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vantage than that there should be a resident Clergyman in every parish in the kingdom. But, desirable as this object is, it never can be obtained under a discretionary power. Statutes may be made, and penalties of the severest nature enacted, while the evils of non-residence will still remain. What then shall be done to prevent the evils? No discretion should be left with the Bishop, nor with any earthly power whatever; but the condition of any person holding an Ecclesiastical Benefice should be, that a resident Clergyman be provided; and this condition should in no case be relinquished.

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Let none be alarmed at this sugges tion it is made by one who is duly sensible of all the arguments which may be urged against it. It is not proposed that the condition of any person holding an Ecclesiastical Benefice should be, that he himself should reside, but that a resident Clergyman should be provided. The difference is great; it is worthy of attention, and the position which it involves is capable of being supported.

Should it be asked, why not require that the Incumbent himself should reside? it might be answered, because it ought not to be required. In many cases his residence must be dispensed with-in cases of illness, in cases of unavoidable absence, and in cases of ten of desirable absence. A discretionary power, it may be thought, should judge of these cases. But this is that very power under which the present evils of parochial non-residence exist, and under the operation of which, prior to all experience, we know that they ever must exist.

Instead, then, of any discretionary power of the kind being entrusted to the Bishop, he should, in all cases, be absolutely required to see that there is a resident Clergyman in every parish; and it should be left to the Incumbent whether to reside himself, or provide a resident. This would accomplish the very important and desired purpose of securing a resident Clergyman in every parish in the kingdom; and nothing short of this will accomplish it.

The impolicy that that power which requires a resident Clergyman in every parish, should also require that that Clergyman be the incumbent, even if there were no cases of unavoidable

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absence, as have been alluded to,should prohibit its exercise. For the neces sity must never be forgotten, of hav ing such a liberal discipline over such a body as the Clergy, as may rather encourage than deter men of talent and of family, and of the influence attaching to both, from entering into the Church. But, if it should be known that every person would he compelled to reside on that spot where his preferment might chance to be, or to relinquish his preferment, not many honourable, not many independent, not many desirable charac

ters would enter into the Church. It would be the duty of parents not to encourage their children to do so; and thus the slender inducement which now prevails towards directing young men of talent and of respectability to receive Holy Orders, would be dimi nished, and an irreparable injury be done to the Church.

If, in reply to this, it should be ob served that much spiritual benefit is not to be expected from men who en ter into the Church, because they may not be required to reside on their benefices, it should be considered that this is not likely to be a motive with persons entering into the Church. Very few can know before-hand where (if they are fortunate enough to obtain preferment) it may be, or whether it may not be in a situation of all others most agreeable to their habits; while the reverse of the proposition, that a man must absolutely reside wherever his preferment may chance to be, would operate with many not to engage in a profession regulated by so rigid a discipline.

It may, perhaps, be thought, that leaving it with Incumbents, whether to reside in person or not, will increase the instances of their non-residence; but it is so much to the inte rest of the Clergy to reside on their benefices, that, even on this consideration, apart from the wish which we may, in charity, suppose generally to prevail with them to discharge their own duties, the far greater number of Incumbents would be found to be resident.-They would especially be found to be so, if the measure proposed were uniformly enforced, and in no instance abandoned, that a resident Clergyman should be provided in every parish. The utility of this measure depends on the vigour, and the absolute and per

manent

manent uniformity, of its execution. It will then operate more powerfully than any which has ever yet been adopted towards securing the residence of Incumbents, and will universally secure a resident Clergy, with the advantages of neither injuriously cramping the discipline of the Church, nor subjecting it to the evils of a discretionary power.

By adverting to these evils, it is far from the wish or intention of the wris ter to convey insinuations prejudicial to the character of the Bishops with whom the power has been lodged. They have, it is indeed believed, exercised it to the best of human ability, and have been actuated generally with a view to the benefits of the Establishment; while they have, in particular cases, been influenced by a tender consideration of what has been due to individuals. In cases where they have been mistaken, either by enforc ing the residence of the Incumbent where it might have been dispensed with, or by dispensing with it where it should have been enforced (and they have erred in both ways), the fault was neither in their hearts nor in their judgments, but in some deficiency, probably, of information; and necessarily arose from the nature of the unpleasant power which was imprudently consigned to them. Hence arises a forcible argument against this discretionary power being vested with the Bishops; its tendency being to expose them to error, and to all the appearance of partiality or op pression; since they, on whom it is exercised, will generally see, or think they see, peculiar reason why they should be exempted from it; and thus discord, than which nothing can be more fatal to the true interests of the established religion, is promoted between the Bishop and his Clergy.

The writer of these reflections is sensible that many will be disposed to view his plan as unjust and impracticable; but a little cool reflection may satisfy them that it is neither unjust nor impracticable. The injustice of it will be effectually repelled, in the consideration that it need not be enforced during any existing incumbency; but provision might be made, that it be acted on immediately on a vacancy. The impracticability of it may be urged probably from the slender income of many livings, and

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the consequent insufficiency of their securing any resident Clergyman. This is an evil readily admitted but where, it may be asked, could the Government of the country better extend pecuniary aid than to all livings so circumstanced? Measures might be easily devised for ascertaining their value. If their deficiencies were supplied out of the public purse, and the plan recommended rigidly enforced, more good would be done towards the support of true religion in the kingdom, than by all the idle declamations, in or out of Parliament, on the neglect of the Clergy; or than by all the encouragement which is given by Bishops and Senators, and would-be Bishops and Senators, to Bible Associations of Churchmen and no Churchmen; of Christians of all denominations, and of men of no denomination of Christians.

These reflections are humbly submitted to the consideration of those who are willing and able to give the important subject the patient attention which it deserves. Every particular comprised in this cursory essay might be aimply illustrated; but this is unnecessary to persons of enlarged minds and liberal conceptions; and such only are competent or proper to approach the subject. If doubts on the expediency of any part of this plan, namely, that a Clergyman be required to be resident in every parish in the kingdom, leaving it with the Incumbent to determine whether to reside himself, or to provide a Resident, shall occur to any, and be dispassionately stated, the writer, who has considered every objection, will respectfully reply. He concludes, for the present, by observing, that he is not so romantic as to imagine that every possible evil would be thus remedied, or that no seeming hardship would be introduced; but he presumes to think, that the greatest quantum of good which human means can effect, would be effected on this most important occasion; and that as little real hardship would be sustained as is possible by individuals in any scheme which is extensively to operate to the benefit of Society. A CHURCHMAN.

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mongers' Company (some years since) finally reimbursed a commercial firm in Mogadore, on the Western coast of Africa, the ransom of a shipwrecked British Seaman, who had been enslaved by the natives. That act of humanity, it seems, is due to the posthumous charity of a Mr. Thomas Betton, a Turkey Merchant, who left £.26,000 to the said Company, the proceeds of one half of which were to be applied to the deliverance of British captives in Barbary or Turkey. Quere, How is the said Fund appropriated? for, according to Mr. Jackson, it would be more than sufficient to answer every demand for the wrecked seamen; and as to Algiers and Tunis, whatever may be the fact, as they do not acknowledge to the detention of native British subjects, it is to be presumed that the bequest of Mr. Belton is not affected from those quarters. Without being acquainted with the particular directions of the will, it would be impertinent to question the Worshipful Company of Ironmongers; but the affair, simply as stated by Mr. Jackson, would imply no great concern on the part of Mr. Betton's legatees to find objects for his bounty. The notoriety of the existence of such a bequest to the Ironmongers' Company for such a purpose, can do it no harm; but, on the other hand, by opening the way to applications, it may afford it the pleasure of more amply fulfilling the benevolent intentions of no mean benefactor.

AN INQUIRER.

P. S. Mr. Jackson states, that from 1790 to 1806, there were, in all, thirty vessels wrecked on the Western coast of Africa, the crews of which were made to endure the tortures of the most dreadful slavery; and that of these thirty, the number of British amounted to seventeen.

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nisters extend in these matters. I believe, however, people do not expect to be called on to write and speak according to Act of Parliament. Every improvement in language must be gradual and successive; by the joint and patient efforts of many labourers. Give me leave, through the medium of your periodical work, to enroll myself among the number.

In some of our Grammars we find definitions accepted without scruple, which will not, if fairly encountered, bear a minute's inquiry. Thus Dr. Ash, in his introduction to Dr. Lowth's Grammar, calls the imperfect tense designated by the signs of did and was indeterminate: yet I did love or was loving, always relate to some fixed or precise point of time. On the other hand, I have loved, which he calls determinate, is never so understood. I have loved may apply to any past time whatever.

So we are told by other Grammarians that have is the sign of the perfect tense, and denotes a thing fully complete and ended. Yet if I say I have long believed, it does not appear that I have ceased to believe, but rather the contrary. One may, on the other hand, wonder to be told, that did is the sign of the imperfect tense, and denotes a thing not fully complete and ended; for I did love, I did believe, &c. are always understood as indicating cessation and complete termination. Surely this is playing at cross purposes. The above are only a few of the strange grammatical axioms which our sons and daughters are expected to swallow. If you give insertion to these remarks, they will be pursued, with an attempt at ainendment. W. B. C.

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Na most beautiful allegorical

O. 159 of the Spectator contains

Mr. URBAN, Aberdeen, Feb. 13. sketch of human life, under the title S the cultivation of our native of the First Vision of Mirzah. The language is a matter of public expression first vision naturally leads concern, I trust that I need not apo- us to expect a second, but I have dili logize for addressing to you some gently searched the Spectator throughscattered thoughts on the subject. out for the Second Vision of Mirzah About a century ago, Dr. Swift ad- in vain. Perhaps some of your Cordressed a memorial to one of the then respondents can explain the reason of Ministers of State (I think the Earl of my disappointment, or point out where Oxford) on the prevalent imperfec-it is to be met with.-The Spectator, tions of our language. I shall not take up your pages by attempting to ascertain how far the powers of mi

No. 159, appears to have been written by Addison, being signed by the first of the letters CLIO. R. U.

Mr.

1.

REVIEW OF NEW PUBLICATIONS.

Ancient Topography of London; containing not only Views of Buildings, which in many instances no longer exist, and for the most part were never before published, but some Account of Places and Customs either unknown, or overlooked by the London Historians. By John Thomas Smith. 4to. pp. 86.

THE

HE Volume before us has given us very considerable pleasure; the Views are extremely faithful; and the Descriptions novel and entertaining.

The first page of the volume affords an instance of Mr. Smith's liberality to the merits of a brother artist.

"It is a tribute due to Mr. Carter, to give him credit for having produced a greater collection of successive specimens of English Architecture than any other Artist. He has been during the whole of his life, as may be seen by his numerous productions, indefatigable in his researches, and I must declare, though I never spoke to him to my knowledge, that he justly deserves every remuneration for his perseverance in handing down so rich a mine of Antiquity. Many of his plates are etched in a spirited manner, with a close attention to mutilation, a point seldom attended to by artists."

As a specimen of Mr. Smith's descriptions, we shall insert his account of the Giants in Guildhall, principally with the view of introducing a very interesting essay on the same subject, by Mr. Douce.

"I trust the Reader will pardon the introduction of the following extract, taken from Queen Elizabeth's Progresses, vol. I. p. 22. as it may throw some light on a subject, concerning which we find so little information in the London Historians.

"The Author, describing the procession of Her Majesty, on the 13th of January, 1558, the day before her coronation, says, From thence Her Grace came to Temple-Barre, which was dressed fyne lye with the two ymages of Gotmagot the Albione, and Corineus the Britain, two gyantes bigge in stature, furnished accordingly; which held in their handes, even above the gate, a table wherin was written, in Latin verses, theffet of all the pageantes which the citie before had erected.'

GENT. MAG. July, 1816.

"Possibly these very figures, provided by the City, might have been the originals of those described by Strype in his edition of Stowe's Survey of London, as an ancient Briton and Saxon, then standing in Guildhall.

"That the figures now in Guildhall were put up after the fire of 1666, appears evident from the following notice of them by Hatton in his New View of London,' published in 1708; who says, speaking of Guildhall,

"This stately Hall, being much damnify'd by the unhappy conflagration of the City in 1666, was rebuilt Anno 1669, and extremely well beautified and repaired both in and outside, which cost about 2,500l. and two new Figures of Gigantick' magnitude will be as before.' Vol. II. p. 607.

"A friend in the Chamberlain's Office informs me that the accounts of these figures, commonly called Gog and Magog, together with those of the repairs and alterations of the Hall after the fire of 1666, were unfortunately consumed when the Chamberlain's Office was burnt, about thirty years ago.

"It having been reported, that these figures were of pasteboard, I obtained permission to examine them. They are of wood, and hollow. I stood upright in the body of one of them. They are composed of pieces of fir; and I am informed were the production of they were presented to the City by the a ship-carver. It is also reported, that Stationers' Company, which, if true, might have given rise to the report of their being made of paper. That giants for pageants were formerly made of pasteboard and other materials, is beyond doubt; for in Strutt's Sports and Pastimes,' p. 27, we find the following entry respecting the giants for Chester, made after the Restoration of Charles II.

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For arsnick, to put into the paste," to save the giants being eaten by the rats, one shilling and fourpence.'

"On Saturday, July 8th, 1815, in consequence of the alterations and repairs of the Hall, the figure called Gog [the one with the staff and ball] was taken down, and with difficulty moved by twenty men to a shed in a corner, prepared for its safety, until the West end of the Hall be finished, where he and his comrade are to be placed upon pedestals on either side of the West window.

Mr.

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"Mr. Mountague, one of the two gentlemen who direct the repairs, very kindlypermitted me to examine this figure more minutely. It measures fourteen feet six inches in height; from the upper leaf of laurels to the lower point of the beard five feet three inches; the nose is nine inches, the opening of the eyelids one inch and a half, across the shoulders about four feet eight inches, the arms from the wrist to the elbow two feet five inches and a half, from the wrist to the tip of the second finger two feet; the feet are the length of the hands." pp. 48-50.

"In addition to what has already been said respecting the Guildhall Giants, I have been favoured with the following letter from Mr. Douce:

'To Mr. Smith.

'Sir-From the incidental mention of the far-famed Giants in Guildhall, in p. 49, of your work on the Antient Topography of London, and from the conjecture you have made on the origin of these statues, I am induced to communicate the following particulars relating to them, which I had long since put together with a view to their disclosure at some convenient opportunity; and none ean possibly be more so than the present.

'It is most extraordinary that all the London Historians should have treated this subject with so much inaccuracy and imperfection, when a moderate portion of research would have furnished them with satisfactory materials.

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Stowe is silent on these figures, though it is most certain they were in Guildhall before he published his "Survey of London." Howel, in his "Londinopolis," 1657, likewise makes mention of them.-You have already stated, from Hatton's View of London, 1708, 8vo. that they perished in the great fire of London; but, though Guildhall was rebuilt a few years afterwards, there seems to be no evidence that they were replaced immediately, nor is the precise time of their restoration easily to be ascertained. Mr. Hatton has in formed us that "two new figures of gigantic magnitude will be as before." This would lead us to infer, that they had not been replaced at the time of the publication of this book; but the expression is either grammatically faulty, or extremely unintelligible; because it appears from Ned Ward's London Spy, originally published in 1699, that our giants were then in Guildhall. This facetious writer was at a loss however to comprehend their origin, and contents himself with telling us that they might have been set up to shew the City what huge

boobies their forefathers were, or else to frighten stubborn apprentices into obedience, "some of them being as much terrified at the names of Gog and Magog, as little children at the sound of Raw-head and Bloody-bones."

'As it cannot perhaps be ascertained whether the present figures have been faithfully restored according to the form and costume of those destroyed by the fire of 1666, it is scarcely worth while to enter on a minute or critical description of them; and I shall therefore proceed to lay before your Readers the evidence that I have met with concerning the original gigantic heroes of the hall, and to deduce from it the necessary conclusions.

In a very entertaining collection of Dialogues in French and English, under the title of "Orthoëpia Gallica, Eliot's Fruits for the French," 4to. 1593, but the running title of which is "The Parlement of Pratlers," a bragging fellow is introduced at page 137, who, in describing his pedigree, tells us that he is descended from "Atlas, cousin german to Gogmagog, who, with his two hands, set, it is long since, the two hils of chalke neere Cambridge, to the end that the schollers should walke thether sometimes to passe their times about them. The same was gossip to Fierabras, of whom descended the great giant Oromedon, and Offot, the godsonne of Coryneus, of whom you may see the image in the Yeeldhall of London."

'Bishop Hall, in his Satires, published in 1597, has noticed one of our giants, whom he terms,

"The crab-tree porter of the Guildhall gates,

While he his frightful beetle elevates." Book VI. Sat. I.

Whether the epithet "crab-tree," is applied to the sour countenance of the party, or to his knotted Herculean club, I shall not pretend to determine; but it may very well fit either.

'Paul Hentzner, who travelled into England in 1598, speaking of Guildhall, has these words, faithfully translated from the original Latin by Lord Orford in his republication of a part of Hentzner's work. "Here are to be seen the statues of two giants said to have assisted the English when the Romans made war upon them; Corinius of Britain, and Gogmagog of Albion." This foreigner's ignorance respecting the English and the Romans needs no comment; for the rest we are much obliged to him.

I have seen a tract intitled, "A Dialogue between Colebrand and Brandamore, the Giants in Guildhall, concerning the late Election,

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