tions this quality. Donat, an Irishman, bifhop of Fefulæ, near Florence, in the archdukedom of Tufcany, hath these lines:

"No favage bear with lawless fury roves, No rav'nous lion thro' her peaceful groves; No poifon there infects, no fcaly fnake, Creeps thro' the grafs, nor frog annoys the lake."

Joceline of Furnes, who wrote the life of St. Patrick in the time of Henry II. fays, that St. Patrick drove the venomous reptiles out of Ireland. This work he wrote at the requeft of John de Courcy, Earl of Ulfter; but Geraldus Cambrenfis, in his Topography, juftly treats this ftory as a fable; and even Colgan gives it up. Keating fays, that, as to St. Patrick's expelling venomous reptiles from Ireland, the expreffion ought to be understood in a figurative fenfe, of his expelling the devil, an old ferpent, by his preaching the Gospel of Chrift.

Thus far I have thought it neceffary to vindicate the reputation of a country which enjoys fo noble an exemption. ANTH. SINNOT.

Mr. URBAN, Lambeth, Feb. 4,99. THE Fairy-rings, defcribed in Tvol. LXII. p. 524, with a plate, have extended their femidiameters, during the laft five years, at the rate of about 1 foot 2 inches an nually. They have demonftrated, that the foil, which mushrooms have fully occupied, is rendered unfit for the production of a fecond crop within areafonable time. The Rings in question met each other in the Autumn of 1792. They continue to grow, but are incapable of interfection, owing to the change which the fungufes have produced in the mould, and confequendly the Rings meet every year at a freth point, more and more removed from the line of their common diameter.

Their fhape, at this time, is fomewhat like the fketch here drawn

*Joceline, Vit. St. Patr. cap. CLXX. Ecclef. Angl. lib. I. cap. I.

; and they will, for a confiderable time to come, preferve that refemblance, though the indent will be lefs and lefs every year.

Five years ago they reprefented two diftinct femicircles, thus

; and, probably, about ten or twelve years more early, they originated in two clusters, whereof one was at the centre of each of the Rings.

It is well known that decaying wood produces fungufes of various kinds, many of which I have feen. When a tree in a grafs-clofe, or in the edge of it, is cut down, the ftump left in the ground generally perishes, and then certainly produces them in a clufter upon the fappy edge of the decaying wood; thefe extend themfelves into the form of a ring, which annually increafes in fize.

It feems to be highly probably that Fairy-rings may be multiplied at pleasure, by the caly operation of placing about a pint of proper fpawn in the foil of grafs land, and in fuch fituations as the party may be defirous of propagating them. Every fuch place will produce, the following fummer, a clufter of a deep green and full of fungus; the fecond year, it will become a fmall ring, which will increase annually; and, at the end of feven years, it will probably exceed 20 feet in diameter.

Funguies encreate the fertility of land, producing a vigorous vegetation in the fpring, which rifes early to maturity. When the reft of a clofe is ready for the feythe, the grafs growing on the inner border of thefe rings has become too bulky; it has been lodged during feveral weeks, and in confequence of greatnefs of quantity, and being fo long lodged, has acquired a bad fmell. But, if a whole clofe were dreffed with them, the herbage fhould be mown before it lodged; in which cafe it might be made into a palatable hay. A fecond, and perhaps a third, crop nsight

thus

thus be obtained; the whole of fuch a quality as to be particularly fuitable to neat cattle. Cows are fond of the after-grafs of thefe rings: I have obferved my own to feed them in preference to the adjoining grafs. JOHN MIDDLETON.

THE PURSUITS OF ARCHITECTU RAL INNOVATION. No. XX. The ANTIENT PALACE of the KINGS OF ENGLAND at WESTMINSTER, continued.

O

The Cloisters of St. Stephen's Chapel. UR approach to them are from the South-eaft angle of New Palace-yard, through a much fmaller court-yard, which yard is made out from part of the Eaft fide of the great Hall, part of the South fide of the Exchequer offices, part of the range of buildings fronting the Thames, and part of the North exterior of the cloisters. On the great hall fide (which appears much in its original state) are ftables, coachhoufes, &c. On the Exchequer fide, the antient windows are either filled up or modernized. On the range of buildings fide are two antient doorways and two or three windows; but they have been ftopped up. Here have been inferted feveral modern doors and windows; and, on the cloifter fide, the whole line is hid by a modern front for common apartments; and, at that part running towards the hall, is a large fquare tower, which abuts directly against it. The various windows and parapet of this tower have been modernized.

Here let me remark, that the cloifters and buildings connected with them are parcelled out into the various convenient chambers and offices neceffary to accommodate a person of diftinction. The late Duke of Newcastle occupied them, when I particularly furveyed fome part of thefe remains, in 1791; and at prefent they are inhabited by the truly excellent GENT. MAG. February, 1800.

Speaker of the Houfe of Commons.

Having now access to the Eaft exterior of the cloifters next the Thames, we find but a fmall portion of the antient front, which is adjoining the North-eaft angle of St. Stephen's chapel; for the whole range of buildings, quite to thofe which give the Eaft fide of New Palace-yard, are either deftroyed, or have had their walls new faced with brick work, fo as to give them the appearance of modern buildings. The South exterior of the cloifter is a plain wall nearly touching the buttreifes of the chapel. The Weftern exterior is indeed part of the Eaftern wall of the great hall.

St. Stephen's Chapel, the Weft front, the principal part of which is hid by modern buildings. One of them, however, fhews fome windows of Henry VIII's time, rifing nearly to the top of the chapel, and ferving in fome degree as a fereen to what is left of this moft exquifite work. Within this fcreen and the front is a modern staircase to the interior of the chapel. The chapel, we find, confifts of two ftories, the bafement ftory ferving as an undercroft, or common chapel; and the fecond story giving the grand chapel. The front of the bafement part is deftroyed, and two modern femicircular arches and their piers fill up its place, ferving as a communication to the undercroft, &c. and as a fupport to the front of the fecond ftory, which prefents a porch, conftituting that valuable remain juft mentioned. When we fay that Edward III. was the founder of this chapel, our wonder will ftill ferve to imprefs our judgements with the ftronger conviction, that his architectural day was all that chafte defign, true proportions, and elegant enrichments, could produce to the admiring eye of investigating man! Be this effufion but the prelude to the enchanting difplays of art which await us when we fhall enter

thofe

thofe walls, raifed with an idea worthy of a king, that they should contain all the excellence of the most celebrated profeffional men in the kingdom, and bring to one point every perfection that human genius had planted within its feagirt mound.

Again, my friends, trace the lines of this captivating defign; and let me confefs, that it has ever been my talk of delight to come, at certain periods, to take a look at its matchless beauties, as charming now as when at firft they caught my youthful mind. Conftancy is held a virtue of the highest price; it may be fo to fome; yet there are others, who, although in full poífeffion of such a feeming good, fall a prey to every mifery that envenomed enemies can inflict. Defpight of fuch terrific intrufions on sufceptible hearts, ftill let us admire, and ftill praife, this intrinfic performance before us. The termination of the upper part of this front has been entirely changed into coal-holes, clofets, bed-rooms, &c. and the octangular buttreffes at the angles fhew a ftrange finish after a modern idea.

The South fide. The bafement ftory contains one of the original windows perfect, majeftically grand! All the others are obliterated or hid by furrounding habitations. The fecond story meets our fight with increafed dignity; but we are miferably tortured at the fame time at witheffing the fine buttreffes, the lofty windows, and the finish of the walls, cruelly mangled with the work of modern times. The buttrelles have been pared down to a poor remnant of their former greatnefs; the windows unfeelingly filled-in with brick work, wherein are placed oval and femicircularheaded windows, and the walls pitifully finished with a common parapet.

We love to point out the exertions of unwearied labour and arduous imitation: as fuch, let us

notice one of the buttreffes which has in part been rebuilt (the whole business of the last summer). In these buttreffes are the vestiges of niches; in the restored, or newworked one, there is really a moft admirable proof of the pains-taking of the workmen, and the a conomy of thofe who may have had its fuperintendance: we find the fweeps of the head of the nich have been copied it is true, but the mouldings and lines dropping down to the bafe intirely fet afide, and a fquare line juft below the fpringing of the head cut across the front; as much as to fay, here is enough of this barbarous ftyle of architecture, let us have no more of it!

I fhould not have been thus particular on what indeed in itself is but a trifle, did we not hear it rumoured, that, in the general defign for a new Houfe of Parliament (among the feveral plans now under confideration), if these old buildings thould be preferved, their mutilated parts are to be reflored.

The Eaft front. Every change that modern fancy could devife has been wrought on this front. On the basement ftory, three modern pointed windows have been introduced in lieu of the original ones; in the principal ftory, we can make out the general form of the great window which has been ftopped up, and at its base line a kind of hutch or cabbin gallery has been ftuck out with pidgeonhole windows, &c. and above, in the filling-up brick-work, are four femicircular-headed windows. The buttreffes on each fide are in their original drefs, but finish at their tops with modern domes of octangular forms. To the right of thefe buttreffes is fome twenty or thirty feet of the old wall of the building in continuation; but, by the infertion of fome modern windows, the antiquity of this fmall portion is done away.

While we contemplate this

front,

Mr. URBAN. Feb. 17. HAVE juft read the Preface prefixed to that tranflation of "Sonini's Travels in Upper and Lower Egypt," which is published for Mr. Debrett. Dr. H. Hunter is handled very feverely in it; whether justly or not is befide my prefent purpofe. What particularly fruck me was the folloving farcftic, I think illiberal reflection: To the title of Doctor of Divinity a literary man naturally at taches me idea of eduction and taleats" I have no objection to the truth of this obfervation in general; but, I think, it will admit of many excep ions. Thofe gentlemen who have gone through their studies, and taken their degrees regularly, always have hitherto, and always will, I truf, ftand high in the estimation of the iterary world. But furely, fir, they ought not to be degraded, and put upon a level with those who pay only a few guineas to be dubbed doctors by a univerfity which they never faw, and Jo "bear their blushing honours thick about them." W. W.

MR. URBAN,

them religious or facred in their defign, always refpe&ted the conclufion, not the commencement of a term of years. They thanked their gods, and congratulated each other, not that they had begun, but. that they had finished, the race. New year's gifts, common in antient and in later days, bore a different afpect. Good wishes, multos & felices," were the natural fentiments on these occafions; and the proper object of a

ib is a diflant or expected benefit; as a bleffing received is the proper ground of congratulation and joy. "Martis Remani feftæ venêre Calenda; Exoriens noftris hic fuit annus avis. Et vaga nunc certa difcurrunt undique pompâ

Perque vias urbis munera, perque domos Sed primum meritam largé donate falute.

TIBULL. lib. III. i.

On what principle, right or wrong, the act of parnament in our Common Prayer Bock (as obferved in our taft, p. 64.) calls the period" from the year 1800 til 1899 inclufive" "the next > century," I will not prefume to de termine; but I apprehend the Bilxtile fyftem, or the intercalating a fupernumerary day in certain years (from which the year 1800 is excepted) was, fome way, the reason of that clavic.

N your

fays, "The very last day of the XVIth century gave birth and form to the prefent East India Company; a charter being granted, Dec. 31, 1600." Whe ther Dryden and Prior, in their Secular Poems for 1700, confidered that as the loft year of an expiring century, or as the firft of a new one, I cannot tell, not having their compofitions at hand: a poen on fuch an occafion, written under either of those impreffions, wou'd naturally be both profpective and retrofpective. The Jewish Sabbath The Jewish Sabbath was indifputably the loft day of the week; and their Sabbatical year and Jubilee were in like manner regarded as the termination, not as the beginning, of a certain period. The Pagan nations borrowed, with more or lefs corruption, most of their cuftoms, especially their religious cultoms, from the Jews; and I believe it will be found, that their fecular games and fecular odes, both of

That the flamers of the Calendar did not concur in their notion and de.. nomination of years with fome perfons! of the prefent day is to me very evident i from the fecond General Table; where 7 they fay, "The letter B. prefixed to certain hundredth years in Table II. * (where it is prefixed to 1600, 2000, &c.) denotes thole years, winch are hill to be accounted Billextile," &c. They who regarded 1600 as a "hundredth" year (plainly meaning the pace of 12 months, in which the additional day was to be inserted) would have "conceived 1800 to mean the 1800th year," and "that atom of time that marks the completion of the 1800th year from Chrift,"

not

That Dionyfius Exiguus reckoned in the manner exemplified in p. 65, I must not doubt, because I have not his work to countenance my doubt; but if, as there ftated, he did ufe the cypher

year