entertainment to the numerous body of daily workmen who have been, and will long be, employed on this edifice, or on the grounds and plantations where it is fituated.

an ox,

at the different turns of the game, and yet without riot, or any other diforder than a lively and continual change of place. This diverfion formed to thofe who beheld it from high ground at some distance, taking in the occafional scenery, combined with the views of the house, its furrounding hills, woods and water,a fpectacle altogether of fingular intereft, and, indeed, of curiofity. The bonfires and all the others, which remained burning all night, with their flames and long-wreathed columns of differently coloured finoke rifing among the lofty firs and unleaved oaks in the neighbourhood of the tent, fill crouded by a fhouting multitude, dimly feen dancing round them, difplayed to fpectators in the house an effect equally picturefque and uncommon. Many gen tlemen of the county, the Mayor, the Corporation, and other gentlemen of the city of Salisbury, having expreffed a defire to pay their refpects to Mr. Beckford on this occafion, a fuperb dinner, in the old ftile of baronial hofpitality, was ferved in the Grecian hall, which, with the colonades and paffages leading to it, was beautifully illuminated. A chofen band of vocal and inftrumental music entertained the company during the whole evening, and the greatest good-humour and hilarity prevailed beyond the earliest hours of the morning. The collection of fongs, catches, and glees, prepared by Mr. Corfe, and printed for the occafion, that books might be diftributed to the whole company, was judiciously made, and the execution of them did equal credit to his taste and that of the Salisbury choir. The effect of fome of the chorufies, particularly that of God far the King, accompanied as they were by the organ, and the full band of military inftruments, and these joined by hundreds of voices in the hall, and in the apartments contiguous, with those of perfons who filled the colonades and furrounded the heute, was inconceivably grand, and excited in the minds of many of the company a lively recollection of the firft performances of Weltminster Abbey.'

On Friday, Jan.6, being Twelfth Day, the feaft was given without doors; but fo far was it from being confined to the workmen juft mentioned, who amount to upwards of three hundred, that the poor in general of the two Fonthills, of the town of Hindon, and many other poor perfons of the neighbourhood, all together Dear one thousand, received tickets to partake of it; not to mention that bread and strong beer were provided for ten thousand of the multitude of strangers, who were admitted into the park as fpectators of the entertainment. The dinner, to the perions invited, confifted of and ten fheep,roafted whole. A very large fquare tent, or booth, coved in the roof, and covered with canvafs, having feven long parallel tables, each receiving one hundred perfons, was erected on the lawn, before the North front of the house, for the purpofe of the dinner. Ata proper diftance, on one fide of this capacious booth, a confiderable length of brick wall, to support the neceffary iron ranges, was reared for the occafion. Eleven great fires which fupplied them, partly for the purpofe of roaiting the meat, and partly that of warming the air, may be imagined to have had a striking effect in the coup docil. On the oppofite fide of the booth, and in front of the house, a portion of ground was fenced out, within which was pitched a Turkish tent, for the reception of Mr. Beckford, and a large company of ladies and gentlemen. In the area, between this and the dinnertent, two bonfires were lighted, and, at due diftances from each, were placed two femicircular tables, to receive a number of children at dinner, chiefly belonging to the perfons feated in the grand booth. Betwixt the bonfires fufficient fpace was left for the exhibition of feveral of the rural sports with which the company were entertained both before and after dinner. Prizes were given to the beft wrestlers, runners, players at fingle stick, and thofe who excelled in various other performances. The game of foot-ball, on an open part of the lawn betwixt the fcene already described and the lake, afforded admirable diverfion. This engaged not only the two parties concerned in the match, but put ten thousand fpecta-. tors, chiefly confifting of the pealantry of both fexes, in motion, all in high glee

The fubfequent toafts and fentiments, among many others, were given, and fol lowed by mufic, or by repeated cheers:

Chair. ift. The King. God fave the King.

2d. The Queen and Prin.

Mayor of Salisbury,

Chair.

Coair.

5th. The Navy of England.

Rule Britannia, 6th. Mr.Beckford-and may his noble benevolence be as generally known and imitated in the world, as it is cordially felt by thousands this day at Fonthill. 7th. The Mayor, Corporation and City of Salif bury.

Mr. Still, 8th. The County of Wilts. 9th..The Archduke, and his army of heroes. roth. The Prince of Brazil, and his hundred and eighty thoufand brave defenders of Portugal and of the common caufe of the Allies. Chair. 11th. The People of England, and may they never forget the value of order and good go

Chair.

Mr. Wyatt. 13th. May the great works at Fonthill befuccefsfully accomplithed, and long enjoyed, by the prefent owner. 14th. Chritmas-Twelfthday-old times and old names for ever-and may the ears of John Bull never be infulted by the gipley jargon of France.

On the fame day, Mr. Beckford's tradefmen, tenants, and feveral other parties, dined in different apartments of the house; and the whole number entertained within doors, including his own family, amounted, at least, to four hundred perfons. The whole entertainment on Twelfth day (not to notice thofe which, commenced with Christmas) was characterised by that good order, pictureique arrangement, hofpitality, and magnifi

SIR,

cence, which have on feveral occafions been witnessed at Fonthill.

The joy, gratitude, and contentment, expreffed by repeated acclamations from fuch a multitude of the peafantry as affembled on the lawn, their neat appearance, and, above all, their orderly conduct throughout the day, were circumftances, in these times, highly to their credit, and ferve to fhew the vast influence which gentlemen of fortune and beneficent difpofitions, refiding on their eftates in the country, can ftill maintain, in oppofition to the effects of more modern habits and fashionable life, which, totally eftranging the higher from the lower ranks of society, tend to increase the hardfhips and discontents of the latter, and, in their confequences, to haften that levelling and confusion of all orders, which the higher ranks are fo peculiarly interetted, by their beft exertions, to avert.

We cannot clofe this account without mentioning, what we have learnt on good authority, that the Chriftinas feftivities of Fonthill, which appear to have been conducted with fuch extraordinary hofpitality, were begun by acts of the moft subftantial charity; Mr. Beckford having ordered two hundred blankets to be dif tributed among the poor families of both the Fonthills, with a load of fuel to each of them, befides confiderable fums of money to the indigent of his own and other neighbouring parishes.

As fome interefting circumstances relative to Fonthill, and the works which have been carrying on there for these last fixteen years, are little known to the publie, much the fineft parts of the place being never fhewn but to Mr. Beckford's particular friends, and the primary motives of these great projects being little understood, we hope to be able, in our next, to gratify our readers, through the fame channel by which we have procured the above account, with a communication of fome particulars, which will, perhaps, be thought more valuable, as they are of a lefs temporary nature than thofe we have now prefented.

IT was with much concern that I obferved a fevere cenfure upon Archbishop Laud, in your Magazine for laft month, page 401, respecting his concern in regulating the government of Trinity College, Dublin.. The language used to convey this cenfure is too

heavy and unjust to be passed over in filence. A fort of apology, indeed, iş made for the celebrated Prelate on the belief of the goodness of his intentions, and yet immediately after he is charged with overlooking both juftice and the terefts of learning, when oppofed to his

views of aggrandizing the Crown. I fhall requeft the exercife of your ufual impartiality in permitting me to vindicate the memory of this long perfecuted Archbishop.

The ftate of Trinity College, Dublin, at that time will be found, to him who will give himself the trouble of making the neceffary inquiry, very wretched and contemptible indeed: It could scarcely produce a fcholar fit to take upon him the charge of a country parish,and hence Archbishop Ufher, and the other Prelates of that University, in their letters to the English Divines, were always importunate with them to ufe their intereft in fending Minifters to Ireland. While the Church was in fuch a condition, it is not to be wondered at, that the old fuperftition fhould generally prevail. It is a matter that deferves fome confideration, whether the impoverishing of the Church by alienating its poffeffions to the laity, did not throw very powerful obftacles in the progrefs of the Reformation; and afterwards, when fome great men endeavoured to regain them, did not prove an advantage to thofe who were bent on deftroying both Church and State? But to return to our immediate fubject, the Archbishop viewed the con. dition of the Irish Church with deep concern, and, therefore, fet about the necellary work of reformation; and fo

successful was he therein, that in a few years the Proteftant Clergy were pur upon a respectable footing. Archbishop Ufher, knowing the weight of his influence, and the ftrength of his zeal, procured him to be elected Chancellor of the Univerfity; but that fociety was always in a state of diftraction, and was perpetually giving the Primate caufe of vexation. The election of a Provost never failed fetting the College in a flame, and therefore it was, that Archbishop Usher concurred with our prelate in the then falutary measure of removing the election out of the hands of the fellows. Befides there was another reafon for this ftep, and that was the great and predo minating fway which the Roman Catholics had in Dublin, and the danger which thence threatened this Proteftant feminary.

Archbishop Laud had no other views in aggrandizing the, monarch than to fecure thereby the interefts of learning and religion. Simply to aggrandize his Sovereign was never his object; and in all the great and trying circunftances of his public life, no fupport will be found for this injudicious affertion. A fuller view of his life and character, however, will foon appear, from which, I trust, it will be feen that his zeal was difinterested, his motives upright, and his principles pure and conftitutional. I am, &c. London, Jan. 6, 1797. J.WATKINS.