fuite who imported the fashions, inculcated the charms, and practifed the feductions of London, an infenfible change was wrought in the farmers' fons, and communicated to the whole parish. The tenants' daughters afpired at a London life, and, in purfuit of pleafure and vanity, fell into the fare laid for their virtue and integrity. In the abfence of the landlord only the lofs of his company and good influence was felt; but in his prodigality and diffipation was involved the intereft and profperity of his tenantry. Rack-rented and ruined, they loft the comfortable profpect of providing for their families. The Pharo-table and the rapacious flew ard concurred to aggravate their diftrefs, and drained the vitals of an exhausted eftate. To darken the profpect ftill more, the refidence of the good old landlord is itfelf pulled down, the materials fold to pay off modern incumbrances, and the parish left without a head. It were well if the evil had flopped there. The fpirit of faction invaded the retirement of the ruftick; he was duped to fet his hand to remonstrances againft imaginary evils which he never heard of; he was wrought upon by a fancied independence of the human mind to think for himself, but really, under this fpecious delufion, became the dupe of others, and only thought with them, without thinking at all. The minifiers of that meek and pure religion, who fhould have inculcated fubmiflion and fimplicity, infulled into their religious fervices an equal independence both of God and the King, of religion and good government. Contented and happy in the established religion of his country, the poor man was feduced, by the example of his fuperiors, to question and quarrel with it refigned to his fate in the comfortable affurance of a happy immortality, he was perfuaded to think that his foul was material, that falvation was in his power without divine affiftance, that his Saviour had been a talking horfe to the minifters of his Golpel for 1700 years. Satisfied both with the conftitution of his country and with his governors, he is now taught that his country has no conftitution, and that he is felf-governed. In thus unfettling the minds of our humbler fellow-citizens, can we wonder at the total want of principle which multiplies criminals to fuch a degree that receptacles can hardly keep pace with them, and we 1 are shocked with the frequency of our executions? I have now before me three trials for murder in the county of Lincoln, 1769, 1788, and 1791, where the crime, tho' fully proved, was to the last pertinaci oufly denied by the criminais.' I do not fay fuch denials have not happened before; but fcarcely in the fhort space of thirty years, and in the fame county. But the fame want of principle which hurries the upper ranks into the pie fence of their Creator and Judge by faicide, makes the lower ranks alike carelefs how they meet him from the hands of the executioner. In vain do philofophers obviate the crime, as the coro ner's jury the ignominy, by charging it on lunacy. Let us beware how we make fuch an apology for guilt, which will fuperfede the neceflity of human judicature, and lead us to think the Almighty Sovereign of the Univerfe" altogether fuch an one as ourselves." I might add the recent inftances of wilful murder, infpired by revenge, in men of education fuperior to the vulgar. Another grand fource of the corrup❤ ̧ tion of the ruftic mind, is the introduction of theatres into almoft every market-town, either by authority of Parliament, or in defiance of it. Men, fay the advocates for this increasing evil, muft be amufed. Be it fo: but let not the amufement be a vehicle of corruption of morals. Sports and paftimes have always obtained among our peafantry, but they are of a ditferent and an innocent nature. The Book of Sports ruled the indignation of the graver minds of the laft century as well as of the Puritans. it is enough if the capital be the fcene of theatrical diffipation, which was originally confidered by our laws as an appendage to the Court, and a privilege of rosaity, but can now eftablish itfelf, in defiance of law, in the fallett village within the limits of the Penny-poll, and almot of the bills of mortality. When amafements of every kind geiu rapidly on the country, what but folly and extravagance can follow it? and when Lords and Efquires turn actors, what must be expected from their example? The mounte bank and zany of former ages were innocent empirics; thofe of the prefent are windlers and pickpockets, and the destructive fyftem of lciteries is multiplied by them into every market-town. Stage coaches and turnpike-roads, howaver 988 Simplicity of Manners by what means totally loft. however they may furnish a temporary maintenance to a few of the lower clafs, import a return of vice and corruption, that ill compenfate the pittance earned by honeft industry, and serve as a more ready conveyance of fimple men and women to ruin in a corrupted and depraved capital. The groupeing together of the poor in workhoufes, houfes of induftry, and houfes of manufacture, may relieve their prefent wants, and exercise their talents for a time; but if it be confidered how little of religion or morality is taught there, and that it is an avowed maxim with one of our greatest manufacturers on the Trent to pay no regard to the morals of the poor children whom he employs, can it be to the advantage of the rifing generation to be put by hundreds under fuch tuition? I could men. tion a tambour-worker who took a number of parish girls apprentices, and, after a short time, ran away, and left them on the town; a fphere of life for which it is not a breach of charity to fuppofe he had trained them. The inadequacy of the public provifion for the poor to their virtue and happiness is but too apparent; and every contrivance or plan that breaks up the community of the village, and the comforts of the ruftic firefide, debauches, enervates, and ruins the mafs of people. The free- fchool established foon after the Reformation, as a fuccedaneum to the monafteries, is now neglected from the infufficiency of the mafter's maintenance in the increafed price of living, or fuperfeded by the infinity of private Ichools, which every ignorant ecclehaftic or idle layman is ready to fet up. Would you believe it, Mr. Urban, that a parish of twenty miles in circuit at this moment contains no less than even fchools for boys and three for guls, befides the free-fchool and the perty fchools where children are taught for three-pence or a great a week, and no Sunday-fchool? Taking the average number of scholars in pretty conftant refidence in thefe ten houfes of learning at the moderate number of thirty, there is an influx of between three and four hundred perfons, boys and girls, to elbow the regular inhabitants out of their feats at church or meeting, and to be taught by every pretender to science lefs than what half of them, at leaft, would learn at home from their parents, if they would stay at home and take the parental charge upon them. But we must [Nov. rush to watering-places and every scene of diffipation, and give to the aggrandizations of every bathing creek the fruits of our farms and fhops, which should be divided between the care of the tenants and manufacturers offspring and our own. Thus reflexion must be buried in the din and hurry of pleasure, and every call of duty and affection facrificed to the tranfports of gaiety. If I include the multiplication of private banks among the fources of public corruption, I fhall perhaps be told, they are the only means of keeping ready money in the country. They favour too much of that exceffive increase of private credit, which ruins the unwary, and adminifters to the avarice and prodigality of individuals. It will be anfwered, there are laws of fufficient force to check the growing evils above defcanted on. But what are laws uninforced by example? The wretched father or master, who has encouraged his children or fervants in bad courfes, may hang them all when ripe for execution; but are the miferable culprits fo guilty as their feducer? It is an old and an allowed adage, Si populus vult decipi, decipiatur. But what fort of an apology is it for perjury, venality, and debauchery, that, for the fake of a fhortlived feat in the fenate, men are folicited and bribed to profitute their honour, and confciences, and lives, and become the victims of ambition and intrigue? If to this evil influence we add the unchriftianizing of Chriftianity, that religion which the poor man embraces as beft adapted to his capacity and wants; if he is to be told that neither Chrift nor his Apofties meant what they faid, or that they were not underfood ull the 18th century; what has he left to ani mate his hopes, to reward his picty, to invigorate his patience, and to crown his faith? But it is the finishing ftroke of the whole mifchief. Deprived of the fincere milk of the Word, the ruftic, who was bred up in the firm perfuafion that the Bible was adapted to his poor capacity, muft be thunder-ftruck at hearing that nobody has rightly underfood it till now. His plain broth being thus poifoned, or rendered unpalatable, what wonder if he is driven to the frong drink which thole, who fancy themfelyes of full age in the knowledge of divinity, would force down his throat, in a perfuafion that they alone know the TRUTH, and that the TRUTH muit be fpoken at all times? This truth, minds of those who listen to them, or of thofe who defpife them? Between the zeal of the Methodit, the lukewarmnefs of the Etablishment minifter, and the chilling coldness of the rational and Liberal Denter, what must become of the poor man', religion ? It is the fame in politics. While the perfant feels the happiness of the government under which he lives, he has nothing within him to prompt difcontent and remontrance. His Magna Charta and Bill of Rights are founded more in experience than in argument. If the weight of taxes affects him, his luxurious and dilipated mafter and landlord redoubles the burden by his unbounded cravings, and no remedy remains from the hofpitality and plenty of a Chriftmas paffed in the manfion-house. To the fame principle are to be afcribed the unequal divifion of farms, the great influx of wealth, which lef fens the value of money, and increases that of provifion, and the wanton wafte of the neceffaries of life. The ambiti ous and giddy rich thus furnish fuel to the difcontents of another clafs. In the rapid change of landed property on the extinction of a family in whom long poffeflion had riveted antient manners, fome exhaufted heir throws the cftate into the hands of a state-peculator, a gamefter, a public defaulter, a boroughhunter, or a nabob. In vain do we look for virtue or morality here. The land, under this curfe, mult bring forth the thorns and briars of immorality and which they will not allow others to find it. If my fubject were not confined to a remoter diftance, I might introduce here the fources of corruption within twenty miles of the capital. I might notice the daily additions made to fuch fources. When a young heir, who lets out well, and, for the honourable difcharge of his father's debts, fubmits to reduce his own eftate, to that the firft tenor of fuch a man's conduct afforded the fairest profpects; when he involves himself not merely in the expence of horfes and hounds, but luffers himself to be made the tool of alchoute keepers and jockics of the loweft fpecies, to revive, at an improper diftance from the metropolis, diverfions which had worn themfelves our, and, but for fuch inftigators, would never have been refumed, and thus, as may be expected, brings together a res fort of the vileft rabble, in vain does the law profcribe tuch races, which a gol. fubfcription-plate can revive at any time; 990 The Giant's Cave defcribed.-Nine-Kirks. in vain do we lament the increase of pickpockets, of gamefters, of drunkards, and every mifcreant. Can we wonder if the public refentment is kindled against the betrayers of the beft of caufes, and if, when thofe who would turn the world upfide down propofe their innovations in terms neither moderate nor decent, they met with a violent reception? Far be it from me to encourage outrage and riot! But if our countrymen have loft their SIMPLECITY, they have not loft their SENSES; if they are not proof againft infinuation and feducing example, they are too high-fpirited to receive a barefaced in novation with temper. If we with Old England to return to what it was in the beginning of the laft, or clofe of the preceding century, we must change the manners and principles of the great, of the fuperior ranks, and of the clafs of men who pretend to diffufe better knowledge than ever was known before. Your very fenfible correfpondent Carleton, though he is treating of a different fubject, p. 810, has hit upon one fource of the evil here complained of. "If gentlemen," fays he, "would condefcend to mix more with the commonalty, they would be amply requited in this [an acquaintance with Shakspeare's language] and many other things. I fpeak experimentally." The mixture he here fpeaks of is not that vulgar, leveling intercourfe, above reprobated, which degrades the highest ranks, but fuch an affable and informing inter courfe as would exalt and improve the lower ranks. It is a melancholy profpect we have before us, Mr. Urban, when the good old ways, and fentiments, and manners, of the "ruftic moralift" are thus lightly efteemed; that, when the wealth and improvements of Great Britain are at their height, her national manners thould be fo grofy corrupted as to endanger her profperity: for, without withing to invert the order of Nature, and exalt the MAJESTY of the people into democratic anarchy, one may be bold to affirm, that the SIMPLICITY of a people is the greateft fecurity of its innocence and happiness. Mr. URBAN, Bottesford, Sept. 27. A S the trifling account of the Luck of Edenball (inferted in your Mifcellary, p. 721), appeared nct unworthy o your notice, I will venture to give teatt an imperfect defeription of ano [Nov. ther curiofity in the fame neighbourhood, called The Giant's Cave. From Edenhall, my fellow-traveller and I were conducted to the banks of the ri ver Eamont, where we were gratified with a fight of this curious den. Difference of opinion, unavoidable in most cafes, prevents me from calling it "a dijmal or borrid manfion." A flight of fteps, cut out of the rock (not so terrible as have been reprefented), led us nearly half way down a bold precipice; and, by advancing a few yards to the right, we came to the mouth of the cave, where a part of the roof (otherwife not altogether fafe) is fupported by a pillar in the centre. This pillar was evidently intended for the conveniency of hanging doors, or fomething of the fort, to prevent furprize; and the remains of iron gates, I am told, have not been long removed. Here vifitors with to perpetuate their names, but a foft mouldering ftone is unfavourable to the purpofe; none of more antient date appear than in the year 1660. This rock, a foft red fand-flone, appears of vaft depth, and the dipping of the firata about 23 degrees Welt. The cave at the entrance is about 9 feet high and 20 wide, and extends in length about 50, when it becomes more contracted in every point of view. Stagnant water, and dirt within, add to the natural gloominefs of the place, and give an unfavourable impreffion. But the fituation is in many respects beautiful-a fine winding river flowing at the bottom of a lofty precipice (not fo bold indeed as to alarm) had to me at least a pleafing effect. This, with a very extenfive profpect, engaged my attention fo much, that I wondered I had overlooked, at a very little diftance, on a flat on the oppofite fide of the river, the church commonly called Nine-Kirks, or Nine-Church, and the parish, Nine-Church perish, from its being dedicated to St. Ninian," a Scottish faint, to which kingdom," according to Dr. Burn, "this church did probably belong at the time of the dedication." A church fituated at the extreme bounds of a parith, far from any inhabitants, is not fo uncommon a circumftance as it is difficult to be accounted for. A narrow path led us a Intle further to a chafm in the rock: this is called The Maiden's Step, from the traditionary account of the elcape of a beautiful virgin from the hands of Torquin the giant, who, after exerciting upon all occafions every fpecies of bru tality and depredation within his reach, retreated to this his ftrong hold. This Hep is not fo wide as to exceed the bounds of credibility; but the difficulty of efcape afterwards arifes from the mot horrible fituation any one must be in, every moment, by fcrambling up a freep afcent upon the very edge of a naked precipice, with fcarcely the appearance of fecurity for either hand or foot: notwithstanding, to fucceed in the attempt And he had juftes and tournaments, whereto were many prest, Wherein fome knights did them excelle, and far furmount the reft; proved well, [did excell. He for his deeds and feats of armes all others When he had refted him awhile in play, I am convinced is not impoffible, efpe. But good Sir Lancelot du Lake, who was apcially where life or death are the alternatives. Returning by the fame path, we paffed the cave in an oppofite direction, and came to a grotto, with a ftone table in the middle, and nearly feated round, all cut out of the folid rock. This is faid to be done by the late Sir Chriftopher Mufgrave, as occafionally a place of pleasure. In fome parts of the North of England it has been a cuftom, for time immemorial, for the lads and laffes of the neighbouring villages to collect together at fprings or rivers on fome Sunday in May, to drink jugar and water, where the laffes give the treat: this is called fugar-and-water Sunday. They afterwards adjourn to the public-house, and the lads return the compliment in cakes, ale, punch, &c.; and a vaft concourfe of both fexes always affemble at the Giant's Cave on the third Sunday in May for this purpofe. Of this practice, Mr. Urban, I have been many years an eyewitnefs; and 1 fhall be much obliged to any of your correfpondents that can give me an account of the origin of this fingular cuftom. Two circular flone pillars, refembling the antient fpears, near 12 feet high; and 14 afunder, point out to us The Giant's Grave, in Penrith churchyard but the particulars of this curious monument of antiquity have been so frequently given, that to add here would be fuperfluous. Tradition, moftly fomething to reft upon, informs us that Torquin, refufing to obey the fummons of King Arthur to appear at his Court, to anfwer for the ravages he daily committed, Sir Lancelot du Lake was difpatched to bring him by force. A bat ile was the confequence; Torquin fell, and was buried betwixt thefe pillars. The battle, I think, is celebrated in many ballads of the antient poets. The following, which I thought curious, may be met with in Percy's "Reliques of antient English Poetry." and game, and sporte, He faid he would go prove himself in fome advent'rous forte. He armed rode in forreft wyde, and met a damfell faire, [he gave good eare, Who told him of adventures great, whereto "Such wold I find," quoth Lancelot, "for that came I hither." "Thou feem'ft," quoth fhe, "a knight full good, and I will bring thee thither, Whereas a mightye knight doth dwell, that now is of great fame; Therefore tell me what wight thou art, and what may be thy name.' "My name is Lancelot du Lake." Quoth fhc, "It likes me than, Here dwells a knight who never was yet Who has in prifon threefcore knights and to a tree, She brought him to a river fide, and alfo [fhield to fee. He ftruck fo hard the bafon broke, and TorWhereon a copper bason hung, and many a quin foon he fpy'd, Who drove a horfe before him faft, whereon a knight was ty'd. "Sir Knight," then faid Sir Lancelot, "bring me that horfe-load hither, And lay him downe, and let him reft, we'll For, as I underftand, thou haft, as far as try our force together; thou art able, Done great defpite and hame unto the At Eamont bridge, not more than a yards in diameter, with a deep ditch, having mile and a half from Penrith, is a circus, 40 an entrance on the North and South; it is called " King Arthur's Round Table." This, with the very fine Draidical temple at Mayhorough, close by, have frequently been. noticed by Antiquaries. |