perspicuity in the method, repetitions of the same subjects frequently occur; and as it principally consists of observations from other writers, the author does not uniformly appear consistent with himself. The style from the same cause is very unequal, the language frequently confused, the idioms quaint, and the terms obsolete. The author, however, is sensible that his style is far from being highly ornamented;" but then he enters a strong caveat against any verbal criticism. "I never, he says, approved of flowery periods in this kind of writing, and now, on the verge of seventy years of age, am not more fond of them." The allusion in the latter part of the sentence, joined with some that follow, have smoothed our foreheads, and we sincerely lament, that literary men, after a long life so spent, should be under the necessity of still labouring for the necessaries of life; when their station and public productions should justly entitle them to competence and ease.

The work is divided into chapters, and commences with a topographical description of the site of the city, and the nature of the surrounding country. An attempt is then made to trace the original founders of this ancient place, the capital of the Regni, though it is not stated to be the Regnum of the itinerary; nor is any allusion made to the remains of the Roman road, which formed its connection with the Venta Belgarum, now Winchester. The state of the inhabitants is adverted to during the stay of the Romans in this island. But nothing is observed here which has not often been observed before. The invasion of this country by the Saxons is next described. Ella is said to be the first leader who landed in Sussex, and his son Cissa gave the present name of Chichester to the city. The author then goes back in chapter V. to the state of society in Sussex, previous to the time of the Saxons; and the Celta are a second time introduced to notice. Then the Saxons are mentioned again, and their ignorance and ferocious cruelty depicted. Chap. VII. the Cimbri are said to be the original inhabitants of this isle, and the nature of druidism is canvassed. The account of their offering human sacrifices is doubted, allowed, and then denied. Stonehenge is called the most remarkable druidical temple now in Eugland; and the druids and their religion are said to have been en-tirely extirpated on the death of Boadicea, queen of the Iceni, A.D. 61. What becomes then of the accounts of Tacitus re

specting the affairs in Britain, at a period long subsequent to this, especially the one so distinguished on the reduction of Mona? Whether christianity was planted in this island by the apostle Paul, certainly may admit of doubt; but that, "after prevailing five centuries both it and its profess ors were expelled from hence by the victorious Saxons," cannot be accurate. Some of them fled to Armorica, but others maintained their rights and freedom in the south-western part, in the north, and long retained nearly the entire country to the west of the Severn.

The general massacre of the Danes Mr. Hay is not inclined to admit, though stated as a fact by almost all our historians; be cause it was foreign to the humane character of Ethelred. P. 115. In the next page are some just reflections on war.

If, as here stated, the people, previous to the coming of Wilfred, were ignorant of the art of catching fish, we may justly conclude, that their knowledge was extremely bounded. Yet skill in music and poetry generally includes the idea of refinement rather than ferocity. A frag ment of Creation, a poem, written by Caedmon, a South-Saxon poet, and translated into English by Ar. H. “perhaps Arthur Hall," who lived in the reign of Henry the 7th, or Henry the 8th, is curious, as showing the orthography of our language at the time; though it may not justify the unqualified eulogium here paid to the Saxon bard. P. 140, notes.

pos

In chapters XIII. and XIV. the author is very severe in his animadversions upon the unjust invasion, and subsequent oppressions of William the Conqueror; and the kingdom at that unhappy time is described as half depopulated, and the remainder of the people as labouring under unspeakable and unmerited suffering," "that not only the thanes and other pro prietors of lands were driven from thence, but even the earls ejected from their sessions with rigour and unfeeling barba rity: and that in the short space of nine years after the conquest, of all the ancient English nobility there was not one of them left in it." That badge of slavery, the curfew, Mr. Hay acquits William from the guilt of having introduced, and thinks it was a previous necessary custom from the style of timber-building in those times. The state of Chichester is given from Doomsday-book; Montgomery was its first lord under that survey, who built the castle, and Stigand its first Norman bishop. Among the changes which took place in

is said to exceed the celebrated one at Coventry. P. 394, is a description of its noble cathedral, which Mr. Hay supposes ́to have been built by Seffrid II. the seventh bishop of the see, and consecrated A. D. 1199. The dimensions here given differ materially from those in Essays on Gothic Architecture, published by J. Taylor, 1802. Mr. Hay now pays attention to other parts of the city, and gives the limits of the port and the key (quay) dues belonging to the corporation, and a table of these dues follows. In the XXVIth chapter he reverts again to the church, and gives an account of the pictures and paintings in the southern transept of the cathedral. To this is added, a copy of the antiquities of the cathedral, left in manuscript by the late Rev. Mr. Clarke, which Mr. Hay says is little more than the echo of Dr. Lyttleton's observations on the subject. Some animadversions on its contents appear to us to partake too much of illiberality, when it is evident that Mr. Hay has borrowed so much from that very learned antiquary's researches. Nor does it appear impossible, nor even improbable, that bishop Ralph built the present edifice, although bishop Seffrid "did consecrate it." It might not be sufficiently completed for

the celebration of divine service on the demise of Ralph, and even "in the time of Seffrid every thing belonging to it as a cathedral church was not thoroughly finished, A. D. 1204." It is therefore not impossible that the spire, perhaps the last thing finished, might have been the work of the same architect who built the similar, but higher one at Salisbury. On a comparison of the arguments, we think Mr. Clarke's statements the most entitled to attention. Chapter XXVII. contains a short account of the martyrs of the city and county, the bishops of Selsea and Chichester, copied from Magna Britannia, and a list of deans. Chapter XXVIII. contains an account of several eminent persons, who were either natives of the county, or who had been long residents in it. Among these is Collins the poet, who lies buried in Chichester cathedral, where a beautiful and classical monument has been raised to his memory. This was executed by that eminent sculptor, John Flaxman, R. A.* on which

"The poet is represented as just recover ed from a nt of phrenzy, to which he was un

happily subject, and in a calm and reclining posture, seeking refuge from his misfortunes in the consolations of the gospel, while his lyre and one of his first poems lie neglected figures of love and pity entwined in each on the ground. Above are two beautiful other's arms. The workmanship is most exquisite; and if any thing can equal the expressive sweetness of the sculpture, it is the following excellent epitaph, written by Wil liam Hayley and John Sargent, esquires.

"Ye, who the merits of the dead revere,
Who hold misfortune sacred, genius dear,
Regard this tomb, where Collins' hapless name
Tho' nature gave him, and tho' science taught
Solicits kindness with a double claim.
The fire of fancy, and the reach of thought,
Severely doomed to penury's extreme,
Hepast in mad'ning pain life's feverish dream;
While rays of genius only served to show
The thick'ning horror, and exalt his woe.
Ye walls, that echo'd to his frantic moan,
Guard the due record of this grateful stone;
Strangers to him, enamour'd of his lays,
For this the ashes of a bard require
This fond memorial to his talents raise;
Who touched the tenderest notes of pity's
lyre,

Who joined pure faith to strong portic powers,

Who, in reviving reason's lucid hours, Sought on one book his troubled mind to rest, And rightly deemed the book of God the

best!"

Chapter XXIX. includes a brief account of some of the towns, villages, &c. in the vicinity of Chichester, which might have been considerably extended, without much deviation from the plan: for the work here, as in various other places, partakes more of the nature of a local guide than a topographical history. At p. 589 is an interesting account of the vestiges of a large Roman camp on the Broile near the city. Midhurst, the Mide of the Romans, is represented as being now held principally by a burgage tenure of a singular nature. "There are some stones in the place which are numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, &c. which gave a right to the holders of them to vote at elections." And that this important business is sometimes transacted by an echo, and other "equally ridiculous means, must create a smile while it excites our indignation, at the farcical state to which burgage franchise is at length systematically reduced." Then follows a list of sheriffs, a partial one of representatives, mayors, &c. &c.

The author concludes with a hope, if we have been weary of our guide in travelling with him over a very extensive, and sometimes sterile plain, he shall induce us to smile at parting, by calling our attention to an admired epigram, written by the late canon-residentiary Clarke, upon the Latin words, domus ultima, inscribed on the family-vault of Richmond, in the cathedral:

"Did he who thus inscrib'd the wall
Not read, or not believe, Saint Paul?
Who says there is, where'er it stands,
Another house not built with hands.
Or may we gather from these words,
That house is not a house of lords?"

From the preceding observations and references it will be seen, that the History of Chichester contains a great variety of matter, and treats of a multiplicity of

subjects: and if the remarks are not always apposite, they may frequently instruct, or at least ainuse. The author has taken a wide range of prospect; and if the country over which he traverses happens to be barren of incident, he does not fail to endeavour to fertilize it, by streams diverted from their usual channels, and derived from the most distant sources. The mind is incessantly taken away, and brought back to the spot; and though this is not strictly the mode a judicious topographer should adopt, yet perhaps the general reader will be as well pleased by being informed when glass was first used in England, as when the spire of this cathedral was struck by lightning; and when the first anchors were forged in Britain, as when the best needles were made at Chichester.

THIS is a small volume, and insignificant in form; but from the closeness of the type, accompanied by numerous and long notes in a diminutive letter, it comprises a considerable quantity of matter, and furnishes much useful information.

The author appears an observant man, and, as far as relates to the town and its antiquities, well acquainted with his subject. But though he keeps closer to his title and professed object than many of his contemporaries in this department, yet he thinks it necessary to commence his history before he allows that the town of Bury was in existence, and to illustrate his pages by some extraneous collec

tions.

He begins by observing, that " Bury is esteemed the Montpelier of England :" we suppose he must mean of Suffolk, other wise his favourite author, Abbo Floriacensis, will strongly oppose him; who describes East Anglia as nearly environed with waters, and the flat country on the banks of the Ouse, and the slow-running rivers flowing into it, cannot be so salubrious as where the streams are rapid, and the country more varied.

The town of Bury has been considered by some as the site of the villa Faustini of Antoninus, and the Saxon name of Beoderic-Weard means the same, i. e. happiness and prosperity. But this is mere etymological nuge. There was a villa Faustini at Baia near Rome: there were two consuls of the name of Faustinus; and wherever the Anglo-Roman station was

situated, it doubtless derived its name as being a place appertaining to a Roman of that nanie.

The author is decided it was not at Bury, and adduces his reasons in a note (page 3, &c.):

Burg, now Bury, is derived from Burgh, which meant a sodality or community, who were inutually pledges for each other; and hence we derive the name and nature of our prescriptive borough; and it is not to be confounded with Berig, the Saxon appellation for distinguishing a British strong-hold from the Roman castrum, by them called Ceustre.”

The history of the Iceni, brief as it is, at best is irrelevant, and we are not satisfied with the etymon of the name,

The most prominent object of antiquity in this town is its venerable abbey, which is said here to have been founded by Sigebert, fifth king of the East Angles. It is also related that the bones of king Edmund, who was cruelly slain by the Danes, were removed from Hoxne to this place; whence it obtained its present name of St. Edmund's Bury. An account of this royal martyr is given from the poetry of Lidgate, who is here called one of the monks of Bury. He was certainly born at Lidgate, a small village in this county; but others, among which is Hay, assert he was a monk of Hadfield-Broad-Oak, Essex. Many ri-* diculous stories of the juggling tricks played by the ecclesiastics of the time are here related, and which are ridiculed with considerable humour, by this early Eng lish poet.

Page 51, in a note, is a story which has been detailed in larger works, (see Duncumb's Hereford, &c.) but which we think not only improbable, but ridiculous, respecting the origin and design of the fantastic ornaments observable about many sacred buildings.

The present abbey, of which some crumbling remains are still to be seen, particularly its noble gateway, was built of stone, brought from Bernack in Northamptonshire, by abbot Baldwyn, who died 1021. Leland, who saw it previous to the dissolution, says, "" a more magnificent building the sun never saw." The ruins of the conventual church, now proudly pre-eminent, may, for ages, yet remain a monument of its former splendour. The dimensions of its various parts are subjoined, as taken in 1790. A list of its abbots is given, and some reflections at page 99 are very appropriate.

The list of relics, more especially the ceremony of the White Bull, (page 142,) shew to what a degraded state the noblest faculties of man may be, and have been, reduced by the depressing power of superstition.

The author next gives an account of the municipal government, ecclesiastical edifices, charitable foundations, &c. of the town. The distinction between ecclesiastical and commercial guilds, if not conclusive, is ingenious, and the account of witch-hunting, (page 187,) must excite

in the bosom of humanity, indignation and regret.

This town has, from its earliest state, been a place of great distinction; many of our monarchs, from devotion, and other causes, honouring it with their presence, and conferring on it distinguished favours. Several parliaments were holden here in different reigns. It had four gates, which were standing in 1766, but these have since been taken down. The houses have been greatly improved, handsome public buildings erected, and the population has rapidly increased. The charitable bequests have been extremely numerous: the fairs are large, and the markets well supplied: so that when the situation, present state, respectable inhabitants, and the handsome seats of the nobility and gentry in its environs are taken into the view, St. Edmund's Bury may be ranked among the number of places affording a pleasing and genteel residence.

A list of plants growing in the vicinity, with their habitats, is annexed. - Four miserable engravings accompany this work.

We should have been more particular in our observations respecting this ancient and interesting town, and have entered further into detail relating to its once magnificent abbey, had not a larger work on the same subject, by Mr. Yates, just made its appearance; to which our duty, as well as inclination, will incline us to pay parti、 cular attention in our next volume.

THE principal feature of this volume is its "pretty pictures." The accompanying descriptions are very subordinate, and contain but little to interest the topographical reader. A few of the prints from drawings, by Turner and Girtin, are pleasing and beautiful; but these are rather injudiciously introduced, as they make the remaining subjects appear more insipid and tasteless by contrast. To engrave and publish every scene that presents itself, and views of almost every house, in a county, is giving too much consequence to trifles, and taxing public curiosity at too high a

rate. This is very apparent in the present volume, which contains seventy-five prints, full plates and vignettes; but out of these there are not above twenty that have beauty, elegance, or antiquity to recommend them. This is the more to be regretted, as the county of Lincoln abounds with fine churches, and curious remains of antiquity. On the whole, this can only be considered aa a miscellaneous volume of prints with short accounts: for, as a book, it has neither preface nor index, beginning nor end.