8. Are there any remarkable monuments, &c. in the church, or church-yard? Pleafe to give the infcriptions, if worth notice, at large.

9. What may the living be worth? Who is the prefent and former patron?

10. Is it a rectory, or vicarage? Who is the prefent incumbent, and alfo the former ones, as far back as you can trace ?

11. Are there any diffenting meeting-houfes in the place? Of what fect or denomination are they, and who is the present minifter thereof, and alfo the former ones?

12. Are there any remarkable customs, tenures, or privileges, peculiar to the place?

13. Have you any hofpital, alms-houfe, or charity-school, in the town? When, and by whom was it founded, and who have been benefactors to it?

14. Are there any noblemen's or gentlemen's feats in it, or near it? Pleafe to give fome account of them.

15. Are there any remains of antiquity in your town or neighbourhood, as Roman, Saxon, Danish, &c. caftles, camps, Roman ways, altars, forts, &c. What are they, or what traditions or historical accounts can you find concerning them ?

16. Are there any remains or ruins of monafteries, and other religious houfes therein? Give fome account of them.

17. Have there been any medals, coins, warlike inftruments, and other pieces of antiquity, dug up in, or near your town? When, and by whom, and in whofe poffeffion are they at prefent?

18. Have there been any remarkable battles fought, on what fpot, when, and by whom? What traditions or historical accounts are there concerning them ?

19. Does any river rife in, or run through or near your town? Is it broad and navigable, and where does it empty itfelf?

20. Is there any bridge How is it fupported? When, and by whom was it built? What is the number of its piers, or arches; its length and breadth, and the width of its arches ?

21. Are there any manufactures carried on in your town? What are they, and how many people may they employ ?

22. What markets or fairs are there? On what days are they kept? What commodities are moftly brought for fale, and the general prices? What tolls are paid, and on what?

23. Are there any pictures, infcriptions, ftatues, bufto's, or other matters which may throw light on any paft transactions ? Pray be particular on them, as the utility may be great.

That this may court thy more favourable thoughts, call to mind that fuch as intend to deceive, tell of wonders that are remote, and too far diftant fio... thee, either fuddenly to difprove, or prefently to confirm thyfelf in the belief of what they have told.

This gives thee an account of what thou mayeft, with little trouble and a fmall expence, behold. Take but a walk to the Swan in the Strand, near Charing Crofs, and there thou mayeft fatisfy thy curiofity, and be able to tell the world whether this following narration be truth or invention.

There thou mayeft fee a woman with horns growing upon the hinder part of her head; an object not only worthy of thy fight, but admiration too! She is feventy-fix years of age, born and bred in the parish of Shotwick, in Chefhire, and within four miles of Cheiter; tenant unto his facred majesty, upon a farm of fixteen pounds per annum; fo that he is not neceffitated to take this courfe of life, or to deceive the credulous and fhort-fighted people; but to manifeft to the world fuch a wonder in nature as hath neither been read or heard of (we may juftly fuppofe) fince the creation.

She was wife to one Mr. Henry Davies, who died thirty-five years paft; and fince the hath lived a religious widow, all along of a fpotlefs and unblameable life and converfation; of fingu lar ufe to her neighbours, for fhe is a profeffed midwife, happy and fuccefsful in that undertaking; fo that her departure was generally lamented in the place of her abode, in fuch a measure that feveral of her neighbours and acquaintance brought her feveral miles on her journey.

This trange and ftupendous effect began firft from a foreness on that place where now the horns grow, which (as it is thought) was occafioned by wearing a ftrait hat. This foreness continued twenty years, in which time it miferably afflicted this good woman, and ripened gradually unto a wen, near the bigness of a large hen egg; which continued, for the fpace of five years, more fadly tormenting her than before. After which time, it was, by a strange operation in nature, changed into horns; which are in fhew and fubftance much like a ram's horns, folid and wrinkled; but fadly grieving the old woman, especially upon the change of weather.

But more accurately to defcribe its nature and manner of production, may be a fubject proper for the college of phyficians; and no question but it will be efteemed worthy to employ the ingenious virtuofi of the age, who need not their glaffes to magnify its wonder.

She

She hath caft her horns three times already: the first time was but a fingle horn, which grew long, but as flender as an oaten ftraw: the fecond was thicker than the former. The two firft Mr. Hewson, minifter of Shotwick, (to whofe wife this rarity was firft discovered,) obtained of the old woman, his parishioner. They kept not an equal diftance of time in falling off; fome at three, iome at four, and another at four years and a half's growth.

The third time grew two horns, both which were beat off by a fall backward: one of them an English lord obtained, and (as is reported) prefented it to the French king, for the greatest rarity in nature, and was received with no lefs admiration. The other (which was the largeft) was nine inches long, and two inches about it is much valued for the novelty; a greater than any John Tradefkin can fet to view, or the greatest traveller can, with truth, affirm to have seen.

Sir Willoughby Afton hath alf another horn, which dropped from this woman's head, and referves it as a choice rarity. At this prefent time fhe hath a pair of horns upon her head of fix months growth; and it is not, without reafon, believed they will, in a fhort time, be larger than any of the former; for ftill the latter have exceeded the former in bignefs.

The circumstance of this relation confidered, or examined at laft with the fight of her, I hope it will not readily be believed to be an impofture, or artificial projecting; for fo grossly to impofe upon his majefty, and all his loyal fubjects, would be an unpardonable crime, and would deferve men's contempt, and not their company, and certainly expofe the party to the violence of a rude multitude; who, difcovering the cheat, would, I believe, foon make the old woman pull in her horns.

* Our author means Sir John Tradefcant, the famous virtuofo, who had a curious collection of rarities at South Lambeth, of which an account was published in the year 1656, but which is now exceeding fcarce.

On the STYLE of MODERN CONVERSATION. Written by an old faftioned Fellow.

PEAK, that I may know thee," faid the wife man of old; but, according to the prefcribed use of speech in polite company, it is impoffible for us to come at the leaft knowledge of each other; not on account of our using speech for the purpofe of diffimulation, but because it is ungenteel, for

focth,

द

QUERIES relative to its NATURAL HISTORY.

1. WHAT is the appearance of the country? Is it hilly, mountainous, flat, or rocky?

2. Are the lands woody, arable, pafture, meadow, heathy, fenny, moorish, or firm?

3. Of what nature is the foil; fandy, chalky, clayey, ftony, gravelly, or what ?

4. Are there any mineral fprings, or other falutary waters, in the place, frequented for drinking? When are they frequented, and for what diseases are they reckoned good?

5. Are there any mines? What are they, who is the owner, and what do they produce?

6. Have you any remarkable stone, as marble, &c. and how is it worked?

7. What manure is chiefly used, and what is the produce of the land; wheat, barley, oats, peas, beans, or wheat ?

8. Is there any marl, fuller's earth, ochre, potter's clay, or other remarkable foils ?

9. What is the nature of the air? Is it dry or moist, healthy or otherwife?

10. Are there any remarkable curiofities of nature, or art, fuch as grottoes, &c. ?

11. Are there any remarkable plants growing in, or near the town, &c.?

12. What kinds of fish do the rivers produce, and in what quantities?

13. Hath there any remarkable mischief been done by storms, thunder, and lightning; when, and what?

14. Have any remarkable phænomena been obferved in the air, or otherwife; when, and what?

If it is fituated on the Sea Coaft.

15. What fort of a fhore is it ; flat, fandy, high, or rocky? 16. What kinds of fish are caught there, and in what quantities?

17. What fea animals, plants, fea weeds, corals, fhells, &c, are found on the coast ?

18. What remarkable particulars can you find concerning the tides, currents, &c. ?

19. What number of ships, or other veffels, may there be beJonging to the place?

20. What beacons, light-houses, or land-marks ?

21. What bays, creeks, harbours, fhoals, rocks, or iflands, are there near the coaft?

22. What fea-fights have there been near the coaft; what remarkable wrecks, and when did they happen?

To the EDITOR of the WEEKLY ENTERTAINER.

SIR,

TH

HE following curious narrative was firft publifhed in the year 1679, in two sheets, quarto, with this title, "A "brief narrative of a ftrange and wonderful old woman, who "hath a pair of horns growing upon her head. Giving a true "account how they have, feveral times after their being shed,

grown again. Declaring the place of her birth, education, "and converfation; with the first occafion of their growth, the time of their continuance, and where the is now to be seen, viz. at the fign of the Swan, near Charing-Crofs."

"YOU who love wonder to behold,
"Here you may of a wonder read,
"The ftrangeft that was ever feen or told,

"A woman bearing horns upon her head."

As I apprehend it will entertain many of your readers, and the original being very fcarce, I have fent it you for infertion in your agreeable Repofitory.-I have only to add, that there is a picture of this Mary Davies in the Afhmolean Museum, Oxford. I am, Sir, your's, &c.

Bristol, May 31, 1784.

J*** W*****s.

A NARRATIVE, &c.
READER,

IT may be, upon the first view of the title of this short relation, thou wilt throw it down with all the careleffness imaginable, fuppofing it to be an idle and impertinent fiction; fuch as fome frontlefs perfons have too frequently expofed to public view, on purpose to impofe upon the credulity of the gazing multitude, who are too apt to gape at wonders, and to think all true as the gofpel which they fee in print.

That