228

Remarks on the Cause, Troy v. Symonds.

[Oct. 1,

judge properly observed, that defendants is wounded in mind and spirit, instead had made an unfortunate trip," and that I presume was in the word treachery. They should have remembered, that in countries where the monarch is still a dupe to the pope of Rome, bishops (as also members of parliament, &c.) may bear true allegiance to both; but here, or in Russia, Prussia, &c. it is a moral impossibility. The almost universal mistake, then, seems to be in ourselves: we erroneously call the Roman Catholics our fellow-subjects, merely from local situation, and then expect allegiance from them, though their allegiance is elsewhere pre-engaged. Plaintiff swore, indeed, as all his sect must swear, salva ecclesiæ utilitate, that he was a loyal subject to his Majesty, and published an anti-papal exhortation calculated to favour the same idea; but, though a false religion naturally may, and really does, oblige them to be insincere towards those whom they choose to call heretics, yet a true religion can by no means oblige us to be simpletons.†

Since, then, there was only a trip of the pen, and not the smallest ill-will, on this side at least, how came it to pass, it may be asked, that defendants were cast in the penalty of 501.? It was owing, I conceive, to the piteous and lamentable description, by the ingenious counsel, of the heart-rending sorrows of the plaintiff at so foul an imputation; "for," said he, though I lately myself defended an assassin who had maimed and mutilated a plaintiff, yet how much more afflicting is the case of present plaintiff! and how much greater his claim of damages who

We have lately heard of " the note that hobody wrote:" this exhortation might not unaptly be called, "the thing that somebody wrote for nobody to attend to."

At the aggregate meeting in Dublin, (June 1813,) an Irish declaimer, after calling this most generous of nations malignant bigots, and other slanderous names, declared, that English stupidity has really become a proverb." On this it may be prudent to say nothing, as a discussion might tend rather to confirm than repel the accusation.-A lady of quality, in Queen Anne's reign, on her son's coming from Westminster School with a black eye and bloody nose, said, "Hey! child, what has been the matter? who have you been fighting with?" "Lord

called me a bastard.". "Did he?" said she, "why then fight 'em again if ever they call you so, for that is calling you out of your name. But, hark ye, if any of them should call you a son of a w-, you mustn't quarrel about that, for that is what you really are."

of in person! &c." Now I really must be pardoned if I suspect, on the other hand, that though, had the doctor ventured to read the whole paper of the Anti-Jacobin, (which, like numberless other essays now published by good and learned men, refutes popery, and establishes the religion or the gospel,) he might, iudced, have been vexed and uneasy; yet, on being informed that some thing was found in it that might be represented as libellous, he must surely have been any thing else rather than sorrowful. Indeed, his final triumph must have rendered both him and his companions as merry as Milner's devils, or rendered them almost frantic with joy and exultation.-O Flaw! O Nonsuit! whither were ye rambling out of the way when your assistance might have been so uncommonly serviceable?I shall only add, that Wakefield was rewarded by his party with a subscription amounting, if I recollect right, to 6,000/† while the Anti-Jacobin Reviewers, who wish to have no party but their country at large; and who as writers may have contributed as much to its political salvation as an equal number of the Duke of Wellington's fighters-in return for their

This bishop of the Devil-knows-where, (whom his master should send to residence,) declared in 1808, that the dissentions amongst the Roman Catholics occasioned "the exultation of the new privy-counsellor, (Mr. Perceval,) and the laugh of hell." As these dissentions have greatly increased, popery might boast that, whatever calamities of it causes great mirth and hilarity somewhere, horrors it may have occasioned upon earth, (See an excellent and truly Christian, and therefore much-neglected work, called the Orthodox Churchman's Mag. Vol. XV. p. 272.)

+ When it accidentally came out that this person had been disseminating sedition in Dorchester jail, we were desired to hush it up, "lest it should wound the feelings of his relatives." These feelings have met with a pretty good plaister. Little regard,however, was paid to even royal feelings, when this same W-represented his own sovereign as a fool, though he was a man of far more wisdom and real good sense than himself.-About half a century ago, the Spanish ambassador applied to our minister, to get a man pu nished for having libelled his king. "The king of Spain can neither sue nor be sued in our courts," was the answer. "What!" said the Spaniard, "shall a fellow be suf fered to call the king of Spain a fool with impunity?" "They have called," replied the minister coolly, "their own king a fool, and HE is a very sensible man."

Mr. Porter on Montgomery's West Indies.

fine, expenses, obloquy, and real distress of mind, -have been remunerated with -nothing,

Again, I fear, I have been induced to ramble too far a jocis ad seria: however, I am happy in being enabled to close this subject with a definition, or etymology, of the word libel, as delivered er cathedrá by the great Lord Bacon, in some famous cause, known by the name of the Nottingham cause. "A libel," said this celebrated lawyer, "is a lie forged at home, and a bell to ring it up and down the country."

230

Aggregates of Infinite Series-Genealogical Illustrations. [Oct. 1,

miscellany; I shall, therefore, confine myself to a few more observations.

Events of the greatest consequence may receive a stimulus from comparatively trivial aids. Poetry can raise mean events from obscurity, and extol great ones; the abolition of the slave

3

3 3 9 15 33 63

2+1-1=2 − 4 + 8 −16+32-64 &c.

3 3

3

1

4+16+64 &c. 1 instead of 2

And so in other instances, ad infinitum. Yours, &c.

Manor Place,

trade by the English was indeed a glo- Walworth, Sep. 12, 1814.
rious exertion; but by the powers of
Montgomery our admiration is raised to

ecstacy.

High on a rock, in solitary state,
Sublimely musing pale Britannia sate.
She thought of Pitt, heart-broken on his bier,
And O my country!' echoed in her ear.
She thought of Fox: she heard him faintly
speak:

His parting breath grew cold upon her cheek:
His dying accents trembled into air,
C Spare injur'd Africa; the negro spare.'
Shame flush'd her noble cheek; her bosom

burn'd:

To helpless, hopeless Africa she turn'd.
She saw her sister in the mourner's face,
And rush'd with tears into her dark embrace.
All hail!' exclaimed the empress of the sea,
Thy chains are broken! Africa, be free!"
If I have been led away by my feel-
ings, in the preceding remarks, I entreat
the reader's pardon. There are, doubt
less, imperfections in the poem; but, in
my opinion, its beauties are much more
numerous and, pleased as I have been
with the latter, it is possible that in the
warmth of my admiration I may bave
overlooked some of the former.
July 25, 1814.

R. PORTER.

THOS. TAYLOR.

GENEALOGICAL ILLUSTRATIONS-ORIGIN

of LANGUAGE.

To the Editor of the New Monthly Magazine.
SIR,

IT has frequently occurred to me, that if a periodical publication were occasionally to dedicate a few pages to Heraldry, it would materially add to the interest and circulation of the work. I was induced to hope that this subject would have found a place in your valuable miscellany, on reading the communication relative to the family of "Blount," in your number for May last; but in which I was disappointed.

I do not mean to recommend the expense of copying and engraving the arms of the nobility, as these may be easily procured; but a collection of the coats of arms belonging to families that are not noble is, certainly, at this moment, a desideratam. These, I should conceive, might be engraved on wood, at a trifling expense, and would eventually become valuable as references, particularly as the confused state of the orthography of sur names presents very serious obstacles to genealogical and historical inquiries.

To many of your readers, I feel convinced, it would be peculiarly interesting, whilst it would afford those who cannot conveniently consult the Heralds' Office an opportunity of becoming acquainted with the shields borne by dis

tinct families.

No doubt, should this meet your approbation, many persons would be induced to furnish you with the arms and biography of the gentry around them; particularly members of parliament, high sheriffs of counties, mayors, &c. or of those who have rendered themselves eminent in literature, arts, or sciences.*

Sept. 9, 1814.

Wishing every possible success to a work, which unites judicious and well selected arrangement of matter, with real soundness of principle, I remain, Sir, your constant reader, T.K. G. We beg leave to assure our intelligent correspondent, and our literary contributors in general, that the kind of information to which he adverts, so far from being excluded from our pages, will, on the contrary, prove highly acceptable,-EDITOR.

1814.]

Origin of Languages-Richard Harvey.

P.S.-If I am correct in the inference which Dr. Perkins' second letter on "Oriental Languages," in your last number, (p. 119,) leads me to draw, he is of opinion, not only that language, but that alphabetical writing also is of human invention. Having paid some attention lately to this subject, and feeling inclined to attribute both to divine origin, I beg leave to quote a passage from a preface to the second volume of sermons, published in 1728 by the late Rev. John Johnson, A. M. vicar of Cranbrook in Kent, where, in my estimation, he satisfactorily proves that there were no al phabetical writings before Moses." "The old Egyptians had a reputation equal at least to any other nation then in the world for knowledge of all sorts; and we cannot doubt but they had as many domestic affairs worthy to be transmitted to posterity, as any people of the Heathen world. Their pyramids still remain the wonder of all that see, or hear of them. It is natural to suppose that whatever other ends the builders had in erecting them, their principal aim was by this means to immortalize their own names. If a man could have been then found that could have made an inscription in alphabetical letters, or that was able to write the names of the builders, we cannot in reason doubt their memory had been preserved in legible characters. But now, on the contrary, we are sure that 2200 years ago Herodotus could not get any information concerning the names of the builders, but from uncertain report or tradition. And if these pyramids were built of the bricks made by the Israelites under their servitude, and just before their deliverance from it, then it points to that particular time of which I have been hitherto discoursing, and shews that the Egyptians had not the use of letters when Moses led the people out of Egypt." Vol. II. p. 10. It is neither my wish, nor have leisure to enter into controversy, particularly as the origin both of language, as well as alphabetical writing, is involved in so much obscurity. Great names have been ranked on both sides of the question relative to the divine or human invention of these invaluable privileges, whilst it is next impossible to produce proofs on one side, that shall be considered as completely satisfactory by the other; consequently the argument must eventually end, almost in conjecture. Most cordially do I agree with Dr. Perkins in his first letter on Oriental Lan

231

guages, (vol. I. p. 321,) that " it may be
fairly inquired whether any study is more
useful to the future divine, or more im-
portant to the Christian in general;"
and I congratulate the readers of the
New Monthly Magazine on the conside-
ration of this subject having been under-
taken by one who appears to be equal to
its investigation.

INQUIRY concerning RICHARD HARVEY.
To the Editor of the New Monthly Magazine.
SIR,

KNOWING well your ability, and
having often experienced your willing-
ness to impart information, may I beg
leave to ask of you, or, through your in-
dulgence, of any of your leaders, where
I may find an account of Richard Har-
vey, who published, in the year 1583, a
little work on blood-letting and astrolo-
gy, dedicated to Thomas, Bishop of Lon-
don, of which work bibliographers are as
silent as biographers seem to be respect-
ing its author.
I am, &c.
London, Sept. 12.

J. I.

On a MISREPRESENTATION in a CLASSI-
THROUGH ITALY, by the

CAL TOUR

REV. JOHN CHETWODE EUSTACE.
To the Editor of the New Monthly Magazine.
SIR,

BELIEVE me it is not without re-
gret, that I feel it necessary to give any
thing like a contradiction to the asser-
tions of so amiable a man, and so elo-
quent a writer, as the author of the
classical tour through Italy appears to be
through the whole of his very interesting
work. But as it has attained the summit
of publicity and esteem, those assertions
are of the more consequence, if left to
their present erroneous impressions. He
who could dictate the following passage,
which deserves to be inscribed in letters
of gold in every place of Christian wor
ship, by whatever name its sect may be
called, will grant, I am sure, that indul-
gence to me if in error, that he so elo-
quently contends for from others. "Yet
with this attachment to the ancient
faith," (he acknowledges himself just be-
fore, 'sincere and undisguised in the be
lief and profession of the Roman Catho-
lic religion,')" he presumes not to ar-
Persuaded that
raign other systems.
their claims to mercy as well as his own
depend upon sincerity and charity, hẹ
leaves them and himself to the disposal
of the common Father of all, who we may
humbly hope will treat our errors and
our defects with more indulgence than

232 mortals usually shew to each other." I fear Mr. Eustace did not experience the extreme power of these liberal, these manly, these Christian sentiments, when he drew his comparison between the episcopal basilicas of St. Peter's at Rome, and St. Paul's London, or else must have been under erroneous impressions when he penned the following note which is the subject of my complaint." The dome of St. Paul's is not calculated to give a just idea of that St. Peter's. The inner dome of the former is brick, and in shape not very unlike the conical form of a glass house; the dome to which the edifice owes all its external grandeur is a mere wooden roof raised over the other at a considerable diştance, and covered with copper, which conceals the poverty of its materials. Both the domes of the latter are of stone; they run up a considerable way together, and when they separate, merely leave room enough for a narrow staircase between them, so that the traveller as he ascends touches both domes with his elbows. They unite again at the top, and conjointly support the weight of the lanthorn."

Mr. Elmes on a Misrepresentation of Mr. Eustace.

First, Mr. Eustace says, "the dome of St. Paul's is not calculated to give a just idea of that of St. Peter's." This I most readily admit; but not the false conclusions he would have one draw from it, that St. Paul's is the inferior. The illustrious architect of St. Paul's had too many resources in his wellstored mind to copy others implicitly, and be had no more idea of intending his dome "to give a just idea of St. Peter's," than of that of Santa Sofia at Constantinople, or the Pantheon at Rome; they have their several beauties, and those of our metropolitan church must not be ravished from it in a mo

ment.

Mr. Eustace may probably demand my authority as a critic on this subject; to which I would reply, that I have devoted at least as much attention to St. Paul's as he has to St. Peter's; that I have with my own hands measured and delineated every part of that master-piece of architecture that glorious monument of the magnificence of our ancestors and have diligently compared them with every part of St. Peter's, taken from the best authorities, in the works of Fontana, Dumont, Giovanni Battista Costaguti the younger, and others; that although I have not yet had the happiness of viewing that monument of human skill and greatness, St. Peter's, (which I

[Oct. 1,

do not know is a greater disqualification to me, than not having known the hero of his work is to the historian,) yet, as a practical architect, I have the best means of judging between delineation and exe cution. On this part of the two structures, the domes, I have long made up my mind, and have had my opinion corroborated by many architects and connoisseurs who have had the opportunity of seeing the Roman basilica. This opi nion was laid before the London Architectural Society some time ago, in a paper, (the annual production of which we imposed on ourselves,) from which I shall occasionally quote. The subject was upon the superiority of knowledge of the scientific part of construction, evinced by the architect of St. Paul's over those of St. Peter's; to say nothing of the greater taste, beauty of contour, and proportion, in the entire of the dome of St. Paul's, from the tambour upwards, over that of St. Peter's. After pointing out several erroneous modes of constructing domes, I proceed: "The same cause (ignorance of construction) produced, although at a more distant period from its first erection, those tremendous fissures in the dome of St. Peter's at Rome, that have been lately so admirably and scientifically remedied by the celebrated mechanic Zubaglia, who encircled the whole dome, after the exam ple of Sir Christopher Wren at St. Paul's, (while he supported the whole superstructure on new scaffolds and cintres,) with that stupendous iron chain which would have been more wisely inserted at its first erection, as its construction was on those principles which evidently required it."

Probably Mr. Eustace may be able to favour me with answers to some of the following questions, which will serve to elucidate this important subject. Does the dome of the Pantheon at Rome contain within its masonry any artificial links, bonds, or ties of metal? If not, is the dome of St. Peter's, in the same city, erroneous in its mode of construc

V. P. read to the London Architectural SoEssay on Construction, by J. Elmes, ciety, Oct. 28, 1808.

In addition to the elaborate report, accompanied by engravings of diagrams, machines, &c. used in this repair, I have had the advantage of personal information from that celebrated architect and engineer, the late Mr. Milne, who was an eye-witness of the facts, and was acquainted with Zubaglia.