"Museau de luz avoi sans faille, Arpe de lion, col de cingne, Encore y avoit autre cique, Car il avoit oil d'espervier, Et tout estoit blanc le levrier; Oreille de serpent avoit, Qui sur la teste lui gisoit ; Espaule de chevre sauvage, Coste de biche de bocaige, Loigne de cerf, queue de rat, Cuise de lievre, pié de chat." Mention has been made of the race of dogs called Alani, Alauns; it is impossible to say whether they are the same with any species now existing, for though the name is still retained in the Spanish, Italian, and even the French language, it is used only to denote, generally, a large dog, a watch or house dog. They appear, however, to have partaken of the nature of the mastiff and bull-dog, and were very large, powerful, and courageous. Some have supposed they were originally from European Sarmatia, the inhabitants of which were called Alani. Whatever may have been the origin of the animal itself, or of its name, the breed was undoubtedly in great estimation formerly throughout Europe. An Italian author of the 14th century, quoted by Tyrwhitt, mentions the inhabitants of Milan as particularly attentive in breeding "Canes Alanos altæ staturæ et mirabilis fortitudinis," and Gaston Phebus in treating of the Alauns divides them into three classes. Allants gentils, Allants vautres, and Allants de boucherie, or those made use of by drovers and butchers. The head of the Allants gentils, he observes, is large and short: in body and speed he is like the greyhound. They have the advantage over the greyhound in never letting go their hold when once they have fastened on their prey: they are equally proper for every kind of chase, and may be considered the first of dogs. The Allants vautres, adds the same writer, have large ears, head, and lips; are more clumsy, and worse shaped than the gentils, and are only used in hunting the bear or boar. But to give a description of all the varieties of our British dogs, to enter into the quality and nature of a Rache or Lime-hound, a Tyke or Talbot, to decide the knotty point, whether Brach be only a "mannerly" name GENT. MAG. Suppl. XCVII. PART L B for a female, or a real hunting dog, a pet house dog, or a field dog, the Lady Brach, or the Lady's Brach, is a task too great for me to undertake. I therefore leave it to the diligence and erudition of some future Caius. Yours, &c. Mr. URBAN, H. June 10. STOW; or Stowe, is a village situ ated in the hundred of Well, and division of Lindsey, about eight miles S.E. of Gainsbro' and nine N.W. of Lincoln. It is about a mile to the north of the Roman road leading from the Roman High-street (which runs on the cliff from Lincoln to the Humber) to Nottinghamshire over the Trent by Littlebro Ferry; and has been supposed to be the aucient Sidnacester. The Lord of the Manor is Sir W. Amcotts Ingilby of Kettlethorpe, M.P. for the county of Lincoln. Here formerly was a monastery founded by Godiva, wife of Leofric Earl of Mercia, and built by Eadnotus, Bp. of Lincoln (see Leland's Collectanea, vol. I. pp. 49, 285). When Leland calls Eadnotus Bp. of Lincoln, he must allude to the whole district, for Slowe was the seat of the Bishop from the time of Leofwin, under whom, A.D. 949, it was transferred thither from Dorchester in Oxfordshire, and remained thus till Remigius, A. D. 1052, or thereabouts, removed it to Lincoln. Hence the present Church is traditionally called "The Mother Church of Lincoln." It is built of stone, in the form of the Cross. The dimensions are as follow: The chancel, which has evidently been vaulted, is of Anglo-Norman ar chitecture, surrounded by a row of niches of the same order, with the ziz-zag moulding. The windows are surrounded by mouldings, various, but all of the Norman character. This part of the Church was probably built about the time of Remigius, or im mediately subsequent. On the floor in the chancel, is a coffin-shaped monument, with a head and half bust in relief, on which are inscribed these letters, ALLEN — STOE-NERU-ID.-Against is square, is carved a dragon or wivern. a pillar on entering the chancel, is the following inscription engraved on a piece of brass : "Aspice, respice, prospice. "In this chauncel lyth buried ye bodies of Richard Burgh, of Stowe Hall, esq. and Anne his wife, descended from ye ancient and noble familie of the Lord Burgh, Baron of Gainesborough, and next heyre male to that familie, and the said Anne was eldest daughter of Antony Dillington, of Knighton in the Isle of Wight, esq. had four sons: viz. that noble and valiant soldyer Sir John Burgh, Collonel Gen'rall of his Majestie's forces to the Isle of Rhè in France, where he was slain, A.D. 1627," &c. The coat of arms of the above Richard Burgh is still described on the old hall of Gainsbro, 3 fleurs de lis, supporters 2 lions rampant, crowned with 2 falcons. "Motto-Nec parvis sisto." On the south side of the chancel is à marble monument to Thos. Holbech and Anne his wife, on which it is mentioned that "he sometime dwelt at Stow Park, and died 16th April, 1591.” This Thos. Holbech was probably the son of Bp. Holbech, who for his own interested motives, on condition of becoming Bp. of Lincoln, basely yielded up the principal of its estates, together with the treasures of the Minster, to gratify the rapacity of Henry the Eighth, a monarch whose character, the ruins of each stately Abbey, and the plunder of each majestic Cathedral, will for ever hold up to ignominy and detestation. The tower is square and embattled, and diminishes towards the battlements; it stands upon four Gothic and four Norman arches. The former were added at the time the upper story of the tower was erected. On the top, between the pinnacles, are two curious images of a griffin and an eagle. Alfric, Archbishop of York, gave in 1023 two great bells to this Church. The tower now contains five bells and a clock. This clock is a piece of ancient and very curious mechanism, the pendulum vibrating only three or four seconds. But the most interesting object in the Church is the font, which is very handsome, and of Norman architecture, probably coeval with the one in the morning. prayer Chapel in Lincoln Minster. It is octagonal, and on the base, which The shaft is circular, and surrounded by eight short pillars with foliated capitals. Near the Church are two sides of a moat, which it is supposed surrounded the ancient manor-house. In 1216 Henry the Third remained at Stow, while his army went to Lincoln, and defeated that of Lewis of France. About a mile to the southeast stands Stow Park, the former residence of the Bishops of Lincoln, who occupied it till the 14th century. There are moats and foundations left, but nothing else which testifies its former magnificence. At the present day Stowe exhibits nothing worthy of note, but its Church, and that in a state of dilapidation which all lovers of antiquity must lament. The living is a perpetual curacy of not more than 40l. per annum. Mr. URBAN, THE A. June 12. THE following account of the three great offices of Lord High Chamberlain, Lord High Constable, and Earl Marshal, may prove interesting to some of your readers. I notice them merely in their character as hereditary honours, and without reference to those departures from the regular line of descent caused by forfeitures, &c. It will be seen that they partake, in part, of the nature of Baronies by Writ, and have in general descended through heirs female in default of male issue, though there have been some remarkable exceptions. For instance, in the case of the Office of Chamberlain. On the death of John de Vere, the 14th Earl of Oxford, in 1526, the honour instead of remaining in abeyance between his three sisters, or the abeyance being terminated in favour of the eldest (Elizabeth the wife of Sir Anthony Wingfield, and whose nearest heir is now Count Dillon), was continued in the person of a cousin, John, the 15th Earl. Again, on the death of Henry the 18th Earl, in 1625, the honour, instead of devolving on his three sisters of the half blood (the representative of the eldest of whom is the Duke of Atholl), was conferred on his first cousin, Robert Bertie, Earl of Lindsay. In the case of the office of Constable the hereditary descent was strictly adhered to until the death and at. tainder of Edward Duke of Bucking ham, when the office was abolish ed. The representative is now the Baron Stafford. In the case of the of fice of Earl Marshal I have noticed the early possession, because the hereditary right existed for a considerable period before the honour was conferred on Thomas of Brotherton. Although this office has descended through heirs female, it has, since 1475, been vested in the Dukes of Norfolk, The eldest representative in the female line is Lord Stourton. Office of Great Chamberlain. 94.J c. Aubrey de Vere, created Earl of Oxford and Great Chamberlain, 1155, ob. 1194.e. Aubrey de Vere, 2d Earl, ob. 1214, s, p. c. Robert de Vere, 3d Earl, ob. 1221.= c. Hugh de Vere, 4th Earl, ob. 1263. c. Robert de Vere, 5th Earl, ob. 1296. ན་ཞག་ན་ Sir Peter Burrell, 1st Lord Gwydyr.Priscilla Barbara, eldest dau. and coheir. Office of High Constable. c. Milo de Glocester, created Earl of Hereford and Lord, High Constable, 1140, ob. 1143. a c. Humphry de Bohun, 2d Earl, ob. 1275. Humphry de Bohun.= c. Humphry de Bohun, 3d Earl, ob. 1297. c. Humphry de Bohun, 4th Earl, ob. 1321. c. John de Bohun, 5th Earl, ob. 1335, s.p. 1321. I c. Humphry de Bohun, 6th Earl, William de Bolrun, Earl of ob. 1361, s.p. c. Humphry de Bohun, 7th Earl, ob. 1372.— Northampton. Eleanor, eld. dau. and coheir.c. Thomas Plantagenet, Duke of Gloucester, ob. 1399. Anne, dau. and heir. Edmund Stafford, Earl of Stafford. c. Humphry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham, ob. 1459. c. Henry Stafford, 2d Duke, ob. 1483. . Edward Stafford, 3d Duke, beheaded 1521. Office of Earl Marshal*. M. John, Marshal to King Stephen. M. Roger Bigod, 5th Earl, ob. 1307, s.p. This Earl surrendered his office and Earldom to the King, who conferred them on his 5th son, viz. M. Thomas of Brotherton, ob. 1338. Margaret, dau. and heir, ob. 1399.John Lord Segrave, ob. 1353. Elizabeth, dau. and heir.ĦJohn Lord Mowbray, ob. 1968. M. Thomas de Mowbray, created Duke of Norfolk and Earl John de Mowbray, ob. 1379, s.p. Margaret, eld. dau. and Sir Robert Howard, a Our Correspondent had deduced the office of Earl Marshal from Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Pembroke, father of Richard Earl of Pembroke, who died in 1176, and whose daughter and heiress Isabel married William Marshal Earl of Pembroke; but there is little doubt that the office was always held by the family of Marshal, from which indeed they derived their name. EDIT. The following are, I believe, the only Baronies by Writ now in existence ↑. *It is true that the present Duke of Norfolk is the heir male of John, 1st Duke of Norfolk, but his right to the office of Earl Marshal is not derived from that descent, but from a grant by Charles the Second in 1672, to his ancestor Henry, Earl of Norwich, who succeeded his brother, Thomas the 5th Duke, as 6th Duke of Norfolk in 1677. EDIT. + We have printed this list in our Correspondent's own words; but it is to be observed, that Baronies which are in abeyance must be deemed to exist. Many of those enumerated have not been admitted to be vested in the individuals entitled to them; and he has omitted one, which is in the same situation as those of Multon and Scrope, namely, the Barony of Clifford, created by Writ in 1628, and which is now vested in the Duke of Devonshire. EDIT. These Baronies have not been claimed, but there is no doubt as to their being now vested in the persons mentioned. $4 May, 21 Hen. VIII. i.e. anno 1529. EDIT. |