Roman Veffel found on Uttoxeter Common. tance. All the bottom part of the veffel, of which this drawing is an exact copy, is corroded away by time; and as the Romans, when they conquered England, had feveral stations in this neigh bourhood, I fuppofe it to have been a veffel in ufe among them, and confequently to be of very remote antiquity; and I am the more confirmed in my fuppofition, as it has a very near refemblance to a Roman veffel defcribed in the third volume of Montfaucon's Antiquities, by Humpherys, and of which there is a figure in Plate 24, No. 9. According to the account there given of fuch veffels, I fuppofe it to be an epichyfis for bringing wine to the table; or, perhaps, it was appropriated for their facrifices. The meafure, over the top, is three inches and a half from the lip to the handle, and the handle is five inches to the top of the bended part. The metal feems to have been covered over, both infide and outfide, with a hard and smooth enamel, where it is not corroded or chipped off, and to have been of a grey colour. The handle feems to have been richly gilt with gold; and the labourer who found it was exceedingly elated, expecting that the whole had been of that precious metal, and was very much difappointed when it proved to be only brafs. Whether the veffel is what the Romans called a feria, guttus or epichyfis, I fhall leave to the more learned Antiquaries to determine. I wished very much to have procured it, to have fent it to Mr. Green of Lichfield; but, after I had feen it, and made this drawing, it was fetched from me fo often, to have the quality of the metal tried by different people, and was fo mutilated by filing, Icraping, and hammering, that it was quite fpoiled for a curiofity. The common called the High Wood, about 130 years ago, was all covered, a few places excepted, with timber trees and underwood; but all of it has been long cleared away. There is a very old mansion-houfe on the fide of the common, which, from time immemorial, has been the feat of a family of the name of Minors; which family, accorde ing to Dr. Lightfoot, who made a furvey of the parish about the year 1658, had very great landed property in the parish. There are now fome remains of the great eftate lying near the houfe; and the prefent owner of it is ftill of the name of Minors. The family muft formerly have been of very great diftinc 211 tion, as they had a chapel on the South fide of the parish church in Uttoxeter; where, I fuppofe, a mass-priest was ap pointed to fay mafs for the family; and it is ftill the family burying-place. I fhall be much obliged to you to in- Mr. URBAN, Gloucefler, March 1. feems gaining ground in this kingdom, The remark I believe is true, Sir, though highly degrading to mankind, that tyranny is no where exercifed with fuch feverity as among a free people. The Romans, under the commonwealth, were extremely fevere to their flaves. Inftances of their unbounded cruelty are every where to be met with in their authors. Even Cato, the rigid obferver of virtue, laid it down as a maxim, that, when a flave was advanced in years, he ought to be fold. If we turn our eyes to Greece, the nurse of liberty, of patriots, and heroes, we fee the fame cruelty to flaves, attended in fome ftates by circumftances peculiarly difgraceful to the human fpecies. Who can read of the abject condition of the Helotes at Sparta without indignation? are you not fhocked when you find the Roman emperors, emperors, the tyrants of the world, en- It is a well-known fact, that our flaves in the Weft-Indies receive harther treatment than thofe belonging to the French or Spaniards. All who vifit thofe islands are witneffes of the unrelenting barbarity and Afiatic defpotifm of our planters on the one hand, and of the fufferings and fullen refentine of their flaves, who are ever ready to take an opportunity of revenge, on the other. But, in the French islands, we find the flaves of a different temper. In time of war, they in general unite cordially with their mafters in defence of their poffeflions, and have often given proofs of their courage and fidelity. This difference in the negroes we muft neceffarily attribute to the different behaviour of the mafters. But then, how can we otherwife account for this difference of behaviour in the matters, than by fuppofing the truth of the remark abovementioned, that tyranny is exercifed by none with so much severity as by a free people? We know, Sir, that our Legislature, with an attention that does them honour, has interfered in behalf of thofe unfortunate men, and enacted the most falutary laws to mitigate their fufferings. But, alas! what are laws in the hands of thofe whofe intereft it is to pervert them, and who are at too great a diftance from the mother-country for punishment! They are like the dictates of confcience, binding only on the good, but poffetfing no power over the wicked. Before flavery was abolished in Europe, laws were multiplied in vain to prevent the evils refulting from it, and our fore fathers found a neceffity of utterly abolifhing a cuftom which feems to bring an infeparable curfe with it. Let us then no longer wish, by partial and inadequate remedies, to palliate an evil which the wisdom and experience of nations could not remove, and which has not been leffened by the many laws already enacted by our Legiflature; laws which only ferve to aggravate the distress of the fufferers, by holding out to them a relief they are not permitted to enjoy. Such has been the fate of the oppreffed in all ages, and fuch it will ever be. It is therefore my opinion, Sir, an opinion 1 give as an individual of a free nation, that no partial remedies are to be a dopted in behalf of flavery; that we muft either leave our African brethren to their prefent unhappy fate, or totally abolish a practice which is an infult on humanity. We have a noble example fet us by the Quakers of America, who have made it the first-fruit-offerings of their independance. Let us call upon our Legislature to adopt their example, and to declare flavery inconfiftent with the laws of England, and the spirit of Chriftianity. Some inconveniencies will at firft arife; but, when they are removed by the wifdom of Parliament, and the perfeverance of the nation, wẹ fhall find ourselves happy in having compleated a regulation which the other European nations will neceffarily adopt. Mr. URBAN, You Bath, Feb. 5. YOU have given two inftances of the fagacity, confidence (or, what fhall I call it?) of birds. Let me, therefore, give you one inftance of the tendernefs, I was about to fay bumanity, of a raven. He lives, or did live three years fince, at the Red Lion at Hunger ford; his name, I think, is Rafe. You must know then, that, coming into that inn, my chaife run over, or bruifed, the leg of my Newfoundland dog; and, while we were examining the injury done to the dog's foot, Rafe was evidently a concerned fpe&ator; for, the minute the dog was tied up under the manger with my horfes, Rafe not only vifited, but fetched him bones, and attended upon him with particular and repeated marks of kindness. The bird's notice of the dog was fo marked, that I obferved it to the hoftler, for I had not heard a word before of the history of this benevolent creature. John then told me, that he had been bred from his Humanity of a Raven.—Labour and Solitude usefully conjoined. 213 I his pin-feather in intimacy with a dog; that the affection between them was mutual; and that all the neighbourhood had often been witneffes of the innumerable acts of kindness they had conferred upon each other. Rafe's poor dog, after a while, unfortunately broke his leg, and, during the long time, he was confined, Rafe waited upon him conftantly, carried him his provifions daily, and never fcarce left him alone! One night, by accident. the hoftler had fhut the ftable door, and Rafe was deprived of the company of his friend the whole night; but the hoftler found in the morning the bottom of the door fo pecked away, that, had it not been opened, Rafe would, in another hour, have made his own entrance-port. then enquired of my landlady (a fenfible woman), and heard what I have related confirmed by her, with feveral other fingular traits of the kindneffes this bird fhews to all dogs in general, but particularly to maimed or wounded ones *; but having committed thefe particulars to paper, and fent them for publication in the St. James's Chronicle +, I have forgotten them. I hope and believe, however, the bird is ftill living; and the traveller will find I have not overrated this wonderful bird's merit. In my next, I will give you fome account of a real Newfoundland dog, once my property; for, though I know it will be deemed a long bow-fring, I had rather be fufpected of fuch a stretch, than omit to repeat what I faw, and what I verily believe my brother faw. P. T. Mr. URBAN, March 3. with as much apparent eafe as the most fober and well-difpofed affembly in civil fociety. No perfon is, on any pretence, admitted into the bed-room of another. There are eight fmall rooms, without beds, for the punishment of the refractory, but I always found them empty." That the experiment was not tried in the metropolis of this kingdom, where fuch a regulation was molt needful, muft ever be a fubject of furprize and regret. No better opportunity could have offered than when the new Newgate was erecting; but whether it was omitted from a want of confideration, or from an ill timed economy, I am not competent to determine. The conftruction of feparate cells having been found, by the acknowledgement of Mr. Akerman, to anfwer the end proposed, it is the more aftonishing that the number was not increafed, with the view of working a reformation in perfons, who, from the nature of their offences, would foon obtain their liberty, instead of expofing them to almoft a certainty of becoming more vicious and profligate by being conftantly affociated with crimi nals worse than themselves. Yours, &c. AGRICOLA, p. 104, has juftly obferved, that places of punishment upon a small scale have been adopted, where labour and folitude have broken the fpirits of the most ferocious; and, on the authority of Mr. Howard, he might have added, that the plan has been pursued with fuccefs upon a large fcale. For the Prifoner's Friend, in his defcription of la Maifon de Force in Ghent, which was not half finished, thus expreffes himself: "I was prefent during the whole time the men criminals were at dinner. This company of near 190 ftout criminals was governed Rafe has been a widow or widower Mr. URBAN, W. & D. March 1. T has often been matter of furprize IT to me, that no nation, either Euro pean or remote, with which I am acquainted, or of which I have heard, has fallen upon, or adopted, the most feemingly obvious and convenient mode of establishing its current coinage, that is, by decimals; and I confefs it would give me much pleasure to fee my own country fet the lead in this, as in other particulars, to a regulation which is at once confonant to realon, and very highly convenient to all ranks of people. The plan I would propose is, that the guinea (fhould it be thought proper not to change that appellation) fhould be of the value of, and pafs for, twenty fhillings; and ten pence, instead of twelve, make one shilling. How greatly would this eafy alteration facilitate and fimplify accounts and payments, without being, as I conceive, fubject to a single objection. It would have the further convenience too of afcertaining, and being the caule of re-coining, all the fpecie in circulation (and against the prefent coinage there are, I believe, fome juft objections). Nay, it might even be made the means of annihilating that fo general and unfair practice of clipping clipping the coin, to which all endea vours have hitherto proved ineffectual, by Government at the fame time eftablishing an exact money-balance by authority, on which fuch a tax or price might be fixed as would bring in a confiderable fum for the ufe of the ftate (fuppofe, for inftance, half-a-guinea each). Every man would find it his intereft to be provided with one of thefe; and, as by this precaution no light money would be received, thofe who practife the clipping it would find it extremely difficult, if not impoffible, to iffue any. In perufing M. Buffon's Natural Hif. tory, which does fo much honour to literature, and to his country in particular, and is undoubtedly compiled from the best authorities then extant, I obferve that, under the article elephant, he expreffes it to be undecided in what manner the young one fucks the mo ther, whether with the trunk, as the fpecies undoubtedly always drink, or as the young of other animals, with the mouth: but he decidedly gives his opinion, that the former one will be known to be the way whenever opportunity fhall offer to afcertain it; for which he affigns fuch reafons as experience only can fhew are ill-founded. It is moft certain, however, that this able naturalift is mistaken in his theory on this point; and that the young elephant does not fuck its mother with the trunk, and convey the milk to the mouth, as it does all other food, but that it draws the milk with its mouth, in the fame manner a calf or a foal does; of which many Europeans, befide myfelf, have had ocular demonftration." Much has been faid of late, and I fear with too much reafon, of the very uncomfortable, and even difgraceful, circumftances, of many of our inferior clergy. For if the fituation of a clergyman be not fuch as to make him refpectable in the eyes of his parishioners, little attention will be paid either to his example or his doctrine. It is a fubject which requires inveftigation and correction as much, perhaps, as any which concerns fociety; and cannot be too early taken up and redretied by thofe poffeffed of the power, both for their own honour, and the comfort of a very laborious and deferving body of gentle men, from whofe example we expect a good influence on the morals of those committed to their charge. I am concerned to have caufe to add, that there is alfo fome room for reform both in the conduct and appearance of too many modern priests. In their drefs they imitate the laity, and of those not the most respectable order, as far as they can, and further than they ought, till they become ridiculous. in themselves, and the laughing-stock of others; and it has been the obfervation of scores, who frequent watering-places, and other fcenes of diffipation, that the number of clergymen always to be found there is enormous and difgraceful, as it can only happen through the neglect of their clerical duties And to this circumftance, Mr. Urban, may, I fear, be chiefly owing the great falling-off in the attendance on the established church, and the vaft increase of fectaries, whose paftors, both by precept and example, enforce thofe duties with unremitting zeal, which ours feem happy to escape from the trouble of. In a former letter I took the liberty of fuggefting two new taxes, which I believed would bring in a confiderable revenue to the ftate, without affecting the conveniencies of life, ftrictly speak ing, or the circumstances of the poor. It feems pretty evident too, that the prefent taxes on perfumery, hats, gloves, and receipts, are fhamefully evaded. It is to be hoped that fome regulations to prevent this may be fpeedily established. Yours, &c. R. R. E. Mr. URBAN, WHILST March 5. we contemplate with peculiar pleasure thofe periods of history which have been most enlightened with the beams of fcience, we may, with higher fatisfaction, reflect upon the effects of that more perfect state of knowledge, and general spirit of liberal fentiment, which is the characteristic of the prefent age. Knowledge, which was long confined to few, is now univerfally diffufed, and is not loft in empty fpeculation, but operateș upon the heart, and ftimulates more active and new modes of benevolence. To alleviate the forrows, to ease the burthens of the oppreffed, and to procure for men the rights of men, are objects attempted by various methods; and fuch diftinguished efforts of benevo lence, fo active, fo intelligent, and fo intrepid, as now excite the admiration and wonder of the world, exhibited in our immortal countryman, Mr. Howard, will not long be folitary inttances. In his endeavours is, however, feen an uncommon Cautions hinted to the Committee on the Slave Trade. uncommon affemblage of knowledge and activity, of the genius which can plan, and the induftry which can exe cute. His plans evince the foundest judgement, and all his efforts are directed to objects which are practicable: he, in confequence, already enjoys the great and fublime felicity of fecing his wishes matured into existence. He lives to enjoy the fuccefs which fhould attend the endeavours of benevolent minds, but which cannot be expected unless they are begun in a rational and fyftematic manner. It is principally to the ability of his fchemes, to the plain, yet folid, good-fenfe of his meafures, and to the candour of his conduct, that I would advert at prefent, and recommend as examples for the imitation of thofe diftinguished characters, who are now employed in endeavours to prevent or leffen the miseries of the enslaved Africans. To the motives which have induced Mr. Clark fon to imitate this glorious hero of humanity, and to travel from port to port to gain that knowledge of the flave trade which was necessary to the arrangement of his plans, let every poffible applaufe be given. To that benevolent intention, which has induced numbers in different parts of the kingdom to form committees, and fubfcribé funds, for the purpofe of abolifhing this trade, I wish every practicable fuccefs, and will give every confiftent affiftance; but let zeal be tempered by difcretion, attended with candid conftruction upon the conduct of others, and freed from perfonal and fcurrilous invective. It admits no doubt that great cruelties are inevitable in every fpecies of flavery, and are practifed in this, under various forms, and by various defcriptions of people. It is certainly a proper fubject for parliamentary difcution, how far they can be prevented or alle viated. But it would appcar, from the conduct of fome of the principal movers in this good work, that it cannot be done without painting falfely, and exaggerating thefe crueltics, and exciting a decided abhorrence and contempt for the character, evidence, and opinions, of those who are concerned in, and for that reafon beft informed in the hiftory of, this trade. Is it not pollible a really good and benevolent man may be bred up in this commerce from his earliest youth, and become concerned in it, before he has ability or refolution to think in oppofition to the wishes of thofe for 215 whom he has the greatest deference, and at the age of mature judgement find it impoffible to decline it, without the moft evident diftrefs to his frmily? can it not be fuppofed that such a man, refting his opinion upon the Legislature he is born under and reverences, fhould be fatisfied it would not fanction what was immoral, and wicked in him to practife, and that too in a degree to juftify his being branded by his neighbours as a monfter of iniquity? The progrefs of truth and humanity is flow and gradual. But a few years ago, when the Quakers petitioned Parliament against this commerce, not one of that enlightened affembly found their feelings fo hurt as to speak of it in a light of moral turpitude; and is there no confideration to be had for the errors of a mercantile education? may not an African trader, though convinced that to abolish the trade would create more cruelty than at prefent exifts, fincerely lament its exiftence, and wish to join his endeavours to procure every poffible good from restricting, regulating, and amending, its methods of being carried on? He may think, that to aim at a fudden and total abolition is an act of Quixotifm, and what nothing but ignorance can hope for; and yet with a gradual abolition by making the trade unneceffary, by procuring the alteration of the colonial laws, fo that the comforts of proper diet and reft may be fecured to the Negroes in the Plantations, and they may be encouraged to propagate, and fupply by their increafe for the wants of the Planters. That there are fuch characters, I can venture to affert; and greatly lament they are precluded from rendering affiftance to Mr. Clark fon and his friends, from the uncandid manner in which they have been treated, and are spoken of. One active gentleman, when at Liverpool, is faid not only to have declared the molt violent prejudices against their characters, and to have treated their attentions with neglect, but to have employed himself in obtaining materials to criminate them, from the most unprincipled common failors and dock landladies. Thefe exaggerated facts may be twifted to the purpofe of producing an abhorrence of this trade, and of their conduct, but will apply to, and exift in, the Eaft India or any other navigation, where numbers of rough and daring fpirits are confined in hips for long voyages. With the fame views, feveral |