Boothby Pannel paftor, Feb. 14, 1736-7. comprehending in all 700 brethren, and 1500 fifiers; and at the diffolution there were 25 houfes of this order in England and Wales. Their habit was He died young, of the fmall-pox. The North aile had a chapel, now down, communicating with, the chan-a black cafloc with a white cloak over cel by an aile; a pifcina in the wall. Of Lincoln Houfe, remains only the garden wall, to the South Weft of the church below. Sempringham, Poynton, and Botulton, (the two laft have no churches,) were ferved by a curate of the name of Marcroyd, who lived at Horbling; the vicar, Mr. Walberforce, ved at Stamford; Lord Fortefeuc's fteward, Mr. Stevenson, at Marum. The church of SEMPRINGHAM, (Pl. II. fig. 3.) confifts of a nave on 4 round arches, with a North aile. The Welt pillars clustered and round, the others round: one panneled, and flowers under the arch; the altar remains in the Eaft end of the North aile. The arch of the tower is pointed. Two round arches on the North fide of the chancel. On the South side, a round arched window and door. A coffiu ftone in a pew in the North aile. Two more within the South door. On one end of a feat IHS, and a flowered pannel. The Weft end of the North aile was once a fchool, now down. The font is octagon, with fhields in quatrefoil. Mr. Holles' church notes, taken in the 17th century, give in the North window of this church the arms of Vere. O. on a chevron G. 3 crefcents O. between 3 annulets, G. Sutton. Az. ou a chief O. per fels O. and Az. a demi lion rampant G. Markham. In the Weft window, G. 3 lucies hauriant. Lucy. And this epitaph: "Hic jacet Rogerus Laurence, qui obiit 2 die Jan. 1602." The monaftery, founded by Gilbert, fon of Jocelyn de Sempringham, knt. rector of the church of St. Andrew here, for a new order of canons, inftituted by him, and called after him Gilbertines, about 1139, flood on the Weft fide of the church; and Eaft of it is a fquare ditch, and raifed plot of ground. The revenues, at the diffolution, amounted to between 8171. and 3591. per annum, and the fite was granted to Edward, loid Clinton. It Was a mixed order of men and women in the fame houfe, but in different apartments, that had no communicastion with each other, under a prior. The founder extended his foundations 13 monafteries, four for men alone, dwine fea men and women together] it, and a hood lined with lambfkins. (Pref. to Tanner, Not. Mon. p. xix.) The arms of this houfe were, Barry of fix, A. and G. over all, in bend finifter, a pilgrim's ftaff or a crofier in pale O. This church preferves not the leaft appearance of a monaftic church; nor has any body before thought it worth making a drawing of. The vicarage, with Poynton chapel annexed, is held by fequefiration. D. H. Mr.URBAN, S.O.Lincoln's Inn, Feb.5. RECEIVED much pleasure front the interefting analyfis, in your latt month's Magazine, of Dr. Hager's inveftigation relative to the Babylonian bricks. Your learned Reviewer has anticipated many remarks, which otherwife might have been introduced in this letter. As it is, I venture to addrefs a few words on the fubject.. Dr. Hager's work is the firft that has been published, in this or any other country, on the inferiptions on the Babylonian bricks: it is furprizing, that fo many modern travellers fhould have pafled them unnoticed, and that others fhould have fimply mentioned the circumance, or have faid fo little on a fubject of fuch magnitude in point of curiofity. The general refult of the prefent inquiry feems to be grounded on folid fenfe t. Of the author's merit and abilities, thofe who have known him, or are acquainted with his works, know how to appreciate both. I am not about to enter on the controverfy which has fo recently fubfifted between him and Dr. Montucci. I regret that fuch has exifted; yet Learning must be benefited by any event that brings into the foreground Dr. Hager's abilities. I lament that the patronage of this country was not difpofed to retain him. Bonaparte, attentive at once to glory in arts and arms, fought him out, and offered him an afylum in the Grand National Library. The government have allo undertaken (I fpeak on the authority of the French papers) to pub lifh his Chinele Dictionary; rejected by other European fiates, the Sovereigns of which the Doctor was per; fonally known to. * See Hager's Differt. Preface,+ Differt. pp. 56, &c. During مر During his refidence in England, he undoubtedly received marks of favour from perfons of rank, power, and learning, and fome marks of liberality; yet, the delicacy that attaches to literary characters will often fuffer them to experience the utmolt preffure of pecuniary difficulties, while it feduloufly avoids, and fhrinks at a difclofure, afthough morally certain of immediate redrefs, or of thofe foothing attentions which are fure to confer happinefs. An order for the payment of a fum, adequate to Dr. H's journey, was tranf mitted to Mr. Otto; and he quitted England for Paris, where he will probably receive the reward due to his merit, independent of his being even to them a foreigner; for the Doctor is by birth a German. I breakfafted with him previous to his departure; which I mention, becaufe it was in a room appropriated by Sir Ifaac Newton as his library, his houfe being now a hotel, in St. Martin's-fireet. He told me, that, when he had an opportunity of examining the bricks of a fimilar kind at Paris, with the illuf'trations which the National Library would afford him, he thould probably be enabled to publish an interefting fupplement to his prefent Differtation, which is dedicated to the Directors of the Eaft India Company, whofe property thefe fragments of antiquity are, and by whofe zeal they have been procured from the fpot *. pe His large Chinefe Dictionary, from what the Doctor fhewed me, I prefume will do honour to any nation that produces it. The vast expence of fo culiar an undertaking is too extenfive for any private concern. Many of the London bookfellers felt a defire to have produced it; but it was too mighty, and too precarions a speculation. Mr. Sewell acted liberally towards him. Another bookfeller, with a spirit of enterprize exclufively his own, printed his Introduction to the Chinefe Language, a fplendid volume; and Mr. Tilloch enabled the Doctor to produce his differtation; a gentleman in whom the most pleating manners ar: allociated with the most liberal fentments of the heart. Perfons in general can scarcely be aware of what a capital is required, and what difficulties are to be contended with, in publishing large works, nor how precarious reimburfe ment is. Dr. Hager (not Hagel, as in fome of the public prints,) in the above work, proves that the Babylonians are more antient in their learning than either the Egyptians, Indians, or Chinese. His remarks on the derivation of the word Babylon are extremely curious, and appear well fupported, however differing from our prefent acceptation of fenfe. That the writing was alfo to be read perpendicularly rather than horizontal among the Egyptians, Chinese, and Ethiopians, the Doctor confirmed by fhewing me an antient fragment of fimilar characters printed in China, where it was evident that it was meant to be read perpendicularly. I inclofe for your infpection a model of a jasper, belonging to the Eaft India company, an impreflion from which is annexed to the Doctor's volume, worked from the ftone; by which the hiftory of the arts will be fomewhat illuftrated, for the characters cut on it appear to have been done with a lapidary's wheel, which, confidering its great antiquity, being prior to any of our known languages, is a circumftance of fingular curiofity. Perhaps a bird's-eye view of it in your Magazine* would gratify your readers, and be no infringement of delicacy towards the worthy publisher. Mr. URBAN, JOHN FELTHAM. Feb. 2. nuary, Pl. II. p. 19, an engraving and defeription of an antient wooden tankard, &c. reminded me of the inclofed drawing of a boot-jack †, which I have fome time intended requelling a corner for on one of your tailcellaneous plates. The original, in good prefervation, is now in the pofletion of Mr. Robinfon, of Hill-Ridware, near Lichfield, the initials of his ancestor J. R. being plainly cut upon it, with the date 1552, which is mifprinted from memory in the Appendix of Additions, &c. of Staffordabire, vol. I. p. 4, the drawing being then millaid." If you think this worthy of a place in your valuable Mifcellany, the infertion will, doubṛlefs oblige the above gentleman, who favoured are with the drawing, as well as your conflant reader, Ste Plate II. fig. 4. S. S: THE Mr. URBAN, Margate, April 2. HE antient ring, from which the inclofed drawings were taken (fee Plate II. fig. 6) is of filver, 'and was moft highly gilt; was dragged from the bottom of the fea by fome fishermen dredging for oyllers. It is in excellent prefervation, and the engraving, particularly of the figures, is exceedingly good. Can any of your antiquarian correfpondents defignate the perfonages intended, and thereby difcover its date? And if they would fay wheth it is of value or not, they will much lige, Yours, &c. 2. COZENS. P. S. I obferve, Edmondlon remarks that none of our monarchs have worde the crown as depicted on both figures fince Egbert, the first monarch of England. Does not the disheveled hair beteken virginity, and her being crowned that he is a wife? And, therefore, may it not have been a marriage ring? Z. C. Mr. URBAN, Clofe of Sarum, Feb. 7. A wooden tankard, of which you S an appendage to the curious gave your antiquarian amateurs a plate and defcription in your Magazine for January, p. 19, I now offer to them a drawing of a pint flaggon, feemingly of a conitruation and materials fomewhat fimilar to it, which is now in my poffeffion; and which I preferve as a valuable relique, it being given to my grandfather by Sir Ifaac Newton, who wa his contemporary and intimate friend at Trinity college, Cambridge. (See Plate II. fig. 7.) early in the morning ufhered into his ftudy, where he was, no doubt, deeply immerged in fome one of his profound inveftigations. They were directed to fit down, which they did with tolerable patience for the first hour, when the door opened with a bafon of water gruel (Sir Ifaac's conftant breakfafi). The gruel alfo was ordered to fit down, The boys mouths watered, thinking it fomewhat better, and a prelude perhaps to their own breakfast; but neither the grel nor the boys occurred to his thoughts during the next two hours, but were alike totally difregarded and forgotten. Whether thete utenfis were in any thing like general ufe in the Univerfity at that day, or whether they are of earlier origin, fome of your Canibridge correfpondents may poffibly inform us. This, with the whole furniture of the chambers, devolved upon my ancef tor upon Sir Ifaac's leaving the colJege, and hath, with fome other articles, remained in the family ever fince; Trinity baving (if I may be allowed --the obfervation) been the family callege, and having conferred claffical honours upon many of the defcendants of the perfon alluded to, two of whofe fons furnith us with an anecdote of the extreine abfence or rather the extreme profundity of thought which character fed that great man who is the fubject of thefe niemoirs. The boys were fent up to Sir Ifaac by their father for his introduction of hem to St. Paul's fchool, and were When roufed, however, from his reveric, he made his apology, ordered them fome breakfast, and ever afterwards held them in his friendship, and his remembrance. They, and many of their defcendants, became afterwards ftudents of Trinity. JAMES WICKINS. P. S. Obferve, that my little flaggon confifts of a number of neat chines, or ribbs, about three quarters of an inch with very finall and curious noops to broad, tapered to each end, and bound the number of forty-five, as appear at A and A. The wood of which it is made is of extreme fine grain and texture, but of what growth I am not able to afcertain*, J. W. Mr. URBAN, N Louth, April 2. I an Advertisement, prefixed to two publications †, and noticed in your Magazine, I informed the publick, that my writings and inventions relative to the Hebrew language § had been examined and approved by Mr. Chancellor Carlyle, Profeflor of Arabic at Cambridge, and that they were intended for publication. Being, however, at a lofs in what manner to publith them, I beg leave briefly to ftate the proceedings which have taken place refpecting them. Q. is it Maple, which was commonly ufed for drinking velfels? EDIT. +1."AThank fgiving Sermon, preached in the Parish Church of Langton juxta Partney, co. Lincolu.” (See vol. LXXI.. P. 147) 2. "An Examination of the Objections of bifhop Lowth to the Accourt given in Leland's Itinerary of the Patronage and Edu ation of the celebrated Willam of Wyke.am, Bp. of Winchester, and Le Founder of the two St. Mary Win ton Colleges at Winchester and Oxford." Vol. LXXI. p. 147. A lift of the writings, &c. may be feen in vol. LXVI. p. 465, |
