582 Curfew-Bell. Mrs. Lenoir's Works. onlled by the especialls command of the Infanta, Albrut Ambroise. In the birth of which child, God shewed immediately His miraculous power, as he did His providence, in the future preservation and maintenance of it; for the Archduchesse, out of a charitable zeal, caused this child to be libe How is a tool to separate what was never joined? The defect might easily have been avoided, by saying Nor need a tool of any kind But to return to the poetess, who is rally brought up at her own proper cost and known in the literary world by several charge." in Cornwall, appears to me deserving of being recorded in the pages of the Gentleman's Magazine. About eight o'clock in the evening, the bell of that church is regularly tolled, and which the inhabitants call "the Curfew bell." After a pause of a few minutes the bell is again struck as many times as corresponds with the day of the month. I am not aware if the present observance of this institution of the Conqueror's is peculiar to Bodmin, or whether it also exists in other towns in England; but I believe I am correct in saying that it is the only place in Cornwall where the Curfew bell is tolled. Perreaders haps some of afford your may information on the subject; and at the same time when they speak of what other places the custom is continued in, state how far the striking the day of the month is connected with the Curfew, and if it is a custom of equal antiquity. Mr. URBAN, X. June 7. IN your Magazine of December “A Knife, dear girl, cuts Love, they say,— May sep'rate what was never joined.” publications of good character, though not perhaps as a daughter of Christopher Smart. Her first work was entitled " Village Anecdotes," and noticed in your Magazine with high commendation, and the poems which are occasionally introduced, styled excellent. Her second publication, “The Maid of La Vendée," has more merit as a finished work, though it excited less notice the late Dr. Burney, author of the History of Music, pronounced it the best work of the kind that he had ever read. But a later publication entitled, "Conversation for the Instruction and Amusement of Youth," in 2 vols. published without her name (which was changed by a husband to Lenoir), though little known, is the best of all. It fell into my hands by chance, and not in the least suspecting the author, I certainly was unprejudiced in the very great pleasure it gave me. I found it admirably answering to its title, so skilfully blending instruction with amusement, sprightliness with wisdom, and mirth with morality, that the young reader is delightfully cheated into reflection, and those of maturer years may unbend over it with as much advantage as pleasure. Nevertheless, this work, so little with all its excellence, is known, that in two instances that came under my knowledge, it was asked for in vain at the publishers. E. C. say, Mere modish love perhaps it may; But closer the firm texture bind.” * This PARTXI)] Compendium of County History—Somersetshire. This blade, if haply be its doom 14 583 ver all the motions of the water shake, J. B. R. On the North wall of the body of ASHILL Church, under elliptic arches, are the crumbling remains of two very ancient tombs. One of them was designed to perpetuate the memory of a woman, who, according to a foolish tradition, had seven children at one birth. Round the mother are displayed the effigies of the seven children. The father of the learned RALPH CUDWORTH was Rector of ALLER, at which place our philosopher was born. In the parish church lies the effigies in armor of Sir Reginald de Botreaux, Knt. who died in 1420. In this parish the sacrament of baptism was administered to the whole Danish army, when they embraced Christianity; King Alfred, who stood sponsor for the Danish Chief, gave him the name of Athelstan, and adopted him as his son. Thomas Gordon, the celebrated translator of Tacitus, lived awhile at the Court-house of ABBOTS LEIGH, in the capacity of amanuensis to Mr. Trenchard, in conjunction with whom he published his "Cato." Under the foundation of the Abbey House at BATH, taken down in 1775, was found the remains of very august Roman sudatories, constructed upon their elegant plans, with floors suspended upon square brick pillars. In 1727, a head of Apollo, and a hypocaust were discovered. The Cross Bath received its appella "A marine vegetable substance, called laver (Ulva lactuca of Linnaeus), found only in perfection on this coast. It is diffused over the surface of the rocks, washed by the sea.' 584 Compendium of County History-Somersetshire. [xcm. tion from a cross erected in its centre by the Earl of Melfort in the time of James II. which is now removed. In the FREE SCHOOL were educated, amongst many other celebrated characters, Sir Sidney Smith, the Hero of St. John d'Acre; the Rev. Daniel Lysons, M. A. Rector of Rodmarton; and the late Samuel Lysons, Esq. Keeper of his Majesty's Records in the Tower. At BATHFORD, in digging a cellar, was discovered in the seventeenth century a Roman pavement, and likewise a hypocaust, and two Roman altars. The sides of the CHEDDER ROCKS in many places are 130 yards high, and there is a subterraneous passage to WOOKEY-HOLE, six miles distant, through which flows a stream of water. On the South wall in the Chancel of BATHWICK Church is a plain black stone, with this inscription: "Here lies the body of Mr. John Mackinnon, of the Isle of Skye, an honest man. N. B. This Mackinnon was with the Pretender in the battle of Culloden, and the very man who carried him off. After his escape, by wandering about, and lying in woods and bogs, he lost the use of all his limbs; and some years after came to Bath for the benefit of the waters, and dyed there." The brave and successful ADMIRAL BLAKE was educated at the Free Grammar School at BRIDGEWATER. In SOUTH BRENT Church are some old benches exhibiting a variety of curious_grotesque carvings. One is a fox hanged by geese, with two young ones yelping at the bottom. The second a monkey at prayers, having below another of his own species, holding a halberd, and an owl perched on a branch over his head. A third represents a fox, habited as a canon, with a crosier in his hand, and a mitre on his head; above appears the figure of a young fox chained, with a bag of money in his right paw. He is surrounded by geese, cranes, and other fowls, chattering at him. Below is another young fox, turning a boar on a spit, and on the right a monkey, with a pair of bellows puffing the fire. In the Church-yard of BRIMPTON D'EVERCY, are several stone effigies, which formerly lay in the Church. One of them represents a Knight Templar, crosslegged; another a Nun; a third a Monk in his cope with his crown shaved, and holding a chalice in his hand. At BRISLINGTON is an old tomb-stone, whereon is this inscription: "1542. Thomas Newman, aged 153. This stone was new faced in the year 1771, to perpetuate the great age of the deceased." Collinson says, "the original numerals on this tomb were simply 53, but some arch wag, by prefixing the figure 1, made the person here interred one year older than the celebrated Thomas Parr, who died in 1625, at the age of 152. At the Free Grammar School of BRUTON was educated Hugh Saxey, Auditor to Queen Elizabeth and King James the First. 4 At BURTON PINSENT, the seat of the Earl of Chatham, is a fine old painting of our Saviour when taken down from the Cross. In NORTH CADBURY Church is a curious epitaph to the memory of Lady Magdalen Hastings. This epitaph, which is on brass, has, besides the necessary memoranda in prose, no fewer than 96 lines of poetry, divided into stanzas of six lines each. This elaborate effusion informs us, that the Lady was a very good virgin: "When choice of friends brought her to marriage bed," much against her will, as her "Youth were tyde to age fare spent." Her first Lord dying, "Her eyes she stopt from all disswader's voice," and took to herself a husband more congenial to her taste than the first, though it should seem "Of meaner state than herself." With this husband she lived 29 years, and devoted herself to works of piety and benevolence. The epitaph then goes on to state her last sickness, and how that she employed three preachers, who "by turns" assisted her in her devotions, till she died, on the 14th of June, 1596.-Leland, speaking of the Castle, bursts out in the following strain of rapture, seldom allowed to the feelings of an antiquary: "Good God! What vast ditches! what high ramparts! what precipices PART 1.] Compendium of County History-Somersetshire. 585 precipices are here! In short it really appears to me to be a wonder of nature and art!"? $ In CAMERTON Church are several monuments to the memory of the Carew family, with the effigies of Sir John Carew and his lady, &c. The Churchyard is one of the prettiest in the kingdom, rendered so by the proprietor of the neighbouring mansion. The tombs are almost hid by laurels, arborvitas, and roses; the walls are mantled over with ivy and pyracanthas. CHARTERHOUSE WITHAM Priory was the first house of the order of Carthu sians founded in this kingdom. Richard Nikke, LL.D. Bishop of Norwich, was Rector of CHEDZOY in 1489; Walter Raleigh, S. T. P. in 1620, murdered by the rebels in 1646, and the learned Anthony Pascal, were also Rectors of this parish. CHEW gave birth to Sir John Champneis, Lord Mayor of London, who stands recorded for being the first person who ever built a turret to a private house in London. In CHEW MAGNA Church lie the effigies of Sir John St. Loe and his Lady. He is of a gigantick size, being 7 feet 4 inches long, and 2 feet 4 inches across the shoulders, &c. In the South aile are the effigies of Sir John de Hautvil in armour, cut out of one solid piece of Irish oak. IN CHEWTON MENDIP Church is an old tomb-stone 8 feet long and 3 high, whereon are the effigies of William Lord Bonville in armour, and Elizabeth his wife. CLAVERTON deserves celebrity from the living have been the Rectory of the late excellent and ingenious Richard Greaves, M. A. COOMBE DOWN is the place where the greatest quantity of free-stone comes from; the land is undermined for miles, and persons are allowed to go down to see the works, but that is very unpleasant, on account of the damp and continual dripping from the top. In CROWCOMBE Church lie several of the ancient house of Carew, descended from Nesta, daughter of Rees, Prince of South Wales. At DISHCOVE, a romantic hamlet in the parish of Bruton, in 1711, were found the remains of a Roman tesselated pavement. At DITCHEAT was born in 1765, a stout boy without arms or shoulders. He was named William, and 1791 was living without the usual appendages of arms, but possessing all the strength, power, and dexterity of the ablest man, and exercising every function of life; he fed, dressed, undressed, combed hair, shaved his beard with the razor in his toes, cleaned his shoes, lighted his fire, wrote out his own bills and accounts, and did almost every other domestic business; being a farmer by occupation, he performed the usual business of the field, foddered his cattle, made his ricks, cut his hay, caught his horse, and saddled and bridled him with his feet and toes, &c. &c. &c.! Collinson. DUNDON and DUNKERRY MOUNTAINS appear to have been used as beacons to alarm the country in cases of invasion, &c. several fire hearths being observable at them. ENMORE Castle forms a quadrangle 86 feet long by 78 broad, and is surrounded by a dry ditch 16 feet deep, and 40 wide. It is in the Antico-modern style, and was built by John Earl of Egmont, who designed and planned the whole with his own hand. The drawbridge is curious; it is 13 feet long and 10 broad, weighs 4,900 pounds, and is manageable by one man, who can raise or lower it at pleasure. FARLEY Chapel contains some very rare curiosities. Under its arch stands an old table tomb, highly sculptured on the sides and ends with coats of arms, knights, and a woman, in niches; the full-sized representations of a knight and his lady are recumbent upon the top; the former cased in armour, with a lion at his feet; the latter in the dress of the times; the effigies of Sir Thomas Hungerford, who died Dec. 3, 1508, and Johanna his wife, who followed him in 1512. Adjoining to the East end of FROME Church is a burial place, where lies the body of Bishop Kennet, who died in 1711.-The noted author of the work on Witchcraft, Mr. Joseph Glanville, was sometime Vicar of the New Church. At GLASTONBURY, according to a ridiculous story related in the Golden GENT. MAG. Suppl. XCIII. PART I. Legend, B 586 Compendium of County History Somersetshire. [xent. Legend, printed by Caxton in 1493, St. Dunstan took the devil by the nose with a pair of red-hot tongs.-The Abbot lived in all the state of regal splendor, with an income of 40,000l. per annum; he had the title of Lord, and sat among the Barons in Parliament. The last Abbot refusing to surrender his Abbey to Hen. VIII. was with two monks drawn on a hurdle to the Torr near the town, and there hanged; the head of the Abbot was set on the gate of the Abbey, and his quarters were sent to Bath, Wells, Bridgwater, and Ilchester.-In the Abbey Church-yard stood a miraculous walnut tree, which never budded till the feast of St. Barnabas (June 11), and on that day shot forth leaves, and flourished in the usual manner: in its stead now stands a fine walnut tree of the common sort.-The George Inn was anciently an hospital for the accommo dation of pilgrims resorting to the shrine of St. Joseph. The front is curiously ornamented with carved work, and was formerly decorated with 12 figures, said to be the Cæsars; two of which, with the mutilated figure of Charity, are still to be seen. The virtue of the mineral spring near the Chain-gate was found out in April 1751, by a man afflicted with an asthma, who dreamed that he saw near the Chain-gate, in the horse-track, the clearest of water, and that a person told him if he drank a glass of water fasting seven Sunday mornings, he should be cured, which proving true, and being attested upon oath, in the following month upwards of 10,000 came from Bath, Bristol, &c. to receive its benefits.-South-west of the town is Wearyall hill, so called from a tradition, that St. Joseph and his companions, weary with their journey, sat down here, and that St. Joseph stuck his staff, a hawthorn stick, in the earth; it struck root, and constantly budded on Christmas day. This famous thom had two trunks, one of which was destroyed in the reign of Elizabeth, and in the great rebellion the other was cut down; but there are still trees originally obtained from the old stock.-Near the town are found several petrifactions resembling snakes, eels, oysters, shells, &c. In GOATHURST Church is a very handsome white marble monument, in the shape of an altar, and terminated by a statue, in a canonical habit. It was erected in 1742, by Sir C. K. Tynte, in honor of his brother the Rev. Sir J. Tynte, Bart. who died Rector of this Church. In the Church-yard is an old tomb, having upon it a square pillar of peculiar appearance, ornamented with emblematical carvings, and surrounded by a flaming urn. HALSEWELL HOUSE, the seat of Mr. Tynte, contains many excellent paintings of Vandyke, Lely, and others. At HINTON CHARTERHOUSE, the seat of Sam. J. Day, Esq. are many excellent pictures, particularly two three-quarter lengths of Hen. VIII. and Edw. VI. by Holbein; Mary Queen of Scots, in a richly worked dress, by Zuchero; the Lord Keeper Guildford, and Lord Strafford and his Secretary, by Vandyke; Archbishop Robinson by Sir Joshua Reynolds; and Chas. Jas. Fox by Abbot; be sides some good family pictures by Woodford and others. The celebrated Richard Brinsley Sheridan, was returned a Member for ILCHESTER in the year 1807. In ILMINSTER Church is a monument erected in the beginning of the 17th century to the memory of NICHOLAS WADHAM and Dorothy his wife, the founders of Wadham College, Oxford. On the Tower at KILMINGTON, erected by Henry Hoare, Esq. is the fol lowing inscription: "Alfred the Great, A. D. 879, on this summit erected his standard against Danish invaders. To him we owe the origin of Juries, and the creation of a naval force. Alfred, the light of the benighted age, was a Philosopher and a Christian; the father of his people, and the founder of the English monarchy and liberties." At KING'S WESTON was buried a person of the name of Newman, aged 132. -In the chancel of the Church is deposited a chair, belonging to Glastonbury Abbey. It is of oak, the back divided into two compartments, embellished with Gothic carvings in relief; on one side a shield bearing a crosier, with the initials R. W. [Richard Whiting, last Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey,] and on the other side a shield charged with a cross botoné between two leopard's heads in chief, and in base two cinquefoils. This chair was purchased by the late Mr. Dickinson of Mr. More, of Greinton, and deposited here as a relic of monastic antiquity. On |