servation, and of equal importance in their respective localities: they are also the medium of bringing into notice praiseworthy efforts that might otherwise escape notice. Thus we learn that in the outlying parishes of Otterbourne, Etal, Alwinton, and Holystone there are new churches in very correct taste: at Chevington and Acklington new churches are building and six others are about to be founded in populous districts on the Tyne by the Duke of Northumberland. The venerable churches at Norham, Ford, Rock, Embleton, Warkworth, Hartburn, Chillingham, Bamborough, Doddington, Elsdon, and Morpeth have been zealously rescued from decay, in as many careful restorations. Merton College is responsible for the condition of the chancels of Ponteland and Embleton churches, both of which are, curiously, in a very unsatisfactory state.

:

By this slight sketch it will be seen that, although there is yet much to be done; although there are many, many churches still tottering on their foundations, as at Alnham, Bothal, Ingram, Rothbury, Edlingham, Mitford, and Widdrington; and many interesting remains of ancient buildings fading from the landscape,-witness the castles of Norham, Etal, Dunstanborough, Eglingham, Crawley Pele-tower, the Hospital of St. John at Chibburn, &c.,—the revival of an appreciation of our national architecture has taken firm hold on the English border. Thirty years ago the one architect of Newcastle knew of no other: the census of 1851 shewed thirty-seven established in Northumberland: and, for the last ten years, we may add a proportionate increase. A northern architectural association, whose meetings are appropriately held in the Norman keep of the fine old castle at Newcastle, is of two years' standing; and will doubtless aid in focussing as well as distributing much useful information.

Our remarks being confined to modern progress we have not sketched the antiquities of more remote periods with which the county abounds: but to many minds the great Roman wall and Roman remains will present histories and studies of still greater interest. At Bremenium the exhumed Roman station is a new mine for antiquaries: and the nearly obliterated Roman roads recently traced by Mr. McLauchlan are also a great gain. Then, the very numerous ancient British camps on the bleak hill-tops, with the occasional discovery of cists and implements, open out the contemplation of a still more distant period: and, as a crowning puzzle, in the paucity of information concerning them and in the intricacy of interpretation, there are the inscribed rocks scattered in the neighbourhood of the Camps. The writing on the wall of Belshazzar's palace was not more difficult to decipher than are the mystic circles dispersed over these unhewn stones. Several theories have been advanced concerning them: one affirms they represent plans of camps; another that they record astronomical calculations; a third, that they define the site of ancient games or rites; but the antiquary who is able satisfactorily to read these hieroglyphics may safely reckon on an imperishable fame. Nor have we dwelt

upon the great mineral wealth, the marvellous coal-trade, of this historic district, nor upon its natural productions. In the Tweed the king of fishes, the salmon, holds his court; the smaller streams twinkle with trout: on Cheviot-top the golden eagle yet flaps his wings: the heathery moors, green, and gold, and purple with moss, and furze, and harebells, abound with game and a breed of wild cattle graze in Chillingham Park. Where could a summer's holiday be more pleasantly spent than under the shadow of the Cheviots, where the Percies fought, where Defoe came botanizing, and Sir Walter Scott loitered to drink goats' milk,-where there is no douâne, and the passport system vexeth not?

CORNISH TOURS.

Most people, we believe, have read and relished Mr. Walter White's "Londoner's Walk to the Land's End." They have found in it the acute remarks of a scholar and a gentleman, and many pleasant descriptions of what he saw and heard. But Mr. White laboured under the disadvantage of being himself a stranger in the region that he treats of, and therefore he is but an indifferent guide. We have seen two books, one recently published, and the other of older datea, which will far better answer the purpose of any one who may be tempted to spend his annual holiday in the far West. They are both by residents in the district, and each may be fairly said to exhaust its subject. Mr. Johns treats of the southern promontory of Cornwall, and dedicates his pretty little volume to the Prince of Wales. He divides his country into five districts, each sufficient to occupy a day, and describes every object with that minuteness which only the resident can pretend to; and being a good draughtsman, he presents us with a large number of very nice small engravings, which are chiefly botanical, and are so well done, that the merest tyro could hardly fail to recognise the various rare plants depicted. "A Day at Sea" is a novelty in guidebooks, but Mr. Johns makes it a very agreeable one; and an Appendix on Geology, accompanied by a neat map, completes a very useful work, which has beside the recommendation of being printed in a convenient pocket size.

Mr. Blight goes farther westward, his patriotic intention being to shew that "the district has something more to recommend it than the mere charm of its name 'the Land's End.'" This point he very satisfactorily establishes, and he has so much to tell, that were we to begin to make extracts, we should not know where to end. We must therefore content ourselves with saying that his work, as might be expected from the author of the "Ancient Crosses and other Antiquities of Cornwall," is of a very high character. It has many spirited though rather rough engravings, and a geological map, and whether used as a guide-book on the Cornish coast, or read by the home fireside in winter, will answer every expectation of even the most exacting reader.

a "A Week at the Lizard." By the Rev. C. A. Johns. (Christian Knowledge Society. 1848.) "A Week at the Land's End." By J. T. Blight. (Longmans. 1861.)

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BIBLIOGRAPHY OF NORMANDY".

ALL those who have been acquainted with Normandy during the last forty years, or with the books relating to Normandy published during the same interval, are acquainted with the name of M. Edward Frère, for so many years the chief bookseller of Rouen, and indeed of the whole province. His retirement from business in favour of his son-in-law, M. Le Brument, was a matter of regret to many, for however estimable the younger man might be, M. Frère could not transfer his knowledge and experience with his stock-in-trade. We are therefore glad to see that he has been enjoying a green old age, and occupying himself most usefully, instead of spending his time in idleness, as too many are tempted to do when they retire from active trade. The work before us is the result of his experience and his diligence, and is highly creditable to him. From its nature it hardly admits of being reviewed,-who can review a catalogue ? We can only call attention to it, and recommend it as a fit companion to Brunet and Ebert, and Lowndes and Watt.

The Introduction, however, is of a readable character, and here M. Frère has brought his learning and research to bear in a remarkable manner. The account of books, and libraries, and places of education before the invention of printing, is very curious and interesting, and contains little known particulars. The following subjects noticed will give some idea of the great value of this part of the work, and its interesting nature to English readers, in connection with our own history:

"A.D. 833. Abbey of Fontenelle, Normandy. A tower for the preservation of the library of the monastery was built in this year by the Abbot Angésilde, or Anségise. -From the Chronicon Fontanellense, printed by D'Achery in his Spicilegium, t. ii.

1723.

"Eleventh century. Schools founded in every part of Normandy, and warmly supported by Duke Richard II., who collected the most eminent men as teachers, including even some Armenians and Greeks.

"1001. The Abbey of Fécamp refounded by William of Dijon, and its school organised on a new footing. It soon became celebrated, and the same plan was followed by many others. Among the scholars educated at this school were Maurille (or Malgerius), archbishop of Rouen; Remi, bishop of Lincoln, a very learned man; Turold, abbot of

"Manuel du Bibliographe Normand, ou Dictionnaire bibliographique et historique, contenant; 1° L'Indication des Ouvrages relatifs à la Normandie, depuis l'origine de l'Imprimerie jusqu'à nos jours; 2o Des Notes biographiques, critiques et littéraires sur les écrivains Normands, sur les auteurs de publications se rattachant à la Normandie, et sur diverses notabilités de cette province; 3o Des Recherches sur l'Histoire de l'Imprimerie en Normandie. Par Édouard Frère, Membre de l'Académie des Sciences, Belles-Lettres et Arts de Rouen, des Sociétés des Antiquaires de Normandie, de Londres, &c. 2 vols., royal 8vo. (Rouen: A. Le Brument. Oxford: Parkers.)"

Malmesbury under William I., afterwards bishop of Peterborough; Herbert, bishop of Ramsey in 1087, of Thetford 1091, and transferred the see to Norwich. A rich library was attached to the abbey of Fécamp; ninety-five MSS. which belonged to it are still preserved in the library of Rouen.

"1039. The school of Bec, founded in that monastery by Lanfranc, who had studied law and the belles-lettres at Pavia and Bologna. The reputation of his public lectures became so great that the masters of other celebrated schools came to him as pupils. He was assisted by Anselm, who became his successor in 1070, when Lanfranc was made Archbishop of Canterbury, first as master of the school of Bec, and afterwards as archbishop in 1093; but after living a number of years in England, he returned to live at his abbey of Bec. Gundulph, Arnulf, and Ernulf, bishops of Rochester, were also scholars of Bec; Theobald and Richard, archbishops of Canterbury; Henry, abbot of Battle Abbey; Richard, abbot of Ely; Paul, abbot of St. Alban's; and Eadmer.

"In the twelfth century the monks of Bec possessed two hundred MSS., and borrowed other copies for the purpose of collating them, and obtaining more correct texts.

"In the eleventh and twelfth centuries the monastery of St. Evroul was celebrated for its caligraphy, and a large number of books were written or transcribed there. Orderic Vital, the historian, was a monk of St. Evroul; Joffrid, abbot of Croyland, was educated at St. Evroul, and established a school at Cottenham, near Cambridge, assisted by four of his colleagues educated in the same monastery. They taught all the sciences except theology, and the school soon became so important that it gave rise to the University of Cambridge.

"The schools established in connection with the cathedrals and abbeys were the origin of the Universities. The caligraphists and miniature painters of Normandy were celebrated. The famous Book of Hours presented by Charles VI. of France to the Duchess of Burgundy was executed at Bayeux, and cost a sum equal to £200 of our money.

"In the thirteenth century it is reckoned that there were about 40,000 copyists in France, who all worked on parchment or vellum. Paper was not introduced before 1300. "In the fifteenth century literary studies were almost driven out of France by the civil wars."

RUNIC INSCRIPTIONS.

PROFESSOR George Stephens, of Cheapinghaven, proposes to publish this autumn a work of rare interest. It is entitled The Old-Northern Runic Inscriptions of Scandinavia and England, and will contain about seventy fac-similes, beside all the necessary apparatus of tables of Runic Alphabets, Glossary, &c., as well as introductory remarks, and a translation of every known inscription, whether on carved stones, crosses, jewels, bracteates, or other objects. These inscriptions exhibit our Northern mother tongue in its oldest form, ranging from the third to the tenth century, when the fresh series of Scandinavian Runes may be said to comThe volume will be a handsome 4to., elegantly printed on fine paper, and the price is named at £1 1s. Those who wish to encourage the author in his laborious and most valuable undertaking, will do well to forward their names at once to Mr. John Russell Smith, the bookseller, of Soho-square, London.

mence.

GENT. MAG. VOL. CCXI.

E

THE PRIORY CHURCH, BRECON.

WE have been requested to bring before our readers the following report of G. G. Scott, Esq., the architect under whose superintendence the restoration of the Priory Church at Brecon is intended to be carried out :

"To the Committee for the restoration of the Priory Church at Brecon.

My Lords and Gentlemen,

In compliance with your request I beg to make a brief report to you on the interesting work you have taken in hand.

"It is somewhat remarkable that, simple and stern as the character is of the humbler ecclesiastical structures of South Wales as compared with those of many other parts of the kingdom, and comparatively limited as must have been the resources even of those of a higher order, the architecture of those of the latter class is not only as perfect and refined as that of parallel structures in the more wealthy parts of the island, but one may almost imagine that even greater care and study were devoted to them, as if to compensate for their scale being somewhat less and their number more limited.

"Thus, in the cathedral of the diocese, while the exterior retains the sternness of effect which pervades the smaller churches, the interior contains some of the very finest specimens of the transition from Romanesque to Early Pointed which can anywhere be found. Again, in the cathedral of Llandaff (now being so admirably restored) the internal architecture ranks among the very finest of the Early Pointed period. The same is the case at Tintern, Neath, Margam, Haverfordwest, and in many other instances, and it is so in a marked degree with the church now under consideration, where, stern and massive as is the external form, and moderate as is the amount even of internal ornament, the quality of the architecture is as good, as well studied, and as refined as could be found in any building of its period in this, or, perhaps, in any other country.

"I trouble you with these remarks for the purpose of shewing that in undertaking the restoration of the Priory Church of Brecon you are preserving and perpetuating a work of a high order of architectural merit, and one in every way worthy of all the care which can be bestowed upon it.

"I am not well acquainted with the history of the church. It is said, I believe, to have been rebuilt soon after the Norman Conquest, but I have found in it no traces of work (the font alone excepted) of a date earlier than the thirteenth century.

"The eastern portions, including the chancel, the transepts, and the central tower, are (some subsequent alterations excepted) of one date, and the result of one effort. They are of the early style of Pointed architecture, but in its more advanced form, dating, perhaps, from 1220 to 1230.

“The chancel, which is of four bays in length, is a noble specimen of the style of the period. It was intended to be vaulted, but it is probable that this part of its design was never carried out beyond the erection of the vaulting-shafts and springers. The side bays contained fine triplets, and the east end a window of five lancet lights, all remarkable for their great internal depth. either side contained richly moulded openings into the side

The first bay on chapels, and the