METEOROLOGICAL DIARY, BY W. CARY, STRAND. ARNULL and ALLENDER, Stock and Share Brokers, 3, Copthall Chambers, Angel Court, Throgmorton Street, London. J. B. NICHOLS AND SON, PRINTERS, 25, PARLIAMENT STREET. GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE. FEBRUARY, 1848. BY SYLVANUS URBAN, GENT. CONTENTS. MINOR CORRESPONDENCE.-Notes on Cambridge-Life of Bishop Stillingfleet PAGE 114 THE PRINCESS. By Alfred Tennyson 115 The Historical Works of Strype-Errors and Misprinted Documents in his 131 Wood's Athenæ Oxonienses-Bishop Pursglove alias Sylvester 135 136 .... Notices of Italian Poets. By the late H. F. Cary, Translator of Dante. No. 137 On the determination of a disputed Hieroglyphical Character.... The old Mansion at Toddington, Gloucestershire (with a Plate). 147 149 RETROSPECTIVE REVIEW.- Latin Poems by Dr. Pearson, Bishop of Chester.. 158 ....... The Doctor, Vol. VII. 161; Ranke's History of Servia, 162; Woodward's 160 173 178 183 185 ...... 187 190 ARCHITECTURE.-Institute of British Architects, 181; St. Mary's Church, HISTORICAL CHRONICLE.-Foreign News, 186; Domestic Occurrences Registrar-General's Returns of Mortality in the Metropolis-Markets, 223; ...... Illustrated with a VIEW of TODDINGTON House, Gloucestershire. MINOR CORRESPONDENCE. Notes on Cambridge.-" There is one mistake under the above head (Jan. p. 42), which I was sorry to have recollected too slowly. The large and splendid Library at Trinity, and perhaps the Cloisters (Mr. Lysons says both), were erected by Sir Christopher Wren. By a slight misconception you have also wrongly stated what I meant of the colouring in the side windows at Peterhouse; I said "than the former," meaning King's; the comparison originated with an intelligent chapel clerk of K. C. his name, I think, Saunders. In the note, p. 43, are an oversight and a misprint. The initials of Messrs. Fisher and Tillbrook should have been "E." and "S." The last, an elegant classical and general scholar, and a musician, was intimate with the three "Lake Poets," Wordsworth, Southey, and Coleridge. He published friendly remarks on Southey's "Vision of Judgment," including particulars of curious erratic verses in former times, from "Puttenham," and others. I had seen the "im. provements up to 1831-2, and meant to make an exception in favour of the front of All Souls, Oxford; handsomer than Christchurch with its centre "Tower of Tom," though that measures 400 feet in length, the same as the New Post Office.Dr. Johnson's "private" visit to Cambridge, including a call on Dr. Farmer at Emanuel, was given in the columns of the New Monthly Magazine, about 1820. -The new quarter-chimes of the Royal Exchange are either taken from the University Church, Cambridge, or some common example in Flanders, where, it was said, the clock-maker was directed to proceed to examine such things; and there is an affinity between the twicestriking clock of St. Clement Danes, and that adjoining the chapel of Trinity College, Cambridge.-J. D. PARRY. In answer to the inquiry made in p. 14, A DESCENDANT states that "the Life of Bishop Stillingfleet was written by Dr. Goodwyn, his lordship's chaplain, and, when he wrote that Life, Archdeacon of Oxford. Dr. Bentley was likewise his chaplain, and tutor to his son. The splendid Latin inscription on the Bishop's monument in Worcester cathedral was from the learned Doctor's pen." Answer to query on Ælfric de V. T. p. 16, 1. 9.-The passage in L'Isle is cor ruptly printed and incorrectly translated. In preparing a new edition, now nearly ready, I write thus: "And gelædde þone kining to Chaldea mid him (Achim ge. haten) rpiðehuxlice;" "And led the king, named Achim, to Chaldea with him very ignominiously." But who was Achim? Jehoiachin, the latter half of the compound with the very usual change of n to m. See Thomson's German-English Analogies (D. Nutt, Lond.; Edmonston and Douglas, Edinburgh), pp. 71, 13; and Corozaim, Matth. xii. Naím, Luc. vii. in the Anglo-Saxon Gospels.-E. T. A CONSTANT READER asks where Gen. Melvill's Essay on the War Ships of the Antients is to be found. G. G. F. would be obliged by any par ticulars relative to Dr. Hugh Gore, Bishop of Waterford and Lismore from 1666 to 1691. If any of our readers will point out at what period our sovereigns ceased to exercise their ecclesiastical patronage without the advice of their Ecclesiastical Council, and in what work any account of it can be found-for it is certain in former times their political advisers did not presume to interfere-it will oblige A VERY OLD SUBSCRIBER. "One of our Subscribers" inquires what is the derivation of Ardington, the name of a village in Berkshire, about three miles from Wantage on the Wallingford road? In our Magazine for 1833 (vol. c. pt. ii. p. 314) there is a communication from C. S. relative to some letters preserved in French libraries, and amongst them he mentions one dated 26 Aug. 1603, to Henry IV. of France from a member of his embassy then in London; this letter relates in part to a claim to the Crown of England by "one Robert Basset, gentleman." W. R. D. who is collecting materials relating to the family to which he belonged, asks whether any of our present Correspondents can favour him with the particular reference to the letter in question, as also to any other documents connected with this Robert Basset, who was the grandson of John Basset, of Umberley, co. Devon, by Frances, daughter of Arthur Plantaganet Viscount Lisle, an illegitimate son of Edward IV.? THE GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE. The Princess: a Medley. By Alfred Tennyson. THE name of Mr. Tennyson is so justly distinguished, and so united in our minds with the idea of poetical excellence, that any production of his could not pass unnoticed without doing injury to ourselves. His former volumes have beyond doubt established this fact, that he truly possesses the poetic faculty, the creative mind, the plastic power of shaping and moulding all objects that present themselves to him in the attractive form of imaginative beauty and ideal excellence. He has shown also that his poetic faculty is not confined in narrow limits, but can enlarge and extend itself to meet the great and various demands which nature makes on the qualities of the mind. The sublime, the magnificent, are equally at his command, as are the beautiful and the pathetic; while to the poet's genius he adds the poet's art, in embodying what he creates in select and appropriate language, with sweet melodies of numbers and fine musical harmonies of style. The present possesses much of the peculiar excellency and character of the former poems, especially the rich and glowing descriptions of nature, and the mild and meditative tenderness of passion. It is a creation of the fancy not over natural, but sufficiently partaking of nature to command interest. Where there are many women there there will be much love-making,* and pretty jealousies and affections, and the present poem has its full share of ladies and love. To our minds the passive tenderness and delicate confessions of these lovers, where every word is set between the brilliants of falling tears, and every tear seems to gush from a deeper source than the eye,—that portion, we say, of the poem has been to us the most full of attraction and interest. We do not mean to undervalue the character or conduct of the gentlemen in the Medley, but we have tied Psyche's glove to our helmet, and we pronounce her the peerless and incomparable lady of the poem, challenging any one to refute our assertion, or deny her claims. There is, however, much excellence of a different kind, much noble sentiment and powerful imagery, and eloquent description, much that, we may almost say, is too excellent for so slight a composition as this, and would find a fitter place in a higher and nobler subject, admitting loftier contemplations, deeper reflections, and the exhibition of human passions on a more extended scale.-Now for the poem. Sir Walter Vivian had opened his park and pleasure-grounds to the neighbourhood. The poet was the friend of his son, another and younger Walter, and they were amusing themselves in looking over the mansion, A man *What an odd expression "falling in love" is! As if it were a false step, or a plunge into a well, or something which takes a man off his legs in a moment. may fall into difficulties, or fall into disgrace, or fall into a pit, but why fall in love? as if he fell into the hands of a cruel enemy, instead of a charming bride. As if it were a lowering or degradation of his faculties and person! a stumbling-block of offence! This phrase should be eschewed.-REV. 116 and seeing the sports; and from thence they went to the abbey, where was Aunt Elizabeth, and Sister Lilia, and the rest; and as they crossed the park they passed the motley crowds in their various amusements, and experiments, and games, And over head The broad ambrosial aisles of lofty lime Made noise with bees and breeze from end to end. They sit, the aunt and Lilia, and the poet and his friend, on the fine green sward within the abbey walls, each discoursing in his own mood: a pretty little dialogue on the rights of the sex, and so forth, passes between Walter At length she asks for a tale. To this the maiden aunt agrees, adding, that it should be something grave and solemn, suited to the place. This proposal not being approved by the younger part, "Well, as you will," she said; "just as you will." and Lilia. "Be, if you will, Yourself your hero." "Look, then," added he, He then begins. A Prince I was, blue-eyed and fair in face, To lash offence, and with long arms and hands Now it chanced that I had been, And one dark tress; and all around them both Sweet thoughts would swarm, as bees about their queen. My father sent ambassadors with furs And jewels, gifts, to fetch her : these brought back And therewithal an answer vague as wind: The Prince had two friends, Cyril and Florian. The first a brokendown gentleman, much given to revelries and the like, as will appear in the sequel. The last, my other heart, My shadow, my half-self, for still we moved Together, kin as horse's ear and eye. The old king waxed white with wrath at the indignity offered to him |