"There is no book (said Lord Chief Justice Hale to his children) like the Bible, for excellent learning, wisdom, and use. It is want of understanding in them who think and speak otherwise. By frequent reading it with due observation, it will make you wise for this world, and for that which is to come."

who, on account of his extensive acquirements, was called by Grotius The Glory of England) there is no book, upon which we can rest in a dying moment but the Bible."

Edward the Sixth, seeing a person once in the council chamber, take a Bible and stand upon it, for the purpose of reaching some paper then wanted, was much displeased with him for making such a use of so sacred a book: and, rising from his seat, the King took up the sacred volume, and having kissed it, in a very reverent manner put it in its place again.

“There are no songs (said Milton) comparable to the Songs of Zion; no orations equal to those of the Prophets; and no politics like those which the Scriptures teach."

"Had Cicero lived (said Addison) to see all that the Gospel has brought to light, how would he, who so fondly hoped for immortality, have lavished out all the force of eloquence in those noblest of contemplations, the Resurrection, and the judgment that will follow it! How had his breast glowed with pleasure, when the whole compass of Futurity, revealed in the Scriptures, lay open to his view! How would he have entered, with the force of lightning, into the affections of his bearers, upon the glorious themes which are contained in those pages!"

In his own Bible thus wrote the learned Sir William Jones: "I have regularly and attentively perused these Holy Scriptures; and am of opinion that this Volume (independently of its divine origin) contains more true sublimity, more exquisite beauty, more pure morality, more important history, and finer strains of poetry and eloquence, than can be collected from all other books, in whatever age or language they may have been written."

in his last moments, when his penitence was as great as had previously been his infidelity and his vices, Lord Rochester, laying his hand on the Bible, exclaimed with emotion, "Ah! here is true philosophy. Here is the wisdom that speaks to the heart. A bad life is the only grand objection to this book."

"There is no book, (said Selden,

"It is (said the profound Locke) all pure, all sincere, nothing too much, nothing wanting. Therein are con tained the words of eternal life. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter."

"Young man, (said the learned Dr. Johnson, in his last illness, to a gentleman who sate by his bed side,) attend to the advice of one who has possessed some degree of fame in the world, and who will shortly appear before his Maker: Read the Bible every day of your life."

Ponder, my parishioners! in your hearts, these deliberate and disinterested opinions of eminently-learned men; before whose names those of unbelievers fade into nothing: opinions given upon the fullest consideration; some of them on the bed of death, when disguise is the least likely to take place: and observe, these are all the opinions of laymen; whose honourable host might easily be enlarged by such distinguished characters as Grotius, West, Lyttelton, Bryant, Beattie, Cumberland; laymen also; and from that profession whose province it is to act as the conservators of divine truth, the sacred witnesses in behalf of the Bible might be multiplied a hundred-fold. To the flippant sarcasms of unbelievers, oppose only, with dispassionate minds, the authori ties here laid before you; and, concerning the result, I have no apprehension. The pages of infidelity, as "Works of darkness," ye will "cast away" from you with contempt, and will press the Bible to your hearts, as the

Myddelton House, Enfield, Feb. 25.

Mr. URBAN,

OB

BSERVING in your last Supplement, p. 609, a letter dated Middlewich, Dec. 31, signed G. C. B. (also p. 2. of this vol.) I take the liberty to presume, that it cannot be better replied to than by referring to a valuable and scarce publication by the late highly-respected Ralph Bigland, Esq. then Somerset Herald, afterwards Garter Principal King at Arms, entitled "Observations on Marriages, Baptisms, and Burials, &c. &c. 1764," in which, amongst other very useful and interesting information, is the following:

"Almost all nations have maintained that no person can assume Arms without lawful authority; and whoever presumes to bear them without the King's licence, or having first obtained the Earl Marshal's warrant to the proper officers established by patent under the great seal of Great Britain to grant the same, infringes upon the Sovereign, the fountain from whom all honours should spring. The King's children do not bear Arms without a license from the Sovereign, their royal father, directed to the Earl Marshal, &c. neither can a person, though dignified with the title of baronet, knight, or esquire, when created by the royal favour a Peer of this realm, or nominated to be a knight companion of either of the honourable orders, have Supporters to the Arms he has used, unless he can prove a lawful right to them; and the same with regard to esquires, to knights of the Bath, &c. I mention this to shew, that, however some from an illjudged opinion may contemn, or endeavour to discountenance all things of this kind, there is a time when such distinctions must be lawfully settled; and as nothing can excuse a negligence of this sort, every person should be cautious of bearing false arms; he should consider these things in due time, that his children may not

Gent. Mag, vol. LXXXVII. ii. p. 310.

hereafter be under the necessity of settling what their father might or should have done before. One would think it natural for every one, who had creditably advanced himself in fortune, to covet something

adequate in honour; and it is certain that he, who, by his industry, his more extensive and prosperous dealings, or by any other honourable methods, is enabled to be a founder or restorer of gentility, and shall entail a coat of arms upon his family, has a real claim to honour, and stimulates his offspring to exert those laudable prinIciples which have deserved such distinction."

Somerset proceeds with a quotation from Maitland's History of London, (last edit. vol. II. pp. 862, 863); and concludes by judiciously observing,

"I could here enter into a large discourse concerning the public utility of the Heralds' Office; and could easily whew how prejudicial a disregard to it may prove; but being myself an Herald, I shall might be construed as arising more from a forbear to expatiate on these topics, which view to private interest than zeal for the public service."

Yours, &c.

Mr. URBAN,

PER

H. C. B.

Feb. 7.

ERHAPS the following little at tempt at Philology (Logology?) may not be deemed an inadmissible trifle, as a dash of seasoning, or as an entremet, in the intellectual feast of your Magazine.

Suppose me then, Mr. Urban, in the President's chair; and Peter Morris may be there, to make craniological observations, and to eulogize the dishes and wines: but let him beware of the gout. Suppose me, I say, haranguing upon the superiority of the ancient languages over the modern, in the union of conciseness, elegance, and energy, and instancing as follows: A Roman would say, Gaude tu, gaudeantque omnes! an Italian, Godi tu, godite tutti! a Frenchinan, Rejouistoi tu, et que tous se rejouissent! an Englishman, (Come in, John Bull ! leaning upon your auxiliary verbs,) Do thou rejoice, and let all rejoice ! The eldest daughter of the Latin keeps pace indeed with her parent (in this instance at least) in conciseness, but not, I think, in elegance. The two others (who are of rather a mongrel breed, with their reflective and auxiliary helps,) limp but aukwardly after.

Teo. Dorset, of which I send you

HE fine old Church of Bridport,

a view drawn by Mr. J. Buckler, F. S. A. (See Plate II.) stands near the lower end of the South street of that ancient Borough; and is dedicated to St. Mary.

The Church is large, and is built in the form of a Cross. The body and chancel consist each of three ailes, and are divided internally by four

pointed arches resting on clustered

columns, which support a lofty and handsome Tower, composed of several stories, having buttresses at the angles, battlements and pinnacles on the parapets, and an octagonal stair-case turret at the N.W. angle. The Western doorway has been walled up, and the tracery of the window over it destroyed. In the three ailes composing the East end are as many windows, which are of nearly uniform proportions, but the design of the tracery in each is various, and all are elegant. The principal windows in the Transepts are spacious and very handsome. The South Porch is united to a chapel or aile, which joins the E. side of the Transept, and the room over is lighted by a small bow window, and approached by an octagonal stair-case turret, crowned with a pinnacle at the N. W. angle. The Font is of an octagonal form, ornamented with quatrefoils in its body and pedestal.

A board in the North transept bears this inscription:

this isle for the use of the poor was repaired and beautified

at the expence of Mr. Jullantigh in the year 1776."

On the North side of the chancel was ao altar-tomb of grey marble; and on a fillet of brass this inscription, as given by Leland:

GENT. MAG. March, 1820.

"Hic jacet Willi’'mus, filius Elizabet' de Juliers, Comitisse Bancie, consanguine' Philippi, quondam regine Angl."*

William, here buried, was son of Sir Eustace Dabridgecourt, knt. and of Elizabeth, daughter of Gerard, earl of earl of Kent, son of Edmund of WoodJuliens, widow of John Plantagenet, stock, earl of Kent, brother to King Edward II. Elizabeth countess of Kent died 1411.t

In the North part of the transept is an effigy, in reddish stone, of a man cross-legged, in complete armour, with shield and sword, but no arms on the shield.

The modern Epitaphs in this church are given in the first volume of the new edition of Hutchins's "Dorsetshire." N., R. S.

ERE I to be asked what single

cause has been most efficient in producing the political superiority of Great Britain, I should say, the habit of investigating every subject in a practical manner, aud rejecting those fanciful systems and hypotheses which dazzle and bewilder the understandings of many nations. But it seems a maxim at the present moment, that this salutary habit should be laid aside upon one of the most important points which has ever entered into the consideration of social man, and that the brilliant scheme of universal education should, by the mère force of its association, command the assent of every one in the higher ranks of society, and be forwarded by the legis lature and the community, under pain of obloquy and contempt.

Notwithstanding the danger of such a task, I must assert my right to inquire into this subject practically; and, with the declaration that my opinion is not yet formed, and that I only wish to discuss, for the purpose of eliciting sound sense from others, I shall beg leave to direct attention to the following points.

It has been declared by the wisest men of all ages, that nothing is more dangerous than a little learning; and

*This monument has been removed from its original situation, and great part of the inscription løst.

+ Hutchins's Dorsetshire, 2d edit. I.

p 385.

every