warrants fuch excrefcenfes; and yet, if we confult Walpole's Hifto ric Doubts, we fhall there be taught to believe he was the handfomeft and beft-made man of his age. Scene II. a chamber in the Tower. This is one of the moft unaccountable apologies for the architecture of the 15th century that can poffibly be conceived; a huddle of compartments, cornices, arches, pilafters, &c. of every ftyle that the painter had ever feen; and its furniture, both in the painting and on the ftage, fhews a common modern atchievement, an antique fhield, a modern chair, a fofa, and, to fum up the lift of conveniencies, a Buzaglo flove! A& II. fcene I. a gate of entrance; but whether defigned as the outfide or the infide front we cannot fay. If we look at its decorations, a fhield with arms over the arch of an oval form furrounded with palm-branclres (modern work), we muft conclude it to be the exterior of the erection; but, if we examine within, the arch, instead of meeting with a courtyard, &c. we perceive a diftant view of the country, a river, and the outfide walls of a caftle. The compofure of the parts of this gateway are drawn from the prevailing notions of modern artifts, who, difdaining to copy our antient works, fall into thofe ridiculous errors which we fee every where difplayed on their performances. The funeral proceffion of Henry is thus defribed by Shakspeare: "Enter the corpfe of Henry VI. with halberts to guard it, Lady Anne being the mourner." It is thus altered by Cibber: "Scene draws and difcovers Lady Anne in mourning. Lord Stanley, Trefil, guards, and bearers, with King Henry's body." There is fome difference between a mourner and a perfon in mourning. Shakfpeare does not mean to fay Lady Anne is in mourning; and I be lieve the cuftom of followers at funerals wearing black to be a mos dern fafhion, or, at least, not in ufe at the time we are fpeaking of In a drawing before me, copied from paintings on the walls in Our Lady's chapel in Winchester cathedrál*, done about Richard's time, is a reprefentation of a funeral, where the corfe is laid upon a bier bare-faced, and in the common habit of the deceased, the grave being ready to receive it, &c. This cuftom of antient burying, we are informed, was univerfal before the reformation. Nay, let us take Richard's own words in this very fame act: "the bleeding witnes of my hatred lay." Shakspeare here means the expofure of Henry body. Follow him in his Hamlet "They bore him pale-fac'd on E bier." Inftead of all this, what have we brought before us? Why. a modern burial in all its fereral circumstances, as the underta ker, the bearers with a coffin and pall, the Lady Anne and others as mourners in full modern mourning, fhewing away with white pockethandkerchiefs, &c. &c. The guards are in' dreffes which fuch for of inferior characters have trod the ftage in for many years patt, on every occafion, where the abfolute military uniform of our three regi ments of Guards are not wanted to ennoble the action of fome mo dern warlike enterprife. As we have before entertained ourselves with the endearing "high-topped gloves," we here cannot but ge a loofe to the like propenfity for the captivating white pocket-handkerchief," ever the principal t companiment and the principal dy of a performer in Tragedy, to fhew a graceful attitude, or to ex prefs a lively forrow (or, between ourselves, to give employment to the hands, which fome actor would fcarce be enabled to know what to do with were it not for th neceffary aid. This by-the-by) And never was it more fuccefsfully employed to dry the tears of bear y in diftreff than at thete royal ebfe *Sec Antient Sculpture and Painting, vold quies. O fweet device, to engage and catch the eyes and hearts of the fufceptible part of the audience, fobbing to notes of woe, and trembling at fights of death and horror! AN ARTIST AND AN ANTIQUARY. (This Critique to be concluded in our next.) Mr. URBAN, Shrewsbury, Feb.21. THE inclofed picturefque view To of Montgomery church (Pl. III. fig. 1) was taken in the fummer of 1792. The church is dedicated to St. Nicholas; is in the diocese of Hereford, in the gift of the king; and was formerly a chapel to Chirbury Within is a handiome monument of Richard Herbert, efq. father to the great Lord Herbert. He is reprefented in armour; and by him fies his lady, Magdalene, daughter of Sir Richard Newport, of High Arcol, co. Salop. In front are their Bumerous progeny. He died in 1597. This monument, which was erected by his lady, I am forry to fay, is going faft to ruin. She died in 1627*. The distance in the view is part of the remains of the caftle. They ftand on a projecting ridge of great height and steepnes, and towards the end precipitous. Time, the leveller of all fublunary things, is making great devaitation of what remains of this once lofty fortrefs. 2. " Quis tumulo hoc legitur vatum cele- Cujus linguæ artes, piet, prudentia, mores, Illius in laudem qui dedit usque vigent. Here lieth the body of Edward Naylor, 3. "Near this place lieth interred the 4. "Under this flone lieth the body of MEMENTO MORI." 5. "Here heth the body of Mrs. Mary She was born March the 14th, 1699. eighteen years. Also, This family, now of confiderable note in this part of Lincolnshire, is defcended from Robert Holgate, Lord Archbishop of York in the time of Henry VIII. Edw. VI. and Mary. This gentleman was born at Hemsworth, near Pomfret, in the year 1500; and received his education among the Gilberune monks at Sempiingham, in this county, GENT. MAC. April, 1850. and SIR HERBERT CROFT'S LETTER. (Concluded from p. 226.) KNOW fomething of human nature, though I do not compole (in youth, too) Botany-Bay my enemies think better, at the eclogues; and I am perfuaded that bottom, of this life, than I have ever thought, 'even in confequence of Johnfon's praife. It's chief merit is its defending Young's fon from fuch filly calumniators as Mr. S. and even that was neceffary, though all can now fee that the calumny carried it's own refutation along with it, ftill more, if that be pot ble, than what Mr. S. is pleafed to fay of me. In order to fave fuch. wretches the trouble of afligning reafons for my being out of my country at prefent, I fhall here print the true reafon; in a letter from the pre and was afterwards made prior of Watton, in Yorkshire. On furrendering up his pri ory, he was inftituted to the vicarage of Cadney, co. Lincoln; but Sir Francis Afkne, a gentleman in his neighbourhood, proving very troublefome, by commencing a vexatious lawfuit against him, he quitted the living, and came to London. Here his extenfive learning and zeal for the Reformation foon fixed the attention of King Henry, who made him one of his chaplains, promoted him to the fee of Landaff, and at last tranflated him to York in 1544. Being now arrived at an height of power feldom attained but by men of extenfive abilities and great connexions, he married Barbara Wentworth, dau. of Roger Wentworth, efq. of Arthwick in the Street, near Doncafter; by whom he had two children. By this ftep he broke the vows of celibacy, which all who were brought up in religious houses were obliged to take; and his lady, having formerly beca betrothed in her childhood to a young gentleman, named Anthony Norman, which geu tleman was far from being paffive in this affair, and in the reign of Edward VI actually petitioned the king and council to have his wife reftored him, but without fuccefs, till the beginning of the reign of Queen Mary, when, the archbishop having always been a warm and ftrenuous oppofer of the fucceffion of that princefs, Norman accomplished his purpofe, got his wife rettored, and faw the Prelate deprived of all his great riches, and fent prifoner to the Tower. After having been confined a year and a half, he was re leafed through the interceffion of King Philip, and restored to his former dignity; bu, being difgufted with the ufage he had fuftained, he retired to Hemsworth, his native place, where he died in 1556. He founded and endowed three free-schools, which are fill fubfifting, viz, at York, Old Malton, and at Hemsworth.-It is recorded of Abp. Hol gate, that, when he was lord prefident of the North, Sir Francis Afkue happened to have a fuit depending in that court. Doubting much of ill meafure from his lordship, whom he knew he had not used over well, he gave up his caufe for loft; when, to his aftonishment, he faw the Prelate rife up in his behalf, and fee the most strict justice done him, and he accordingly gained his caufe, his lordfhip faying merrily to fome of his attendants, that Sir Francis had been the best friend he ever had; for, had it not been for his pufting him to London, he might have remained a peor priest all his days. fent 5 |