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behalf duringe the continuance of the games or playes; which games are hereafter severally mentioned, that is to say, the Shotinge with the Standarde, the Shotinge with the Brode Arrowe, the Shotinge at the Twelve Shore Prick, the Shotinge at the Tarthe, the Leppinge for Men, the Runninge for Men, the Wrastlinge, the Throwinge of the Sledge, and the Pytchinge of the Barre, with all such other games as have at any time hertofore or now be lycensed, used, or played.

Geaven the XXVIth daie of Aprill, in the eleventh year of the Queen's Majesty's Raigne.

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THE HE following antiquarian particulars were communicated to Dr. Ducarel in June 1756, by the learned and Rev. Philip Morant, the wellknown Colchester Antiquary:

"A Norman gentleman founded in Jersey an Abbey in honour of St. Helerius; but the time when, is not particularly mentioned.

Du Mon

stier, Neustria Pia, p. 712.—It stood in the same little island where now stands Elizabeth-castle; was plentifully endowed both in the island and in Normandy, and, filled with Canons Regular of St. Augustin. But the Empress Maud, in passing from England to Normandy, meeting with danger at sea, she made a vow, that if it pleased God to deliver her from the distress she was in, she would build an Abbey in the place where she should come to land, which proved to be Cherbourg. Mindful of her vow, she sent for Robert, Abbot of St. Helier in Jersey, and committed the work to his care, as one well versed in such affairs. Thus was the Abbey built, and called de Volo, from the Empress's vow; and, in reward of his service, Robert was made the first Abbot of it, without relinquishing St. Helier; yet so that the two houses remained distinct and separate, although they had but one and the same superior. Soon after, it was suggested that the endowment of the New Abbey fell short of what was requisite to support the dignity of a Royal foundation, and therefore the King was moved to have St. Helier annexed to it; which was done, to the great prejudice and detriment of the island. For whereas before, the whole estate of St. Helier (which, says

Robertus de Monte, was tripliciter ditior, i. e. thrice richer than the other) had used to be consumed and spent within the island, the same must thenceforth be carried over to Cherbourg, after a small portion reserved for the maintenance of a Prior and a few Canons. And now it must no longer be called the Abbey, but the Priory of St. Helier; and on that foot of a Priory it stood until the reign of Henry V. when all Priories Alien were suppressed, both in England and in these Islands.-See Ph. Falle's History of Jersey, edit. 1734, pp. 35, 36. P. MORANT."

Dress of the Antient French. (From VELLY'S New History of France.) IGEBERT was buried an. 576, in

St. Medard's Church, at Soissons, where his statue is still seen in long clothes, with the mantle which the Romans called Chlamys. This was the dress of Clovis's children, whether as more noble and majestic, or that they looked on the title of Augustus as hereditary in their family. However it be, long clothes were for several ages the dress of persons of distinction, with a border of sable, ermin, or miniver.

Under Charles V. it was emblazoned with all the pieces of the coats of arms. At that time, neither ruffs, collars, nor bands, were known, being introduced by Henry II. Till his time the neck of our Kings was always quite bare, except Charles the Wise, who is every where represented with an ermin collar. The short dress, antiently worn only in the country and the camp, came to be the general fashion under Lewis XI. but was laid aside under Lewis XII. Francis I. revived it, with the improvement of slaches. The favourite dress of Henry II. and his children was a tight close doublet, with trunk hose, and a cloak scarce reaching to the waist. The dress of the French ladies, it may be supposed, had likewise its revolutions. They seem for near nine hundred years not to have been much taken up with ornaments. Nothing could require less time or nicety than their headdress, and the disposition of their hair. Every part of their linen was quite plain, but at the same time extremely fine. Laces were long unknown. Their gowns (on the right side of which was embroidered their

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husbands'

husbands' coat of arms, and on the left that of their own family) were so close as to shew all the delicacy of their shape, and came up so high as to cover their whole breast up to the neck. The habit of widows had very much of that of our nuns. It was not till under Charles VI. that they began to expose their shoulders. The gallantry of Charles the VIIth's court brought in the use of bracelets, necklaces, and ear-rings. Queen Anne de Bretagne despised those trinkets; and Catharine de Medicis made it her whole business to invent new. Caprice, vanity, luxury, and coquetry, have at length brought them to their present enormity.

Advantages which France derived from the Antient Monks. (From VELLY's New History of France.) AMONG other advantages accruing to the Government from so many pious foundatious, it is to the skill and industry of the Recluses that Frauce owes a great part of its present fertility. It had been frequently ravished by the incursions of the Barbarians. The eye every where met with wastes, forests, heaths, moors, and marshes; that bequeathing to the Monks estates of no produce was thought but a very small matter; accordingly they had as much iand given them as they could cultivate. These worthy Solitaries, so far from devoting themselves to God with a view of living in idleness, grubbed up and cleared the land, drained, sowed, planted, and built; that these dreary wastes soon became pleasant and fruitful tracts. So opulent were some Abbeys, that they could raise a little army; and on this account the Abbots were afterwards summoned to the Assemblies in the March Field.

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families there being reduced to the last extremities!

"These poor people stand commended to the rest of the kingdom, as they have been an antient Corporation, living up to the ends of their institution, fair traders, faithful subjects, helpful to such as wanted, and, to other great towns, a very good example.

"But, besides this general commendation, they are more particularly recommended to us, and intitled to our more especial regard, on account of their proximity of relation, being, as it were, of the same household, our brethren by the same mother, of the same Church and Diocese with ourselves. And as we with them, and they with us, are hereby in a more intimate manner members one of another; so I trust that you and your well-disposed parishioners will have a more tender feeling of their present distress, and express it in a proper manner on this occasion..

"It is an unkind observation made by sonie, that applications of this sort are much increased of late years; but it is certain that the wealth of the Nation is, by the blessing of God, much more increased and you, I hope, will not be wanting to inculcate the obligation hereby laid on those who partake of this happy increase, to do good, as they have opportunities, to all men, especially to those that are most nearly related to them in Christ, to those that are their fellow-servants of the same house.

"I pray God to have you and your parish under his most gracious protection, and remain your truly loving Brother, R. LINCOLN *. "Park-street, Westminster, April 28, 1726.”

Mr. URBAN,

Jan. 11. The Christ the Rock of the ChrisHE Bishop of St. David's, in his

66

tian Church," p. 49, says,

"The conduct of Sweden affords to the Papists of this Empire, not an obsolete example, but an existing proof of the duty of conformity to the constitution of their own Government, The King of Sweden has adopted a Papist for his successor. But the Crown Prince was not admitted to the high post which he holds till he had abjured Popery, and conformed to the Protestant Religion."

This statement of the learned Prelate is not exactly correct.-Marshal Bernadotte, the present Crown Prince, was a member of the Reformed Church of Switzerland; and when he

* Bp. Reynolds.

was

was called to the succession of the Swedish Throne, he abjured not the doctrines of Popery, but those of Calvin; and conformed not to the Protestant Religion (in the enlarged sense of the term, as applied to a converted Papist), but to the peculiar tenets of the Lutheran Church. Yours, &c.

Mr. URBAN,

F. C.

London Institution,
Jan. 11.

The Dr. Hodgson's letter to HE passage of Voltaire alluded you is to be found in the "Questions sur l'Encyclopédie," at the word Amazones. The celebrated Author, after having related the story of some female warriors who have shewn what intrepidity their sex is susceptible of acquiring, says:

"L'histoire Arabe est pleine de ces exemples; mais elle ne dit point que ces femmes guerrières se brulassent le teton droit pour mieux tirer de l'arc, encore moins qu'elles vécussent sans hommes; au contraire, elles s'exposoient dans les combats pour leurs maris ou pour leurs amans, et de cela même on doit conclure que loin de faire des reproches à l'Aridste et au Tasse d'avoir introduit tant d'amantes guerrières dans leurs poëmes, on doit les louer d'avoir peint des mœurs vraies et intéressantes."

Voltaire proceeds to notice several other women whose exploits are related in history, such as, Marguerite d'Anjou, wife of Henry the Sixth, the Countess of Montfort in Brittany, Jeanne d'Arc, or the famous Pucelle d'Orléans, &c. &c.

The late wars in Spain and in Switzerland might have furnished him with new instances of female bravery. I do not recollect having met with these remarks in the Histoire Genérale of our Author; but this communication will probably satisfy your Correspondent; and having the original work at hand, I thought that your Readers might not be displeased with the own words of the learned and shrewd Philosopher of Ferney. Yours, &c. X.

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than half a century a British Settlement has been established at the Bay of Honduras; but on June 20, 1812, and not before, the first stone of a Church was laid by Colonel Smyth, the Lieutenant-governor. In the colony of New South Wales, three Churches have been erected, at Sydney, Paramatta, and Windsor, on the Hawkesbury. But each of these is said to be too small for the population, and many more are wanted. This evil, Mr. Urban, will never be fully obviated, till the British Government shall think proper to send out Bishops duly authorized to superintend the cause of Religion in the East and West Indies. Surely the present very respectable Bench of Bishops will not suffer the India Charter to be renewed without this most necessary provision.

The excellent "Considerations on the prevailing Custom of Visiting on Sundays," p. 514, are printed in the Works of James Hervey, M. A. Rector of Weston Favell *. Mr. Hervey died on Christmas-day 1758. U. U.

Mr. URBAN, Hertford, Nov. 14.

BEG leave to correct a mistake of your Correspondent in his account of the Wycliffe family: the male line of which did not become extinct on the death of Ralph in 1606: it was continued in his uncle William, who is mentioned by your Correspondent himself to be living in 1611. David, the grandson of this William, was the last Wycliffe who was in possession of the family estates, and he mortgaged them in the beginning of the last century to Marmaduke Tunstall, esq. from whose descendants the Present respectable proprietor has de

rived them.

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Precursor to Forest Trees and Timber, &c. addressed to His Royal Highness WILLIAM DUKE OF CLARENCE, Admiral of the British Fleet, &c. SIR,

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Petty, Dr. Hook, and Silva Evelyn, to this subject, the valuable Works published by the latter excited such a spirit for planting, as to have been the means of principally furnishing the supply of oak timber for the Navy, until the commencement of the French Revolutionary War in 1793, when the neglect of the judicious measure pursued by James began to be seriously felt; and has put the means of supporting our maritime strength in such jeopardy, that, without the speedy and effective exertions of the Roya! Power and of Parliament in directing the good sense and spirit of the Nation, our Navy is in danger ere long of becoming im becile, and the personal skill and bravery of our seamen rendered abortive, from a defective and rapid decay of the material.-In such dilemma, I venture with great deference to examine the cause, and with humble duty to suggest a remedy; earnestly hoping that, through the exertion of your Royal Highness, the formation and construction of our ships of war with more durable materials, and the providing of an adequate permanent future supply of Timber within ourselves will be fully established; and that William Duke of Clarence will be entitled to that merit and applause of his Country for improving the Navy, which his illustrious Brother Frederick Duke of York has justly obtained for bettering the Army.

S the Admiral of a Fleet indisputably composed of the most distinguished officers and seamen the world has hitherto produced, I humbly presume to address your Royal Highness on the means of supporting the Navy; the subject-matter of which, being mostly drawn from official documents and actual experiments, will shew that policy, economy, and the safety of the State, require the adoption of efficient measures to ensure a supply of good ships for the present, and a permanent succession of durable timber in future, as well as more skilful management in the preparation and appropriation of it for use: trusting that, should your Royal Highness condescend to investigate the matter, and submit the result to your august Brother, the Prince Regent, such a vigorous and wise system would be established for the permanent support of the Navy, that the Nation may have cause to feel that gratitude towardsyou which is justly due to James Duke of York, who, supported by his brother Charles II. not only regenerated our naval power after the Restoration, bat, as Lord High Admiral, directed the principal officers and commissioners of the Navy to apply to the then most scientific and intelligent body of men in Europe, respecting a supply of timber for the Navy, which produced the most beneficial effect. The Royal Society having directed the attention of those able men Sir Wm. January 1.

I have the honour to be, with great respect, Sir, your Royal Highness's most obedient and very humble servant,

W. LAYMAN.

"The great decrease in Naval Timber is the more alarming, and calls the more for the attention of Government, from its being occasioned not by any temporary causes, but by such as must inevitably render it every day more general and rapid. Thére is no reflecting person in the kingdom who does not feel and acknowledge that the existence of every thing valuable to us as a Nation depends upon maintaining our naval superiority; and yet for more than forty years we have remained in a state of apparent insensibility, although it has been demonstrated, that the article most essential to the preservation of our Navy has been gradually diminishing, and that the causes of that dimination are of a nature not to afford the smallest prospect of a probable change, unless the most vigorous exertions are made to provide a substitute for those resources on which we have hitherto relied, and which we know are in a progress of rapid decay and ultimate failure at no very distant period. During the short time I remained at the head of our Naval concerns, I suggested the appointment of the Commission of Naval Revision, under a deep impression, that the state of Naval Timber, and other matters of essential importance to the Naval service of the Country, required an immediate and radical investigation. If there are any parts of the 14th Report of that Commission which it is

expedient

expedient to conceal, still much useful information might be given to Parliament and the publick, consistently with such reserve. I am not aware that any good can result from such a determined concealment. If there is just cause of alarm from the increased decay and scarcity of an article so essentially necessary to the existence of the Empire, the knowledge of such an impending danger would be the strongest incitement to the publick at large cordially to concur in every measure which Government may think necessary to ward off so serious a calamity.

"If an example be wanting of the benefits to be produced by the diffusion of a knowledge of the state of timber in the kingdom, a very strong proof is to be found in the effect which was produced by the writings of Evelyn.-The vast quantities of great timber consumed by our Navy during the present reign were chiefly the produce of the plantations made between the Restoration and the end of the 16th century on private property, in almost every part of England, as well as in the Royal Forests, particularly the Forest of Dean; and which had been occasioned by the publication of the state of timber in this kingdom, and by looking at the danger of a scarcity boldly in the face.

"Thus it appears, that while at this time we are experiencing the practical good effect, and reaping the very fruit produced by the system of promulgating the extent of the wants of the Navy in former times, a line of policy is adopted (that of concealment) the very reverse of that which past experience has proved to have been so eminently beneficial.

"It would seem as if the successive Governments of this Country had invariably become disheartened, and had therefore abandoned all attempts to place this important branch of our naval resources upon a permanent basis, because the members of it could not hope to live to see the success of their own measures. But, if this course of policy is to govern all our actions,-if, because we may struggle through the immediate difficulties we have to encounter, and are able to ward off any imminent danger in our own lives, we are therefore to pursue the narrow policy of neglecting to provide for posterity,-with what reproaches will after-generations load our memory! shall we not be certain of drawing down upon us the execration instead of the praises of posterity?

"It is evident, that some general system ought to be adopted for securing a sufficient and permanent supply to our Navy; and in promoting such an object, I think we ought all to agree, whatever be our differences of opinion in other points."-Henry Viscount Meiville to Mr. Perceval, June, 1810.

SUPPORT OF THE NAVY. It is a truth universally admitted, that the power, wealth, and existence of the British Empire depend on maritime superiority. The support of its Navy is, therefore, an object of the greatest national importance; and to have the means of it within ourselves, must ensure our safety in the same degree, as to rely on foreign powers for that which is essential to our strength and prosperity must be supine and dangerous.

Towards this support, timber must be considered the most essential article; and as, from misapplication in use, and the immense increase in consumption, with the neglect of home supply, Great Britain has fallen into the hazardous policy of depending on other countries for precarious and expensive supplies of perishable materials to prop her Marine; by which our ships of war have been defective, and are now going rapidly to decay, and millions have been added to the public debt, as well as the continu

ance of such policy being at present a great chain upon our finances; it is a duty incumbent on us to investigate our resources, and establish within ourselves permanent means for supporting our Navy.

The home supply of oak timber has hitherto been derived either from private property, or the Royal Forests; but it appears by papers presented to Parliament, that the Comptroller of the Navy stated to the First Lord of the Admiralty, by letter dated 23d March 1802, that "the consumption is now so much more than the growth, that the article will soon cease to be supplied, if the same system is allowed to go on." And by other papers, dated the 24th and 29th of March 1804, that the Navy Board recommended to the Admiralty the appointment of "some competent person or persons as Purveyors-general in the purchase of Timber for the Navy, and that the purchases might be made apparently on account of the agent." But this knowing trick,

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