In the Saxon we have the last word rendered "beor;"- Wickliffe gives "syder." But it must be allowed, that the words "strong drink" are by far more appropriate than either "beer" or "cider." Antiently the latter word meant all kinds of strong liquors (except wine), but in that sense (as Doctor Johnson himself tells us), it has been long wholly ob. solete, but certainly it was not so in Wickliffe's days. Beer was the usual and common beverage of our Saxon ancestors, into which they put Ground Ivy (and from the use to which it was applied, it afterwards obtained the names of "Alehoof" and "Tunboof") instead of Hops.

It is probable that the Apple Tree was first propagated in this country by the followers of Wm. Duke of Normandy soon after the Battle of Hastings and if that was the case, it was not unreasonable to suppose, that in the course of three centuries, from that event, to the time of publishing Wickliffe's Bible, they had become completely naturalized, and so much increased as to render Cider a common drink at that time in England, and therefore the venerable Rector of Lutterworth became fully justified in the use of the word "Sydyr," independant of the antient meaning of that term before hinted at.

ACCOUNT OF THE ANTIENT SCULP TURES IN THE ROYAL MUSEUM AT PARIS; WITH REMARKS BY MR. FOSBROOKE. No. IV.

(Continued from p. 326.) XLIV. VENUS OF CNIDUS. A Bust, The antient head of this Goddess is of divine beauty; and it belonged to a copy of the Cnidiau Venus, the chef-d'œuvre of Praxiteles. The other part is a restoration. (Visconti, p. 19.) The first writer upon Venuses is Lessing. He says, that restorers have been perpetually creating Venuses. "The greater part of these figures were torsos of women, without any appropriation; others were simple portraits of pretty women; others were Venuses, but without any of the attributes, which the restoring artist added, in creating in this manner, a Venus de Medicis, or a Venus Victrise, Urania, &c. Thus, from all the statues restored in modern times, we can learn nothing sure or positive cou

cerning the different manners in which the antients represented this goddess."

As the Cnidian Venus is an interesting subject in Sculpture, it is worth while to discuss it at length.

"According to common opinion," says Lessing, the Venus de Medicis is the same as the Cnidian, that is to say, the chef-d'œuvre of Praxiteles, in marble, which was brought to Caidus, and to which that town owed its celebrity aud concourse of strangers. (Plin. xxxvi. 5. sect. 4, 5.) We know positively that this Venus had a smiling air, that she was naked, and covered the sexual parts with her left hand. Lucian (Amor. 13.) says, that she is quite naked; if I understand well the sense of this passage, I find there proof that the hand did not cover the bosom; and, as far as I know, there is not found neither in Lucian, or the Anthologia, (where nevertheless there is a suite of Epigrams not very delicate on the Caidian Venus) nor elsewhere any description of the rest of her attitude. It has been thought, that the Venus of Florence is that which was found at Cnidus; for from that town it was brought to Constantinople, and from thence, as they have perhaps thought, it was easy to bring it to Rome. According to Cedrenus, it must have been placed in the palace of Lausi at Constantinople; but I have no confidence in the assertions of Authors of that time, and of this kind. It is possible, that there was a Venus in the attitude of the Cnidian, but, that this was the identical statue, requires better proof. Even should this notice be more worthy of credit than it is, we may oppose the general conflagration under Leo 1. in 462, which destroyed three quarters of the town, and the Grand Imperial Library, with an infinity of antient works of art, as that may have destroyed the Cnidian Venus, as well as the Olympian Jupiter. The Authors, with whom I am acquainted, do not speak positively of these works, but they mention, in detail, the quarters and the places of the town, which were the prey of the flames; in this number is the palace of Lausi. (See Zonar. Ann. xiv. p. 50. Cedren. Hist. Comp. 348. Evagr. Hist. Eccles. L. 2. et Valois, ibid.")

"It is to be particularly observed, that the two arms of the Venus de Medicis

Medicis are modern: the right from the shoulder, and the leit below the elbow. In general, she is composed of many pieces, antient and modern, especially the legs, which were entirely broken. It is said, that this accident happened when she was brought from Rome, under the pontificate of Innocent XI."

The Belvidere Venus, issuing from the Bath, is that which approaches nearest in attitude to the Cnidian. She covers with her right hand the sexual parts, and lifts with her left her drapery, laid upon a vase."

Thus Lessing. Winckelman says, "The Venus de Medicis is similar to a rose, which appears at the end of a fine dawn, and expands at sun-rise. She is of that age, when the vessels begin to swell, and the bosom assumes its form. The eyes of Venus are full of sweetness, with the languishing and amorous look, which the Greeks called vypov. This look is very different from the lascivious traits, by which modern Sculptors have pretended to characterize their Venuses. For, by the antient Artists, as well as Philosophers, Love was regarded as the colleague of Wisdom. (Euripid. Med. v. 483.")

If I have said, that among the Goddesses, Venus alone, with the Graces and Hours, had the privilege of appearing naked, I have not pretended to say, that this Goddess was constantly represented without drapery. The Venus of Cnidus by Praxitiles shows the contrary. (Plin. xxxvi. c. 5.)

Whether the Cnidian Venus be or

be not (probably not) the present Venus de Medicis, it is most certain that the real object is represented upon a Medallion, struck at Cnidus; and it corresponds in attitude with the Medicean, except that one arm is extended and holds drapery over a vase, presumed to contain perfames. (See it engraved in Montfauc. Suppl. vol. I. p. 70. Ed. Humphreys). This attitude is certainly not so graceful as that of the restoration, where this arm screens the bosom, and such attitude is antient. Cedrefus positively says, "The Cuidian Venus is made of white marble, is aked, and covers her modesty with er hand only, and was made by raxiteles of Cnidus." It was at nidus in the time of Arcadius and

Honorius: and was exhibited in, a small temple, open on all sides, that it might be every way seen. But there is still an interesting dition to be made; this Venus of the French Museum, as Cnidian, ought to be an actual portrait of the famous courtesan, Phryné. (See Athenæus, 13. 6. and Posidippus in Clemens Alexandrinus, as quoted by Montfaucon) and that the attitude, by which the Cnidian, Medicean, and Mr. Hope's Venus are characterized, belonged to that class of persons, appears from some indelicate passages in Apuleius Metamorphos, L. ii. p. 36. ed. Bipont. Mr. Hope's Venus, of Parian marble, found at Baiæ, one of the most perfect Statues known, is in the attitude of the Medicean Venus, as to both arms; but both that and the figure of the Cuidian Medallion is taller than the famous Florentine Statue alluded to; nor are the Portraits similar. It is probable that many Venuses are portraits of favourite females, placed in the Medicean attitude, from popularity of the pattern. (To be continued.)

Mr. URBAN,

Louth, June 8. INS N answer to W. S. in p. 386, who is anxious to know what Selby Estate is alluded to in Hasted's History nected with the loss of that Estate to of Kent, or any circumstances conthe right heir; I beg leave to observe, that Thomas James Selby, esq. died in 1772; and in his Will (proved in December of that year) left his Estates to his "right and lawful heir ;" for the better finding out of whom, he directed advertisements to be published immediately after his decease in some of the public Papers. He then adds:

"I do hereby order and direct the legacies to be paid by the said heir, his heirs, executors, or assigns, within twelve months after my decease; but should it so happen that no heir at law is found, I then do hereby constitute and appoint William condition he takes the name of Selby, I Lowndes, Esq. my lawful heir; and on give him the Estates and all the Manors before mentioned."

From the following Pedigree (which was communicated to me by a gentleman who resides in the vicinity of Spilsby), it appears that the present heir at law of the said Thomas James

Selby,

Selby, Esq. is Mr. John Hattersley, of Barton upon Humber.

I should esteem it a favour if any of your Correspondents well acquainted with legal subjects, would

r

tify W. S.'s wishes respecting the Selby Estate, noticed in the Minor Correspondence, p. 386, I beg leave to state that the Selby Estate alluded to is situate at Whaddon in the county of Bucks, and is of the annual value of about 30001. It was formerly the property of Serjeant Selby, who died about 50 years ago, and who by his will devised it to William Lowndes, Esq. of Winslow in Bucks, in the event of no person being able to prove himself the Serjeant's heir at law within 20 years after his death: there were several claimants, but they all failed in the necessary proofs of their lineage and affinity to the Serjeant. Mr. Lowndes, after the expiration of the twenty years, took the name of Selby in addition to that of Lowndes; and on his death, a few years back, the Estate devolved on his son William Selby Lowndes, Esq. who now resides at Whaddon, and who represented the County of Bucks in the last Parliament. J. A.

R. U.

sanctioned by the approbation of As

is true that the

may alter the paternal Coat of Arms of any personage as he thinks proper: yet when such an honourable mark of favour is conferred, I think the Heralds ought to be guided by the usage of past ages, when the science was in greater cultivation than at present, rather than any fantastic conceit of recent growth.

OSCAR seems by his question to be but little acquainted with the prin ciples of marshalling Coats of Arms; he might have seen in any book that is written on the subject, that the Shield of a widower is not at all different from that of a married man whose wife is living. If a person, after his wife's death, quartered her family Coat with his own, as Oscar supposes he should, it would be taken for his mother's, according to the rules by which I have always understood Arms to be marshalled.

Londiniana, p. 401.

It appears by a passage in Hudibras that the Round Church in the Temple was formerly public, and was the haunt of characters not of the best description.

"Retain all sorts of witnesses

That ply i' th' Temples, under trees,
Or walk the Round, with Knights o'th'
posts,
About the cross-legg'd Knights, their hosts;
Or wait for customers, between
The pillar-rows in Lincoln's-inn *."

Part III Canto iii. p. 213. edit. 1684.

The