upholder of our glorious Constitutionand which has caused his death to be so generally lamented. I cannot place sufficient reliance upon my own knowledge of landscape to lay down a plan for a new distribution of the objects necessary to produce that tout ensemble, which could alone inspire the man of taste with any feelings of pleasure and contentment. But still it is necessary that it should be done; and I feel confident that those who have begun the work of adorning the park, will not leave off in the middle. The plan adopted at the Thuileries of permitting the public who frequent the gardens the convenience of reading any newspaper in the world upon payment of two sous or one penny, might I think with great propriety be adopted here*. There would then be some kind of amusement for the visitors instead of resorting to the petty scandal of the day, or invidious remarks upon their neighbours for something to relieve the time. When the intended alterations are completed, it cannot be too much to expect that the performance of military evolutions in a place devoted to pleasure will no longer be permitted; so that the public who promenade here to obtain relief to the exertions of the mind, may not be pained in witnessing the miseries which are necessarily endured by those in drill for this profession. Indeed the barracks should be removed in toto: Westminster might then breathe a purer atmosphere, and retrieve a portion of its lost character. Most Westminsters, of several years standing, must well remember the situation of the Hell Pumpt, as it was named, at the entrance of the passage which led to the Exchequer and Oliver's Coffee-houses, and so to the Hall. When the demolition of these low buildings-themselves of modern erection-took place to allow for the com pletion of Kent's range of buildings, this pump was carefully preserved. But the inconvenience and nuisance occasioned by the spilling of the water on the pavement as it was conveyed from the pump, called for its removal, which has been accordingly done. A new pump of neat execution has been made, and erected on the edge of the road on the western side of St. Margaret'sstreet, to which the water is conducted from the old well on the opposite side, through iron pipes. Thus the inhabitants of Westminster may still have the pleasure of partaking of "Hell's" pure stream. The "Privy-council" stables erecting in Princes-street, and the range of offices at Whitehall, are in a very progressive state. Of these, at some future time, I may furnish you with descriptions, but at present must be allowed to conclude, and sign myself Yours, &c. Mr. URBAN, Feb. 20. THE Rev. Joseph Blanco White, first known to the British public by his allusive names of Lucadio Doblado, prefixed to his valuable Letters on Spain, has since been indefatigable in his endeavours to guard his adopted country (the country of his ancestors) from the snares and tyranny of Popery. In his "Practical and internal Evidence against Catholicism," after describing the struggles and fluctuations of his own mind, in his perilous transition from inculcated error to discovered truth, he addressed the impartial among his former brethren, on the errors and abuses of their Church. In a tract of still more extensive utility, he has since addressed a warning to the lower classes of this country§; thereby demonstrating not only the sincerity but the disinterested character of his zeal for truth. But it is not for the sake of eulogizing that ex But with more propriety at Kensington Gardens. + There were tenements or houses nearly adjoining to Westminster Hall known by the names of "Paradise," "Purgatory," and "Hell;" as appears by an instrument printed in Rymer's Foedera, whereby Henry the Seventh, in the first year of his reign, granted the custody of them with others to one Anthony Kene, esq. The situation of this pump marks the spot where "Hell" was situated. There was also in Westminster a place known by the name of "Heaven;" and there is now a spring in Princes-street, in a place which was formerly known by the name of "Broken Cross."-The origin of all which names may be traced to their situation so near the Monastery. Reviewed in vol. xc. § Entitled "The Poor Man's Preservative against Popery." || Having given away the copy-right.-A hint or two on the subject of what is called cellent man, much as he deserves eulogy, that I now take the up pen, but to revive the knowledge of a similar case, which occurred a century ago. About the year 1714, a Spanish priest, whose name was Antonio Gavin, being disgusted with the superstitions in which he had been educated, escaped to England in the disguise of an officer. He had been a secular priest in the city of Saragossa, and was there known as such to Lord Stanhope and other English gentlemen. Arrived in London, and understanding that our Church would receive him, if his claim to orders in his own church could be established, and the sincerity of his conversion evinced, he applied to the Bishop of London for that purpose. Some temporary difficulty arose from the want of his letters of orders, which the fear of being detected in his flight had obliged him to leave behind. But Robinson, then Bishop of London, being convinced of the fact, by the testimony laid before him, accepted his renunciation of Popery, and reconciled him to the Church of England; giving him full licence to exercise the functions of a priest in his diocese. The Bishop's licence is given at large in one of his publications, and is thus expressed: Licence. "Whereas the Rev. Mr. Antony Gavin was recommended to me by the Right Honourable Lord Stanhope, and by the same and other English gentlemen, I was certi fied that the said Rev. Mr. Gavin was a se cular Priest, and Master of Arts in the University of the city of Zaragosa, in the kingdom of Arragon in Spain, and that they knew him in the said city, and conversed with him several times; This is to certify, that the said Rev. Mr. Gavin, after having publicly and solemnly abjured the errors of the Romish Religion, and being thereupon reconciled to the Church of England, on. the third day of January, 1715-16, he had then my leave to officiate in the Spanish language, in the Chapel of Queen's-square, Westminster; and being now appointed Chaplain of his Majesty's ship the Preston, has my licence to preach in English, and to administer the Sacraments at home and abroad, in all the churches and chapels of my diocese. "Given under my hand in London the 13th of July, 1720. (Signed) JOHN LONDON." Thus between the years 1715_and 1720, Gavin had so studied the English language, that he was then competent to officiate or preach in it, and to obtain the appointment of a chaplain in the British fleet. In the mean time he had published a Sermon in the Spanish language (in 1716), which he had preached in London, and dedicated it to his patron Lord Stanhope. This Sermon is still extant in the British Museum. But a few years later he proved himself able to write a considerable work in English; for in 1725 he published a curious and important book, under the title of "A Master-key to Popery," which contains the fullest exposure of the errors and practices which had disgusted him in the religion of Spain. It was followed by two other volumes, in the ensuing year, pursuing the same subject. A fourth was promised, but does not seem to have appeared. Either the author died, or the booksellers found that the public curiosity on the subject was satisfied for the time. The three volumes, however, were published in 1726, in a French translation, the Catholic Question, I cannot refrain copying from this tract.-"There is indeed no reason for either fear or suspicion, with regard to the Roman Catholics of these kingdonis, as long as both the Government and Parliament remain purely Protestant; but I would not answer for the consequences, if the Pope, through his priests, could obtain an underhand influence in either." P. 8. "Had I a voice that could be heard from north to south, and from east to west, in these islands, I would use it to warn every Protestant against the wiles of Rome; wiles and arts, indeed, of so subtle and disguised a nature, that I feel assured many of the freeborn Britons who are made the instruments and promoters of them, do not so much as dream of the snare into which they are trying to decoy their countrymen. Such as believe that Popery, if allowed to interfere with the laws of England, would not most steadily aim at the ruin of Protestantism, even at the plain risk of spreading the most rank infidelity, should be sent to learn the character of that religion, where it prevails uncontrolled; where I have learnt it during five and twenty years in sincere submission, and for ten in secret rebellion." Page 26. I have been told, and it is not improbable, that in some places endeavours have been made to persuade the common people that no such man as Blanco White exist and that the whole is a mere fabrication. by a M. Janigon. The work, however, was so much noticed, that it proceeded rapidly to a third edition, each volume being dedicated to some great person; to the Princess of Wales, to Lord Carteret, and to the Archbishop of Armagh. To the first edition Gavin prefixed a tolerably ample Preface, giving an account of himself, not so interesting, but apparently not less honest than that of his countryman, who has lately followed his steps. This Preface is preserved in the French translation, and was perhaps in the second edition; but is omitted in the third, which is that in my hands. The first is in the British Museum. The further account given by Gavin of himself, after having been chaplain in the Preston, is thus stated: "The ship being put out of commission, and my Lord Stanhope being in Hanover with the King, I came over to Ireland, on the importunity of a friend, with a design to stay here till my Lord's return to England. But while I was thinking of going over again, I heard of my Lord's death, and having in him lost my best patron, I resolved to try in this kingdom whether I could find a settlement. After a few days, by the favour of his Grace the Lord Archbishop of Cashel, and the Rev. Dr. Percival, I got the curacy of Gowran, on which I resided almost eleven months, by the licence of the Lord Bishop of Ossory; who afterwards, upon my going to Cork, gave me his letters dimissory." Pref. p. vi. It appears that he continued some time at Cork, beyond which I have not found any traces of him. It is probable that there he died. But his books still live, and may be consulted by the curious without difficulty. They contain most horrible narratives, the truth of which will perhaps be denied by those who are interested to deny them; but which agree too well with many concurring testimonies, to be doubted by those whose minds are open to fair evidence. That the writer was a man worthy to be believed, there is every appearance, in what we know of his story; and though he was evidently a man of less talents and accomplishmentsthan Mr. BlancoWhite, I see no reason to suspect that he was less sincere in his conversion, or less veracious in his narratives. Let others judge for themselves. The similarity oct of those Parishes whose N vol. XCIV. part i. p. 8, the conChurch was burnt at the Fire of London, and have judiciously affixed a tablet to denote the site thereof, is highly commended. If it will not trespass on your pages, I should be gratified to see them recorded. From the following interesting inscriptions, the deficient parishes have an opportunity of selecting and amending as circumstances require. "Near this marble in ye place which before the Fire of London was the porch of ye Church of St. Anue Black Friars, lye interr'd," &c. "Before the dreadfull Fire, Anno 1666, stood the Parish Church of St. Bennet Sherehog." ،، Before the late dreadfull Fire, Anno Domini 1666. Here stood the Parish Church of St. John Baptist upon Wallbroke, &c. The above stone was new faced, and the letters fresh cut, A.D. 1774.” "Before the dreadfull Fire Anno Dom. 1666, stood the Parish Church of St. Mary' Stayning." This was the Parish Chvrch of St. Olave Silver-street, destroy'd by the dreadfvl Fire in the yeare 1666. "Before ye late dreadfvll Fyer this was ye Parish Chvrch of St. Peter Pavls Wharfe. Demolished September 1666, and now erected for a Chvrchyarde, Anno Domini, 1675. This stone was new fac'd and letter'd 1779." Wilkinson's "Londina Illustrata" heretofore affixed to the wall of the gives a representation of the tablet burying ground of St. Leonard Fosterlane, with this inscription: "Before the dreadfull Fire, Anno. Dom. 1666. Here stood the Parish Church of St. Lenard Foster-lane." REVIEW OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. 14. The History of Scotland, from the earliest period to the middle of the ninth century. By the Rev. Alexander Low, A. M. Correspondent Member of the Society of Scottish Antiquaries. 8vo, pp. 414. Append. 84. UR readers will have the goodness is known of the early history of Scotland, before the expedition of Agricola; and that the earliest inhabitants were Celts. The work before us is a collection of various ancient evidences, certainly not a history, and those ancient evidences are all jumbled together in a manner which it would require a chemical analysis to decompose. In fact, our author's work appears in the shape of ore, not of metal'; and is a subject for the Furnace, more than the Assay. He makes the Scots to be emigrants from Ireland; and the Picts, from Germany, or Scandinavia. Now it is a rule with us to think, that all islands have been first peopled from the nearest continents; and we judge a great deal on that subject from the physical conformation of the people, in face, stature, &c. Mr. Warner has clearly shown, that Strabo's description of the Celts is strictly applicable to the modern Welch; and we certainly have seen in a town in Devonshire (on a market-day), a complete collection of Belgic visages; but all the genuine Scotchmen known to us have been small-eyed, high-cheek-boned, red or light haired, and otherwise characterized, as were and are the natives of the Baltic coasts. The Welch and Irish have a greater leaning in character to dark hair, eyes, and eyebrows; and the former in particular have very commonly a decidedly French look. The native Welch have a remarkably stout short figure, amounting in instances to deformity; for we have seen the legs of Welchmen, and Welch women, to be completely of the form of nine-pins, from excess of muscle, while the Scotchinan exhibits tallness and bone;-one is the broad-backed poney, the other the cart-horse. Let not the reader blame us for taking this physical line of argument on such subjects as the aborigines of nations. Nature cannot err, but authors GENT, MAG. February, 1827. may; and in the intermarriages of the poor, where the countries have been agricultural, original breeds are as correctly supported, as are those of deer in a forest of the most ancient date. What the ancient Scots and Picts were is clearly shown from Xiphiline, in dirk, the broad-sword, the target, the small horses, the living in huts, the robbery by black mail, the subsistence by hunting and plunder (unte Tax? μητε πολεις μητε γεωργίας έχοντες, αλλ' εκ τε νομης και θηρας ακροδυωντε τινων WYTES. (Hist. Ang. iii. 421. Ed. Sylburg) are all circumstances proved by Ossian, Froissart, and other English and Scotch histories. That there were individuals, who, by introducing religion as an instrument of civilization and pacific modes of existence,-by consequence arts of agriculture, upon which the means of such civilized existence must as to food and clothing totally depend,-and laws, by which alone it could be possible for property to be secured, is evident from the History of Britain, Ireland, Scotland, and all the barbarous provinces of the Roinan empire. First come Generals and Soldiers; this is a system which cannot last. Next come Saints, Merchants, and Husbandmen, whose occupations necessarily imply peace. Such, in a general view, is the early history of Great Britain and Scotland; and that in fact is the only history which exists; for, though we may find in these early periods the Lives of particular Kings, Warriors, or Saints, there is no such thing as National History, properly so called. Perhaps it was not possible, where there was not a universal simultaneous action or government. We shall not enter into any analysis of this work, for it is impracticable. We shall however say that, whenever the author appears in his own person, his original remarks are very good; but he has not even used common caution in digesting his materials. In p. 21 we have Chiverius for Cluverius, and such wretched misnomers of authors and places, as to show that Mr. Low is, as to literary habits, the most slovenly writer whom we know. But he has collected an enormous quantity of ancient facts (some of them very valuable); and had he published them as such, would have been irreproachable. say We shall, however, give our author's account of that exquisite subject, Scotch Music; our readers will recollect that it is called an introduction of the unfortunate Rizzio. We will not that the opinion is correct; but we will say, that the sentiment displayed in Ossian, and the beautiful air in the music, are extraordinary problems in the history of a nation deficient in all the luxuries of civilization, from which in general such refinements proceed, But things may be so. The romance of Pastoral and Arcadian scenes and feelings is of earlier date; and ploughboys and dairymaids, and soldiers and sailors, may express themselves in the most beautiful sentiments of original undefecated nature, and have done and still do so. century. "The Scots have ever been distinguished for their music. According to a writer of the Middle Ages, they were indebted for this, as for many other things, to the Irish; but, if this was the case, they were better musicians than their instructors in the twelfth Both the Welch, Irish, and Scots received it from one common origin. The bards of the British and Celtic nations in general were musicians, and raised the song, and tuned the harp by turnst. The Scottish monks dedicated, amongst studies of higher importance, no small portion of their time to that of music, and left behind them several treatises upon this art ‡. scale on which the old genuine airs belonging to this nation were performed, was a scale of five notes iustead of seven, deficient in the fourth and seventh in the major key; The but if we take the entire octave, it contains only six. The Scottish scale is less perfect, but more simple than that which is generally made use of at the present day. By using this, instead of the diatonic and chromatic musical scale, which was observed by the surrounding nations of Europe, the Scots have preserved their airs in that state of simplicity and beauty, which belongs not to the music of the more perfect one. But although this was one great means of preserving the Scottish melodies, they owe their simplicity perhaps to another cause. In music, the Scots had made as little refinement as in manners and customs. Simplicity is the distinguishing characteristic of their music, as well as of their modes of *Giraldus Cambreusis, who lived in 1185. + Diodor. Sic. lib. v. Trithemius, Catal. Illus. Vir. p. 125. living. Accustomed to woodland scenery, they introduced into their compositions the melodies of the grove; and the blackbird, the woodcock and plover furnished them with some of the finest notes in the pibroch. The melodies of China and Hindostan are the only tunes which bear a resemblance to the Scottish airst, but this can easily be accounted for, since they make use of the same scale. It appears, indeed, that the Celtic nations carried it along with them in their first migrations to Europe; and, although the Welch and the Irish had lost this scale before the twelfth century §, it is still preserved in Scotland. The Welch sung not in unison, but had as many different parts as they had performers, which finally terminated in one common organic melody on a flat. The treble part they began in a soft mood; and producing at length what may be called an irregular regu larity, the melody became harmonious and complete. Although the Welch at an early period adopted the diatonic and chromatic scale, their music was not the same as that on the Continent. The Northumbrian music, which was introduced into England in the eighth century by some Italians, differed from the Welch in making a concord in unisons and octaves ¶. Pp. 363, 364. There are several similar things of interest and value. In the Appendix (p. 62) is a very elaborate dissertation, proving that Macpherson's Ossianic poems were pretty faithfully translated from the Gaelic originals." 15. Transalpine Memoirs, or Anecdotes and Observations, shewing the actual state of Italy and the Italians. By an English Catholic. 8vo, 2 vols. A WRITER of Travels has a very easy literary task, provided he is a man of taste and information. He has only to make memoranda on the spot, concerning the manners, laws, arts, antiquities, agriculture and commerce of the country, and he will scarcely fail producing a valuable work. But the misfortune is, that very many travellers have no taste; and then their works have the aspect of a dusty warehouse, which contains all sorts of goods, but neither arranged nor displayed. The book before us abounds with those traits, which distinguish the gen |