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he ftates, "to have vowed the deftruction of the Bishop."

It certainly is not my wish to rake up the athes of a controverly that has been extinguished more than three parts of a century; but muft obferve, that the fpeech here alluded to, though the political and party fentiments that fuggefted it have fo long fubfided, is ftill valuable, as it does the highest honour both to the friendship and faculties of a Nobleman who, according to Pope, combined and concentrated in his perfon the oppofite qualities of Tully and Wilmot. I fhall therefore make no apology for the introduction of the note, which refers to it, nor for the fubfequent obfervations which will occur.

"Concerning the famous fpeech of the Duke of Wharton, Mr. Walpole, in his Catalogue of Royal and Noble Authors, has given us the following anecdote. His Grace, then in oppofition to the Court, went to Chelsea the day before that Prelate's affair, where, acting contrition, he professed being determined to work out his pardon of the Court, by fpeaking against the Bishop; in order to do which hẹ begged fome bints.

The Minifter was deceived, and went through the whole caufe with him, pointing out where the ftrength of his argument lay, and where its weakness. The Duke was very thankful, returned to town, paffed the night in drinking, and, without going to bed,

went to the Houfe of Lords, where he fpoke for the Bishop, recapitulating in the most masterly manner, and anfwering all that had been urged again it

him.

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because "It was not proper that he fhould hear depofitions that affected bimfelf." Among other things equally incredible, Mr. Bingley depofed, that he had been tampered with, and offered a reward of five hundred pounds, if he would turn evidence againit the Bishop; which he refused to do.

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Yet although the truth of the anecdote of the Duke of Wharton feems, upon the unquestionable authority of the work in which it is found, to be clearly established, it has been controverted by a Gentleman who addreffed a letter, figned M. N. " to the Authors of the Critical Review," inferted Vol. VII. page 453, 1759; for although the purport of this letter, as it appears at first, is a vindication of the charge brought against Mr. Sergeant Wynne, in the Catalogue of Royal and Noble Authors, &c. Vol. II. p. 133, which does indeed feem an extraordinary one, namely, for "forestalling the speech of his Right Reverend Client, and speaking the fubftance of it himself." It alfo attacks the fame Author with respect to the note I have quoted.

It is a little fingular, that the charge of "forestalling" fhould have been brought in two inftances in the fame cafe; that the Minifter should, through the duplicity of the Duke, have had his own artillery turned against himself, and that the Right Reverend Defendant fhould lofe bis fpeech through the medium of his own Counsel however,

leaving this matter as irrelevant to my prefent inquiry, I muft obferve, that M. N., who defends the learned Sergeant from the charge with a zeal that indicates he was deeply interested in the fubject, ftates, in conclufion, that as the Author to whom he alludes has thought fit to introduce another paffage refpecting an unfortunate Duke, "I," he continues, “am apt to think he is alfo miftaken. I would not be understood to defend his Grace's levity, or want of principle; but I happened to know the company his Lordship was in the day before he fpoke on that debate, and to whom

corner of Manchefter buildings, Cannon-row, next the Thames, found means to make his escape from a window two ftories high, by tying the fheets and blankets together he got down; but, not knowing the tide was high, leaped from a garden wall into the river, and was drowned."

Sir Robert Walpole inhabited that elegant houfe adjoining to Chelsea College (in the Stable-yard) which is still to be seen. It had been the refidence of Holles," Duke of New cattle, and, after the death of the Earl of Orford, was tenanted by Mr. Aufrere, in those times an immenfely rich merchant.

he fhewed his fpeech ready drawn up, and all in his own hand-writing, and whom he preffed to perufe it. During the converfation, his Grace altered, fupplied, and ftruck out, as he thought proper; and I believe it was the fame that afterwards appeared in print. I think I may truly add, that he hardly ever paffed a day more foberly. So that this was not a fudden start, or forged contrition, to defire a hint of the Minifter, which he did not want, as it is well known he had conftantly attended and taken notes of the evidence, amounting to more than a quire of paper, and had not only spoken on the fide of the Bithop, but had alfo figned feveral protefts many days before. If the Minifter after this was deceived, he was easily deceived, contrary to his known fagacity, in a matter very notorious to others."

This apology, of which I have only quoted part, if it goes to the proof of any thing, it is, of the duplicity of the Duke, who certainly deceived the Minifter, whom he knew (as it appeared in evidence) to have an ardent desire to

convict the Bishop. That he had probably written the heads of his fpeech, no one that reads it will deny, becaufe it exhibited a much more claffical arrangement than it would have been poflible for the greatest brator that ever exifted to have given to his extempore effufions. In doing this, he doubtlefs had conceived and ftudied all that he intended to fay, as far as his ideas went, in favour of the Bishop, but on reflection found that he fhould meet his opponents with double advantage if he could anticipate all that they intended to urge against him. Of this, by his duplicity, he poffeffed himfelf; and although no one will praise the morality of his condu&, I fear history furnishes too many inftances which fhew, that in political difcuffions, morality has frequently but little influence upon the balance of the quef tion.

With respect to the fpeech itself, whether we confider the ftrength of argument, the perfpicuity and force of diction, with which the Duke embellithed a fubject, dry in detail, and worn by frequent repetition, or that

amazing and elegant combination of legal fcience with rhetorical art, difplayed in his diffection and application of the evidence, together with his ingenious mode of pointing his obfervations to parts where his adversaries were the most vulnerable, in every point of view, it leaves us aftonished at his genius. His quotation from Sir Heneage Finch, in the case of the Earl of Clarendon, "We have here an accufation upon hearfay, and, if it is not made good, the blackeft fcandal hell can invent lies at our doors," is, in the circumftances to which he alluded, and the artful purpofe for which he directed the attention of his auditors to that trial, an admirable conclution to

an admirable oration.

How, from even this flight retrofpection of the brilliant parts of the character of this eccentric Nobleman, must we lament, that the cenfure of the poet which I thall quote should not have been the effufions of fancy, but abfolutely founded on fact.

"Wharton, the fcorn and wonder of our days,

Whofe ruling paffion was a lust of praise; Born with whate'er could win it from the wile, [dies : Women and tools must like him, or he Tho' raptur'd Senates hung on all he fpoke, [Juke. The Club must hail him Mafter of the

Shall parts fo various aim at nothing

new?

He'll fhine a Tully and a Wilmot toc. Then turns religious, and his God adores With the fame ipirit that he drinks and whores."

REV. CÆSAR DE MISSEY.

POPE.

This Gentleman, whofe name appears to an epigram in the fecond volume of this Magazine, was a man of great talents and learning; he was Minister of the French Chapel, St. James's; he was alfo the poffeffor of a very large library; and although his circumstances were far from affluent, he had fuch a paffion for books, that he expended the greater part of his income on them.

By his fedulous attention to the

The whole of the first floor (three rooms) of his houfe in Bolfover-street, Cavendish-Iquare, was appropriated to this purpose.

His books, which were

exceedingly valuable, were ranged from the ceiling to the ground, and the whole fuite of rooms laid open by the removal of the interior doors.

acquifition

acquifition of those darling objects of his purfuit, the labours of authors whole works were scarce, he had, regardless of the coft, made a collection fo curious, valuable, and extentive, that it attracted the notice, and confequent admiration, of the bibliographers, the black letter connoilleurs, and the literati in general.

As he never permitted an opportunity for the obtaining a favourite volume to flip by him, he frequently fuffered the prevalence of this, his ruling pathon, to drain his purfe to that degree as fcarcely to leave him the means to purchate a dinner for his family.

A strong inftance of his indulgence of this propenfity was once exhibited. It fo happened, that a relation of his first wife left him a legacy of two hundred pounds; he went to receive it, and one would have thought, impelled by the res angufti domi, he would have returned with pleasure to domestic arrangement. This, probably, was the intention of this worthy Clergyman, but unfortunately a book auction intervened. He stepped into a fale-room, and expended nearly the whole in the purchafe of a comparatively finall number of curious and valuable works.

When these books, the product of the legacy, were brought home, the patience of Mrs. De Milley, before ftretched to the utmoft, although, from her amiable turn of mind, the had hitherto filently marked the progrefs of this his darling propenfity, would endure no longer; the faw it must be impeded, or ruin muft enfue; but as the was a lady whofe delicacy was equal to her understanding, the endeavoured, by the following method, to convey to him her fentiments of his conduct. While he was looking over his acquifition, with that pleasure which we have all experienced, and mentally devouring the contents of thefe choice volumes, the ordered dinner to be an nounced. What a period was this to defcend to the fenfual gratification of eating? He had questionlefs as much

reluctance to it as to leave his library and defcend into the parlour. However, quick or flow, down he came at laft. He found that the cloth was laid with three covers. Grace was faid, and he was preparing, perhaps haftily, to get over the ceremony of dining, in order to return to his beloved ftudies; when upon taking off the covers, he found the dishes to confift of volumes of various fizes. He ftared with altonifhment, and expreiled his furprife to his wife, giving her to understand, he was by no means fatisfied with the feat he had prepared for him. She coolly replied, How can you, Sir, expect a better dinner, all circumstances, confidered? I have often heard you fay, that your highest entertainment was books; therefore I had reason to fuppofe this would have been entirely to your taste. You have nearly expended your whole income and late acquifition in them; it is therefore now time to tell you, that books are the only entertainment you have to expect, and, what is worse, that mental aliment is all that your family have to fubfift on."

DULWICH COLLEGE.

I have lately been favoured with a perufal of the manufcript register of this establishment, which has already been noticed in this Magazine, and therefore it would be unneceffary to reftate, that it was founded by Edward Alleyn *, an Actor of confiderable eminence at the Fortune Playhouse †, the fite of which is ftill called Playhoufeyard, in White-crofs-ftreet, were it not to introduce a remark, that the profeffion of an Actor, even in those days, when the ftage was in its infancy, and laboured under fuch difadvantages from the prejudice of the times and other circumstances, must have been a tolerably profitable one, to enable him to accumulate property fufficient to erect and endow fuch a building, which feems rather the emanation of public munificence than the effutions of individual benevolence.

It appears from the register of St. Botolph's, Bishopsgate, that Edward Alleyn (who was born near Devonshire Houle, on the fite of which Sir Francis Baring's is built, on the 1ft) was baptized in that parifh the ad of September 1566. Jeremiah Collier, who was not much in the habit of commending Players, terms Edward Alleyn the Rofcius of his age; and further faith," that as he out-acted others in his life, fo at his death (alluding to his extenfive charities) he out-did himself."

Of this Theatre fomne veftiges ftill remain, which may perhaps form the subjec of a future inquiry.

The

The Regifter contains the indenture quadripartite, the recital of the letters patent, together with the rules and orders to be obferved in the College of God's Gift, Dulwich, dated the 29th of September 1626, 2d of Charles, and fubfcribed,

EDWARD ALLEYN.
SAM. BRIDGES.
JOSEPH REDING.
MATTHEW SWEETSIR.
JOHN CASINGHURST.
GLO. BROOME, Scr.

CODICIL.

Additions to the Will of EDWARD ALLEYN. [Here thefe articles are added after the fignature and publication above; which, as they exhibit ftrong traits of the good fenfe of the Teftator, and have, I believe, never been published, it may be curious to quote.]

"Yet, confidering with my felf what is ordained and established by me, I may, upon better consideration, alter the fame, in regard mans reafon cannot prefently forefce all things, in a bufinefs of this confequence, which ought to be observed in making these orders, fo that fome things may be omitted which ought to be inferted, and other orders and tatutes herein expreffed, which at the firit may feem reasonable and profitable for the faid Colledge, but in the ufe and practice thereof prove to be difcommodious.

"Therefore I do ordain and conftitute, that it fhall be lawfull for me, during my life, to add any orders and

ftatutes to thefe for the well ordering and governing the faid Colledge, &c.

"Lafty, having taken into confideration these decaying times in the fall and abatement of rents: and having impofed a great charge upon the faid Corporation; and willing (as much as in me lyeth) to add and augment to them fome further means to fupply all occafions that may hereafter happen: I ordaine and confirm to the faid Corporation of God's Gift aforefaid (after my debts, legacys, and funeral, thall be paid), my two leafes, the one of them being that capital meluage or inn called the Unicorn, fituate in the Borough of Southwark, and the other certain capital meiluages, called the Barge, the Bell, and Cock, fituated on the Bank Side, in the parish of St. Saviours, Southwark, in the County of Surry."

Several injunctions were made in the year 1664, among which the following fingular one appears. "Husbandry not is to the cafe and benefitt of the Colledge; and therefore wee do think fitt to enjoyn them not to restore the fame, further than that they keep four horfes only, viz. one for the Mafter, one for the Warden, and two for the generall ufe of the Colledge for marketting horfes, without allowing any more horfe or horfes to be kept by or for the ufe of the Fellows, or any other Member of the Colledge, than as aforefaid is expreffed."

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These houfes, the Barge, Bell, and Cock, I have great reafon to think were the veftiges of the public frews once under the cognizance of the Bishop of Winchester : they were prohibited by Henry the VIIIth, who probably thought

the world would never thrive

"'Till all the whores were burnt alive."

But I believe thefe (unlike the religious houfes) furvived, and fet the mandate of the Monarch and Reformation at defiance, and were only abandoned when, if there was ever fuch a period, the ladies of London were leis chatte than the Sabine Matrons †, which probably might have been, in thofe days of cafe, when the commerce of the world flowed to our hores, and its concomitant luxury was difpered over the metropolis, indeed over the nation. The few houses were faid, by Fabian, to be reduced, in the time of Henry the VIIth, from twelve to ten, and were diftinguifhed by having on their fronts towards the Thames figns, not hanging out, but painted upon the walls;. fuch as, the Boar's Head, the Crois Keys, the Gun, the Caftle, the Crane, the Gardinal's Hat, the Cock, the Bell, Swan, Barge, &c.

+ Urbis Matronæ ipfa Sabinæ funt.

FITZSTEPHENS.

"Expences

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WE fometimes meet in the world with very diverting originals, who seem to act their part merely for the amusement and instruction of their fellow creatures. I have lately become acquainted with a being of this kind. His hiftory would fill several volumes; but as I have neither time nor inclination to write it, I fhall content myself with giving a brief outline of it.

Giacomo Della Rocca was born in Italy, on the banks of the Tiber, not far from the most celebrated city in the univerfe. He was very strongly difpofed to be difcontented with every thing. At twenty years of age, he inftituted a kind of examination of every government, without being able to find one to which he could accommodate himself. This throne was founded on the ruins of liberty, the other tottered to its fall; on a third was feated a vicious Prince; in this monarchy there were too few wife institutions; in another all feemed to be going at random. In fuch a republic riches only were esteemed; in another nothing was to be feen but masks; this was compofed only of fpeculators, and that of arrogant nobles. Although he was left to his own choice, and the forms of government were fo diverfified, M. Della Rocca was not the more happy on that account. Sole heir to an immenfe for tune, he experienced the tendereft indulgence from his parents, who, obferving with pain their fon's gloomy and difcontented difpofition, propofed to him to travel.

But this propofal occafioned fresh embarraffment: what climate could please a man who drew his first breath under an Italian sky, in the bosom of

the native country of the arts, on a foil fo fertile and fo highly favoured! He might, at most, look for other men, in order to compare them with his countrymen, to make his courfe of experiments, and become acquainted with mankind; but to feek a country where the luminary of day sheds a more genial influence, where Nature is more lavish of her bounties, would be the height of folly! However, M. Della Rocca is determined to travel; it is, in fact, the only method of diverting his mind. His parents give their confent to their fon's departure.

But for what country? That is a question not very easily decided. To England? The weather is cold and foggy; they burn coal there; the people are fo free that they may infult you with impunity; they eat della carne; bad fare for M. Della Rocca. We will not go to England.

To the North? There it freezes.No Scandinavia-Pruffia is too military -The Germans are too ceremoniousThe ice of the Neva is difmal and dangerous-The Helvetian is not polished enough.-Batavia is marthy -The air of Brabant is damp, thick, unwholefome-The Turk fhuts up or veils his women-Poland is a flat country, and M. Della Rocca loves variety.-What might influence him to determine upon visiting that country is, that his mother poffeffed large eftates there. But it was not for intereft that he travelled; and in that refpect every country was equally indifferent to him. The sport of a thoufand defires, he faw only a dull uniformity in the advantages he enjoyed. Giacomo wanted a temperate climate, with a perfect diftinction of seasons, a country inhabited by

amiable,

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