Præceptor in scholà, quæ est Ecclesiæ seminarium, præest discipulis, ut pastor ovibus, ut pascat, sanet, et protegat eas,) sic non dubito quin difficili hoc et tam præclaro munere et officio, in erudiendis et tuendis pueris ab ethnicis erroribus, sive idolatriâ, et pravis opinionibus, alacriter et summo cum honore et integri tate functurus es, et provinciam quam nactus es ornare sedulò navabis operam.

"Sicut Patriarcha Jacobus, dum pecudibus præerat, multas noctes insomnes transegit, æstum et frigus et aëris inclementiam patienter passus, quo meliorem Labano suo socero, cujus grex erat, redderet rationem.

"Pasor ille celeberrimus apud Batavos Ludimagister, anno 1644, voluit ethnicos authores è scholis generaliter excludi; recolligens quod Virgilius maximè impiè scripsit in Æneid. lib. vii. ver. 661: Mista Deo mulier.' Et Palingenius:

In cœlo est meretrix, in cœlo est turpis adulter.' Illudque Euripidis: Dii si patrarent turpia, non Dii forent.' "Attamen mediocris cursus, potius, ut mihi videtur, eligendus est; legantur, sed summâ cum cautione, et non sine fortissimo repagulo; ne idolatria vel vana superstitio, vel minima libido aut illecebra, ut in Eunucho Terentii, irrepant aut corrumpant animas.

"Hæc loca evitanda sunt sicut Scylla aut Charybdis; et oculi et aures ita obstruendi sunt; ne quid impium vel impurum animis introeat, contaminet, quod nullo modo fiat, nisi in planè detegendis et prorsus detestandis Diaboli insidiis et astutiis, ad quod fi deliter quidem peragendum maxima vix sufficiens et par erit cura.

"Memini quoque in scholâ Novi Collegii apud Oxonium, circiter 1699, celeberrimus ille Præceptor, sive Ludimagister, et acuratissimus, Jacobus Badger, in nostris ipsorum libris pura ab impuris suo calamo distinxit, et adnotavit.

"Ad onera levanda tua, et ad promovendam maximè sanctam et piam institutionem, librum perexiguum non ita pridem in publicum emisi vocatum, Nova Natalitia, sive Christiana Regeneratio; cum Causis, Ratione, et Necessitate ejusdem ad Salutem, non laxo sermone sed versibus compositum; quem tibi commende, memoriter à discipulis tuis recitandum, præcipuè in exercitiis suis, vel saltem sæpissimè relegendum; sicut David, cum conversionem subditorum suorum ad exemplar cordis Dei et sui ipsius sibi proposuisset, hoc penè idem injunxit ominibus, cum Psalmos suos alphabeticos composuisset ope divinâ.

"Liber enim est quasi medulla Christianæ Theologiæ ex optimis Authoribus confecta et decerpta, carmine Miltonico concinnatus in usum juventutis Britannicæ, ad regenerandum ad Palingenesin, ut naturali quæ est in illis concupiscentiâ detectâ, repudiatâ, et devictâ, Novus Homo in illis renascatur, et indies renovetur; præ quo omnia, ut Paulus ait, pro rejectamentis reputanda sunt. Prostat liber venalis apud R. Manby, propè Ludgate; pr. 1s. 6d. "Vale, in Deo sempiterno, THO. ALLEN, Rector de Kettering. "Hic liber, tibi commendatus, teritur in manibus Ludi-magistrorum sub Gymnasiarchis quatuor maximarum Scholarum Londini et Westmonasterii,

"Ne

"Ne fiat labor vel molestia in transcribendo, post lectas literas et librum accersitum per Bibliopolam benè approbatum in usus designatos, impense quæso ut communices eos Ludi-magistris insignioris nota, non secus ac minorum gentium circumquaque degentibus, ut Gloria Dei eniteat in multorum emolumentis.

"Et Clericis quibus tecum intercidit usus, ut Parochianis suis librum commendent; quo major Dei gloria, &c."

་

Mr. GEORGE AYSCOUGH to RICHARD GOUGH, Esq. Southampton Court, Jan. 13, 1781. "Having an opportunity of seeing your Topographical History, I think I can give you a few hints about Dr. Charles Deering, alias Doering *. He took his degree of Doctor of Physic, I think, at Leyden. His Diploma and Seal of the College I have placed in his Book of Plants in the British Museum. Soon after he came to London he was made a Secretary to the Ambassador going to Russia; on his return he married; he lost his wife. Some little time after he went to Nottingham; at first was well received; but his unaccountable temper soon lost his better friends, he always finding fault with the cooking: this was his misfortune; it disobliged the mistress of the family, and consequently lost his place at table. Here he began to taste his troubles, and was soon nearly in want. He applied to John Plumptre, esq. to assist in writing the History of Nottingham;' and he helped him to most of the materials, and assisted him. generously. As this was a work of time, he did not live to see it published. I think I may say his poverty broke his heart, Mrs Turner, a Lincolnshire lady, at that time boarded in Nottingham. His landlord acquainted her of his distress; she sent him half a guinea, and orders to the landlord to let her know how he went on. His landlord gave him the half guinea, with her compliments. The Doctor immediately replied, If you had stabbed me to the heart, I should have thanked you; but this I cannot bear.' He lived but a short time after. Before his last illness his friends bought him an electrical machine; with this he got a little money, and then he was made an Officer in the Nottingham foot, raised on account of the Rebellion in 1745 and 1746: but this was only an expence to him; he used to say all his helps hurt him, as being attended with more cost than his profits amounted to. He was a German, and master of nine languages. He observed sometimes, that every little schoolmaster could maintain himself, but he with all his knowledge could not. He died so poor that there was not a sufficiency to bury him; on which account the Corporation was taking his effects for that service, but Mr. Willington, druggist, of Nottingham, and myself, administered as principal creditors, and buried him genteelly in St. Peter's church-yard. He and I in joint expence printed the History of Nottingham,' and bought and got engraved the Prints that are in it; only Mr. Plumptre gave us the West view.

* See before, vol. I. pp. 211. 800.

The

The Doctor wrote a book of Plants growing about Nottingham; a Treatise on the Small-pox, addressed to Sir Thomas Parkyns, Bart. and not a Doctor of Physic, and the Latin Account of the Transactions of the Nottinghamshire Horse, which was put up in the County Hall under the Colours after they returned from Scotland; all which I printed. The Anonymous of Nottingham I have; several small paper books of his writing; the first Plan of Nottingham Old Castle that you take notice of.

"So much for the Doctor. I will make an observation relating to my family: Mr William Ayscough, my father, was the first who introduced the Art of Printing into Nottingham, about the year 1710. He died when I was almost three years old, and was buried in St. Peter's church. My mother carried on the business till I was about 17, and was buried by her husband. I continued the printing till 1762, and in this year (1781) am in the 66th year of my age My mother was daughter of the Rev. Mr. George Young, Rector of Catwick in Holderness. I married Miss Elizabeth Prudom, but had no living issue; and then to Miss Edith Wigley, daughter of Benjamin Wigley, esq. of Wirksworth, and have a son, the Rev Samuel Ayscough, who is writing the Catalogue of Dr. Sloane and Dr. Birch's Manuscripts in the Museum, and a daughter Anne. - I thought this account would be agree able to you, and plead an excuse for giving this trouble.

"If you should call on me, I can shew you Mr. Francis Willoughby picture, his Father, Mother, and two Sisters; King Charles the First, about the time when he went to Spain, I think; Prince Henry, and Oliver; I presume all good ones; and an antient altar-piece, I suppose by Durer.—I am, &c. G. AYSCOUGH."

SIR,

BEAUPRE' BELL, Esq. to Dr. NATHANAEL SALMONT Trinity College, May 19, 1729. "The Brass Rings or Plates made use of in exchange, both be fore and in Cæsar's time, were not the product of this Island, but imported from other parts. Utuntur, says Cæsar, aut Aere, aut Annulis Ferreis ad certum pondus examinatis, pro Numme. And a line or two after, Aere utuntur importato. Lib. V. c. 10. If they imported Brass, as it is plain they did, there is nothing improbable in supposing that Cunobeline, when he had seen the Gold and Silver Coins of the Romans, might import both those metals for the same purpose.—The novelty of striking a Coin at Rome with the Emperor's head upon it, might, as I observed, be one reason, among others, for Cunobeline's imitation. When you call it a fashion young in the world, your pen slipped. It is certain that the Greeks placed the heads of their Princes on Coins even before the Foundation of Rome.

"You see, Sir, I have made use of the liberty you are pleased to allow me, in dissenting freely from your opinion. I wish what I have said may furnish you with any fresh hint, or give you an opportunity of correcting an error in, good Sir,

"Your most obedient servant,

* Of whom see the "Literary Anecdotes, vol. V. p. 278.

BEAUPRE BELL."

+Ibid. II. 132.

The Rev. WILLIAM DEJOVAS BYRCH,

the last surviving son of the Rev. William Byrch, Minister of St. Mary's, Dover, and Rector of Mongeham, Kent, by Jane, daughter of Mr. William Dejovas, was born July 19, 1730, and educated first at Peter House, and afterwards at Sidney College, Cambridge, where he proceeded B. A. 1750; M. A. 1754; and was some time Fellow, during which he was Moderator of the University. He was elected F. S. A. in 1760.

In 1759, Mr. Byrch married Elizabeth, only daughter of Thomas Barrett*, esq. of Lee Priory in Kent, and heiress to her mother Elizabeth, daughter and heir of Peter De-la-Pierre, M. D. In right of his wife he became possessed of the manor and advowson of Kingston in Kent, and of Evering in the hundred of Folkestone. He held also Placehouse, in Woodchurch, in the same county. By her he had a son, Thomas-Peter, a Lieutenant of Marines, who died in 1784, unmarried; and an only daughter, Elizabeth, married, 1786, to Samuel Egerton Brydges, esq. younger and next brother to the Rev. Edward Tymewell Brydges +.

* Well known amongst the encouragers of the Arts, in which he was remarkably skilful, and celebrated for his Collections. He was a gentleman of great elegance and fine taste, to which, in a life as retired as was consistent with sociability, and an extensive knowledge of men and manners, were conjoined the utmost regularity, unfeigned piety, and the truest both conjugal and parental affection. He died Jan. 28, 1757.

+ See Hasted's Kent, vol. III. pp. 107. 358. 749.

Of this Gentleman, and his Claim to the Barony of Chandos, see Collins's Peerage, vol. VI. p. 756. He died in October 1807, aged 58.- Mr. Egerton Brydges (now a Baronet, Knight of the Order of St. Joachim, and M. P. for Maidstone) has particularly distinguished himself in the Literary world by many excellent and useful publications. See the "Literary Anecdotes," vol. IX. P. 209. - A View of Lee Priory, as repaired by the taste of Mr. James Wyatt, is given in Hasted's Kent, vol. III. p. 664. -This fine old mansion is now the property of Thomas Earrett Brydges, esq. (eldest son of Sir Egerton), born June 20, 1789,

who

Mr. Byrch was endowed with uncommon quali ties both of the head and the heart, though from usconquerable modesty and diffidence he never became known to the world at large. He was not only complete master of the learned tongues, and had read and digested all the best Latin and Greek Writers, but he understood Hebrew, and was well acquainted with French and Italian; in all the deepest and politest writers of his own country he was thoroughly versed; and he was undoubtedly one of the deepest Mathematicians of the age, a study of which he had been peculiarly fond, and to which in early life he dedicated much time, and had he continued it with the same ardour, might have added lights (so original were his powers of thinking) that would have rendered his name renowned over Europe. Perhaps bis labours are not totally lost; there are faint hopes

he

may have left papers, which are probably of the highest value. But, after all these wonderful ac quirements, he had Learning of yet more estimation, and to which he applied yet more time; in the studies appropriate to his profession (of which he uniformly declined soliciting the emoluments, that he might prove himself a disinterested supporter of its cause); in these studies he was a most perfect master; he was the ablest advocate for the Church Establishment, the most truly orthodox in his opinions, and the firmest and warmest believer of the Christian Religion. Habituated as his mind was to the closest reasoning, and stored as it was with the most extended learning, the fallacious arguments, the false quotations, and all the arts by which half-witted or interested people support their principles, were in

who has taken the name of Barrett in compliance with the will of his great uncle Thomas Barrett, esq. who died in January 1603, and whose estates he inherits. See Gent. Mag. vol. LXXIÏ p. 91. -From a private press at Lee Priory, under the superintendance of Sir Egerton Brydges, the admirers of old English Literature have been favoured with several publications of uncommon elegance.

stantly