disclose; and it will furnish, I conceive, a further proof, in addition to the many other parts of Sir Kenelm's narrative which have been brought to the test of history, that, however freely the imaginative writer may indulged in the flowers of embellishment, still the outline of his facts throughout is that which it was the actual experience of his wayward fortune to encounter. The passage from Howel's Letters, which I before adduced, has proved that Mauricana was a real individual, and that her name was Manrique; my present discovery is a letter of Sir Kenelm himself, which, there can be no doubt, alluded to the same lady, although the name is suppressed.

have

Whilst, however, the actual foundation of these "Private Memoirs" is proved by these real-life epistles, so also by the latter may the poetical flights of the former be estimated; since I think it will be allowed of both the following letter and that of Howel, that, though they show Donna Anna Maria to have honoured the English gallant with a certain degree of her regard, they are far from justifying the supposition that her heart was so acutely wounded as Thegenes has had the vanity to state. Unless, indeed, her sending for him, and employing (as he describes) such earnest personal intreaties, was subsequently to his writing the following epistle, it would even appear that he departed from Madrid without enjoying the privilege of taking a personal adieu, and was obliged to leave his farewell compliments to be made by deputy.

The friend on whom this task was imposed, was another chevalier, who, though not equally talented, yet possessed considerable abilities as a writer;

205

but who perhaps surpassed Sir Kenelm in eccentricity, and is doubtless chiefly indebted to the whimsicalities of his conduct for his share of immortality.This was Sir Tobie Mathews, son of the Archbishop of York of the same name, but himself a papist and a jesuit, and long a resident in Madrid. The letter occurs in a collection which bears the name of this personage, and which was printed in 1660, under the superintendence of the celebrated Dr. Donne: "S. K.D. to S. T.M.

"A Letter of a Cavalier to a friend, for the doing of an humble office to a great Lady:

"Sir, if I durst presume to send my thanks to my lady A.B.* for her favours to me here, I should not trouble you with this letter. But the eminencie of her condition, which makes her able to sow blessings wherever she passes, makes it unmannerlie for such as I am, to acknowledge themselves immediately to herself. I beseech you therefore, Sir, let her ladiship receive from your tongue the fullest expressions it can make of a deep sense in me of the very great obligations and honours she was pleased to heap upon me, whilst I had the happinesse to wait upon her here. I must confesse it is impossible that her ladiship should settle greater upon any man; for such are to be measured by the claim which one might make to them. And I am sure that, in my behalf, there was nothing to tempt her to this exercise of her goodnesse but my absolute want of all title to it. Whereby it became meerly an act of her own generositie without any other motive

to share in it. I ever honoured and esteemed this noble creature beyond expression; but henceforward those actions of reverence must go a step further, and become a perfect devotion in me, to do her all the service in my power; for such sweetnesse and civilitie as she is mistresse of, mingled with all other excellencies, I never yet met with in any.

"I make bold to chuse your conveyance, rather than any other's, to deliver my sense to her ladiship, because I am sure it will gain most advantage by your means; and you have so much goodnesse and friendship to me as you will, I know, pardon my importuning you in an occasion wherein I am so justly earnest. And I am also confident enough that it will not displease you to carrie in a prize to a lady to whom you are so much a servant, and particularly since it is a heart which had bidden a long farewell to the offering of all devotions at ladies' altars. I kisse your hand, and rest your, &c.”

The little volume from which (p.216)

* The name being wholly suppressed, the first initials of the alphabet are inserted; and the same in other letters.

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