Mr. Thomas Gyll to George Allan, Esq... Controversy between Bishops Warburton and Lowth.......711 Archdeacon Blackburne on the Fate of Dr. John Brown....715 in Vindication of Dr. Jortin...... Memoirs of Charles Townley, Esq...... Memoirs of Francis Russell, Esq.... - Rev. Sambrook Nicholas Russell. Letters of the Rev. S. N. Russell... Verses by Mr. Justice Hardinge.. Letters of Mr. Hardinge to Lady Knowles. CORRECTIONS IN THE INTRODUCTORY MEMOIR. P. 6. "My Father (Mr. Nicholas Hardinge) had a severe countenance, and a distant manner to strangers; but the most playful habits with his intimate friends, and a fund of sociable humour. He was an early and gifted improver of Garden Landscape for pleasure when his relations or friends consulted him. Indeed there was no Professor of the art in those days. Lord Camden called it the prophetic eye of Taste." G. H. P. 18. 1. 23. read "in the Long Vacation of 1792." P. 31. I am sorry to say, that Mr. Hardinge's promised Essay on the Character of Richard III. has not been found among his MSS. P. 44. It may be proper to observe, on the authority of a learned Friend, that some of the cleverest contributions to the prose department of The Anti-jacobin' were from his pen ;-and he frequently, in latter life, sent animated diatribes to The Courier' Newspaper. See the honourable and handsome testimony borne to the thoughts that breathe, and words that burn' of Mr. Hardinge by the celebrated Mr. Maty in his Review for March 1784. The whole body of Critics passed a somewhat severe judgment on his Essence of Malone;' but that exquisitely witty Satire was received aux bras ouverts, and greeted with an animated eulogy, by the learned Author of The Pursuits of Literature." P. 46. 1. 6. Correct thus: “He was first taken seriously ill at Ross. The cause of his decease was an inflammation of the Pleura; and it is probable that his personal exposure," &c.; and 1. 11, after "his horse," add, “ Being partial to that exercise, he often took long journeys on horseback, attended only by his valet." See p. 834. P. 47. 1. 10. After "circumstances," add, "united with a strong love for independence ;" and, 1. 21, read, “A melancholy association with the recollection of the intended visit to the tomb of his last favoured Hero of Taste and Virtue is formed in the mind, and painful moral feelings of regret arise, which teach us more forcibly to remember that-man proposes, but God disposes." Ibid. 1. 23. read, " with a benevolent intelligent countenance;" and 1. 25. "and with a power of shewing them with so much ease, and so divested of pedantry, &c." P. 86. The following lines were addressed to a Lady, with an accurate and beautiful drawing of the Sword. Accept, for thou art generous, thou art brave, By thee his fame was built, his wreaths were bound: ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE LITERATURE OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. GEORGE HARDINGE, Esa. I feel a melancholy satisfaction in opening a new Volume, with an ardent wish to preserve a brief but faithful memorial of the social virtues, the talents, and the unbounded benevolence, of a justly valued Friend, and excellent Literary Coadjutor, George Hardinge, esq. the descendant of an antient Family, long seated at King's Newton*, in the parish of Melbournet, in the county of Derby. Henry Hardinge, of Newton, gent. died in December 1612, s. p. ; and was succeeded by his brother; whose son Robert Hardinge was a Chief Justice in Eyre, and Recorder of Newark. He was of great use to King Charles I. in his conflict with the Rebels; and for his Loyalty was knighted by * Their antient and noble mansion in this hamlet is now the property of Lord Viscount Melbourne. † Where several monumental memorials of the Hardinges still remain in a separate chancel or chapel of the church, called "The Hardinge chancel." See Appendix, No. I. The following Letter will illustrate the family history: "This, for the worthily much honoured his good Freind William Dugdale, esq. Norroy King of Armes, att his Chamber in the Herralds Office, neare Doctors Comons, in London-respectively presented. "WORTHY SIR, King's Newton, 25° Januarii, 1663. "About a week since, your Letter, directed to Mr. Nicholas Hardinge, att King's Newton, com. Derby, comeing to my hands, supposing you hereby meant myselfe but mistooke my name, and knowing your hand-writinge, I opened it. And VOL. III. B hereby King Charles II. at Melbourne in 1674. He married Anne, the daughter, and eventually the heiress, of Sir Richard Sprignell, of Highgate, Baronet. Of her Brother, who died in his youth, Sir Peter Lelas painted a Portrait, which is now in Sir Ric d Hardinge's collection, and is a chef d'œuvre of that exquisite Artist. hereby you say that I failed to wait on you to prove my armes ; and this week accydentally meeting your servant, Mr. Hall of Nottingham, inquireing the reason, hec told mee you was to perfect your Book of Visitac'on, and deliver it upp speedily. I have therefore, to prevent mistakes, sent this to assure you that had I not, ever since Trinity Terme last, when I mett you in the Tally-office at Westminster, bin dangerously sick of the scurvy and black jaundice, and an hydropicall humour, so that I was forced to neglect the two last Termes and my business at Leicester as Recorder, and Justice in Eyre's seat, also as the King's Attorney, till this last weeke, when, my Lord Newcastle sending for mee, I adventured to Welbeck, and by a new cold am somewhat relapsed; I had sooner (and should have this Terme) waited on you: but now I shall not bee able to travell; so that I have desired my brother, this bearer, to attend you; but my deeds are here in the country, so that I cannot send them with safety to London. But, Sir, you may please to remember, to prove my Pedigree, I shewed you, att your chamber in the Herralds'-office, two old deeds, sealed with white wax, to which Robert the sonne of Nicholas and Nicholas the sonne of Robert of Melburne were partyes, to each whereof five or six others of Melburne and de Newton were witnesses, who had no surnames in the deeds; and the lands I now have. To which you have objected, that these were all named Melburnes; to which I answered, there could not be probably five or six Melburnes and Newtons att one tyme. And I then shewed you another deed, 70 Henry VIIIth, whereby my tres-ayell Nicholas Harding de Melborne, gent. then so written, sonne of Robert de Melburne, setts out a joynture to Agnes de Newton, and seales it with a cheveron in green wax. I then shewed you an old bond from Astell to my grandfather Nicholas Hardinge de Melburne, gent. conditioned for the performance of covenants on a purchase made by my great-grandfather. And then my great-grandfather Nicholas Hardinge de Melburne, gent. his will, under seale, dated 250 Maij, 1582, whereby the Pedigree is apparent, and legacies given for repair of Swarston Bridge, whereof Sir Rauph Zacheverell and William Benbrigg, esq. were overseers. And I also shewed the joynture made by my uncle Henry Hardinge, gent. to his wife, 20th February, 70 Jacob. under his hand, and seale of a cheveron; but then you objected that this was the Lord Berkeley's Sir Robert Hardinge had, amongst other children, whose issue are extinct, two sons-Robert, who suc ceeded him at King's Newton, and Gideon. Robert married. Anne, daughter and coheir of William Buxton, of Youlgreave, esq. by who he 18: Berkeley's coate: but to that I told you, hee had the crosses patées added to his; and to mine aunciently were added the three escallop-shells, as old Bryan Dawson, of Newton, the Herraid-painter, sometymes called the wandring Jew, who was near a hundred yeares, had declared. To which you lastly replied, that this was the Melburnes coat of arms. To which then I could give no answer. that family being quite extinct. But, they lying interred in Melburnes church, I have since seen their coate, which is visible, which was a fess betwixt 3 garbes, or sheaves. And now, Sir, my ancestors lye interred in a chappell in Melburne church, which chappell is myne by prescription, and never any in memory but they were there interred; and there are two monuments of them. Sir, they have bin written " Gentlemen" tyme out of minde, and have used the coate I now give, as appears by the deeds, &c.; wherewith you seemed satisfied, only told mee they were omitted in the two last Visitac'ons. Now, Sir, for that it happened my uncle Henry was in ward to Sir Francis Needham, an infant, in the first; and myselfe an infant, and att schoole in Leicestershire, in the last. And really, Sir, what further evydence cann be given I know not. But sure I am you have past a great many in this County, and many in Nottinghamshire, and some of my own tribe of the Lawe, who are Gents. and Esqrs, of the first head, and no such strict proofe hathe bin required. And why myselfe, who have bin sequestered, and so great a sufferer for the King, and who have bin in the warrs, and yett am in command as Captaine, and by several capacityes in your own Law am an Esquire, should have so strict a scrutiny, I know not. Sir, I have long known you to bee a person of much worth and civility, and therefore shall not differ with you, not doubting your civilityes; but well know I have no reason, neither shall I accept a new grant of other or my owne arms att this day. But I desire you to enter my Pedigree and Arms, which I clayme by prescription, in your Book of Visitac'on; and to send mee downe the Pedigree and Coate under your hand in short; and please to lett my brother know your demands, and 1 will speedily send you the money by the next carryer, or hee will gratify your respects. Thus, Sir, with my best love, and very hearty respects to yourselfe and all yours, wishing in health to see you att King's Newton, I remaine, Sir, your respective neighbour, and affeccionate freind to serve you, ROBT. HARDinge. Sir, being not well to wryte myselfe, my man hath bin too tedious, wherein I pray excuse mee.' B 2 had |