credit to himself and his tutor, for you know in our Alma Mater 61. "DEAR SIR, Wilmington, Feb. 23, 1797. "s Obliged am I to you for your intelligence that some of the Ducarelian vicarial notes are deposited in the library at Somerset-place, though I have not the shadow of a hope that the ordination of the Vicarage of Sutton, cum capella de Wilmington, is among these MSS. The fact is that, whilst I was in pursuit of this choice relic of antiquity, I paid a visit to the collector at his chambers in the Commons, with the view of discovering whether he might have any other knowledge of the rights and profits of my little benefice than what I had communicated to him from my father's papers; and, being aware of the mercenary motives which too often influenced him, I tendered him a fee of one pound and one shilling, which he pocketed. I ought to add, however, that it was offered as for his legal opinion and advice upon the state of my claim. The case was resumed in a few days with an opinion subscribed by him, though, as I strongly suspect, composed by some other Doctor or a Proctor; but it was not to me worth a shilling, as I had previously consulted Doctor, now Sir William Wynne, and as I could not pick up any tidings of an original endowment, which will, I fear, be ever a desideratum. "I have received a very civil letter from J. J. i. e. from Capt. J. Jackson, of Godmanchester, touching the picture of the ship of war inquired after in the Gentleman's Magazine. It is called The Prince,' and not' The Prince Royal.' The two sternmost of the four masts are lower masts only, having no top-mast to them. The shield (heart-shaped) is so far shown on the stern as to give St. George, the horse, and dragon perfectly; the dragon has green scales, the horse is white, with netted armour over him. And most certainly I shall take the liberty of soliciting the Captain to inform me, in what points there may be a resemblance, and in what a dissimilitude between The Prince' in his sea-piece, and Allen's print of the supposed Great Harry; being still of opinion that the print must represent a ship of war built in the reign of James the First, or in that of his son Charles. "The perils by fire, water, and famine, which the late Governor Boys escaped, were when he was first mate of a merchant ship. In the Obituary of the Gentleman's Magazine, vol XLIV. p. 142, where his death is mentioned, there is a very concise account of them. I once read the detail of them compiled by month at Ivy Church in the same county. Mrs. Currey, his mother, wife of the Rev. John Currey noticed in p. 668, was the author of some small tracts for the use of young persons. She died Oct. 1, 1788, aged 42. Her maiden name was Elliot. the surgeon, whose name was Scrimsour, who for several years was a practitioner at Dartford; but on marrying a Lethieullier, who was an old maid, with a competent fortune, he retired from business; and resided first at Darenth, and afterwards at North Cray, in the church-yard of which parish they now sleep. "Mr. Hasted's dedication of the first volume of his octavo History is to Lord Romney, in whose generous protection the distressed and the unfortunate are sure to find both succour and relief;' and the author intreats his Lordship to pardon this effusion of gratitude, and to condescend to accept it as the only acknowledgment in his power. If you turn to the folio titlepage, you will find that the motto there is Servabo Fidem, or Fidem Servabo; but, in lieu thereof, in the octavo edition the motto is, Le bon temps viendra. Most cordially do I wish that these better times may come to Mr. Hasted; though the prevailing opinion is, that with respect to his affairs nil desperandum would not be an apt motto. Query, is it the practice to change a motto? My opinion has long been that, upon the whole, it is as well not to affix a motto, considering the chances and the changes in things and persons. His letter to me of the 7th current, contained sundry queries about Wilmington, to almost all of which I was able to return answers explicit; and with them I transmitted a medley of extracts and hints. To his discretion it was left to select such as might coincide with his plan; and I let him know that I was well aware that many articles which were interesting to persons resident in a parish, might be deemed otherwise by those who were not connected with the district. "On talking a few days since with Mr. Marmaduke Lewis, who joined in the sale of the advowson of Hever to Mr. Hamlyn, I do not understand that any clerk has been instituted Rector since the demise of Stafford Newe; but it is thought that Mr. Nott will be presented, as he married a daughter of Mr. Hamlyn. "In the Rectory of Ditton, John Roberts was the successor to my friend Mr. Milner, who died July 26, 1784; but Mr. Roberts vacated that living for a benefice in Wales, with which the Bishop of Bangor was glad to accommodate him, that Dr. Bishop might have Ditton, which was within distance of St. Martin Outwich. This quasi change took place in 1786. Mr. Roberts is also Archdeacon of Merioneth *; and to the best of my recollection he was in the suite of his diocesan, when an entry was made into the Register-office, cum fustibus, and possession maintained cum fistibus. I do not find that I have entered the name of Mr. Ward, Dr. Bishop's successor, in my repertory of the Diocese of Rochester; and I conclude I waited till I had learnt his Christian name, which is yet unknown to me. He was a Fellow of King's College, Cambridge, till he became Benedict the married man. "Yours truly, S. DENNE." He died possessed of that dignity, and of the Rectory of Llanbedrog in Lyne, Carnarvonshire, in 1802. He was of Brazenose-college, Oxford, M.A. 1753. 62. "DEAR SIR, Wilmington, March 25, 1797. "By Dr. Latham, F. R. S. and F. A. S. who on Thursday the 23d of February attended the meeting of both those fraternities, I had advice, that on that evening was read to the Antiquaries a discussion on the date of the Preston-hall barn window-frame, &c. in a letter from Samuel Denne to Mr. Director; and to the best of my remembrance, I promised that within a month after such a paper, &c. should have been introduced, it should be followed with additional remarks on the Helmdon mantle-tree and Arabic numerals. For the delay of a few days I beg leave to assign as a sufficient reason, that when I engaged for a month I had not a thought of scrutinising the voluminous but useful collection of Ames and Herbert; and that some days were requisite for a due arrangement of the evidence resulting from them must be allowed. The task is, however, finished. "It was not possible to survey the laborious researches of the deceased Mr. Herbert without regretting that we had not him for a living coadjutor in our inquiries after the progress of Arabic numerals, for I am fully persuaded he would have illustrated the subject. The title-pages of some of the books he had traced were, you will find, of use to me; and I trust that I have availed myself of the chief articles of information that Record affords in his Ground of the Arts.' Perhaps it may be new to you, that this learned M. D. and mathematical author had it in contemplation to be a precursor of the immortal Camden and of Speed in the Britannia line. Towards the conclusion of his preface to the reader, he thus expresses himself: 'If I shall perceive that all his Majesty's loving subjects shall receive my book (on Arithmetic) with as good will as it was written, then will I shortly, with no less kindness, set forth such introductions into geometry and cosmography, as I have at times promised, and as hitherto in English hath not been enterprised, wherewith I dare say all honest hearts will be pleased and all studious wits greatly delighted.' The Doctor was, I apprehend, a free and accepted mason; the last sentence of his preface being in the style commonly used by that fraternity. And (writes he) thus for this time I will stay my pen, committing you all to that true Fountain of perfect number which wrought the whole world by number and measure; he is Trinity in unity and glory. Amen.' "Obliged am I to Mr. Ayscough, or to Mr. Deputy, perhaps to both, for a note or two respecting the Colepeper family from MSS. in the British Museum; though I was mortified to find the name not mentioned in any carta previous to the reign of Edward the Second. There was, it seems, a petition to Charles the Second from Col. Colepeper *, the representative of a family which had held forty manors in Wiltshire, Northamptonshire, * See a letter on that very singular document in the Gentleman's Magazine, vol. XCVII. pt. ii. p. 296. &c. for a pension for support. I have not looked over Hasted's genealogical minutes of this family, to see whether the said Col. C. might be the Colepeper recorded by Pope; 'Who, had his wealth been hops and hogs, During the course of next summer I think I shall be along. side the Great Harry, said to be in port at East Malling, and under the charge of a kinsman of Admiral Norris, who took it from a Spaniard. "I am, dear Sir, yours truly, 63. "DEAR SIR, Wilmington, April 5, 1797. "On perusing, in the Gentleman's Magazine, Feb. 1797. p. 139, the review of Dr. Whitaker's Sermon for the General Infirmary at Leeds, it occurred to me that, when the late Master of Bene't* preached a Sermon in support of Addenbroke Hospital, the History of the Charitable Institutions was the subject of his discourse, and that his friends regretted he could not be prevailed upon to send it to the press. The report I had of it was from my friend Dr. Milner; and I believe that Dr. Colman permitted him to read it. Milner was at that time an inmate at the lodge previously to his taking his degree of D. D. "Dr. Radcliffe has published his Concio ad Synodum †, but the subject thereof is not mentioned in the advertisement. By the promotion of Dean Cornewall to the See of Bristol, the Lower House of Convocation will be sans Prolocutor, it not being now the practice to supply the vacancy; and to be sure a Prolocutor is an useless office in a silent meeting. "I have in petto two or three billets for the Miscellany of Sylvanus Urban. One is the copy of an excellent form of prayer directed to be used repeatedly in 1692, when there was an alarm of an invasion, though I think from Bishop Burnet's account of the events of that year in the History of his Own Times, the French had not then any real design to transport an army to Great Britain; we may, however, infer, from an expression in this prayer, that the French nation are to be deemed a common enemy and oppressor, whether the executive power be vested in one despot, or in five despots, under the appellation of a Directory. The presumption is that the prayer was composed by Archbishop Tillotson, and was wisely calculated to show that an invasion of our island is not so easily to be effected as ministers at sundry times have endeavoured to have it thought it is, and * Dr. Colman. † Archdeacon Radcliffe, of whom before, p. 650. "Concio ad Clerum Provincia Cantuariensis in Synodo Provinciali ad Divi Pauli, v kal. Oct. A. D. 1796." 4to, 1797. have from that circumstance created alarms that had better have been avoided. "Just as I was preparing a wafer for my scroll, I was favoured with a letter from my friend the Archdeacon of Rochester, in which are the following articles of intelligence: Mr. Jacob Marsham (Lord Romney's brother) was yesterday installed into the Prebend vacated by the promotion of the Bishop of Exeter. He seems much pleased with the preferment. You will deen me a bold man when I acquaint you that I have undertaken to preach the Anniversary Sermon this year at the Asylum. I had promised my aid to Dr. Vyse some time since; and when I received the last application I requested procrastination. My request was not, indeed, refused; but an intimation was given by the Chaplain of extreme difficulty in procuring a Preacher, and Dr. Vyse reported that my attendance would be doubly agreeable in this year.' The Archdeacon is also engaged to preach the Sermon at St. Paul's on the Anniversary Meeting of the Trustees of the Charity Schools *. I remain, dear Sir, truly yours, S. DENNE." *The Rev. John Law, D.D. (the communicative correspondent from whose letters Mr. Denne makes such frequent extracts, and who was) Archdeacon of Rochester for the almost unprecedented period of sixty years, was son of Stephen Law, Esq. of Broxbourn in Hertfordshire, at one time Governor of Bombay. He was of Emanuel-college, Cambridge, B. A. 1760, being the fourth Senior Optime of that year; M. A. 1763; D. D. 1778; and was for some time a Fellow of that Society. He was appointed Archdeacon of Rochester by Bishop Pearce in 1767; presented to the Vicarage of Shorne by the Dean and Chapter of that Church in 1770; to that of Westmill in Hertfordshire in 1771 by Ralph Freman, D. D.; to that of Great Easton in Essex in 1776 by Viscount Maynard, upon which he resigned Shorne ; and to the Perpetual Curacy of Chatham in 1784 by the Dean and Chapter of Rochester. He published Charges delivered to the Clergy of his Archdeaconry in the years 1779, 1782, 1798, 1802, 1806, 1811, 1817, 1820, and perhaps others; and also the Sermon (above announced by Mr. Denne) delivered at the Anniversary Meeting of the Charity Children in St. Paul's in 1797. He died at Rochester, Feb. 5, 1827, in his 88th year; being the oldest dignitary of the Church of England. At a Chapter holden on the 17th of the same month, it was unanimously resolved that "the Dean and Chapter, sensibly affected by the loss which they have sustained in the death of Dr. John Law, Prebendary of this Cathedral Church, and Archdeacon of the Diocese of Rochester, they deem it a duty which they owe to his memory, to themselves, and to the Church, to record their sentiments and feelings towards him. The dignity and affability with which, during a period of nearly sixty years, he supported and graced the station which he held in this Cathedral Church; the unremitting diligence and fidelity, the wisdom and firmness, the urbanity and moderation, with which he watched over its interests and sustained its credit; together with the zeal and vigilance with which he engaged in the administration of its spiritual concerns, were such as at once to excite admiration, respect, and love, and to throw a brilliant lustre over his name and character. The present Dean and Chapter can never lose the recollection of his long and faithful services, nor of his numerous and estimable Christian virtues; and they have the highest gratification, in the midst of their regret, in placing upon record this memorial of his excellence, and this tribute of their esteem and affection." The clergy of the Archdeaconry had, some years before, presented a vase thus inscribed: |