But what then, you will ask, was the intention of plants ing yews in church-yards, if their branches were not used on Palm-Sunday? It is with the utmost diffidence, Mr. Urban; that I deliver my opinion on this disputable question; however, sensible as I am of your great indulgence towards all your numerous correspondents, I shall venture to tell you my thoughts. Now I take it, as A. B. does, that yews, specifically were not planted in church-yards, for the purpose of protecting the fabric of the church from storms; though, in the event, they proved subservient to that end. But my conception is, that on the first planting of trees there, whenever that was, for I do not pretend to specify the time, various kinds were introduced, and in some places the yew amongst the rest. Considering the slowness of the growth of this tree, and the immense bulk of some of them, one has reason to think they may be as old as the Norman Conquest. Supposing then the yew to be once planted in certain cemeteries, when the statute of 35 Ed. I. À.D. 1307, began to operate, whereby leave was given to fell or cut down trees in church-yards, for building and repairs; the timber trees adapted to that purpose would of course be taken down from time to time; so that the yews at last, and in our days, would be the only trees left standing. These, as unfit for the uses prescribed, would consequently remain, and afterwards, as an evergreen, be thought an emblem of the resurrection, and even acquire some degree of regard and veneration.

1780, Feb.

T. Row.

LXXXIX. Curious Specimen of early Printing,

We are happy to communicate to the public the following very curious Letter on a subject in which we are professionally interested, and which, we doubt not, will be agreeable to our learned readers.

DEAR SIR,

To THOMAS ASTLE, ESQ.

Jan. 15, 1781.

GIVE me leave to congratulate you on your fortunate ́acquisition of a block which was used in the very infancy of

printing, when the quotations and necessary explanations were cut in the same piece of wood with the subject repreSented, before moveable types were invented.

"

Yours, Sir, is for the second leaf of the " Historia Sancti Johannis Evangelista, ejusque Visiones Apocalyptica, generally called "The Apocalypse;" in the upper part of which St. John is represented as being carried before the Præfect, with this inscription; "Trahamus Johannem ad Præfectum qui Ydolorum culturam adnichilavit;" and in the lower, St. John is embarking to be transported to Rome, over which is written, "S. Johannes Romam mittitur, ac Domiciano imperatori crudelissimo Christianorum persecu tori præsentatur."

This, M. Maittaire [in his Annales Typographici, p. 20.] imagines to be the oldest of the four books which were the first attempts of the Art of Printing; the second being the "Speculum humanæ Salvationis," illustrated with subjects from the Old and New Testaments, and with the Prologues and Explanations in Latin Rhymes [this is known by the name of "Speculum Salutis," or "La Bible des Pauvres;"] the third book is of the same cuts, with Dutch Prose; and the fourth the "Ars Moriendi," or "Speculum Morien. tium," in which the good and bad Angels are contending for the soul of a dying person.

Palmer, who was himself a printer, gives the first place to the "Ars Moriendi," and the second to the "Apocalypse," [p. 53, 4]; and tells us that its "Paper has the mark of the heifer's head and horns, which is allowed to be the mark in the paper Faust used, whose first essays were from 1440, to 1450."

We have, therefore, no reason to give any credit to those Dutch writers who would compliment their countryman, Laurence Coster, of Haerlem, with the invention of every branch of the art of printing, and say that these books were printed so early as between 1428 and 1435; nor can it be allowed that Coster was either a painter or engraver. [See "Idée generale des Estampes," p. 333.]

M. Chrêtien Frederic Wenzel, Inspector of the Cabinet of Prints and Drawings of the Electorial Gallery at Dresden, who has given us a large volume in octavo, 1771, under the title of Idée generale d'une Collection complette d'Estampes," p. 334, &c. says, that he has found six different editions of the "Historia Sancti Johannis Evangelistæ, ejusque Visiones Apocalyptica," which were all printed, on one side of the paper only, with such a tool as the makers of

playing cards use; the first of them he mentions consists of 48 blocks, most of which, like yours, is divided into two parts. A complete copy of this edition is in the Imperial Library at Vienna; the ink very pale, and the figures illuminated, as are those of several other copies.

Dr. Askew's copy of this work was bought by Dr. Hunter. [Origin of Printing, by Bowyer and Nichols, Svo. 1776. p. 175.]

Your print, Sir, belongs to the first edition; for, in the second, the stem of the tree in the upper part is straight, bearing three boughs; and, in the lower, there are five ropes fastened to the mast, instead of four, and the two trees are omitted.

The very early prints from wooden blocks, without the least shadowing or crossing of strokes, we may conjecture were first schemed by the illuminators of manuscripts and makers of playing cards: these they inelegantly daubed over with colours, which they termed illuminating, and sold at a cheap rate to those who could not afford to purchase valuable missals elegantly written and painted on vellum: and this conjecture seems to be corroborated by their subjects being religious, and particularly by one of their books being called the "Poor's Bible."

Desirous of giving you joy on possessing the other 47 blocks,

I remain, Sir,

Your most obedient and very humble servant,

1781, April.

CHA. ROGERS

XC. Stone in the Coronation Chair.

Oct. 4.

MR. URBAN, THE famous stone inclosed in King Edward's chair, in which the monarchs of England are seated at their coro nations; seems to have continued undisturbed, through a succession of ages, in Westminster Abbey. In Mr. Widmore's valuable History of that Abbey, Lond. 1751. 4to. p. 80, is the following passage: "A.D. 1296, King Edw. I. first brought from Scotland the regalia of that kingdom, and the stone fabulously reported to have been Jacob's

pillow; which he sent to this church, and where it is at this time under the coronation chair." Doubts, however, may arise, whether this be the identical stone "brought from Scotland;" if due attention be paid to the description of it in the subsequent passages extracted from Sir David Dalrymple's "Annals of Scotland from the accession of Malcolm III. to the accession of the House of Stuart; in two 4to volumes; Edinburgh, 1776 and 1779."

"1296. As an evidence of his absolute conquest, he gave orders, that the famous stone, regarded as the national palladiun, should be conveyed to Westminster."

"The stone is thus described by William Hemingford, tom. I. p. 37. Apud monasterium de Scone positus erat Lapis pergrandis in ecclesia Dei, juxta magnum altare, concavus quidem ad modum rotunda cathedræ confectus, in quo futuri Reges loco quasi coronationis ponebantur ex more. Rege itaque novo in Lapide posito, missarum solemnia incepta peraguntur; et, præterquam in elevatione sacri Dominici corporis, semper lapidatus mansit.' And again, tom. I. p. 100. In redeundo per Scone, præcepit tolli et Londoniis cariari, Lapidem illum, in quo, ut supra dictum est, Reges Scotorum solebant poni loco coronationis suæ, et hoc in signum regni conquesti et resignati. Walsingham mentions the use to which Edward put this stone: 'Ad Westmonasterium transtulit illum, jubens inde fieri celebrantiam cathedram sacerdotum.' I have transcribed this account of the fatal stone, that it may be compared with the appearance of the stone that now bears its name at Westminster." I. 242.

One of the articles of the treaty of peace with Scotland appears to have been this: " 1328. The stone on which the kings of Scotland were wont to sit at the time of their coronation shall be restored to the Scots." A writ has been discovered under the privy seal, July 1, 1328, by Edw. III. to the Abbot and Monks of Westminster, reciting" that his council had in his parliament, held at Northampton, agreed. that this stone should be sent to Scotland; and requiring the Abbot and Monks, in whose custody it was, to deliver it to the sheriffs of London, who were to cause it to be carried to the Queen Mother." II. 127.

One of the heads also of the conference between Edward III. of England and David II. of Scotland, was this: 1363. The King, after having been crowned King of England, to come regularly to the kingdom of Scotland, and to be crowned King at Scone, in the royal chair, which is to be delivered up by the English." II. 255.

Having brought these evidences together relative to the famous stone, some of your antiquarian correspondents will probably favour you with their thoughts upon the subject, which at present requires elucidation in the opinion of ANTIQUARIUS.

1781, Oct.

MR. URBAN,

YOUR correspondent Antiquarius perplexes himself without cause about the stone on which the kings of Scotland used to sit at their coronation. The original historians whom he cites call it a stone like a round chair; which last expression detracts not at all from the present form in which we see it in Westminster Abbey, a roundish stone, under St. Edward's chair: though it has led the learned modern Annalist to use the terms stone and chair controvertibly, without that precision which is so essential to an historian, and in which he so rarely fails.

Alexander was crowned King of Scotland, "super cathedram regalem, scil. lapidem," Fordun. p. 758, ed. Hearne, where indeed the Harl. MS. reads lapideam. William Pakington's Chron. in Lel. Coll. I. 460, says, "King Edward offered to St. Edward at Westminster the chair, sceptre, and crown of gold of the Scottish King." Carte, II. 264, calls it "the stone-chair." Knighton, (2481)" fecit cariari Lapidem ad Londonias in quo reges Scotia solent esse positi in sua coronacione." Math. West. p. 409, "Rex obtulit beato Regi Edvardo regalia regis Scotia,'tribunal videlicet, sceptrumque aureum cum corona." Hollingshed, Vol. III. p. 213, Hist. of Scotland, " King Edward took the chair of marble with him, and did place it at Westminster, where it remaineth yet unto this day." And in his History, Vol. II. p. 301. he says, " he took from Scone the marble stone, whereupon the kings of Scotland were accustomed to sit as a chair at the time of their coronation, which King Edward now caused to be transferred to Westminster, and there placed to serve for a chair for the priest to sit in at the altar." Stow, 207, and Fabian, Pt. VII. p. 130.

It is remarkable, that Grafton, p. 177, calls the regalys of Scotland the crown with the sceptre and the cloth of estate, which King Edward offered at St. Edward's shrine, Hect. Boetius, xiv. fol. 3096, calls it cathedram lapideam. Stow says, as Grafton and Fabian, that he found the regalies; but adds, he offered the chair.

But Buchanan's account of it will completely solve the