of the Author's route through Mexico, and the Natural Hiftory of that Province. Alfo a Voyage to Newfoundland and Salle, to make Experiments on Mr. Le Roy's Time-Keepers. By Monf. de Caffini. 8vo. 4s. Boards. Dilly.

The Peninsula of California, lies at fo great a distance, and fo much out of way of European navigators, that it is as yet but little known; and indeed the present voyger tells us little more concerning it than is to be met with in our common books of Geography. In his account of Mexico, he is fomewhat more particular; his defcription of this province and its metropolis, we fhall therefore quote, as a fpecimen of the work.

"Mexico, the capital of the province which bears that name, is fituated on the banks of a lake, and built upon a fen, croffed by a multitude of canals, confequently the houfes are all built upon piles. The ground gives way in many places, and many buildings are obferved to have funk upwards of fix feet, without any visible alteration in the body of the building: one of thefe is the cathedral, which I fhall speak of hereafter.

"The streets of Mexico are very wide, perfectly strait, and almost all interfect each other at right angles. The houses are tolerably built, but not much ornamented either within or without; their make is the fame as in Spain.

"There is no very remarkable edifice at Mexico. The viceroy's palace is in a fpacious and pretty regular fquare, with a fountain in the middle. The only merit of this palace is, that it is built very folid. No decorations are to be found there. Within its circumference are three handfome court-yards, with each a fountain in the middle. The mint ftands behind this palace, and is a noble building. Upwards of a hundred workmen are conftantly employed there in coining piaftres for the king of Spain, out of the enormous maffes of filver brought thither by the owners of the mines, who exchange them for coin. It is faid, about fourteen millions of piaftres are ftruck yearly in this mint.

"The most fumptuous buildings are the churches, chapels, and convents. There are a great many in this city, which are very richly ornamented, and among others the cathedral. The rail round the high alter is folid filver; and what is ftill more coftly, there is a filver lamp, fo capacious that three men get in to clean it: this lamp is enriched with figures of lions' heads, and other ornaments of pure gold. The infide pillars are hung with rich crimson velvet, enriched with a broad gold fringe. This profufion of riches in the church as at Mexico is not very furprising to those who have feen the cathedral of Cadiz, and the immenfe treasures contained in it. Gold and precious stones are there lavished upon the facred veffels and ornaments; and the

Tt 2

images

images of the holy Virgin and other faints are either folid filver, or clad in the richest garments.

The outfide of the cathedral of Mexico is unfinished, and likely to continue fo; they are afraid of increafing the weight of the building, which already begins to fink, as before noticed. I fhall fay nothing of the other churches; I believe there are as many as there are faints in the calendar.

The city of Mexico contains three fquares; the first is the Major or great fquare fronting the palace, the cathedral, and the marker place, which is a double fquare furrounded with buildings: this fquare is in the centre of the city. The fecond, adjoining to this, is the fquare called del Volador, where the bull-feafts are held. The third, is that of Santo Domingo. These squares are tolerably regular, and each has a fountain in the middle. To the north of the town, near the fuburbs, is the publick walk, or Alameda. A rivulet runs all round it, and forms a pretty large fquare, with a bafon and jet d'eau in the middle. Eight walks, with each two rows of trees, terminate at this bafon like a ftar; but as the foil of Mexico is unfit for trees, they are not in a very thriving condition. This is the only walk in or near to Mexico; all the country about it is fwampy ground, and full of canals. A few paces off, and facing the Alameda, is the Quemadero; this is the place where they burn the Jews, and other unhappy victims of the awful tribunal of Inquifition. This Quemadero is an enclosure between four walls, and filled with ovens, into which are thrown, over the walls, the poor wretches who are condemned to be burnt alive; condemned by judges profeffing a religion whose first precept is charity."

To this voyage, is added an extract of a letter from Dr. Anthony de Abrane, to the royal academy of fciences at Paris, relative to the Natural Hiftory of Mexico,

N.

Villare Cantianum, or Kent furveyed and illuftrated. By Thomas Phillipot, Efq. Folio. 2d, Edition, Corrected. 11. IS,

Baldwin.

Of this work fo much is faid in a former article of the prefent Review, as to render it needlefs to be farther particular. We fhall content ourselves therefore, with giving, for the entertainment of our readers and a fpecimen of the performance, the author's account of certain Roman urns, dug up at Newington,

At this parish of Newington, not long fince, were digged. up many Roman urns, not far diftant from the high way or common paffage, it being agreeable unto Roman practice to inter in thofe places, where their monuments might be obvious almost

to

to every eye, memorials of themselves, and memento's of mortality unto living paffengers, whom the epitaphs of great ones were fain to beg to ftay and look upon them. Some of these were of a larger, and fome again of a narrower capacity, it being customary amongst the Romans, for the fervants and clients to obtain repofitories for their remains in urns of a leffer; for the masters and patrons to flumber in urns of a more wide and spacious dimenfion; and many were fo curious, that they contrived vaft family-urns to continue their living relations, wherein the alhes, of their nearest kindred and friends, at least fome parcels of them, might, as in fome common exchequer, be treasured up, that fo the union in life might be multiplied and inforced by an amicable correfpondence, even in the place of fepulture; thus the ashes of Domitian were mingled with thofe of Julia, and thofe of Achilles flept in the fame urn with those of his Patroclus. That this ufage or practice of the Romans extracted its pedigree from Greece is manifeft. For all authors, that have taken a profpect of the Grecian rites of funerals, confent that thofe of Megara fhut up the bones of four or five perfons in the narrow confines of one repertory, or fepulchral urn. It is farther obferva- ble, that thefe urns difcovered at Newington, where several of them embroidered with particular infcriptions; one had Severianus pater infculped upon it, another was endorfed with Prifcian, and a third with Fulvius Linus; this alfo was ufual amongst the Romans, not only to fuperfcribe the names of those whofe remains were lodged within, but likewife fometimes to devote their duft to thofe deities they called topical gods, fuch as we here, Deus Viterineus, Deus Morguntis, Deus Mounus, Deus Civitatis Brigantum, Camulus Deus Sanctus, Gadunus, &c. Sometimes they endorfed D. M. that is, Diis Manibus, and then we often meet with pateras, or facrificing dishes, lachrymatories, veffels of oils, and other aromatical libations, which age and a long date of time had condensed into the confiftences of gellies; fometimes again their urns were placed or fituated near fome bound or landmark, and then their afhes inclofed, were confecrated to the peculiar protection of Deus Terminus, and were cloistered in a repoftory or veffel, much in figure or resemblance like a Roman`urn, but only the cover was more wide and deep at top, and this they ftiled Arca Finalis. Befides thefe at Newington, there are many other examples of fuch endorsements amongst the Romans; I fhall cull out fome few, Marcus Plautius, who flew himself for the love of his wife Oreftilla, who deceafed at Tarentum in her paffage to Afia, that fo he might accompany her in death, as he had done in life, had his afhes blended together with hers in one urn, whilst this fubfcription without, adorned their mingled duft, The two lovers." Not many years fince there was digged up, near Coggeshall, in Effex, an urn, which offered up to the fpectators view this infcription, Coccilli M. that is Coccilli Manibus. And not many years before at the Bath was reprefented to public inspection,

4.

inspection, an urn, with this endorsement infculped. Vibía Ju cunda An. XXX. hic fepulta; I could difcover more of this nature; but I return. In thefe Newington urns, as my intelligence inftructs me, there were traced out many pieces of Roman coin, it being customary amongst that nation, not only to inclofe coin or money, both of confulary and imperial ftamp, by which the date of their friends deceafe, might be hinted to an intelligent obfervation, but likewife fragments of thofe things the deceased in his life time did particularly affect, as namely, fpearheads, pieces of darts and fwords, broken armour, the caffis or helmet, fhields, goblets, berill-rings, befides a great number of gems, with heads of gods and goddeffes, and the portraiture of several creatures, fashioned out of agate and amber. Now if any will inquire of me, when this custom of burning the dead, and after depofiting their duft in fepulchral urns, became to be in ufe among the Romans? I confefs I am fatisfied the time is uncertain, though I dare pofitively aver, it was originally transported from Greece, where it was used, though with more formality, long before it was adopted into the ufages of this nation. For firft the Grecians burned only the bodies of thofe of more eminent account, but denied it to thofe who were of baser allay, or of obfcurer fame; as likewife they did to deceased infants; to thofe who were blasted or deftroyed with lightning, because they fuperftitiously conceived them enemies to the powers above; to those who had impioufly laid violent hands upon themselves; and laftly, to those who had by a perfidious apoftacy, declared themfelves to be deferters and betrayers of their country. Secondly, they burned only the flesh of the body, referving the bones to be laid up in chefts of repertories, which they called Theca, which amongst the Romans had the title of Offuaria, bestowed on them. Thirdly, they esteemed it fo great an honour for any perfon to fleep in his own native country, that if he deceafed in any foreign region, which was in amity with them, they there, after their customary manner burned his body, and with much folemnity tranfported his relicks to the place of his nativity, and at every cross way had their appointed feasts, which were made at the expence of the relations and friends of the defunct, which they called their Compitalia.

Laftly, they ftrewed flowers on the urns and repofitories of the dead, and adorned them with ribbands, as they did the urn of Philopomen; but they more particularly affected the ftrewing of myrtle and amaranthus, on the afhes of their departed relations, as the Romans did that of the rofe; yet both of them did concur in the compofition of the funeral pile, which was furnished and made up of rosemary, larynx, yew, cyprefs, and fir, wherein it is probable were couched fome tacit hints of their furviving hopes; and in which myfterious hieroglyphics, as being trees which were perpetually verdant, were wrapped up in fome fecret inferences of a future refurrection. That this cuftom of burning the dead did afterwards by an. univerfal imitation extend and fpread itself to

other

other nations. That the druids and ruling priests were accustomed to burn their dead is expreffed by Pomponius. That they held that practice in Gaul, Cæfar exprefly delivers. That burning the dead was used in Sarmatia, is affirmed by Gaguinus. That the Swedes and Gothlanders did frequently commit their princes and more eminent perfons to the fire, is delivered by Saxo and Olaus. That this was the old German practice, is alfo afferted by Tacitus. And that it was cuftomary among the Danes, feveral urns, difcovered in Jutland and Slefwick, not many years fince, do eafily evince, which contained not only bones, but many other fubftances in them, as knives, pieces of iron, brass and wood, and one of Norway a brafs gilded Jews-harp. When this cuftom of burning the dead languifhed into difufe, is uncertain; but that it began to vanish, upon the dawning of chritianity, as vapours and mifts fcatter before a morning fun, is without controverfy; but when the light of it did more vigoroufly reflect, like a meridian beam, on all the gloomy corners and receffes of paganifm and infidelity; then this ufe of urn-burial, was wholly fuperfeded, and found a tomb itself in the more fober and feverer practice of christianity. And thus much shall be said concerning these urns digged up at Newington."

In an Appendix the author has given the derivation of the names of almost all the towns and villages in Kent; which to those who have a tafte for etymological learning, will be no unacceptable performance.

The Lady of the Manor, a Comic Opera, in three Acts, as it is performed at the Theatre-Royal in Covent-Garden. Written by Dr. Kenrick. The Songs fet to Mufic by Mr. Hook. 8vo. Is. 6d. Davies and Wilkie.

To this performance is prefixed the enfuing Preface.

The outline of the following opera (written, about ten years ago, by way of relaxation from feverer ftudies) was taken from the Country Laffes of Mr. Charles Johnfon, particularly the pleafing and romantic Epifode, borrowed from the Cuftom of the Country of Beaumont and Fletcher.-The author, in accomodating his plan to the present tafte, was led of courfe, to reject the revolting abfurdity of fuppofing the custom in queftion ftill to fubfift.-The confiderable alterations and additions, alfo, which he found it expedient to make both in the plot and dialogue, have fo much diverfified the whole, that it has been as truly as ill naturedly obferved the piece refeinbles a coat, ftolen a fecond time from а thief, fo metamorphorfed that the very taylor, who first cut it out, would not know the handy-work of his own fhears." It is no wonder that, in this age of originality, so many truly-original cri

tics,