mention is made of a manufacture, which, of late years, is become of much greater confequence to this country, than is known, perhaps, to many of our readers; and which, in juftice to the merit of fome of its greatest improvers, we embrace this opportunity of recommending to their attention. In the article Porcelain, we obferve, the author of the dictionary mentions, with honour, the names of all the chemists or artifls who have contributed, either by their chemical refearches or their tafte, to improve or embellish this valuable article of refinement and commerce; and we have frequently obferved, in the courfe of our reading, that French authors feldom mention any new difcovery or improvement made by their countrymen, without informing the world to whom they are indebted for it. This is, at the fame time, a reward, an incitement, and a piece of juftice; and we cannot but with this honour were as duly and publicly paid to merit, in Great Britain as in France. In the article before us, for inftance, when the tranflator (in a Note, page 560) informs us, that he hears, with pleafure, that an ingenious gentleman has found a true katlin and petuntfe in Devonshire and in Cornwall; and that he has lately cftablished a manufactory of genuine porcelain ;-would it not have been an agreeable piece of intelligence to the world, to have feen the honour of this difcovery given to its real author, Mr. Cookworthy of Plymouth: an excellent chemift, whofe indefatigable application to this fubject, merits at least the tribute of that fame and public honour, which may probably be the principal reward he will ever receive, for labours that may fupport multitudes, and greatly redound to the benefit of his country? The fame reflections occur again, under the article Pottery, where the tranflator likewife, in a note, mentions that fashionable and truly clegant kind of pottery, called Queen's Ware, and emits the name of Mr. Wedgwood, to whom this kingdom is indebted, not only for that beautiful manufacture, but allo for many other improvements in this curious and valuable art; and, we apprehend, thofe which he has produced in the way of ornament, in company with his colleague Mr. Bentley, may, with prop iety, be enumerated under this head, as they are new and valuable difcoveries, belonging chiefly to the chemical department. We have fcen, from this ornamental manufactory, which has been cftablished but a few years, Vafes and urns, in imitation of fajper, and other variegated ftones. A fine black porcelain, of which very beautiful vafes and basre'iefs are made, after antique patterns. Etrufcan vafes, ornamented with encaustic paintings, after the antique. Bas Bas-reliefs, of a new white compofition, with coloured grounds, fo as to have the effect of enlarged cameos. These are new difcoveries in the art of pottery, which may be added to the various kinds already known, both for use and for ornament; and which are properly noticed in this dictionary. ART. V. A Sketch of the Materials for a New Hiftory of Cheshire: With foort Accounts of the Genius and Manners of its Inhabitants, and of fome local Cuftoms peculiar to that diftinguished County. In a Letter to Thomas Falconer, Efquire, of the City of Chester. 2 s. 6d. Bathurst. 1771. 4to. O the circumftance of its having been a Palatinate, during many centuries, Chefhire is indebted for poffeffing, in the public repofitory of its caftle, more traces and memorials of its ancient records, than any other provincial district can boaft; and on this account it is furprifing, that it has hitherto been fo unfortunate as not to have found an hiftorian capable of doing justice to fuch ample materials. The Author of the letter before us appears to be able and intelligent, to have a tafte for inquiries into ancient times, and to be poffeffed of thofe talents which are neceffary to render them agreeable; yet he feems averfe, notwithstanding, to the thought of engaging in this undertaking. He dreads that wafte of midnight oil which must be expended in fo laborious a service, and that great demand it will make upon him, both in conftitution and fortune. For my own part (fays be with a rare modesty) it will be fufficient praife, if I endeavour to wreathe an honorary chaplet that may adorn the brows of the chofen hiftorian, without prefuming on the vanity of placing it on my own.' In the view of alluring fome able antiquary to take upon him the honour of giving a regular hiftory of Chethire, he has sketched out, with fingular precifion, and in a feries almost strictly chronological, the rich collections, and materials from which this fuperftructure may be raised. And from thefe, he is of opinion, that a hiftory might be formed of his native county, infinitely fuperior to any hiftory, yet exifling, of any county in Great Britain; a hiftory that fhall as much excel Dugdale's Warwickshire as this celebrated hiflory is supposed to excel thofe of all our provincial diftricts: fince at prefent it certainly ranks among them in the fame diftinguifhed manner, as the moon is poetically faid to fhine amongst the leffer luminaries.' Thefe expreffions are forcible and Itrong, and, to be underflood in their full extent, require the enthufiafm of a Poet or a Ceftrian: but we must yet acknowledge that, after a ferious pe O 4 rufal rufal of the prefent publication, we are difpofed to allow them a confiderable fhare of authority and weight. In the courfe of his Sketch, our Antiquary has made fome remarks on the Royal Charter of the Chefhire Empire;' and, on this occafion, he gives his fanction to the opinion of Camden, which fuppofes that Palatinates exifted not in England till the age of William the Norman, and then were conftituted on the frontiers of the kingdom for their defence against invafions. We have all due deference for the venerable authority of Camden, and are by no means deficient in point of refpect for our Author; and yet, with regard to thefe opinions, we must beg leave to diffent from them. That the words Palatine and Palatinate were not known in England till after the Norman invafion, we are ready to admit. The powers, however, invefted in an Earl Palatine were poffeffed, during the Saxon times, by the higher nobility; and we had then Palatinates in fact, though not in name. The Saxon Earls, who had their Counties or Earldoms to their own ufe, (and fuch, if we mistake not, were Godwin, Siward, Morcar, and Edric *) exerted a jurifdiction no lefs regal and unbounded, than that which, in the Norman times, was exercifed by the Earls Palatine of Chefter and Lancafter. Fortunately, alfo, in the prefent cafe, we can fupport our opinion by the teftimony of Selden. This juftly-admired antiquary informs us, in his titles of honour, That the power of the greater Saxon Earls was fo confiderable and independent, that the King's writ of ordinary juftice did not run in their territories." And this was expressly one of the privileges of Earls Palatine. It is not therefore, perhaps, without reafon, that we imagine. that the jurifdiction of Earls Palatine was known in England before the age of William the Norman; and, if there be a foundation for this opinion, it is obvious that they were not conftituted for the mere purpofe of defending the kingdom against the incurfions of the Scotch and Welch. Their being itationed on the frontiers was political, and a confequence of the turbulence of the times; and the danger, which threatened England from Scotland and Wales, was not the circumstance which gave rife to their creation. In the fhort accounts which our Author exhibits of the genius and manners of the inhabitants of his county, and indeed throughout the whole of his letter, he writes in fuch a ftrain, that we cannot but regret his reluctance to engage in the project, which he has propofed for the refearches and the industry of another. As the friends of literature, and of our country, See Hume, vol. i. p. 146. we we fincerely wifh that a work of fuch high importance were accomplished; and to encourage fome able investigator into our national antiquities, to centre his labours in this point, to dedicate them to a HISTORY OF CHESHIRE, we shall communicate to the public, through the channel of our Review, the fummary of that rich ftore of materials for this undertaking which our Author has given in the Poftfcript to his Letter. Let me now, fays our ingenious Antiquary, prefent you with a fummary view of thofe Cheshire Manufcripts, which are either at prefent in my poffeffion, or of which I have been favoured with the obliging promife.-The latter are printed in Italics. The Chefhire Domesday, peculiarly fo called. Ditto of Ralfe Starkie, the Antiquary. Heraldical Visitation of Ralfe Starkie, Merchant. Bishop Gaftrel's of ditto, in a large folio volume. Ditto of Catherall's Collections. Tranfcript of Mr. Vernon's. Sir William Brereton's Letters and Transactions in 5 folio volames. • Mr. Booth of Tavemlowe's Collections. Afhmole's Drawings of a Variety of Antiquarian Remains. Mr. Wilbraham's, for the district of Namptwich. • Rev. Mr. Stones's, in 3 volumes. • Mr. Warburton's, Somerfet Herald, in 4 volumes. Mr. Carrington's. Dr. Gower's. The late Recorder of the City of Chester. Liber Petri Dutton, armigeri. Ledger Book of Vale-Royal Abbey. The following Manufcripts have not been mentioned in the pre- ceding Sketch of Materials; because the authors, and the collectors of them, were equally unknown, But I am fufficiently happy, either in the promife, or the poffeffion of them. 1. A large folio of 631 pages, containing a variety of very curious Mifcellaneous Obfervations, relative to the County and City of Chelter; digefted alphabetically. 2. Another volume in folio, containing the Inquifitions poft mortem, from the 33d year of Edward the Third to the 24th of Henry the Seventh. Both which have been communicated to me through the extreme kindness of Mr. Lowe, of Christleton. 3. A Fædary in folio of all the Tenures in Capite, during the reign of Philip and Mary; tranfmitted to me by the Rev. Mr. Price, Bodley-Librarian, with that communicative zeal which is peculiar to the literary friend of every intended publication. 4. Another volume in folio, of the most ancient and famous City of Chefter. 5, 6. Two quarto volumes, treating of Chefter; fent to me in the most obliging manner by Mr. Speed, Deputy Register.-One of them is arranged under 38 chapters. 7. Another volume in quarto, upon the fame fubjet.-This too was tranfmitted through the favour of Mr. Price. Bodley-Librarian. 6 8. A thin quarto volume, on the Siege of Chefer, communicated through the very friendly civility of the Rev. Mr. Harwood. 9. A curious Treatife in quarto, infcribed Liber B, containing many valuable materials; and entrusted to me with the greatest inftances of benevolence and regard, by the Rev. Mr. Allen, Rector of Torporley. 10. A fair Manufcript in octavo, of 200 pages, principally relating to the City of Chefter; but including a variety of Mifcellaneous Remarks-very kindly and obligingly fent to me by Mifs Tilfton of Chefter. 11. Several Manufcripts in the poffeffion of Mr. Orme of Chefter; which he has genteely promifed me the ufe of 12. A Tranfcript, in a large folio volume, of Mifcellaneous Articles, und r the following Titles: The Family and Defcent of Hugh Earl of Chefter. The Acts of the Seven Earls of Chefter. • Extracts from the Chronicles of Roger of Chefter. • Extracts from the Chronicles of the Abbey of St. Werburgh. Of the Holy Virgin St. Werburgh. Extracts from the Chronicles of the Ecclefiaftical Hiftory of Chefter, brought down from the earliest Times to the year 1410, by John Rochford. • Some Hiftorical Accounts of the Abbey of Stanlaw, founded by John Lacy, Conflable of Chefter, and Baron of Halton, A. D. 1172; with a Catalogue of the Abbots. • Some Particulars of the Abbey of Stanlaw, and of the Family of the Laceys, the Founders of it. Of the Genealogy of the Founders of the Abbey of Stanlaw. A Chronicle of the Abbey of Stanlaw. The Charter of the Abbey of Pulton 1153. The Charter of Roger, Confiable of Chester, to the Priory of Norton. The Pedigrees of the Families of Boftoke and Egerton in Cheshire. 13. Another Tranfcript in folio, containing Charters of Confirmation, of the Dignity of Earl of Chefter, to the King's eldeit Son, in the following inftances-Edward, the Black Prince, Son of Edward the Third-Prince Edward, Son of Henry the Sixth-Prince Arthur, Son of Henry the Seventh-with a particular account in what manner the ujual M:SE of 3000 Marks was raifed by the Palati Date, |