her at her own cottage, and freely talked of gone-by times, (her father was an old tenant to the duke.) He delicately left a half guinea at Mr. Roper's, a gentleman farmer, to be given to her after his departure, and when he heard of her death he ordered a handsome gravestone to be placed over her, at his expense, and requested the Rev. Mr. Fellowes to write an inscription. It is thus engraven : BENEATH THIS STONE Are deposited the mortal remains of Her maiden name was MANBY, and she was twice married. By her first husband, who lies buried near this spot, she was mother of six children; the youngest of whom was ROBERT BLOOMFIELD, the pastoral Poet. In her household affairs she was a pattern of cleanliness, industry, and good management, By her kind, her meek, her inoffensive behaviour, she had concili ated the sincere good will of all her neighbours and acquaintance; nor amid the busy cares of time was she ever forgetful of Eternity. But her religion was no hypocritical service, no vain form of words; it consisted în loving God and keeping his commandments, as they have been made known to us by JESUS CHRIST. Reader, go thou and do likewise. If ever I was proud of any thing it was of my mother, nor do I think, strong as is the praise in the above, it is overdone. For solid strength of intellect she surpassed all her sons, and had more real practical virtues than all of them put together. Kind Providence spared her to bless me till I was far on the wrong side of fifty. I must say a word or two on her sons, because Capel Loftt, Esq., in his preface to my brother Nat's poems, has said too much about them, viz. " Beyond question, the brothers of this family are all extraordinary men." Now, sir, as I am the oldest of these brothers, I will tell first of myself. I wrote a little poem, when near seventy, on the "Thetford Spa;" but dreading those snarling curs, the critics, forebore to affix my name to it. Mr. Smith, of Cambridge, printed it gratuitously; but as soon as it was discovered I was the author, my acquaintance styled me the cold water poet. I think my title will do very well. Brother Nathaniel wrote some poems; unluckily they were printed and published here at Bury, and the pack of critics hunted down the book. Nat has had thirteen children, and most of them are living, and so is he. Brother Isaac was a machinist. John Boys, Esq. gave him in all twenty pounds, but he died a young man, and left his self-working - pumps unfinished. Eight of his children are living. The old cottage sold to Robert had been in the family near fourscore years. It proved a hard bargain to Robert; my mother and Isaac occupied the cottage, and could not pay rent; and after the death of my mother, poor Robert was in distress and sold it :-the lawyers would not settle the business, and Robert died brokenhearted, and never received sixpence! The lawyers constantly endeavour to make work for the trade. I believe it to be true, as some say, that we are now as much law-ridden as we were priest-ridden some ages ago. I like Charlotte Smith's definition of the Law Trade. Orlando, in the "Old Manor House," says to Carr, the lawyer, "I am afraid you are all rogues together;" Carr replies, "More or less, my good friend;-some have more sense than others, and some a little more conscience-but for the rest, I am afraid we are all of us a little too much professional rogues though some of us, as individuals, would not starve the orphan, or break the heart of the widow, yet, in our vocation, we give all remorse of that sort to the winds." My last account from Robert's family says, the lawyers have not yet settled the poor old cottage! Nat and I only survive of the little tailor's "extraordinary" children- quit past our labour, and destitute of mar comforts we used to enjoy in youth. have but one step farther to fall, (i. e.) orthe workhouse! Yet in the natur is. things it cannot be long ere death will close the scene. We have had our day, and night must come. I hope we shall welcome it as heartily as Sancho in Don Quixote did sleep," Blessed be he who first invented sleep, it covers a man all over like a cloak." I shall indeed be agreeably disappointed if any one should bestow any thing upon Nat, or Sir, your humble obedient servant, George Bloomfield is in his seventythird year, and surely this fact, with the contents of the preceding columns, will be sufficient to excite commiseration in feeling and liberal minds. Mr. Faux, a respectable resident at Thetford, in Norfolk, is represented to me as being his friend. George Bloomfield's own address at Bury St. Edmund's is prefixed to his letter above. Either to Mr. Faux for him, or to himself direct, the remittance of a little money immediately would be highly serviceable. Something, however, beyond that in the manner of Aretin. The ancient lyre was certainly a very harmonious instrument, and was so constructed, and so full of variety in Plato's time, that he regarded it as dangerous, and too apt to relax the mind. In Anacreon's time, it had already obtained forty strings. Ptolemy and Porphyry describe instruments resembling the lute and theorb, having a handle with keys belonging to it, and the strings extended from the handle over a concave body of wood. There is to be seen at Rome an ancient statue of Orpheus, with a musical bow in his right hand, and a kind of violin in his left. In the commentaries of Philostrates by Vigenere, is a medal of Nero, with a violin upon it. The flute was car ried to so high a degree of perfection by the ancients, that there were various kinds of them, and so different in sound, as to be wonderfully adapted to express all manner of subjects. Tertullian mentions an organ invented by Archimedes. "Behold," says Tertullian, "that astonishing and admirable hydraulic organ of Archimedes, composed of such a number of pieces, consisting each of so many different parts, connected together by such a quantity of joints, and containing such a variety of pipes for the imitation of voices, conveyed in such a multitude of sounds, modulated into such a diversity of tones, breathed from so immense a combination of flutes; and yet all taken together, constitute but one single instrument." That the ancients knew and practised harmony is evident from Plato, Macrobius, and other early writers. Aristotle, speaking of the revolutions of the several planets, as perfectly harmonizing with one another, they being all of them conducted by the same principle, draws a comparison from music to illustrate his sentiments. "Just as in a chorus," says he, "of men and women, where all the variety of voices, through all the different tones, from the bass to the higher notes, being under the guidance and direction of a musician, perfectly correspond with one another, and form a full harmony." Aurelius Cassiodorus defines symphony to be "the art of so adjusting the base to the higher notes, and them to it, through all the voices and instruments, whether they be wind or stringed instruments, that thence an agreeable harmony may result." Horace speaks expressly of the bass and higher tones, and the harmony resulting from their concurrence. It is true, however, that the ancients did not much use harmony in concert. One fine voice alone, accompanied with one instrument, regulated entirely by it, pleased them better than mere music without voices, and made a more lively impres sion on their feeling minds; and this is what even we ourselves every day experience. The effects ascribed to the music of the ancients are surprising. Plutarch reports of Antigenidas, that by playing on the flute, he so roused the spirit of Alexander, that he started from the table, and flew to his arms. Timotheus when touching his lyre so inflamed him with rage, that drawing his sabre he suddenly slew one of his guests; which Timotheus no sooner per. ceived, than altering the air from the Phry gian to a softer measure, he calmed his passions, and infused into him the tenderest feelings of grief and compunction for what he had done. Jamblichus relates like extraordinary effects of the lyres of Pythagoras and Empedocles. Plutarch informs us of a sedition quelled at Lacedemon by the lyre of Terpander; and Boetius tells of rioters having been dispersed by the musician Damon. The delicacy of the ancient airs much surpassed ours; and it is in this respect, principally, that we may be said to have lost their music. Of their three kinds of music, the diatonic, chromatic, and the enharmonic, there exists now only the first, which teaches the dividing the notes into semi-notes: whereas the chromatic divided each note into three, and the enharmonic into four parts. The difficulty there was to find voices and hands proper to execute the chromatic kind, brought it first into neg lect, and then into oblivion, and for the same reason the enharmonic, which was still more difficult, has not come down to us. All which now remains of the ancient music, is that which knows of no other refinement than the demi-note, instead of those finer kinds, which carried on the division of a note into threes and fours. The variety of manner in which the ancient music was performed, placed it in a rank of dignity superior to ours. Our modes are but of two kinds, the flat and sharp; whereas the ancients modified theirs into five, the principal of which were the Ionic, the Lydian, the Phrygian, the Doric, and the Æolic; each adapted to express and excite different passions: and by that means, especially, to produce such effects as have been just noticed, and which are incontestable from the authentic manner in which they have been recorded. NOTE-Here, if it were not necessary to close this series of papers, they would be extended somewhat further for the purpose of relating the long-reaching views of the ancients on other topics; but nothing can conveniently be added save a passage from the author whose volume has supplied the preceding materials. "Having received from our ancestors the product of all their meditations and researches, we ought daily to add what we can to it, and by that means contribute all in our power to the increase and perfection of knowledge." Seneca, speaking eighteen centuries ago, of the inventions of the wise," claims them as an inheritance."To me," he says, "they have been transmitted; for me they have been found out. But let us in this case act like good managers, let us improve what we have received; and convey this heritage to our descendants in better condition than it came to us. Much remains for us to do, much will remain for those who come after us. A thousand years hence, there will still be occasion, and still opportunity to add something to the common stock. But had even every thing been found out by the ancients, there would still this remain to be done anew-to put their inventions into use, and make their knowledge ours." MANNERS IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. To the Editor. Sir,-If the following extracts should suit the Table Book, they are at your service. Morley, November, 1827. J. S. 1637. The bishop of Chester, writing to the archbishop of York, touching the entertainment given by the Chester men to Mr. Prynne, when on his road to Caernarvon castle, has occasion to mention the reception given to Prynne by the wife of Thomas Aldersey, the alderman, relates, "That, on her examination, she swears, that Peter and Robert Ince brought Prynne home to her house, where she was sitting with other gossips, and neither expected nor invited Prynne; neither did she send for a drop of wine for him, or bestowed any other gift upon him, but the offer of a taste of a pint of wine, which she and her gossips were then a drinking." New Discovery of the Prelate's Tyranny, p. 224. 1637. There came in my tyme to the college, Oxford, one Nathaniel Conopios, out of Greece; he was the first I ever saw drink coffee, which custom came not into England tilt thirty years after. 1640. Found my father at Bathe extraordinary weake; I returned home with him in his litter. 1652. Having been robbed by two cutthroats near Bromley, I rode on to London, and got 500 tickets printed. The robber refusing to plead, was pressed to death. 1654. May. Spring Garden till now had been the usual rendezvous for the ladys and gallants at this season. I now observed how the women began to paint themselves, formerly a most ignominious thing, and only used by prostitutes. Evelyn. 1660. Jan. 16. I staid up till the bellman came by with his bell just under my window, and cried " Past one of the clock, and a cold frosty window morning." When friends parted, they said, " God be with you." My dining-room was finished with green serge hanging and gilt leather. Jan. 2. 1 had been early this morning to Whitehall, at the Jewel office, to choose a piece of gilt plate for my lord, in return of his offering to the king, (which it seems is usual at this time of year, and an earl gives 20 pieces in gold in a purse to the king,) I choose a gilt tankard, weighing 31 ounces and a half, and he is allowed 30 ounces, so I paid 12s. for the ounce and half over what he is to have: but strange it was for me to see what a company of SMALL FEES I was called upon by a great many to pay there, which I perceive is the manner that courtiers do get their estates. September. I did send for a cup of tea (a China drink,) of which I had never drank before. November. To sir W. Batten's to dinner, he having a couple of servants married to-day; and so there was a great number of merchants and others of good quality, on purpose after dinner to make an offering, which, when dinner was done, we did; and I gave 10s. and no more, though most of them did give more, and did believe that I did also. 1661. Feb. Sir W. Batten sent my wife half a dozen pair of gloves and a pair of silk stockings and garters for her valentines. May. We went to Mrs. Browne's, where sir W. Pen and I were godfathers, and Mrs. Jordan and Shipman godmothers. And there before and after the christening we were with the woman above in her chamber. I did give the midwife 10s, and the nurse 5s. and the maid 28. But forasmuch I expected to give the name to the child but did not, I forbore then to give my plate, which I had in my pocket, namely, six spoons and a porringer of silver. July. A messenger brought me word that my uncle was dead. I rode over and found my uncle's corps in a coffin, standing upon joynt-stools in the chimney in the hall, but it began to smell, and so I caused it to be set forth in the yard all night, and watched by my aunt. In the morning my father and I read the will; after that done we went about getting things, as ribands and gloves, ready for the burial, which in the afternoon was done; we served the people with wine and other things. November. To church, and heard a simple fellow upon the praise of church musique, and exclaiming against men's wearing their hats on in church. Civet cats, parrots, and apes, sent as presents to ladies; and gentlemen lighted home by link-boys. Pepys. 1663. October. To Guildhall; we went up and down to see the tables. By and by the lord mayor came into the hall to dinner, with the other great lords, bishops, &c. I set near Creed. We had plenty of good wine, but it was very unpleasing that we had no napkins, or knives, nor change of trenchers, and drunk out of earthern pitchers and wooden dishes. 1664. Home to bed, having got a strange cold in my head, by flinging off my hat at dinner. To my lord chancellor's (sir Orlando Bridgman, lord keeper,) in the garden, where we conversed above an hour, walking up and down, and he would have me walk with my hat on. 1665. At this time I have two tierces of claret, two quarter casks of canary, and a smaller vessel of sack; a vessel of tent, another of Malaga, and another of white wine, all in my own cellar, 1666. February. This morning came up to my wife's bedside little Will Mercer to be her valentine; and brought her name writ upon blue paper in gold letters, done by himself very prettily. But I am also this year my wife's valentine, and it will cost me 51. I find that Mrs. Pierce's little girl is my valentine, she having drawn me. But here I do first observe the fashion of drawing of mottos, as well as names: my wife's motto was "Most courteous, most fair;" mine I have forgot. One wonder I observed to-day, that there was no musique in the morning to call up our new married people, which was very mean methinks. 1667. June. Find my wife making tea, a drink which her potticary tells her is good for her cold and defluxions. A flaggon of ale and apples drunk out of a wood cup as a Christmas draught. 1669. May. My wife got up by 4 o'c. to go to gather May Dew, which Mrs. Tur ner hath taught her is the only thing in the world to wash her face with. Pepys. 1671. To lord Arlington's, where we found M'lle Querouaille; it was universally reported, that the fair lady was bedded often here; and the stocking flung after the one of these nights to the king, who was manner of a married bride; however, 'twas with confidence believed she was first made a misse, as they call these unhappy creatures, with solemnity at this time. 1683. I went with others into the duchess of Portsmouth's dressing-roome within her bedchamber, where she was in her morning loose garment, her maids combing her, newly out of her bed, his majesty and gallants standing about her. 1685. January 25, Sunday. Dr. Dove ing such a scene of profuse gaming, and preached before the king. I saw this eventhe king in the midst of his three concubines, as I had never seen before, luxurious dallying and prophaneness. February 6. The king died. I can never phanenesse, gaming, and all dissoluteness, forget the inexpressible luxury and proand, as it were, total forgetfulness of God, se'nnight I was witnesse of. The king (it being Sunday evening,) which this day sitting and toying with his concubines Portsmouth, Cleavland, and Mazarine, &c. and a French boy singing love songs; and other dissolute persons were at basset whilst about twenty of the great courtiers round a large table, a bank of at least 2000 in gold before them. Evelyn. Accompanying the portrait and papers of George Bloomfield, copied and referred to in the preceding sheet of the Table Book, was a drawing, taken in October last, of Robert Bloomfield's birth-place. An engraving of it is here presented, in order to introduce the following memorandum drawn up by George Bloomfield, and now lying before me in his hand-writing, viz. "THE POETICAL FREEHOLD. "February 4, 1822, was sold at Honington Fox, the old cottage, the natal place of Robert Bloomfield, the Farmer's Boy. "My father, a lively little man, precisely five feet high, was a tailor, constantly employed in snapping the cat, that is, he worked for the farmers at their own houses, at a shilling per day and his board. He was a gay knight of the thimble, and as he wore a fashionable coat with a very narrow back, the villagers called him George Narrowback. My mother they called Mrs. Prim. She was a spruce, neat body, and was the village school-dame. Her father found the money, and my father bought the cottage in the year 1754. He VOL. II.-54. Το died in the year 1766, and, like many other landed men, died intestate. My mother married again. When I came of age she showed me the title-deeds, told me I was heir-at-law, and hoped she should finish her days there. I promised her she should; but time rolled, and at length my wife, after two years of affliction with the dropsy, died, and left me with five infant children, head and ears in debt. secure the cottage to my mother, I persuaded my brother Robert to buy the title, and give all my brothers and sisters their shares and me mine, and this money paid my debts. The Farmer's Boy was now the proprietor; but it was a poor freehold, for he did all the repairs, and my mother paid no rent. After my mother's death, Isaac lived in it upon the same terms,-too poor to pay rent or be turned out. Isaac died, and left nine children. Bob kept the widow in the place, did all the repairs, and she, also, paid nothing. At length the bankruptcies and delays of the London booksellers forced Bob to sell!- The late noble duke of Grafton gave my mother a gravestone. This is all |